Page 3 - Citizenship

USCIRF raises concern over notification of rules to implement CAA

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has voiced concern over the Indian government's notification of rules to implement the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), saying no one should be denied citizenship based on religion or belief. Rules for implementation of the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) were notified earlier this month, paving the way for granting citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The problematic CAA establishes a religious requirement for asylum seekers in India fleeing neighbouring countries, USCIRF Commissioner Stephen Schneck said in a statement Monday. Schneck said that while CAA provides a fast track to citizenship for Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Christians, the law explicitly excludes Muslims. While critics have questioned the government over the exclusion of Muslims from the Act, India has strongly defended its move. "The CAA is about giving citizens

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SC asks Centre to respond within 3 weeks to pleas seeking stay of CAA rules

The Centre on Tuesday sought time from the Supreme Court to file a reply to the applications seeking a stay on the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, told a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud that he needed some time to respond to the 20 applications which have sought a stay on the Rules till the apex court disposes of the petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019. "It (CAA) does not take away citizenship of any person," Mehta told the bench, also comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra. The hearing is underway. The Centre had on March 11 paved the way for the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, with the notification of the relevant rules, four years after the contentious law was passed by Parliament to fast-track Indian citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan w

US Senator expresses concern over CAA, expresses human rights concerns

An American senator has expressed concern over the Indian government notifying rules for the implementation of the CAA, saying that as the US-India relationship deepens, it is important that the cooperation is based on shared values of protecting human rights of all, regardless of religion. The Indian government implemented the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 last week, paving the way for the grant of citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014. The government also came out with a press statement to say that Indian Muslims need not worry as the CAA will not impact their citizenship and has nothing to do with the community which enjoys equal rights as Hindus. "I am deeply concerned by the Indian government's decision to notify its controversial Citizenship Amendment Act, particularly the law's potential ramifications on India's Muslim community. Making matters worse is the fact that it is being

World full of examples on fast-tracking citizenship: EAM on CAA criticism

Amid criticism of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) from the US and other parts of the globe, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said it is important to put it in the context of the Partition, and underlined that there are a "number of examples" in which many countries have fast-tracked citizenship. During an interaction at the India Today Conclave 2024, he also responded to questions on an Indian national, facing charges in a murder-for-hire plot to kill a Khalistani separatist on American soil and US Ambassador Eric Garcetti's remarks a day earlier on its impact on US-India ties. "You keep using India and Canada seamlessly, I would draw a line there, for a variety of reasons. Most notably that all said and done, American politics has not given that kind of space to violent extremist views and activities which Canada has done. So, I don't think it's fair to the US, to lump them together. I would distinguish between the two," Jaishankar said. The relations betwe

'Misplaced, misinformed, and unwarranted': India responds to US on CAA

US State Department expressed 'concerned' about the notification of the CAA on March 11, and stated that they would be closely monitoring its implementation in India

Supreme Court agrees to hear pleas seeking stay on implementation of CAA

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear pleas seeking a direction to the Centre to stay the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Rules, 2024 till the pendency of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 before the apex court. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra took note of the submissions of senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Indian Union Muslim League, that once the citizenship is granted to migrant Hindus, it cannot be taken back and hence the issues needed an early hearing. We will hear this on Tuesday. There are 190 plus cases. All of them will be heard. We will place a full batch with the IAs (Interim applications), the CJI said. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said there were 237 petitions and in those pending ones, four interim applications have been filed against the implementation of the rules. The applications were filed

CAA unconstitutional, challenge to idea of India; Cong silent: Kerala CM

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said that the Citizenship Amendment Act was unconstitutional, against human rights, and poses a challenge to the idea of India and accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his party of staying silent on the issue. Vijayan, at a press conference here, alleged that the contentious legislation grants legal validity to religious discrimination, but the Congress was withdrawing from a united front against the CAA. In addition, the CM said, the Congress and its national president Mallikarjun Kharge were yet to comment on the recent notification of the CAA rules. He said that the only reaction from the Congress was that by Jairam Ramesh, party general secretary and in-charge of communications, questioning why the rules were hurriedly notified now more than four years after the legislation was passed by the Parliament. Vijayan contended that despite the lack of support from the Congress, the Kerala government will neither bend nor keep sil

People misled over CAA, nobody's citizenship to be snatched: Rajnath

Union Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said people are being misled over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, asserting that the legislation would not take away the citizenship of anyone living in India. Addressing a rally in Assam's Barpeta, he said the CAA will grant citizenship to religiously persecuted people who came to India till 2014 from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Singh was campaigning for BJP ally Asom Gana Parishad's candidate Phani Bhusan Choudhury, who is contesting the Barpeta Lok Sabha constituency, currently being represented by Congress MP Abdul Khaleque. "The people are being misled over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act... I assure you that this Act will not take away the citizenship of any people. It would only grant citizenship," the defence minister said. The Centre on Monday implemented the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, notifying the rules four years after the law was passed by Parliament to fast-track citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migran

