News Analysis India

Tag: home ministry

  • Post-Poll Violence: No Reservation If Central Forces’ Stay In Bengal Extended, Home Ministry To HC |

    The Union Home Ministry on Tuesday informed the Calcutta High Court that it has no reservation if the deployment of central forces in West Bengal is extended if the situation demands in the light of allegations of post-poll violence in the state.

    The court directed the Centre and the West Bengal government to assess the situation following the charges of post-poll violence as made by petitioners and disclose all relevant facts relating to these on the next date of hearing on June 21.

    During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Asok Chakrabarti, representing the Union Home Ministry, submitted before the court that it has no reservations about extending deployment of central forces in the state if the situation demands.

    The counsel for Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, one of the petitioners in two PILs, submitted that a report by the West Bengal government states that till June 12, a total of 107 FIRs have been lodged and that 18 of these are not related to post-poll violence, claiming that thus it admits that post-poll violence was indeed occurring in the state.

    The seven-phase Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal concluded on June 1 and results were declared on June 4.

    A division bench presided by Justice Harish Tandon directed that the matter be listed for hearing again on June 21, till which date the central forces have already been directed by the court to stay put in Bengal.

    It was alleged by Adhikari and lawyer Priyanka Tibrewal in their separate PILs that people belonging to a particular political party were being subjected to atrocities following the conclusion of the Lok Sabha election process.

    The division bench, also comprising Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, said that its main concern is the safety and security of the citizens as serious allegations have been made by the petitioners in the PILs.

    Appearing for the state, Advocate General Kishore Dutta said that the state government was doing its job in maintaining law and order.

    Petitioner-lawyer Priyanka Tibrewal claimed that she has a list of 250 people who were ousted from their homes for their political beliefs and were staying in a dharamshala in Kolkata.

    She sought to submit a supplementary affidavit in this regard before the court on the next date of hearing.

  • Home Ministry To Issue Helpline Numbers To Assist Applicants For Indian Citizenship Under CAA |

    NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced on Wednesday that it will soon launch helpline numbers to help people applying for Indian citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA-2019). Applicants can get information about the CAA-2019 for free by calling these numbers. The service will be available from 8 am to 8 pm. MHA posted about this on X. “Helpline number to assist applicants for Indian citizenship under CAA -2019 will be launched soon. Applicants will be able to get information related to CAA-2019 by calling free of cost from anywhere in India. The service will be available from 8 am to 8 pm,” MHA posted on X.

     

    Helpline Number to assist applicants of Indian citizenship under #CAA -2019 is being started soon. Applicants can make free calls from anywhere in India & get info. related to CAA-2019. Helpline to be available from 8 am to 8 pm.@HMOIndia @PIB_India @ddnewslive @airnewsalert pic.twitter.com/UR54yuTVIp
    — Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) March 13, 2024

     

    New Rules Aim To Aid Refugees

    The MHA recently notified the CAA Rules, 2024, which remove legal barriers for refugees seeking rehabilitation and citizenship under the act. This move aims to provide a better life for refugees who have faced hardship for many years.

    Web Portal And Mobile App To Facilitate Applications

    Previously, the MHA launched a web portal where eligible non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, fleeing religious persecution, could apply for Indian citizenship. Additionally, they will soon introduce a mobile app called ‘CAA-2019’ to make the application process more accessible.

    Who Can Apply?

    Persecuted individuals from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, belonging to six minority communities—Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians—can apply for Indian citizenship if they sought shelter in India before December 31, 2014. The application process is entirely online through the “Indian Citizenship Online Portal.”

    Application Process

    Applicants must submit their applications to an Empowered Committee via a District Level Committee headed by a designated officer. All necessary documents and photographs are to be uploaded online, and applications undergo a security check. Additionally, applicants must appear in person to subscribe to the application and take an oath of allegiance.

    Documents Required 

    Applicants must provide various documents, including those issued by government authorities in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. These documents establish the applicant’s identity and their eligibility for citizenship under the CAA.

    Proof of Entry

    Applicants must prove that they entered India before December 31, 2014, to be eligible for citizenship. This initiative aims to streamline the citizenship application process for eligible individuals seeking refuge in India.

  • Live Updates: PM Narendra Modi To Make Important Announcement Shortly

    The announcement will come days ahead of the Lok Sabha elections announcement by the Election Commission of India.

  • Days before it announces polls, Election Commission to meet top MHA officials

    Days before it announces schedule for the Lok Sabha polls, the top brass of the Election Commission has called senior Home ministry officials to review security preparedness for the democratic exercise. Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla will meet Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and fellow Election Commissioner Arun Goel on Friday to discuss deployment of central forces in states, sources said.

