Following the initial distribution of citizenship certificates in Delhi, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs announced on Wednesday that the process has now commenced in West Bengal, Haryana, and Uttarakhand under the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024.
This expansion comes two weeks after Delhi’s distribution, with the first sets of certificates in the new states being granted by their respective empowered committees. The Union Home Secretary had distributed the first certificates in Delhi on May 15.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024, notified on March 11, 2024, outline the application process, which includes form submission, processing by District Level Committees (DLC), and final approval by State Level Empowered Committees (EC). All applications are processed online.
These rules apply to individuals from Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi, and Christian communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, who entered India before December 31, 2014, due to religious persecution or fear thereof. The new wave of distributions in West Bengal, Haryana, and Uttarakhand marks a significant step in the implementation of these amended citizenship rules.
