Parliament Panel Urges Completion Of Delayed 2021 Census, Tougher Measures To Identify And Repatriate Illegal Rohingyas

A Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC) on Home Affairs has emphasised the urgent need to complete the long-delayed 2021 Census, while also recommending stricter measures to identify and repatriate illegally settled Rohingya immigrants, reported The Hindu.

The panel’s report, tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Monday (10 March), also stressed the need for enhanced data collection mechanisms using digital platforms.

The PSC, chaired by BJP MP Radha Mohan Das Agarwal, noted that Rohingya migrants, particularly from Bangladesh and Myanmar have been settling unlawfully across various parts of India and urged the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to take decisive action.

The panel recommended that the MHA should formulate concrete measures to identify and repatriate these immigrants to their respective countries.

The committee further proposed that data collection on immigration patterns should be strengthened to better monitor and address the issue.

Highlighting the indefinite delay of the 2021 Census, the PSC recommended that the government expedite the process. 

The report acknowledged that while many preparatory activities have been completed, further technological advancements were still underway. The Home Ministry informed the panel that additional funds would be sought as per requirements once the Census process begins.

The proposed budget for FY 2025-26 includes expenses related to Census operations, the National Population Register (NPR), and other administrative functions.

The expenditure will also cover geospatial mapping, IT infrastructure, language departments, and the security of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam.

The committee further suggested that the MHA integrate digital platforms like mobile phone connections, Aadhaar, and other government databases to enhance real-time data collection. It proposed linking these records with the Aadhaar database to introduce additional layers of verification.

The Home Ministry’s proposed expenditure not only covers Census-related activities but also continued operation and security of NRC data centers.