    The meeting also comes days before the Commission’s Jammu and Kashmir visit to review poll preparedness.

    The EC has sought 3.4 lakh Central Armed Police Force personnel for Lok Sabha and four assembly polls. With nearly 97 crore voters, the EC would set up approximately 12.5 lakh polling stations across India.

    The EC will also meet top railways officials.

    Railways plays a major role in transporting central forces for deployment during different phases.

  • Home Ministry recommends CBI probe against Oxfam India 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Union Home Ministry on Thursday recommended a CBI probe into the affairs of Oxfam India for alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, sources said.

    The home ministry claims that it found that Oxfam India continued to transfer foreign contributions to various entities even after registering under the FCRA, which prohibits such transfers.

    During a survey carried out by the Income Tax department, multiple emails were found which revealed that Oxfam India was allegedly planning to circumvent provisions of the FCRA by routing funds to other FCRA-registered associations or through the for-profit consultancy route, sources said.

    The survey also “exposed” Oxfam India as a probable instrument of the foreign policy of foreign organisations or entities, which have funded the organisation liberally over the years, they said.

    Oxfam India, which is registered to carry out social activities, allegedly routed funds to the Centre for Policy Research (CPR) through its associates and employees in the form of commission, sources claimed.

    Following these findings, the home ministry recommended a CBI probe into the affairs of Oxfam India, they said.

    NEW DELHI: The Union Home Ministry on Thursday recommended a CBI probe into the affairs of Oxfam India for alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, sources said.

    The home ministry claims that it found that Oxfam India continued to transfer foreign contributions to various entities even after registering under the FCRA, which prohibits such transfers.

    During a survey carried out by the Income Tax department, multiple emails were found which revealed that Oxfam India was allegedly planning to circumvent provisions of the FCRA by routing funds to other FCRA-registered associations or through the for-profit consultancy route, sources said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The survey also “exposed” Oxfam India as a probable instrument of the foreign policy of foreign organisations or entities, which have funded the organisation liberally over the years, they said.

    Oxfam India, which is registered to carry out social activities, allegedly routed funds to the Centre for Policy Research (CPR) through its associates and employees in the form of commission, sources claimed.

    Following these findings, the home ministry recommended a CBI probe into the affairs of Oxfam India, they said.

  • In five years, 2,399 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants found using fake documents

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Even as the Centre and the Assam administration continue to be seized of the issue of illegal immigration along India’s eastern borders, 2,399 Bangladeshi nationals were “intercepted and found using fraudulently obtained Indian documents” in five years, the Union Home Ministry on Tuesday admitted in Lok Sabha.

    Responding to a question in the lower House, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said that the interception of the Bangladeshi nationals took place at Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) controlled by the Bureau of Immigration (BoI) between 2017 and 2022.

    India’s international border with Bangladesh is “marked by a high degree of porosity and the checking of illegal cross-border activities and illegal migration” from the country’s eastern neighbor” are major challenges, according to the home ministry.

    Border fencing and flood lights, besides “technological solutions”, including using digital gadgets and other equipment such as sensors and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), are some of the deterrents that border guarding forces have deployed along the India-Bangladesh border.

    In its reply, the MHA revealed that the central government “has issued instructions to state governments and Union Territories for taking appropriate prompt steps for identification of illegal immigrants”. The state governments have been instructed to “restrict” suspected illegal immigrants to “specified locations as per provisions of law”.

    Besides, the state police forces are empowered to “capture biographic and biometric particulars” and cancel fake documents before “legal proceedings, including initiation of deportation proceedings as per provisions of law”.

    The MHA said that state governments “have also been advised to share the particulars of those illegal migrants who have wrongfully obtained Aadhaar cards with UIDAI for appropriate legal action”. Cancelling identification documents – voter identity cards, driving licences, ration cards etc – obtained fraudulently by illegal migrants is also part of the standard operating procedure when such persons are interdicted from time to time.

    NEW DELHI: Even as the Centre and the Assam administration continue to be seized of the issue of illegal immigration along India’s eastern borders, 2,399 Bangladeshi nationals were “intercepted and found using fraudulently obtained Indian documents” in five years, the Union Home Ministry on Tuesday admitted in Lok Sabha.

    Responding to a question in the lower House, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said that the interception of the Bangladeshi nationals took place at Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) controlled by the Bureau of Immigration (BoI) between 2017 and 2022.

    India’s international border with Bangladesh is “marked by a high degree of porosity and the checking of illegal cross-border activities and illegal migration” from the country’s eastern neighbor” are major challenges, according to the home ministry.