MHA to launch helpline number to assist applicants seeking info on CAA

The helpline number will be toll-free and applicants can call from anywhere in India to obtain information related to CAA-2019

Indian Muslims need not worry, CAA has nothing to do with them: Govt

Indian Muslims need not worry as the Citizenship (Amendment) Act will not impact their citizenship and has nothing to do with the community which enjoys equal rights as their Hindu counterparts, the Home Ministry asserted on Tuesday. The ministry sought to allay fears of a section of Muslims and students regarding the CAA, making it clear that "no Indian citizen would be asked to produce any document to prove his citizenship after this Act." The Centre on Monday notified the ruled for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act to fast-track citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014. In its statement, the Home Ministry said, "Due to the persecution of minorities in those three Muslim countries, the name of Islam was badly tarnished all around the world. However, Islam, being a peaceful religion, never preaches or suggests hatred/violence/any persecution on religious ground." This Act "protects Islam fro

CAA linked to NRC, won't allow detention camps in West Bengal: CM Mamata

"The CAA is related to NRC, that is why we are opposing it. We don't want detention camps like those in Assam," she told reporters here

Stop demolition activities against Pak Hindu refugees: Delhi HC to DDA

The DDA was ordered to remove encroachments by the NGT from the Yamuna flood area

FAQs on CAA: What the govt says about application, eligibility, & more

The CAA application, made completely online requires country of origin, proof of religion, date of entry into India, and language proficiency. Here what the government's release on the CAA rules say

PM Modi's decision right, says Smriti Irani defending CAA amid criticism

CM Banerjee said that CAA was linked to NRC and those who apply for CAA will immediately be considered illegal migrants, although they are citizens of the country

Most tribal areas in northeastern states kept out of purview of CAA rules

Most tribal areas in northeastern states, including those granted special status under the 6th Schedule of the Constitution, have been kept out of the purview of The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, which came into effect on Monday. According to the law, it is also not going to be implemented in those northeastern states where Inner Line Permit (ILP) regime is in existence. The ILP is in force in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur whereby anyone from other parts of the country seeking to visit these states needs special permission from the state government. The tribal areas, where autonomous councils were created under the 6th Schedule, were also exempted from the purview of the CAA, officials said quoting from the law that was passed in 2019. Such autonomous councils are in existence in Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura. These include Karbi Anglong, Dima Hasao and Bodoland Territorial Council areas in Assam, Garo Hills in Meghalaya and tribal areas in Tripura.

Refugees applying for CAA can attach 9 documents to prove country of origin

Applicants for Indian citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 (CAA) can submit any of nine documents, including valid or expired passport, ID cards and land tenancy records, to prove he or she is a national of Afghanistan or Bangladesh or Pakistan. The applicants can also submit any of 20 documents like copy of visa and immigration stamp on arrival in India, certificate issued by an elected member of any rural or urban body or a revenue officer to prove that he or she has entered India on or before December 31, 2014, according to the rules of the CAA issued on Monday. The rules also state that the applicants will have to provide an eligibility certificate issued by a locally reputed community institution confirming that he or she belongs to either Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian community and continues to be a member of that community. The government on Monday implemented the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, notifying the rules to fast-track ...

Highlights: IUML files plea in Supreme Court against CAA implementation

Highlights on developments related to CAA: Catch all the news updates on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019

Citizenship Amendment Act 2019: A timeline of events, controversies

Since the CAA was passed, the Act has been mired with severe criticisms and protests from around the country. Here's a look at the history of the controversial Citizenship Act

JNU issues advisory, appeals to students to maintain peace on campus

Jawaharlal Nehru University has issued an advisory for its students, asking them to remain vigilant and maintain peace and harmony on the campus in view of the ongoing students' election process. The advisory came hours after the Centre implemented the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 on Monday, notifying the rules four years after the contentious law was passed. The CAA bill was passed in Parliament on December 11, 2019, leading to protests across the country. Protests erupted in the national capital's university campuses, including Jamia Millia Islamia, which had become the epicentre of the protests and saw police action against the agitating students. The advisory released by JNU late on Monday evening stated, "In view of the ongoing students' election process on campus and various events being organised by the student bodies, all stakeholders of the campus are appealed to remain vigilant and contribute to maintaining peace and harmony on campus." "The administration firmly ...