106-690: The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 ( CAA ) was passed by the Parliament of India on 11 December 2019. It amended the Citizenship Act, 1955 by providing an accelerated pathway to Indian citizenship for persecuted religious minorities from Afghanistan , Bangladesh and Pakistan who arrived in India by 2014. The eligible minorities were stated as Hindus , Sikhs , Buddhists , Jains , Parsis or Christians . The law does not grant such eligibility to Muslims from these countries. Additionally,
212-515: A bill to amend the citizenship law in 2016, which would have made non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh eligible for Indian citizenship. The bill stalled in parliament following widespread political opposition and protests in northeast India . Opponents of the bill in Assam and the northeastern states of India stated that any migration from Bangladesh "irrespective of religion" would cause "loss of political rights and culture of
318-534: A citizen of India and must be 25 years of age or older, mentally sound, should not be bankrupt, and should not be criminally convicted. The total elective membership is distributed among the states in such a way that the ratio between the number of seats allotted to each state and the population of the state is, so far as practicable, the same for all states. Out of 543 seats of Lok Sabha , 84 seats are reserved for Scheduled castes and 47 seats are reserved for Scheduled tribe . The Rajya Sabha (Council of States) or
424-503: A loss of their "political rights, culture and land rights" and motivate further migration from Bangladesh. In other parts of India, protesters said that the bill discriminated against Muslims, and demanded that Indian citizenship be granted to Muslim refugees and immigrants as well. Major protests against the Act were held at some universities in India. Students at Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia Millia Islamia alleged brutal suppression by
530-506: A non-governmental organisation in West Bengal, and calls himself a teacher on his Instagram profile. The Delhi police told the court that it was a well-planned conspiracy, and that the accused might also be associated with terrorist organisations. While the police have not officially revealed a motive, both media reports and statements from the families of the accused suggest that the protesters sought to articulate their frustration with
636-625: A part of the composite dialogue process. Recently launched cyber coordination center (CYCORD) https://cycord.gov.in meant for assisting LEAs in all the matters of cyber-crime, cyber-espionage and cyber-terrorism works under this division. Division deals with arms and explosives; letters of request for mutual legal assistance in criminal matters; National Security Act, 1980 and representations thereunder; administration of Narcotics Control Bureau ; providing central assistance to victims of terrorist, communal, and naxal violence; matters relating to breach of privilege of MPs, etc. Legislative aspects of
742-470: A peacock theme, while the Rajya Sabha hall is designed with a lotus theme, reflecting India's national flower. Additionally, a state-of-the-art Constitutional Hall symbolically and physically places Indian citizens at the heart of democracy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundations for the new Parliament building on 10 December 2020. With an estimated cost of ₹ 9.71 billion, the new building
848-680: A sanctioned strength of 552 in the Lok Sabha and 250 in the Rajya Sabha including 12 nominees from the expertise of different fields of literature, art, science, and social service. The Parliament meets at Sansad Bhavan in New Delhi . The Parliament of India represents the largest democratic electorate in the world (the second being the European Parliament ), with an electorate of 912 million eligible voters in 2019. On 28 May 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, unveiled and inaugurated
954-544: A thorough investigation. He also highlighted the timing, coinciding with the 22nd anniversary of the 2001 Indian Parliament attack . Day after the security breach, Trinamool MP Derek O'Brien of the Rajya Sabha and 13 MPs of Lok Sabha from the Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam parties, were suspended until 22 December for protesting by bringing placards and hindering the proceedings of
1060-737: Is a registry of all legal citizens, whose construction and maintenance was mandated by the 2003 amendment of the Citizenship Act. As of January 2020, it has only been implemented for the state of Assam, but the BJP has promised its implementation for the whole of India in its 2019 election manifesto. The NRC documents all the legal citizens so that the people who are left out can be recognized as illegal immigrants (often called "foreigners"). The experience with Assam NRC shows that many people were declared "foreigners" because their documents were deemed insufficient. In this context, there are concerns that
1166-672: Is also the cadre controlling authority for the Indian Police Service (IPS), DANIPS and DANICS . Police-I Division of the ministry is the cadre controlling authority in respect of the Indian Police Service; whereas, the UT Division is the administrative division for DANIPS . The Home Secretary ( IAST : Gṛiha Sachiva गृह सचिव ) is the administrative head of the Ministry of Home Affairs. This post
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#17327730196541272-741: Is concerned. Dealing with the notification of assumption of office by the President and Vice-president , notification of appointment of the Prime Minister and other Ministers, etc. Dealing with the implementation of the provisions of the Constitution relating to official languages and the provisions of the Official Languages Act, 1963. Department of Official Language was set up in June 1975 as an independent Department of
1378-479: Is directly or indirectly associated, and studies are conducted to help committees arrive at the conclusions. Parliamentary committees are of two kinds: standing committees and ad hoc committees. Standing committees are permanent committees constituted from time to time in pursuance of the provisions of an act of Parliament or rules of procedure and conduct of business in Parliament. The work of these committees