    Border fencing and flood lights, besides “technological solutions”, including using digital gadgets and other equipment such as sensors and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), are some of the deterrents that border guarding forces have deployed along the India-Bangladesh border.

    In its reply, the MHA revealed that the central government “has issued instructions to state governments and Union Territories for taking appropriate prompt steps for identification of illegal immigrants”. The state governments have been instructed to “restrict” suspected illegal immigrants to “specified locations as per provisions of law”.

    Besides, the state police forces are empowered to “capture biographic and biometric particulars” and cancel fake documents before “legal proceedings, including initiation of deportation proceedings as per provisions of law”.

    The MHA said that state governments “have also been advised to share the particulars of those illegal migrants who have wrongfully obtained Aadhaar cards with UIDAI for appropriate legal action”. Cancelling identification documents – voter identity cards, driving licences, ration cards etc – obtained fraudulently by illegal migrants is also part of the standard operating procedure when such persons are interdicted from time to time.

  • Udaipur murder: Home Ministry directs NIA to probe international links in tailor’s beheading

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Treating the Udaipur murder as a terror incident, the Centre on Wednesday directed the anti-terror agency, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), to extensively probe the “brutal” murder of a tailor in Rajasthan’s Udaipur district, especially whether any organisation or international links were behind the sensational killing.

    The Home Ministry’s official Twitter handle said “MHA has directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to take over the investigation of the brutal murder of Shri Kanhaiya Lal Teli committed at Udaipur, Rajasthan yesterday.

    “The involvement of any organisation and international links will be thoroughly investigated.”

    MHA has directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to take over the investigation of the brutal murder of Shri Kanhaiya Lal Teli committed at Udaipur, Rajasthan yesterday.The involvement of any organisation and international links will be thoroughly investigated.
    — गृहमंत्री कार्यालय, HMO India (@HMOIndia) June 29, 2022
    The Home ministry had rushed a probe team on Tuesday night after a preliminary probe suggested that the two accused, arrested by the Rajasthan police, were influenced by the ISIS, a banned terror group.

    The town of Udaipur witnessed a shocking incident on Tuesday, when Riaz Akhtari, one of the accused, slit Teli’s throat with a cleaver, as Ghouse Mohammad, the other accused, recorded the act on a mobile phone.

    In the video clip that circulated on social media, one of the purported assailants declared that they had “beheaded” the man and went on to threaten Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying their knife will get him as well.

    The accused brandished blood-stained cleavers as they issued the threats. Both of them were arrested and taken to an undisclosed location for a thorough interrogation.

    “Prima-facie, it seems to be a terror case and needs a thorough investigation which includes sifting through their social media profiles,” a senior official had said on Tuesday on condition of anonymity.

    Akhtari’s links have been traced to Pakistan-based Dawat-e-Islami, which has its branches in India as well.

    Some of the cadres of the Pakistan-based Dawat-e-Islami have been found to be involved in terror incidents, including the assassination of Pakistan’s Punjab province Governor Salman Taseer in 2011.

    Beheading has been seen to be a common mode of execution in banned terror groups, especially ISIS and Al-Qaeda.

    The gruesome trend saw its beginning in 2014 when several foreigners were killed in a similar fashion by ISIS, which even uploaded the videos of the act on social media.

    During the three-decade-long terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, a beheading case was witnessed in 1995, when a terrorist, belonging to Al-Faran, an assumed name of the banned Harkat-ul-Ansar terror group, severed the head of foreign tourist Hansa Ostro. His body was found near Pahalgam on August 13, 1995.

  • MHA issues fresh rules: Arms manufacturers to be allowed to enhance production

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Arms manufacturers will henceforth be allowed to enhance annual production of firearms and ammunition according to fresh rules issued by the Union home ministry.

    Under the Arms (Amendment) Rules, 2022, the arms manufacturers, however, will have to submit online every month details of the firearms manufactured, sold or transferred or consumed for the month.

    The home ministry issued the new rules through a gazette notification on Thursday.

    “The manufacturer who has been issued licence in Form VII under these rules shall be permitted to have enhanced annual production of firearms or ammunition or caliber wise revision of his licensed capacity by giving intimation to the licensing authority and also to the state government concerned within ninety days from the end of the financial year and for which no further endorsement on the licence as to capacity shall be required,” the notification said.

    While applying, the manufacturer has to submit detailed proposal for enhancement of manufacturing capacity or caliber wise revision of licenced capacity, project outlays, means of finance and justification for economic viability and market demand projections, duly certified by the authorised signatory of the company.

    Monthly online returns, detailing the production, sold, transfer and consumed shall be submitted by the manufacturer by close of business hours of the last day of the month, the notification said.

