Ganga and Citizenship: Centre eyes passing two most contentious bills this Winter Session

The Winter Session of the Parliament which commences on Monday, has 27 new bills which are listed or introduction, consideration, and passing, while 43 bills are already lying pending in either house of the Parliament. Of the various bills, two of the most contentious bills which the Modi government eyes to pass in this session is the National River Ganga Bill 2019 and the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019. While the National River Ganga Bill 2019  will be introduced in the Lok Sabha, the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 is yet to pass by the Rajya Sabha after it was passed in the Lok Sabha in January.

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What is the National River Ganga Bill 2019?

• Drafted by Ministry of Jal Shakti, this bill proposes to ban the construction of jetties, ports or 'permanent hydraulic structures' on the Ganga unless permitted by the National Ganga Rejuvenation Authority, according to the draft released by the Ministry. 

• Terming the Ganga as 'India's national river', the bill aims at creating a management body to supervise the  2,500-km long river stretching from Uttarakhand to the Bay of Bengal.

• Moreover, the Bill lists a host of restrictions to ensure an uninterrupted, ecological flow of the river. Any 'unauthorized activities' listed under the 13 chapters and three schedules may attract a penalty of upto five years imprisonment and a fine upto Rs 50 crores. The offences which have been listed as 'cognizable and non-bailable', ranging from obstructing the river's flow to commercial fishing.
• The Bill also proposes constitution of Armed Ganga Protection Corps (GPC) personnel which will have power to arrest those who pollute the river under the offences.

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What is the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill?

First introduced in the Lok Sabha in July 2016, this bill was referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee which filed its report on January 2019. The Bill was then finally passed by the Lok Sabha in January 2019. The Modi government which has implemented the National Registry of Citizens of India, this year, aims to pass the Citizenship Bill in the Rajya Sabha. Protests, which first sprung in 2016, have already reportedly sprung around Assam this week led by the All Assam Students' Union (AASU), which has stated that the will not be accepted by people.

• The Bill amends the Citizenship Act 1955 to make refugees who are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, eligible for citizenship, as explained by PRS.

• It also relaxes the terms of naturalised citizenship, from the original 14 years to six years. Anyone belonging the above-mentioned six religions and three countries can apply for citizenship after residing in India for the stipulated six years.

• Many lawmakers have argued that since the Bill allows refugees i.e. illegal migrants to apply for citizenship based on religion, it may violate Article 14 which guarantees the right to equality.

• The Bill allows cancellation of Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders' citizenship if they violate any law, including minor offences like parking violations.

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