Internal Security Rhetoric: MNIC,UID, Citizenship, Border Fencing, Insurgency, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and Maoism
The National ID Card Challenge for Nandan Nilekani.. Part II
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One of the most ELEGANT and EMPOWERED ladies in India, the BJP leader Mrs Sushma Swaraj asked the Home Minister of India,Chettiar Chidambaram to clarify the UNIQUE Identity Card Plan and also requested to differentiate between Unique I card and Multi Purpse national Identity card! She was speaking on the demands of Home Ministry and talked on details on the issues of national Security realting it to Development! She as well as Congress MP from Mumbai, Sanjay Nirupam whom we also saw recently in a Reality Show LIVE on TV, in BIG BOSS, emphasised that the NATOIONAL I Cards are very SENSITIVE for national Security despite INDULGING in Blame game with UPROARS!
Terror threat to India has not diminished: Chidambaram
New Delhi: Cautioning against any complacency on dealing with terrorism, home minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday said government will remain alert against the menace with the epicentre of terrorism lying on India's border.
"Let there be no illusion. The terror threat to the country has not diminished. During the last six months, a significant number of potential terrorists including Madani have been arrested.
"Our objectives are three-fold. Raise the level of preparedness meet any terror threat directed against India, respond swiftly and decisively to any terror threat or any terror attack and we have to remain on guard against terror and cannot lower our guard," he said replying to the discussion in the Lok Sabha on demands for grants of his ministry for 2009-10.
He said terror was a global phenomenon but that did not give any solace to India because "one of the epicentres of terror is the country on our border".
He rejected a member's contention that people of the country were living under fear and said he had great confidence in people of the country which had shown tremendous resilience and face such challenges in history.
In his 45-minute speech, he touched on various internal security issues and threats like Left-wing extremism, insurgency in the Northeast and situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
Offering an olive branch to insurgents in Northeast, Chidambaram said the government was prepared to hold talks with any group that was prepared to abjure violence and surrender arms.
"As long as they indulge in murder, threat, extortion, there's no question of talking to them. How can an insurgent group offer ceasefire to a sovereign nation," he said ridiculing reports that government would accept ceasefire offer by DHD-J alias "Black Widow" militant group in Assam.
Chidambaram said home secretary G K Pillai would visit Assam on July 30 and the Centre has advised the state government to do everything between now and then to encourage the DHD(J) group to come to the negotiating table.
Dealing with the Naxal violence, the home minister said over the years it has been underestimated with the result that MCC and PWG had merged in 2004 as CPI(Maoists), strengthened themselves, acquired arms and expanded their area of operations.
They became so powerful that they took the decision to merge and declared that they would continue a class struggle through guerrilla war, he said.
Chidambaram took digs at the Left Front government in West Bengal for not taking suitable action against the Maoists on the belief that the two were involved in the same class struggle.
"The CPM did not take suitable action against the Maoists. You paid the price in Lalgarh," he said.
Chidambaram said after a police station was captured by Maoists in West Bengal with 100 policemen locked inside, the state government could not open it.
"The state government was not willing to commit its forces. I put my foot down and told the chief minister that your forces should have to fight from the front and the paramilitary forces will assist them. The chief minister understood that I meant business and then gave the state government forces," he said.
The home minister said the government has two-pronged approach to deal with the Left-wing extremism -- clear and hold the territory held by Naxals and then carry out development. "We will face the challenge squarely," he said.
On Jammu and Kashmir, he made it clear that Army would continue to be deployed in all parts of Jammu and Kashmir where there is a terrorist threat.
He said he had never made any statement that the Army would be withdrawn.
On paramilitary forces, the minister said the government would try to follow the Punjab-model by encouraging the Jammu and Kashmir Police to take the lead role in fight against the terrorists and the paramilitary forces would assist them.
However, he conceded that it would not happen overnight and would take a long time.
On the issue of withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act, he said the government had taken note of the demand and will revisit the issue at an appropriate time. "We will review," he said.
Source: PTI
Nandan Nilekani took charge as the chairman of the Unique Identification Database Authority of India Thursday and started work on the government's ambitious project to provide a single identity number and card to each of the country's 1.17 billion people. On the other hand,Home minister P Chidambaram said in Lok Sabha on Wednesday that there was no plan to withdraw the army in militancy-hit Kashmir.
On the issue of withdrawal of para-military forces, he said that it could be done once the J&K police had enough strength to manage on its own.
The joint might of the opposition parties was once again visible on Wednesday as they castigated the government for delinking the terrorism issue from the Indo-Pak composite dialogue.
Initiating the debate, BJP's deputy leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, said that the PM Manmohan Singh was in a hurry to sell tea, potatoes and onions to Pakistan when not even a year has elapsed since the Mumbai terror attack. He has done this by delinking terror from the dialogue.
She reminded the UPA government that the way it was posturing with Pakistan was against the mandate it got in the recent Lok Sabha elections. The Congress-led coalition had garnered the votes while promising to take action against Pakistan, she added.
Chidambaram rebutted her assertion that the government had failed its promise of "zero tolerance" towards terror.
"The indefinite bandh will continue and no force in the world can suppress our democratic movement", said GJM general secretary Roshan Giri in a press meet today referring to the impending deployment of paramilitary forces in the hills.
Whatever forces the government may apply to suppress us, our movement will continue and if our people are subjected to assaults then the circumstances will be different, Mr. Giri said in a thinly veiled warning against the government. We don't want to stay with West Bengal and why we are being forced to do so?, he questioned.
At the same time, the GJM general secretary admitted that things were till yesterday heading in a proper direction for calling off the strike due to the State government's letter to hold talks on Gorkhaland issue.
However, today the GNLF leader Rajen Mukhia was released on bail while nineteen of our members were not granted bail and sent back to jail in connection to the Panighata incident of July 10, said Mr. Giri. "Our people should also be released", he demanded.
The GJM general secretary also demanded the transfer of IG (North Bengal) KL Tamta, additional SP and Kurseong SDPO as they are trying to 'suppress' the ongoing agitation.
"At one hand, they (government) is offering to hold talks and at the same time, they are doing injustice to us", he said.
Mr. Giri also informed that BJP stalwart Susma Swaraj had raised the Gorkhaland issue in the Parliament today. This is for the first time that the issue of Gorkhaland has been raised in the Lok Sabha, he added.
A massive rally by GJM will be held tomorrow at Darjeeling.
| Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday said the terror threats to internal security have not ''diminished''. | |
| Stating that the epicenter of terror in the country is in the neighbourhood, Union Home Replying to a debate on a discussion on the demands for grants under the control of Ministry of Home Affairs, Chidambaram said the Maoist violence within the country will have to be dealt firmly by first taking control of the so-called "liberated zones" in Jharkhand, Orissa, Chattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and "in two-three districts in West Bengal." Amidst protests from CPM member Basudev Acharya, the minister said the Left in West Bengal had for long avoided taking action against the Naxals maintaining that the latter were fighting "class enemies." Now they are paying a price in Lalgarh, he said. Chidambaram said a police station which was taken over by Maoists could not be opened up by the State government until CRPF was deployed there. The first step towards dealing with the left wing violence would be to free the areas from under Maoist control. The Minister said threats to internal security "have not diminished" with security forces in tandem with intelligence exposing a number of "potential" terror plots during the last seven months. Army to stay put in J&K On the Jammu and Kashmir front, Chidambaram said the army will continue to stay in Jammu and Kashmir for counter-terrorism operations. Chidambaram was responding to BJP leader Sushma Swaraj's charge that the home ministry was seeking to withdraw 23 battalions of para-military forces from J&K. Earlier in the day Swaraj while speaking in the Lok Sabha, said budget allocation was very meagre. Chidambaram contradicted Swaraj, saying, "I know how to take money and how to give money," amidst peels of laughter. Speaking about North-East extremist violence, the minister said it has external-linkages with extremists getting safe havens in Bangladesh, Myanmar and Nepal. | |
Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha over grants, Chidambaram said the CPI(Marxists) had not gone all out against the violent CPI(Maoists) because of the similar ideology followed by the two. On this, the Marxist MPs stood up in an uproar. The minister pacified them by saying that these were his own views and he was entitled to put them in the House.
"The state government of West Bengal
The state and Central security forces have been engaged in an armed campaign to free the area of Lalgarh in West Midnapore district from Maoist control for over a month now. Again the CPM MPs stood in outrage to which Chidambaram said it was known that the party had internal differences on the issue.
The minister said the Naxal threat was present in the states of Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Orissa, West Bengal etc.
"I don't want to make a political point here but none of these states have been ruled by the Congress in the last 10 years. The state governments can not shrug of their responsibility of not developing these areas," Chidambaram said.
He also said that it was correct that the people had taken to arms not only because of poverty but also because they were ideologically misguided. "Challenge from Naxals will have to faced squarely. We are adopting a two pronged strategy for the same- police action and development."
Chidambaram told the Lok Sabha, "The CPM did not take suitable action against the Maoists. You paid the price in Lalgarh. You felt that you and the Maoists were fighting the same class enemy. This is my view.'' The statement was met by howls of protests from the Left parties.
The minister said that Naxalism had been underestimated over the years with the result that MCC and PWG had merged in 2004 as CPI (Maoists), strengthened themselves, acquired arms and expanded their area of operations.
In his 45-minute speech, he touched on various internal security issues and threats like Left-Wing extremism, insurgency in the North-East and the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
The minister, who was replying to the demand for grants for the home ministry, offered an olive branch to insurgents in the North-East. He said the government was prepared to hold talks with any group that was prepared to abjure violence and surrender arms. "As long as they indulge in murder, threat, extortion, there's no question of talking to them. How can an insurgent group offer ceasefire to a sovereign nation,'' he said ridiculing reports that the government would accept the ceasefire offer by DHD-J, which is also known as the "Black Widow'', militant group in Assam.
Chidambaram said home secretary G K Pillai would visit Assam on July 30 and the Centre has advised the state government to do everything between now and then to encourage the DHD(J) group to come to the negotiating table.
Cautioning against any complacency on dealing with terrorism, the minister added that the government will remain alert against the menace with the epicentre of terrorism lying on India's border. "Let there be no illusion. The terror threat to the country has not diminished. During the last six months, a significant number of potential terrorists have been arrested.''
He said terror was a global phenomenon but that did not give any solace to India because "one of the epicentres of terror is the country on our border.''
Chidambaram also said that the government would place the report of the Liberhan Commission, which probed the 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, along with the Action Taken Report, before Parliament well before the statutory period of six months. The report was submitted on June 30.
Mr. Nilekani, who met with reporters briefly after assuming office at Yojana Bhavan, the headquarters of the Planning Commission here, said the main task of the authority would be to create a database that will help in issuing unique identity cards.
"This will be a nationwide system of authentication," said the 54-year-old co-founder of Infosys Technologies, who was personally selected by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to head the project with the rank of a cabinet minister.
"Identity is important for everyone, especially for the poor. Getting an identity is a tough job. We will provide a database of residents. We will have a very simple database in biometrics. We will only have very basic information," he said.
entrepreneur Nandan Nilekani, chosen as the chairman of the Unique Identification Database Authority of India (UIDAI), on
Mr Nilekani met union minister for communications and Information Technology
A Raja here, seeking his support for carrying out the national unique identification scheme. Mr Nilekani takes over as the chairman of UIDAI on Thursday.
"IT is an important ministry for carrying out the project. I met Mr A Raja to seek his co-operation ," Mr Nilekani told the reporters after meeting the union minister.
The unique identification card will eliminate the need for the existing identification cards like an electoral card, ration card, driving license, passport and PAN (permanent account number) card as the identification cards issued under the scheme will carry all the required details including the biometric details of every Indian citizen.
"Within 12-18 months the first set of people are going to get the unique identity card under the project," Mr Nilekani had said earlier. Mr Nilekani had resigned as the co-chairman of the board of directors in Infosys, country's second largest software exporting firm, after being appointed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take charge of the government's ambitious scheme for creating a multipurpose unique identification database for all citizens of India.
Mr. Nilekani said that the authority will not issue the biometric cards itself -- but the database it is creating will help government agencies to undertake that task.
The main purpose of the project, he said, was to avert the need for multiple proofs of identity for citizens while availing any government service, or for private needs like opening bank accounts or seeking telephone connections.
It is also expected to enhance national security by helping to identify illegal aliens.
Mr. Nilekani has already met Communications and Information Technology Minister A. Raja and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, seeking their support for the project.
Over the next few weeks, he intends to create the requisite administrative infrastructure to deal with the ambitious project. "We will pick up talent from both government and outside. We will also have biometric experts and others for security and identity management," he said.
According to Abhijit Sarma of APW, he has sought deletion of the names of the illegal migrants from the Rolls, freezing of the voter's list until names of the foreigners were deleted.. Besides, he has also demanded that the Assembly polls in Assam scheduled in 2011, be kept at abeyance, until the voter's list is 'corrected'.
It was APW's contention that Assam's rolls contain names of 40 lakh foreigners. When asked, how he arrived at the figure, Sarma told this newspaper that it was based on Internet research and study of various books and research works. He added comparison of the population and voter's growth rate at the national level and State-level was enough to establish his contention.
Meanwhile, Sarma revealed that he plans to file two more Writ Petitions (Civil) in the Apex Court demanding deployment of army along the Indo-Bangladesh border and removal of all encroachers from land belonging to the Satras in Assam.
Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty said these migrants from the Muslim-majority country pose a security threat to his nation, which has been hit by series of militant attacks in recent years.
'We do have security concerns. We wish to know who is going and who is coming back,' Chakravarty said.
 |
The Indian embassy in Dhaka has said it issues about half a million short-term visas to Bangladeshis every year, with patients and tourists making up the bulk of the number.
India helped Bangladesh in its war of independence in 1971 but in recent years ties have often been strained by border skirmishes and New Delhi's accusations that Dhaka-based Islamic groups were behind a number of blasts across India - though not the Mumbai attacks in November.
The Border Security Force (BSF) is in favour of creation of a second line of defence all along the international border with Bangladesh for ensuring sealing of the porous border to prevent infiltration of foreign nationals and anti-national elements from the neighbouring country. BSF sources told The Assam Tribune that though the border guarding force is deployed along the border with Bangladesh, a second line of defence is necessary to effectively seal the border. Most parts of the international border have not been fenced and because of the terrain, it is impossible to guard every inch of the border round the clock to prevent anyone from sneaking into the country. Sources said that the BSF wants the creation of a second line of defence to guard the sensitive areas so that anyone who manages to sneak past the first line of defence, that is the BSF, can be intercepted.
Meanwhile, official sources said that the State and Central Governments decided to create a second line of defence along the Assam-Bangladesh border way back in 1999 but the force is yet to become fully operational. It was decided that 28 Border Outposts and three tactical headquarters of the second line of defence would be established, but at present, only 12 BOPs and two tactical headquarters are now functioning and police sources said that the force would become fully operational only when the Government sanctions the required 1000 posts and provide for proper accommodation of the personnel of the force.
Sources said that the issue of creation of a second line of defence along the international border in Meghalaya was discussed in a high-level meeting held recently. The need for a second line of defence is greater in Meghalaya as the progress or construction of border fencing in the State is even slower than in Assam and the State Government is yet to sanction permission for construction of fencing in a stretch of more than 130 kilometres of the border because of some local problems.
Meanwhile, BSF sources admitted that pushing back of the Bangladeshi nationals apprehended in India is a very long process and it becomes compounded because India does not have any extradition treaty with Bangladesh.
Giving an account of the process of pushing back of Bangladeshi nationals, sources said that the process sometimes takes month. Whenever Bangladeshi nationals are sought to be pushed back by observing the official procedure, the BSF writes to the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) with details of the persons including their addresses. The BDR, in turn, verifies the addresses given and only then permission has been accorded for push back. The process sometimes takes two to three months and keeping the persons sought to be pushed back sometimes becomes a major problem and recently, some such persons started a hunger strike in Tura, which added to the woes of the BSF and the administration. The same procedure is observed by the BSF whenever any Indian national caught in Bangladesh is sought to be pushed back by the BDR and verification of the addresses given is a time-consuming process. The problem compounds if the persons give wrong address.
