Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019
The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) amends the Citizenship Act, 1955, to provide a pathway to Indian citizenship for persecuted religious minorities -- specifically Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians -- from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan who entered India on or before a specified cut-off date.
- Originally passed by Parliament in December 2019, the CAA rules were not notified until March 11, 2024, after a four-year delay.
- The original cut-off date was December 31, 2014; this was extended to December 31, 2024 through a notification on September 3, 2025.
- The first citizenship certificates under CAA were granted on May 15, 2024, with 14 migrants receiving certificates in Delhi and over 350 receiving nationality digitally across the country.
- An online portal (indiancitizenshiponline.nic.in) was created for eligible refugees to apply, requiring proof of country of origin, religion, date of entry, and knowledge of an Indian language.
- Over 200 petitions challenging the law and its rules are pending before the Supreme Court, though the Court refused to stay the rules in March 2024.
● Tracked since February 20, 2026 · last seen May 20, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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