“MHA should take effective steps to identify the illegally settled Rohingyas and repatriate them to their parent countries,” the parliamentary panel recommended. Rohingya camp area near Shaheen Bagh in New Delhi.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
A Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC) on Home Affairs has recommended that the Census may be completed at the earliest.
The PSC observed that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) may prepare data on the influx of immigrants, including Bangladeshis, Rohingyas from Myanmar, and immigrants from other countries. “Rohingyas are entering and settling illegally in various parts of the country,” the committee said.
“MHA should take effective steps to identify the illegally settled Rohingyas and repatriate them to their parent countries,” it recommended.
The panel also suggested that the MHA may explore and leverage additional existing digital platforms and tools, including mobile phone connections, Aadhaar, and other government databases for real-time data collection.
Further, linking the data collected through these digital channels with the Aadhaar database could provide additional layers of verification, ensuring data integrity and reducing the need for manual cross-checking, the committee said.
The population count that was to be done in 2021 has been indefinitely postponed by the government.
The PSC, led by Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Radha Mohan Das Agarwal, tabled the 252nd report on Demand for Grants (2025-2026) for the MHA on Monday in the Rajya Sabha.
The MHA informed the committee that ₹1,309.46 crore was allocated for the Census exercise in the Union Budget 2024-25 in anticipation of the declaration of Census and updation of the National Population Register (NPR), which had been postponed earlier due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As census was not declared, the revised estimate for 2024-25 was reduced to ₹572 crores. In view of this, the budget estimate for 2025-26, for the time being, has been kept at ₹574.80 crores considering the expected liabilities for various activities under this Head,” the report said.
The Ministry further informed that many of the Census-related preparatory activities had been completed, technological updation was in progress, and as and when the Census exercise was undertaken, additional funds would be sought in accordance with the year-wise requirement.
The MHA said that the proposed expenditure for Financial Year 2025-26 encompassed various activities aimed at continuing preparatory work for the Census and the NPR, including technological updates. The proposed expenditure covered the salaries and allowances for officials involved in the Census, NPR, Civil Registration System, Sample Registration System, geospatial mapping, IT, and language departments. Additionally, the expenditure would be directed towards the operation and maintenance of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) data centre, and security measures for the NRC in Assam, the Home Ministry said.
The committee noted the MHA’s significant effort in enhancing infrastructure across various international borders. It recommended that the government should expedite the completion of ongoing fencing projects, ensuring that all allocated funds were utilised efficiently. It also recommended conducting regular assessments to identify gaps in border infrastructure, and ensure allocations were aligned to strategic priorities.
Published – March 10, 2025 10:45 pm IST