Syllabus: GS-II:
Subject: Polity & Governance
Topic: Constitution of India —historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions, and basic structure.
Context: Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) the Bill for which was cleared by Parliament in December 2019, will be notified much before the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections,
Synopsis:
- The Indian government is set to notify rules for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) before the announcement of Lok Sabha elections.
- The CAA, passed in December 2019, aims to grant Indian citizenship to certain religious minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh.
- The rules, now ready, will facilitate online application submission through a dedicated portal. The move follows several extensions and is seen as addressing the prolonged delay in implementing the contentious legislation, which sparked nationwide protests.
- The rules include declaring entry years and don’t seek documents for applicants post-2014. The government assures the process will be transparent and online.
- What is Citizenship Amendment Act, (CAA) 2019?
- The Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 seeks to provide Indian citizenship to illegal refugees from 6 communities coming from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.
- These 6 communities include; Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Christian, Jain, and Parsi.
- Worth to mention that Illegal migrants can be imprisoned or deported under the Foreigners Act, 1946 and the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920. These two Acts empower the central government to check the entry, exit and residence of foreigners within India.
