A beginners guide to the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019
Introduction: The Citizenship (Amendment) Act today holds a very negative connotation for the amount of dissent it has brought about, ever since the induction of the Citizenship amendment bill 2019 which was tabled in the winter session of the 17th Lok Sabha by the Union Home Minister Shri. Amit Shah on 9th December 2019. It was passed with an astonishing majority of 311-80 in the Lok Sabha, and a simple majority of 125-105 in the Rajya Sabha on 11th December 2019. This, incidentally meant that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (henceforth CAA) would come into effect exactly a month later on 10th January 2020. It is noteworthy that this bill was first introduced in the year 2016, after which it was temporarily suspended and put up for review. Preliminary view: While the CAA is a widely debated and controversial piece of legislation, it is far more rewarding to understand it as a law and delve into its provisions rather than its ramifications. Citizenshi...