India notifies rules to citizenship under CAA 

The government has notified rules for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA), which fast-tracks citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

This comes days ahead of the announcement of the schedule for the Lok Sabha elections and the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct. 

The government will begin granting Indian nationality to non-documented non-Muslim minorities-Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians-from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who came to India till 31 December 2014. With the entire process online, the government has created a portal for the purpose. 

CAA was passed in December 2019, triggering nationwide protests by Muslims who feared persecution on the basis of the new law, especially when combined with the National Register of Citizens (NRC), another poll promise made by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). 

BJP-ruled states such as Assam and Tripura saw protests as indigenous populations saw the law as a means to grant citizenship to Bangladeshi migrants who entered the country illegally. 

As per the rules notified by the government, a person belonging to as Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi, and Christian communities and a national of either Pakistan, Afghanistan, or Bangladesh is eligible for Indian citizenship if they entered India on or before 31 December 2014.

A person of Indian origin who is ordinarily resident in India for seven years before making an application for registration is eligible for Indian citizenship. If a person, or either of their parents, is born in undivided India or in such other territory which became part of India after the Independence is considered a person of Indian origin, as per the rules. 

The spouse and children of a person who fulfils the criteria are eligible for Indian citizenship under the CAA.