CAA: Another 6 months needed to frame rules: MHA

April 10: The Union Home Ministry has sought another six months’ extension to frame the rules under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). The citizenship law was notified on December 12, 2019. The rules are the guidelines on how the legislation will be implemented. This is the fifth extension sought by the government to frame the rules. A 3-month extension was sought in October 2020, another 3 months in February 2021, then in May 2021 and a 6-month extension in July 2021.

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has informed the Parliament that it has sought another extension till January 9, 2022 for framing rules under CAA and sent a request to the Committees on Subordinate Legislation, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The rules are essential for the implementation of the CAA as without the rules being framed, the Act cannot be implemented. The Act notified on December 12, 2019 had come into effect from January 10, 2020.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was introduced in Parliament in December 2019 to fast-track citizenship for persecuted minorities like Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians coming from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The Bill aimed to change the definition of illegal migrants.

People belonging to these communities who arrived in India till December 31, 2014, due to religious persecution in these three countries will not be treated as illegal migrants but will be provided with Indian citizenship, according to the provisions of the act. Opposition parties and several groups have protested against the implementation of CAA.