Parliament proceedings | ‘Foreigners’ can apply under CAA after rules are notified, says govt.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday knowledgeable the Lok Sabha that “foreigners” lined under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019, “may submit applications for grant of Indian citizenship after appropriate rules are notified by the Central government”.

Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai stated in a written reply within the Lower House that the CAA was notified on December 12, 2019, and got here into power from January 10, 2020.

“The foreigners covered under this Amendment Act may submit applications for grant of Indian citizenship after appropriate rules are notified by the Central government. The Committees on Subordinate Legislation, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have granted time up to April 9, 2021, and July 9, 2021, respectively to frame these rules,” the reply acknowledged.

Without the rules being notified, the Act stays ineffective. The CAA is likely one of the main points in poll-bound West Bengal and Assam.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had earlier stated that CAA rules will likely be framed after the COVID-19 vaccination drive was concluded. The election manifesto of the BJP in West Bengal stated that the CAA will likely be carried out within the first State Cabinet assembly if the social gathering got here to energy.

The CAA gives citizenship on the premise of faith to 6 undocumented non-Muslim communities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who entered India on or earlier than December 31, 2014.

In a separate reply, the Minister acknowledged the ultimate National Register of Indian Citizens (NRC) in Assam had not been issued.

Foreigners Tribunal

Responding to a query by Congress member Abdul Khaleque within the Lok Sabha concerning the variety of appeals made to Foreigners Tribunal [FT] throughout the stipulated 120 days by those that have been excluded from the Final NRC checklist, the Minister acknowledged, “Any person, not satisfied with the outcome of the decisions of claims and objections under paragraph 7 of the Schedule to the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Card) Rules, 2003 may prefer an appeal before the designated Foreigners Tribunal within a period of 120 days from the date of such orders. However, the final National Register of Indian Citizens (NRC) in Assam has not been issued. Consequently, a certified copy of the rejection order has not been issued to the persons excluded from the final NRC. Hence, the number of appeals made to the Foreigners Tribunal by those excluded from the final NRC list is ‘Nil’ as on date.”

The NRC was compiled in Assam on the instructions of the Supreme Court and greater than 19 lakh of the three.29 crore candidates in Assam have been omitted of the ultimate register.

In one other reply, the Minister stated that the FTs have been functioning solely in Assam at current. “As per the information made available by the State Government of Assam, total number of cases pending in these tribunals as on 31.12.2020 are 1,40,050,” the reply stated.