New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notices to the Centre, the Assam government and other concerned authorities on a petition seeking the commencement of the appeal process for individuals excluded from Assam’s final National Register of Citizens (NRC).

A Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi was hearing a plea filed by the Assam State Jamiat Ulama, which contended that despite provisions in law allowing appeals against exclusion from the NRC, the mechanism has yet to be operationalised.

During the hearing, counsel appearing for the petitioner argued that thousands of people excluded from the final NRC continue to face uncertainty and hardship due to the prolonged delay in initiating the appeal process.

The petitioner informed the court that a similar matter relating to NRC appeals was already pending before the Supreme Court and sought urgent intervention to ensure that affected individuals are provided an opportunity to challenge their exclusion.

Taking note of the submissions, the Bench issued notices to the Union Government, the Government of Assam and the office of the State NRC Coordinator, seeking their responses on the matter.

The court also directed that the petition be tagged with the connected case already pending before it so that both matters can be considered together. Apart from seeking activation of the appeal mechanism, the petition has also sought directions for the issuance of national identity cards to individuals whose names were included in the final NRC.

The plea invoked Section 14A of the Citizenship Act, 1955, read with Rule 13 of the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003, which provides for the preparation of the National Register of Indian Citizens and the issuance of national identity cards.

The NRC update exercise in Assam, conducted under the supervision of the Supreme Court, culminated in the publication of the final register on August 31, 2019. The exercise was aimed at identifying genuine Indian citizens residing in the state and distinguishing them from illegal migrants.

According to official data, around 3.30 crore people applied for inclusion in the NRC. Of these, approximately 3.11 crore applicants were found eligible and included in the final register, while 19.06 lakh individuals were excluded.

Since the publication of the final NRC, questions have persisted regarding the process available to excluded persons to challenge their omission. The delay in operationalising the appeals mechanism has been a matter of concern for several organisations and affected families.

With the issuance of notices, the Supreme Court has now sought formal responses from the Centre, the Assam government and NRC authorities. The matter will be heard along with the related pending petition after the respondents file their replies.

The case is expected to have significant implications for the future course of the NRC process in Assam and for the rights of those who remain outside the final register pending an opportunity to appeal.