Centre tightens CAA process, mandates full passport disclosure for applicants
What's the story
The Union Home Ministry has tightened the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rules for applicants from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. A notification issued on Monday mandates these applicants to disclose details of any valid or expired passports issued by their home countries. The new rule also requires them to surrender such passports within 15 days of being granted Indian citizenship.
Rule enforcement
Decision taken after detecting some cases
The decision to tighten these rules comes after some cases of applicants holding invalid or expired passports were detected, Moneycontrol said, citing officials. Indian law does not permit dual passport ownership, hence the need for this disclosure requirement. The applicants are now required to declare that "they are not in possession of a valid and/or expired passport (s) issued by the government of Pakistan/Afghanistan/Bangladesh."
Document submission
Details to be submitted along with citizenship application
If the applicants do possess such passports, they will have to provide details, including the passport number, place of issue, date of issue, and date of expiry. This information is to be submitted along with their citizenship application under the CAA framework. The amended rules come after Schedule IC of Citizenship Rules, which pertains to Afghan, Bangladeshi, and Pakistani nationals from Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian communities seeking Indian citizenship.
Citizenship pathway
CAA came into force in January 2020
The CAA was enacted in 2019, and the citizenship rules were amended in 2024 to provide a fast-track route to Indian citizenship for members of six minority communities who migrated from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh before December 31, 2014. The latest notification modifies the citizenship rules notified in 2024 for implementing this act. Its stated aim is to ensure transparency and compliance with Indian laws regarding passport ownership among new citizens from these countries.