However, there have been instances when Bangladeshi nationals are pushed back forcibly without observing the official procedure. But there have been instances when persons pushed back that way managed to sneak in by taking advantage of the porous border, sources added.
The situation may improve in the days to come as the Assam Government has taken a decision to set up two detention centres in Mankachar and Karimganj for detaining the persons sought to be pushed back.
| Northeast Echoes | ||
| PATRICIA MUKHIM | ||
Asom Suraksha Oikya Mancha (Save Assam Organisation), a civil society group, last Sunday organised a seminar on a theme that makes every true blue Asomiya go ballistic. This issue of illegal immigration from Bangladesh is a hydra-headed monster that had rocked Assam in the late seventies and early eighties and sent it into a bloody tailspin but without achieving anything much. This is evident from the fact that after the Assam Accord, the government spent Rs 400 crore and in 21 years has managed to expel only 2,221 illegal immigrants. There is a bit of confusion in trying to define the status of a Bangladeshi in India. Is he an illegal immigrant or an illegal migrant? Illegal immigrants, according to David W. Haines and E. Rosenblum, are those who have entered a country illegally without any papers. This would define the large population of Bangladeshis who have entered Assam and other parts of the Northeast since 1971 and continue to do so every day for several decades now. An illegal migrant is one who overstays his visa. I doubt that we have too many of such categories of Bangladeshis in India or the Northeast for the simple reason that it is too easy to enter illegally than with the requisite papers. The borders are so porous and so loosely guarded that entry through land routes or river routes are equally easy. One would not like to discuss the migrations or immigrations before 1971 as the circumstances in East Pakistan after 1947 forced many to flee the country. But post 1971, after Bangladesh was created, the influx continued unabated. Over the years, several illegal immigrants have changed their status to legal migrants after procuring necessary documents through subterfuge. The presence of a significantly large number of illegal immigrants today in the voter's list in Assam poses a problem that seems to defy solutions unless the state comes up with some radical interventions. Yet the fact that some political parties in Assam depend heavily on the votes of these illegal immigrants or legal migrants confounds the problem as the state becomes complicit in the issue. The most powerful observation about the changing demographic profile of Assam comes from a report prepared by former Assam Governor Lt Gen. (retd) S.K. Sinha. Sinha observes: "The influx of illegal migrants is turning the lower Assam districts into a Muslim-majority region. It will only be a matter of time when a demand for their merger with Bangladesh may be made…. The loss of lower Assam will sever the entire land mass of the Northeast from the rest of India and the rich natural resources of that region will be lost to the nation." This report was presented to the then President K.R. Narayanan in 1998. Although the 42-page report is mired in controversies regarding the accuracy of the statistics, it gives a graphic picture of the ground realities in the state of Assam. However, it would be wrong to surmise that Assam alone faces this problem. States, whose borders are contiguous to that of Bangladesh, namely, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram and Nagaland, face similar problems but on a different scale. In Meghalaya, the plains of Garo Hills have almost been inundated by influx from Bangladesh. The easy access provided by open borders at Ghasuapara, Baghmara, Rajabala etc makes it difficult to control influx. While it is a fact that the large number of immigrants from Bangladesh are themselves of Garo origin, the number of Muslim immigrants is on the rise and this is visible especially in Tura, the district headquarters of West Garo Hills where trade and commerce appear to be controlled by them. The same is the case with Dimapur, the commercial capital of Nagaland. Business transactions today are largely controlled by the immigrant population who have ingratiated themselves with tribal societies by marrying local women. The coal mines of Jaintia Hills, Garo Hills and West Khasi Hills are also worked by the Bangladeshi immigrants who are ready to work in the most trying circumstances and for amounts that the local labourers would be unwilling to do. Illegal influx poses several problems of which the most serious is economic in nature. Illegal immigrants who are not on the census are not part of the statistical data based upon which resources are allocated. All development packages are constructed on the basis of a credible census. If the actual number of beneficiaries on the ground far exceeds those enumerated then obviously the resources are stretched too thin and government interventions cannot possibly make a dent. This hidden population consumes what rightfully belongs to citizens. Yet this has happened in Assam for more years than can be counted. It is no surprise then that the areas which are contentious because of the large presence of illegal immigrants are also some of the poorest. The development indices in these char areas are also some of the lowest. If the yardstick for identification of beneficiaries is the poorest of the poor, a very large section of the immigrant population fits the bill. So the bulk of beneficiaries would then be from amongst this population and the genuine citizens miss out on the benefits of one of the most dynamic pro-poor programmes innovated by the central government so far. In the Northeast this programme is likely to cause more problems than solutions. It is believed that the benefits of the NREGS are today felt in Bangladesh as the immigrants regularly remit money they earn from this side of the border to their families in Bangladesh. Similar is the case with the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scheme which also targets rural healthcare. If six of the 27 districts already represent the characteristic features of Bangladesh then the NRHM interventions in those districts will automatically benefit non-citizens even as the larger rural citizenry of Assam continues to grapple with the problem of healthcare. According to Sinha's observation and other studies, 57 of Assam's 126 constituencies have shown more than 20 per cent increase in the number of voters between 1994 and 1997 whereas the all-India average is just 7.4 per cent. The Muslim population in Assam has shown a rise of 77.42 per cent over what it was in 1971 (there was no census in Assam in 1981). The 2001 national census estimates that of the 26.6 million people in Assam, 30.9 per cent are Muslims. The census data shows that the proportionate growth of the Muslim population in Assam in comparison with other religious communities, is second only to Jammu and Kashmir (67 per cent Muslims). It also points out that six of Assam's 27 districts are now Muslim- majority districts. Barpeta tops the list with 9,77,943 Muslims and 6,62,066 Hindus. The five others districts are Dhubri, Goalpara, Nagaon, Karimganj and Hailakandi. Incidentally, these districts share their border with or lie close to Bangladesh. It is significant to note that at the time of Independence, only Dhubri was a Muslim-majority district. Of the 20 million illegal immigrants from Bangladesh settled in India, at least 1.5 million are living in Assam. The problem indeed is a gigantic one but the government which has the resources to resolve this dilemma is more interested on preserving its vote bank. Besides, identifying an illegal immigrant from a legal migrant who came in before the cut-off date proposed in the Assam Accord, seems problematic. Even identifying the original settler from the legal migrant is a tall order. Given this conundrum, some academicians have proposed some radical changes in the Constitution of India. These will be discussed in the next article. (The writer can be contacted at patricia17@rediffmail.com) |
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090713/jsp/northeast/story_11229589.jsp
VIEW: Global crisis and migration —Jayati Ghosh
Migration has been one of the more important means of greater global integration, and, as the economic crisis has gripped the developed world, many have worried about its impact on such integration, especially falling remittances. A closer examination of the nature of migrant workers' role in the economy suggests more complex outcomes, with somewhat less of an impact than feared.
The UN estimates that the global stock of migrants is now more than 200 million, even excluding temporary, irregular and illegal migrants. Most of these migrants hail from developing countries: in the developed world (excluding the former USSR) the share of migrants in total population more than doubled between 1960 and 2005, from four percent to nearly ten percent, while it has declined in less developed countries. As the crisis unfolded, there was fear that international migration and associated remittances would be among the first casualties.
It is true that most of this migration has been driven by economic forces and has given rise to rapidly expanding remittance flows, which have become the most important source of foreign exchange for many developing countries. The IMF estimates total remittance flows to developing countries to be nearly USD300 billion in 2009, significantly more than all forms of capital flows put together.
This has provided crucial foreign exchange and been a major contributor to balance of payments stability for countries as far apart as the Philippines and Guatemala, and even for large countries like India and China, where remittances have played a significant role in domestic consumption.
Other elements of global integration have been adversely affected by the crisis: exports have declined sharply across the world, and capital flows have "de-globalised" in that foreign direct investment, portfolio capital and bank lending to developing countries have almost collapsed.
It is only to be expected that when economic activity slows or contracts in destination countries, migrant workers are the first to be laid off and sent home. Since a lot of recent economic migration has been explicitly short-term with respect to meeting specific labour shortages in the host economies, this is even more likely.
That is why by late 2008 it was widely predicted that remittance flows would quickly show signs of decline, and initial reports also bore this out. By August 2008, remittances into Mexico (which are dominantly from workers based in the US) were already down 12 percent compared to the previous year. There was also evidence of declining remittances from other countries that relied strongly on them, such as Bangladesh, Lebanon, Jordan and Ethiopia.
But as the crisis unfolds, it is also becoming clear that the patterns of migration and remittances may be more complex than was previously imagined. In several countries (such as India) remittance inflows have actually continued to increase.
To some extent, this too can be expected because even if the crisis leads to large-scale retrenchment of migrant workers who are forced to come home, they would obviously return with their accumulated savings. In such a case, there could even be a (temporary) spike in remittances rather than a continuous or sharp decline because of the crisis. Eventually, as the adverse conditions for overseas employment worsen further, this would then lead to a decline in remittance inflows.
However, it is not inevitable that there should be a sharp decline in migration and remittances. One important aspect that is frequently ignored in the discussions on migration is the gender dimension. International migration for work is highly gendered, with male migrants finding dominant representation in manufacturing and construction sectors, while women migrants are concentrated in the service sectors, such as the care economy broadly defined (including activities such as nursing and domestic work) and "entertainment".
The different nature of work also affects remittance flows. In the first place, female migrants are far more likely to send remittances home, and typically send a greater proportion of their earnings back. Also, male migrant workers find that incomes are much more linked to the business cycle in the host economy, so their employment and wages tend to vary with output behaviour. Thus job losses in the North during this crisis have been concentrated in construction, financial services and manufacturing, all dominated by male workers.
By contrast, the care activities dominantly performed by women workers tend to be affected by other variables such as demographic tendencies, institutional arrangements, and the extent to which women work outside the home in the host country. So employment in such activities is often unaffected by the business cycle, or at least responds to a lesser extent. Therefore female migrant workers' incomes are more stable over the cycle and do not immediately rise or fall to the same extent.
This in turn means that source countries that have a disproportionately higher share of women emigrants (such as the Philippines and Sri Lanka) would tend to experience less adverse impact in terms of falling remittances. Indeed, in the Philippines, the most recent data indicate that remittance flows are still increasing slightly, at an annual rate of around two percent. This does not mean that there will be no impact at all, but certainly the adverse effects will be less and will take longer to evolve than if the migration had been dominated by male workers.
There are other reasons why the crisis has had limited impact on patterns of migration. For example, one expectation was that return migration would be dominated by the worst hit workers, who in turn were expected to be the undocumented, irregular or illegal migrants who are mostly in low-wage and low-skilled occupations, and do not qualify for any kind of official support such as welfare benefits or social security from the host country.
But the initial evidence belies this expectation because, for one, such migrants may be unwilling to return home to face possibly even more fragile and insecure employment conditions in their own country.
Many developing countries have been hit worse by the financial crisis that originated in the US economy. So the push factors that operated to cause international migration in search of work remain as strong as ever. The unwillingness to return in such a context may be even stronger in cases where the undocumented migrants have already developed some local social networks that allow them to survive for a period while they look for other employment.
In the host country, undocumented migrant workers may even be preferred by employers who see in them as a cheaper source of labor than legal migrants or local workers. In the context of this crisis, preference for cheaper labor may become even sharper. This may be yet another reason why women migrants may be affected less severely, since women migrants dominate in the undocumented and illegal category.
In any case, one of the basic pull factors still remains significant: the demographic transition in the North that is increasing the share of the older population that requires more care from younger workers, who must therefore come from abroad. So the current crisis may temporarily slow down the ongoing process of international migration for work, but it is unlikely to reverse it. —YaleGlobal
Jayati Ghosh is professor of economics at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009%5C07%5C17%5Cstory_17-7-2009_pg3_5
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The Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down the Illegal Migrants (determination by tribunals) Act, 1983.
Rediff.com presents you a primer on what the act means, why it was brought in, and what the Supreme Court order will mean.
What is the IMDT Act, 1983?
On October 15, 1983, the Government of India passed an Ordinance to set up tribunals 'for determination of the question whether a person is or is not an illegal migrant.'
On December 12, 1983, IMDT Act was introduced and passed in Parliament.
Where is the act applicable?
Only in the state of Assam. In other states, detection of foreigners is done under the Foreigners Act, 1946.
Ironically, there was no member in the Lok Sabha from Assam's Brahmaputra Valley when the act was passed, since elections could not be held in the state in 1980.
What is the difference between the IMDT Act and Foreigners Act?
Under the IMDT Act, the onus of proving one's nationality or otherwise lies on the complainant whereas under the Foreigners Act, the onus is on the accused.
What did the act set out to do?
According to this act an illegal migrant is a person who:
(i) entered India on or after March 25, 1971.
(ii) was a foreigner
(iii) entered India without being in possession of a valid passport or other travel documents or any other legal authority.
Clauses 4 and 9 of the IMDT Act said those who came before March 25, 1971 would not come under the purview of the act as the issue of such cases 'has been left for negotiations.'
But even in the case of post-1971 migrants the procedures were deliberately kept cumbersome. For instance, the Act provided for two individuals living within a radius of 3 km of a suspected illegal migrant to approach an IMDT Tribunal, deposit a sum Rs 25 and then file a complaint. (The three km restriction was subsequently modified and now the complainant could be from the same police station limits as the accused, while the deposit sum was reduced to Rs 10).
But the most contentious provision of the act was the condition that the onus of proving the citizenship credentials of a person in question lies with the complainant and the police, not on the accused. Under the Foreigners Act prevailing in the rest of the country, the onus is understandably on the accused. To cap it all, the act also provided that 'if the application is found frivolous or vexatious' the Central Government may not accept it.
In short, the country had two anti-immigration acts. By scrapping the IMDT Act, the Supreme Court has removed the anomaly.
Chronology of the act's journey towards repeal.
1992: Asom Gana Parishad's Mangaldoi convention resolves to demand repeal of IMDT Act.
Sept 19, 1992: Pachu Gopal Baruah and others challenge validity of IMDT Act in the Guwahati high court.
1998: Tripartite discussion between AASU, Government of Assam and Government of India results in a consensus on repeal of IMDT Act 'in the greater interest of the people of Assam.'
1998: All India Lawyers Forum for Civil Liberties files petition in Supreme Court for repeal of IMDT Act.
Sept 1, 1999: Government of Assam files affidavit for the first time in Supreme Court supporting repeal of IMDT Act.
March 8, 2000: ID Swamy, Union Minister of State for Home tells Parliament: 'Government is of the view that the IMDT Act in its application in the state of Assam alone is discriminatory. A proposal to repeal the act is under consideration of the government.'
April 2000: Sarbananda Sonowal, president of AASU challenges the validity of IMDT Act in Supreme Court.
Sept 2000: Law Commission's 175th report recommends repeal of IMDT Act.
June 2001: Assam government withdraws and changes affidavit in Supreme Court after Congress comes to power. Says the act should stay.
May 6, 2003: Union cabinet under Vajpayee decides to introduce Bill to repeal IMDT Act.
May 9, 2003: Government introduces Bill to repeal of IMDT Act in Parliament.
August 2003: The repeal Bill is referred to the Select Committee Parliament.
August to December 2003: Discussions in the select committee go on. Parliament dissolved. Repeal Bill falls through.
July 12, 2005: Supreme Court strikes down the act.
Illegal immigration in India
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Illegal immigration is a serious political problem in India, with widely differing estimates of the number of such migrants. In places this has led to outbreaks of xenophobic violence, particularly against those perceived to be Bangladeshi.
Contents[hide] |
[edit] Estimates of population
In 2003, former Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes alleged that there are there are more than 20,000,000 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in India[1].
The Government of Bangladesh claims that "there is not a single Bangladeshi migrant in India"[2][3].
[edit] Drain on Government
It is extremely hard to distinguish between illegal Bangaldeshis and local Bengali speakers[4]. The Hindu has reported a case where Bangladeshis have been able to secure ration and voter identity cards[5].
Assam spent Rs.1.7 billion between January 2001 and September 2006, which resulted in identification of 9,149 foreigners, only 1,864 could be deported back to Bangladesh. This amounts to Rs. 180,000 spent to deport an illegal Bangladeshi[6]
India is building a fence along its entire border with Bangladesh[7].
