CHANDIGARH: In a move meant to cut delays in the grant of citizenship to non-Muslim minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, the Ministry of Home Affairs has amended the Citizenship Rules, 2009, empowering district collectors to grant citizenship.
This authorises district collectors in Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, West Bengal, Assam and Tripura (except tribal areas), and the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, to grant naturalised citizenship to “fit and proper” applicants ordinarily residing in these regions.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has notified the Citizenship (Third Amendment) Rules, 2026, to this effect. Under these new rules, the jurisdictional district collectors can receive, scrutinise and dispose of applications for registration or naturalisation under Section 6B of the Citizenship Act, which allows Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist and Parsi minorities to seek Indian citizenship, from applicants ordinarily residing in Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat and certain other states and Union Territories.
“The Collector, on being satisfied with the suitability of the applicant, that he is a fit and proper person to be registered or naturalised, as the case may be, shall grant him the citizenship of India,” the notified rules state and add that the district collectors in these states.
So far, empowered committees and district committees under the CAA are empowered to grant citizenship. The government has directed that all applications currently pending with those committees or District Level Committees in the specified regions be immediately transferred to the relevant collector.
“All applications under Section 6B of the Citizenship Act, 1955, pending with the Empowered Committee and District-Level Committee of the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh shall be transferred to the Collector concerned,” it stated.
The new rules designate the district collector as the competent authority to receive requests for registration or naturalisation electronically. Upon submission, the system will generate an automated acknowledgement. The collector will then verify all submitted documents and conduct any inquiries necessary to determine the applicant’s suitability.
The amendment gives the collector a substantive role in the citizenship process. On receiving an application, an acknowledgement in Form IX will be generated electronically. The collector will verify the documents submitted by the applicant and can conduct any inquiry considered necessary to determine the applicant's suitability. The collector will also administer the Oath of Allegiance prescribed in the Second Schedule to the Citizenship Act and determine the applicant’s eligibility under Section 6B.
The rules also provide for rejection of an application if, despite being given reasonable opportunities, the applicant fails to appear personally to subscribe the application and take the Oath of Allegiance.
However, the new rules maintain strict requirements for applicants to appear in person. “In case an applicant fails to appear in person to subscribe the application and take the oath of allegiance despite giving reasonable opportunities, the Collector shall reject the application,” the notification stated.