News: In a 4:1 majority judgement, Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955. Further, the Chief Justice of India noted that Section 6A does not violate Article 29(1) of the Constitution.
1. Section 6A of Citizenship Act: It is a special provision that was inserted into the Citizenship Act following the Assam Accord in 1985.
2. This section states that immigrants who entered Assam from Bangladesh prior to January 1, 1966, would be deemed to be Indian citizens.
3. While those who entered the state between January 1, 1966 and March 25, 1971 would be conferred citizenship based on the fulfilment of specific procedures and conditions.
4. This section barred citizenship to those who entered Assam after March 25, 1971.
5. Assam Accord: It was a Memorandum of Settlement signed on August 15, 1985 by the then Rajiv Gandhi government and the All Assam Students’ Union.
6. The accord aimed at resolving the Assam agitation, which was a movement against illegal immigration from Bangladesh and its impact on demographic and cultural identity of the Assamese people.
7. Article 29 (1) of the Constitution: It states that any section of the citizens residing in the territory of India or any part thereof having a distinct language, script or culture of its own shall have the right to conserve the same.
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