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Citizenship: Part II and the Citizenship Act, 1955

मराठीत स्पष्टीकरण

Salient features and citizenship · Part 2 / 2 · Fact-checked on · how we check

Written with AI from the sources listed at the bottom of this page, then fact-checked by a separate AI.

Who is a citizen of India: single citizenship and the rights reserved for citizens, Articles 5 to 11, the five ways of acquiring citizenship and three ways of losing it under the Citizenship Act, 1955, Overseas Citizens of India, the 2003 and 2019 amendments, and Section 6A for Assam.

Each idea is explained first in Marathi (मराठी), ending with the English and Hindi exam terms, followed by the same point in exam English. UPSC Prelims is in English or Hindi, so understand it in Marathi and revise it in English.

पहिल्या भागात संविधानाची रचना पाहिली; या भागात त्या देशाचा पूर्ण सदस्य कोण ते पाहू. नागरिक म्हणजे देशाचा पूर्ण सदस्य — परदेशी व्यक्तीला नसलेले हक्क त्याला असतात, आणि त्याबदल्यात त्याने देशाशी निष्ठा ठेवायची. घरी आलेला पाहुणा आणि घरातला सदस्य यांच्यात जसा फरक असतो तसा. संविधान या विषयावर फार कमी बोलते: भाग II (कलम 5 ते 11) फक्त 1950 मध्ये कोण नागरिक झाले ते ठरवतो आणि बाकी सगळे संसदेवर सोडतो. संसदेने नागरिकत्व अधिनियम, 1955 केला; त्यात 2003 आणि 2019 सह अनेकदा सुधारणा झाल्या. 1950 च्या सुरुवातीसाठी कलमे, त्यानंतरच्या सगळ्यासाठी अधिनियम. (→ English: citizen · हिन्दी: नागरिक)

In exam EnglishPart 1 described the design of the Constitution; this part asks who belongs to the community that design serves. A citizen is a full member of the State: he or she holds civil and political rights that a foreigner does not have and owes allegiance in return. Part II, Articles 5 to 11, only settles who became a citizen when the Constitution began and then leaves everything else to Parliament. Parliament used that power to pass the Citizenship Act, 1955, which governs how citizenship is gained and lost today and has been amended several times, most notably in 2003 and 2019. For the exam, then, the Articles answer questions about the starting point in 1950, and the Act answers questions about everything after it.

आपल्याकडे एकेरी नागरिकत्व — महाराष्ट्रात राहा की दिल्लीत, तुम्ही भारताचे नागरिकच; 'महाराष्ट्राचे नागरिकत्व' असे वेगळे काही नाही. अमेरिकेत देशाचे आणि राज्याचे असे दोन्ही नागरिकत्व असते. काही मूलभूत हक्क फक्त नागरिकांसाठी: भेदभावापासून संरक्षण (15), सरकारी नोकरीत समान संधी (16), कलम 19 मधील सहा स्वातंत्र्ये, 29 व 30 चे सांस्कृतिक-शैक्षणिक हक्क. मतदान (326), संसद किंवा विधिमंडळाचे सदस्यत्व, राष्ट्रपती, उपराष्ट्रपती, न्यायाधीश, राज्यपाल, महान्यायवादी ही पदेही नागरिकांसाठीच. तरीही 16(3) नुसार एखाद्या राज्यातील काही नोकऱ्यांसाठी त्या राज्यात राहण्याची अट संसद घालू शकते. (→ English: Fundamental Rights · हिन्दी: मूल अधिकार)

In exam EnglishIndia has single citizenship: every Indian is a citizen of India alone, with no separate citizenship of the State in which he or she lives. The United States, by contrast, recognises both national and state citizenship. The status matters because several Fundamental Rights belong only to citizens: protection from discrimination (Article 15), equality of opportunity in public employment (Article 16), the six freedoms of Article 19, and the cultural and educational rights in Articles 29 and 30. Only citizens can vote (Article 326) or become members of Parliament or a State legislature, and offices such as President, Vice-President, judge of the Supreme Court or a High Court, Governor and Attorney General are open only to citizens. Single citizenship does not forbid every local condition, though: Article 16(3) lets Parliament require residence within a State for certain jobs in that State.

