District Collectors in Six Border States, J-K and Ladakh Empowered to Grant Citizenship
District collectors will now handle citizenship applications directly and must verify documents, conduct inquiries and administer the oath before granting Indian citizenship.
- On Wednesday, the Union Home Ministry authorized district collectors in eight regions to process citizenship applications under the Citizenship Amendment Act, replacing the previous multi-agency Empowered Committees system.
- The Home Ministry originally created Empowered Committees to bypass state government involvement, establishing a process for non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who entered India before December 31, 2014.
- Under the Citizenship Rules 2026, collectors act as the "competent authority" to process applications "electronically," verifying documents and administering the oath of allegiance to determine if applicants are a "fit and proper" person.
- The government has immediately transferred all pending applications from previous committees to district collectors and rescinded orders issued earlier in 2026, though the ministry explicitly excluded tribal areas within Assam and Tripura.
- Citizenship remains a subject under the Union List of the Constitution, granting central authority; this administrative shift centralizes decision-making and removes reliance on state-level infrastructure for verification and office logistics.
13 Articles
13 Articles
MHA Excludes 8 Regions from 2024 CAA Order; Pending Applications to Be Transferred to Collectors
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued an order specifying that a 2024 government order issued under the Citizenship Act, 1955, will not apply to certain states and Union Territories, including Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. India News | MHA Excludes 8 Regions from 2024 CAA Order; Pending Applications to Be Transferred to Collecto…
District collectors in eight States, UTs empowered to grant citizenship under CAA; central panels phased out
The MHA order is significant as the amendments to the CAA Rules, which first came into effect on March 11, 2024, have been notified after the BJP came to power in West Bengal this year
Greater Kashmir
The PrintDistrict collectors in six border states, J-K and Ladakh empowered to grant citizenship
New Delhi, Aug 20: The Union home ministry on Wednesday authorised district collectors in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, West Bengal, Assam and Tripura (except tribal areas), and Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to grant naturalised citizenship to "fit and proper" applicants ordinarily residing in these regions. The government notified the Citizenship (Third Amendment) Rules 2026 on Wednesday, granting district collectors in these …
Centre empowers DCs in Punjab, J-K, other border states to grant citizenship - The Tribune
New rules say jurisdictional District Collectors can receive, scrutinise and dispose of applications for registration or naturalisation under Section 6B of the Citizenship Act
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