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Centre issues first citizenship certificates under CAA

On Wednesday, the central government issued the first set of citizenship certificates under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) to 14 people. These certificates were handed over by Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla after processing the applications through an online portal. The CAA, enacted in December 2019, grants Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who arrived in India on or before December 31, 2014. This includes communities such as Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians.

The BJP-led central government notified the CAA rules in March 2024, allowing the issuance of these certificates. The Home Ministry highlighted that the District Level Committees (DLC) are authorized to accept and process applications for citizenship from eligible individuals. After thorough scrutiny by the State Level Empowered Committee, the applications are forwarded for final approval. The newly issued citizenship certificates mark the beginning of the process to grant nationality under the CAA.

Despite this, opposition leaders such as West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan have vowed not to implement the CAA in their states. The central government emphasized that the law aims to provide citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants and highlighted the importance of the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024, in facilitating this process.

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