LI Network
Published on: March 11, 2024 at 23:06 IST
Just days ahead of the announcement of general elections, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) made a significant move by notifying the Citizenship Amendment Rules, 2024, on March 11. These rules pave the way for the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which was passed by the Parliament back in 2019.
The legislation aims to provide citizenship to undocumented individuals belonging to the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Parsi, Christian, and Jain communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. However, the newly announced rules specify that applicants must provide six types of documents and specify their “date of entry” into India.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed his support for the rules, stating, “These rules will now enable minorities persecuted on religious grounds in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan to acquire citizenship in our nation.”
Understanding the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019:
The list of permissible documents includes birth certificates, tenancy records, identity papers, any license, school or educational certificates issued by government authorities in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Additionally, applicants must produce an “eligibility certificate” issued by a “locally reputed community institution” confirming their membership in the Hindu/Sikh/Buddhist/Jain/Parsi/Christian community.
Online Process:
The process for citizenship application will be conducted online. An empowered committee, operating through district-level committees, will scrutinize all applications. Each State’s empowered committee will be headed by the Director of Census Operations and include officers from the Intelligence Bureau, Post Master General, State or National Informatics Centre, with a representative from the Department of Home and Divisional Railway Manager as invitees.
This announcement marks a significant step in the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act and is likely to stir discussions ahead of the upcoming general elections. Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.