Grant of citizenship: Ministry of Home Affairs formed committees; portal launched

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has formed committees—a state-level empowered committee and district-level empowered committees—to carry out the process for the grant of Indian citizenship under the CAA. This apart, the Union ministry launched a new portal, and persons eligible for Indian citizenship under CAA can apply on the portal. The ministry will also launch a mobile app, ‘CAA-2019’, to facilitate applicants through it.

MHA Joint Secretary BC Joshi issued an order stating that “every state will have an empowered committee headed by the Director, Census Operations of the state, besides the Principal Secretary or Additional Chief Secretary (Home) as an invitee. A district-level committee will have a senior SP as head.”

According to the notification, (i) the application for registration as a citizen of India or grant of certificate of naturalization as citizen of India under the CAA is made by the applicants online, (ii) the verification of documents submitted by the applicant is done by the district-level committee, (iii) the empowered committee may make inquiry as it considers necessary for ascertaining the suitability of the applicant, including obtaining the report from the security agency, (iv) the report of the security agency referred are uploaded online by such agencies and accessible to the empowered committee, (v) the empowered committee on being satisfied with the suitability of the applicant, may grant him or her the citizenship of India by registration or naturalization, issue a certificate of registration or naturalization, (vi) the certificate of registration and the certificate of naturalization under the Rule of CAA shall be digitally signed or signed by the chairman of the empowered committee, and (vii) the empowered committee shall maintain a register in accordance with the said rules, containing the details of persons so registered or naturalized as citizens of India, which shall be accessible to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the security agencies.

The list of documents needed for applying for Indian citizenship under the CAA rules contains (i) a passport issued by the respective governments, (i) a registration certificate or residential permit issued by the foreigner regional registration officer in India, (iii) a birth certificate issued by the government authority in Afganistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan, (iv) a school certificate or educational certificate issued by recognized authorities in Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan, (v) any identity document issued by the government for relevant authorities in Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan, (vi) land or tenancy records from Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan, and (vii) any other documents issued by a government authority in Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan that established the applicant’s nationality or origin.

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