NewsIndia

The 2026 amendments to India’s citizenship rules introduce significant changes for Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders. The Ministry of Home Affairs has revised the application process, which now requires electronic submissions.

Key changes include:

• All OCI card registration and renunciation applications must be submitted electronically.
• The previous requirement for duplicate document submission has been removed.
• A minor child cannot hold a passport from another country while holding an Indian passport.
• Registered individuals may receive either a physical OCI card or an electronic OCI registration under the e-OCI system.
• OCI applicants must sign a new consent form to participate in the Fast Track Immigration Programme.

Yet, these changes come amid concerns regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. This revision has led to a net removal of 5.2 crore persons from the electoral rolls across twelve states.

The last special intensive revision took place in 2003. The current revision raises questions about its impact on D-voters, particularly in Assam, where there are 119,570 D-voters as of August 2024. Among them, 70,723 are women.

This situation puts additional pressure on the Foreigners Tribunal, which reviews cases involving D-voters. The implications of these changes on citizenship applications and electoral participation remain uncertain.