कलम 5 ते 8 — 1950 मध्ये संविधान सुरू झाले तेव्हा कोण नागरिक ते सांगितले. कलम 5: तेव्हा भारतात अधिवास (कायमचे घर) असून इथे जन्मलेली, आई-वडिलांपैकी एक इथे जन्मलेले, किंवा आधी पाच वर्षे इथे राहिलेली व्यक्ती नागरिक. अधिवास म्हणजे कायमचे घर — यात्रेसाठी नातेवाइकांकडे आठवडाभर राहणे नव्हे. कलम 6: पाकिस्तानातून आलेले (स्वतः, आई-वडील किंवा आजी-आजोबा 1935 च्या कायद्यातील भारतात जन्मलेले असतील तर) — 19 जुलै 1948 पूर्वी येऊन इथेच राहिले तर आपोआप नागरिक; नंतर आले तर सहा महिने राहून नोंदणी करायची. कलम 7: 1 मार्च 1947 नंतर पाकिस्तानात गेलेले नागरिक नाहीत, पुनर्वसन परवान्यावर परत आले तरच अपवाद. कलम 8: परदेशातील भारतीय वंशाचे लोक दूतावासात नोंदणी करू शकत. कलम 9: स्वेच्छेने दुसऱ्या देशाचे नागरिकत्व घेतले तर नागरिक नाही — दोन दगडांवर पाय ठेवता येत नाही. कलम 10: संसदेच्या कायद्याच्या अधीन नागरिक नागरिकच राहतात. कलम 11: नागरिकत्वावर पूर्ण अधिकार संसदेचा; म्हणून बदल साध्या कायद्यांनी, संविधान सुधारणा लागत नाही. (→ English: Parliament · हिन्दी: संसद)

In exam EnglishArticles 5 to 8 decided who was a citizen when the Constitution began. Under Article 5, a person with his domicile in India at the commencement became a citizen if he was born in India, if either parent was born in India, or if he had been ordinarily resident in India for at least five years just before the commencement; domicile means a permanent home, not a short stay. Article 6 covered migrants from Pakistan who, or whose parent or grandparent, had been born in India as defined in the Government of India Act, 1935: those who came before 19 July 1948 and stayed on were citizens automatically, while later arrivals had to be registered after six months' residence. Article 7 excluded those who had migrated to Pakistan after 1 March 1947, unless they came back under a permit for resettlement. Article 8 let persons of Indian origin living abroad register with an Indian diplomatic or consular office. Article 9 denies citizenship under these Articles to anyone who voluntarily acquired a foreign citizenship, Article 10 continues every citizen subject to Parliament's law, and Article 11 gives Parliament full power over the acquisition and termination of citizenship and all related matters. That is why citizenship law is changed by ordinary Acts, not by constitutional amendments.

नागरिकत्व अधिनियम, 1955 नागरिकत्व मिळवण्याचे पाच मार्ग सांगतो: जन्म, वंश, नोंदणी, देशीयीकरण आणि प्रदेशाचा समावेश. जन्माने नागरिकत्व दोनदा कडक केले, म्हणून जन्मतारीख महत्त्वाची. 26 जानेवारी 1950 पासून 1 जुलै 1987 पूर्वी भारतात जन्मलेले — आई-वडील कोणत्याही देशाचे असोत — नागरिकच. 1 जुलै 1987 पासून (1986 चा बदल) जन्माच्या वेळी आई-वडिलांपैकी किमान एक नागरिक हवा. 3 डिसेंबर 2004 पासून (2003 ची सुधारणा) दोघेही नागरिक हवेत, किंवा एक नागरिक आणि दुसरा बेकायदेशीर स्थलांतरित नसावा. परदेशी राजनयिकांची मुले, आणि शत्रूच्या ताब्यातील ठिकाणी जन्मलेली शत्रू देशाच्या लोकांची मुले यांना हे लागू नाही. उदाहरणार्थ 1990 मध्ये पुण्यात दोन परदेशी व्यक्तींना झालेले मूल नागरिक नाही; 1980 मध्ये जन्मले असते तर नागरिक. (→ English: naturalisation · हिन्दी: देशीयकरण)

