Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN)

Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN)

Part of: GS Prelims and GS- II –  Population and associated issues

In news Nagaland Chief Minister has sought to reduce fears over an exercise similar to Assam’s National Register of Citizens. 

What is Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland?

• The RIIN will be the master list of all indigenous inhabitants of the state.
• Objective: To prevent outsiders from obtaining fake indigenous certificates for seeking jobs and benefits of government schemes.
• The RIIN will be prepared after an extensive survey with the help of a village-wise and ward-wise list of indigenous inhabitants based on official records.
• It will be prepared under the supervision of each district administration.
• No fresh indigenous inhabitant certificate will be issued after the RIIN is completed except for children born to the State’s indigenous inhabitants who will be issued indigenous certificates along with birth certificates. The RIIN database will be updated accordingly.
• The RIIN will also be integrated with the online system for Inner-Line Permit, a temporary document non-inhabitants are required to possess for entry into and travel in Nagaland.
• The entire exercise will be monitored by the Commissioner of Nagaland. In addition, the state government will designate nodal officers of the rank of a Secretary to the state government.

Progress

• The State government, through a notification on June 29, 2019, had decided to update the Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN) with December 1, 1963 ((the day Nagaland attained statehood), as the cut-off date for the inclusion of people in it. 
• The exercise was put on hold after opposition from various quarters, which demanded that the cut-off date be changed to April 28, 1977, when the government laid down the criteria for issuing indigenous inhabitant certificates to the residents.

Concerns

• Exclusion: The exercise is feared to leave out certain Nagas and non-Nagas for their eventual eviction or denial of opportunities.
• The non-indigenous Nagas could be treated as “illegal immigrants”
• Loss of Property

News Source: TH