The Calcutta high court has held that voter identity cards, Aadhaar and PAN cards are not conclusive proof of Indian citizenship.
When contacted, Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Anindita Mitra said Suri's name was never removed from the electoral roll as his name is part of the draft electoral roll published on August 13.
A 94-year-old woman, K Mahalakshmamma, who lived in the United States for over two decades, has renounced her American citizenship to return to her native village in Andhra Pradesh and die as an Indian citizen. She underwent an oath-taking ceremony before the Bapatla District Collector, and her application for Indian citizenship restoration has been forwarded to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday said that hearings of applications for citizenship under the CAA will soon be over, and so far the state has issued certificates to 23,000 people out of 2.30 lakh applicants.
Amid the passport row, Shashi Tharoor has proposed legal changes to simplify proof of Indian citizenship.
Poonam, a 38-year-old woman who came to India from Pakistan in 2004, has been granted Indian citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). She had been living in Rampur on a long-term visa and expressed joy at finally being recognized as an Indian citizen.
The Gauhati high court observed that merely producing a number of documents does not automatically establish citizenship unless they are legally admissible and capable of proving the person's linkage to Indian ancestors.
The Supreme Court has ruled that the determination of citizenship status in India must adhere to a fair, lawful, and reasoned process, setting aside Gauhati High Court verdicts that had affirmed orders declaring some individuals as foreigners. The court stressed that constitutional protections of equality, life, and personal liberty apply to every person within India's territory.
Government sources have clarified that a passport has never been considered proof of citizenship in India, a stance consistent for the past 12 years and rooted in the Passport Act 1967. This clarification, reiterated by the Ministry of External Affairs, has drawn criticism from opposition leaders and public figures.
The high court granted the petitioner one opportunity to establish her claim to Indian citizenship.
The Bombay High Court has identified a worrying trend of foreign nationals infiltrating India, fraudulently acquiring documents like Aadhaar and PAN cards to claim Indian citizenship. The court highlighted serious gaps in inter-agency coordination and document verification, noting that some individuals have engaged in anti-national activities. It urged the Centre to amend the Aadhaar Act to facilitate tracing and deportation, and to establish procedures for dealing with human trafficking and border infiltration. The ruling came during a case involving an Afghan national who overstayed his visa and obtained fake documents to secure an Indian passport.
A clarification by the ministry of external affairs that the passport is not a proof of citizenship has once again brought to the fore the need for a legal framework to provide citizens with a single document to establish they are Indians.
An undated viral video of an Indian citizen dancing all the way to become a citizen of New Zealand has angered and divided netizens.
Shane Sabastian Pereira, born in Karachi, Pakistan, was granted Indian citizenship after 43 years of living in his ancestral village in Goa. He is the second person from the coastal state to receive the certificate under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Pereira's journey to citizenship highlights the impact of the CAA on individuals seeking to become Indian citizens.
The US Department of Homeland Security has proposed a nearly 75 per cent increase in the filing fee for Form N-400, the application for US citizenship through naturalisation, raising it from $760 to $1,330. The proposal also seeks to eliminate reduced-fee options and fee waivers, potentially impacting thousands of immigrants, including Indians.
Eighteen Hindu refugees from Pakistan residing in Ahmedabad have been granted Indian citizenship during a camp attended by Gujarat minister of state for home Harsh Sanghavi.
'40 percent of voters in Bihar will be excluded.'
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has clarified that an Indian passport is primarily a travel document issued to regulate the departure of citizens and is not intended as proof of citizenship. This statement comes amidst a debate on its use for verifying citizenship, particularly concerning electoral rolls, and has drawn criticism from opposition parties.
India too can rise to the top if the 1.4 billion Indians back home are given better opportunities to use their innate talent and capacity to work hard, with right incentives in a more meritocratic rules-based system, asserts Ajay Chhibber.
Indian IT companies have significantly reduced their fresh H-1B visa applications for US FY27, a direct consequence of soaring fees imposed by the Trump administration and new lottery system changes that prioritise higher-salaried employees, leading to a seven-year low in registrations.
