CAA, INDIA

• CAA, INDIA

ABOUT CAA

• • The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) of 1955 was passed by the Indian Parliament in December 2019. It amends to provide a way to Indian citizenship for religious minorities from neighboring countries of INDIA i.e Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.
  • Under the CAA, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians who migrated to India from these countries before December 31, 2014, due to persecution on the grounds of religion are eligible for fast-track citizenship. Notably, Muslims are excluded from the list of eligible religious minorities, which has sparked criticism and controversy both within India and internationally.
  • Critics argue that the exclusion of Muslims from the list violates the secular principles of India’s constitution and discriminates against Muslims, potentially rendering millions of Muslim migrants stateless. Protests against the CAA erupted across India, with concerns about its implications for secularism, citizenship rights, and the fabric of Indian society.
  • The government has maintained that the CAA aims to provide refuge to persecuted minorities from neighboring countries which does not affect the existing citizenship status of any Indian citizen.