M A I N   N E W S

Dual citizenship for all overseas Indians
Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service

Mumbai, January 7
The Indian Government has decided to allow dual citizenship to all overseas Indians who had left the country after January 26, 1950, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said here today.

Inaugurating the third Pravasi Bharatiya Divas here, Dr Manmohan Singh said the facility would be extended to Indians as long as their home countries permitted them to do so. Earlier, it was limited to Indians based in certain countries.

“I do hope that a day will come when every single overseas Indian who wishes to secure Indian citizenship will actually be able to do so,” the PM said.

Dr Manmohan Singh added that the government would simplify the procedure for registration of people of Indian origin (PIO) for granting them dual citizenship. A new form combining the three forms prescribed earlier had been evolved and would be notified soon, the PM said.

The Prime Minister added that he had asked the ministries concerned to spell out the benefits of registering overseas citizenship so that there was clarity on the government’s policy. He hoped that the government was able to complete the procedures without loss of time.

Dr Manmohan Singh said the government had established the Ministry for Overseas Indians so that it became a one-stop shop for all matters pertaining to overseas Indians. Lauding Indians in the Gulf for their contribution to India’s foreign exchange resources, the PM said Gulf migrants should be weaned away from bank deposits to debt and equity-oriented schemes. ”The Pravasi Bharatiya Bhima Yojana was an encouraging first step,” Dr Manmohan Singh said. Urging overseas Indians to invest more here Dr Manmohan Singh spelt out the government’s liberalisation policies. The PM said the Indian Government was opening the skies and permitting Indian airlines to fly abroad. Dr Manmohan Singh urged overseas Indians to invest more in education in India. He told the audience that the HRD Ministry’s programme for overseas Indians to support elementary education in India was the appropriate channel for them.