New Delhi, Leading News Service: The Union Home Ministry on Wednesday granted citizenship to 14 persons under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Under the first set of Citizenship Amendment Act, the Central Government has granted Indian Citizenship Certificates to 14 people. Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla handed over citizenship certificates under CAA to the first 14 people in New Delhi.
The first set of citizenship certificates under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was issued on Wednesday. 14 people have been given citizenship certificates by the central government. After the issuance of citizenship certificates, the process of granting Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh has begun. Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla has handed over the Indian citizenship certificates to 14 people after processing their applications online through the designated portal.
Meanwhile, the Citizenship Amendment Act was passed in December 2019 to grant Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. These include Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians. It received the President's assent after it was enacted. But the rules under which Indian citizenship is to be granted were issued on March 11, 2024 this year after a delay of more than four years. After that, on Wednesday (May 15), 14 people were granted Indian citizenship.
Non-Muslim refugees will get Indian citizenship
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed by Parliament in 2019. Later this bill got the President's assent. The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) came into effect in the country on 11 March 2024. The Act will make it easier for minorities from Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian communities in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to get Indian citizenship.
Conditions for getting citizenship under CAA?
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- The CAA was implemented to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who arrived in India on or before December 31, 2014.
- The Citizenship Act provides citizenship through naturalization. The applicant must have resided in India in the last 12 months and 11 months out of the last 14 years.
- The Act applies to citizens of six religions (Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian) and three countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan) residing in India.
- The act provides that the registration of Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card holders can be canceled if any rule is violated.
#WATCH | Citizenship Certificates were physically handed over to 14 applicants in Delhi today. Digitally signed Certificates are being issued to many other applicants through email: Ministry of Home Affairs pic.twitter.com/fwpo2FxzlM
— ANI (@ANI) May 15, 2024
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