1484-494: Is equivalent to the Chief Secretary of a State. The Union Home Secretary draws salary at the pay level 17 of the 7th Central Pay Commission i.e. Rupees 2,25,000 plus other allowances applicable per month which is equivalent to a Chief Secretary's salary. Chiefs of CAPFs , NIA and IB have operational independence to manage their forces with policy directives coming from the ministry. DGs of CAPFs may also report to
1590-760: Is held by a very senior IAS officer of the rank of Secretary to Government of India . The current Home Secretary is Govind Mohan, IAS All Central Armed Police Forces such as the CRPF , CISF , BSF , etc. and the Union territory police forces are under the control of the Union Home Ministry. The Union Home Secretary is the Chief Advisor to the Union Home Minister on all matters such as policy formation, etc. The Post of Union Home Secretary
1696-510: Is no such provision for record-keeping, thus making it difficult to ascertain the numbers of absolute beneficiaries of the Act. Genocide: Massacres, torture, expulsion: Other incidents: The amendment exempts the tribal areas of Assam , Meghalaya , and Tripura from its applicability. It also exempts the areas regulated through the Inner Line Permit , which include Arunachal Pradesh , Mizoram , Nagaland and Manipur ,
1802-623: Is of a continuing nature. Ad hoc committees are appointed for a specific purpose, and they cease to exist when they finish the task assigned to them and submit a report. Parliamentary privileges play a crucial role in safeguarding the functioning of the Indian Parliament and upholding its authority as the primary legislative body in the country. These privileges grant certain rights and immunize Members of Parliament, enabling them to perform their duties effectively, express their views freely, and ensure democratic accountability. To uphold
1908-608: Is that such refugees must return to their home countries after the situation returns to normal. According to the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, India hosts refugees in excess of 456,000, with about 200,000 from "non-neighbouring" countries hosted via the UNHCR . According to Shuvro Sarker, since the 1950s and particularly since the 1990s, the Indian governments under various political parties have studied and drafted laws for
2014-412: Is the four-storied circular structure providing office spaces for ministers, chairmen, parliamentary committees, party offices, important offices of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Secretariat, and also the offices of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. The Central Hall is circular in shape and the dome is 30 metres (98 ft) in diameter. It is a place of historical importance. The Indian Constitution
2120-634: Is the supreme legislative body of the Republic of India . It is a bicameral legislature composed of the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lok Sabha (House of the People). The president of India , in their role as head of the legislature, has full powers to summon and prorogue either house of Parliament or to dissolve the Lok Sabha, but they can exercise these powers only upon the advice of
2226-516: Is therefore "unlikely" that Muslims would "face religious persecution" there. However, certain Muslim groups, such as Hazaras (mostly Shias ) and Ahmadis , have historically faced persecution in these countries. The passage of the legislation caused large-scale protests in India. Assam and other northeastern states witnessed violent demonstrations against the bill over fears that granting Indian citizenship to refugees and immigrants will cause
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#17327730196542332-552: Is thought to suffer from structural issues. The building also needs to be protected because of its heritage tag. The new building, with a built-up area of approximately 65,000 sq m and a distinctive triangular shape, optimally utilizes space. It houses an expanded Lok Sabha Hall, accommodating up to 888 seats, and a larger Rajya Sabha hall, accommodating up to 384 seats, with the Lok Sabha capable of accommodating up to 1,272 seats for joint sessions of Parliament. The Lok Sabha Hall draws inspiration from India's national bird, incorporating
2438-535: Is victimised in the NRC process." But the Indian Express said that the purpose of the NRC is precisely to identify the Indian citizens. So these references to "Indian citizens" remain unexplained. The passage of the Act triggered different types of protests and criticisms. Violent protests erupted in Assam, where the protesters maintained that the new provisions of this Act are against prior agreements such as
2544-460: The 2001-02 India–Pakistan standoff . On 13 December 2023, two protestors breached the new premises of parliament and entered the Lok Sabha section. The security breach was organized by six protestors. Two of the accused, Sagar Sharma and D Manoranjan, jumped into the chamber from the visitor's gallery, and opened a yellow smoke canister, in an attempt to reach the Speaker's Chair. While outside
2650-543: The Assam Accord , and that they would cause a "loss of political rights and culture". The India-Japan summit in Guwahati, which was supposed to be attended by Shinzō Abe was cancelled. The UK , USA , France , Israel and Canada issued travel warnings for people visiting India's north-east region, telling their citizens to "exercise caution". In other parts of India, political and student activists protested that
2756-684: The Central Legislative Assembly , the Council of State , and the Chamber of Princes . The construction of the building took six years, and the opening ceremony was performed on 18 January 1927 by the viceroy and governor-general of India , Lord Irwin . The construction cost for the building was ₹ 8.3 million (US$ 99,000). The building is 21 metres (70 ft) tall, 170 metres (560 ft) in diameter and covers an area of 2.29 hectares (5.66 acres). The Central Hall consists of
