Citizenship of India

ARTICLES RELATED TO CITIZENSHIP

ARTICLE 5 Citizenship at the commencement of the Constitution
ARTICLE 6 Rights of citizenship of certain persons who have migrated to India from Pakistan
ARTICLE 7 Rights of citizenship of certain migrants to Pakistan
ARTICLE 8 Rights of citizenship of certain persons of Indian origin residing outside India
ARTICLE 9 Persons voluntarily acquiring citizenship of a foreign State not to be citizens
ARTICLE 10 Continuance of the rights of citizenship
ARTICLE 11 Parliament to regulate the right of citizenship by law

There is single citizenship in India. If an Indian citizen acquires citizenship of another country, he loses the Indian citizenship. The reason for the denial of dual citizenship is that citizenship entails certain duties like serving in the army, if the need be.

Citizen is a person who enjoys civil and political rights. Rights enshrined in the following Articles are available only to citizens- Articles 15, 16, 19, 29 and 30, 58(1) (a), 67(3) (a), 124(3), 217(2), 76(1), 157, 165.

The Constitution confers the following rights and privileges on the citizens of India (and denies the same to aliens):

  1. Right against discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth (Article 15).
  2. Right to equality of opportunity in the matter of public employment (Article 16).
    Right to freedom of speech and expression, assembly, association, movement, residence and profession (Article 19).
  3. Cultural and educational rights (Articles 29 and 30).
  4. Right to vote in elections to the Lok Sabha and state legislative assembly.
  5. Right to contest for the membership of the Parliament and the state legislature.
  6. Eligibility to hold certain public offices, that is, President of India, Vice-President of India, judges of the Supreme Court and the high courts, governor of states, attorney general of India and advocate general of states.

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