Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Wednesday that 9.35 lakh individuals affected by the National Register of Citizens (NRC) process would soon receive their Aadhaar cards. The announcement comes after more than four years of waiting, during which the biometrics of these individuals had been locked, leaving them in a bureaucratic limbo.
Aadhar Card Biometrics Locked During NRC Process
The affected 9,35,682 people had submitted their biometrics during the NRC process between February 2014 and October 2014. However, following the NRC hearings, these biometrics were frozen, preventing the individuals from accessing their Aadhaar cards. As a result, they faced numerous challenges, such as difficulties in joining jobs, availing scholarships, securing admissions, and even accessing ration services.
The biometrics were locked as part of the Supreme Court-approved Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in 2018. According to this SOP, those who were left out of the draft NRC list published on July 31, 2018, were required to submit their biometrics during the hearings for ‘claims’ (to include themselves in the NRC) and ‘objections’ (to challenge the inclusion of others). These hearings were conducted ahead of the final NRC publication on August 31, 2019. Those included in the final list were supposed to receive their Aadhaar numbers, but the process stalled for nearly a million people.
Clarification from the Assam Chief Minister
Chief Minister Sarma clarified that the 9.35 lakh individuals had no direct correlation with the NRC process itself but were caught up in confusion due to the simultaneous submission of biometrics for both NRC and Aadhaar during that period. He emphasized that many of these individuals are included not only in the final NRC published in August 2019 but also in the draft NRC of July 2018.
The Assam government has been in continuous dialogue with the Indian government to resolve this issue. Over the past two years, the state has been pushing for the release of the Aadhaar cards for these affected individuals. On August 19, 2024, the Assam government submitted a formal proposal to the Central government, urging the release of the blocked Aadhaar cards. The Union government responded positively, and the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has now been directed to release the blocked Aadhaar cards.
Formal Approval from the Union Government
The Chief Minister announced that the Union government had formally removed the obstacles preventing the issuance of Aadhaar cards to these 9.35 lakh people. The directive from the Central government marks the end of a long-standing issue, allowing these individuals to finally receive their Aadhaar cards and access the services and benefits that had been withheld from them due to the biometric freeze.
The decision to release the Aadhaar cards comes as a relief to the affected citizens, who have been waiting for years to resolve this issue. With the release of these Aadhaar cards, they will now be able to fully participate in various social and economic activities, bringing an end to their prolonged struggles.
The resolution of this issue represents a significant step towards restoring normalcy for the affected Assamese citizens. It highlights the importance of addressing bureaucratic challenges promptly and ensuring that citizens have access to essential identification documents like Aadhaar. As the affected individuals prepare to receive their Aadhaar cards, the announcement marks a positive turn in their long and challenging journey towards resolution.
