Manipur government wants 1951 as base year to conduct NRC
The Manipur government has announced plans to use 1951 as the base year for updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) to identify illegal immigrants. This move has sparked tension between different ethnic groups, with Meitei and Naga organizations supporting the NRC while Kuki groups oppose it as premature.
Why it matters
The NRC update is a highly sensitive political issue in Manipur that impacts regional stability, ethnic relations, and the status of undocumented migrants amid ongoing civil unrest.
Manipur Home Minister Konthoujam Govindas on Monday (September 7, 2026) informed the 60-member Assembly that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the State would be updated using 1951 as the base year.
Manipur is divided on the NRC issue, for which the Centre recently deferred the Census exercise in the State. While Meitei and Naga organisations want the NRC before the Census and delimitation, Kuki organisations have called it “premature and unjustified”.
Mr. Govindas said that the State government would pursue the implementation of the NRC with the Centre in line with the resolutions adopted by the House. He cited certain figures to justify the resolutions (2022, 2024, and September 2).
He told the House that 14,992 out of 24,475 “illegal immigrants” detected in the State so far have been pushed back into Myanmar. The immigrants entered the country through three border districts — Chandel, Kamjong, and Tengnoupal.
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