The Trump administration has reinstated and expanded the "public charge" rule, making it harder for immigrants seeking green cards if they have used public benefits like Medicaid, food stamps, or housing assistance. This policy change, effective September 18, will impact many applicants, including those from India, by broadening the criteria for inadmissibility.
Two Indian-origin individuals, Pritesh Walia, a jazz guitarist, and Venkata Vasamsetty, a green-card holder grandmother, have been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in separate cases, highlighting the Trump administration's intensified deportation and enforcement drive.
Eligible and selected students will receive a stipend of 20,400 per annum, course fee and other costs.
AFC Executive Committee member Shaji Prabhakaran advocates for a balanced, long-term strategy for integrating OCI and PIO players into Indian football, stressing it's not a complete solution but a part of broader development. He also analyses recent World Cup semifinals, highlighting Spain's tactical dominance and Argentina's fighting spirit.
The Union Home Ministry has announced changes to the Citizenship Rules, 2009, introducing a digital shift for Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders and citizenship applications, including online applications and renunciation processes.
Former Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir, now eligible for the IPL due to his British citizenship, has stated he is keeping his options open regarding participation. While confirming his involvement in the PSL from 2027 as an overseas player, Amir remained non-committal about playing in the IPL, despite his new eligibility allowing him to play as a British overseas player.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is updating Form I-485 for permanent residence, effective September 18, 2026, with no grace period for older versions. This change, aligning with public-charge inadmissibility rules, significantly impacts Green Card applicants, particularly Indian nationals facing visa backlogs, who must use the correct form version to avoid rejection.
President Donald Trump has advocated for stricter electoral laws in the US, praising India's election system and its requirement for photo identification. He highlighted Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's questioning of the lack of voter ID in American polls and used India's high voter turnout with minimal postal ballots as an example. Trump is pushing for the SAVE America Act, which would mandate proof of citizenship and nationwide voter ID, though the bill faces division in Congress.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has opened applications for its Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOM) roster, a crucial step under the newly adopted National Sports Governance Act. This initiative aims to induct retired players into the federation's General Body, ensuring greater representation and direct involvement in governance. The process outlines specific eligibility criteria across various tiers of sporting achievement and allows direct applications, bypassing state association endorsements.
A mobile app 'CAA-2019' will also be launched shortly to facilitate applications through mobile app.
One in 10 employees at California-headquartered technology unicorns now work from India, surpassing other major US tech hubs and several countries, driven by US visa restrictions and substantial cost savings.
Sonia Gandhi's counsel argued in a Delhi court that a complaint alleging she was included in the electoral roll before acquiring Indian citizenship was politically motivated.
'98 lakhs in Bengal, 97 lakhs in Tamil Nadu, 2.83 crores in Uttar Pradesh.'
Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has filed a reply in a legal matter concerning her inclusion in the voter list, which is alleged to have occurred before she became an Indian citizen. The case, initiated by Advocate Vikas Tripathi, seeks the registration of an FIR against Gandhi and is currently pending before a sessions court.
The Indian government informed the Lok Sabha that over two lakh Indians renounced their citizenship in 2024. The data, provided in response to queries, highlights a trend of increasing citizenship renunciations in recent years.
For hundreds of Indian scholars who journeyed to Canada aiming for a foreign degree and a path toward long-term career opportunities, what should have been a triumphant graduation has instead spiralled into deep uncertainty.
Delighted by the Centre's move to notify the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA), nearly 2,000 Pakistani Hindus living in Nagpur are preparing to seek Indian citizenship.
CBSE exams and unemployment are divergent concerns for the middle class and the poor, and the idioms of protest don't speak to all of India's young people, points out Kanika Datta.
As India's decline continued on global indices, the government first blamed methodology and then motives. This is where we remain today as we wish each other and ourselves a happy Independence Day, points out Aakar Patel.
Political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party has secured its first seat in the Bihar Assembly, with Kishor winning the Bankipur bypoll in his electoral debut, stunning the BJP in its long-held bastion.
