Certificates Handed over Under CAA
Source: India Today
GS II: Constitution of India and Indian polity
Overview
- News in Brief
- About Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA
Why in the News?
The first set of citizenship certificates to 14 people was issued under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA.
News in Brief
- Two months after the Centre notified it, initiating the process of granting Indian nationality to persecuted minority migrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
- Certificates Handed over Under CAA to the applicants in Delhi.
- The legislation has been a subject of intense debate and widespread protests across India.
About Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA
- CAA amends the Citizenship Act of 1955.
- It aims to provide Indian citizenship to migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who belong to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Parsi, Buddhist, and Christian communities.
- They had entered India on or before December 31, 2014, due to religious persecution in their home countries.
- These rules will now enable minorities persecuted on religious grounds in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to acquire citizenship in our nation.
Key Features
- Enables migrants/foreigners of six minority communities from three specified countries who have come to India because of persecution on grounds of their religion to apply for Indian citizenship.
- Such a foreigner has to become eligible to apply for citizenship after fulfilling the minimum legal requirements.
- They will not be deported as illegal immigrants under the Passport (Entry into India) Act of 1920 and the Foreigners Act of 1946.
- The CAA does not apply to Indian citizens.
- Reduces the period of residency from 12 years (as mentioned in the Citizenship Act, 1955) to 7 years for applying to get permanent citizenship.
- Empower the government to withdraw registration as OCI due to any violation of the Citizenship Act or any other laws.
- If the OCI has registered through fraud
- If within five years of registration, the OCI has been sentenced to imprisonment for two years or more
- If it becomes necessary in the interest of the sovereignty and security of India.
- Definition of illegal migrants: The Act prohibits illegal migrants from acquiring Indian citizenship. It defines an illegal migrant as a foreigner
- Who enters India without a valid passport or travel documents
- Stays beyond the permitted time
To obtain citizenship by naturalisation, one of the qualifications is that the person must have resided in India or have been in service of the central government for at least 11 years before applying for citizenship. Bill creates an exception for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan the 11 years’ requirement will be reduced to five years.
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