Daijiworld Media Network - Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad, Oct 12: A total of 158 refugees will receive Indian citizenship certificates at a ceremony in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, including 126 beneficiaries under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and 32 applicants whose cases were processed through the district Collector’s Office, according to an official statement.
Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi will distribute the certificates at the ‘Indian Citizenship Certificate Distribution Ceremony’, organised by the Ahmedabad district administration at SAL Institute in the Sola area on October 13.
Minister of State for Urban Development and Urban Housing Darshana Vaghela, the city mayor, Members of Parliament and Members of the Legislative Assembly are also expected to attend the event.
The distribution will cover two categories of beneficiaries: those granted citizenship under the CAA and those whose applications have been processed through the Collector’s Office under the applicable provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955.
The district administration’s statement highlighted Ahmedabad’s role in granting citizenship to members of minority communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
According to officials, the Central government, through notifications issued in 2016 and 2018, delegated powers to district collectors to grant citizenship under Sections 5 and 6 of the Citizenship Act, 1955, to eligible members of minority communities from the three countries.
The notifications enabled district collectors to process citizenship applications under the specified provisions of the Act.
Enacted in 2019, the CAA provides a separate, expedited route to Indian citizenship for eligible Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who entered India on or before December 31, 2014, subject to the conditions prescribed under the law.
The Ahmedabad district administration said it had issued Indian citizenship certificates to more than 1,200 applicants between 2017 and 2025, placing the district among the leading districts in the country in this regard.
The ceremony comes amid the continued processing of citizenship applications under the legal framework governing the grant of Indian citizenship to eligible applicants from neighbouring countries.
“The 158 beneficiaries will receive their certificates at the event in the presence of Sanghavi and other public representatives,” officials said.