2862-646: The Foreigners (Amendment) Order, 2015 (issued under the Foreigners Act, 1946 ): 3A. Exemption of certain class of foreigners . – (1) Persons belonging to minority communities in Bangladesh and Pakistan, namely, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who were compelled to seek shelter in India due to religious persecution or fear of religious persecution and entered into India on or before 31 December 2014 are hereby granted exemption from
2968-601: The Government Open Data License - India (GODL) . Ministry of Home Affairs (India) The Ministry of Home Affairs ( IAST : Gṛha Mantrālaya ), or simply the Home Ministry , is a ministry of the Government of India . It is mainly responsible for the maintenance of internal security and domestic policy . It is headed by Minister of Home Affairs . The Ministry of Home Affairs
3074-681: The Indian Penal Code (IPC), Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), and also the Commission of Inquiry Act. It also handles matters relating to state legislations, which require the assent of the President under the Constitution, political pension to erstwhile rulers before independence, and mercy petitions under Article 72 of the Constitution . Countering of left-wing Naxalite-Maoist extremism in India. The division deals with
3180-543: The Matua community ( Bengali Hindu Dalits i.e. SCs of East Bengal of Pakistan ), numbering 3 crores (approx 30% population of West Bengal ), is mostly concentrated in districts such as North 24 Parganas , Nadia , Hooghly , Cooch Behar , South Dinajpur , East Burdwan , and other parts of West Bengal . The community, having immigrated during the Partition of India and Partition of Bengal in 1947 and later during
3286-709: The New Parliament Building , located adjacent to the previous one. During British rule , the legislative branch of India was the Imperial Legislative Council , which was created in 1861 via the Indian Councils Act of 1861 and disbanded in 1947, when India gained independence. Following independence, the Constituent Assembly of India was elected to write the Constitution of India . In 1950 after
Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 - Misplaced Pages Continue
3392-405: The Rajya Sabha , following widespread political opposition and protests in northeast India . The BJP reiterated its commitment to amend the citizenship act in its 2019 election campaign. It stated that religious minorities such as Hindus and Sikhs are persecuted in neighbouring Muslim-majority countries, and promised to fast track a path to citizenship for non-Muslim refugees. After the elections,
3498-538: The Right to Information Act, 2005 , matters relating to the Order of Precedence , Padma Awards , Gallantry Awards, Jeevan Raksha Padak Awards, National Flag , National Anthem , State Emblem of India and Secretariat Security Organisation. Matters relating to coordination by administrative, diplomatic, security, intelligence, legal, regulatory, and economic agencies of the country for the management of international borders,
3604-553: The Upper House is a permanent body not subject to dissolution. One-third of the members retire every second year and are replaced by newly elected members. Each member is elected for a term of six years. Its members are indirectly elected by elected members of legislative assembly of the states. The Rajya Sabha can have a maximum of 250 members. It currently has a sanctioned strength of 245 members, of which 233 are elected from states, and union territories and 12 are nominated by
3710-553: The prime minister and the Union Council of Ministers . Those elected or nominated (by the president) to either house of the Parliament are referred to as members of Parliament (MPs). The members of parliament in the Lok Sabha are directly elected by the voting of Indian citizens in single-member districts and the members of parliament in the Rajya Sabha are elected by the members of all state legislative assemblies by proportional representation . The Parliament has
3816-475: The 104th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2019. Every citizen of India who is over 18 years of age, irrespective of gender, caste, religion, or race and is otherwise not disqualified, is eligible to vote for members of the Lok Sabha. The constitution provides that the maximum strength of the Lower House be 550 members. It has a term of five years. To be eligible for membership in the Lok Sabha, a person must be
3922-488: The 1971 Bangladesh (East Bengal or East Pakistan) Liberation War ( Civil War in Pakistan ), out of which about 1.5 crore Matuas came to West Bengal after the creation of Bangladesh in 1971 (after 24 March), have long been demanding the implementation of the Act due to facing citizenship issues for a considerable period. However, the Government of India says that it does not maintain records of CAA applicants as there
4028-444: The 1980s, particularly those related to the violent Assam movement against migrants from Bangladesh, triggered revisions to the Citizenship Act. The Act was first amended in 1985 after the Assam Accord signed by Rajiv Gandhi government, granting citizenship to all Bangladeshi migrants that arrived before 1971 subject to some provisos. The government also agreed to identify all migrants that arrived afterwards, remove their names from
4134-441: The 2019 amendment, migrants who had entered India by 31 December 2014, and had suffered " religious persecution or fear of religious persecution" in their country of origin, were made eligible for accelerated citizenship. The amendment relaxed the residence requirement for naturalisation of these migrants from twelve years to six. According to Intelligence Bureau records, there will be just over 30,000 immediate beneficiaries of
4240-645: The 31st day of December, 2014 and who has been exempted by the Central Government by or under clause (c) of sub-section (2) of section 3 of the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 or from the application of the provisions of the Foreigners Act, 1946 or any rule or order made thereunder, shall not be treated as illegal migrant for the purposes of this Act; A new section 6B was inserted (in the section concerning naturalisation ), with four clauses,
4346-490: The BJP and statements opposing Islamophobia came from people of all backgrounds and experiences. Overall, protesters framed the CAA as a continuation of a history of anti-Islamic legislation and propaganda by the BJP. Parliament of India 28°37′2″N 77°12′29″E / 28.61722°N 77.20806°E / 28.61722; 77.20806 The Parliament of India or Indian Parliament , ( ISO : Bhāratīya Saṁsad )
Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 - Misplaced Pages Continue
4452-569: The BJP government completed an effort to update the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state of Assam . The process for creating the NRC had been put in place by the Citizenship rules enacted in 2003, and had been implemented in Assam under Supreme Court supervision as a result of a 2014 Supreme Court ruling. This was mandated under prior peace agreements in northeast, and the Assam Accord in particular. The updated register
4558-512: The BJP government drafted a bill that addressed the concerns of its northeastern states. It excluded Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Meghalaya and Manipur, except for non-tribal cities exempted under pre-existing regulations. It also excluded tribal areas of Assam. The Indian government, while proposing an Amendment, said, that its bill aims to grant quicker access to citizenship to those who have fled religious persecution in neighbouring countries and have taken refuge in India. The Bill
4664-477: The CAA began on 20 December 2019, when Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya gave citizenship certificates to seven refugees from Pakistan. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act of 2019 amended the Citizenship Act, 1955 , by inserting the following provisos in section 2, sub-section (1), after clause (b): Provided that any person belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian community from Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan, who entered into India on or before
4770-516: The CAA–NRC package in precisely these terms, viz., that the Muslims in the country would be targeted (by considering documents as insufficient) as potential foreigners, leaving out all non-Muslims. In an interview to India Today , Home Minister Amit Shah offered reassurance that no Indian citizen needs to worry. "We will make special provisions to ensure that no Indian citizen from minority communities
4876-886: The Freedom Fighters' Pension Scheme and the schemes for the rehabilitation of migrants from former West Pakistan/East Pakistan and the provision of relief to Sri Lankan and Tibetan refugees. It also handles work relating to Enemy Properties and residual work relating to Evacuee Properties. The division deals with matters relating to the Protection of Human Rights Act and also matters relating to national integration and communal harmony. Internal security and law and order, including anti-national and subversive activities of various groups/extremist organizations, policy and operational issues on terrorism, security clearances, monitoring of ISI activities and Home Secretary -level talks with Pakistan on terrorism and drug trafficking as
4982-460: The House meets to conduct its business is called a session. The constitution empowers the president to summon each house at such intervals that there should not be more than a six-month gap between the two sessions. Hence the Parliament must meet at least twice a year. In India, the Parliament conducts three sessions each year. Legislative proposals are brought before either house of the Parliament in
5088-493: The Indian government, Muslims in these Islamic countries are "unlikely to face religious persecution". The government says that Muslims cannot be "treated as persecuted minorities" in these Muslim-majority countries. The BBC says that while these countries have provisions in their constitution guaranteeing non-Muslims rights, including the freedom to practice their religion, in practice non-Muslim populations have experienced discrimination and persecution. The Economist criticised
5194-410: The Indian parliament) that the National Register of Citizens would be implemented throughout the country. The BJP government first introduced a bill to amend the citizenship law in 2016, which would have made non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh eligible for Indian citizenship. Although this bill was passed by the Lok Sabha , or lower house of Indian parliament, it stalled in
5300-430: The Ministry of Home Affairs. Dealing with center-state relations, inter-state relations, union territories and freedom fighters' pension. These are organizational divisions of the ministry itself, without the splitting into specialized departments. Handling all administrative and vigilance matters, allocation of work among various Divisions of the ministry and monitoring of compliance of furnishing information under
5406-583: The People) or the lower house has 543 members . Members are directly elected by citizens of India on the basis of universal adult franchise representing parliamentary constituencies across the country. Between 1952 and 2020, two additional members of the Anglo-Indian community were also nominated by the president of India on the advice of the Indian government , which was abolished in January 2020 by
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#17327730196545512-721: The Sinhalese of Sri Lanka. They include 29,500 "hill country Tamils" (Malaiha). The Act does not provide relief to Tibetan Buddhist refugees , who came to India in the 1950s and 1960s due to the Chinese invasion of Tibet . Their status has been of refugees over the decades. According to a 1992 UNHCR report, the then Indian government stated that they remain refugees and do not have the right to acquire Indian nationality. The Act does not address Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar. The Indian government has been deporting Rohingya refugees to Myanmar . The National Register of Citizens
5618-627: The Sixth Schedule to the Constitution and the area covered under "The Inner Line" notified under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873. The Act has amended the Citizenship Act, 1955 to give accelerated eligibility for Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities who are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, and who entered India on or before 31 December 2014. The Act does not mention Muslims. Under
