Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2026

The Ministry of Home Affairs amended the Citizenship Rules, 2009 and notified the:

Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2026

These rules relate to implementation of the:

Citizenship Amendment Act 2019.

About the New Rules

Under the new rules:

Applicants seeking citizenship under the CAA must submit:

An affidavit declaring whether they possess:
- A valid passport, or
- An expired passport

from:

Pakistan
Afghanistan
Bangladesh

The affidavit acts as:

Documentary support for nationality and identity verification.

About Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019

Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 amended the:

Citizenship Act, 1955

Objective

The Act aims to provide:

A fast-track route to Indian citizenship

for certain persecuted minority communities from neighbouring countries.

Communities Covered

The Act applies to:

Hindus
Sikhs
Buddhists
Jains
Parsis
Christians

from:

Pakistan
Bangladesh
Afghanistan

Eligibility Condition

The beneficiaries must have:

Entered India on or before:
- 31 December 2014

Key Features of CAA

1. Relaxation in Residency Requirement

The required period of residence for naturalisation was reduced:

From 11 years to 5 years

for eligible applicants.

2. Protection from Illegal Migrant Status

Eligible migrants covered under CAA:

Will not be treated as illegal migrants.

Constitutional Basis of Citizenship

Citizenship provisions are mentioned under:

Part II (Articles 5–11) of the Constitution of India.

Parliament derives power to regulate citizenship from:

Article 11

Modes of Acquiring Citizenship in India

Under the Citizenship Act, 1955, citizenship can be acquired through:

Birth
Descent
Registration
Naturalisation
Incorporation of territory

Concerns and Criticism

1. Religious Criterion

Critics argue:

The Act introduces religion as a basis for citizenship.

2. Exclusion of Certain Communities

Some groups such as:

Ahmadiyyas
Rohingyas
Tamils from Sri Lanka

are not covered.

3. Constitutional Debate

Concerns raised regarding:

Article 14 (Right to Equality)
Secularism as part of the Basic Structure

Government’s Position

The government states that:

The Act is humanitarian in nature
It aims to protect persecuted minorities from neighbouring Islamic countries.

Significance of the 2026 Rules

The new rules:

Clarify procedural requirements
Strengthen identity verification
Facilitate implementation of the CAA framework

Conclusion

The notification of the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2026 marks another step in operationalizing the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019. The rules focus on documentation and verification procedures for eligible applicants from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh seeking Indian citizenship.