Citizenship cut-off date likely to be extended beyond Dec 31, 2014
extended beyond December 31, 2014, and the persecuted minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan will be able to apply for citizenship online through a dedicated portal, once the rules for Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019, are notified, said a top official. They said that the long-pending rules may be notified soon.
ET first reported on October 16, 2023, that a CAA portal is being proposed to overcome any hurdles posed by state governments as several Opposition-ruled states have passed resolutions against the Act.
While there is no fixed deadline to notify the rules, official sources indicated that a final decision would be taken by the competent authority. The law passed in 2019 by Parliament is yet to be implemented as the Centre has not yet notified the rules.
CAA aims to facilitate granting of citizenship to migrants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan who had come to India on or before December 31, 2014.
CAA also facilitates citizenship for those who had been exempted by the central government by or under clause © of sub-section (2) of section 3 of the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920, or from the application of the provisions of the Foreigners Act, 1946, or any rule or order made there under. «The online portal will help those eligible to apply under CAA without any intervention and will weed out corruption as witnessed in several cases of long-term visas,» said another official.
«The law does not apply to Indian citizens. It does not in any way take away the rights of any Indian citizen.
