Common Document enough to prove citizenship: MHA

The Minster of Home Affairs on Friday said guidelines for the National Register of citizens (NRC) were yet to be drafted but Citizenship of India may be proved by giving any document relating to date of birth or place of birth or both.
Such a list is likely to include a lot of common documents to ensure that no Indian Citizen is unduly harassed or put to inconvenience.
Indian Citizen do not have to prove any ancestry by presenting documents such as identity card, birth certificate etc of parents/ grandparents dating back to pre-1971 situation.
March 24, 1971 was the cut-off date for Assam’s NRC conducted under the supervision of the supreme court as per the Assam Accord, 1985, and was not related to country wide citizen’s register.
For illiterate citizens, who may not have any documents, the authorities may allow them to produce witnesses or local proofs supported by members of the community.
No separate legislation was required to compile the NRC, as the provision existed under the citizenship act when it was amended in December 2004. The NRC’s precursor the National Population Register (NPR)would be compiled next year.
The third phase of the NPR, a register of usual residents of the country who has been staying at a particular place for the past 6 months, would be conducted in September 2020.