The first set of citizenship certificates under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) was issued on Wednesday, following the Centre’s notification of the rules nearly two months ago. Fourteen people received their certificates, marking a significant step in implementing the CAA, which allows persecuted minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan to gain Indian citizenship.

In an exclusive interview with India Today TV, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, “Today, the Ministry of Home Affairs has initiated the process of issuing certificates under CAA. I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all 14 refugees. CAA is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promise to the nation.”

The certificates were handed over by Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla. The issuance of these certificates comes four years after the Citizenship (Amendment) Act was passed by Parliament in December 2019, and nearly two months after the rules were notified by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs on March 11, 2024.

Wednesday’s event saw the distribution of citizenship certificates after applications were processed online. The designated portal facilitated the processing, culminating in the Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla handing over the certificates to the new citizens.

One of the recipients, Bhavna, expressed her joy at receiving the certificate, highlighting the new opportunities available to her in India. She said, “I have got the citizenship today and I am feeling very happy, I can study further… I came here in 2014, and I was very happy when this (CAA) was passed. In Pakistan, we girls couldn’t study and it was difficult to go out. In India, we get to study; I am currently in 11th standard and I go to tuition as well.”

The CAA amends the Citizenship Act of 1955 to provide a fast-track pathway to Indian citizenship for migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan who belong to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Parsi, Buddhist, and Christian communities and who entered India on or before December 31, 2014, due to facing religious persecution in their home countries.

The legislation has sparked intense debate and widespread protests across India. In March, the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Kerala government moved the Supreme Court against the CAA, arguing that the rules were “against the basic principle, fundamental principles of the Constitution”.

Last month, senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram stated that the CAA would be repealed in the first session of Parliament if the INDIA bloc formed the government at the Centre. Despite the opposition, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government has firmly defended the implementation of the CAA.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated the government’s stance, tweeting that the rules will enable minorities persecuted on religious grounds in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan to acquire Indian citizenship.

The distribution of these citizenship certificates represents a crucial moment in the enactment of the CAA, fulfilling a promise made by the Modi government and providing new beginnings for those who have faced persecution in their home countries.

#mindvoice #mindvoicenews #currentaffairs #currentnews #latestnews #ipsc #iaspreparation #upsc #citizenship #caa #india #persecutedminorities #amitshah #ajaykumarbhalla #newbeginnings #politics #humanrights