| Summary/Abstract |
In December 2019, the Indian Parliament amended India’s citizenship laws. Under the provisions of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, and Zoroastrians from its Muslim-majority neighbors Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh will have their applications for citizenship fast-tracked. By explicitly omitting Muslims, Jews, Bahais, and atheists from its purview, the CAA introduced a religious filter that attacks the secular principles enshrined in the constitution. People from the six listed religious communities who entered India before December 31, 2014, were now eligible to apply for citizenship, with residence requirements reduced from 12 years to six.
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