Historic step: 14 People receive Indian citizenship as government rolls out CAA certificates

The Ministry of Home Affairs announced the issuance of the initial batch of citizenship certificates under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) on Wednesday, with 14 individuals being granted Indian citizenship. After the notification of rules for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) by the Narendra Modi-led central government on March 11, the controversial legislation, which had been passed in Parliament four years earlier, has now been put into effect.

The implementation of the CAA enables the provision of citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. This development allows the Modi government to commence the process of granting Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants belonging to communities such as Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians from these three countries.

Ministry issues certificates under CAA

The Ministry of Home Affairs has announced the issuance of the inaugural batch of citizenship certificates after the notification of the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024. Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla oversaw the distribution of citizenship certificates to select recipients in New Delhi, extending felicitations to the beneficiaries and elucidating key provisions of the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024.

BJP fulfills electoral pledge

The implementation of the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) fulfills a big electoral promise made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during the previous Lok Sabha elections. The notification of the CAA rules were strategically released a month before the anticipated announcement of Lok Sabha election 2024 dates.

Nationwide protests in 2019

The passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in December 2019 ignited widespread protests across various regions of the country. The legislation, aimed at providing citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from neighboring countries, elicited significant controversy and triggered a wave of demonstrations, reflecting divergent opinions and concerns among the populace.