New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is gearing up to take a significant stride over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) before the onset of the Model Code of Conduct before the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. According to sources, there are indications that the MHA may notify CAA rules before the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) comes into effect. Union government insiders have hinted that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which will grant citizenship to religious minorities who have migrated to India from Muslim-majority neighbouring nations such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and others, could be implemented as early as next month, i.e, in March.

If sources are to be believed, the online portal is ready for registrations of the refugees. The CAA will help refugees from the neighbouring countries who don't have documents, to get an official identity in India. 

Over the past two years, more than 30 District Magistrates and Home Secretaries across nine states were authorized to grant Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians arriving from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan under the Citizenship Act of 1955.  The Ministry reportedly has received the highest number of applications for long-term visas from Pakistan.  

As per the annual report of the home ministry, spanning from April 1, 2021, to December 31, 2021, a total of 1,414 individuals belonging to non-Muslim minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan were granted Indian citizenship through registration or naturalization processes under the Citizenship Act of 1955.

Citizenship Amendment Act 

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 was passed by the Indian Parliament on December 11, 2019, amending the Citizenship Act, of 1955, and providing an accelerated pathway to Indian citizenship for persecuted religious minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis or Christians.

Under the Act, the religious minorities from the neighbouring countries, who arrived in India before the end of December 2014, will be liable to apply through the Union Home Ministry’s online portal and get Indian citizenship. As per the new rule, the

In 2019, a bill named the Citizenship Amendment Bill was introduced by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government in the Parliament, which drew massive criticism and protest across the country. However, despite a massive stir in the country, the bill was passed in the Parliament to become law.

The government contended that it would help non-Muslim refugees from three Muslim-dominated neighbouring countries to get an identity, who fled to India because of religious persecution.