GUWAHATI: The first set of citizenship certificates after notification of Citizenship (Amendment) Rules 2024, were issued today, May 15.
As per the official X account of All India Radio News, Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla handed over citizenship certificates physically to 14 applicants in New Delhi.
The official account of Ministry Of Home Affairs took to X saying, ‘Union Home Secretary Shri Ajay Kumar Bhalla today handed over first set of citizenship certificates to some applicants after notification of Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024.’
The other eligible applicants were digitally issued signed citizenship certificates under CAA, through email.
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As per reports, the country of origin of the applicants was not immediately known but a government source said that most applicants were Pakistani Hindus.
The Union government decided to grant citizenship certificates to more than 300 people who applied under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said.
The CAA was enacted in December 2019 for granting Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants. These include Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians.
In pursuance of these rules, applications have been received from persons belonging to these communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who have entered into India up to 31.12.2014 on account of persecution on grounds of religion or fear of such persecution.
After the enactment, the CAA got the president's assent but the rules under which the Indian citizenship was granted were issued only on March 11 this year after over a four-year delay.