[edit] Human trafficking
The Centre for Women and Children Studies estimated in 1998 that 27,000 Bangladeshis have been forced into prostitution in India[8][9]. Ahmedabad Crime Branch (ACB) has investigated a prostitution racket run by a Bangladeshi couple living in Ahmedabad. It believed over 500 women had been coerced into prostitution by illegal Bangladeshi agents in Gujarat.[citation needed]
[edit] Settlement
Indian newspapers reported that "the state government has reports that illegal Bangladeshi migrants have trickled into parts of rural Bengal, including Nandigram[10], over the years, and settled down as sharecroppers with the help of local Left leaders. Though a majority of these immigrants became tillers, they lacked documents to prove the ownership of land[10]".
[edit] Politics
Allegations exist that other parties such as the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Indian National Congress have discriminated against Bengali-speaking Muslims.[11]. Even though it must be noted that the number of Bengali-speaking Muslims has increased multifold since independence, suggesting that many of these Bengali-speaking Muslims are maybe illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.[citation needed]
[edit] Court cases
In August 2008, the Delhi High Court dismissed a petition by a Bangladeshi national against her deportation. The High Court ruled that the illegal Bangladeshi immigrants "pose a danger to India's internal security".[12]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ 2 cr Bangladeshis in India: Fernandes Tribune India - September 27, 2003
- ^ Problem of Bangladeshi migrants
- ^ The Bengal Borderland: Beyond State and Nation in South Asia By Willem van Schendel By Willem van Schendel Published 2005 Anthem Press
- ^ http://www.gcim.org/attachements/GMP%20No%2042.pdf Indifference, impotence, and intolerance:transnational Bangladeshis in India, Sujata Ramachandran
- ^ 22 illegal immigrants from Bangladesh held The Hindu - October 09, 2007
- ^ http://www.indiaenews.com/india/20061215/32586.htm Rs.180,000 spent to deport an illegal Bangladeshi? By Syed Zarir Hussain, December 15, 2006
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/4653810.stm Villagers left in limbo by border fence, 28 January 2006.
- ^ http://www.uri.edu/artsci/wms/hughes/banglad.htm Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, Factbook on Global Sexual Exploitation, Donna M. Hughes, Laura Joy Sporcic, Nadine Z. Mendelsohn and Vanessa Chirgwin
- ^ Trafficking in Bangladeshi Women and Girls, by Bimal Kanti Paul; Syed Abu Hasnath Geographical Review, p.268-276, April 2000
- ^ a b http://www.financialexpress.com/news/story/186579/ Left Front puts Nandigram land acquisition on hold, The Financial Express, March 18, 2007
- ^ Making a 'menace' of migrants, Vir Sanghvi The Nation - January 6, 2006
- ^ Illegal Bangladeshi immigrants threat to India: court
[edit] External links
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1. There are essentially two types of migrants from a country. one is due to persecution for various reasons, and the other is an economic migrant. In analysing the issue of illegal migrants in India a clear cut distinction is not made. This note will try to address this subject in a logical manner.
2. Persecution is essentially either for political reasons or religious. The return of the person to his own homeland can take place only when there are circumstances which remove the cause of the persecution. In such a case the persons are given asylum in the adopted country, since it would be inhuman to send them back, knowing fully well that they will not have normal civil liberties and in many cases their lives will be in danger. Political asylum seekers usually tend to be small in number, while those persecuted for religious reasons may well be significant in numbers.
3. An economic migrant does not receive these privileges, since the economic hardship is not specifically directed towards a particular section of the people. The people's right to vote is not affected, and there is a possibility that there can be a change in government, so that the right economic policies are implemented. Economic migrants also will tend to be much larger and places a substantial monetary burden on the host country.
4. In the past, political asylum seekers have tended to go to either the United States or Europe. Countries like Germany had relatively lenient laws in this respect. But, there has been tendency to misuse these facilities, and the same have been tightened. It is easy to identify such asylum seekers, since with the wide reach of information systems, those who are politically persecuted become well known even before they leave their homelands. The case in point is the students who led the Tinamen Square protest in China.
5. Religious persecution in the recent past has been relatively small, considering the number of such cases. However, in India this has special significance, particularly with the two important neighbours - Pakistan and Bangladesh having declared themselves-to be Islamic nations. In case of the former, the stream of Hindu migrants has continued unabated since the time of independence in 1947, and a Hindu population of a little more than 20% has now been reduced to less than 1.5%. The numbers at any one time were small, and the absorption of this population was not a difficult task.
6. In case of Bangladesh, the Hindu migration of a large scale is a relatively new phenomenon, because traditionally the Bengali identity was more predominant than the religious one. (Of course, one cannot forget the massacre of Hindus in Naokhali and Calcutta in the pre-independence period.) The first major migration took place just before the Bangladesh war, and in the early 1970s a huge wave of Hindus had to flee their homes in Bangladesh. With the establishment of Mujibur Rehman as the Prime Minister, most of these were able to go back, and there was period of relative communal harmony in Bangladesh. With his assassination, and due to the pampering of the Islamic fundamentalist, things have become quite bad, and the religious persecution of the Hindus has increased. Swt Taslima Nasreem's Lajja gives a graphic description of what has happened. (It should be stressed here that the events of December 6, 1992, had no bearing on the persecution, which was prevalent even before the Ram Janmabhoomi movement came on the national agenda in the country.)
7. In case of Bangladesh, another group that had to flee its home are the Chakmas. Those who have become migrants due to religious persecution have to receive a special treatment in their host countries. India is the logical host since the religions of both the groups have their origins in this country. To ask them to go back, knowing fully well that they will be persecuted, is an inhuman act. Bangladesh itself was a recipient of the Muslims from Burma. Attempts were made for forcible repatriation, which were violently resisted by the Burmese Muslims. It required a huge effort on part of the United Nations to create adequate conditions for their return. While the Chakmas are being asked to go back, based on an assurance by the Bangladesh government, to what extent the ground reality will permit a permanent return has to be seen. However, considering the track record, it is difficult to foresee a condition, at least in the medium future, that the Hindus will be able to go back. It has to be remembered that the Chakmas live in a small part, and mostly hilly areas, where they can defend themselves better. The Hindus are scattered all over, living in mostly urban areas and self-protection is impossible in such situations.
8. In the international context, the issue of economic migration can be seen in the context of the boat people from Vietnam. (It has to be remembered that there was an ethnic angle also, since most of these boat people were of Chinese origin.) Countries like Hong Kong have kept them in separate camps, and are now being repatriated. other countries like Malaysia would not permit the boats to land, irrespective of the condition of the vessels, and in many cases knowing fully well that the chances of survival is very poor if not non-existent.
9. The economic migration into India is a very insidious programme, and requires to be handled as such. The first such cases started during the time of Shri Fakruddin Ali Ahmed in Assam. it was done also to create a block of votes which would enable him to win the elections without going through the legitimate political process. The methodology that was adopted was to grant these people first the ration card, on the basis of which they got enrolled on the electoral rolls. The scale of this infiltration was such that we have had the instance of the AGP and AASU having to take the matter up in the streets. The violence during this period is well known.
10. This 'success' encouraged Congress and Communist politicians in other parts of India to emulate the method, and this illegal migration is now a problem in Bihar, Delhi, Bombay, and many other places in the country. These people are able to merge with the local population, and invariably live together in certain areas in the cities concerned. Identification can only be done by special programmes. However, in most of the places the government machinery is in the control of the very political party that benefits, in electoral terms, by the presence of the illegal migrants. With the seriousness with which the Chief Election Commissioner has taken up the issue, things have become difficult for these governments. The programme now is to confuse the issue, and passing on the responsibility from one department within the government to another.
11. Due to the concentration of the illegal immigrants in certain pockets, they determine the fate of the election there. Thus, the person that wins will be chosen not by Indians, but by foreigners. They can well form significant blocks, whose interest will necessarily clash with those of the country. One thus sees a major security throat in the situation. In addition, economic policies will also be determined by foreigners, through subversion of the political process.
12. It has also to be understood that India is a poor country with a large number of unemployed people. The illegal immigrant is thus taking away a job away from a legitimate citizen of the country, increasing the economic burden on India, leading to higher taxes and utilising its resources not in the best interest of the country. In developed countries like Germany and the United States one sees a reaction from the local people whenever they feel threatened by the foreign worker, even though most of them may be there legally. Not having loyalty to their adopted country, the illegal immigrants are more likely to involve themselves in unlawful activities, and this danger increases when these immigrant:. have political patronage.
13. That there are illegal economic immigrants in this country is accepted. That they are on the electoral rolls is also accepted. It is further accepted that they have to be removed from these rolls. How this is to be done can be a matter of discussion. But if it is not done quickly, then the consequences will be disastrous.
November 94.
Extracts from the Citizenship Act, 1955
3. Citizenship by birth.- (1) Except as provided in sub-section (2), every person born in India,-
(a) on or after the 26th day of January,1950, but before the 1st day of July, 1987;
(b) on or after the 1st day of July, 1987, but before the commencement of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2003 and either of whose parents is a citizen of India at the time of his birth;
(c) on or after the commencement of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2003, where-
(i) both of his parents are citizens of India; or
(ii) one of whose parents is a citizen of India and the other is not an illegal migrant at the time of his birth,
shall be a citizen of India by birth.
(2) A person shall not be a citizen of India by virtue of this section if at the time of his birth-
(a) either his father or mother possesses such immunity from suits and legal process as is accorded to an envoy of a foreign sovereign power accredited to the President of India and he or she, as the case may be, is not a citizen of India; or
(b) his father or mother is an enemy alien and the birth occurs in a place then under occupation by the enemy.
4. Citizenship by descent.- (1) A person born outside India shall be a citizen of India by descent,-
(a) on or after the 26th day of January, 1950, but before the 10th day of December, 1992, if his father is a citizen of India at the time of his birth; or
(b) on or after the 10th day of December,1992, if either of his parents is a citizen of India at the time of his birth:
Provided that if the father of a person referred to in clause (a) was a citizen of India by descent only, that person shall not be a citizen of India by virtue of this section unless-
(a) his birth is registered at an Indian consulate within one year of its occurrence or the commencement of this Act, whichever is later, or, with the permission of the Central Government, after the expiry of the said period; or
(b) his father is, at the time of his birth, in service under a Government in India:
Provided further that if either of the parents of a person referred to in clause (b) was a citizen of India by descent only, that person shall not be a citizen of India by virtue of this section unless-
(a) his birth is registered at an Indian consulate within one year of its occurrence or on or after the 10th day of December, 1992, whichever is later, or, with the permission of the Central Government, after the expiry of the said period; or
(b) either of his parents is, at the time of his birth, in service under a Government of India:
Provided also that on or after the commencement of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2003, a person shall not be a citizen of India by virtue of this section, unless his birth is registered at an Indian consulate in such form and in such manner, as may be prescribed,-
(i) within one year of its occurrence or the commencement of the citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2003, whichever is later; or
(ii) with the permission of the Central Government, after the expiry of the said period:
Provided also that no such birth shall be registered unless the parents of such person declare, in such form and in such manner as may be prescribed, that the minor does not hold the passport of another country.
(1A) A minor who is a citizen of India by virtue of his section and is also a citizen of any other country shall cease to be a citizen of India if he does not renounce the citizenship or nationality of another country within six months of attaining full age.
(2) If the Central Government so directs, a birth shall be deemed for the purposes of this section to have been registered with its permission, notwithstanding that its permission was not obtained before the registration.
(3) For the purposes of the proviso to sub-section (1), any male person born outside undivided India who was, or was deemed to be, a citizen of India at the commencement of the Constitution shall be deemed to be a citizen of India by descent only.
5. Citizenship by registration.- (1) Subject to the provisions of this section and such other conditions and restrictions as may be prescribed, the Central Government may, on an application made in this behalf, register as a citizen of India any person not being an illegal migrant who is not alrea dy such citizen by virtue of the Constitution or of any other provision of this Act if he belongs to any of the following categories, namely:
(a) a person of Indian origin who are ordinarily resident in India for seven years before making an application for registration;
(b) a person of Indian origin who is ordinarily resident in any country or place outside undivided India;
(c) a person who is married to a citizen of India and is ordinarily resident in India for seven years before making an application for registration.
(d) minor children of persons who are citizens of India;
(e) a person of full age and capacity whose parents are registered as citizens of India under clause (a) of this sub-section or sub-section (1) of section 6;
(f) a person of full age and capacity who, or either of his parents, was earlier citizen of independent India, and has been residing in India for one year immediately before making an application for registration;
(g) a person of full age and capacity who has been registered as an overseas citizen of India for five years, and who has been residing in India for one year before making an application for registration.
6. Citizenship by naturalization.- (1) Where an application is made in the prescribed manner by any person of full age and capacity not being an illegal migrant for the grant of a certificate of naturalization to him, the Central Government may, if satisfied that the applicant is qualified for naturalization under the provisions of the Third Schedule, grant to him a certificate of naturalization:
Provided that, if in the opinion of the Central Government, the applicant is a person who has rendered distinguished service to the cause of science, philosophy, art, literature, world peace or human progress generally, it may waive all or any of the conditions specified in the Third Schedule.
(2) The person to whom a certificate of naturalization is granted under sub-section (1) shall, on taking the oath of allegiance in the form specified in the Second Schedule, be a citizen of India by naturalization as from the date on which that certificate is granted.
9. Termination of citizenship.- (1) Any citizen of India who by naturalization, registration otherwise voluntarily acquires, or has at any time between the 26th January, 1950 and the commencement of this Act, voluntarily acquired the citizenship of another country shall, upon such acquisition or, as the case may be, such commencement, cease to be a citizen of India:
Provided that nothing in this sub-section shall apply to a citizen of India who, during any war in which India may be engaged, voluntarily acquires, the citizenship of another country, until the Central Government otherwise directs.
(2) If any question arises as to whether, when or how any citizen of India has acquired the citizenship of another country, it shall be determined by such authority, in such manner, and having regard to such rules of evidence, as may be prescribed in this behalf.
17. Offences.- Any person who, for the purpose of procuring anything to be done or not to be done under this Act, knowingly makes any representation which is false in a material particular shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years, or with fine which may extend to fifty thousand rupees, or with both.
THE CITIZENSHIP (AMENDMENT) ACT, 2005
1. Short title and commencement.-(1) This Act may be called the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2005.
(2) It shall be deemed to have come into force on the 28th day of June, 2005.
2.
Amendment of section 2.
2. Amendment of section 2.-In section 2 of the Citizenship Act, 1955 (57 of 1955) (hereinafter referred to as the principal Act), in sub-section (1),-
(i) for clause (ee), the following clause shall be substituted, namely:-
(ee) "overseas citizen of India" means a person registered as an overseas citizen of India by the Central Government under section 7A;;
(ii) clause (gg) shall be omitted.
3.
Amendment of section 5.
3. Amendment of section 5.-In section 5 of the principal Act, in sub-section (1), in clause (g), for the words "two years", the words "one year"shall be substituted.
4.
Substitution of new section for section 7A.
4. Substitution of new section for section 7A.-For section 7A of the principal Act, the following section shall be substituted, namely:-
"7A. Registration of overseas citizens of India.-The Central Government may, subject to such conditions and restrictions as may be prescribed, on an application made in this behalf, register as an overseas citizen of India-
(a) any person of full age and capacity,-
(i) who is citizen of another country, but was a citizen of India at the time of, or at any time after, the commencement of the Constitution; or
(ii) who is citizen of another country, but was eligible to become a citizen of India at the time of the commencement of the Constitution; or
(iii) who is citizen of another country, but belonged to a territory that became part of India after the 15th day of August, 1947; or
(iv) who is a child or a grand-child of such a citizen; or
(b) a person, who is a minor child of a person mentioned in clause (a):
Provided that no person, who is or had been a citizen of Pakistan, Bangladesh or such other country as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify, shall be eligible for registration as an overseas citizen of India.".
5.
Omission of Fourth Schedule.
