No more amendments to Citizenship Act to include more minorities: Centre tells Rajya Sabha

NEW DELHI: The government on Wednesday said no further amendment to the Citizenship Act is under consideration to include other minorities under its purview. Eligible persons can apply for citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019 once the rules under the Act are notified, it stated in reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.
On a query seeking countrywide and religionwise details of number of citizenship applications accepted, pending and rejected under CAA enacted in 2019, minister of state for home Nityanand Rai clarified that rules under CAA were yet to be framed and that the committees on subordinate legislation for Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha had already been requested to grant time up to 09.01.2022 for this.
“Eligible persons covered by this Amendment Act may submit applications for grant of citizenship after appropriate rules are notified by the Central Government,” he stated.
As per data available, Rai said in reply to another question, 4,046 applications are pending with the state governments and 10 with the Central Government as on 30-07-2021in respect of applicants belonging to Hindu community in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
Most of these applications are pending in Rajasthan (1541), followed by Maharashtra (849), Gujarat (555), Madhya Pradesh (490), Chhattisgarh (268) and Delhi (123).
The minister also informed the Elders that a total 4171 foreigners had been granted Indian citizenship in the last five years between 2016 and 2020, of which 638 were made citizens in 2020, 986 in 2019, 628 in 2018, 814 in 2017 and 1105 in 2016. Maximum number of foreigners who were granted Indian citizenship were in Gujarat (1089), followed by Rajasthan (535) and Madhya Pradesh (535).
Citizenship applications are processed under the provisions of Citizenship Act, 1955 read with Citizenship Rules, 2009, Rai said in reply to a separate question in the Rajya Sabha.
In yet another question on grant of visa to Pakistani families for travel to India or arranging marriage of their daughters, Rai said the visas were being granted under extant rules and guidelines.
Till July 25 this year, 732 visa applications had been received from Pakistani nationals and 286 visas granted, which includes people travelling to India for social purposes including marriages, said Rai.