Supreme Court Upholds Citizenship Act Amidst Dissent

The Supreme Court of India upheld the constitutional validity of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, granting citizenship to immigrants who entered Assam between January 1, 1966, and March 25, 1971, under the Assam Accord. This decision, although not unanimous due to Justice J.B. Pardiwala's dissent, was welcomed by political parties and organizations like the All Assam Students' Union as a win for the Assam movement. Justice Pardiwala warned that Section 6A's open-ended nature could perpetuate illegal immigration and is inconsistent with constitutional principles. The majority opinion viewed the provision as a balance between humanitarian concerns and protecting Assam's indigenous population. The verdict affects the Citizenship Amendment Act and the ongoing National Register of Citizens update, with former CM Prafulla Mahanta highlighting the importance of completing the NRC in light of the ruling.