The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on August 9 issued a significant clarification regarding the documentation required under the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024. This comes as a response to growing concerns about the proof required for individuals seeking Indian citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA).
According to the earlier clause of the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024, applicants were required to provide documents that demonstrated that either their parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents had been citizens of one of three countries—Afghanistan, Bangladesh, or Pakistan. This rule aimed to establish the applicant's eligibility for citizenship under the CAA.
In its latest clarification, the MHA has expanded the scope of acceptable documents. The ministry stated that documents under Sr No. 8 of Schedule -1A could include any official document issued by the central government, state government, or any judicial or quasi-judicial body in India. These documents may consist of land records, judicial orders, or any other records that identify or represent that the applicant or their ancestors had been nationals of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, or Pakistan.
The ministry emphasized that this clarification should be taken into account when deciding on any citizenship applications under the CAA.
In its latest clarification, the home ministry stated: "It may be clarified that the documents under Sr No. 8 of the Schedule -1A may include any document issued by the central government/state government/ any judicial or quasi judicial body in India such as land record, judicial order etc., identifying or representing that the applicant or the parents or grandparents or great grandparents had been a national of Afghanistan or Bangladesh or Pakistan." "The above clarification may be taken note of while deciding any citizenship application under Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA), it said.
The move is expected to ease the process for applicants, who may have faced challenges in obtaining specific documents proving their ancestral nationality.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, which came into effect in January 2020, offers a pathway to Indian citizenship for non-Muslim minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan who faced religious persecution in these countries. The clarification from the MHA is likely to provide further clarity and support to those seeking citizenship under the Act.
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