The Indian Ministry of Home Affairs recently announced that more than 1.6 lakh individuals in India surrendered their citizenship in 2021. This rise corresponds with the increase from 85,256 individuals in 2020 and from 1.44 lakh in 2019 who likewise decided to renounce their citizenship.
Understanding Citizenship and Its Constitutional Importance
Citizenship is established under the Union List within the Constitution and is exclusively regulated by Parliament. While the Constitution does not specifically define the term ‘citizen,’ it does provide details regarding various categories of persons who are eligible for citizenship within Part 2 (Articles 5 to 11).
Acquisition of Indian Citizenship
According to the Citizenship Act of 1955, there are five procedures through which one can acquire citizenship: birth, descent, registration, naturalisation, and incorporation of territory. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, amended these rules to expedite citizenship status for certain religious minorities who entered India before 2015.
Relinquishing Citizenship: Why It’s Done
Many individuals choose to give up their citizenship for an array of reasons. These might include seeking improved job and living conditions, escaping political turmoil or climate change effects, or seeking a better lifestyle for their families. In some instances, high net worth individuals abandon their birth citizenship due to increasing crime rates or insufficient business opportunities at home.
Specific motives for Indians who decide to renounce their citizenship may include being closer to family members living overseas, better education opportunities for children, improved healthcare systems, and even evading legal issues.
The Diaspora Community in India
The diasporic movement in India has shifted since post-Independence when individuals left primarily for jobs and educations. The lack of provision for dual citizenship in India makes decisions more challenging, forcing individuals to renounce Indian citizenship to become citizens of another country.
Renouncing Citizenship in India: The Methods
In India, there are several ways to renounce citizenship:
• Voluntary Renunciation – An individual, if of sound mind and legal age, can willingly renounce his or her Indian citizenship. In this case, any minor child of that person also loses Indian citizenship but may reclaim it upon reaching the age of 18.
• Termination – As per the Indian Constitution’s provision of single citizenship, a person can only be a citizen of one country at a time. Therefore, gaining citizenship from another country automatically ends Indian citizenship.
• Deprivation by Government – In certain instances, the Indian government has the right to terminate a citizen’s status if aligned with specific actions on the part of the citizen, such as disrespecting the Constitution or obtaining citizenship via fraudulent means.
The reasons and methods for renunciation of Indian citizenship are diverse and complex, reflecting the broad range of personal and societal factors that can influence such a significant decision.
