The Indian government has formally introduced the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024, prior to the impending general elections, enabling eligible individuals under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) of 2019 to apply for Indian citizenship via a dedicated online portal. Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that the new rules would facilitate the acquisition of Indian citizenship for minorities facing religious persecution in the neighboring countries of Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.
The announcement comes ahead of the Model Code of Conduct for the Lok Sabha elections, expected to be held in April and May. The original CAA bill was passed in December 2019 and was engineered to help refugees from six minority communities—Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians—who escaped religious persecution from the aforementioned countries and took refuge in India prior to December 31, 2014. Amit Shah emphasized the delivery of a commitment made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to uphold the vision of India’s constitution-makers for these communities. He also stressed that the CAA seeks to remove legal barriers, provide a dignified life to these refugees, and protect their cultural, social, and linguistic identities.
The notification outlined the application process, including a declaration of renunciation of the applicant’s previous citizenship upon approval and confirmation that they would not lay future claim to it. Details were provided on the qualifications for naturalization and the necessary affidavits to be submitted. Applications are to be electronically submitted to an Empowered Committee through District Level Committees. The Committee has the authority to verify documents, administer an oath of allegiance, and ultimately confer citizenship upon satisfaction of the applicant’s eligibility and suitability.
In a surprising response to the implementation of the CAA, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi, President of the All India Muslim Jamaat, welcomed the law, attempting to dispel concerns within the Muslim community by assuring that the CAA would not affect Muslims in India. Amit Shah had previously stated that the CAA was designed to provide citizenship, not revoke it, particularly highlighting that the Act would not affect India’s Muslim citizens.
After Parliament passed the CAA in 2019, it encountered significant opposition and nationwide protests. The rules for the Act’s implementation were delayed, with the Ministry of Home Affairs regularly seeking extensions from the parliamentary committees. According to the Ministry’s 2021-22 annual report, over 1,400 individuals from the three neighboring countries had been granted Indian citizenship under the 1955 Citizenship Act within nine states as of the end of December 2021. Distinctly, districts in Assam and West Bengal have yet to see the empowerment of local authorities to grant citizenship under these provisions.
The announcement comes ahead of the Model Code of Conduct for the Lok Sabha elections, expected to be held in April and May. The original CAA bill was passed in December 2019 and was engineered to help refugees from six minority communities—Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians—who escaped religious persecution from the aforementioned countries and took refuge in India prior to December 31, 2014. Amit Shah emphasized the delivery of a commitment made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to uphold the vision of India’s constitution-makers for these communities. He also stressed that the CAA seeks to remove legal barriers, provide a dignified life to these refugees, and protect their cultural, social, and linguistic identities.
The notification outlined the application process, including a declaration of renunciation of the applicant’s previous citizenship upon approval and confirmation that they would not lay future claim to it. Details were provided on the qualifications for naturalization and the necessary affidavits to be submitted. Applications are to be electronically submitted to an Empowered Committee through District Level Committees. The Committee has the authority to verify documents, administer an oath of allegiance, and ultimately confer citizenship upon satisfaction of the applicant’s eligibility and suitability.
In a surprising response to the implementation of the CAA, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi, President of the All India Muslim Jamaat, welcomed the law, attempting to dispel concerns within the Muslim community by assuring that the CAA would not affect Muslims in India. Amit Shah had previously stated that the CAA was designed to provide citizenship, not revoke it, particularly highlighting that the Act would not affect India’s Muslim citizens.
After Parliament passed the CAA in 2019, it encountered significant opposition and nationwide protests. The rules for the Act’s implementation were delayed, with the Ministry of Home Affairs regularly seeking extensions from the parliamentary committees. According to the Ministry’s 2021-22 annual report, over 1,400 individuals from the three neighboring countries had been granted Indian citizenship under the 1955 Citizenship Act within nine states as of the end of December 2021. Distinctly, districts in Assam and West Bengal have yet to see the empowerment of local authorities to grant citizenship under these provisions.