Centre Gets 7th Extension To Frame Citizenship Amendment Act Rules: Report

New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been given an extension for the seventh time from the Parliamentary Committees on Subordinate Legislation in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha to make rules for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019, sources said on Tuesday as reported by news agency PTI. Sources said the time for framing of CAA rules by Parliamentary Committees on Subordinate Legislation in Rajya Sabha has been extended till December 31 this year and by Parliamentary Committees on Subordinate Legislation in Lok Sabha till January 9, 2023.

Taking cognizance of the request made by the MHA, the parliamentary committees have given one more time extension to extend the CAA rules. In fact, the earlier extension had ended on October 9. 

Earlier, the home ministry had sought time from parliamentary committees for a similar extension six times. Parliamentary committees had given the first extension in June 2020 to notify the CAA rules. 

The Citizenship Amendment Act was passed by the Parliament on December 11, 2019. The next day, the President’s assent came for it. However, the law is yet to be implemented as rules are yet to be framed under the CAA.

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Later in January 2020, the Home Ministry notified that the Act would come into force from January 10, 2020, but later the Ministry requested Parliamentary Committees in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha to grant some more time to implement the rules as at that time the country was passing through the period of COVID-19 pandemic.

Significantly, through the CAA, the central government wants to give Indian citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. However, since its notification, there have been demands for an extension of time for making rules six times so far.

According to the Manual on Parliamentary Work, rules for any law should be framed within six months of the assent of the President. Or the extension should be requested from the parliamentary committees under Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. 

However, the Home Ministry could not make rules within six months of the CAA becoming law. So it sought more time from the committees to frame rules, first in June 2020 and again six times.

Earlier after the passage of CAA in Parliament, there were widespread protests in different parts of the country in which several people died in police firing and related violence.

(With PTI Inputs)