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Citizenship (Amendment) Act , 2019 ( CAA)


CITIZENSHIP (AMENDMENT) ACT, 2019

On 11 December 2019, the Citizenship ( Amendment) Act, 2019 was passed by the Parliament of India.
It amended the Citizenship Act, 1955 by providing Indian Citizenship for Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian religious minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, that had entered India by 31 December 2014, and had suffered "religious persecution or fear of religious persecution" in their country of origin were made eligible for citizenship.


As per Citizenship Amendment Bill, 1955 there are 5 ways in which Indian Citizenship can be acquired, such as :
1. Citizenship by Birth
2. Citizenship by Descent
3. Citizenship by Registration
4. Citizenship by Naturalisation
5. Citizenship by incorporation of territory


The Citizenship Amendment Bill, 1955 made it mandatory for a person to stay in India for at least 11 years to acquire citizenship naturally, which was later reduced to 6 years, but in the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, this period reduced to 5 years.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019; says that the citizenship of Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cardholders can be cancelled on 6 grounds;
a. Showing disaffection to the Constitution of India
b. Registration through fraud
c. Engaging with the enemy during war
d. Damaging the sovereignty of India
e. Sentenced to imprisonment for two years or more within five years of registration as OCI.
f.  if the OCI has violated any law that is in force in the country.

The Bill clarifies that the proposed amendments on citizenship to the specified class of illegal migrants will not apply to certain areas. These are:
 (i) the tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura, as included in the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution, and (ii) the states regulated by the “Inner Line” permit under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations 1873.  These Sixth Schedule tribal areas include Karbi Anglong (in Assam), Garo Hills (in Meghalaya), Chakma District (in Mizoram), and Tripura Tribal Areas District.   Further, the Inner Line Permit regulates visit of all persons, including Indian citizens, to Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and Nagaland.

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