5724-655: The Special Secretary (Internal Security) and Special Secretary/ Additional Secretary (Border Management). The Ministry of Home Affairs extends manpower and financial support, guidance, and expertise to the State Governments for the maintenance of security, peace, and harmony without trampling upon the constitutional rights of the States. The Ministry of Home Affairs has the following constituent Departments: Department of Border Management, dealing with
5830-488: The act excludes 58,000 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees, who have lived in India since the 1980s. The act was the first time that religion had been overtly used as a criterion for citizenship under Indian law , and it attracted global criticism. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which leads the Indian government , had promised in previous election manifestos to offer Indian citizenship to members of persecuted religious minorities who had migrated from neighbouring countries. Under
5936-533: The act. The amendment has been criticised as discriminating on the basis of religion , particularly for excluding Muslims. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) called it "fundamentally discriminatory", adding that while India's "goal of protecting persecuted groups is welcome", this should be accomplished through a non-discriminatory "robust national asylum system". Critics express concerns that
6042-571: The amendment, the leader of opposition, Manmohan Singh , stated that refugees belonging to minority communities in Bangladesh and other countries had faced persecution, and requested a liberal approach to granting them citizenship. According to M.K. Venu, the formulation of the 2003 amendment discussed by Advani and Singh was based on the idea that Muslim groups in Pakistan and Afghanistan that had experienced persecution also needed to be treated with compassion. A very large number of illegal immigrants,
6148-511: The application of provisions of the Foreigners Act, 1946 , and the orders made thereunder in respect of their stay in India without such documents or after the expiry of those documents, as the case may be [...]. The Rules had been further amended in 2016 by adding Afghanistan to the list of countries. Exemptions were granted to northeastern regions of India in the clause (4) of section 6B: (4) Nothing in this section shall apply to tribal area of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram or Tripura as included in
6254-488: The basis of religion. In 1955, the Indian government passed the Citizenship Act , by which all people born in India subject to some limitations were accorded citizenship. The Act also provided two means for foreigners to acquire Indian citizenship. People from "undivided India" were given a means of registration after seven years of residency in India. Those from other countries were given a means of naturalisation after twelve years of residency in India. Political developments in
6360-452: The bill would be used, along with the National Register of Citizens (NRC), to render many Muslim citizens stateless , as they may be unable to meet stringent birth or identity proof requirements. Commentators also question the exclusion of persecuted religious minorities from other regions such as Tibet , Sri Lanka and Myanmar . The Indian government said that since Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh have Islam as their state religion, it
6466-522: The border state of Assam , the BJP leaders campaigned in the state promising voters that they would rid Assam of the Bangladeshis. Simultaneously, they also promised to protect Hindus who had fled religious persecution in Bangladesh. According to commentators, in the context of an effort to identify and deport illegal immigrants, the proposal to grant citizenship took a new meaning. Illegal migrants could be granted citizenship if they were non-Muslim, on
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#17327730196546572-626: The cadre controlling authority of the Arunachal Pradesh - Goa - Mizoram - Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), the Indian Forest Service (IFS/IFoS), and the Indian Police Service (IPS) as also Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service (DANICS)/ Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Police Service (DANIPS). Besides, it is responsible for overseeing
6678-660: The chambers of the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha, and the library hall. Surrounding these three chambers is the four-storied circular structure providing accommodations for members and houses parliamentary committees , offices and the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs . The center and the focus of the building is the Central Hall. It consists of chambers of the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha, and the Library Hall, and between them lie garden courts. Surrounding these three chambers
6784-401: The constitution came into force, the Constituent Assembly of India was disbanded, and succeeded by the Parliament of India, which is active to this day. The Old Parliament House ( Samvidhan Sadan ) is located in New Delhi . It was designed by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker , who were made responsible for the planning and construction of New Delhi by the British government, as the home of
6890-422: The constitution, the president's responsibility is to ensure that laws passed by the Parliament are in accordance with the constitutional mandate and that the stipulated procedure is followed before indicating approval to the bills. The president of India is elected by the elected members of the Parliament of India and the state legislative Assembly and serves for a term of five years. The Lok Sabha (House of
6996-401: The country beyond the period permitted by their travel documents. They can be deported or imprisoned. The 2003 amendment also mandated the Government of India to create and maintain a National Register of Citizens . The bill was supported by the Indian National Congress , as well as the Left parties, such as the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI (M)). During the parliamentary debate on
