August 1,2018:

On Tuesday, Supreme Court expounded that there will be no coercive action by Authorities against over 40 Lakh people, whose names do not figure in the Assam's National Register of Citizens (NRC).

SC Bench stated that it was merely a draft.

Apex Court directed Centre to formulate the modalities and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) including the timelines for deciding the claims and objections arising out of publication of Draft NRC.

SC Bench comprising of Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice R F Nariman asked Centre to submit modalities and SOPs before it for approval within August 16.

Bench stated that,"This court would like to observe that what has been published is only a complete draft NRC, which naturally being a draft cannot be a basis for any coercive action by any authority".

It further added that modalities and SOPs prepared by Ministry concerned of Government of India should be "fair and giving reasonable opportunity to everyone".

Bench added that under the rules, Local Registrar is first required to issue notice to file claim and objections to Draft NRC and then give a reasonable hearing after providing equal opportunity to all.

At the outset, NRC Assam Coordinator Prateek Hajela placed before Court its status report giving details of the publication of draft NRC yesterday.

Report said that out of 3.29 crore people, names of 2.89 crore have been included in the draft NRC. It further said that names of 40,70,707 people do not figure in the list. Of the these, 37,59,630 names have been rejected and the remaining 2,48,077 are on hold.

Bench questioned Hajela, What was the future course of action after the publication of draft NRC.

He then submitted that claims and objections regarding inclusion and exclusion in the NRC could be filed from August 30 to September 28.

First draft of NRC for Assam was published on the intervening night of December 31 and January 1 according to Supreme Court's Direction. Names of 1.9 crore people out of the 3.29 crore applicants were incorporated.

Assam, has faced influx of people from Bangladesh since the early 20th century, is the only state having an NRC, which was first prepared in 1951.

Apex Court, which is monitoring the NRC work, had earlier stated that the claims of those citizens, whose names do not figure in the draft NRC for Assam published by December 31 last year, would be scrutinised and included in the subsequent list, if found genuine.

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