Article 6 of the Indian Citizenship Act, 1955 provides for citizenship by naturalization. This provision allows a foreigner to apply for Indian citizenship if they meet certain eligibility criteria and have resided in India for a specified period of time.
The eligibility criteria for citizenship by naturalization are as follows:
- The applicant must be a person of good character.
- The applicant must have resided in India for at least 12 years immediately preceding the date of application, and for at least 11 of those years, the applicant must have been physically present in India.
- The applicant must have sufficient knowledge of the Indian language(s) and customs, as well as a basic understanding of the Constitution of India.
- The applicant must renounce their citizenship of any other country.
- The applicant must not have a criminal record.
Once the eligibility criteria are met, the applicant can submit an application for citizenship by naturalization to the appropriate authorities. The application is then subject to scrutiny and verification by the authorities, and if approved, the person is granted Indian citizenship.
It is important to note that the process for obtaining citizenship by naturalization can be lengthy and complex, and the government has the power to reject an application if it is not satisfied with the eligibility criteria or if it believes that granting citizenship to the person is not in the interest of India.
