Selective Citizenship

Changes the new amendment will bring to the Citizenship Act, 1955

■ The Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019 aims at providing citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian refugees from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. A person belonging to these faiths who came to India on or before December 31, 2014 can apply for citizenship

■ With the CAB now a law, any legal proceeding pending against an ‘eligible’ illegal immigrant stands ‘abated’. They cannot be barred from applying for citizenship on grounds that proceedings are pending against them

■ Though the act of applying for citizenship under this provision indicates the person entered India illegally, he/ she will not be deprived of rights/ privileges enjoyed till then

■ Applicants who qualify are eligible for citizenship by naturalisation if they can establish residency in India for five years, instead of the current 11 years

■ The new provision will not apply to the tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram or Tripura, as included in the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution and states with the Inner Line Permit (ILP) provision. In effect, the Act excludes Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, almost the whole of Meghalaya, and parts of Assam and Tripura

■ Presently, there is no specific provision to cancel the registration of an Overseas Citizen of India cardholder who violates provisions of the Act or any other law. The new Act empowers the Centre to do so

■ Overseas Citizen of India cardholders will be given sufficient opportunity to argue their case before any decision to cancel their registration is taken