Overview
- The Home Ministry issued a gazette notification appointing the Deputy Registrar General of the Directorate of Census Operations, West Bengal, to head the additional empowered committee.
- Members include a Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau officer, nominees from the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer and National Informatics Centre, and the Post Master General, with state Home and Railways representatives invited to meetings.
- The new body supplements the committee created under the March 2024 rules, which continues to function, with the added panel intended to speed decisions on a growing backlog.
- Applications have surged during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls that uses the 2002 list, with many filings from the Matua community whose names are missing from that baseline.
- The committees are staffed by central officials, limiting the state’s formal role, as Trinamool Congress leaders continue to oppose CAA implementation and urge Matuas to avoid CAA camps.