West Bengal, Haryana, Uttarakhand Begin Granting Citizenship Under New Amendment Rules

Similarly, the Empowered Committees of Haryana and Uttarakhand have also granted citizenship to their first set of applicants under the same rules.

The process of granting citizenship certificates under the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024 has commenced in the state of West Bengal, with the first set of applications approved today by the state's Empowered Committee.

Similarly, the Empowered Committees of Haryana and Uttarakhand have also granted citizenship to their first set of applicants under the same rules.

The initial set of Citizenship Certificates under the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024, were distributed by the Empowered Committee in Delhi on May 15, 2024, with the Union Home Secretary personally handing over the certificates in New Delhi.

The Government of India had notified the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024 on March 11, 2024. These rules outline the application process, the procedures for processing applications by the District Level Committee (DLC), and the scrutiny and grant of citizenship by the State Level Empowered Committee (EC). The entire application process is conducted through an online portal.

The rules apply to persons belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi, and Christian communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who entered India by December 31, 2014, due to persecution on religious grounds or fear of such persecution.