"The decision of the Central Government to update the National Population Register will speed up the development of citizens and intact the security of the country along with solving the problem of foreign unauthorized intruders. Thanks to the central government", tweeted VHP spokesperson Vinod Bansal.
The Union cabinet on Tuesday approved the National Population Register (NPR) with no requirements on the people to submit any documents to prove their identity.
Announcing the cabinet decision, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said no proof will be sought from people during the NPR process beginning April 2020.
"There is no need of any proof, document and biometric as we believe in people. Whatever you will say would be correct. All states have accepted and notified it. The states have also started their campaign," Javadekar said while addressing a press briefing.
"NPR will be on self declaration basis and only head count will be done."
It will be conducted by the Office of the Registrar General of India (RGI) under the Home Ministry and will be done before the 2021 census.
As per the proposal, the exercise to update the NPR would be held in all states and union territories between April and September 2020.
The NPR was started in 2010 by the UPA government led by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, ahead of Census 2011.
The NPR is a register of residents of the country.
It is being prepared at the local (village/sub-town), sub-district, district, state and national level under the provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955, and the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003.
( With inputs from IANS )