The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala has once again made it unequivocally clear that the National Population Register (NPR) will not be implemented in the state under any circumstances, even if the process of the upcoming national Census 2027 is initiated. In this regard, the state government has issued a fresh notification, formally reiterating the position it first adopted in 2019.

The notification issued by the state government explicitly states that no data related to the NPR will be collected during the national census exercise. According to the government, the National Population Register and the measures associated with it generate fear, uncertainty, and apprehensions of discrimination among the general public, which run contrary to the fundamental principles enshrined in the Constitution of India.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in his statement, said that the Kerala government remains fully committed to upholding the democratic values, secular character, and fundamental rights of citizens as guaranteed by the Indian Constitution. He recalled that Kerala was the first state in the country not only to pass a resolution in its legislative assembly against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) but also to subsequently challenge the law in the Supreme Court.

As per the state government, all activities related to the National Population Register have been completely suspended since December 20, 2019, and this suspension will continue in the future as well. The government has further assured that during the forthcoming national census, no information related to either the NPR or the National Register of Citizens (NRC) will be collected.

It is noteworthy that following the Union government’s recent budgetary increase in allocations for the national census and the National Population Register, apprehensions were being expressed in various parts of the country that the NPR could be reintroduced. However, the Kerala government has dismissed all such speculations, reiterating its stance with renewed firmness.

The state government has categorically stated that it will not allow the implementation of any measure in Kerala that goes against the spirit of the Indian Constitution or poses a threat to citizens’ rights, social harmony, and religious and social diversity. According to the government, initiatives such as the NPR and NRC have the potential to divide society, which cannot be accepted under any circumstances.

The Kerala government has further emphasized that it will continue to take all possible steps in the future to safeguard constitutional values, democratic traditions, and public trust, and will persist in its resistance against any discriminatory or controversial process.