The Union home ministry has notified the rules for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) over four years after Parliament passed the law. The CAA aims to expedite the citizenship process for non-Muslims who entered India from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh before December 31, 2014, and has sparked protests since its inception.
Officials have confirmed that the entire application process for eligible individuals to apply for Indian citizenship under the law will be conducted online. This development follows months after Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s assurance that the online application system would be implemented before the 2024 national polls scheduled for this summer.
Parliament passed the CAA on December 11, 2019, and it was swiftly notified within 24 hours. However, the rules for any legislation should have been framed within six months of presidential assent, according to parliamentary procedures. Failure to meet this timeframe necessitates an extension from the Committees on Subordinate Legislation in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
Hindustan Times reports
