CITIZENSHIP OF INDIA (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)
Context: Recently, the Supreme Court requested data from the Union government regarding Bangladeshi immigrants who acquired Indian citizenship under Section 6A in Assam.
Citizenship of India
- About: Citizenship encompasses the concept of being a full and equal member of a political community, with a shared political identity and entitlement to specific rights.
- Important Points for Indian Citizenship
oConstitutional Measures: Articles 5-11 in Part II of Indian Constitution regulates the citizenship in India.
oLegislation: The Citizenship Act of 1955 is the legal framework governing the various aspects of citizenship.
oAcquisition of citizenship: Through various means such as birth, descent, registration, naturalization, and incorporation of territory.
oTermination and deprivation of citizenship: By renunciation, termination and deprivation.
oAdoption: It came into being on 26th November, 1949.
oJurisdiction: Citizenship is a subject that falls under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Parliament. Single Citizenship for whole of India.
Assam Accord (Section 6A)
- About: Signed between GoI, Assam Govt. and All Assam Students' Union (AASU) in 1985, that ended the 6 year long agitation.
- The parties agreed that:
oAll people who had entered Assam prior to January 1, 1966, would be deemed as citizens.
oThose who came between January 1, 1966 and March 25, 1971 were eligible for citizenship after registering and living in the State for 10 years.
oThose entering after March 24, 1971, were to be deported.
