CAA is now active, The Government notifies Citizenship Amendment Act rules:
The notification from the Home Ministry on March 11 signifies the commencement of the implementation of the rules governing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Under this law, individuals belonging to specific religious minorities—Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Christian, and Parsi—who have fled persecution in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan and arrived in India before December 31, 2014, are eligible to apply for Indian citizenship. Notably, these individuals are not required to possess a valid passport from their country of origin or an Indian visa to be considered for citizenship under the CAA.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 was indeed passed in the Indian Parliament in December 2019. The Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament, passed the bill on December 9, while the Rajya Sabha, the upper house, passed it on December 11. This bill subsequently became the Citizenship (Amendment) Act after receiving assent from the President and was officially notified for implementation.
The Modi government today notified the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024.
These rules will now enable minorities persecuted on religious grounds in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to acquire citizenship in our nation.
With this notification PM Shri @narendramodi Ji has…
— Amit Shah (Modi Ka Parivar) (@AmitShah) March 11, 2024
What does the Bill entail?
The Bill aimed to amend the Citizenship Act of 1955, aiming to render foreign illegal migrants from specific religious communities in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan eligible for Indian citizenship, as outlined by PRS Legislative Research.
Prior to the implementation of the new rules, citizenship in India was governed by the Citizenship Act of 1955. The Bill outlines five criteria through which citizenship may be obtained in India: by birth in India, by descent, through registration, by naturalization (requiring extended residence in India), and by the incorporation of the territory into India.
The new law introduces religion as the sixth criterion for acquiring citizenship in India, with Muslims excluded from eligibility. This change signifies a significant departure from the previous criteria outlined in the Citizenship Act of 1955.
Under the Bill, a specified class of illegal migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan will not be considered illegal migrants anymore, rendering them eligible for Indian citizenship. These migrants will be granted Indian citizenship retroactively from the date of their entry into India at any time before December 31, 2014. Furthermore, all legal proceedings of their status as illegal migrants or their citizenship will be terminated, as reported by PRS Legislative Research.
