D-Voter

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Assam’s opposition recently raised concerns over the plight of ‘D’ (Doubtful) voters in Assam, demanding the closure of the state’s only detention centre, now termed a transit camp, and the tabling of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) report in the Assembly.

About D-Voter

• D-voters or doubtful voters, are a category of voters in Assam who couldn’t give evidence to prove their Indian nationality and whose cases are pending with the Foreigners Tribunals or who have been declared foreigners by the Tribunal. 
• The D-voter category was introduced by the Election Commission of India in 1997. 
• Because their Indian citizenship has not been verified, doubtful voters are not allowed to vote in elections.
• They are also not permitted to run for office in the nation’s elections.
• However, ‘doubtful voter’ or ‘doubtful citizenship’ have not been defined in the Citizenship Act, 1955, or the Citizenship Rules of 2003.
• The Citizenship Rules, 2003, was framed under the provisions of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2003.
  • The rules framed in 2003 list out the steps to be followed for the preparation of the National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC).
  • It has only been stated that the Local Registrar will include the details of individuals whose citizenship is in doubt with an “appropriate remark in the population register for further enquiry” under subsection 4 of section 4, which deals with the production of the National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC).
  • A family or individual is notifiedin a specific pro forma as soon as the verification process concludes, whether they have been classified as a dubious citizen (D-Category). 
  • Before deciding whether or not to add their name to the register, they are also given the opportunity to be heard by the Taluk or Sub-district Registrar of Citizenship. 
  • The Registrar has ninety days to complete and justify his findings.
• The marking as a doubtful voter is a temporary measure and cannot be prolonged. Within a specific timeframe, a decision needs to be made. 
• According to the documentation provided, if it is determined that the individual is a foreign national or an illegal immigrant, they may be deported or placed in a detention centre.
• D- Voters can also apply to have their names added to the NRC. 
  • They will be included only after they get clearance from the Foreigners Tribunals and their names are removed from electoral rolls under the ‘D’ category.

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D-Voter FAQs

Q1. What is the National Population Register (NPR)?

Ans. NPR is a register of usual residents of the country.

Q2. What is the National Register of Citizens (NRC)?

Ans. The NRC is a registry of all Indian citizens, mandated by a 2003 amendment to the Citizenship Act of 1955. 

Q3. What is a Foreigners Tribunal (FT)?

Ans. FTs are quasi-judicial bodies formed through the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order of 1964, to let local authorities in a State refer a person suspected to be a foreigner to tribunals.

Source: ITN