In exam EnglishThe Citizenship Act, 1955 lists five ways of acquiring citizenship: birth, descent, registration, naturalisation and incorporation of territory. Citizenship by birth (section 3) has been narrowed twice, so the rule that applies depends on the date of birth. Anyone born in India on or after 26 January 1950 but before 1 July 1987 is a citizen whatever the parents' nationality. For births from 1 July 1987, under a change made in 1986, at least one parent must have been an Indian citizen at the time of the birth. For births on or after 3 December 2004, when the 2003 amendment took effect, both parents must be citizens, or one must be a citizen and the other must not be an illegal migrant. Children of foreign diplomats, and children of enemy aliens born in a place under enemy occupation, do not become citizens by birth.
Citizenship by birth: the rule depends on the date of birth
Born in IndiaWho is a citizen by birthRule set by
26 Jan 1950 to 30 Jun 1987Everyone, whatever the parents' nationalityOriginal Act, 1955
1 Jul 1987 to 2 Dec 2004Only if at least one parent is a citizen1986 amendment
From 3 Dec 2004Both parents citizens, or one a citizen and the other not an illegal migrant2003 amendment

वंशाने नागरिकत्व (कलम 4) भारताबाहेर जन्मलेल्या मुलांसाठी: जन्माच्या वेळी आई-वडिलांपैकी एक भारतीय नागरिक असेल तर मूलही नागरिक. सुरुवातीला फक्त वडिलांचे नागरिकत्व मोजले जायचे; 1992 च्या सुधारणेने आईलाही लागू केले. 3 डिसेंबर 2004 पासून जन्मलेल्या मुलाची भारतीय वाणिज्य दूतावासात, साधारणपणे वर्षभरात, नोंदणी करावी लागते. नोंदणीने नागरिकत्व (कलम 5) काही गटांसाठी — अर्ज केल्यावर केंद्र सरकार देते: अर्जापूर्वी सात वर्षे इथे सामान्यपणे राहिलेली भारतीय वंशाची व्यक्ती, भारतीय नागरिकाशी लग्न करून सात वर्षे इथे राहिलेली व्यक्ती, भारतीय नागरिकांची अल्पवयीन मुले. समजा नेपाळमधील एका मुलीने आपल्या नागरिकाशी लग्न करून बिहारमध्ये संसार थाटला — लग्नामुळे ती नागरिक होत नाही; राहण्याची अट पूर्ण झाल्यावर अर्ज करू शकते. (→ English: citizen · हिन्दी: नागरिक)

In exam EnglishCitizenship by descent (section 4) covers children born outside India. Such a child is a citizen if a parent was an Indian citizen at the time of the birth; originally only the father's citizenship counted, and an amendment in 1992 extended the rule to the mother. For births on or after 3 December 2004, the birth must also be registered at an Indian consulate, ordinarily within one year. Citizenship by registration (section 5) is for particular groups who apply to the Central Government. Examples include a person of Indian origin who has been ordinarily resident in India for seven years before applying, a person married to an Indian citizen who has lived in India for seven years before applying, and the minor children of Indian citizens. Suppose a woman from Nepal marries an Indian citizen and settles in Bihar: she does not become a citizen on marriage, but she may apply for registration once the residence condition is met.

भारतीय आई-वडील किंवा लग्नाचे नाते नसलेली परदेशी व्यक्तीही देशीयीकरणाने (कलम 6) नागरिक होऊ शकते — अधिनियमाच्या तिसऱ्या अनुसूचीतील अटींवर. अर्जापूर्वीचे बारा महिने पूर्ण भारतात राहिलेले हवे; त्याआधीच्या चौदा वर्षांत एकूण किमान अकरा वर्षे इथे राहिलेले हवे. चांगले चारित्र्य, इथेच राहण्याचा हेतू, आठव्या अनुसूचीतील एका भाषेचे पुरेसे ज्ञान हवे; बेकायदेशीर स्थलांतरित नसावा, आणि भारतीयांना देशीयीकरणाने नागरिकत्व न देणाऱ्या देशाचा नागरिकही नसावा. विज्ञान, तत्त्वज्ञान, कला, साहित्य, जागतिक शांतता, मानवी प्रगती यांसाठी विशेष सेवा केलेल्यांसाठी सरकार या अटी माफ करू शकते — एखाद्या मोठ्या कलावंताला 'अकरा वर्षे थांब' असे सांगायची गरज नाही. पाचवा मार्ग प्रदेशाचा समावेश (कलम 7): नवा प्रदेश भारतात आला तर तिथले कोण नागरिक ते केंद्र आदेशाने सांगते — गोवा, दमण-दीवच्या बाबतीत असे केले. (→ English: naturalisation · हिन्दी: देशीयकरण)

