The Supreme Court on Thursday announced that it will begin final hearings from May 5, 2026 on a batch of 243 petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA), more than six years after nationwide protests erupted against the legislation. The cases include the lead petition filed by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), which was among the first to approach the court soon after the law was enacted.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi issued procedural directions to streamline the long-pending matter, which has remained before the court since 2019–2020. The Bench scheduled final arguments to be heard between May 5 and May 12, 2026, outlining a structured timeline for submissions from both petitioners and the Union government.
According to the schedule set by the court, petitioners, including the IUML and other challengers, will be heard for one-and-a-half days beginning on May 5, with additional arguments continuing into May 6. The Centre will then be granted one full day to present its case, likely on May 7, followed by rejoinder submissions toward the conclusion of hearings. The Bench indicated that proceedings are expected to conclude on May 12.
The court directed all parties to file any additional documents and written submissions within four weeks to ensure efficient hearings. It also clarified that the Bench would first consider challenges relating to the nationwide application of the CAA before taking up petitions specifically concerning Assam and Tripura, where demographic and migration concerns form a distinct legal context. Nodal counsels were instructed to categorise petitions into these two groups and submit consolidated lists to the registry within two weeks, after which the cases will be listed sequentially for final hearing.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Act was passed by Parliament on December 11, 2019, and received presidential assent the following day. The IUML moved the Supreme Court against the legislation on December 12, triggering a wave of similar petitions from political parties, civil society groups, and individuals across the country, eventually bringing the total number of challenges to 243.
The CAA provides a pathway to Indian citizenship for migrants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian, Jain, and Parsi communities who entered India from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan before a specified cut-off date. Initially fixed at December 31, 2014, the deadline was later extended to December 31, 2024 in September 2025. The law amends provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955 by modifying the definition of “illegal migrants,” allowing members of the specified communities who received exemptions under the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 or the Foreigners Act, 1946 to apply for citizenship.
The exclusion of Muslims from the list of eligible communities triggered widespread protests and legal challenges, with petitioners arguing that the law discriminates on religious grounds and violates the constitutional guarantee of equality under Article 14. In December 2019, the Supreme Court issued notice to the Union government on the petitions but declined to stay the law at that stage because the implementing rules had not yet been notified.
The Centre notified the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules on March 11, 2024, formally bringing the law into operation. This led to a renewed round of applications seeking a stay on both the Act and its rules. While the Supreme Court sought the government’s response to these pleas, it declined to grant interim relief, allowing the law to remain in force pending final adjudication.
With final hearings now scheduled, the proceedings are expected to address key constitutional questions concerning equality, religious classification, and the scope of Parliament’s authority over citizenship, making the case one of the most significant constitutional challenges before the court in recent years.
