Times of India56 minutes agoPolitics1 min readIndia

Centre defers census exercise in Manipur following high-level meeting

Decision comes after protests demanding the update of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) prior to census operations

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The Indian government has postponed the census in Manipur, originally scheduled for September 1, following a meeting chaired by Home Minister Amit Shah.
The decision addresses local demands to prioritize the update of the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

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Why It Matters

The census house-listing exercise was scheduled to begin in Manipur on September 1. Local groups have been demanding the update of the 1951 NRC prior to census operations.

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NEW DELHI: The Centre on Monday deferred the census exercise in Manipur, a statement issued by the CM’s Secretariat said. The decision came after Union home minister Amit Shah chaired a high-level meeting in New Delhi to review the situation in the state, with the demand to defer the census ahead of the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) also discussed.

“The meeting agreed to defer the proposed Census exercise in the state considering the feelings and aspirations of the people of Manipur,” the statement said, news agency PTI reported. The census house-listing exercise was scheduled to begin in Manipur from September 1, making the decision to defer it come a day before the planned start.

Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, CM Khemchand Singh, Union home secretary Govind Mohan and other senior officials attended the meeting. Earlier today, Organisation Secretary, Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation JFD), Longjam Ratan Kumar said, "We are calling strike to press our demand updation of NRC 1951 before the conducting of census 2027 and we have been demanding updation of NRC 1951 before census 2027 since 8th April 2025 along with the people of Manipur..."