Centre Granted Citizenship Under CAA | 20 May 2024

The Union Government has granted citizenship certificates to over 300 people who applied under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019.

The Citizenship Amendment Rules, 2024, were notified by the Ministry of Home Affairs on 11^th March 2024, that paved the way for the implementation of the CAA after 4 years since its passage by Parliament in December 2019.
The CAA provides citizenship to undocumented migrants from 6 non-Muslim communities (Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, or Christian) from 3 neighboring countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan), who entered India on or before 31st December 2014.
- It also reduced the period to qualify for citizenship from existing 11 years to 5 years.
- The Act states that such minorities "shall not be treated as illegal migrants" and will be exempted from punishable sections under Section 3 of the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 and the Foreigners Act, 1946.
- The insertion of Section 6B allows such migrants to obtain citizenship through registration and naturalisation.
  - Section 6B (introduced by the CAA of 2019 to the Citizenship Act of 1955) outlines a specific process for acquiring Indian citizenship by naturalisation for migrants from 3 neighbouring countries mentioned.