Government clarifies on citizenship law

New Delhi: Anyone born in India before July 1, 1987 or whose parents were born before that date are bona fide Indian citizens according to law and need not worry due to the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 (CAA) or a possible countrywide NRC, a top government official said on Friday.

According to the 2004 amendments of the Citizenship Act, people of the country, except those in Assam, whose one parent is an Indian and neither is an illegal immigrant are also considered Indian citizens.

The clarification came amid ongoing protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 and several versions of the recently enacted law being circulated in social media about.

Those who are born in India before July 1, 1987 or whose parents were born in the country before that year are considered Indians under naturalisation as per the law, the official said.

In case of Assam, the cut-off date for identification of an Indian citizen is 1971.

Asked about the possibility of rolling out the NRC for the whole country, the official said it was pre-mature to say anything on it as there has been no discussion on it.

"We also appeal to people to not compare the Citizenship Amendment Act with the NRC in Assam as the cut-off date for Assam is different," the official said.

According to the 2004 amendments of the Citizenship Act, anyone who was born in India on or after January 26, 1950 but before July 1, 1987, anyone who was born in India on or after July 1, 1987 but before December 3, 2004 and where either of parents is a citizen of India at the time of birth are bona fide Indian citizens.

Those born outside India on or after December 10, 1992 but before December 3, 2004, and whose parent was citizen of India by birth at the time of his or her birth are also Indians.

If anyone was born in India on or after December 3, 2004 and if both the parents are citizens of India or one of the parents is a citizen of India and the other is not an illegal migrant at the time of his or her birth are also Indian citizens.