New Delhi:

As per the rules announced on Monday, those seeking Indian citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, will be eligible to apply after having resided in the country for at least 12 months before applying.

Furthermore, the regulations say that an applicant is eligible for Indian citizenship if he has resided in India for not less than 6 years out of the 8 years preceding the 12 months.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 provides for undocumented non-Muslim immigrants (Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Pakistanis) from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31 Westerners and Christians) paved the way for granting Indian citizenship. Year 2014.

The rules also state that the applicant must provide an eligibility certificate issued by a reputed local community body confirming that he/she belongs to the “Hindu/Sikh/Buddhist/Jain/Zoroastrian/Christian community and continues to be a member of the said community” to the community.

As per the rules, applicants must also state that they “irrevocably” renounce their existing citizenship and wish to “make India their permanent home”.

“Each application made by an applicant under subsection (1) shall be accompanied by a statement that once his or her application is approved, his or her national citizenship will be irrevocably renounced and no claim may be made for any period in the future. ,”it says.

These rules provide for separate applications for the following sub-categories: persons of Indian origin, persons married to Indian citizens, minor children of Indian citizens, persons whose parents are Indian, persons whose parents or one of their parents are Indian independently Citizens of India, persons registered as overseas citizen card holders of India and persons seeking citizenship through naturalization.

A person seeking citizenship through naturalization must submit an affidavit verifying the correctness of the statements made in the application, and an Affidavit from Indian Citizens attesting to the character of the applicant.

Such candidates must also provide a declaration from the applicant that he has sufficient knowledge of one of the languages ​​specified in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution.

All approved applicants must take an oath of allegiance affirming that they will have “true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India” as prescribed by law and that they will “faithfully abide by the laws of India” and “discharge” their duties, the rules said. He is an Indian citizen.

Applicants must provide a valid or expired foreign passport, a copy of the residence permit, proof of Indian nationality of the spouse (copy of Indian passport or birth certificate) or a copy of the marriage certificate issued by the Registrar of Marriages, depending on the case.

However, submission of these documents is not mandatory but is required to be provided “if available”.

The application for registration or naturalization shall be submitted in “electronic form” by the applicant to the Authorized Board through the District Level Committee notified by the Central Government.

The documents submitted by the applicants will be verified by a district-level committee headed by a designated official, details of which will be specified later.

The designated official shall also administer the Oath of Allegiance to the applicant and then sign and forward the same in electronic form to the Authorizing Committee along with an acknowledgment of relevant document verification.

If the applicant fails to be present in person, given a reasonable opportunity, to sign the application and swear the oath of allegiance, the district committee shall refer the application to the Authorizing Committee for consideration of rejection.

The Authorized Board, after making such inquiries as it may deem necessary to determine the suitability of the applicant for registration or naturalization, as the case may be, may, if satisfied, grant him Indian citizenship.

Applicants who register as Indian citizens under the new Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 rules will be issued a “digital certificate” once approved by the Authorized Commission and a paper certificate will be provided upon request by the applicant, the new rules said.

The certificate shall be digitally signed or signed by the Chairman of the Authorized Committee.

Persons who acquire citizenship through naturalization shall be issued a digital certificate of naturalization by the Commission.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)