MHA says data of applicants for citizenship under CAA not readily available
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has stated that information regarding applicants who became Indian citizens under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) of 2019 is not readily available. This was disclosed in response to a Right to Information (RTI) application filed by The Hindu. The MHA explained that only the readily available information can be provided, and as per the RTI Act of 2005, the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) is not required to create or compile data specifically for the purpose of responding to an RTI request.
The Citizenship Amendment Act, passed by Parliament on December 11, 2019, allows undocumented migrants from six non-Muslim communities—Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, or Christian—from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan to seek Indian citizenship. The Act covers those who entered India on or before December 31, 2014, and reduces the required residence period for citizenship from 11 years to five years.
In a previous RTI response dated April 15, 2024, the MHA had clarified that there is no provision under the Citizenship Act of 1955, or its amendment in 2019, to maintain records of applications submitted under the CAA. This meant that the Ministry does not have a detailed or accessible database for the number of applications or their status. This position was reiterated in response to another RTI filed by Maharashtra resident Ajay Bose, where the MHA confirmed that it does not maintain records as requested, and thus the information should be considered "NIL."
The exact number of beneficiaries under the CAA remains unknown. During the 2019 parliamentary debate, Union Home Minister Amit Shah suggested that "lakhs and crores" of people would benefit from the Act. However, a report from the Director of the Intelligence Bureau, presented to a parliamentary committee, estimated that around 31,000 people would be the immediate beneficiaries. Specifically, the report stated that 31,313 individuals from minority communities—Hindus (25,447), Sikhs (5,807), Christians (55), Buddhists (2), and Parsis (2)—had been granted long-term visas due to claims of religious persecution in their respective countries. These individuals were seen as immediate candidates for Indian citizenship under the CAA.
Despite the passage of the CAA in 2019, the implementation of the Act faced delays. It was only on March 11, 2024, just days before the announcement of the 2024 general elections, that the MHA notified the CAA Rules, which officially enabled the implementation of the Act. The rules were essential for processing applications under the CAA and formalizing the path to citizenship for the targeted communities.
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TN Assembly elections: Eight-month pregnant homemaker wins Thiru Vi Ka Nagar seat for TVK
Chennai (PTI): Before giving birth, she had already delivered a mandate—a symbol of hope for Thiru Vi Ka Nagar.
Echoing Delhi’s 2013 “common citizen” political churn associated with the rise of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), an eight-month-pregnant homemaker, M R Pallavi, has been elected as an MLA from Chennai’s Thiru Vi Ka Nagar constituency, emerging as one of the notable first-time faces of the Vijay-led TVK in the recently held Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
In the narrow lanes of Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, a steady stream of media personnel has been making their way to Pallavi’s residence—a scene reminiscent of the result day in Delhi when journalists thronged the modest home of Rakhi Birla, who had won from Mangolpuri on an AAP ticket.
Pallavi, 36, a homemaker educated up to class XII, defeated the DMK candidate K S Ravichandran by a margin of 22,333 votes in the reserved Thiru Vi Ka Nagar Assembly constituency.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam emerged as the single largest party by winning 108 seats, while DMK and AIADMK got 59 and 47, respectively.
Pallavi’s victory has drawn attention due to her personal circumstances. She campaigned extensively while eight months pregnant, going door-to-door to reach voters.
According to local accounts, she even fainted once during the campaign but continued her outreach.
She has not spoken to the media following her victory, as doctors have advised her to rest. Her husband, Rajesh, briefly recounted her campaign efforts.
A self-professed admirer of actor-turned-politician Vijay, Pallavi joined TVK soon after its formation and is now among its first-time legislators.
Doctors have advised her to be hospitalised around May 20, as she is expecting her second child. Ahead of that, voters in Thiru Vi Ka Nagar have entrusted her with representing them in the state Assembly.
Political observers say the rise of candidates like Pallavi signals a possible shift in Tamil Nadu’s political landscape, with voters backing a new party and candidates from non-traditional backgrounds.
