Watch: FDI & Politics: A ten year analysis
In this episode of Talking Politics, Nistula Hebbar, Political Editor at The Hindu, takes a look at the recent shift in foreign direct investment away from Delhi.
For more, click: Foreign investors shift money out of Delhi to 'promising' Maharashtra
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Presentation: Nistula Hebbar
Edit: V. Nivedita
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The Hindu
14 hours ago
- The Hindu
MHA refuses to share data on CAA beneficiaries
More than a year after the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 became effective, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has refused to share data on the total number of beneficiaries under the Act. A Bharatiya Janata Party MP from West Bengal told The Hindu that fewer than 100 people in his constituency had received citizenship under the CAA even though the number of intended beneficiaries, mostly belonging to the Matua sect, were around 1 lakh. There are around 2.8 crore people from the Matua and Namasudra communities who stand to benefit from the CAA in the State. The CAA Rules were notified on March 11, 2024 to give citizenship to undocumented members of Hindu, Sikh, Parsi, Jain, Buddhist and Christian communities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh under the Act that was passed in 2019. Ranaghat MP Jagannath Sarkar told The Hindu that the requirement to submit any one document, which will help trace an applicant's roots to Bangladesh, should be dropped and the cut-off date for applying under CAA should be amended too. The existing cut-off date is December 31, 2014. 'Most people do not have any of the documents sought by the MHA to fulfil citizenship criteria. These people came to India to escape persecution, with barely any belongings. How will they provide documents?' Mr. Sarkar said. Following reports from West Bengal, Schedule 1A of the CAA Rules was tweaked on July 8, 2024, and the list of nine documents to prove that the applicant is a national of Afghanistan or Bangladesh or Pakistan was expanded to include any document issued by the State or the Centre or quasi-judicial authority in India identifying or representing the applicant or their parents or grandparents or great-grandparents as a national of these three countries . Anticipating non-cooperation in Opposition-ruled States, the CAA Rules entrusted Central government officials posted in States, including officials of Directorate of Census, Postal Department, Railways, National Informatics Centre (NIC) and Intelligence Bureau, to process the applications. On April 2, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said in the Rajya Sabha that 'thousands were granted citizenship', while responding to Trinamool Congress member Sushmita Dev's remarks that merely 350 people were granted citizenship under the CAA. The Minister did not specify the number. The Act was mostly expected to benefit people in West Bengal and Assam as those who had arrived from Pakistan had entered legally and possessed one of the documents required to acquire citizenship. In West Bengal, most intended beneficiaries already have voter cards and other identity documents. One of the criteria to avail citizenship under the CAA is that the applicant has to declare that he or she is a foreigner. The Pakistani applicants from the six non-Muslim communities would have been eligible under the Citizenship Act, 1955 also after living in India continuously for 12 years. According to Hindu Singh, president, Seemant Lok Sangathan, a group that advocates for the rights of Pakistani minority migrants in India, of the around 8,500 people who applied under the CAA in Rajasthan, 7,250 were granted citizenship in the past one year. On March 10, Assam's Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary informed the Assembly that two applicants in Assam were granted citizenship under CAA. In Gujarat, at least 373 people had got citizenship via the CAA. While discussing the legislation in Rajya Sabha on December 11, 2019, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that 'lakhs and crores' of people would benefit from the law. However, Director, Intelligence Bureau had deposed before a parliamentary committee in 2018 that around 31,000 people would be the immediate beneficiaries. The MHA has refused to share information on how many people have either applied or had been granted citizenship. The Hindu filed a Right to Information Act (RTI) application in June 2024 and in September 2024, the MHA refused to provide the information. An appeal was also filed with the Central Information Commission (CIC), which hears appeals from applicants who have issues with RTI responses from public authorities of the Union government. The CIC's Chief Commissioner Heeralal Samariya heard The Hindu's case on July 9. The RTI was limited to applications received on the portal, which is run by the Home Ministry as the entire process is online. The Home Ministry's representative, Ram Dayal Meena, did not specifically dispute any of The Hindu's arguments during the hearing, and when asked by the CIC if he wanted to speak, declined to make any oral submissions. A written response reiterated the MHA's earlier refusals, which simply stated that the information was 'not being maintained as desired by you'. 'Upon perusal of records and examining the facts of the case at hand, it is noted that the Appellant's queries had been appropriately answered by the concerned PIO,' Mr. Samariya wrote in his order. 'The reply is self- explanatory and information as permissible under the provisions of the RTI Act has been duly supplied to the Appellant.' The decision was arrived at the same day, and was uploaded at a later date.
