GUWAHATI: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has introduced amendments to the Citizenship Rules, 2009, requiring specific citizenship applicants to declare whether they possess or have previously held passports issued by Pakistan, Afghanistan, or Bangladesh.
ALSO READ: ₹362-Crore Modernisation Project Underway at Assam State Zoo in Guwahati
The revised rules, notified through a gazette on Monday under the Citizenship Act, 1955, mandate applicants to state whether they currently hold or previously held valid or expired passports from these three countries. Those in possession of such documents must disclose details including passport number, date and place of issue, and expiry date.
Under the amended provisions, applicants are also required to submit a declaration agreeing to surrender any valid or expired passports issued by Pakistan, Afghanistan, or Bangladesh to the concerned Senior Superintendent or Superintendent of Post within 15 days of receiving approval for Indian citizenship.
According to the MHA, the amendments have been introduced as part of the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2026, which insert a new provision into Schedule IC of the 2009 rules. Officials described the move as an administrative clarification intended to strengthen verification procedures and improve record-keeping in citizenship applications.
In the notification, the MHA said, “The Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2026, published under section 18 of the Citizenship Act, 1955, insert a new paragraph into Schedule IC of the 2009 rules.”
The new rule specifically applies to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian migrants eligible under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019.
The CAA, passed by Parliament in December 2019, provides a pathway to Indian citizenship for non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who entered India before December 31, 2014, citing religious persecution.