In exam EnglishA foreigner with no Indian parent or marriage can still become a citizen by naturalisation (section 6), on conditions laid down in the Third Schedule to the Act. The applicant must have lived in India throughout the twelve months before applying and for at least eleven years in all during the fourteen years before those twelve months. He must be of good character, intend to live in India, have adequate knowledge of a language in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution, and must not be an illegal migrant or a citizen of a country that prevents Indians from becoming its citizens by naturalisation. The Government may waive these conditions for a person who has rendered distinguished service to science, philosophy, art, literature, world peace or human progress. The fifth route is incorporation of territory (section 7): if a new territory becomes part of India, the Central Government may by order specify which of its people become citizens. This was done, for example, for Goa, Daman and Diu.

नागरिकत्व गमावण्याचे तीन मार्ग (कलमे 8 ते 10). त्याग स्वेच्छेने: दुसऱ्या देशाचेही नागरिकत्व असलेला प्रौढ नागरिक घोषणा देतो, आणि तिची नोंदणी झाल्यावर भारतीय नागरिकत्व जाते. त्याच्या अल्पवयीन मुलांचेही जाते, पण अठरा वर्षे पूर्ण झाल्यावर वर्षभरात घोषणा देऊन ते परत मिळवता येते. समाप्ती आपोआप: स्वेच्छेने दुसऱ्या देशाचे नागरिकत्व घेताच भारतीय नागरिकत्व जाते — म्हणूनच आपल्याकडे दुहेरी नागरिकत्व नाही; अमेरिकेचा पासपोर्ट घेतलेला आपला नातेवाईक आता भारतीय नागरिक नाही. वंचन हा केंद्राचा सक्तीचा आदेश, नोंदणी किंवा देशीयीकरणाने नागरिक झालेल्यांविरुद्ध: फसवणुकीने नागरिकत्व मिळवणे, संविधानाशी निष्ठा नसणे, युद्धकाळात शत्रूशी बेकायदा व्यवहार, नागरिक झाल्यावर पाच वर्षांत दोन वर्षे किंवा जास्त तुरुंगवास, किंवा सलग सात वर्षे परदेशात राहणे. (→ English: citizen · हिन्दी: नागरिक)

In exam EnglishThe Act also sets out three ways of losing citizenship (sections 8 to 10). Renunciation is voluntary: an adult citizen who is also a citizen or national of another country makes a declaration, and on its registration ceases to be an Indian citizen. A minor child of that person also loses citizenship but may resume it by a declaration within one year of turning eighteen. Termination is automatic: an Indian who voluntarily acquires the citizenship of another country stops being an Indian citizen, which is why India has no dual citizenship. Deprivation is a compulsory order of the Central Government against a person who became a citizen by registration or naturalisation, on grounds such as obtaining citizenship by fraud or concealment of a material fact, disloyalty to the Constitution, unlawful dealings with an enemy during a war, imprisonment for two years or more within five years of becoming a citizen, or seven years of continuous residence outside India.
Three ways of losing citizenship
WayHow it happensApplies to
Renunciation (s. 8)Voluntary declaration, effective on registrationAn adult citizen who also holds another nationality
Termination (s. 9)Automatic on voluntarily acquiring another country's citizenshipAny citizen
Deprivation (s. 10)Compulsory order of the Central Government on listed groundsCitizens by registration or naturalisation

आपल्याकडे दुहेरी नागरिकत्व नसल्याने परदेशातील भारतीयांसाठी संसदेने एक पर्याय तयार केला. 2003 च्या सुधारणेने परदेशी नागरिकत्व (कलम 7A) आणले; 2005 मध्ये त्याचा विस्तार झाला; 2015 मध्ये वेगळे असलेले PIO कार्ड 'भारताचा परदेशी नागरिक कार्डधारक' या नावाने यात विलीन केले. स्वतः किंवा आई-वडील/आजी-आजोबा कधीही पाकिस्तान किंवा बांगलादेशचे नागरिक असतील तर पात्र नाही. कार्डधारकाला आयुष्यभराचा, अनेकदा प्रवेशाचा व्हिसा मिळतो; पण तो परदेशीच राहतो — मतदान, विधिमंडळ सदस्यत्व, राष्ट्रपती, उपराष्ट्रपती, न्यायाधीश ही पदे, साधारणपणे सरकारी नोकरी मिळत नाही. अमेरिकेत स्थायिक झालेल्या आपल्या नातेवाइकासाठी ही घराची कायमची चावी, घराची मालकी नव्हे. (→ English: Overseas Citizen of India · हिन्दी: भारत का विदेशी नागरिक)

