The Kerala government has issued a fresh notification to reaffirm that the National Population Register (NPR) will not be implemented in the state under any circumstances. The order comes even as preparations begin for the upcoming national census.

A gazette notification issued by the General Administration (Protocol) Department on Thursday reiterates that all activities related to the updation of NPR in Kerala have remained suspended with effect from December 20, 2019.

According to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), the notification was issued to remove any ambiguity amid speculation that the NPR could be conducted along with the census exercise.

In a statement on Friday, the CMO said the government had ordered a complete halt to all procedures related to the NPR as early as 2019 when the Center had proposed its implementation along with the census. Subsequently, the census process itself was halted nationwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With indications that census operations may resume across the country from next year, fears have resurfaced that NPR-related exercises could be resumed as part of the process. In addition, the Union Budget 2026-27 has earmarked funds for NPR and Census, prompting further discussions in this regard after the break.

The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government has consistently maintained that the NPR will not be implemented in Kerala. The state was also the first in the country to pass a resolution against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in the legislature. The state government has also challenged the constitutional validity of the CAA by filing a case against the Center in the Supreme Court.

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