Manipur awaits Delhi decision on Census as Meitei, Naga groups demand NRC first
Manipur is awaiting a decision from the Union government regarding the upcoming Census, as local groups demand the implementation of a National Register of Citizens first. The High Court of Manipur has formed a special bench to address a petition arguing that conducting the Census now could lead to inaccurate data due to ongoing displacement.
Why it matters
The conflict highlights the tension between national administrative exercises and local political demands in a region experiencing significant social instability.
Manipur is awaiting a decision from New Delhi regarding the upcoming Census exercise, which remains in limbo in the State amid the demand by several Meitei and Naga civil society groups for a National Register of Citizens (NRC) to be compiled first. With the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (RG&CCI) yet to spell out the future course of action, a government source said a review of the situation is likely to be held in the coming days.
On Monday (August 24, 2026), following a writ petition filed by the Kangleipak Students Association (KSA), the High Court of Manipur constituted a Special Division Bench comprising Chief Justice M. Sundar and Justice A. Guneshwar Sharma to hear the matter on August 25 at 2 p.m. In a notification issued on Monday (August 24, 2026), the court said the Special Division Bench would sit exclusively to hear the petition.
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