Home Ministry seeks six more months to frame CAA rules: Report

The Union Home Ministry has sought another exemption of six months to frame the rules of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) – seventh such extension since it was passed in Parliament in 2019.

The act grants citizenship to people from Hindu, Sikh, Parsi, Christian, Buddhist and Jain communities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who entered India before December 31, 2014, without any documents.

The tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram or Tripira as included in the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution and the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland and Manipur are exempted from provisions of the Act.

According to the CAA Act, the undocumented migrants who will be deemed Indian citizens will not be permitted to settle down in the exempted areas.

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According to The Hindu, senior officials in the government have revealed that the Ministry had sought an extension of six months from the subordinate legislation in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

Reportedly, the Rajya Sabha committee has accepted the Ministry’s request to grant the extension till June 30, while the Lok Sabha’s response is awaited.

The Citizenship Amendment Act was passed by Parliament on December 11, 2019, and received approval from the president on December 12, 2019. The Ministry notified that the Act would come into force from January 10, 2020. However, the rules have not been notified, making the legislation ineffective on the ground.

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The CAA exempts the members of the six communities from any criminal case under Foreigners Act, 1946 and Passport Act, 1920, which specify punishment for entering the country illegally and staying on expired visas and permits.

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