Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), passed in 2019, had its rules officially announced today. These rules to be in place before the 2024 polls as promised by the government. Here are key points:
The law aims to grant citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Parsis who arrived in India from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan on or before December 31, 2014.
To qualify, immigrants must have resided in India for at least one year in the last 14 years, with a minimum of five years in total. Previously, this period was 11 years.
Certain tribal areas, as listed in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, including parts of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura, are exempt from this law.
The passing of the CAA in December 2019 sparked significant protests, especially in the Northeastern region of the country, leading to widespread controversy and debate.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had assured that the rules for the CAA would be notified and put into effect before the Lok Sabha elections.