Overview

• Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Assam has approved three grants under the law from 12 applications, with nine still under consideration.
• Sarma argued that predictions of 20–25 lakh new citizens in the state have not materialised, pointing to the small pool of applicants.
• Official records cited in prior reporting list 24 filings by 23 individuals, indicating a discrepancy with the state’s latest public tally.
• Assam directed border police in 2024 to stop sending pre-2015 non-Muslim cases to Foreigners Tribunals and recently told districts to drop such pending cases.
• Officials and experts attribute the low uptake to missing foreign-origin documents and reluctance to contradict NRC-era claims, with ongoing Supreme Court challenges adding sensitivity.