In exam EnglishSince India does not allow dual citizenship, Parliament created a substitute for its large diaspora. The 2003 amendment introduced overseas citizenship (section 7A); a 2005 amendment widened it, and in 2015 the separate Person of Indian Origin card was merged into it under the name Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder. Anyone who, or whose parent or grandparent, has ever been a citizen of Pakistan or Bangladesh cannot register. An Overseas Citizen of India cardholder gets a lifelong, multiple-entry visa, but remains a foreign national: the card does not give the right to vote, to be a member of a legislature, to hold offices such as President, Vice-President or judge, or ordinarily to hold public employment.

2003 च्या सुधारणेने 'बेकायदेशीर स्थलांतरित' याची व्याख्या दिली: वैध पासपोर्ट किंवा प्रवासाची कागदपत्रे नसताना भारतात आलेली परदेशी व्यक्ती, किंवा वैध कागदपत्रांसह येऊन परवानगीपेक्षा जास्त काळ राहिलेली व्यक्ती. अशी व्यक्ती नोंदणी किंवा देशीयीकरणाने नागरिकत्व मिळवू शकत नाही; 3 डिसेंबर 2004 नंतर जन्मलेल्या मुलाचे आई-वडिलांपैकी एक बेकायदेशीर स्थलांतरित असेल तर, दुसरा नागरिक असला तरी मूल जन्माने नागरिक नाही. याच सुधारणेने प्रत्येक नागरिकाची सक्तीची नोंदणी करून भारतीय नागरिकांचे राष्ट्रीय रजिस्टर ठेवण्याचा अधिकार केंद्राला दिला (कलम 14A). नागरिकत्व (सुधारणा) अधिनियम, 2019 ने एक अपवाद केला: अफगाणिस्तान, बांगलादेश, पाकिस्तानातून 31 डिसेंबर 2014 पर्यंत आलेल्या हिंदू, शीख, बौद्ध, जैन, पारशी, ख्रिश्चन समुदायांच्या लोकांना बेकायदेशीर स्थलांतरित मानले जाणार नाही; त्यांच्यासाठी देशीयीकरणाला अकरा ऐवजी पाच वर्षे पुरेशी. आसाम, मेघालय, मिझोराम, त्रिपुरामधील सहाव्या अनुसूचीतील आदिवासी भागांना आणि इनर लाइन परमिट भागांना हे लागू नाही. याचे नियम मार्च 2024 मध्ये अधिसूचित झाले. (→ English: illegal migrant · हिन्दी: अवैध प्रवासी)

In exam EnglishThe 2003 amendment also defined an illegal migrant: a foreigner who entered India without a valid passport or other prescribed travel document, or who entered with valid papers but stayed beyond the permitted time. Such a person cannot acquire citizenship by registration or naturalisation, and a child born in India after 3 December 2004 with an illegal-migrant parent is not a citizen by birth even if the other parent is a citizen. The same amendment allowed the Central Government to compulsorily register every citizen and to maintain a National Register of Indian Citizens (section 14A). The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 then carved out an exception: persons of the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan who entered India on or before 31 December 2014 are not to be treated as illegal migrants, and for them the eleven years of residence needed for naturalisation is reduced to five. The exception does not apply to the tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura included in the Sixth Schedule, or to areas covered by the Inner Line permit system. Its rules were notified in March 2024.