    Prior approval of the licensing authority will be mandatory for any change in control, either directly or indirectly, of the company or in case of any change in shareholding or beneficial interest in the shareholding, resulting into dilution of promoters shareholding below 10 per cent.

    However, prior approval will not be required if there is increase in shareholding of a shareholder, who held less than 10 per cent in the share capital of the company, to 10 per cent or more provided that for transfer of share holding between the two promoters which is already approved by the licensing authority.

    If any circumstances occur which prevent a licensee to submit online returns, the local licensing authority shall be informed immediately in order to establish alternative means to submit the monthly returns, it said.

  • 75 years of India’s Independence: Azadi celebration plan gets Centre’s approval

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The mega celebrations to commemorate 75 years of India’s independence — Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav — is set to gather pace in coming months with the Central government appointed a committee, set up for the purpose of approving the event calendar for the next 12 weeks.

    The government officials said besides multiple cultural and literary functions in states, five ‘big’ events are planned for every month, starting November 15.

    Highlight of the series of programmes will be Birsa Munda anniversary and tribal festival (November 15-22) being curated to acknowledge contribution of tribes in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha, three-day Kashi Utsav in Varanasi (November 16-18), Northeast festival in Guwahati or Shillong (27 November-3 December), commemoration of first war of independence in Meerut (December 17), Mahaparinirvan Diwas — death anniversary of Bhim Rao Ambedkar (December 6), Good governance week (December 20-26) across states, Golden Jubilee anniversary of Indo-Pak 1971 war (December 13-19) and tribute to martyrs on January 26.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend at least five events including the event scheduled to commemorate first war of independence, Mahaparinirvan Diwas, National Girl Child Day on January 24, and Kashi Utsav.

    The committee headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah accorded approval to the proposed events which will have dignitaries such as the President of India and ministers in attendance.    

    The ministries and Indian missions abroad have been entrusted with responsibility of different programmes for effective execution, said officials.

    ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ is an initiative of the Government of India to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of progressive India and the glorious history of its people, culture and achievements. The ministry of culture is the nodal agency for the same and has been leading several events.

    To ensure public participation in the celebrations and enhance their scale, categories of citizens such as students, youth, child rights activists, academicians, and families of martyrs have also been clearly defined for each event.

    The Panchayati Raj Ministry has been requested to popularise events at grass root level and Ministry of External Affairs will ensure diaspora participation and social media outreach abroad.

    The first set of programmes — celebrate contribution of tribes of India — is starting from November 15, which will be led by the ministry of tribal affairs.

    Event around tribal entrepreneurship with focus on tribal and forest ecosystems is planned for week-long celebrations. The high point of the series will be the inauguration of Birsa Munda Museum in Ranchi.     

  • HC refuses to entertain PIL to end pension disparity between armed forces under MHA, Defence Ministry

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court Thursday refused to entertain a PIL seeking direction to the Centre to extend the same pension scheme to armed forces under the Home Ministry as is applicable to the forces under the Defence Ministry.

    A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw, which was hearing the PIL by Humara Desh Humare Jawan Trust, said that several petitions by the aggrieved personnel are already pending adjudication.

    “Affected people are already before court. They don’t need a PIL. Matter is already under consideration. There is a bunch of petitions,” Justice Endlaw said, adding that the outcome of the pending pleas would be applicable to those who are similarly placed.

    “Each and every person is not required to be there. Point which you are raising is raised by affected parties and they are ably represented,” the judge told the counsel for the Trust, advocate Ajay K Agrawal Chief Justice Patel stated that there was no need to have multiple petitions on the same issue and asked the petitioner to join the pending proceedings.

    “You go there and file a CM (application),” Chief Justice Patel told the counsel.

    The court allowed the Trust to withdraw its petition with liberty to avail other legal remedies or join the pending proceedings.

    In his petition, the Trust has stated that the forces under the MHA i.e. BSF, CISF, CRPF etc are also armed forces and therefore cannot be discriminated against.

    It is stated that the Centre is “illegally denying the old pension scheme” to the forces under MHA by making them subject to the new contributory pension scheme, which was introduced in 2004, on the ground that they are not “armed forces of the Union”.

    “These forces are protecting our borders round the clock and thousands personnel have laid their lives protecting our borders. Both are armed forces of the Union under the Ministry of Defence and Home, therefore, there should be no disparity and same pensionary benefits should be given to both,” the petition reads.

    The plea states that in August 2004, the Centre has itself issued a clarification that the central forces under the MHA as also “armed forces of the Union” and would include the BSF, CISF, CRPF, ITBP, NSG, SSB and Assam Rifles.