Guwahati, Mar 12: The Ministry of Home Affairs notified the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rules on Monday that will facilitate minorities ‘facing persecution on religious ground’ in three Muslim-majority countries to obtain Indian citizenship.
The implementation of the act will allow citizens of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Christian, Buddhist and Parsi communities, who had migrated to India on (or) before December 31, 2014, to get Indian citizenship.
Enacted in December 2019, the CAA rules stated that the immigrants who had been living in India for at least five of the last 14 years or has lived in the country for the past one year will also be granted Indian Citizenship.
Who can apply for Indian Citizenship:
- A person of Indian origin seeking registration as a citizen of India
- A person who is married to a citizen of India seeking registration as a citizen of India
- A minor child of a person who is a citizen of India seeking registration as a citizen of India
- A person whose parents are registered as citizens of India seeking registration as citizens of India
- A person who or either of his parents was a citizen of Independent seeking registration as citizen of India
- An individual who is registered as an Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder, seeking registration as citizen of India
For Indian Citizenship by Naturalisation, the applicants need to attach the following documents:
- An affidavit verifying the correctness of the statements made in the application along with an affidavit from an Indian citizen testifying the character of the applicant
- A declaration from the applicant that he has adequate knowledge of one of the languages as specified in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution
The rules further mentioned, “Every application made by the applicant under sub-rule (1) shall have a declaration to the effect that the citizenship of his country shall stand renounced irrevocably in the event of his application being approved and that he shall not raise any claim on it in future.”
Application process for individuals seeking registration or naturalisation:
- An application for registration or naturalisation under section 6B shall be submitted by the applicant in electronic form to the Empowered Committee through the District Level Committee as may be notified by the Central Government.
- On submission of the application, an acknowledgment in Form IX shall be generated electronically.
- The District Level Committee headed by Designated Officer, as may be specified, shall verify the documents submitted by the applicant along with the application.
- The Designated Officer shall administer to the applicant the oath of allegiance as specified in the Second Schedule to the Citizenship Act, 1955 (57 of 1955) and thereafter, sign the oath of allegiance and forward the same in electronic form along with confirmation regarding verification of documents to the Empowered Committee.
- In case an applicant fails to appear in person to subscribe the application and take oath of allegiance despite giving reasonable opportunities, the District Level Committee shall forward such application to Empowered Committee for consideration of refusal.