Amendment status not verified — confirm the current text below against the official source.
Subs. by the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2005, sec. 4 (w.r.e.f. 28-6-2005), for section "7A. Registration of overseas citizens.-(1) The Central Governrnent 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 sub-section (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 sub-section (1) except by an order of the central Governmtnt. 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) jvas 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 t i e a citizen of Pakistan, Bangladesh or such other country as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify." Sec. 781 The Citizenship Act, 1955 1 1 notification in the Official Gazette, specify, shall be eligible for registration as an overseas citizen of India.] COMMENTS The Central Government has specified the following rights to which the persons registered as Overseas Citizens of India under section 7A of the Act shall be entitled, namely:- (a) grant of multiple entry lifelong visa for visiting India for any purpose; (b) exemption from registration with Foreign Regional Registration Officer or Foreign Registration Officer for any length of stay in India; and (c) parity with Non-Resident Indians in respect of all facilities available to them in economic, financial and educational fields except in matters relating to the acquisition of agricultural or plantation properties. [Vlde S.O. 542 (E), dated llth April, 2005, published in the Gazette of India, Extra., Pt. 11, Sec. 3(ii), dated llth April, 2005.1 'I7B. Conferment of rights on overseas citizens of India.-(1) Notwith- standing 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 ths behalf. i (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 1 services and posts as the Central Government may by special order in that behalf specify. i (3) Every notification issued under sub-section (1) shall be laid before each House of Parliament.]