Big Decision: MHA invites applications for Indian citizenship from non-muslim refugees from Pak, Afgh, Bangladesh
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New Delhi, May 29: In the positive development, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has invited religious minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan to apply for Indian citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act CAA. The Amit Shah-led ministry has issued the notification in this effect for immediate implementation of the order under Citizenship Act 1955 and the citizenship rules framed under the law in 2009.
According to the notification, MHA has invited Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan have been residing in 13 districts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Chhattisgarh to apply for Indian citizenship under CAA.
"In exercise of powers conferred under Section 16 of the Citizenship Act, 1955 (57 of 1955), the central government hereby directs that powers exercisable by it for registration as a citizen of India under Section 5, or for grant of certificate of naturalization under section 6 of the Citizenship Act 1955 in respect of any person belonging to the minority community in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan namely, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians, residing in the districts mentioned and the states mentioned below....," the home ministry notification said. The decision comes nearly 2 years after the government passed the 'CAA'
Who can apply?
Under this notification, the person belonging to religious minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan and who are currently living in the districts of Morbi, Rajkot, Patan, and Vadodara of Gujarat, Durg, and Balodabazar in Chhattisgarh, Jalore, Udaipur, Pali, Barmer, and Sirohi in Rajasthan, Faridabad in Haryana and Jalandhar in Punjab, are eligible to apply for Indian citizenship.
A person can acquire citizenship by naturalisation if he/she is ordinarily resident of India for 12 years and fulfills all qualifications in the third schedule of the Citizenship Act.
"The application for registration as a citizen of India or grant of certificate of naturalization as a citizen of India under the said rules (Citizenship Rules, 2009) shall be made by the applicant online," the notification said.
According to the Home Ministry, the verification of the application is done simultaneously by the collector or secretary (Home) of Haryana and Punjab as the case may be, at the district-level and the state-level and the application and the reports thereon shall be made accessible simultaneously to the Centre on the online portal.
“The collector or the secretary, as the case may be, makes such inquiry as he considers necessary for ascertaining the suitability of the applicant and for that purpose forwards the application online to such agencies for verification and comments as may be required for completing such an inquiry and the instructions issued by the Centre from time-to-time in this regard shall be strictly complied with by state or union territory and district concerned,” the notification said.
After reviewing the application, the collector or the secretary will grant him the citizenship of India by registration or naturalisation and issue a certificate of registration or naturalisation if he/she is satisfied with the suitability of the applicant. These records will be maintained both online and in the physical register, according to the rules.
"This order shall come into force on the date of its publication in the official gazette and shall remain valid until further orders," the notification said.
What is Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019
The act passed on December 11, 2019, amended the “Citizenship Act, 1955”. According to the CAA, Indian citizenship will be given to non-Muslim persecuted minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan -- Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi, and Christian -- who had come to India till December 31, 2014.