Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019: A Study of Legal and Constitutional Implications

Immigration Law By 2

1. CAA 2019 gives Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who entered before 31 Dec 2014.

2. It excludes Muslims, raising allegations of religious discrimination.

3. Faces strong opposition in the Northeast (violates Assam Accord) and from groups citing Article 14 (equality).

4. Over 200 petitions are pending before the Supreme Court challenging its validity.

5. The government defends it as a limited, humanitarian law to protect persecuted minorities without affecting Indian citizens.

Electoral Rolls Under Scrutiny: The Supreme Court, Special Intensive Revision, and Bihar’s Democratic Test

Election Laws By 0

This article critically examines the SC’s intervention in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s voter list and its implications for Indian democracy. It highlights how the EC’s new requirements demand extensive documentation to reapply, even for long registered voters, shift the burden of proof of citizenship onto individuals, disproportionately affecting marginalized groups such as rural women and migrant workers. The piece argues that such measures risk undermining universal suffrage, constitutional guarantees, and the inclusiveness of India’s democratic process.