The long-anticipated rules for the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) are now prepared, and the government aims to notify them well in advance of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, marking a pivotal development after four years of widespread protests.
Following criticisms directed at the Union Government for the delayed notification of CAA rules, which provide Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, officials have confirmed that the rules are ready for issuance.
“We are going to issue the rules for the CAA soon. Once the rules are issued, the law can be implemented, and those eligible can be granted Indian citizenship,” stated a government official.
The online portal for CAA applications is also in place, and the entire process is set to be conducted online. Applicants will be required to declare the year of their entry into India without the need for travel documents. Interestingly, no additional documents will be sought from the applicants during the online application process.
The CAA, passed in December 2019, led to widespread protests due to objections about its exclusion of persecuted Muslim migrants. Critics labeled the bill as “discriminatory” and an infringement on India’s secular fabric. The act expedites Indian nationality for persecuted Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who arrived in India before December 31, 2014.
