Centre constitutes committee for implementation of CAA in West Bengal, Pg10

Key Highlights:

• The Centre has constituted an Empowered Committee in West Bengal to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
• The committee will process citizenship applications from eligible individuals as per the CAA.
• The order was issued by Additional Secretary Nitesh Kumar Vyas.
• The committee head will be the Deputy Registrar General of the Directorate of Census Operations, West Bengal.

Detailed Insights:

• The constitution of the committee follows a March 11, 2024, MHA notification establishing a mechanism for processing CAA citizenship applications.
• The Empowered Committee will scrutinize applications, coordinate with district verification bodies, and approve or reject citizenship grants.
• The committee includes members from the Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau, Foreigners Regional Registration Officer, National Informatics Centre, and the Postal Department.
• The CAA applies to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who entered India before December 31, 2014.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA): An act to grant Indian citizenship to religious minorities persecuted in neighboring countries.
• Empowered Committee: A committee constituted by the central government to implement specific provisions of an act.
• FRRO: Government authority responsible for registration, visa extensions and monitoring of foreigners in India.