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Lok Sabha
The Minister of State (Independent charge) for Overseas Indian Affairs, Shri Jagdish Tytler told the Lok Sabha today that the Citizenship (Amendment) Ordinance was promulgated on 28.0.2005 amending the Cirtizenship Act, 1955 extending the facility of Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) to Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) of all countries except Pakistan and Bangladesh as long as their countries allow dual citizenship in form or the other under their local laws.
Detailing about the provisions the Minister said that a foreign national, who was eligible to become citizen of India on 26.01.1950 or was citizen of India on or at anytime after 26.01.1950 or belonged to a territory that became part of India citizenship allows after 15.08.1947 and his/her children and grand children, provided his/her country of dual citizenship in some form or other under the local laws, is eligible for registration as Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI). Minor children of such persons are also eligible for OCI. However, if the applicant had ever been a citizen of Pakistan or Bangladesh, he/she will not be eligible for OCI.
If there is no adverse information available against the applicant, the Indian Mission/Post shall grant registration as OCI within 15 days from the date of application and thereafter refer the case to MHA for post verification of the antecedents of the applicant. If any adverse information is available against the applicant, prior approval of MHA shall be required before granting registration as OCI. MHA shall decide the case within 3 months of the application, Shri Tytler said.
This information was given by Shri Tytler in reply to a question by S/Sh. Brija Kishore Tripathy, Kishanbhai V. Patel, Sugrib Singh, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Ramdas Athawale and G.V. Harsha Kumar.
AK/SK/JA
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