LOSS OF CITIZENSHIP

The Citizenship Act (1955) prescribes three ways of losing citizenship whether acquired under the Act or prior to it under the Constitution

1. By Renunciation

• Any citizen of India of full age and capacity can make a declaration renouncing his Indian citizenship.
• Upon the registration of that declaration, that person ceases to be a citizen of India.
• However, if such a declaration is made during a war in which India is engaged, its registration shall be withheld by the Central Government.
• Further, when a person renounces his Indian citizenship, every minor child of that person also loses Indian citizenship.
• However, when such a child attains the age of eighteen, he may resume Indian citizenship.

2. By Termination

• When an Indian citizen voluntarily (consciously, knowingly and without duress, undue influence or compulsion) acquires the citizenship of another country, his Indian citizenship automatically

• This provision, however, does not apply during a war in which India is engaged.

3. By Deprivation

It is a compulsory termination of Indian citizenship by the Central government, if:

1. the citizen has obtained citizenship by fraud:
2. the citizen has shown disloyalty to the Constitution of India;
3. the citizen has unlawfully traded or communicated with the enemy during a war;
4. the citizen has, within five years after registration or naturalisation, been imprisoned in any country for two years;
5. the citizen has been ordinarily resident out of India for seven years continuously.