India reduces citizenship fee for Hindus, minorities from Pakistan

Published
27

India has reduced registration fee for Hindus and other minorities from Pakistan and two other countries, making it easier and financially affordable to become citizens, reported the Times of India.

The registration fee was Rs15,000, but has now been reduced to Rs100.

The new rules will be applicable to minority communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, said a notification by India's home ministry.

The change in rules would also make it possible for minority members from neighbouring countries to take an oath of allegiance as an Indian citizen in the presence of Indian government officials.

The fee for minority community members from other countries will be Rs10,000 of registered in India and Rs15,000 if registered elsewhere.

The changes were made by amending various provisions in Citizenship Rules 2009, added ToI.

A member of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani had earlier revealed in the National Assembly that around 5,000 Hindus migrate from Pakistan to India every year.

New Delhi had last year announced that Bangladeshis and Pakistanis belonging to minority communities there, who had entered India legally before December 31, 2014, could stay in the country, even if their documents had lapsed.

Opinion

Editorial

Fixing bond markets
Updated 01 Oct, 2026

Fixing bond markets

Pension funds, insurance companies, mutual funds, retail investors, and eventually, foreign investors must become bigger participants in the market.
Call centre rackets
01 Oct, 2026

Call centre rackets

A NUMBER of recent raids conducted by the authorities in different cities point to the growing threat fraudulent ...
Homeward bound
01 Oct, 2026

Homeward bound

FIVE months after Somali pirates captured an oil tanker carrying a 19-member multinational crew, Somali maritime...
Kashmir unresolved
Updated 30 Sep, 2026

Kashmir unresolved

The just solution lies in India addressing the issue through a trilateral dialogue involving the legitimate representatives of the Kashmiri people and Pakistan.
Water shortage
30 Sep, 2026

Water shortage

THAT the country is entering the Rabi season with an anticipated water shortage of nearly 25pc, the lowest carryover...
Young hearts
30 Sep, 2026

Young hearts

THE observance may have passed, but the message of World Heart Day should not fade with it. The occasion is a useful...