Centre launches new portal for people applying for citizenship under CAA
A day after the Central government notified the rules for Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) implementation, an online portal was launched on Tuesday to add pace to the process and also facilitate quick disbursal of applications by the citizenship seekers — the refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan in particular.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday came up with a ready reckoner, detailing the steps right from filling up the application form to seeking necessary approval from the administrative authorities and also the issuance of the required certificate.
Those seeking citizenship under the CAA will have to first get themselves registered on the portal by filling up personal details.
Though all those who migrated to India before 2015 on the back of religious atrocities will be eligible for Indian citizenship under the CAA, the application forms slightly differ for them, depending on their country of origin.
Once the oppressed minorities of Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan fill up the basic details on the portal, they will be accordingly guided to fill out the right form.
Citizenship seekers will have to upload the required documents on the portal and also pay the required fees or procedural costs.
They will be asked to appear before the designated government official with all the original documents for verification.
The applicants will be expected to sign an oath document once they clear this due process of application submission and verification.
The Empowered Committee in respective states has the final authority to approve the citizenship. The Certificate of Naturalization will be handed over to qualified applicants after clearance from the Empowered Committee.
They will have the flexibility of receiving their certificate in both formats — digital as well as ink signed certificate. The former is available by default while for the hand-signed certificate, one will have to mark his/her physical presence at the government office and collect the certificate in person.
As per the rules of CAA, any Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, or Christian who came to India before December 31, 2014, suffering atrocities and persecution on religious grounds in countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, can seek Indian citizenship without producing a valid passport of these countries or a valid visa from India.
[With Inputs from IANS]
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