Login With Google
Common documents enough to prove citizenship: MHA
Why in news?
- The Ministry of Home Affairs recently indicated that guidelines for the National Register of Citizens (NRC) were yet to be drafted but Citizenship of India may be proved by giving any document relating to date of birth or place of birth or both.
More in news
- Common Documents: List is likely to include a lot of common documents to ensure that no Indian citizen is unduly harassed or put to inconvenience, as per MHA spokesperson.
- No identity Proof:
(1) Indian citizens do not have to prove any ancestry by presenting documents like identity card, birth certificate etc of parents / grandparents dating back to pre-1971 situation.
(2) March 24, 1971 was the cut-off date for Assam’s NRC conducted under the supervision of the SC as per the Assam Accord, 1985, and was not related to countrywide citizens’ register.
- Naturalised Citizens:
(1) Citizenship Act mentions: anyone born on or after 26 January, 1950, but before 1st July, 1987 was an Indian citizen by birth.
(2) People born between these years are naturalised citizens by now and would be having some kind of document as a proof of their birth here.
- Illiterate Citizens: who may not have any documents, authorities may allow them to produce witnesses or local proofs supported by members of the community.
- No time restriction: Each application received online under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) would be checked and enquired by officials, as the final decision to grant citizenship rested with the Centre. There would be no time restriction to apply under the CAA.
- Proof of Religious Persecution: Questions on how the authorities would prove that these people fled the three countries due to religious persecution, MHA replied “that it is a cause of concern. There is no such proof.”
- No separate legislation required to compile the NRC: Provision exists under the Citizenship Act when it was amended in December 2004. The NRC’s precursor- the National Population Register (NPR) would be compiled next year.
- Third phase of the NPR: a register of usual residents of the country who had been staying at a particular place for the past six months, would be conducted in September 2020.
Sources
The Hindu