34 lakh OCI cards issued: Centre
MHA declines to give info on number of persons whose cards were cancelled
12/01/2020
The Union Home Ministry has said more than 34 lakh Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) registrations had been done but declined to divulge information relating to the number of persons whose OCI cards had been cancelled, citing non-availability of the figure in a “consolidated form.”
Responding to a Right to Information (RTI) application filed by The Hindu, the Ministry said that the information sought remained outside the “mandate and scope of the RTI Act, 2005”.
On November 7, in an unprecedented move, the Ministry announced on Twitter that it would revoke the OCI card of journalist Aatish Taseer over what it claimed was his attempt to “conceal information” that his father, Salman Taseer, was of Pakistani origin.
The Ministry at the time said that Mr. Taseer had failed to dispute a notice that had given him the opportunity to submit his reply/objections regarding his PIO/OCI cards. Asserting that Mr. Taseer had not complied with basic requirements and withheld information, the Ministry ruled that he had become “ineligible to hold an OCI card as per the Citizenship Act, 1955”.
In his reply on September 6 to an August 13 notice, and a subsequent notice dated September 3, Mr. Taseer explained that his parents had never been legally married, and his mother was his sole legal guardian.
Mr. Taseer was criticised by several members of the ruling BJP, as he had authored an essay in May 2019 for Time magazine that accused the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of following divisive policies.
In reply to the RTI application on the number of OCI cards issued from January 1, 2000, to November 26, 2019, the Ministry said: “As per data available, 34,21,337 OCI registration/OCI card have been issued.”
To subsequent questions seeking year-wise data on the number of OCI cards issued or cancelled, the Ministry said: “Information related to year-wise issuance of OCI registration or year-wise cancellation of grant of registration as OCI cardholder is not available in a consolidated form. It may please be noted that the contents of these paras remain outside the mandate and scope of the RTI Act, 2005.”
While responding to another question on major reasons for cancelling the OCI cards, the Ministry replied, “Information sought is not available,” however, it “could be cancelled on grounds mentioned in Section 7(D) of the Citizenship Act, 1955, which is available in the public domain.”
Section 7(D) says the OCI registration may be cancelled if it was obtained by means of fraud, false representation or the concealment of any material fact; or if the overseas citizen of India has shown disaffection towards the Constitution of India, or unlawfully traded or communicated with an enemy (in case of a war) or has been sentenced to imprisonment for a term of not less than two years within five years after registration as an OCI, or if it is necessary to do so in the interest of the sovereignty and integrity of India.
The OCI scheme provides facilities such as lifelong visa, exemption from registration with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office and parity with non-resident Indians (NRIs) in economic, financial and educational fields except in matters relating to the acquisition of agricultural properties. No parity is allowed in the sphere of political and public employment rights.
MHA declines to give info on number of persons whose cards were cancelled
12/01/2020
The Union Home Ministry has said more than 34 lakh Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) registrations had been done but declined to divulge information relating to the number of persons whose OCI cards had been cancelled, citing non-availability of the figure in a “consolidated form.”
Responding to a Right to Information (RTI) application filed by The Hindu, the Ministry said that the information sought remained outside the “mandate and scope of the RTI Act, 2005”.
On November 7, in an unprecedented move, the Ministry announced on Twitter that it would revoke the OCI card of journalist Aatish Taseer over what it claimed was his attempt to “conceal information” that his father, Salman Taseer, was of Pakistani origin.
The Ministry at the time said that Mr. Taseer had failed to dispute a notice that had given him the opportunity to submit his reply/objections regarding his PIO/OCI cards. Asserting that Mr. Taseer had not complied with basic requirements and withheld information, the Ministry ruled that he had become “ineligible to hold an OCI card as per the Citizenship Act, 1955”.
In his reply on September 6 to an August 13 notice, and a subsequent notice dated September 3, Mr. Taseer explained that his parents had never been legally married, and his mother was his sole legal guardian.
Mr. Taseer was criticised by several members of the ruling BJP, as he had authored an essay in May 2019 for Time magazine that accused the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of following divisive policies.
In reply to the RTI application on the number of OCI cards issued from January 1, 2000, to November 26, 2019, the Ministry said: “As per data available, 34,21,337 OCI registration/OCI card have been issued.”
To subsequent questions seeking year-wise data on the number of OCI cards issued or cancelled, the Ministry said: “Information related to year-wise issuance of OCI registration or year-wise cancellation of grant of registration as OCI cardholder is not available in a consolidated form. It may please be noted that the contents of these paras remain outside the mandate and scope of the RTI Act, 2005.”
While responding to another question on major reasons for cancelling the OCI cards, the Ministry replied, “Information sought is not available,” however, it “could be cancelled on grounds mentioned in Section 7(D) of the Citizenship Act, 1955, which is available in the public domain.”
Section 7(D) says the OCI registration may be cancelled if it was obtained by means of fraud, false representation or the concealment of any material fact; or if the overseas citizen of India has shown disaffection towards the Constitution of India, or unlawfully traded or communicated with an enemy (in case of a war) or has been sentenced to imprisonment for a term of not less than two years within five years after registration as an OCI, or if it is necessary to do so in the interest of the sovereignty and integrity of India.
The OCI scheme provides facilities such as lifelong visa, exemption from registration with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office and parity with non-resident Indians (NRIs) in economic, financial and educational fields except in matters relating to the acquisition of agricultural properties. No parity is allowed in the sphere of political and public employment rights.
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