Government to Enact CAA Rules Today, PM Modi to Address Nation Ahead of Elections

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is set to officially announce the regulations for the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) today, as per sources familiar with the matter. The CAA, enacted by the Narendra Modi government in 2019, aims to facilitate eligible individuals in acquiring Indian citizenship.

The introduction of the CAA was met with widespread protests across India, with many expressing both support and opposition. To streamline the citizenship application process under the CAA, an online portal has been developed to enable digital submissions, an official disclosed to news agency ANI.

According to the official, the regulations for processing applications are complete, with an online platform already in place to manage the entire procedure digitally. Applicants are only required to declare their year of entry into India without the need for any travel documents, streamlining the process further.

Later today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address the nation, just ahead of the impending Lok Sabha elections. Anticipations are high for potential significant announcements during the Prime Minister’s address.

Notably, the CAA rules focus on granting Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants who originated from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and sought refuge in India before December 31, 2014.

For the implementation of the CAA, a notification is expected from the Ministry of Home Affairs, paving the way for eligible individuals to commence the application process seeking Indian citizenship.

As per the process outlined in the Manuals of Parliamentary Procedure, the Ministry has been seeking extensions from the parliamentary Committee to finalize the formulation of the rules in adherence to the CAA legislation. Extensions are being sought appropriately, in line with the parliamentary procedures.