Centre hands over first set of citizenship documents under CAA; 14 people given Indian citizenship

New Delhi, May 15: In a significant development, the Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday handed over citizenship certificates to 14 people under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

Union home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla handed over citizenship certificates to first 14 people in New Delhi. He congratulated the applicants and highlighted the salient features of the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024 while granting the citizenship.

"The first set of citizenship certificates after notification of Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024 were issued today. Union Home Secretary Shri Ajay Kumar Bhalla handed over citizenship certificates to some applicants in New Delhi today," the ministry said in a statement.

"The Home Secretary congratulated the applicants and highlighted salient features of the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024. Secretary Posts, Director (IB), Registrar General of India and senior officers were also present during the interactive session," it added.

The Citizenship Amendment Rules, 2024, notified by the MHA on March 11, have paved the way for the operationalization of the CAA, which was passed by Parliament in 2019.

As per the regulations, migrants from six minority communities in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh can seek Indian citizenship under the CAA, with retrospective effect. This was made possible following the enactment of law.