Home Ministry’s new rules for Citizenship renouncement

October 25, 2018 Hot from the Oven Valli Sarvani No comments

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued new rules on the renouncement of Indian citizenship.

Under the new rules, those who want to renounce the Indian citizenship will have to provide valid reasons for giving up the Indian citizenship and obtaining the citizenship of a new country.

An authority will start the process after receiving the declaration of renunciation only after he or she is satisfied with the accuracy of the details given by the applicants in the declaration.

The news rules were brought under the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2018.

These rules also stated that only one living spouse of overseas citizen of India (OCI) would be eligible to apply for registration as an OCI card-holder. These rules are followed as per the Indian law which bans polygamy (this is excluded for Muslims as their personal law does not oppose polygamy).

The government says that the new rules are simplified. Indian national who is living abroad or an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder’s foreign-origin spouse will also be eligible to get the OCI card. Earlier this facility is not available for the foreign spouses.

The OCI card is a privileged card with which one is permitted for life-long visa to visit the country. The card holders will get relaxation in entering the country and staying here. They can also get exempt from registration with Foreign Regional Registration Officer to stay in India.

The OCI card was launched in 2006. All persons of Indian origin that were citizens of India on January 26, 1950 and thereafter can register for it. However, this is not applicable to the citizens of Pakistan and Bangladesh.

As per the new rules, people of Indian Origin who are ordinarily resident in India for six months, spouse and minor children of an Indian citizen need to specify their religion while completing their applications to register as a citizen under Section 5 of the Citizenship Act.

Image credit: Image by Paul McGowan from Pixabay (Free for commercial use)