Supreme Court to Hear CAA Petitions from May 5, Separate Hearings for Assam Cases

• The Supreme Court will begin hearing petitions challenging the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019, from May 5, 2026.
• A bench including CJI Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice Vipul Pancholi is overseeing the procedural directions.
• Senior Advocate Indira Jaising requested separate hearings for petitions concerning Assam and North-Eastern states due to issues related to Section 6A and interline permits.
• Solicitor General Tushar Mehta supported categorizing Assam and Tripura matters separately, as per a 2020 order.
• The CAA offers a fast-track path to Indian citizenship for religious minorities (excluding Muslims) from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who faced persecution and entered India by December 31, 2014.