The Centre once again declared the entire state of Nagaland as a disturbed area and extended the imposition of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in the region for six months. The order will remain effective till December, 2019.
The decision was taken in view of incidents of killings, loot and extortion in various parts of the state.
There have been demands of repealing AFSPA from various organisations in the Northeast.
The Act was in force in Nagaland for decades. It was not withdrawn even after a framework agreement was signed on August 3, 2015 by Naga insurgent group NSCN-IM general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah and government interlocutor R. N. Ravi in the presence of PM Narendra Modi.
One Month Extension to Complete Enumeration of NRC
The Centre was given one month extension to complete the enumeration process for updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam by July 31, 2019 when the final list of the state's residents will be published.
As per a notification by the Registrar General of India, the decision was taken as the exercise to enumerate citizens in the NRC, a list of Assam's residents, could not be completed within the specified date of June 30, 2019.
On December 6, 2013, the government had issued the first notification setting a deadline of three years for completion of the entire NRC process.
However, since then, six extensions were given by the government in regular intervals as the exercise has not yet been completed.
Release Indians in Jails
India demanded the early release of its nationals held in Pakistani prisons, including missing defence personnel, 10 civilians and 124 fishermen, as the two countries exchanged lists of prisoners in each other's jails in line with an agreement signed in 2008.
The two countries exchanged the lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in their custody through diplomatic channels simultaneously in New Delhi and Islamabad.
This was done in keeping with the provisions of the Agreement on Consular Access, under which such lists are exchanged on January 1 and July 1 every year.
India handed over a list of 256 Pakistani civilian prisoners and 99 fishermen in its custody. Pakistan provided a list of 52 prisoners and 209 fishermen in its custody who are Indians or believed-to-be Indians.
The Indian government called for the early release and repatriation of civilian prisoners, missing Indian defence personnel and fishermen along with their boats.
Jul 01, 2019
Nagaland to Carry Out its Own Version of NRC
According to a notification by the home commissioner, the Nagaland government is set to prepare a list of all indigenous inhabitants of the state.
According to the notification, the exercise to prepare the Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN) would begin on July 10, 2019 and would be completed within 60 days.
The exercise is being undertaken to stop issuance of the Indigenous Inhabitant Certificate (IIC) to ineligible persons.
The exercise would be conducted through an extensive survey of residents in every village and ward in the state and will be based on existing official records.
The survey would take into account whether an indigenous inhabitant is residing in his/her permanent residence or has moved elsewhere. Aadhar numbers, wherever applicable, would also be recorded.
Once the data of all residents is compiled, provisional lists of indigenous inhabitants will be published and authenticated by village and ward authorities.