GS Paper 2
Syllabus: Indian Polity: Citizenship
Context: This is in continuation to yesterday’s Article: Citizenship Amendment Act rules notified
Citizenship Rules 2024 (amended the Citizenship Rules, 2009), to enforce the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019.
Qualifications:
- Applicants must submit documents such as birth certificates, rental agreements, and educational certificates issued by authorities in Afghanistan, Pakistan, or Bangladesh.
- Documents proving entry into India before December 31, 2014
- The applicant must provide an “eligibility certificate” from a local community institution, confirming their membership in the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, or Christian community.
- The person has to present affidavits verifying the application’s accuracy and the character of the applicant by an Indian citizen.
- Applicants must have adequate knowledge of a language listed in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
- If the person is a citizen of another country, renouncing the citizenship of another country is mandatory, with an irrevocable declaration upon approval of Indian citizenship.
Applications are submitted electronically to the Empowered Committee through the District Level Committee notified by the Central Government, which scrutinizes and grants citizenship based on the fulfilment of criteria.
The citizenship application process will be conducted online, overseen by an empowered committee, which will scrutinize all applications through district-level committees.
Each state’s empowered committee, chaired by the Director of Census Operations, will include officers from various government departments and invitees (Intelligence Bureau, Post Master General, State or National Informatics Centre, along with a representative each from the Department of Home and Divisional Railway Manager as invitees).
District-level committees, led by the Senior Superintendent or Superintendent of Post, will also play a crucial role.
