Source Live law
NEW DELHI — In a significant judicial development, the Supreme Court of India has scheduled the final hearings for a massive cluster of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019.
On February 19, 2026, a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi, laid out a rigorous one-week roadmap to resolve the long-pending legal dispute. The hearings are set to commence on May 5, 2026, and are expected to conclude by May 12.
Key Hearing Schedule
The Court has organized the proceedings into a specific timeline to manage the 243 petitions filed by various political parties, NGOs, and civil rights activists:
May 5 – May 6 (Forenoon): Arguments from the petitioners (including lead petitioner Indian Union Muslim League).
May 6 (Afternoon) – May 7: Submissions from the Central Government (the respondents).
May 12: Rejoinder arguments and final conclusion.
A Two-Pronged Legal Approach
The bench has decided to categorize the cases into two distinct groups to ensure “convenient appreciation of complex issues”:
Pan-India Challenges: These will be heard first, focusing on the general constitutionality of the Act and its alleged violation of Article 14 (Right to Equality).
Assam and Tripura Specifics: Matters relating to the Northeast—specifically concerns regarding the Assam Accord and the demographic impact on tribal areas—will be taken up immediately after the main batch.
“It will be convenient for the appreciation of the complex issues if a separate hearing is granted to the matters pertaining to Assam and Tripura,” the Bench noted during the procedural directions.
The Core Controversy
Enacted in December 2019, the CAA seeks to fast-track citizenship for non-Muslim migrants—Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians—from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.
The Petitioners’ Stance:
Critics argue the law is discriminatory because it specifically excludes Muslims, violating the secular fabric of the Indian Constitution. They contend that by linking citizenship to religion, the Act undermines the “Basic Structure” of the nation.
The Government’s Defense:
The Union Government maintains that the CAA is a “benign piece of legislation” intended to protect persecuted minorities from neighboring Islamic states. They argue that immigration policy is a sovereign executive decision and does not affect the rights of existing Indian citizens.
What Happens Next?
The Supreme Court has granted all parties four weeks to file additional documents and written submissions. The Registry has been directed to segregate the hundreds of pleas into the two designated categories before the May 5 start date.
With the Rules for the Act having been notified in early 2024, this final hearing represents the ultimate judicial test for one of India’s most debated legislative measures in recent history
