Executive Summary:
This order, issued by the Central Government, delegates powers for granting Indian citizenship to specific minority communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. The authority is extended to Collectors and Secretaries of Home Departments in select states and union territories. The order is effective from December 22, 2018, and remains in force until further notice. Applications must be made online, and verification must be done at both district and state levels.
Key Points / Main Content:
Delegation of Authority:
* Collectors in specified districts of Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi Union Territory are authorized to register individuals as citizens of India or grant certificates of naturalization.
* Secretaries of the Department of Home of the State or the Union territory are authorized to register individuals as citizens of India or grant certificates of naturalization, in relation to districts not covered under clause a.
Eligibility:
* The order applies to individuals belonging to minority communities (Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians) from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.
Application Process:
* Applications must be submitted online.
* Verification is conducted simultaneously by the Collector or Secretary at the district and state levels.
* Application reports must be accessible to the Central Government via an online portal.
Inquiry and Verification:
* The Collector or Secretary will conduct inquiries to ascertain the applicant's suitability.
* Applications will be forwarded online to relevant agencies for verification and comments.
* Agencies must upload comments online, accessible to the Collector/Secretary and the Central Government.
Granting of Citizenship:
* Upon satisfaction with the applicant's suitability, the Collector or Secretary grants citizenship via registration or naturalization.
* Certificates are printed from the online portal and signed by the Collector or Secretary.
Record Keeping:
* Collectors and Secretaries must maintain online and physical registers of registered/naturalized individuals.
* A copy of the register must be furnished to the Central Government within seven days of registration or naturalization.
Impact Analysis:
Central Government:
Impact: Oversees the citizenship process through online portal access, receives reports, and issues instructions for verification.
Action Required: Maintain the online portal, review reports, and issue instructions as needed.
Collectors and Secretaries of Home Departments:
Impact: Granted authority to register citizens and grant certificates of naturalization, with specific responsibilities for verification and record-keeping.
Action Required: Process applications, conduct inquiries, maintain records, and furnish reports to the Central Government.
Applicant (Minority Community Members):
Impact: Can apply for citizenship through a decentralized process via designated Collectors/Secretaries.
Action Required: Submit online applications and comply with the verification process.
Verification Agencies:
Impact: Required to provide comments on the applications.
Action Required: Respond to requests for verification and provide comments online.
Key Entities Referenced
Citizenship Act, 1955: A law of India that specifies the requirements for Indian citizenship. Section 16 and Sections 5 and 6 of this act are specifically referenced in the document.
Central Government: The executive branch of the Government of India, responsible for implementing the provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955 as outlined in the order.
Afghanistan: A country from which members of minority communities residing in India are considered under this order.
Bangladesh: A country from which members of minority communities residing in India are considered under this order.
Pakistan: A country from which members of minority communities residing in India are considered under this order.
Chhattisgarh: A state in India where the Collector has the power to register citizens of India under Section 5 or grant certificate of naturalization under Section 6 of the Citizenship Act, 1955.
Gujarat: A state in India where the Collector has the power to register citizens of India under Section 5 or grant certificate of naturalization under Section 6 of the Citizenship Act, 1955.
Madhya Pradesh: A state in India where the Collector has the power to register citizens of India under Section 5 or grant certificate of naturalization under Section 6 of the Citizenship Act, 1955.
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EXTRAORDINARY
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PART II—Section 3—Sub-section (ii)
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No. 4172] NEW DELHI, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2018/KARTIKA 2, 1940
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अ2यधीन $योग (cid:4)कया जाएगा, अथाCत ्:-
6200 GI/2018 (1)2 THE GAZETTE OF INDIA : EXTRAORDINARY [PART II—SEC. 3(ii)]
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भीतर क=(cid:17)ीय सरकार को भेजी जाएगी ।
2. यह आदशे (cid:4)दनाकं 22 (cid:4)दसंबर, 2018 स े$व%ृ होगा और अगले आदशे तक वधै रहगे ा।
[फा. सं. 26030/266/2014-आईसी-II (एस.ओ.)]
अिनल मिलक, संयु्’ सिचव
MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
ORDER
New Delhi; the 23rd October, 2018
S.O. 5377(E).—In exercise of the powers conferred by section 16 of the Citizenship Act, 1955 (57 of
1955), the Central Government hereby directs that powers exercisable by it, for registration as a citizen of
India under section 5 or for grant of certificate of naturalisation under section 6 of the Citizenship Act, 1955,
in respect of any person belonging to minority community in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, namely,
Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians(herein this Order referred to as “the applicant”),
residing in the States of Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Mahahrashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and
Union Territory of Delhi, shall also be exercisable by-
(a) the Collector, within whose jurisdiction the applicant is ordinarily resident, in relation to the districts
of—
(i) Raipur in the State of Chhattisgarh;
(ii) Ahemdabad, Gandhinagar and Kutch in the State of Gujarat;
(iii) Bhopal and Indore in the State of Madhya Pradesh;
(iv) Nagpur, Mumbai, Pune and Thane in the State of Maharashtra;
(v) Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Jaipur in the State of Rajasthan;
(vi) Lucknow in the State of Uttar Pradesh; and
(vii) West Delhi and South Delhi in the Union territory of Delhi; and¹Hkkx IIµ[k.M 3(ii)º Hkkjr dk jkti=k % vlk/kj.k 3
(b) the Secretary of the Department of Home of the State or the Union territory, as the case may be,
within whose jurisdiction the applicant is ordinarily resident, in relation to districts not covered under
clause (a), in accordance with the provisions of the Citizenship Rules, 2009 (hereinafter referred to as
the said rules), subject to the following conditions, namely:-
(A) the application for registration as citizen of India or grant of certificate of naturalisation as
citizen of India under the said rules is made by the applicant online;
(B) the verification of the application is done simultaneously by the Collector or the Secretary, as the
case may be, at the district level and the State level and the application and the reports thereon
shall be made accessible simultaneously to the Central Government on online portal;
(C) the Collector or the Secretary, as the case may be, makes such inquiry as he considers necessary
for ascertaining the suitability of the applicant and for that purpose forwards the application
online to such agencies for verification and comments as may be required for completing such
an inquiry and the instructions issued by the Central Government from time to time in this
regard shall be strictly complied with by the State or Union Territory and District concerned.
(D) the comments of the agencies referred to in clause (C) are uploaded online by such agencies and
accessible to the Collector or the Secretary, as the case may be, and the Central Government;
(E) the Collector or the Secretary, as the case may be, on being satisfied with the suitability of the
applicant, grants him/her the citizenship of India by registration or naturalisation and issue a
certificate of registration or naturalisation, as the case may be, duly printed from online portal
and signed by the Collector or the Secretary, as the case may be, in the Form as prescribed in the
said rules; and
(F) the Collector and the Secretary shall maintain an online/digital as well as physical register, in
accordance with the said rules, containing the details of persons so registered or naturalised as a
citizen of India and furnish a copy thereof to the Central Government within seven days of such
registration or naturalization.
2. This Order shall come into force with effect from the 22nd December, 2018 and shall remain in force
until further order.
[F. No. 26030/266/2014-IC-II (S.O.)]
ANIL MALIK, Jt. Secy.
Uploaded by Dte. of Printing at Government of India Press, Ring Road, Mayapuri, New Delhi-110064
and Published by the Controller of Publications, Delhi-110054.