Despite all the news coverage and excitement over this issue, please understand that the Constitution of India DOES NOT allow dual citizenship, i.e., simultaneously holding Indian citizenship and citizenship of a foreign country.

The Government of India has decided to grant Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI), which most people mistakenly refer to as 'dual citizenship.' Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) of certain categories who migrated from India and acquired citizenship of a foreign country, other than Pakistan and Bangladesh, are eligible to be granted an OCI as long as their home countries allow dual citizenship in some form or the other under their local laws.

If you get an OCI, it is NOT the same as being a regular Indian citizen:

• You do not get an Indian passport.
  
  
• You have no voting rights.
  
  
• You cannot be a candidate for Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha/Legislative Assembly/Council.
  
  
• You cannot hold constitutional posts such as President, Vice President, Judge of Supreme Court/High Court, etc.
  
  
• You cannot normally hold employment in the Government of India.
  
  

As an OCI, you will get the following benefits:

• Multiple entry, multi-purpose life long visa to visit India;
  
  
• Exemption from reporting to police authorities for any length of stay in India; and
  
  
• Parity with NRIs in financial, economic and educational fields, except in the acquisition of agricultural or plantation properties.

Any future benefits extended to OCIs will be notified by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) under section 7B(1) of the Citizenship Act, 1955.

A person registered as an OCI is eligible to apply by the Ministry of Citizenship under section 5(1)(g) of the Citizenship Act, 1955, if they are registered as an OCI for five years and have been residing in India for one of the five years before making the application. However, such a person would have to renounce their foreign citizenship.

It is anticipated that a large number of Indian Diaspora will benefit by this scheme for hassle-free travel to their motherland. They will bring economic value and benefits to the Indian economy and contribute to the development process.

Compared to PIO card, OCI offers the following benefits:

• OCI is entitled to life long visa-free travel to India whereas for the PIO cardholder, it is limited to 15 years.
  
  
• OCI is exempted from registration with Indian Police authorities for any length of stay in India. A PIO cardholder is required to register with local Police authorities for any stay exceeding 180 days in India on any single visit.
  
  

More detailed comparison of OCI vs PIO

If it is found that registration as an OCI was obtained by fraudulent means, false representation or concealment of any material fact, or that the registered OCI has shown dissatisfaction towards the Constitution of India or under any of the provisions of section 7D of the Citizenship act, the registration of such applicants will not only be cancelled forthwith, but he/she will also be blacklisted for future visits to India.