5. Omission of Fourth Schedule.-The Fourth Schedule to the principal Act shall be omitted.
6.
Repeal and saving.
6. Repeal and saving.-(1) The Citizenship (Amendment) Ordinance, 2005 (Ord. 2 of 2005) is hereby repealed.
(2) Notwithstanding such repeal, anything done or any action taken under the principal Act, as amended by the said Ordinance, shall be deemed to have been done or taken under the principal Act, as amended by this Act.
THE CITIZENSHIP (AMENDMENT) ACT, 2003
1. Short title and commencement.-(1) This Act may be called the
Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2003.
(2) It shall come into force on such date as the Central Government
may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint:
Provided that different dates may be appointed for different provisions
of this Act and any reference in any such provision to the commencement
of this Act shall be construed as a reference to the commencement of
that provision.
2.
Amendment of section 2.
2. Amendment of section 2.-In section 2 of the Citizenship Act, 1955
(57 of 1955) (hereinafter referred to as the principal Act), in subsection
(1),-
(i) for clauses (b) and (c) and the proviso to clause (c), the
following clause shall be substituted, namely:-
(b) "illegal migrant" means a foreigner who has entered into India-
(i) without a valid passport or other travel documents and such other
document or authority as may be prescribed by or under any law in that
behalf; or
(ii) with a valid passport or other travel documents and such other
document or authority as may be prescribed by or under any law in that
behalf but remains therein beyond the permitted period of time;;
(ii) after clause (e), the following clause shall be inserted, namely:-
(ee) "overseas citizen of India" means a person who-
(i) is of Indian origin being a citizen of a specified country, or
(ii) was a citizen of India immediately before becoming a citizen of a
specified country,
and is registered as an overseas citizen of India by the Central
Government under sub-section (1) of section 7A;;
(iii) after clause (g), the following clause shall be inserted, namely:-
(gg) "specified country" means a country specified in the Fourth
Schedule:
Provided that the Central Government may, by notification in the
Official Gazette, amend the said Schedule by way of addition or
omission of any entry therein:
Provided further that every notification issued under this clause
shall, as soon as may be, after it is made, be laid before each House
of Parliament;.
3.
Substitution of new section for section 3.
3. Substitution of new section for section 3.-For section 3 of the
principal Act, the following section shall be substituted, namely:-
Citizenship by birth.
"3. Citizenship by birth.-(1) Except as provided in sub-section (2),
every person born in India-
(a) on or after the 26th day of January, 1950, but before the 1st day
of July, 1987;
(b) on or after the 1st day of July, 1987, but before the commencement
of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2003 and either of whose parents is
a citizen of India at the time of his birth;
(c) on or after the commencement of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act,
2003, where-
(i) both of his parents are citizens of India; or
(ii) one of whose parents is a citizen of India and the other is not an
illegal migrant at the time of his birth,
shall be a citizen of India by birth.
(2) A person shall not be a citizen of India by virtue of this section
if at the time of his birth-
(a) either his father or mother possesses such immunity from suits and
legal process as is accorded to an envoy of a foreign sovereign power
accredited to the President of India and he or she, as the case may be,
is not a citizen of India; or
(b) his father or mother is an enemy alien and the birth occurs in a
place then under occupation by the enemy.".
4.
Amendment of section 4.
4. Amendment of section 4.-In section 4 of the principal Act, for subsection
(1), the following sub-sections shall be substituted, namely:-
"(1) A person born outside India shall be a citizen of India by
descent,-
(a) on or after the 26th day of January, 1950, but before the 10th day
of December, 1992, if his father is a citizen of India at the time of
his birth; or
(b) on or after the 10th day of December, 1992, if either of his
parents is a citizen of India at the time of his birth:
Provided that if the father of a person referred to in clause (a) was a
citizen of India by descent only, that person shall not be a citizen of
India by virtue of this section unless-
(a) his birth is registered at an Indian consulate within one year of
its occurrence or the commencement of this Act, whichever is later, or,
with the permission of the Central Government, after the expiry of the
said period; or
(b) his father is, at the time of his birth, in service under a
Government in India:
Provided further that if either of the parents of a person referred to
in clause (b) was a citizen of India by descent only, that person shall
not be a citizen of India by virtue of this section, unless-
(a) his birth is registered at an Indian consulate within one year of
its occurrence or on or after the 10th day of December, 1992, whichever
is later, or, with the permission of the Central Government, after the
expiry of the said period; or
(b) either of his parents is, at the time of his birth, in service
under a Government in India:
Provided also that on or after the commencement of the Citizenship
(Amendment) Act, 2003, a person shall not be a citizen of India by
virtue of this section, unless his birth is registered at an Indian
consulate in such form and in such manner, as may be prescribed,-
(i) within one year of its occurrence or the commencement of the
Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2003, whichever is later; or
(ii) with the permission of the Central Government, after the expiry of
the said period:
Provided also that no such birth shall be registered unless the parents
of such person declare, in such form and in such manner as may be
prescribed, that the minor does not hold the passport of another
country.
(1A) A minor who is a citizen of India by virtue of this section and is
also a citizen of any other country shall cease to be a citizen of
India if he does not renounce the citizenship or nationality of another
country within six months of attaining full age.
5.
Amendment of section 5.
5. Amendment of section 5.-In section 5 of the principal Act,-
(a) for sub-section (1), the following shall be substituted, namely:-
"(1) Subject to the provisions of this section and such other
conditions and restrictions as may be prescribed, the Central
Government may, on an application made in this behalf, register as a
citizen of India any person not being an illegal migrant who is not
already such citizen by virtue of the Constitution or of any other
provision of this Act if he belongs to any of the following categories,
namely:-
(a) a person of Indian origin who is ordinarily resident in India for
seven years before making an application for registration;
(b) a person of Indian origin who is ordinarily resident in any country
or place outside undivided India;
(c) a person who is married to a citizen of India and is ordinarily
resident in India for seven years before making an application for
registration;
(d) minor children of persons who are citizens of India;
(e) a person of full age and capacity whose parents are registered as
citizens of India under clause (a) of this sub-section or sub-section
(1) of section 6;
(f) a person of full age and capacity who, or either of his parents,
was earlier citizen of independent India, and has been residing in
India for one year immediately before making an application for
registration;
(g) a person of full age and capacity who has been registered as an
overseas citizen of India for five years, and who has been residing in
India for two years before making an application for registration.
Explanation 1.-For the purposes of clauses (a) and (c), an applicant
shall be deemed to be ordinarily resident in India if-
(i) he has resided in India throughout the period of twelve months
immediately before making an application for registration; and
(ii) he has resided in India during the eight years immediately
preceding the said period of twelve months for a period of not less
than six years.
Explanation 2.-For the purposes of this sub-section, a person shall be
deemed to be of Indian origin if he, or either of his parents, was born
in undivided India or in such other territory which became part of
India after the 15th day of August, 1947.";
(b) after sub-section (5), the following sub-section shall be inserted,
namely:-
"(6) If the Central Government is satisfied that circumstances exist
which render it necessary to grant exemption from the residential
requirement under clause (c) of sub-section (1) to any person or a
class of persons, it may, for reasons to be recorded in writing, grant
such exemption.".
6.
Amendment of section 6.
6. Amendment of section 6.-In section 6 of the principal Act, in subsection
(1), for the words "who is not a citizen of a country specified
in the First Schedule", the words "not being an illegal migrant" shall
be substituted.
7.
Insertion of heading and new sections 7A, 7B, 7D and 7D.
7. Insertion of heading and new sections 7A, 7B, 7D and 7D.-After
section 7 of the principal Act, the following heading and sections
shall be inserted, namely:-
OVERSEAS CITIZENSHIP.
OVERSEAS CITIZENSHIP
7A. Registration of overseas citizens.-(1) The Central Government may,
subject to such conditions and restrictions including the condition of
reciprocity as may be prescribed, on an application made in this
behalf, register any person as an overseas citizen of India if-
(a) that person is of Indian origin of full age and capacity who is a
citizen of a specified country; or
(b) that person is of full age and capacity who has obtained the
citizenship of a specified country on or after the commencement of the
Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2003 and who was a citizen of India
immediately before such commencement; or
(c) that person is a minor of a person mentioned in clause (a) or
clause (b).
(2) The person registered as an overseas citizen of India under subsection
(1) shall be an overseas citizen of India as from the date on
which he is so registered.
(3) No person who has been deprived of his Indian citizenship under
this Act shall be registered as an overseas citizen of India under subsection
(1) except by an order of the Central Government.
Explanation.-For the purposes of this section and sections 7B, 7C and
7D, the expression "person of Indian origin" shall mean a citizen of
another country who-
(i) was eligible to become a citizen of India at the time of the
commencement of the Constitution;
(ii) belonged to a territory that became part of India after the 15th
day of August, 1947; and
(iii) the children and grand-children of a person covered under clauses
(i) and (ii), but does not include a person who is or had been at any
time a citizen of Pakistan, Bangladesh or such other country as the
Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette,
specify.
Conferment of rights on overseas citizens of India.
7B. Conferment of rights on overseas citizens of India.-(1)
Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being
in force, an overseas citizen of India shall be entitled to such rights
[other than the rights specified under sub-section (2)] as the Central
Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in
this behalf.
(2) An overseas citizen of India shall not be entitled to the rights
conferred on a citizen of India-
(a) under article 16 of the Constitution with regard to equality of
opportunity in matters of public employment;
(b) under article 58 of the Constitution for election as President;
(c) under article 66 of the Constitution for election of Vice-President;
(d) under article 124 of the Constitution for appointment as a Judge of
the Supreme Court;
(e) under article 217 of the Constitution for appointment as a Judge of
the High Court;
(f) under section 16 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 (43
of 1950) in regard to registration as a voter;
(g) under sections 3 and 4 of the Representation of the People Act,
1951 (43 of 1951) with regard to the eligibility for being a member of
the House of the People or of the Council of States, as the case may
be;
(h) under sections 5, 5A and 6 of the Representation of the People Act,
1951 (43 of 1951) with regard to the eligibility for being a member of
the Legislative Assembly or a Legislative Council, as the case may be,
of a State;
(i) for appointment to public services and posts in connection with the
affairs of the Union or of any State except for appointment in such
services and posts as the Central Government may by special order in
that behalf specify.
(3) Every notification issued under sub-section (1) shall be laid
before each House of Parliament.
Renunciation of overseas citizenship.
7C. Renunciation of overseas citizenship.-(1) If any overseas citizen
of India of full age and capacity makes in the prescribed manner a
declaration renouncing his overseas citizenship of India, the
declaration shall be registered by the Central Government, and upon
such registration, that person shall cease to be an overseas citizen of
India.
(2) Where a person ceases to be an overseas citizen of India under subsection
(1), every minor child of that person registered as an overseas
citizen of India, shall thereupon cease to be an overseas citizen of
India.
Cancellation of registration as overseas citizen of India.
7D. Cancellation of registration as overseas citizen of India.-The
Central Government may, by order, cancel the registration granted under
sub-section (1) of section 7A if it is satisfied that-
(a) the registration as an overseas citizen of India was obtained by
means of fraud, false representation or the concealment of any material
fact; or
(b) the overseas citizen of India has shown disaffection towards the
Constitution of India as by law established; or
(c) the overseas citizen of India has, during any war in which India
may be engaged, unlawfully traded or communicated with an enemy or been
engaged in, or associated with, any business or commercial activity
that was to his knowledge carried on in such manner as to assist an
enemy in that war; or
(d) the overseas citizen of India has, within five years after
registration under sub-section (1) of section 7A has been sentenced to
imprisonment for a term of not less than two years; or
(e) it is necessary so to do in the interest of the sovereignty and
integrity of India, the security of India, friendly relations of India
with any foreign country, or in the interests of the general public..
8.
Amendment of section 8.
8. Amendment of section 8.-In section 8 of the principal Act,-
(a) in sub-section (1), the words "who is also a citizen or national of
another country" shall be omitted;
(b) in the proviso to sub-section (2), after the word "declaration",
the words "in the prescribed form and manner" shall be inserted;
(c) sub-section (3) shall be omitted.
9.
Amendment of section 9.
9. Amendment of section 9.-In section 9 of the principal Act, in sub-
section (2), for the word "person", the words "citizen of India" shall
be substituted.
10.
Omission of sections 11 and 12.
10. Omission of sections 11 and 12.-Sections 11 and 12 of the principal
Act shall be omitted.
11.
Amendment of section 14.
11. Amendment of section 14.-In secion 14 of the principal Act, for the
words and figures "sections 5 and 6″, the words, figures and letter
"sections 5, 6 and 7A" shall be substituted.
12.
Insertion of new section 14A.
12. Insertion of new section 14A.-After section 14 of the principal
Act, the following section shall be inserted, namely:-
Issue of national identity cards.
"14A. Issue of national identity cards.-(1) The Central Government may
compulsorily register every citizen of India and issue national
identity card to him.
(2) The Central Government may maintain a National Register of Indian
Citizens and for that purpose establish a National Registration
Authority.
(3) On and from the date of commencement of the Citizenship (Amendment)
Act, 2003, the Registrar General, India, appointed under sub-section
(1) of section 3 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 (18
of 1969) shall act as the National Registration Authority and he shall
function as the Registrar General of Citizen Registration.
(4) The Central Government may appoint such other officers and staff as
may be required to assist the Registrar General of Citizen Registration
in discharging his functions and responsibilities.
(5) The procedure to be followed in compulsory registration of the
citizens of India shall be such as may be prescribed.
13.
Insertion of new section 15A.
13. Insertion of new section 15A.-After section 15 of the principal
Act, the following section shall be inserted, namely:-
Review.
"15A. Review.-(1) Any person aggrieved by an order made by the Central
Government, may, within thirty days from the date of such order, make
an application for review of such order:
Provided that the Central Government may entertain an application after
the expiry of the said period of thirty days, if it is satisfied that
the applicant was prevented by sufficient cause from making the
application in time:
Provided further that an application for a review of an order passed in
terms of the provisions of section 14A shall be disposed of in the
manner provided for in the procedure as may be laid down under clause
(ia) of sub-section (2) of section 18.
(2) On receipt of an application under sub-section (1), the Central
Government shall, make such order as it deems fit, and the decision of
the Central Government on such review shall be final.".
14.
Amendment of section 17.
14. Amendment of section 17.-In section 17 of the principal Act,-
(a) for the words "six months", the words "five years" shall be
substituted;
(b) for the words "with fine", the words "with fine which may extend to
fifty thousand rupees" shall be substituted.
15.
Amendment of section 18.
15. Amendment of section 18.-In section 18 of the principal Act,-
(i) in sub-section (2),-
(a) after clause (a), the following clause shall be inserted, namely:-
"(aa) the form and manner in which a declaration under sub-section (1)
of section 4 shall be made;";
(b) after clause (i), the following clause shall be inserted, namely:-
"(ia) the procedure to be followed in compulsory registration of the
citizens of India under sub-section (5) of section 14A;";
(ii) in sub-section (3), the following proviso shall be inserted,
namely:-
"Provided that any rule made in respect of a matter specified in clause
(ia) of sub-section (2) may provide that a breach thereof shall be
punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three
months, or with fine which may extend to five thousand rupees, or with
both.".
16.
Omission of First Schedule.
16. Omission of First Schedule.-The First Schedule to the principal Act
shall be omitted.
17.
Substitution of Second Schedule by a new Schedule.
17. Substitution of Second Schedule by a new Schedule.-For the Second
Schedule to the principal Act, the following Schedule shall be
substituted, namely:-
THE SECOND SCHEDULE
OATH OF ALLEGIANCE
"THE SECOND SCHEDULE
[See sections 5(2) and 6(2)]
OATH OF ALLEGIANCE
I, A/B…………………do solemnly affirm (or swear) that I will
bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law
established, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of India and
fulfil my duties as a citizen of India.".
18.
Amendment of Third Schedule.
