The government has no plans to implement a nationwide National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC) yet, the Centre told the Lok Sabha today in response to queries posed by TMC MP Mala Roy and Congress MP Hibi Eden. The Centre's reply is significant in light of the intense protests the country has seen against the implementation of the NRC, as it is popularly known and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019. The Centre reiterated its reply stated in the Parliament's Monsoon session in August 2021 and during the February 2020 Budget Session.
The Parliament's Winter Session began on November 29 and will go on till December 23.
Rai, in his written reply, pointed out that as far as NRC in Assam was concerned, hard copies of the supplementary list of inclusions and online family-wise list of exclusions in the updated NRC was published on August 31, 2019 on Supreme Court directions.
The MoS Home added that the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 was notified on December 12, 2019 and came into force on January 10, 2020. The reply added that persons covered under the CAA may apply for citizenship after the rules are notified. Earlier this year during the Parliament's Monsoon Session in August, the Centre sought time till January 9, 2022 to frame the rules.
Also Read: Govt Seeks Extension To Frame CAA Rules Up To January 9, 2022
More than Six lakh surrender Indian citizenship, less than 50% applications for citizenship accepted
Since 2017, more than six lakh Indians have surrendered their citizenship, the Centre told the Lok Sabha today. Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai was responding to a series of questions posed by Congress MP from Kerala Hibi Eden on the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019 and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
According to the Home Ministry's written reply, more than 1.33 crore Indian nationals are living abroad even as 10,645 people applied for Indian citizenship. The written reply added that persons who are covered under the CAA can apply for the same.
Since 2017, 7782 requests have been filed by Pakistani nationals followed by 795 applications from Afghan nationals. 452 applications for Indian citizenship have been filed by those who are Stateless; 227 applications by those from the United States of America (USA) and 205 from Spain.
Of these, the Indian government has granted citizenship to less than 50% (4177 requests) of the requests in the last five years.
Also Read: Not Taken Any Decision On Nationwide NRC: Lok Sabha Reply