New Delhi, India — March 4, 2026
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has constituted two additional empowered committees in West Bengal to process applications seeking Indian citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Officials said the move was taken after authorities received a large number of citizenship applications in the state, requiring additional administrative capacity to review and process the requests.
More Panels to Handle Rising Applications
West Bengal already had two empowered committees responsible for examining citizenship applications under the CAA. However, due to the growing volume of submissions, the central government decided to establish two more committees to speed up the decision-making process.
The newly formed panels will evaluate applications submitted by individuals seeking Indian citizenship under the provisions of the law.
Structure of the Committees
According to officials, each committee will be headed by an officer of the rank of Deputy Secretary or above in the Government of India.
The chairperson will be nominated by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, ensuring administrative oversight and coordination with the country’s population data authorities.
In addition to the chairperson, every committee will include multiple officials from different departments.
Representation From Intelligence Agencies
Each committee will also include at least one officer from the Intelligence Bureau (IB) of the rank of Under Secretary or above, along with other supporting officials.
Officials said the inclusion of representatives from various government departments aims to ensure thorough review and verification of citizenship applications.
Objective of the New Committees
The formation of additional committees is intended to expedite the processing of CAA applications and reduce delays caused by the high number of pending cases.
Authorities said the committees will examine documentation, verify eligibility under the law, and make decisions on citizenship applications submitted in the state.
The move is part of the central government’s broader effort to streamline administrative processes related to citizenship applications under the CAA framework.