18. Amendment of Third Schedule.-In the Third Schedule to the principal
Act,-
(a) in the opening portion, the words "who is not a citizen of a
country specified in the First Schedule" shall be omitted;
(b) in clause (b), for the words "he has renounced the citizenship of
that country in accordance with the law therein in force in that behalf
and has notified such renunciation to the Central Government", the
words "he undertakes to renounce the citizenship of that country in the
event of his application for Indian citizenship being accepted" shall
be substituted;
(c) in clause (d),-
(i) for the words "twelve years", the words "fourteen years" shall be
substituted;
(ii) for the words "nine years", the words "eleven years" shall be
substituted;
(d) in the proviso, in clause (ii), for the words "thirteen years", the
words "fifteen years" shall be substituted.
19.
Insertion of new Fourth Schedule.
19. Insertion of new Fourth Schedule.-After the Third Schedule to the
principal Act, the following Schedule shall be inserted, namely:-
THE FOURTH SCHEDULE
[See section 2(1)(gg)]
"THE FOURTH SCHEDULE
[See section 2(1)(gg)]
1. Australia.
2. Canada.
3. Finland.
4. France.
5. Greece.
6. Ireland.
7. Israel.
8. Italy.
9. Netherlands.
10. New Zealand.
11. Portugal.
12. Republic of Cyprus.
13. Sweden.
14. Switzerland.
15. United Kingdom.
16. United States of America.".
Indian nationality law
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Indian citizenship and nationality law: The Constitution of India provides for a Single citizenship for the entire country. The provisions relating to citizenship at the commencement of the Constitution are contained in Articles 5 to 11 in Part II of the Constitution of India. Relevant Indian legislation is the Citizenship Act 1955, which has been amended by the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 1986, the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 1992, the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2003, and the Citizenship (Amendment) Ordinance 2005. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2003 received the assent of the President of India on 7 January 2004 and came into force on 3 December 2004. The Citizenship (Amendment) Ordinance 2005 was promulgated by the President of India and came into force on 28 June 2005.
Following these reforms, Indian nationality law largely follows the jus sanguinis (citizenship by right of blood) as opposed to the jus soli (citizenship by right of birth within the territory).
[edit] The Law
[edit] Citizenship by Birth
Any person born in India on or after 26 January 1950 but prior to the commencement of the 1986 Act on 1 July 1987 was a citizen of India by birth. A person born in India on or after 1 July 1987 was a citizen of India if either parent was a citizen of India at the time of the birth. Those born in India on or after 3 December 2004 are considered citizens of India only if both of their parents are citizens of India or if one parent is a citizen of India and the other is not an illegal migrant at the time of their birth.
[edit] Citizenship by Descent
Persons born outside India on or after 26 January 1950 but before 10 December 1992 are citizens of India by descent if their father was a citizen of India at the time of their birth.
Person born outside India on or after 10 December 1992 are considered as citizens of India if either of their parents is a citizen of India at the time of their birth.
From 3 December 2004 onwards, persons born outside of India shall not be considered citizens of India unless their birth is registered at an Indian consulate within one year of the date of birth. In certain circumstances it is possible to register after 1 year with the permission of the Central Government. The application for registration of the birth of a minor child must be made to an Indian consulate and must be accompanied by an undertaking in writing from the parents of such minor child that he or she does not hold the passport of another country.
[edit] Citizenship by Registration
The Central Government may, on an application, register as a citizen of India under section 5 of the Citizenship Act 1955 any person (not being an illegal migrant) if he belongs to any of the following categories:-------
- a person of Indian origin who is ordinarily resident in India for seven years before making an application for registration;
- a person of Indian origin who is ordinarily resident in any country or place outside undivided India;
- a person who is married to a citizen of India and is ordinarily resident in India for seven years before making an application for registration;
- minor children of persons who are citizens of India;
- a person of full age and capacity whose parents are registered as citizens of India by ordinary residence in India for seven years;
- a person of full age and capacity who, or either of his parents, was earlier citizen of independent India, and has been residing in India for one year immediately before making an application for registration;
- a person of full age and capacity who has been registered as an overseas citizen of India for five years, and who has been residing in India for one year before making an application for registration.
[edit] Citizenship by Naturalization
Citizenship of India by naturalization can be acquired by a foreigner who has resided in India for twelve years. The applicant must have lived a total of 11 years in India in a period of 14 years, and must have spent in India the past 12 months preceding the application.
[edit] Citizenship at the commencement of the Constitution of India**
Persons domiciled in the territory of India as on 26 November 1949 automatically became Indian citizens by virtue of operation of the relevant provisions of the Indian Constitution coming into force (the majority of the constitutional provisions came into force on 26 January 1950). The Constitution of India also made provisions regarding citizenship for migrants from territories of Pakistan. This is because during the framing of the constitution, British India was partitioned into India and Pakistan (both seceding from the British Empire) and the constitution framers thought it was necessary to provide in some manner, for the legitimisation of refugee entrants from Pakistan who were previously citizens of British India. Therefore, migrants during the time of partition, shortly before or thereafter were also provided automatic citizenship.
[edit] Renunciation of Indian citizenship
Renunciation is covered in Section 8 of the Citizenship Act 1955. If an adult makes a declaration of renunciation of Indian citizenship, he loses Indian citizenship. In addition any minor child of that person also loses Indian citizenship from the date of renunciation. When the child reaches the age of eighteen, he has the right to resume Indian citizenship. The provisions for making a declaration of renunciation under Indian citizenship law require that the person making the declaration be "of full age and capacity."
[edit] Automatic Termination of Indian citizenship
Termination is covered in Section 9 of the Citizenship Act, 1955. The provisions for termination are separate and distinct from the provisions for making a declaration of renunciation.
Section 9(1) of the act provides that any citizen of India who by naturalisation or registration acquires the citizenship of another country shall cease to be a citizen of India. It also provides that any citizen of India who voluntarily acquires the citizenship of another country shall cease to be a citizen of India. Notably, the termination provision differs from the renunciation provision because it applies to "any citizen of India" and is not restricted to adults. Indian children therefore also automatically lose their claim to Indian citizenship if at any time after birth they acquire a citizenship of another country by, for example, naturalisation or registration — even if the acquisition of another citizenship was done as a result of actions by the child's parents.
The acquisition of another country's passport is also deemed under the Citizenship Rules, 1956 to be voluntary acquisition of another country's nationality. Rule 3 of Schedule III of the Citizenship Rules, 1956 states that "the fact that a citizen of India has obtained on any date a passport from the Government of any other country shall be conclusive proof of his having voluntarily acquired the citizenship of that country before that date". Again, this rule applies even if the foreign passport was obtained for the child by his or her parents, and even if possession of such a passport is required by the laws of a foreign country which considers the child to be one of its citizens (e.g., a U.S.-born child of Indian parents who is automatically deemed to be a U.S. citizen according to U.S. law, and who is therefore required by U.S. law to have a U.S. passport in order to travel abroad). It does not matter that a person continues to hold an Indian passport. Persons who acquire another citizenship lose Indian citizenship from the date on which they acquire that citizenship or another country's passport. The prevailing practice at a number of British diplomatic posts, for example, is to impound and return to the Indian authorities the Indian passports of those applicants who apply for and are granted British passports.
Special rules exist for Indian citizens with a connection to Goa, Daman and Diu. Rule 3A of Schedule III of the Citizenship Rules, 1956 states that "Where a person, who has become an Indian Citizen by virtue of the Goa, Daman and Diu (Citizenship) Order, 1962, or the Dadra and Nagar Haveli (Citizenship) Order 1962, issued under section 7 of the Citizenship Act, 1955 (57 of 1955) holds a passport issued by the Government of any other country, the fact that he has not surrendered the said passport on or before the 19 January 1963 shall be conclusive proof of his having voluntarily acquired the citizenship of that country before that date.
On 16 February 1962, a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court of India held in the case of Izhar Ahmad Khan Vs. Union of India that "If it is shown that the person has acquired foreign citizenship either by naturalisation or registration, there can be no doubt that he ceases to be a citizen of India in consequence of such naturalisation or registration."
[edit] Overseas Citizenship of India
There now exists a provision for a new form of Indian nationality, the holders of which are to be known as Overseas Citizens of India. The Constitution of India does not permit dual citizenship or dual nationality, except for minors where the second nationality was involuntarily acquired. Indian authorities have interpreted the law to mean a person can't have a second country's passport simultaneously with an Indian one — even in the case of a child who is claimed by another country as a citizen of that country, and who may be required by the laws of the other country to use one of its passports for foreign travel (e.g., a child born in the United States to Indian parents) — and the Indian courts have given the executive branch wide discretion over this matter. Therefore, Overseas Citizenship of India is not a full citizenship of India and thus, does not amount to dual citizenship or dual nationality.
The Central Government may, on application, register any person as an Overseas Citizen of India if that Person is of Indian Origin and is from a country which allows dual citizenship in some form or the other. Broadly speaking, a "Person of Indian Origin" is a citizen of another country who:
- was a citizen of India on 26 January 1950 or at any time thereafter; or
- was eligible to become a citizen of India on 26 January 1950; or
- belonged to a territory that became part of India after the 15th day of August, 1947; or
- is the child or grandchild of a person described above; and
- has never been a citizen of Pakistan or Bangladesh.
Note that children of Indian parents do not automatically fulfill these requirements, and are therefore not automatically eligible for OCI.
Indian Missions are authorized to grant applications for Overseas citizenship of India within 15 days to cases where there is no involvement in serious offences like drug trafficking, moral turpitude, terrorist activities or anything leading to imprisonment of more than a year.
The introduction of Overseas Indian Citizenship does not entitle people who have acquired, or are planning to acquire, foreign nationality or to retain their Indian passports. The law continues to require that Indian citizens who take foreign nationality must immediately surrender their Indian passports. Those who are eligible can then apply for registration as Overseas Indian Citizens.
There is no plan to issue Indian passports to Overseas Citizens of India, although the registration certificate will be in the form of a passport-like booklet (similar to the #Person of Indian Origin (PIO) Card mentioned below). The Cabinet has also directed the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs to work on a proposal to give biometric smart cards to registered Overseas Citizens of India.
An Overseas Citizen of India will enjoy all rights and privileges available to Non-Resident Indians excluding the right to invest in agriculture and plantation properties. The person has to carry his existing foreign passport which should include the new visa called 'U' visa which is a multi-purpose, multiple-entry, life-long visa. It will entitle the Overseas Citizen of India to visit the country at any time for any length of time and for any purpose.
An Overseas Citizen of India will not enjoy the following rights even if resident in India: (i) the right to vote, (ii) the right to hold the offices of President, Vice-President, Judge of Supreme Court and High Court, Member of Lok sabha, Rajya Sabha, Legislative Assembly or Council, (iii) appointment to Public Services (Government Service). Also Overseas Citizens of India are not eligible for an inner line permit, they have to apply for a Protected area permit if they want to visit certain areas in India.
An interesting question is whether a person registered as an Overseas Citizen of India will lose the right of diplomatic protection by their home country while in India. Article 4 of the Hague Convention on Certain Questions relating to the Conflict of Nationality Laws of 1930 provides that "a State may not afford diplomatic protection to one of its nationals against a state whose nationality such person also possesses". The case depends on two things: first, does the Indian government itself recognize Overseas Citizenship of India as a true citizenship and on that basis refuse the right of diplomatic protection by the other country; and second, does the person's home country recognize it and accept India's refusal. Both points are doubtful. India does not give Overseas Citizens an independent travel document but instead puts a visa in the other country's passport. If a person is eligible to have only another country's passport but not any form of Indian travel document, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that the person is a sole citizen of the other country for the purposes of diplomatic protection.
Acquiring Overseas citizenship of India prevents British nationals from registering as full British citizens under Section 4B of the British Nationality Act of 1981 (which requires that nationals have no other citizenship in order to register.) It does not prevent them from acquiring full British citizenship by a different method and it does not revoke their British citizenship if they have already registered under Section 4B. [1][2]
The Government of India's Public Information Bureau issued a press release which explains the Scheme for Overseas citizenship of India on 29 June 2005.
Full details of the OCI scheme can be found on the Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs Web Page: (external link) http://mha.nic.in/oci/oci-main.htm
A number of other articles have been written including:
- Fool's Gold published December 2004 in Little India
- Dual Citizenship or Dupli City? by Narayanan Komerath, published 28 January 2005
- Read the Small Print on Indian Overseas Citizenship Offer, Warns British Immigration NGO by Joint Council for Welfare of Immigrants, released 10 August 2005
- Overseas citizenship of India/Dual Nationality - US Embassy, New Delhi
[edit] Person of Indian Origin (PIO) Card
Any person currently holding a non-Indian passport, who can prove their Indian origin up to three generations before (or is the spouse of a citizen of India or person of Indian origin), is eligible for a Person of Indian Origin card. Citizens of Pakistan, Bangladesh and other countries as may be specified by the Central Government are not eligible for grant of Person of Indian Origin Card.
PIO cards give the holder the following benefits: (a) visa-free entry into India for fifteen years, (b) exemption from registration at a Foreigners' Regional Registration Office if the period of stay in India does not exceed 180 days (for stay of more than 180 days, the PIO card holder needs to register at a FRRO office), and (c) PIO card holders enjoy parity with Non-Resident Indians in economic, financial and educational fields.
A PIO Card is generally valid for a period of fifteen years from the date of issue.
PIO holders can acquire, hold, transfer or dispose of immovable properties in India (except agricultural/ plantation properties), open rupee bank accounts in India, lend in rupees to Indian residents, make investments in India etc.
PIO holders' children can obtain admission in educational institutions in India in the general category quota for Non-Resident Indians, including Medical, Engineering colleges, IITs & IIMs.
PIO holders are eligible for various Housing schemes under Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) or Central/State Governments.
Possession of a PIO card will not entitle the holder to: (a) be eligible for the exercise of any political rights, (b) visit restricted/protected areas without permission, and (c) undertake mountaineering, research and missionary work without permission.
[edit] British nationality and India
| British & Commonwealth citizenship |
|---|
| Commonwealth nationality laws |
| British (history) |
| Classes of citizens and subjects |
| British citizen |
| Rights and visas |
| Right of abode |
| Acts |
| Ireland Act 1949 |
Prior to 1 January 1949, Indians were British subjects under United Kingdom law. See British nationality law. Between 1 January 1949 and 25 January 1950, Indians remained British subjects without citizenship unless they had already acquired citizenship of the UK & Colonies or another Commonwealth country.
On commencement of the Indian Constitution on 26 January 1950, under British Nationality law a person who became an Indian citizen also had the status of Commonwealth citizen (also known as a British subject with Commonwealth citizenship, a status which does not entitle the person to use a British passport) by virtue of their Indian citizenship and India's membership of the Commonwealth. However, a number of Indians did not acquire Indian citizenship on commencement of the Indian Constitution and retained British subject without citizenship status (which entitles a person to a British passport) unless they had acquired citizenship of another Commonwealth country. Any person who is solely a British subject (otherwise than by connection with the Republic of Ireland) will automatically lose British subject status on acquiring any other nationality or citizenship including Indian citizenship or Indian Overseas citizenship.
British subjects may register as British citizens under section 4B of the British Nationality Act 1981 without requiring any UK residence if they have no other citizenship or nationality and have not after 4 July 2002 renounced, voluntarily relinquished or lost through action or inaction any citizenship or nationality. This facility has been available since 30 April 2003. Those who have immigrated to the UK may have additional options for acquiring British citizenship, which are usually preferred because they give transmissible British citizenship with otherwise than by descent status.
From 1949 the meaning of the term British subject was substantially different from what had previously been the case and meant little more than a term to describe someone holding the citizenship of a Commonwealth country. Only a British subject without citizenship was entitled to a British passport. See British subject.
[edit] Application Procedure for OCI
Currently each embassy have their own set of standards and rules without realizing that it is handled at New Delhi so the procedure has to be same.
[edit] Lack of Standard Procedure
There has been a lack of clarity in the application procedure for OCI. There is no defined published time when the application will be approved or to know the exact position of the application.
