Wishesh Magazine November_2018 Wishesh Magazine November 2018 | Page 54

NRI IMMIGRATION
Religion Column Introduced
in Indian Citizenship
Application Form
Any person applying for Indian
citizenship will have to declare
one’s religion from now on. whose either parent has been a citizen of
independent India will have to make the
statement.
The Centre has made this
obligatory through home
ministry norms notified on
the Citizenship (Amendment)
Rules, 2018, on October 18. However, the home ministry said the
amendments on religion were applicable
merely for minorities in Pakistan,
Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who
seek Indian citizenship. “It would not be
appropriate to interpolate that anyone
seeking citizenship needs to declare a
religion. Earlier, notifications were issued in
54
The new rules have added a
column ‘religion’ in each form
that requires to be filled by
a person applying for Indian
citizenship by registration. A
person who applied for Indian
citizenship up till now did not
require to provide information
on religion.
The changes have been made
in the Schedule I of Citizenship
Rules, 2009.
According to new rules, any
person of Indian-origin, while
seeking citizenship for a person
wedded to an Indian citizen,
a child born out of the country
to Indian citizens, a person
whose parents is registered as
Indian citizens and a person
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