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In the wake of coronavirus outbreak in the country, the union home ministry on Wednesday declared the indefinite suspension of the exercise to update the NPR and collection of data for Census 2021.

The decision comes amid repeated demands from the opposition to suspend the two exercises citing the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and the need for channelizing all government efforts in combating it.

The two exercises were to be carried out between April 1 and September 30, 2020, and the home ministry recently informed that the preparations for the two exercises had intensified.