[edit] External links
- Extracts from the Citizenship Act 1955 - Indian Ministry of Home Affairs
- Constitutional provisions - Indian Citizenship
- India Visa Information
- Pdf versions of the Citizenship Act 1955 and Citizenship Rules 1956
- OCI Card
- South China Morning Post of 25 September 2006, highlighting the plight of Indian ethnic minority BN(O)s in Limbo in Hong Kong
- South China Morning Post of 23 October 2006, criticising failure to properly process British citizenship applications of Indian-origin ethnic minority British nationals in Hong Kong
- Dual Citizenship - Benefits and Privileges
- Dual Nationality - US Embassy, New Delhi
[edit] See also
- French nationality law, which entitles children born to a parent who was born in one of its overseas dependencies or--in limited circumstances--in one of its ex-colonies, to French citizenship
| |||||||
[edit] External links
Preparations begin for MNIC in coastal Orissa
Give me time... I don't even have a mail id: Nilekani
Kasab case
MUMBAI, July 21 – Ajmal Kasab today said his mandate was to open fire indiscriminately at CST and take people 'hostage' on the upper floor, before the special judge for the Mumbai attack trial. – PTI
ID card project
NEW DELHI, July 21 – Experienced gathered in the Pilot Project on Multi-Purpose Identity Card being implemented in selected districts in 12 States including Assam and Tripura would be used in creation of the National Population Register. – Spl Correspondent
Govt proposes to prepare National Population Register
The National ID Card Challenge for Nandan Nilekani.. Part II
Micro Unique Identification Card For Employees!EFYTimes (press release) - Jul 21, 2009 Dr P Sekhar, chairman and managing director, Micro Technologies, "This unique ID card created for Micro employees is the first step Micro Technologies is ... Unique ID card - will it be the last one?Merinews - Jul 18, 2009 Coming to the technicalities of this card, he said that this Unique ID would not replace existing ID cards or numbers which Indians have been issued in ... Give me time... I don't even have a mail id: Nilekani Business Standard India News Digest: Don't Expect An ID Card from Nilekani Wall Street Journal Identification Authority may get more funds in budgetHindu - - Jul 5, 2009 The unique identity card and number, similar to the social security number in the US, which was launched in 1936, will require a massive database. ... Counting heads a huge challenge for IT honcho Malaysia Star Pune smarter in getting unique card for LPG consumersIndian Express - Jul 20, 2009 The Ministry of Petroleum has decided to issue smart cards based on the Unique Identity Number concept to consumers of PDS kerosene and domestic LPG in the ... Infy's loss is identity card's gainCalcutta Telegraph - Jun 25, 2009 The project will give every Indian a permanent unique identity card. It will carry a 16-digit unique ID number, a photograph and biometric data that will ... EDITORIAL COMMENT | Identity Marker Times of India IAS brain in unique ID projectCalcutta Telegraph - - Jul 14, 2009 "It will be a unique ID card /number for delivery of various social and health services among others. The Election Commission has already issued ID cards to ... Census for unique ID card begins in JamnagarTimes of India - Jun 28, 2009 "The government will be issuing ID cards to all above 18 years of age," said additional district collector Mukesh Pandya. " District collectorate officials ... Unique ID card to end duplicate identity, says NilekaniSINDH TODAY - Jul 13, 2009 The new authority would help end ID card duplication by creating a network of verification and authentication, Nilekani, co-founder of IT major Infosys, ... Unique ID to check duplication of identification Business Standard India to Give 1.2 Billion Citizens Biometric ID Cards DigitalJournal.com What's the unique ID card?Economic Times - Jun 25, 2009 Can be used for many purposes, ranging from use as voter I-card to proof for opening bank account. Can help deter illegal immigration & curb terrorism ... 'Make unique ID cards like smart cards'Daily News & Analysis - - Jun 30, 2009 Post 26/11 attack, the Indian government decided to start a project of issuing unique identity cards to every Indian to keep a check on illegal immigrants ... STATE'S CARD Calcutta Telegraph Why The SIM Card Should Be India's National ID Card MediaNama.com A brand in public life Business Line |
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"The government will be issuing ID cards to all above 18 years of age," said additional district collector Mukesh Pandya. " District collectorate officials have begun the door-to-door census of 63 villages of Jamnagar, Lalpur, Khambhalia, Kalyanpur and Jodia talukas from June 26. Similar surveys will be conducted along the entire 1,600-km coastline of Gujarat," he added. He also requested all villagers to cooperate with officials and give correct information when approached.
The government has allotted Rs 120 crore for the ambitious project of providing unique identity for Indian citizens on the lines of US national security number. FM Pranab Mukherjee, in the budget speech, announced the provision of allotment of initial corpus to roll out the project to provide identity cards within the next 12 to 18 months.
There is a queue of government officials wanting to get into the Unique Identification Authority of India, to be headed by Nandan Nilekani.
The Infosys czar is slated to join the authority on July 14 or 15. The authority is tasked with the issue of all-purpose, unique identification cards to all Indian citizens.
With the Centre moving ahead with the plan of providing a unique identification number to citizens, the Economic Survey underlines the
to plug leakages in subsidies — especially those aimed at feeding the poor — and issuing UID to all residents within six months.
Highlighting the importance of UID-based smart cards, the Survey says: "These IDs will form the base of a multi-application smart cards (MASC) system that can be used to empower the poor and ensure that they get the full benefits of all programmes such as NREGA, PDS, publically provided education, skill development, health services, social security (to personal at special risk) and fertilizer subsidy."
While setting the target of rapid operationalisation of the UID Authority — which was set up in January — in three months and creation of an integrated data base of information on all actual and potential beneficiaries of government programmes in one year, the Survey says: "A household ID could be created simultaneously or in parallel by linking it to a set of UIDs of individuals constituting the household."
Officials, however, find the target quite unrealistic, saying it appears to be wishful thinking at this stage when the government has just appointed Nandan Nilekani, co-founder of Infosys, to head the UID Authority.
The UID scheme will be simultaneously implemented with the ongoing Multi-Purpose National Identity Card (MNIC) scheme. While citizens will get smart cards under the MNIC scheme, their unique identification numbers will be provided by the UID Authority through integration of both the schemes. Currently, citizens in coastal villages are being provided MNICs. The scheme will be implemented across the country once the fresh National Population Register is completed by 2011.
According to a senior official who wants to remain unnamed, Nilekani has already given the government a list of up to 50 IT professionals from the private sector, including Infosys, he want to bring in.
Nevertheless,several IAS officers are believed to be interested in joining his team. Some have already sent their applications through the chief secretaries of states.
Cabinet secretary K M Chandrasekhar has shortlisted a few people but wants Nilekani to take the final call on them.
The authority will have nowhere near the Rs 10,000 crore outlay that has been speculated about in media. In the interim budget on February 16, just Rs 100 crore had been earmarked for the authority. It now appears that the Monday's full budget will step it up to Rs 200 crore.
Prime minister Manmohan Singh, who handpicked Nilekani for the job, is believed to be inclined to giving him a free hand in both selecting his team and running the project.
An office for the authority has already been hired. It will occupy two floors of the Jeevan Bharti building in the capital's Connaught Circus and have state-of-the- art infrastructure.
Nilekani will enjoy the rank of a cabinet minister and directly report to the prime minister, with concurrent functional reporting to planning commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia.
The economic survey presented to the Lok Sabha on Thursday envisioned a fully functional authority in three months, completion of issue of identity cards to all citizens in six months, and the creation of an integrated database of all actual and potential beneficiaries of government programmes, subsidies and transfers in one year.
The survey said, "A household ID could be created simultaneously or in parallel by linking it to a set of unique identifications of individuals constituting the household. These IDs will form the base of a multi-applications smart card system that can be used to empower the poor and ensure that they get the full benefits of all programmes such as the rural employment guarantee programme, public distribution system, education, skill development, health services, social security, fertiliser subsidy, solar lanterns, solar cookers, etc."
The card with a 16-digit identification will gradually replace other ID cards now in use, such as the driving licence, voter ID card, and the permanent account number card. It will be a smart card with 16kb memory. The card will also have cyber security features to make it tamper-proof and cloning-proof.
The project envisages preparation of a computerised national register of Indian citizens which will be updated by linking it to birth and death registration offices. The updating will also include changes in address, marital status, name and other details.
The number will remain the permanent identification from birth to death of an individual. In the beginning, the number will be assigned to each person on the current electoral rolls. Subsequently, others, including those below 18 years of age and thus not on the voter list, will be added.
Under this project, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) would set up an online database with identity and biometric details of Indian residents and provide enrolment and verification services across country. The interim budget had allocated Rs 100 crore as the initial fund.
Nandan M Nilekani, co-chairman Infosys, will spearhead the project. Nilekani will enjoy the rank of a cabinet minister and would report to the prime minister, with concurrent functional reporting to planning commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia.
"My last day in Infosys is July 9. I will take up the Unique ID Project by July 15. I have not finalised the names in my team yet. And since I'm now in a space between the government and Infosys, I do not want to comment on the budget recommnedationsm," said Nilekani.
The FM said, "Setting up of the UIDAI is a major step in improving governance with regard to delivery of public services." Last year, the government had rollout a pilot project for issuing multi-purpose national identity card in districts of some of the states.
The authority, coming under the Planning Commission, will be accommodated in a plush building of a public sector undertaking at Connaught Place here, informed sources in the government said.
The interim budget had earmarked Rs. 100 crore as the initial corpus.
About 150 professionals are being hired, mostly from outside the government, to function as the core team and kick-start the massive project, which was in the offing for the past six years.
The sources, however, could not estimate the cost of giving a unique identity number to nearly 1.17 billion citizens.
The project will be implemented over the next three years, and estimates by industry sources have put the cost at Rs.10,000 crore.
The choice of Mr. Nilekani, who quit Infosys Technologies to head the authority, appears to be along the same lines as the former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi's decision to handpick Sam Pitroda to head the technology mission that resulted in information technology and telecom revolution.
The new authority will have the flexibility to draw talent from the private sector and build on the core team's strength. It will help to identify beneficiaries of schemes such as the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and the Public Distribution System.
The government implemented a pilot project last year for issuing multi-purpose national identity card (MNIC) in districts of nearly a dozen States and a Union Territory, mostly in the border areas.
Nearly 12 lakh cards were issued in the select areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Assam, Puducherry and Delhi.
The project, initiated by the National Democratic Alliance government, was one of the pet projects of the then Home Minister, L. K. Advani, who reckoned that it could help to check illegal immigration in several parts of the country, which still poses a serious threat to the national security. However, the setting up of the UIDAI was speeded up after the Mumbai terror attacks.
The sources said the UIDAI would work on the pattern of the MNIC, focussing on giving identity cards, on a priority basis, to citizens living in the coastal and border States.
To begin with, the project is expected to embrace cover Gujarat, Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal, and the Union Territories of Dadara and Nagar Haveli, Lakshadweep, Puducherry and Andaman and Nicobar.
People in these States and Union Territories might get their cards by the middle of 2010.
According to the 11th report of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission, the project will enable citizens to avail themselves of subsidies on food, energy and education depending on their entitlements.
The unique identity card and number, similar to the social security number in the U.S., which was launched in 1936, will require a massive database.
The United Kingdom had spent a huge amount for creating the National Health Scheme, which still has inefficiencies.
In Europe, Austria, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Lithuania, Switzerland and the U.K. have forged a population register, and residents are obliged to register their basic information.
India happens to be one of the countries where different documents such as passport, voter ID card, driving licence and PAN card are used by the people to establish their identity. The aim is to ultimately have one national identity card that will incorporate the details of a citizen in the national database.
Finally we are going to have only single card. We do not have to carry so many cards for identity. Only one card can do it.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said,"The National Population Register will be ready by 2011 and the Multi-purpose National Identity Cards (MNIC) will be issued to all residents in 2011."
To keep a tab on terrorists often mixing with common people, the government has initiated war footing measures to ensure availability of multi-purpose identity cards to all citizens by 2011.
The project aims at providing a unique national identity number to each person in the National Population Register, he told reporters after assuming office.
The Multipurpose National Identity Card (MNIC) project is an initiative of the Indian government to create a national ID for every Indian citizen with the objective of increasing national security, managing citizen identity and facilitating e-governance.
The project was initiated under the Vajpayee, NDA government (circa 2002), which has since been continued by the present UPA government under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The project's importance was underscored by President Abdul Kalam in his 2006 Independence Day eve address to the nation.
However, keeping in view the complexities involved in both the process and technology, a pilot project has been under implementation on an experimental basis covering a population of 30.95 lakhs in selected areas in 12 states and one Union Territory.
"The coastal districts and in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the work has already started," P Chidambaram said.
This is a secure card for which recommendation was made by the Technical Committee constituted by the government having representatives from National Informatics Centre, IIT Kanpur, Bharat Electronics Limited, Indian Telephone Industries Limited, Electronics Corporation of India Limited, Intelligence Bureau and others.
The MNIC is a smart card with 16KB of memory designed to be in line with the specifications laid out in ISO/IEC 7816 and SCOSTA. The cards are designed to support a minimum of 300,000 EEPROM write cycles and will retain data for at least 10 years (Source: Government Tender notice for card manufacturers )
Objective:
* Obviate need for multiple documentary proof
* Facilitate easy verification
* Facilitate easy availing of government or private services
* Help welfare programmes reach intended beneficiaries
* Serve as basis for e-governance services
some extra propose:
* To prepare a National Population Register (NPR)
* To prepare National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC)
* To prepare National Register of Residency (NRR) – for non-citizens
* To provide National Identity Number (NIN) to each person
* To provide Multi-purpose National Identity Card (MNIC) to each citizen
* To provide Multi-purpose Residency Card to non-citizens
This card designed at the time of Vaj[payee Government.
But the first few issued ID Cards look completely different from the prototype by the Vajpayee Government.
The tricolor is missing. And there is less printed information on the card
I think this Insight will help u, People.
The government has finally showcased that they are serious about the Multipurpose National Identity Card system for us Indians.
Unique Identification Authority of India now has a new chairman in the form of Nandan Nilekani who has interestingly left Infosys for this project.
The government claims that this card would benefit the country and the people in several ways…
Some of the highlighted points are:
People eligible for subsidies and other benefits would have a proof
Would address illegal immigration
Would help in countering the terrorist threats
Would become a solid proof of someone's existence
Now, the problems are several. We all know that this system would require massive investments and continues effort to make it a success. I am more worried about the privacy implications of this mechanism. I do not want to be given an identification number just because the government wants to make it easier for them to identify me. We have no social security system in our country. The government does little on that front. The indirect involvement of Infosys in the whole project raises more issues. Nilekani might have 'left' Infosys, but we all know he is not going to become an outsider for them just like that. In fact, Infosys has already announced that they are going to bid for this project. Wah bhai wah!
The Government of India proposed to issue multi-purpose national identity (smart) card (MNIC) to the citizens in the country.
Published on 2/27/2008 5:23:00 PM
New Delhi: The Government of India proposed to issue Multi-purpose National Identity (smart) Card (MNIC) to the citizens in the country.
In a communication sent to the Rajya Sabha, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs Manikrao H Gavit said that the project envisages providing unique national identity number (NIN) to each person in the National Population Register.
However, keeping in view the complexities involved both in the processes and technology, a pilot project has been under implementation covering a population of 30.95 lakh in the selected areas in 12 states and one Union Territory.
"Under the pilot project, identity smart cards are being issued to the citizens of age 18 years and above," the Minister said.
Gavit informed that the production and distribution of identity cards to be completed by March this year has been undertaken through central public sector undertakings (PSUs).
He further added it has been decided that the implementation of the scheme in the entire country would be based in the light of the experiences gained and lessons learnt from the pilot project.
