Gujarat Dy CM to Present Indian Citizenship Certificates to 319 Refugees on Oct 15

Gandhinagar: Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi will distribute Indian citizenship certificates to 319 applicants from Rajkot, Morbi, Surendranagar and Kutch districts at a programme scheduled to be held at Pramukh Swami Auditorium in Rajkot on Thursday, October 15.

Of the 319 applicants, 259 are from Rajkot, 53 from Morbi, one from Surendranagar and six from Kutch, according to an official release. The beneficiaries are refugees from neighbouring countries who have settled in the Saurashtra-Kutch region.

The programme is part of the ongoing initiative to grant Indian citizenship to eligible applicants under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). On August 18, 2024, citizenship certificates were presented to 188 applicants at a state-level programme in Ahmedabad in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Subsequently, 181 applicants from Rajkot, Morbi and Kutch districts received citizenship certificates at a programme in Rajkot on July 25, 2025.

The CAA provides a pathway to Indian citizenship for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who entered India on or before December 31, 2014, subject to the eligibility criteria specified under the Act.

The legislation aims to provide eligible members of these communities, who migrated to India amid religious persecution, with legal recognition and an opportunity to rebuild their lives as Indian citizens.

After acquiring citizenship, beneficiaries can access applicable rights and benefits, including those related to education, healthcare, government welfare schemes and voting, subject to relevant laws and eligibility requirements.

DeshGujarat