आसामसाठी वेगळा नियम आहे — अधिनियमाचे कलम 6A. 1985 मध्ये झालेला आसाम करार अमलात आणण्यासाठी त्याच वर्षी हे जोडले. आजच्या बांगलादेशातील भागांतून 1 जानेवारी 1966 पूर्वी आसाममध्ये येऊन तिथेच राहणारे भारतीय वंशाचे लोक नागरिक. 1 जानेवारी 1966 पासून 25 मार्च 1971 पूर्वी आलेल्यांनी परदेशी म्हणून ओळखले गेल्यावर नोंदणी करायची; ओळख पटल्याच्या तारखेपासून दहा वर्षे मतदान नाही, नंतर नागरिकांचे पूर्ण हक्क. 25 मार्च 1971 ला किंवा नंतर आलेल्यांना 6A लागू नाही; परदेशी लोकांबाबतचा सामान्य कायदाच. तीन दारांच्या खोलीसारखे: पहिले दार सरळ आत, दुसरे थांबून आत, तिसरे बंद. ऑक्टोबर 2024 मध्ये सर्वोच्च न्यायालयाच्या पाच न्यायाधीशांच्या घटनापीठाने 4:1 बहुमताने 6A वैध ठरवले — हे करण्याचा अधिकार संसदेला आहे, आणि आसाममधील स्थलांतराचे प्रमाण पाहता वेगळा नियम हे वाजवी वर्गीकरण आहे. (→ English: Supreme Court · हिन्दी: उच्चतम न्यायालय)

In exam EnglishAssam has its own rule, Section 6A of the Act, inserted in 1985 to carry out the Assam Accord signed that year. People of Indian origin who came to Assam from the territories now in Bangladesh before 1 January 1966 and had been ordinarily resident there are treated as citizens. Those who came on or after 1 January 1966 but before 25 March 1971 must register once they are detected as foreigners, and they cannot vote for ten years from the date of detection, after which they have the full rights of citizens. People who came on or after 25 March 1971 are outside Section 6A altogether and are dealt with under the general law on foreigners. In October 2024 a five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court upheld Section 6A by a four-to-one majority, holding that Parliament had the power to enact it and that a special rule for Assam was a reasonable classification, given the scale of migration into that State.

एकत्र पाहिले तर भारतीय नागरिकत्व थरांथरांनी बांधलेले आहे. संविधानाने 1950 चे पहिले नागरिक ठरवले आणि कलम 11 द्वारे विषय संसदेकडे सोपवला. अधिनियम आत येण्याचे पाच मार्ग (जन्म, वंश, नोंदणी, देशीयीकरण, प्रदेशाचा समावेश) आणि बाहेर जाण्याचे तीन मार्ग (त्याग, समाप्ती, वंचन) देतो — घराला पाच प्रवेशद्वारे आणि तीन बाहेरची दारे असावीत तसे. सुधारणांनी 'कुठे जन्मलास' पासून 'आई-वडील कोण' कडे बदल केला. दुहेरी नागरिकत्व नसल्यानेच OCI कार्ड, आणि त्याला राजकीय हक्क नाहीत; 'बेकायदेशीर स्थलांतरित' ही कल्पना 2003, 2019 च्या सुधारणा आणि 6A यांना जोडते. पहिल्या भागासोबत संविधान आणि ते ज्याच्यासाठी आहे तो नागरिक — पूर्ण चित्र. (→ English: citizen · हिन्दी: नागरिक)

In exam EnglishPut together, Indian citizenship is built in layers. The Constitution fixed the first citizens in 1950 and, through Article 11, handed the subject to Parliament. The Citizenship Act gives five ways in (birth, descent, registration, naturalisation, incorporation of territory) and three ways out (renunciation, termination, deprivation), and its amendments have shifted citizenship by birth from the place of birth towards the status of the parents. The bar on dual citizenship explains the OCI card and its lack of political rights, while the idea of an illegal migrant links the 2003 amendment, the 2019 amendment and Section 6A. With Part 1, this completes the picture of the Constitution and of the citizen it serves.

Exam traps

Recap

Practice questions

Q1. Which Article of the Constitution of India empowers Parliament to make any provision with respect to the acquisition and termination of citizenship?

  1. Article 5
  2. Article 9
  3. Article 10
  4. Article 11
Show answer

Answer: D. Article 11

Article 11 gives Parliament this power, and the Citizenship Act, 1955 was made under it. Article 5 covers citizenship at the commencement, Article 9 bars those who voluntarily took foreign citizenship, and Article 10 only continues existing citizens subject to Parliament's law.

