File photo of Rajya Sabha in session
The Rajya Sabha today passed a bill seeking to remove a lacuna relating to overseas Indian citizens, who will now be registered as "overseas Indian cardholders" instead of "overseas citizens of India".
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2011, sought an amendment to bring within the scope of citizenship, a person "who is ordinarily a resident" instead of the person who has been residing in India for a specific period.
However, no person who has been a citizen of Pakistan, Bangladesh or any other country as provided for by the government, shall be eligible for registration as an overseas Indian cardholder.
Minister of State for Home Mullappally Ramachandran said facilities to "overseas Indian cardholders will be exactly the same as the overseas citizens."
On dual membership to Indians who are citizens of another country, he said, "About dual citizens, the Constitution provides that once a person is citizen of another country, he loses Indian citizenship."
Referring to demand from Avinash Rai Khanna of the Bharatiya Janata Party that refugees from Pakistan be given citizenship, he said, "I can't give any assurance."
As per the statement of Objects and Reasons of the bill, the amendments are "required due to certain lacunae that were noticed during its implementation and review of provisions relating to overseas citizens of India".
Besides providing for registration of "Overseas Indian Cardholders", it provides for registration of "spouse of a citizen of India, who is citizen of another country and where his or her marriage has been registered and subsisted for a continuous period of not less than two years."
It also provides for registration of "a person who is a minor child, and whose both parents are citizens of India or one of the parents is citizen of India".