New Delhi, June 17, 2005
Ashok Agarwal
The Union Cabinet today announced
dual citizenship for (NRIs) Indians who immigrated
after January 26, 1950. The Cabinet also
permitted amendment to the Allocation of Business
Rules to permit the newly created Ministry of Overseas
Indian Affairs to issue notifications under Section
7B(1) of the 1955 Act and issue smart cards to registered
Overseas Citizens of India.
The previous National Democratic Alliance (NDA)
government had approved dual citizenship for NRIs
residing in only 16 countries.
In January, 2005, at the annual NRI/ diaspora day
celebrations in Mumbai January this year, Dr Manmohan
Singh said every member of the diaspora who has
migrated after January 26, 1950 would be eligible
for dual citizenship.
The Minister of State for Overseas Indian Affairs
Jagdish Tytler on April 28, told the Rajya Sabha,
that the Ministry of Home Affairs had received nearly
2,000 applications from Indian diplomatic offices
for overseas Indian citizenship.
