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Subject: Polity

Topic: Citizenship In India

There are two classes of people in any country- citizens and aliens. Citizens enjoy all rights and entitlements while aliens (owing political allegiance to another country or government) are denied some of them. For example, citizens can vote and contest to hold representative offices like a member of parliament while aliens can not. Aliens are of two types: citizens of friendly countries are friendly aliens while those of enemy countries are enemy aliens- the latter being denied some of the rights that the former may enjoy.

Aliens may find asylum in a country to which they have fled for political reasons. Asylum is the legal protection granted to people in any country who are afraid to return to their home country Expelling an alien is called deportation.

Domicile means to stay in a country with the intention of making it his or her permanent home. Proof of such an intention is employment or property etc.

Resident is one who resided in the country for certain number of days- 182 days in the previous fiscal year as the Indian law defines... If not, he or she is considered a non-resident. A non-resident Indian is a citizen of India but has not resided in India for the required number of days. A Person of Indian Origin (PIO) on the other hand is one who acquired citizenship of another country. He is no more a citizen of India unlike an NRI.

The Constitution of India originally provided for a single citizenship for the entire country. Since 2003, however, dual citizenship is allowed by Indian laws, though with some restrictions. That is, a person is a citizen of the India as well as citizen of the country. Such dual citizens are called overseas Citizens of India. The provisions relating to citizenship are contained in Articles 5 to 11 in Part II of the Constitution of India.

The Citizenship Act, 1955 deals with matters relating to the acquisition, determination and termination of Indian citizenship. It provides for the acquisition of Indian citizenship by birth, by descent, by registration and by naturalisation. The Citizenship Rules, 1956 prescribe the procedure, forms of applications, fee etc.

Modes of Acquiring Indian Citizenship

Citizenship of India can be acquired by the following ways
• By Birth
• By descent
• By registration
• By naturalization
• By acquisition of territory

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