The Assam government under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has directed all districts to drop ongoing cases in Foreigners Tribunals involving suspected non-Muslim illegal immigrants who entered the state before 2015 in light of the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).
A directive issued on July 22 by Additional Chief Secretary (Home and Political) Ajay Tewari instructed all Deputy Commissioners and Senior Superintendents of Police to review cases involving individuals from communities such as Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.
The decision follows a high-level video conference held on July 17, where top officials discussed various issues linked to the Foreigners Tribunals, particularly in the context of the CAA.
As per the directive, district officials have been asked to assess the current status of these cases and take appropriate action in line with the amended citizenship law.
Earlier on Tuesday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched the second phase of the flagship girl student scholarship scheme, ‘Nijut Moina 2.0’, aimed at empowering young women through education and eliminating child marriage in the state.
Chief Minister Sarma reiterated the government’s commitment to ending child marriage by 2026.
“With the launch of Nijut Moina 2.0, four lakh girl students will be able to protect themselves from the scourge of child marriage while pursuing their academic dreams,” said the Chief Minister.
Sarma said that over 12,000 individuals involved in child marriage have been arrested so far by Assam Police, with several convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment, adding “the process will continue.”
The Chief Minister noted that while Nijut Moina 1.0 covered only state universities and provincial colleges, Central universities such as Tezpur University and Assam University will now also be included. Additionally, students pursuing self-financing courses will benefit from the scheme.