Citizenship decides who is a full member of the Indian State and can enjoy all rights. The Indian Constitution deals with citizenship in Part II, Articles 5 to 11. India follows the idea of single citizenship, which is a common topic in SSC, UPSC and State PSC exams.
Constitutional Provisions
- Article 5 covers citizenship at the commencement of the Constitution (26 January 1950).
- Article 6 deals with rights of persons who migrated from Pakistan.
- Article 7 covers persons who migrated to Pakistan.
- Article 8 covers Indians living outside India.
- Article 11 gives Parliament the power to make laws on citizenship.
Single Citizenship
Unlike the USA, India has only single citizenship. A person is a citizen of India only, not of any State. This promotes unity and a feeling of common nationality. All citizens enjoy the same political and civil rights across the country.
Citizenship Act, 1955
The detailed rules are given in the Citizenship Act, 1955. It lists five ways to acquire citizenship:
- By birth
- By descent
- By registration
- By naturalisation
- By incorporation of territory
Loss of Citizenship
Citizenship can be lost in three ways under the Act:
- By renunciation (voluntary giving up).
- By termination (acquiring citizenship of another country).
- By deprivation (by the government for fraud or disloyalty).
OCI and Amendments
India does not allow full dual citizenship. Instead, it offers the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card to persons of Indian origin abroad. The Act has been amended several times, including the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.
Quick Revision Points
- Citizenship is covered in Part II, Articles 5 to 11.
- India follows single citizenship.
- Article 11 gives Parliament power to regulate citizenship.
- The Citizenship Act, 1955 gives detailed rules.
- Five modes of acquiring citizenship: birth, descent, registration, naturalisation, incorporation.
- Three modes of losing citizenship: renunciation, termination, deprivation.
- OCI card is given to persons of Indian origin; full dual citizenship is not allowed.