Citizenship Act Amendment 2015: Key Change Explained

The Citizenship Act of 1955 governs citizenship in India. Amendments are made periodically to update the provisions. The 2015 Amendment introduced a significant modification concerning individuals of Indian origin residing abroad.

Understanding the PIO and OCI Schemes

Before the 2015 amendment, India had two different schemes for people of Indian origin living outside the country:

• Person of Indian Origin (PIO) Card: This was introduced to facilitate travel and provide certain benefits to foreign citizens who were citizens of India or descended from Indian citizens.
• Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Card: This scheme offered long-term visa-free travel and other economic, financial, and educational benefits, excluding the right to vote and hold constitutional posts.

The 2015 Amendment's Main Impact

The most notable change brought about by the 2015 Amendment to the Citizenship Act was the merger of the PIO Card scheme with the OCI Card scheme. This effectively consolidated the two programs into a single, more streamlined OCI initiative.

Following this amendment:

• All existing PIO cardholders were deemed to be OCI cardholders.
• Applications for PIO cards were no longer accepted; only OCI card applications were processed.
• This move aimed to simplify procedures and provide a uniform system for the global Indian diaspora.

Why Other Options Are Not the Main Change

The amendment did not create a new visa category for tourists, nor did it abolish the Overseas Citizenship itself. While dual citizenship is a related concept, this specific amendment's primary function was the integration of the PIO and OCI programs.