During the recently concluded ET Now Global Business Summit 2024, Home Minister Amit Shah made several significant announcements that are poised to shape India’s political and legislative landscape.

At the summit that hosted several top names including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Home Minister shared the Centre’s plan to implement a few key decisions before the general elections this year.

1. Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA): Amit Shah declared that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) would be officially notified before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, expected to take place between April and May. Emphasizing that CAA is not meant to strip anyone of their citizenship, Shah reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fulfilling the promise made to persecuted minorities. He pointed out that the CAA aims to grant Indian citizenship to minorities, including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who arrived in India on or before December 31, 2014.

2. One Nation, One Election: The Home Minister assured that the report of the ‘One Nation, One Election’ committee would be released by early March. Shah left the decision on its implementation to the people, stating, “It is up to the people to finally decide whether they want ‘One Nation, One Election.'” The concept, under review for the past five years, aims to synchronize State and general elections to reduce government expenditure and minimize disruptions to developmental work.

3. Uniform Civil Code (UCC): Amit Shah underscored the constitutional agenda of a Uniform Civil Code, signed by India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. He criticized the Congress party for neglecting it due to what he referred to as “appeasement politics.” Shah highlighted the enforcement of the UCC in Uttarakhand as a significant social change, asserting that a secular country should not have religion-based civil codes.

4. Criminal Justice System: The Home Minister asserted the need for a modern criminal justice system, stating, “Our criminal justice system will be the best and most contemporaneous in the world, delivering justice within a maximum of three years.” Shah expressed a commitment to steering away from Western-influenced rules.

Apart from these, the Home Minister also had some words to say about Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s third term and the spread of BJP ideology across the nation:

BJP Ideology and Atmanirbharta: Amit Shah confidently proclaimed that the ideology of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would reach every corner of the country. He highlighted the consistency of the BJP ideology since 1950 and predicted its acceptance throughout the nation based on voting trends.

Atmanirbharta in Modi’s 3rd Term: Speaking on Prime Minister Modi’s vision of an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat,’ Shah outlined that the upcoming Lok Sabha elections would be contested with the agenda of a developed and self-reliant India. He projected that the majority of the work toward achieving this goal would be accomplished during Modi’s third term.

This is India’s time: PM Narendra Modi at GBS 2024
Speaking at the ET Now Global Business Summit 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “This is India’s time,” and added that the entire world’s confidence in India is rising. “Disruption, development, diversification,” are the most discussed words at the time, PM Modi said. He revealed how the entire world is discussing India’s growth and development. The PM added that one world leader even compared India to “rising bull.”