The eligibility certificate is one of the important documents needed by an applicant under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rules.
Although the rules do not mention which authority or body can issue the certificate, a helpline number 1032 has been launched for assistance and information on CAA.
According to a report published by The Hindu, the CAA helpline stated that a local priest can issue an eligibility certificate.
Role of eligibility certificate in obtaining citizenship under CAA
The process to obtain citizenship under CAA is completely online. Only on the appointed day, applicants need to present themselves before a committee for document verification.
However, applicants need to submit various documents, including an eligibility certificate for citizenship under CAA rules. The certificate confirms that the applicant is an Afghan, Bangladeshi, or Pakistani national belonging to the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, or Christian community.
Apart from this, applicants also need to specify the reasons for wishing to acquire Indian citizenship.
SC declines to stay CAA rules
Recently, the Supreme Court declined to pass any interim order staying the implementation of the rules notified by the Union Home Ministry under the CAA.
Emphasizing that the Union government must be given a reasonable time to respond to the interlocutory applications challenging the introduction of the 2024 CAA rules (that include a rule on the eligibility certificates), a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud, posted the matter for further hearing on April 9.
The CAA 2019 grants citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, or Christian migrants who had come from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan on or before December 31, 2014.
