Legal changes on cards to update 2011 census report for PR polls

Key Points

• The government is working to revise election law to reflect updated population data from the 2021 census for proportional representation elections.
• A six-member panel led by Subash Bhattarai submitted a report recommending changes in community representation based on new census data.
• Population shares of various groups like Khas-Arya, indigenous nationalities, Dalit, Tharu, Madheshis, and Muslims have shifted since 2011.
• The government must amend Schedule 1 of the election law or decide to continue using 2011 census figures before submitting candidate lists.
• The electoral deadline for submitting proportional representation candidate lists is December 29-30, with a final list published January 3.