Union Home Ministry Likely To Notify CAA Rules Tonight

Under the CAA law, Indian citizenship will be granted to six minorities—Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, and Parsis—who migrated from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh before December 31, 2014.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is set to notify the rules for the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) by Monday night, sources told ABP News. A portal has been prepared for this purpose, facilitating online applications from eligible migrants from neighbouring countries.

Under the CAA law, Indian citizenship will be granted to six minorities—Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, and Parsis—who migrated from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh before December 31, 2014. Notably, displaced minorities from these countries will not be required to provide any documents, as per the information provided.

Parliament had approved the related bill in December 2019, however, the rules for its implementation were pending. The issuance of rules before the Model Code of Conduct for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections comes into effect signifies a significant step in the process.

MHA Portal To Streamline Process For Online Applications Under CAA

The Ministry of Home Affairs has developed a portal for the convenience of applicants, streamlining the process which will be entirely online. Applicants will only need to declare the year of entry into India without travel documents, with no document verification required.

The implementation of the CAA has been a contentious issue, with protests erupting across the country after its passage in Parliament. However, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated the government's commitment to implementing the law, dismissing opposition claims.

In recent years, over district magistrates and home secretaries of nine states have been granted powers to grant Indian citizenship to eligible migrants under the Citizenship Act, 1955. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, a total of 1,414 foreigners belonging to non-Muslim minority communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan were granted Indian citizenship from April 1, 2021, to December 31, 2021.

Implementing CAA was a major poll plank of the BJP in the Lok Sabha election 2019 and Assembly polls in West Bengal. According to news agency PTI, the BJP leaders deem it a plausible factor that led to the rise of the saffron party in Bengal.