The Hindu
a day ago
- The Hindu
Another day, another adjournment
A continuing deadlock between the Treasury and the Opposition led to Wednesday's sitting mimicking that of Tuesday wherein continual protests from members of the Opposition led to as many as three adjournments before both houses called it a day. The Opposition continued to press the treasury for a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. As reported earlier, the revision exercise has ignited concerns about potential disenfranchisement with the process itself being allegedly mired in confusion and politics. Further aggravating concerns of the Opposition, the Election Commission has indicated that exercise would also be carried out in poll-bound states of West Bengal and Assam, among other states. In a social media post, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi alleged the larger paradigm related to electoral malpractice and rigging. He held similar 'match fixing' took place in Maharashtra and Karnataka. 'In Bihar, votes of SC, ST, OBC and minority brothers and sisters are being stolen in the name of SIR,' he argued. The SIR is not the only point of contention this Session. The Opposition is also pressuring the government to hold a discussion on Operation Sindoor and the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. Though the treasury had affirmed their commitment for the discussion, a definite time and date was not ascertained. The paradigm however appeared to be heading for a conclusive end yesterday. The Hindu learnt that the Business Advisory Committee of the Rajya Sabha concurred for a 16-hour discussion on the subject next week, in line with the decision in the Lok Sabha. The house of Elders will initiate the discussion on Tuesday (July 29) a day after the Lok Sabha. However, there was no assurance forthcoming for a discussion on the electoral revision exercise in Bihar. Several proposed legislations find themselves entangled in the deadlock. Among them being a bill that seeks to accord reserved seats to members of the Scheduled Tribes in the Goan legislative assembly. Notwithstanding their population (about 1.5 lakh; as per the Primary Census Abstract, 2011), at present the state legislative assembly does not accord any reserved seats to STs. The bill seeks to readjust this paradigm. Do consider reading The Hindu's detailed reportage for deeper insights. The Sports Governance Bill is another crucial legislation mired in the stalemate. It seeks to lighten the load on the judiciary by instituting a Sports Tribunal, headed by a Supreme Court judge, to ensure speedy redressal of disputes. Kamlesh Srinivasan's reportage had pointed out that many National Sports Federations are caught in legal tussles that have been dragging on for years. Thus, harming their sport. With adjournments having marred proceedings in the initial three days, it would be poignant to see if any of the legislations find passage on Thursday. More importantly, how the discussions are facilitated to potentially bring an end to the impasse. Do follow our live coverage for real time updates on what transpires in the legislative corridors today. Until next time.
The Hindu
a day ago
- The Hindu
PM Modi in Tamil Nadu: Gangaikonda Cholapuram decked up to welcome PM Modi; police tighten security ahead of visit
Gangaikonda Cholapuram in Ariyalur district in Tamil Nadu wore a festive look ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit to the ancient capital of the imperial Cholas built by Emperor Rajendra Chola I. The village and the Brihadisvara Temple, situated along the Tiruchi-Chidambaram National Highway, have been decked up with flags and garlands to welcome the Prime Minister, who will participate in the valediction of the Aadi Thiruvathirai festival marking the birth anniversary of Rajendra Chola I. Mr. Modi will release a commemorative coin in honour of the king, accepting a request made by R. Komagan, Chairman of the Gangaikondacholapuram Development Council Trust. The king had built Gangaikonda Cholapuram along with the Brihadisvara Temple and the Cholagangam, a massive lake, after his victorious expedition to the Gangetic plains about 1,000 years ago. Reaffirming the Chola capital's link to the river, Mr. Modi would hand over a pot of water brought from the river Ganga to the temple priests. 'The Prime Minister will hand over the pot brought from Varanasi to the Sivachariars of the temple to perform abishekam,' Mr. Komagan told The Hindu. Heads of various Saivaite mutts in Tamil Nadu are also set to participate in the event. 'About 30 heads of Saivaite maths and sadhus will attend the event. A group of 44 oduvars will recite hymns from Thiruvasagam,' Mr. Komagan said. The Prime Minister will inspect a thematic photo exhibition on 'Saiva siddhanta and Chola Temple Arts', put up by the Archaeological Survey of India, which maintains the temple. Music composer Ilaiyaraaja will perform a 20-minute concert in the presence of Mr. Modi. Mr. Modi is also expected to go on a roadshow from the helipad, set up near the Cholagangam, or Ponneri, to the temple. The village and the Brihadisvara Temple have been under security blanket with the deployment of over 2,000 police personnel. On Saturday (July 26, 2025), Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat visited the temple and reviewed the arrangements.
