‘D’ (Doubtful) voters

Why in News?

The opposition recently raised concerns over the plight of ‘D’ (Doubtful) voters in Assam, demanding the closure of detention centre and the tabling of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) report in the Assembly.

• Doubtful Voter are those persons who are identified during electoral roll revision as D Voters, cases of which are pending with the Foreigners Tribunals or as declared as foreigners by the Tribunal.
• Category introduced by – Election Commission of India in 1997.
•  “D” voters can apply for inclusion of their names in the updated NRC.
• However, a “D” Voter’s name will only be included in NRC after getting clearance from the Foreigners Tribunals and on removal of their names as "D" Voter from the Electoral Roll.
• It is not defined in the Citizenship Act of 1955 or the Citizenship Rules of 2003.
• In India, a family or individual is notified in a pro forma after the verification process concludes whether they have been classified as a dubious citizen (D-Category).
• If a person's citizenship is questioned, the local registrar will note it in the population register for additional investigation.
• Prior to making a decision on whether to include the person's name in the record, the Taluk or Sub-district Registrar of Citizenship ensures a fair process by giving them a chance to be heard.
• The Registrar conducts a thorough investigation, with 90 days to complete and provide evidence for their conclusions.
• If it is found that a person is an illegal immigrant or foreign national, they may face serious consequences such as deportation or placement in a detention facility.
• Voters with doubts are prohibited from casting ballots or running for office in the country's elections.

According to Assam, there are 96,987 D voters in the state as of February this year.

Reference

India Today NE | ‘D’ voters crisis