The ministry of home affairs (MHA) has been granted an extension for the seventh time to frame rules for the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), officials familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.
The Parliamentary Committees on Subordinate Legislation in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha granted the extension to the home ministry till December 31, 2022 and January 9, 2023, respectively.
The CAA seeks to grant Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who entered India on or before December 31, 2014. It was passed by Parliament on December 11, 2019, and the Act was notified within 24 hours on December 12.
The home ministry had earlier sought similar extensions from the Parliamentary Committees six times. The first extension was granted in June 2020.
The manual on Parliamentary Work states that in case the ministries or departments are not able to frame the rules within the prescribed period of six months after the President signs off on a law, “they should seek extension of time from the Committee on Subordinate Legislation stating reasons for such extension”, which cannot be more than a period of three months at a time.
While the rules are being framed, non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan will have to provide proof of their religious beliefs while applying for citizenship under CAA, according to a ministry official who did not want to be named.
{{/usCountry}}While the rules are being framed, non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan will have to provide proof of their religious beliefs while applying for citizenship under CAA, according to a ministry official who did not want to be named.
{{/usCountry}}The applicants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, Jain or Parsi faiths will also have to furnish documents to prove that they entered India on or before December 31, 2014, the official added.