Overview
- The Ministry of Home Affairs on Aug. 19 moved processing of CAA registration and naturalisation applications to district collectors in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, West Bengal, Assam (except tribal areas), Tripura (except tribal areas), Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
- All applications that were pending with Empowered Committees or District Level Committees in those jurisdictions must be transferred immediately to the relevant collector, and prior MHA orders from 2024 and early 2026 have been rescinded while preserving actions already taken.
- Collectors are now the competent authority to receive applications electronically, verify documents, carry out enquiries, require applicants to appear in person and administer the oath of allegiance before granting citizenship under Section 6B if they find the person a fit and proper candidate.
- The rules keep tribal areas in Assam and Tripura outside this administrative change and require rejected applications when an applicant repeatedly fails to appear to subscribe the form or take the oath.
- Officials and reporting say the shift follows recent state political changes and is intended to shorten delays in processing, which could speed decisions for refugees from six specified non‑Muslim communities but also raise new local political and administrative questions.