Q2. Consider the following statements:
1. A person born in India in 1980 to two foreign nationals, neither of whom is a diplomat or an enemy alien, is a citizen of India by birth.
2. A person born in India in 2010 whose mother is an Indian citizen and whose father is an illegal migrant is a citizen of India by birth.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer

Answer: A. 1 only

Statement 1 is correct: for births before 1 July 1987, birth in India was enough. Statement 2 is wrong: for births from 3 December 2004, a child with an illegal-migrant parent is not a citizen by birth even if the other parent is a citizen. So '2 only' and 'both' are wrong, and 'neither' ignores statement 1.

Q3. Match List I with List II:
List I (Mode under the Citizenship Act)
A. Renunciation
B. Termination
C. Deprivation
D. Naturalisation
List II (Feature)
1. Order of the Central Government against a citizen by registration or naturalisation
2. Automatic on voluntarily acquiring another country's citizenship
3. Declaration by an adult citizen who also holds another nationality
4. Grant after meeting the residence conditions of the Third Schedule
Select the correct answer using the code given below:

  1. A-3, B-2, C-1, D-4
  2. A-2, B-3, C-1, D-4
  3. A-3, B-1, C-2, D-4
  4. A-4, B-2, C-1, D-3
Show answer

Answer: A. A-3, B-2, C-1, D-4

Renunciation is a declaration (3), termination is automatic (2), deprivation is a Government order (1) and naturalisation is granted on the Third Schedule conditions (4). The second code swaps renunciation and termination, the third swaps termination and deprivation, and the fourth swaps renunciation and naturalisation.

Q4. Consider the following statements about Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders:
1. An OCI cardholder can vote in elections to the Lok Sabha.
2. A person whose grandparent was at any time a citizen of Pakistan is not eligible to register as an OCI cardholder.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer

Answer: B. 2 only

Statement 1 is wrong: an OCI cardholder is a foreign national with no right to vote. Statement 2 is correct: anyone who, or whose parent or grandparent, was ever a citizen of Pakistan or Bangladesh is excluded. So '1 only' and 'both' are wrong, and 'neither' ignores statement 2.

Q5. With reference to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, consider the following statements:
1. It covers persons of specified communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who entered India on or before 31 December 2014.
2. It applies to the tribal areas of Assam included in the Sixth Schedule.
3. For the persons it covers, the residence required for naturalisation is reduced to five years.
Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. 1 and 2 only
  2. 1 and 3 only
  3. 2 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3
Show answer

Answer: B. 1 and 3 only

Statements 1 and 3 are correct. Statement 2 is wrong: the Sixth Schedule tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura, and Inner Line permit areas, are excluded. Every option that includes statement 2 is therefore wrong.

Q6. Under Article 6 of the Constitution of India, a person who migrated from Pakistan became a citizen without needing registration if he had migrated before

  1. 1 March 1947
  2. 15 August 1947
  3. 19 July 1948
  4. 26 January 1950
Show answer

Answer: C. 19 July 1948

Migrants who came before 19 July 1948 and had been ordinarily resident since then were citizens without registration. 1 March 1947 is the date in Article 7 for migrants to Pakistan, 15 August 1947 is Independence Day, and 26 January 1950 is the commencement of the Constitution.

Q7. Under Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955, a person of Indian origin who came to Assam from the specified territory on or after 1 January 1966 but before 25 March 1971 and is detected as a foreigner

  1. is a citizen from the date of entry
  2. must register and cannot vote for ten years from detection
  3. can never become a citizen
  4. can become a citizen only by naturalisation after five years
Show answer

Answer: B. must register and cannot vote for ten years from detection

This middle group must register and loses voting rights for ten years from detection, after which it has the rights of citizens. Citizenship from the date of entry applies to those who came before 1 January 1966; the section does give this group a path to citizenship, so 'never' is wrong; and the five-year naturalisation rule belongs to the 2019 amendment, not Section 6A.

Q8. Which of the following Fundamental Rights are available only to citizens of India?
1. Equality before law (Article 14)
2. Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth (Article 15)
3. Protection of the six freedoms (Article 19)
4. Protection of life and personal liberty (Article 21)
Select the correct answer using the code given below:

  1. 1 and 4 only
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 1, 2 and 3 only
  4. 2, 3 and 4 only
Show answer

Answer: B. 2 and 3 only

Articles 15 and 19 are for citizens only. Articles 14 and 21 protect every person, citizen or foreigner, so any option containing 1 or 4 is wrong.

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