Historic day as the Home Ministry issued the first citizenship certificates under CAA.
In a significant development, the Union Home Ministry handed over the first batch of citizenship certificates under the recently notified Citizenship Amendment Rules, 2024, in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla presented the certificates to 14 people belonging to religious minority communities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who had faced persecution there.
The event marked nearly two months after the Rules under the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) were enforced in March. The new regulations provide standard operating procedures for applying for Indian citizenship and scrutinising applications.
Congratulating the recipients, Bhalla highlighted the salient features of the Rules and the importance of the move. Senior officials of the Home Ministry, including the Secretary Posts and IB Director, were also present.
One of the recipients, Arjun, expressed happiness at finally having Indian citizenship after staying in Delhi since 2014. He lamented that lacking documents earlier impeded his studies but said his children can now avail themselves of education opportunities.
Home Minister Amit Shah termed it a historic day, saying the long wait of religiously persecuted refugees from the three nations stood ended.
After the president’s assent, CAA faced backlash, but the Rules facilitated the first grants under the amended Act’s provisions for non-Muslim minorities facing persecution in the specified countries till 2014.
