Editor's pick of the day: Four million people and one register – The latest from Assam

We’ve been hearing about the NRC - National Register of Citizens - for some time now. In brief, the issue is about the state of Assam, which borders Bangladesh, and illegal migration. This is our story of the day and you are listening to Moneycontrol.

The NRC maintains a record of all legal citizens in a state. It was initiated in 1951 along with the very first census in independent India. This register considers diverse factors like property owned, houses in every village in the state, the number of people residing in them etc. These records were handled by local government officers but, later, law enforcement bureaus were was given the responsibility of managing them.

The NRC update is a process in which all individuals named on electoral rolls up to 1971, the 1951 list or any of the prescribed documents are enlisted. Those who are not enlisted are automatically deemed "illegal citizens”. This exercise to differentiate between legal and illegal citizens has kicked off panic in some parts of the state. If you paid attention during the 2014 general election, you’ll recall a certain Narendra Modi claiming that, if elected, his government would deport all Bangladeshis staying illegally in India. Four years later, the BJP-led Assam government has released an updated NRC report that claims 40 lakh Bangladeshis are staying illegally in that state alone.