What is the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019?

About Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019

• The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) amends the Citizenship Act of 1955 to provide a path to Indian citizenship for Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jains, and Parsis who migrated from neighbouring Muslim-majority countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, before December 31, 2014.
• Under the CAA, migrants who entered India till December 31, 2014, and had suffered “religious persecution or fear or religious persecution” in their country of their origin would be made eligible for accelerated citizenship.
• It relaxed the residence requirement for naturalisation of these migrants from twelve years to just six.
• The cut-off date for citizenship is December 31, 2014, which means the applicant should have entered India on or before that date.
• The law exempts the tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura as included in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, including the tribal areas of Karbi Anglong in Assam, Garo Hills in Meghalaya, Chakma district in Mizoram, and Tribal areas district in Tripura.
• It also includes a provision for the cancellation of Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) registration if the OCI cardholder violates any provision of the Citizenship Act or any other applicable law. 

Q1) What is Overseas Citizen of India (OCI)?

The OCI Scheme was introduced by amending the Citizenship Act, 1955, in August 2005. Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) of certain categories as specified in the Citizenship Act, 1955 are eligible for being OCI cardholders. It provides long-term visa-free travel and stay in India and gives the cardholders a host of privileges normally not given to a foreign national.

Source: Citizenship Amendment Act rules notified, four years after the law was passed

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