India announced the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) on March 11, 2024.
The CAA grants Indian citizenship to Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and Christians who fled religious persecution in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan before December 31, 2014.
The Ministry of Home Affairs released rules for CAA implementation, aiming to facilitate citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from the specified countries.
The CAA, passed in December 2019, is an amendment to the Citizenship Act of 1955. It was approved by then-President Ramnath Kovind.
The legislation provides a fast track to Indian citizenship in six years for eligible migrants, relaxing the residence requirement from eleven to five years.
Muslims are not included in the CAA, which specifically benefits minorities from neighboring countries facing religious persecution.
Indian citizens are unaffected by the CAA, as it is designed solely for the mentioned minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh.
The citizenship application process under CAA will be online through a portal created by the Ministry of Home Affairs. No documents will be required; applicants only need to declare their entry year into India without travel documents.
The selection of these three countries is based on religious persecution against non-majority religious groups, as these nations specify a particular state religion in their constitutions.
The National Register of Citizens (NRC), established in 1951, is a database containing information on Indian citizens. Initiatives to revise the 1951 NRC, particularly in Assam, aim to eliminate unauthorized entries and deter future illegal migrations. The government clarified that CAA is unrelated to NRC.
Citizenship Amendment Act, Rules 2024.
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