CAA Rules Under Preparations, Can Take Another 6 Months: MHA Tells Lok Sabha

Home Ministry also informed Lok Sabha that it has got an extension of time from Committees on Subordinate Legislation in both the houses of Parliament to frame the rules for the legislation.

(Image: PTI)

New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday informed Lok Sabha that it may take another six months to frame the rules for Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) which was notified on December 12, 2019 and came into force with effect from January 10, 2020.

"The Rules under The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 are under preparation. The Committees on Subordinate Legislation, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have granted extension of time up to April 9 and July 9, respectively to frame these rules under the CAA," Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said in a written reply to the lower House.

As per reports, the Home Ministry also informed Lok Sabha that it has got an extension of time from Committees on Subordinate Legislation in both the houses of Parliament to frame the rules for the legislation. While Lok Sabha has committe has asked MHA to set the rules for CAA by April 9, 2021, Rajya Sabha extended the deadline till July 9, 2021.

The Ministry also said that it is yet to take a call on nationwide implementation of National Register of Citizens (NRC). 

CAA, aimed at giving Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim minorities - Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian - of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, was passed by Parliament in December 2019, which lead to massive protests in different parts of the country including the national capital. 

Under the Act, people from these communities who had come to India till December 31, 2014 due to religious persecution in the three countries will not be treated as illegal immigrants and will be given Indian citizenship.

It has been more than a year since MHA is deliberating rule for the new legislation with no headways. Rules formation is essential in terms of specifying the kind of documents that would be needed to prove whether a person seeking Indian citizenship came to the country before the cut-off date specified in the law.

The Ministry also needs to decided the kind of documents needed from the applicant to prove that he/she came from the three countries mentioned in the Act. As per reports, it is for the third time that Home Ministry has sought an extension to set the rules for CAA. First extension was sought in July 2020, second in October 2020.

As per the notification issued by MHA, the formation of the rules of CAA dangles around West Bengal and Assam Assembly Elections scheduled to be held later this year.