The President of India has promulgated the
Citizenship (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015 on January 06, 2015 with immediate
effect which provides for the following amendments to the Indian Citizen Act,
1955:
• At present one year continuous stay in India
is mandatory for Indian Citizenship which is relaxed stating that if the
Central Government is satisfied that special circumstances exist, it may, after
recording such circumstances in writing, relax the period of twelve months
specified upto a maximum of thirty days which may be in different breaks.
• To enable for registration as Overseas
Citizen of India (OCI) by a minor, whose parents are Indian Citizens.
• To enable for registration as Overseas
Citizen of India (OCI) by a child or a grand-child or a great grandchild of
such a citizen.
• To enable for registration as Overseas
Citizen of India (OCI) by such spouse of a citizen of India or spouse of an OCI
registered under Section 7A and whose marriage has been registered and
subsisted for a continuous period of not less than two years immediately
preceding the presentation of the application under this section.
• In respect of existing PIO card holders central
government may, by notification in Official Gazette, specify a particular date
from which all existing PIO card holders will be deemed to be OCI card holders.
The Indian Citizenship Act, 1955 provides for
acquisition, termination, deprivation, determination of Indian Citizenship and
other related aspects. The Act provides for acquisition of Indian citizenship
by birth, descent, registration, naturalization and incorporation of territory
under certain circumstances, and also for the termination and deprivation of
citizenship.
Source
: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=114391
