First Citizenship Certificates Issued Under Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024

New Delhi: The first set of citizenship certificates under the recently notified Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024, were issued today in New Delhi. Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla presided over the ceremony, personally handing over citizenship certificates to select applicants.

During the interactive session, Home Secretary Bhalla congratulated the applicants and underscored the key features of the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024. The rules, which were notified by the Government of India on March 11, 2024, delineate the application process and procedures for the grant of citizenship to eligible individuals.

Under these rules, applications have been accepted from individuals belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi, and Christian communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. These individuals entered India up to December 31, 2014, fleeing persecution on religious grounds or fearing such persecution.

The application process involves scrutiny by District Level Committees (DLCs), chaired by designated officers. Upon successful verification of documents, applicants take an oath of allegiance administered by the DLCs. Subsequently, applications are forwarded to State Level Empowered Committees (ECs) for further processing. Notably, the entire process is conducted through an online portal.

In today’s ceremony, the Empowered Committee in Delhi, headed by the Director of Census Operation, scrutinized applications and decided to grant citizenship to 14 individuals. Director (Census Operation) then presented citizenship certificates to these applicants, marking a significant milestone under the new rules.