7102-450: The creation of infrastructure like roads/fencing and floodlighting of borders, border areas development program pilot project on Multi-purpose National Identity Card and Coastal Security. The division deals with Centre-State relations, including working on the constitutional provisions governing such relations, the appointment of governors, creation of new states, nominations to Rajya Sabha/Lok Sabha, Inter-State boundary disputes, over-seeing
7208-544: The crime situation in States, imposition of President's Rule and work relating to Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System (CCTNS), etc. Intra-ministry coordination work, parliamentary matters, public grievances (PGs), publication of annual report of the ministry, record retention schedule, annual action plan of the ministry, custody of classified and unclassified records of the ministry, internal work study, furnishing of various reports of scheduled castes / scheduled tribes and persons with disabilities , etc. Responsible for
7314-663: The electoral rolls, and expel them from the country. The Citizenship Act was further amended in 1992, 2003, 2005 and 2015. In December 2003, the National Democratic Alliance government, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2003 with far-reaching revisions of the Citizenship Act. It added the notion of "illegal immigrants" to the Act, making them ineligible to apply for citizenship (by registration or naturalisation), and declaring their children also as illegal immigrants. Illegal immigrants were defined as citizens of other countries who entered India without valid travel documents, or who remained in
7420-690: The exclusion by arguing that, the Indian government concern or religious persecution should have been extended to Ahmadiyyas – a Muslim sect who have been "viciously hounded in Pakistan as heretics", and the Hazaras – another Muslim sect who have been murdered by the Taliban in Afghanistan. They should be treated as minorities. The Act does not include migrants from non-Muslim countries fleeing persecution to India, including Hindu refugees from Sri Lanka and Buddhist refugees from Tibet . The Act does not mention Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan Tamils were allowed to settle as refugees in Tamil Nadu in 1980s and 1990s due to systemic violence from
7526-437: The first of which stated: (1) The Central Government or an authority specified by it in this behalf may, subject to such conditions, restrictions and manner as may be prescribed, on an application made in this behalf, grant a certificate of registration or certificate of naturalisation to a person referred to in the proviso to clause (b) of sub-section (1) of section 2. The "exempted" classes of persons were previously defined in
7632-430: The form of a bill. A bill is the draft of a legislative proposal, which, when passed by both houses of Parliament and assented to by the president, becomes an act of Parliament . Money bills must originate in the Lok Sabha. The Rajya Sabha can only make recommendations over the bills to the House, within a period of fourteen days. Parliamentary committees are formed to deliberate specific matters at length. The public
7738-552: The formation of 17th Lok Sabha , the Union Cabinet cleared the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, on 4 December 2019 for introduction in the parliament. The Bill was introduced in 17th Lok Sabha by the Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah on 9 December 2019 and was passed on the midnight of 10 December 2019 despite attempts by the opposition to filibuster the bill, with 311 MPs voting in favour and 80 against it. The bill
7844-417: The government's policies. Rashtriya Loktantrik Party founder Hanuman Beniwal along with some MPs caught and overpowered the intruder and became ‘hero’ or ‘saviour’ of the Parliament. Beniwal told the media soon after - " Herogiri unki utar di, [ trans . taught them a lesson]”. Beniwal soon after incident questioned BJP government on national security and called it a ‘big security lapse’ and demanded
7950-468: The grounds that they were refugees; only Muslims would be deported. In its manifesto for the 2014 Indian general election , the BJP promised to provide a "natural home" for persecuted Hindu refugees. The year before the 2016 elections in Assam, the government legalised refugees belonging to religious minorities from Pakistan and Bangladesh, granting them long-term visas. Bangladeshi and Pakistani nationals belonging to "minority communities" were exempted from
8056-510: The hands of the post-independence military regimes. An unknown number of Pakistani Hindu refugees also live in India. An estimated 5,000 refugees arrive per year, citing religious persecution and forced conversion. India is not a signatory to either the 1951 UN Refugee Convention or the 1967 Protocol . It does not have a national policy on refugees. All refugees are classed as "illegal migrants". While India has been willing to host refugees, its traditional position formulated by Jawaharlal Nehru
8162-601: The implementation of the CAA. On 11 March 2024, the Ministry of Home Affairs officially announced the rules for the Citizenship Amendment Act, following Home Minister Amit Shah's announcement to notify them before the 2024 national elections . Subsequently, on May 15, 2024, the first set of 14 migrants received "Indian citizenship" certificates under the CAA in Delhi, initiating the process of granting nationality to migrant applicants, nearly two months after
8268-490: The indigenous people". According to Niraja Jayal, while the BJP had promised to grant Indian citizenship to all Hindu migrants from Bangladesh in its election campaigns during the 2010s, the draft Amendment bill angered many in Assam, including its own political allies because they viewed the amendment as a violation of the Assam Accord. That accord promised to identify and deport all illegal Bangladeshi migrants who entered
8374-431: The internal security and law and order situation in the northeastern states , including matters relating to insurgency and talks with various extremist groups operating in that region. Division functions as the cadre controlling authority in respect of Indian Police Service (IPS) and also deals with the award of Presidents' Police Medals for Meritorious/ Distinguished service and Gallantry, etc. This Division deals with
