Director of Census Operations to head panel in states, UTs to grant citizenship under CAA

New Delhi: The Empowered Committee that will decided on applications seeking Indian citizenship under the CAA will be headed by the Director (Census Operations) and will have seven other members, a government notification on Monday said.

The members will be drawn from the Intelligence Bureau, Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRPO), Post Office and State Informatics Officers.

The government notification also stated that the quorum for the committees shall be two, including the chair.

The Centre on Monday implemented the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, notifying the rules four years after the contentious law was passed by Parliament to fast-track citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014.

The government will now start granting Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants -- Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians -- from the three countries. The rules come into force with immediate effect, according to a Gazette notification.

The notification was issued soon after the CAA 2019 rules were announced in the gazette.

It said that the Committee headed by Director (Census Operations) in the respective state or Union Territory shall have as members: an officer in the Subsidiary IB not below the rank of Deputy Secretary to the Government of India; jurisdictional Foreigners Regional Registration Officer; the State Informatics Officer of National Informatics Centre of the state or UT concerned; and Post Master General of the state or UT concerned or a Postal Officer nominated by the Post Master General not below the rank of Deputy Secretary to the Government of India.

In addition, Principal Secretary (Home) or Additional Chief Secretary (Home) of the state or UT concerned and a representative of jurisdictional Divisional Railway Manager will be invitees to the committee.

The District Level Committee which will initially receive and process the application of citizenship before sending it to Empowered Committee shall be headed by the jurisdictional Senior Superintendent or Superintendent of Post.

It will also have as members: the District Informatics Officer or District Informatics Assistant of the District concerned; and a nominee of the Central government.

The committee shall also have a representative not below the rank of Naib Tehsildar or an equivalent from the Office of District Collector; jurisdictional Station Master of Railways (subject to availability) as invitees.

The government notification also stated that the quorum of each of the above Committees shall be two, including the chair.

The Empowered Committee shall grant the citizenship by registration or naturalisation in accordance with the provisions of the Citizenship Rules, 2009.

The citizenship shall be granted subject to: the application for registration is made online under the CAA Rules notified on Monday; the District Level Committee has verified the documents, the Designated Officer of the District Level Committee administers the oath of allegiance to the applicant, signs the oath of allegiance and forwards the same in electronic form along with confirmation regarding verification of documents to the Empowered Committee.

The Empowered Committee may make inquiry as it considers necessary for ascertaining the suitability of the applicant which may include obtaining report from the security agency. The reports of the security agency are uploaded online by such agency and accessible to the Empowered Committee.

The Empowered Committee on being satisfied with the suitability of the applicant, may grant citizenship by registration or naturalisation.

The Committee may issue a certificate of registration or naturalisation, as the case may be, in the form as prescribed in the said rules.

The certificate shall be digitally signed or signed by the Chairman of Empowered Committee which shall also maintain a register in accordance with the said rules (as per online format), containing the details of persons so registered or naturalised Indian citizens, which shall be accessible to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Security Agency.