—iGovernment Bureau
| Posted By susmin on 2/27/2008 6:39:00 PM I think it is a great idea. This is already implemented in Goa and really successful. |
| Posted By K S Baghotia on 2/27/2008 9:08:00 PM Multipurpose ID card is long standing demand of the community. Even after 60 years of independence, we are able to provide Multipurpose ID card it will be a boon to the indian administration. This will facilitate the day to day requirements if ID of a person. It must be implemented immediately. Good luck: Baghotia |
| Posted By RKK on 2/27/2008 10:50:00 PM For Kind Attention : Hon. MOS Manik Rao Ji Gavit Ji, Sir, This is an excellent move. The multipurpose card will serve a definite purpose in todays world where individuals have to remember 14 to 16 digit numbers of so many things, Bank accounts, Mediclaim or Insurance numbers, or their own different identity proofs. With growing age senior citizens find it incresingly difficult to remember many vital things or even to put their legible signatures etc. A multipurpose card with redundant biometric identification etc. should in principle solve many such problems. Security of valid data held on it, avoidance of possible intentional misuse, ( and avoidance of misuse on demise of the holder) are necessary to be built in to these. There is also a need to understand unintentional errors that can crop up in any digital ( or computerized ) transactions. In such cases normal method is to use BPO based help lines for redressal. However currently implemented 'call center' based mechanisms by various corporate entities are very inadequate and experience is most frustrating with them. It is both because of 'poor definition' of the function of help lines at design stage and also the intentional 'hiding behind the call center mechanism' by corporate entities to avoid answering inconvenient questions. I understand as a scientist with over 3 decades of experience that the design of good, benevolent systems is difficult. I wish all the best for the pilot testings. It will be my pleasure to be able to participate in any reviews etc. of the various basis evaluations. with kind regards, RKK |
| Posted By K.G. Mathaikutty on 2/28/2008 12:35:00 PM The multi-purpose national ID card for citizens in India would be a remarkable achievement for the developing India. The machanism may also give emphasis to communicate the message "Be honest in our duties and responsibilites towards nation building to enjoy the rights of citizen" With this background let us work together to "uphold the rights of the poor and oppressed" |
| Posted By Bajaj on 2/28/2008 4:48:00 PM There already exists NIC, MC&IT, GOI in all states of INDIA, the National Identity Card (NIC) project can very well be got done through NIC. |
| Posted By GANESAN.P on 3/5/2008 2:44:00 AM [quote comment="5330"]There already exists NIC, MC&IT, GOI in all states of INDIA, the National Identity Card (NIC) project can very well be got done through NIC.[/quote] |
| Posted By Sashiprava on 3/9/2008 6:31:00 PM Initiative sounds very useful. Hope that it shall reduce the rate of trafficking, missing person and will raise the self esteem of common people as a citizen of India. |
| Posted By Yogesh on 4/18/2008 11:27:00 AM The National ID card seems to be yet another Card which will not replace election card, ration card, senior citizen card, and many other cards. Instead a ID no. (not card) should be given to every individual at the time of birth registration (which is compulsory) and same ID can be put on all above cards (if individual requires), with a provision to updating of Address, Photo, from time to time by competent authority. [quote post="2158"]This ID no. is easily possible by using Akshansh-Rekhansh-Vel (Latitude-Longitude-Date) and can be acronym as ARVIND (IND-India). [/quote] If this ID is given at registration of birth it is ARVIND Birth ID. There are also possible applications of this ARVIND no. generation. |
| Posted By Vijay Tase on 5/11/2008 7:57:00 PM I would like to know which states the pilot scheme has been made available. Regards, Vijay Tase |
| Posted By Subramanian.V on 5/13/2008 4:44:00 PM Dear Sirs, The Multipurpose ID card will be a good step forward. This card should replace atleast the EPIC, PAN and other similar cards. Now I have A Passport, EPIC , PAN and Ration card. For ID, I am able to use only Passport.In EPIC, address is not correct and any number of times you approach the concerned govt dept, nothing is done. PAN do not have the addess.Ration card has the Photo of the 1st family member only and address is not correct in spite of pointing out. I have the following request to Govt: 1.It is better to have One multi Purpose ID card incorporating all these cards except the Passport. The Passport should be there. 2.It is better to creat a new Dept/setup for this instead of asking the existing depts to do as additional work. The staff(Revenue or Teachers) are not able to do justice to either. Kindly see the EPIC. We are able to achieve even 90% because the staff deployed are from various dept and they cannot be sincere to this job. 3. Pl issue atleast to those who want and apply immediately. It will a boon to travellers going abroad. We cannot carry Passport always. It is more so required nowadays as the security checking has increased. Subramanian.V |
| Posted By Adarsh Kumar Bhaskar on 9/11/2008 5:44:20 PM Reading & hearing a lot on the topic from long time. We already have lot of learnings ourselves as well as from other countries. The earlier it is implemented, better it is and that more benefits would be within due course. Major issues & their suggested resolutions are: 1. Bogus/ Multiple IDs for same individual: Avoidable through multiple biometric feature - fingerprint, blood-group, Soundex algorithm & Iris. Creating database from existing databases (PAN, Electoral, PDS, Driving Licences, Passport) would be insufficient and cause more chaos/ confusions. 2. Leftout population: Don't think of it at this stage. Let's move ahead, the database of leftout would be build with passage of time, as and when they themselves feel its need/ requirement. 3. From where to start: Let's begin from the day - birth of child (Also Registration of Birth & Death has been made Compulsory under the Act. Let's streamline / strengthen the Birth/ Death Registration System upto grass root level - Govt. Machinery is already existing) 4. Technology: Card - Let's make it RFID based Smart Card with EMV features. NIC has already laid down KMS (for Transport), these need to be refined and made more practicable in current scenario. 5. Supporting Applications: Let's distinguish between the State and the Center Lists. These have least to do as these could be added-upon with time. The exiting requirement is to publish the ID structure (It is understood that one has been done under MNIC, but not yet published). The ID structure should be based upon place of birth + date of birth + sex (As these would remain static). 6. Mimimum dataset to start: Name, date of birth, place of birth, sex, father name, mother name (bio/ legal), nationality, blood group, present address. Latter other more fields could be added-upon. If required more information on topic could be shared. Kindly e-mail. Thanks. |
| Posted By Amardeep on 9/30/2008 6:10:42 PM Huh, these guys will do noting besides talking... India lacks political will!! |
| Posted By Kanu Patel on 1/28/2009 4:35:52 PM Reading & hearing a lot on the topic from long time. We already have lot of learning ourselves as well as from other countries. The earlier it is implemented, better it is and that more benefits would be within due course. Major issues & their suggested resolutions are: 1. Bogus/ Multiple IDs for same individual: Avoidable through multiple biometric feature - fingerprint, blood-group, Soundex algorithm & Iris. Creating database from existing databases (PAN, Electoral, PDS, Driving Licences, Passport) would be insufficient and cause more chaos/confusions. 2. Leftout population: Don't think of it at this stage. Let's move ahead, the database of leftout would be build with passage of time, as and when they themselves feel its need/ requirement. 3. From where to start: Let's begin from the day - birth of child (Also Registration of Birth & Death has been made Compulsory under the Act. Let's streamline / strengthen the Birth/ Death Registration System upto grass root level - Govt. Machinery is already existing) 4. Technology: Card - Let's make it RFID based Smart Card with EMV features. NIC has already laid down KMS (for Transport), these need to be refined and made more practicable in current scenario. 5. Supporting Applications: Let's distinguish between the State and the Center Lists. These have least to do as these could be added-upon with time. The exiting requirement is to publish the ID structure (It is understood that one has been done under MNIC, but not yet published). The ID structure should be based upon place of birth + date of birth + sex (As these would remain static). 6. Mimimum dataset to start: Name, date of birth, place of birth, sex, father name, mother name (bio/ legal), nationality, blood group, present address. Latter other more fields could be added-upon. |
| Posted By Prakash Dikshit on 2/16/2009 2:23:16 PM The Unique Identity Card should have reference of the date of birth of the citizen which will be most useful. I have developed a concept and I am ready to share the same for best use Prakash Dikshit 09819693195 thane Maharashtra |
| Posted By Shabbirbhai Kugasia on 2/21/2009 1:22:52 PM Excellent decision taken on NMI Card ! I would suggest that steps should be taken to strictly avoid data error both in English language & local languages too, if any. Initially the project should be excuated in different parts of the country and then rolled out nation wide. |
| Posted By Sathish on 3/2/2009 11:01:18 AM Multipurpose national identity card scheme is a great idea and every Indian must apply for it to save the country from any terrorist attack and security breach. |
| Posted By generation 47 on 3/3/2009 1:41:51 AM We should make it compulsory, and to get it we must sign the common man rights and duty. No caste should be displayed please only district and the country. This should be a weapon, to do the daily basic things, and if you want to be part of the society, and get jobs, we must be obliged to sign the common man act. All Indians |
| Posted By Naresh Patel on 4/12/2009 1:15:21 AM From the National Security point of view, this MNIC is not going to serve the purpose. I have a suggestion which could be considered. Instead of issuing a dozen cards to a single citizen, it is better to issue a single card with a unique number to a single citizen for a number of purposes. For eg. If I had the same number as my election ID, PAN no, TIN no, Passport no, Driving License no, ppf no, Bank account no, demat account no, etc, etc. Then corruption and terrorism will cease to exist. What's more. I have just made a successful formulation and my dream project can benefit every citizen of our country. |
| Posted By Satyajit Das on 4/19/2009 6:54:54 PM NATIONAL IDENTITY CARD will definitely bring a reform in our country. It will validate the real identity of an individual. It might also act as an helpful tool for the security of our country. But what is important here is that--it will reach to our rural masses! In our day to day life we face lot of difficulties. It is also not easy to get a VOTER ID CARD so will it be possible for our government to issue it to every single citizen of India. What I think is that before implementing this we need to think about its approachibility. Government of India has to make sure that whoever is an Indian National must get it & than only it will give the real fruit. Jai Hind |
| Posted By Bijay Singh Yadav on 5/1/2009 5:28:57 PM How can I apply for this card. Please tell me about the process. Please call me or send full information about this card on my mail. |
| Posted By Antony Joseph on 5/4/2009 3:47:01 PM A great idea thats getting implemented. Like to know the outcome of the pilot project. Also please inform the states where the pilot projects were undertaken. |
| Posted By Rama Ayyar Balasubramanian on 5/5/2009 7:37:39 PM Hi, I am a senior citizen, living in Coimbatore/Tamilnadu. Can any one tell me, where I can get the ID Card for a senior citizen? I got a card from Indian Postal Dept. by paying INR 250.00 But I find it is difficult to convince the cops/officials that card and they say that there is a card issued exclusively for Senior Citizens in Mumbai! Can anyone guide me, please!!! Thanks and Regards, R.BALA. |
| Posted By Anindita Dey on 5/12/2009 1:45:45 AM The proposed Multipurpose ID Card is really a great idea. However, fingerprint should be incorporated compulsorily for identification purpose and the central server system should have finger print for all the citizens of the country. All future issuance of any form of card to any section in the society should have thumb impression registered so that with time we will have a sound database of all citizens (details may be seen in my following posting to iGovernment newsletter: http://www.igovernment.in/site/India-may-set-up-federal-agency-to-battle-terror/ and in Times of India: http://o3.indiatimes.com/mytimes/archive/2008/07/29/4932459.aspx#4932780). Signature is a good indicator of literacy but thumb impression is better for verification purpose. |
| Posted By Raj Putran on 6/26/2009 6:47:03 AM So we are on track... do the great challenging job Nandan Nilkani.. Regards |
| Posted By Raj on 6/26/2009 7:14:54 PM Yes this is a great initiative by the illuminati of India. With this implementation we should also completely be done away with CASH. There should only be digital money and every one should be given one national bank account and they should be given a NATIONAL Cash card only with which a person can make purchases, cash should be abolished because Bangladeshi's, communists and the Pakistanis are diluting our cash and there is a lot of inflation because of that.. everything should be monitored so that all sheep be in line. |
| Posted By R.P.Pandey on 7/8/2009 10:06:34 AM This is good step. It will help citizen in many wayes.most impartant it is related to our national security. |
http://www.igovernment.in/site/india-plans-multi-purpose-national-id-card-for-citizens/External
Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today committed to building an enhanced India- U.S. strategic partnership that seeks to advance solutions to the defining challenges of our time.
They agreed to strengthen the existing bilateral relationships and mechanisms for cooperation between the Government of Republic of India and the Government of the United States of America, while leveraging the strong foundation of economic and social linkages between our respective people, private sectors, and institutions. Recognizing the new heights achieved in the India - U.S. relationship over the last two Indian and U.S. Administrations, they committed to pursuing a third and transformative phase of the relationship that will enhance global prosperity and stability in the 21st century.
Minister Krishna and Secretary Clinton will chair an "India-U.S. Strategic Dialogue" that meets once annually in alternate capitals. This dialogue will focus on a wide range of bilateral, global, and regional issues of shared interest and common concern, continuing programmes currently under implementation and taking mutually beneficial initiatives that complement Indian and U.S. development, security and economic interests.
Secretary Clinton looks forward to welcoming Minister Krishna for the first round of the Strategic Dialogue in Washington, D.C. in the coming year.
Advancing common security interests
Recognizing the shared common desire to increase mutual security against the common threats posed by international terrorism, Minister Krishna and Secretary Clinton reaffirmed the commitment of both Governments to build on recent increased coordination in counter-terrorism. Secretary Clinton invited Home Minister Chidambaram to visit Washington in the near future. External Affairs Minister Krishna and Secretary Clinton also reaffirmed their commitment to early adoption of a UN Comprehensive Convention against International Terrorism which would strengthen the framework for global cooperation.
Defence co-operation
Noting the enhanced co-operation in defence under the Defence Co-operation Framework Agreement of 2005, External Affairs Minister and Secretary Clinton reiterated the commitment of both Governments to pursue mutually beneficial cooperation in the field of defence. External Affairs Minister Krishna announced that both sides had reached agreement on End Use Monitoring for U.S. defense articles.
Seeking a world without nuclear weapons
India and the United States share a vision of a world free of nuclear weapons. With this goal in sight, Minister Krishna and Secretary Clinton agreed to move ahead in the Conference on Disarmament towards a non-discriminatory, internationally and effectively verifiable Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty. India and the United States will also cooperate to prevent nuclear terrorism and address the challenges of global nuclear proliferation. A high-level bilateral dialogue will be established to enhance cooperation on these issues.
Civil nuclear co-operation
Building on the success of the India –U.S. Civil Nuclear Initiative, on July 21, India and the United States will begin consultations on reprocessing arrangements and procedures, as provided in Article 6 (iii) of the 123 Agreement for Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation between India and the United States.
Global institutions
Secretary Clinton affirmed that multilateral organizations and groupings should reflect the world of the 21st century in order to maintain long-term credibility, relevance and effectiveness, and both Minister Krishna and Secretary Clinton expressed their interest in exchanging views on new configurations of the UN Security Council, the G-8, and the G-20.
Pursuing sustainable growth and development
As members of the G-20, India and the United States have pledged to work together with other major economies to foster a sustainable recovery from the global economic crisis through a commitment to open trade and investment policies. Minister Krishna and Secretary Clinton reaffirmed the commitment of both Governments to facilitating a pathway forward on the WTO Doha Round.
They pledged to co-operate to not only preserve the economic synergies between the two countries that have grown over the years, but also to increase and diversify bilateral economic relations and expand trade and investment flows. The two sides noted that negotiations for a Bilateral Investment Treaty would be scheduled in New Delhi in August 2009. They resolved to harness the ingenuity and entrepreneurship of the private sectors of both countries with a newly-configured CEO Forum that will meet later this year.
Education
External Affairs Minister Krishna and Secretary of State Clinton affirmed the importance of expanding educational cooperation through exchanges and institutional collaboration, and agreed on the need to expand the role of the private sector in strengthening this collaboration.
Space, science and technology and innovation
Recognizing the great potential in India-U.S. science and technology collaboration, the two sides have concluded a Science and Technology Endowment Agreement, and signed a Technology Safeguards Agreement that will permit the launch of civil or non-commercial satellites containing U.S. components on Indian space launch vehicles. Both sides welcomed India's participation in the FutureGen Project for the construction of the first commercial scale fully integrated carbon capture and sequestration project and India's participation in the Integrated Ocean Development Project, an international endeavour for enhancing the understanding of Earth and Ocean dynamics and addressing the challenges of climate change.
High technology co-operation
Noting the high potential that exists due to the complementarities in the knowledge and innovation-based economies of the two countries, it was agreed that the agenda and the initiatives in the bilateral High Technology Cooperation Dialogue should continue, with the objective of facilitating smoother trade in high technology between the two economies reflecting the present strategic nature of the India-U.S. relationship.