8480-593: The largest numbers of whom are from Bangladesh, live in India. The Task Force on Border Management quoted the figure of 15 million illegal migrants in 2001. In 2004, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government stated in Parliament that there were 12 million illegal Bangladeshi migrants in India. The reasons for the scale of migration include a porous border, historical migration patterns, economic reasons, and cultural and linguistic ties. Many illegal migrants from Bangladesh had eventually received
8586-548: The last of which was brought under Inner Line Permit on 9 December 2019. The amendment includes a new provision for cancellation of the registration of Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) if there are any violations of any law of India, whether they are petty infractions or heinous felonies, however it also adds the opportunity for the OCI holder to be heard before the verdict. Muslims from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are not offered accelerated eligibility for citizenship under
8692-672: The law "marginalizes Muslims, is prejudicial against Muslims" and sought that Muslim migrants and refugees should also be granted Indian citizenship per its secular foundations. The protesters demanded that the law should grant Indian citizenship to Muslim immigrants and refugees too. Protests against the bill were held in several metropolitan cities across India, including Kolkata , Delhi , Mumbai , Bengaluru , Hyderabad , and Jaipur . Rallies were also held in various Indian states of West Bengal, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Telangana, Bihar, Maharastra, Kerala and Karnataka . 27 people were killed by police firing guns in
8798-533: The management of borders, including coastal borders. Department of Internal Security, dealing with police , law and order and rehabilitation . Department of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh Affairs, dealing with the constitutional provisions in respect of the Union Territories Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh and all other matters relating to the UTs excluding those with which the Ministry of External Affairs
8904-488: The modernization of Central Police Forces, police reforms, and police missions. The division deals with matters relating to policy formulation in respect of internal security issues, international cooperation on counter-terrorism, international covenants, bilateral assistance treaties, and related items of work. The division deals with all legislative and constitutional matters relating to Union territories , including National Capital Territory of Delhi . It also functions as
9010-422: The naturalisation of refugees and asylum seekers. These drafts have struggled with issues relating to a mass influx of refugees, urban planning, cost of basic services, the obligations to protected tribes, and the impact on pre-existing regional poverty levels within India. The "detection, deletion and deportation" of illegal migrants has been on the agenda of the BJP since 1996. In the 2016 assembly elections for
9116-480: The new Act. Critics have questioned the exclusion on account of anti-Islamic sentiment. The amendment limits itself to the Muslim-majority neighbours of India and takes no cognisance of the Muslims of those countries. Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh are Muslim-majority countries that have modified their constitutions in recent decades to declare Islam their official state religion. Therefore, according to
9222-434: The notification of CAA rules. On the same day, over 350 migrants received Indian nationality digitally, under CAA, in other parts of the country. After getting Indian citizenship, many Hindu refugees from Pakistan expressed hope for a better future in India. The Indian Constitution implemented in 1950 guaranteed citizenship to all of the country's residents at the commencement of the constitution, and made no distinction on
9328-657: The original citizenship act, one of the requirements for citizenship by naturalisation is that the applicant must have lived in India during the last 12 months, and for 11 of the previous 14 years. The amendment relaxes this 11-year requirement to 5 years for persons belonging to the same six religions and three countries. The immediate beneficiaries of the Amended Act will be 31,313 people of India , which include 25,447 Hindus , 5,807 Sikhs , 55 Christians , 2 Buddhists and 2 Parsis . In Assam , about 3-6 lakh people are expected to be benefited under this act. In West Bengal,
9434-486: The parliament by demanding answers regarding the security breach and the home minister's statement. A week after the breach, 78 more MPs were suspended, most of them part of the INDIA alliance, after protesting the security breach. [REDACTED] This article incorporates text from New Parliament Building for Realizing People's Aspirations , which is a copyrighted work of the Government of India , licensed under
9540-488: The parliament, two others, Neelam Devi and Amol Shinde, allegedly opened an aerosol canister, releasing a colored smoke. The sixth individual, Vishal Sharma, was caught meters away from the parliament after filming and uploading the video of the protest outside Parliament to the social media platforms. The alleged leader of the protestors was Lalit Jha, who is affiliated with the Samyabadi Subhas Sabha,
9646-490: The police . The protests have led to the deaths of several protesters, injuries to both protesters and police officers, damage to public and private property, the detention of hundreds of people, and suspensions of local internet mobile phone connectivity in certain areas. Some states announced that they would not implement the Act. In response, the Union Home Ministry said that states lack the legal power to stop
9752-552: The policy, personnel, operational (including deployment), and financial matters relating to all the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs). It also deals with matters relating to the welfare of the serving and retired CAPF personnel and the deployments in UN peacekeeping missions . The division handles all items of work relating to the modernization of State Police Forces, provisioning/procurement of various items for
