Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA): On March 11, 2024, the government made rules for a law called the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). This law, passed in 2019, aims to give citizenship to people who came to India before December 31, 2014, from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. These people should be from Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, or Christian communities and have been living in India without proper documents.
Who Can Apply and What They Need:
People from specific countries need to show where they are from, their religion, when they came to India, and that they know an Indian language to apply for citizenship. The law assumes they faced religious problems in their home countries. The time to get citizenship has been shortened from 11 to 5 years.
Proving Where They’re From:
Now, people can use different documents like birth certificates, school records, or papers from their home countries instead of just a passport.
When They Came to India:
To show when they came to India, there are 20 accepted documents, including visas, residence permits, and official papers.
Applying for Citizenship:
The process has changed to make it simpler. People will apply online, and the government will handle it through specific committees they set up.
Previous Efforts and Benefits:
Before the CAA, in 2018, benefits were given to people from these countries. This included the right to work, start a business, enroll children in school, move freely in the state, open a bank account, buy a house, and get essential documents.
Opposition to CAA:
Some states, like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, say they won’t follow the CAA rules. But the new rules aim to reduce the states’ role in the process.
World Reaction:
In 2020, the European Parliament and the United Nations Human Rights Commission raised concerns about the CAA. India opposed the European Parliament’s resolution, and the matter went to the Supreme Court.