Citizenship Amendment Act Rules Notification By MHA Likely In March Before Model Code Of Conduct: Sources

CAA aims to confer Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants belonging to minority communities including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians - who migrated from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and arrived in India before December 31, 2014.

The Narendra Modi-led NDA government is likely to notify the Citizenship Amendment Act rules in the first week of March. According to Zee News TV, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is expected to announce the CAA 2019 regulations before the enforcement of the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. The rules have been on hold since 2019 following a mass protest by a section of the society. 

What Is CAA Rules?

The CAA rules were introduced by the Modi government. It aims to confer Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants belonging to minority communities including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians - who migrated from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and arrived in India before December 31, 2014.

Eligible Migrants To Get Citizenship

The CAA law can be put into action with the issuance of MHA notifications, allowing eligible individuals to obtain Indian citizenship.
The implementation of the CAA, which has been delayed for over four years, necessitates the formulation of its associated rules. An online portal is already up for the entire process and migrants can apply digitally.

On December 27, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had asserted that the implementation of the CAA cannot be halted as it stands as the law of the land. He had also accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of misleading the public regarding this matter. Speaking at a party meeting in Kolkata, Shah emphasized that the BJP is committed to implementing the CAA. The TMC, led by Mamata Banerjee, has been opposing the CAA.

Citizenship To Migrants

As per the Ministry of Home Affairs, between April 1, 2021, and December 31, 2021, a cumulative count of 1,414 individuals from non-Muslim minority communities originating from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan were granted Indian citizenship through registration or naturalization under the Citizenship Act, 1955. Under the Citizenship Act of 1955, Indian citizenship by registration or naturalization is granted to non-Muslim minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan in nine states such as Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Maharashtra.