9858-459: The present amendment of the Citizenship Act provides a "shield" to the non-Muslims, who can claim that they were migrants who fled persecution from Afghanistan, Pakistan, or Bangladesh, while the Muslims do not have such a benefit. Such a claim may be possible only for people in the border states who have some ethnic resemblance to the people of Afghanistan, Pakistan or Bangladesh, but not to the people of interior states. Muslim leaders have interpreted
9964-414: The president. The number of members from a state depends on its population. The minimum age for a person to become a member of the Rajya Sabha is 30 years. There are no caste-based reservations in Rajya Sabha. As the primary institution responsible for lawmaking, the Indian Parliament possesses a wide array of powers that form the backbone of the country's democratic governance. The period during which
10070-472: The principles of transparency, accountability, and ethical conduct, the Indian Parliament focuses on some of the key behavioral aspects for parliamentarians. In 2022, the Lok Sabha secretariat released a booklet listing out unparliamentary words and expressions before the start of the Monsoon session on 18 July 2022. The banned words if used during debates or otherwise in both the houses would be expunged from
10176-463: The records of the parliament. On 13 December 2001, the Indian Parliament was attacked by an Islamic terrorist group. The perpetrators were Lashkar-e-Taiba (Let) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists. The attack led to the deaths of five terrorists, six Delhi Police personnel, two Parliament Security Services personnel, and a gardener, which totaled 14 fatalities. The incident led to increased tensions between India and Pakistan , resulting in
10282-489: The requirements of the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 and the Foreigners Act, 1946 . Specifically mentioned were "Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, Parsis and Buddhists," who had been "compelled to seek shelter in India due to religious persecution or fear of religious persecution". Eligibility for the exemption was made contingent on a migrant having arrived in India by 31 December 2014. The BJP government introduced
10388-680: The response, relief, and preparedness for natural calamities and human-made disasters (except drought and epidemics ). The division is also responsible for legislation, policy, capacity building, prevention, mitigation, and long-term rehabilitation. The division is responsible for formulating, operating, and controlling the budget of the ministry under the Integrated Finance Scheme. The division deals with all matters relating to visa , immigration , citizenship , overseas citizenship of India , acceptance of foreign contribution and hospitality. The division frames and implements
10494-403: The right to vote. According to Niraja Jayal, this enfranchisement was widely described as an attempt to win elections using the votes of the illegal migrants from Bangladesh. Bangladeshi scholar Abul Barkat estimated that over 11 million Hindus have left Bangladesh for India between 1964 and 2013, at a rate of 230,612 annually. The reasons were religious persecution and discrimination, especially at
10600-459: The state after 1971, "regardless of their religious identity". In 2018, as the draft of this Amendment was being discussed, numerous Assamese organisations petitioned and agitated against it. They fear that the Amendment will encourage more migration and diminish employment opportunities to the native residents in the state. In parallel to the drafting of an amendment to the 1955 Citizenship Act,
10706-404: The whole of India. Along with in-person protests, the internet—especially on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter —was also the site of comment and debate regarding the constitutionality of the amendment. Large metropolitan areas (with Kolkata, Mumbai, and Bangalore standing out) became hotspots for online posts about the CAA. As with in-person protests, so also online opposition to
10812-545: Was framed in the Central Hall. The Central Hall was originally used in the library of the erstwhile Central Legislative Assembly and the Council of States. In 1946, it was converted and refurbished into the Constituent Assembly Hall. A new parliament building was inaugurated on 28 May 2023. The old building, an 85-year-old structure suffers from inadequacy of space to house members and their staff and
10918-466: Was inaugurated in 2023. The first session in the New Parliament took place on 19 September 2023. The Indian Parliament consists of two houses, namely, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha , with the president of India acting as their head. The President of India, the head of state , is a component of Parliament vide Article 79 of the Constitution. Under Article 60 and Article 111 of
11024-508: Was introduced in Lok Sabha on 19 July 2016 as the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016. It was referred to the Joint parliamentary committee on 12 August 2016. The Committee submitted its report on 7 January 2019 to Parliament. The Bill was taken into consideration and passed by Lok Sabha on 8 January 2019. It was pending for consideration and passing by the Rajya Sabha . Consequent to dissolution of 16th Lok Sabha , this Bill has lapsed. After
11130-603: Was made public in August 2019; approximately 1.9 million residents were not on the list, and were in danger of losing their citizenship. Many of those affected were Bengali Hindus, who constitute a major voter base for the BJP; according to commentators, the BJP withdrew its support for the Assam NRC towards its end for this reason. On 19 November 2019, Home Minister Amit Shah , declared in the Rajya Sabha (the Upper House of
11236-414: Was passed by the Rajya Sabha on 11 December 2019 with 125 votes in favour and 105 votes against it. The parties that voted in favour in spite of not being in the ruling coalition included JD(U) , AIADMK , BJD , TDP and YSRCP . After receiving assent from the President of India on 12 December 2019, the bill assumed the status of an act. The act came into force on 10 January 2020. The implementation of
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