Supreme Court To Pronounce Judgment Tomorrow On Pleas Challenging S.6A Of Citizenship Act Recognizing Assam Accord

A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court will pronounce its judgement tomorrow in the batch of petitions challenging Section 6A of the Citizenship Act 1955 .

The bench comprising CJI DY Chandrachud,Justices Surya Kant, MM Sundresh, JB Pardiwala, and Manoj Misra heard the matter for four days before reserving the judgement on December 12, 2023.

Section 6A of the Citizenship Act 1955 allows foreign migrants of Indian origin, who came to Assam after the 1st January, 1966 but before the 25th March, 1971, to seek Indian citizenship. Certain indigenous groups of Assam have challenged this provision, contending that it legalised illegal infiltration of foreign migrants from Bangladesh.

During the hearing, the Court had directed the Ministry of Home Affairs to furnish data regarding the inflow of illegal migrants to Assam and North Eastern states after March 25, 1971 (post the declaration of Bangladesh independence) and to provide data-based disclosures under various heads including the grant of citizenship to immigrants in different time periods, workings of the Foreigners Tribunals established etc.

Case Title: In Re: Section 6A Citizenship Act 1955

Reports of hearings :