NEW DELHI, Aug 20 : The Union Home Ministry has empowered district collectors in six border states and the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to grant Indian citizenship to eligible applicants seeking citizenship through registration or naturalisation.
The decision was notified through the Citizenship (Third Amendment) Rules, 2026, issued on Wednesday. Under the amended rules, collectors in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, West Bengal, Assam and Tripura, besides J&K and Ladakh, will act as the competent authorities for processing citizenship applications.
The rules apply to applicants ordinarily residing in the specified regions. In Assam and Tripura, however, tribal areas have been excluded from the ambit of the notification.
Previously, such powers were exercised by Empowered Committees and Designated Officers. The new rules transfer these responsibilities to district collectors, who can now receive, scrutinise and dispose of applications electronically.
The collectors will verify applicants’ documents, conduct necessary inquiries and assess whether they meet the eligibility criteria under the Citizenship Act. They will also administer the prescribed oath of allegiance before taking a final decision.
If satisfied that an applicant is a “fit and proper person”, the collector can grant citizenship through registration or naturalisation.
The notification also provides for the transfer of pending applications from the earlier committees or district-level bodies to the concerned district collectors.
Applicants will be required to appear in person to subscribe to their applications and take the oath of allegiance. The rules state that an application may be rejected if the applicant fails to appear despite being given reasonable opportunities.
The Home Ministry has also rescinded earlier orders relating to the exercise of these citizenship powers, while protecting actions already taken under those orders.
