'Left out of NRC? Doesn't mean you are a foreigner'

New Delhi: In an effort to allay fears, the Union Home Ministry on Tuesday said non-inclusion of a person's name in the final list of NRC does not by itself amount to him or her being declared a foreigner and assured that adequate arrangements have been made for appeal against it.

The ministry also said it will amend the rules to increase the time limit of filing of appeals in foreigners tribunals (FTs) from 60 to 120 days for those who would be excluded from the final National Register of Citizens, a list of Assam's residents to be published on August 31.

The decisions were taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and attended by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and others here on Monday.

In a statement, the ministry said under the provisions of Foreigners Act 1946 and Foreigners (Tribunals) Order 1964, only foreigners tribunals are empowered to declare a person foreigner.

"Thus, non-inclusion of a person's name in NRC does not by itself amount to him/her being declared as a foreigner," it said.