District Collectors Get Power To Grant Citizenship In Eight Regions

The Union home ministry on Wednesday authorised district collectors in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, West Bengal, Assam and Tripura (except tribal areas), and Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to grant naturalised citizenship to "fit and proper" applicants ordinarily residing in these regions.

The government notified the Citizenship (Third Amendment) Rules 2026 on Wednesday, granting district collectors in these states and UTs the authority to process citizenship-seeking applications for "registration or naturalisation".

"The



Collector, on being satisfied with the suitability of the applicant, that he is a fit and proper person to be registered or naturalised, as the case may be, shall grant him the citizenship of India," the notified rules said. 

The district collectors in these states will replace the "Empowered Committees" and "Designated Officers" that previously held these powers. In the gazette notification, the Home Ministry has authorised district collectors in these areas to "receive, scrutinise, and dispose" of such applications in accordance with the laid-down parameters.