It was also agreed that working groups would be formed to focus on new areas of common interest in nano-technology, civil nuclear technology, civil aviation and licensing issues in defence, strategic and civil nuclear trade.
Energy security, environment and climate change
Minister Krishna and Secretary Clinton pledged to intensify collaboration on energy security and climate change. Efforts will focus on increasing energy efficiency, renewable energy, and clean energy technologies through the India-U.S. Energy Dialogue and a Global Climate Change Dialogue.
Both sides also agreed to launch a process of bilateral scientific and technological collaboration to support the development, deployment and transfer of transformative and innovative technologies in areas of mutual interest including solar and other renewable energy, clean coal and energy efficiency, and other relevant areas.
India and the U.S. affirmed their commitment to work together with other countries, including through the Major Economies Forum, for positive results in the UNFCCC Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen in December 2009.
Global issues
The two sides noted the valuable engagement between both Governments on global issues of common concern such as strengthening democracy and capacity building in democratic institutions as co-founders of the UN Democracy Fund.
The two sides agreed to develop a Women's Empowerment Forum (WEF) to exchange lessons and best practices on women's empowerment and development and consider ways to empower women in the region and beyond.
Conclusion
Minister Krishna and Secretary Clinton reaffirmed that the excellent relations between India and the United States rests on the bedrock of kinship, commerce and educational ties between the Indian and American people.
Secretary Clinton thanked External Affairs Minister and the people of India for their warm reception and hospitality.
Multipurpose National Identity Card
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Multipurpose National Identity Card (MNIC) project is an initiative of the Indian government to create a national ID for every Indian citizen with the objective of increasing national security, managing citizen identity and facilitating e-governance.
The project was initiated under the Vajpayee, NDA government (circa 2002), which has since been continued by the present UPA government under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The project's importance was underscored by President Abdul Kalam in his 2006 Independence Day eve address to the nation.[1].
After remaining in hibernation for many months, the Government of India has finally issued a notification approving the set up of a National Authority for Unique Identity (NAUID) under the umbrella of the Planning Commission. The relevant press release can be accessed at this link - http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=44711
The MNIC project is now integrated with the NAUID project.
An empowered group of ministers (EGOM) under the leadership of the external affairs minister, Pranab Mukherjee approved the decision on Tuesday, 4 November 2008. The Department of Information Technology issued a press release confirming the development on Monday, 10 November 2008.
The necessity for a centrally issued ID is accentuated by the growing problems of illegal immigrants in various parts of the country. The ID is expected to serve as a unifying document to identify the citizens of India.
The events of 26 November in Mumbai have hastened the set up of the National Authority for Unique Identity. The body was set up on 27 January 2009. The initial phase of the project is expected to cover nine States and four Union Territories. The UID will be issued to people living in the coastal villages of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal. The Union Territories of Dadar and Nagar Haveli, Lakshadweep, Puducherry and Andaman & Nicobar Islands shall also be covered in this first phase expected to deliver the identity cards by early 2010.
The Interim budget presented Mr. Pranab Mukherjee on the 16th February 2009 allocated Rs. 100 Crore towards the establishment of the National Authority of Unique Identity under the National Planning Commission. The government has earmarked Rs 100 crore to establish "a comprehensive system of unique identity for the resident population of the country".
"As part of this provision, the Unique Identification Authority of India is being established under the aegis of the Planning Commission," Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee informed Parliament.
The big push happened after the UPA government was re-elected in May 2009. On 25 June 2009, the Manmohan Singh government approved creation of a position of Chairperson UID Authority of India in the rank and status of a Cabinet Minister. Nandan Nilekani was appointed to this position. Nilekani brings with him the rich experience of creating and leading one of India's favourite home grown technology organisations, Infosys.
[edit] Objectives of the NAUID (MNIC) Project
- Obviate need for multiple documentary proof
- Facilitate easy verification
- Facilitate easy availing of government or private services
- Help welfare programmes reach intended beneficiaries
- Serve as basis for e-governance services
[edit] The ID shall also serve the following purposes
- To prepare a National Population Register (NPR)
- To prepare National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC)
- To prepare National Register of Residency (NRR) – for non-citizens
- To provide National Identity Number (NIN) to each person
- To provide Multi-purpose National Identity Card (MNIC) to each citizen
- To provide Multi-purpose Residency Card to non-citizens
[edit] Security, the First Mandate
The Group of Ministers recommendation on the MNIC states National Security as the raison d'être of the project.
Para 5.110 of the report of the GoM on Reforming the National Security System recommends: "Illegal migration has assumed serious proportions. There should be compulsory registration of citizens and non-citizens living in India. This will facilitate preparation of a national register of citizens. All citizens should be given a Multi-purpose National Identity Card (MNIC) and non-citizens should be issued identity cards of a different colour and design. This should be introduced initially in the border districts or may be in a 20 km border belt and extended to the hinterland progressively. The Central Government should meet the full cost of the identity card scheme."[edit] Scope of the Project
Every individual citizen of the country is expected to be provided with a UID by 2012.
The UID authority shall work closely with the National Population Register proposed to be created by the Home Ministry through the Registrar General of the Census of India concurrently with the census 2011 in accordance with the provisions of the Indian Citizenship Act.
The UID Authority approved by the EGOM will be responsible for creating and maintaining the core database and to lay down all necessary procedures for issuance and usage of UID including arrangements for collection, validation and authentication of information, proper security of data, rules for sharing and access to information, safeguards to ensure adequate protection of privacy and all aspects related to all of these issues.
[edit] Design of the Cards
The first few issued ID Cards look completely different from the prototype by the Vajpayee Government. The tricolor is missing. And there is less printed information on the card. [2]
image source: The Tribune (India)
[edit] Privacy Implications
There are many potential privacy fallouts of this project, not the least of which is triggered by the Government's official plan to link the databases together. The MNIC is also unconstitutional as it violates fundamental right to privacy. [3].
- The right to privacy of citizens will be greatly compromised if MNICs are made compulsory. Although there is sometimes a tension between individual privacy rights and national security, international law and India's domestic law expressly set a standard in tort law and through constitutional law to protect an individual's privacy from unlawful invasion. Under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), ratified by India, an individual's right to privacy is protected from arbitrary or unlawful interference by the state. The Supreme Court also held the right to privacy to be implicit under article 21 of the
Indian Constitution in Rajgopal v. State of Tamil Nadu. Moreover, India has enacted a number of laws that provide some protection for privacy. For example the Hindu Marriage Act, the Copyright Act, Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 and the Code of Criminal Procedure all place restrictions on the release of personal information.
Privacy is a key concern with respect to the MNIC scheme as all of an individual's personal information will be stored in one database where the possibility of corruption and exploitation of data is far greater than when having the information disbursed. Risks that arise from this centralisation include possible errors in the collection of information, recording of inaccurate data, corruption of data from anonymous sources, and unauthorised access to or disclosure of personal information. Other countries with national identification systems have confronted numerous problems with similar risks such as trading and selling of information, and India, which has no generally established data protection laws such as the U.S. Federal Privacy Statute or the European Directive on Data Protection, is ill-equipped to deal with such problems. The centralised nature of data collection inherent in the MNIC proposal only heightens the risk of misuse of personal information and therefore potentially violates privacy rights.
In consideration of the risks involved in the creation of a centralised database of personal information, it is imperative that such a programme not be established without the proper mechanisms to ensure the security of each individual's privacy rights. Unfortunately, India's proposed MNIC programme lacks any provision for judicial review at the present time. Without credible and independent oversight, there is a risk of 'mission creep' for MNICs; the government may add features and additional data to the MNIC database bureaucratically and reflexively, without re-evaluating the effects on privacy in each instance. [1]
[edit] Implementation Status
The MNIC Project is currently in pilot mode in at least 12 states of India. While the exact status of the project is unknown, as of this writing on May 26, 2007, the project has kicked off a fresh round of card distribution to provide two million cards to people above 18 years in 13 districts across 12 States and the Union Territory of Puducherry[4].
Earlier plans and reports indicated that the project was in pilot, or was attempted in the following 20 selected sub-districts of 13 States and Union territories.
| # | State | District | Sub-district |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Assam | Karimganj | Patharkandi |
| Revenue Circle | |||
| 2 | Jammu and Kashmir | Kathua(All Tahsils) | Billawar Tahsil |
| Bashohli Tahsil | |||
| Kathua Tahsil | |||
| Hiranagar Tahsil | |||
| 3 | Gujarat | Kachchh | Lakhpat Taluka |
| 4 | Rajasthan | Jaisalmer | Jaisalmer Tahsil |
| 5 | Uttranchal | Pithoragarh | Pithoragarh Tahsil |
| 6 | Uttar Pradesh | Maharajganj | Nowtanva Tahsil |
| 7 | Tripura | West Tripura | Agartala East Tahsil |
| 1. (a) Agartala Sheet No.13-24 | |||
| Agartala West Tahsil | |||
| 1. (b) Agartala Sheet No.1-12 | |||
| Lankamura Tahsil | |||
| 1. Shingerbil | |||
| 2. Lankamura | |||
| Barjala Tahsil | |||
| 1. Ramnagar | |||
| 2. Barjala | |||
| Indiranagar Tahsil | |||
| 1. Indiranagar | |||
| 2. Kunjaban | |||
| 8 | West Bengal | Murshidabad | Murshidabad |
| Jiaganj CD Block | |||
| Murshidabad Municipality | |||
| 9 | Goa | North Goa | Tiswadi Taluka |
| 10 | Delhi | North West district | Narela Tahsil |
| Village Pooth Khurd(CT) | |||
| 11 | Pondicherry | Pondicherry | Karaikal sub-taluk |
| 12 | Andhra Pradesh | Medak | Narsapur Mandal |
| Hathnoora Mandal | |||
| Kowdipally Mandal | |||
| Shivampet Mandal | |||
| Jinnaram Mandal | |||
| 13 | Tamil Nadu | Ramanathapuram | Tiruvaadanai Taluk |
[edit] Legal amendments made to facilitate the project
The Citizenship Act, 1955, has been amended and now a specific section on registration of citizens & issuing cards has been included.
In addition the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003 has been notified in the Government of India Gazette Vide GSR No. 937(E) dated:- 10 December, 2003.
Important amendments to the provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955 Section 14A(1) The Central Government may compulsorily register every citizen of India and issue national identity card to him. (2) The Central Government may maintain a National Register of Indian Citizens and for that purpose establish a National Registration Authority. (3) On and from the date of commencement of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2003, the Registrar General, India, appointed under sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 shall act as the National Registration Authority and he shall function as the Registrar General of Citizen Registration. (4) The Central Government may appoint such other officers and staff as may be required to assist the Registrar General of Citizen Registration in discharging his functions and responsibilities. (5) The procedure to be followed in compulsory registration of the citizens of India shall be such as may be prescribed. In sub-section(2) of section 18 (ia) has been inserted after clause (i) the procedure to be followed in compulsory registration of the citizens of India under sub-section (5) of section 14A; In sub-section (3) of section 18 the following proviso has been inserted "PROVIDED that any rule made in respect of a matter specified in clause (ia) of sub-section (2) may provide that a breach thereof shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months, or with fine which may extend to five thousand rupees, or with both".DDWDW[edit] MNIC Technology
The MNIC is a smart card with 16KB of memory designed to be in line with the specifications laid out in ISO/IEC 7816 and SCOSTA. Earlier smart card applications of the Government of India have adapted the ISO/IEC 7816 specifications under the SCOSTA (Smart Card Operating System for Transport Applications)[5] program of the government of India. The cards are designed to support a minimum of 300,000 EEPROM write cycles and will retain data for at least 10 years (Source: Government Tender notice for card manufacturers, date unknown, see (Image:MNIC-tender.jpg) included in this page)
The official Government of India Press release that followed the media launch of the MNIC on 25 May 2007 describes the technology as follows:
The identity card being given to each individual citizen, has a micro processor chip with a memory of 16 KB which is a secure card. Besides having several physical features into the design of the card, it is the cyber security using 'asymmetric key cryptography' and 'symmetric key cryptography' that has made the card secure against the risk of tempering (sic) and cloning. The National Informatics Centre has made a major contribution towards developing the processes for database management and smart card technology.[edit] References
- National id as a restriction of rights
- Presentation on MNIC by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India, Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi2004
- Numbered Lives, Indian Express, August 20, 2006
- The ID-entity bogey, Indian Express, August 20, 2006
- After 33 months, 'count the dead', Indian Express, August 20, 2006
- 'Mother of I-cards': 5000-cr tag, Indian Express, January 13, 2003
- India's national ID scheme is 'on schedule', Himal 'South Asian', November 2005
- UPA takes forward NDA idea: National I-D card project rolls this March, 18 lakh in first lot, Indian Express, January 16, 2007
- MNIC Official site
- SCOSTA Official Site
[edit] See also
- Andaman & Nicobar Islander ID Cards status
- Unique Identification Card - UID Card
- Unique Identification Authority of India - Responsible for issuing UID Card.
- Border Security Force - History, origins, activities and pictures
- Bureau of Immigration - Responsible for immigration services at international airports & foreigners registration work
- Bureau of Police Research & Development - Advisory body for police problems, prison administration & crime trends
- Central Bureau of Investigation - National investigations agency
- Central Industrial Security Force - Industrial security force
- Indo Tibetan Border Police - High altitude northern border security
- Inter State Council - Focuses on dispute resolution between the states & state & central government
- Ministry of Home Affairs - Features information about internal security
- National Crime Records Bureau - Nodal agency for implementing criminal information systems
- National Institute of Disaster Management - Disaster management research & documentation
- National Security Guard - Focuses on combating terrorism
- North Bengal Frontier, Border Security Force - Structure, recruitment and training procedures
- Punjab Frontier Border Security Force - Punjab BSF structure, training and recruitment
- South Bengal Frontier Border Security Force - Bengal BSF structure, training and recruitment
- Special Service Bureau - History, recruitment and functions
Listings 1-15 of 16 displayed.
[Next 15]Minister for Home Affairs (India)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Home Minister, or more properly the Minister for Home Affairs, is a position in the Indian Cabinet, at both State and Union levels. The Home Ministry is one of the most important, powerful and high profile ministry after the Prime Minister. The minister is in charge of the Internal administration of the country, with responsibility for
- all matters relating to Centre-State and Inter-State relations
- all matters related to internal security
- maintenance of law and order within the country
- matters like Citizenship and Naturalisation Census of Population, National Anthem, National Flag, Official Languages
- basic functions under the Constitution like notification of assumption of office by the President, Vice-President, Prime Minister and other Ministers; notification of appointment, resignation and removal of Governors of States and Lieut. Governors and Administrators in Union Territories
[edit] Composition
Ministry of Home Affairs Comprises of: [1]
- Department of Border Management - deals with - Management of Borders including Coastal Borders.
- Department of Internal Security - deals with - Police, Law and Order and Rehabilitation of Refugees.
- Department of States - deals with - Centre-State Relations, Inter-State Relations, Union Territories and Freedom Fighters' Pension.
- Department of Official Languages - dealing with - implementation of the Constitutional and legal provisions relating to Official Languages.
- Department of Home - deals with - notifications relating to assumption of office of President/Vice-President, appointment of Prime Minister /Ministers, etc.
- Department of Jammu & Kashmir Affairs - created w.e.f. November 1, 1994 - deals with - Constitutional provisions and other matters relating to the State of Jammu & Kashmir.
[edit] Home Minsters - Past and Current
In the past this position has been occupied by prominent statesman and politicians such as Sardar Patel, Rajaji, Kailash Nath Katju, Govind Ballabh Pant, Lal Bahadur Sastri, Gulzari Lal Nanda, Morarji Desai,Yashwantrao Chavan, Shankarrao Chavan, Giani Zail Singh, P. V. Narasimha Rao, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Buta Singh, Indrajit Gupta, Lal Krishna Advani, Shivraj Patil and P.Chidambaram.
Shivraj Patil resigned from the post of Minister Of Home Affairs on 30 Nov 2008 claiming a moral responsibility for the November_2008_Mumbai_attacks killing several people. He was succeeded by the incumbent P. Chidambaram who the current home minister in the Government of India.
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