Context:
The OCI status of some foreign nationals is under scrutiny after allegations that they voted in Indian elections. OCI cardholders are allowed long-term stay and travel benefits in India, but they do not have political rights such as voting or contesting elections.
- OCI means Overseas Citizen of India; it is a special status given to eligible foreign citizens of Indian origin under the Citizenship Act, 1955.
- It is not dual citizenship, because the Indian Constitution does not permit simultaneous Indian and foreign citizenship.
- Eligible persons include foreign nationals who were Indian citizens earlier, were eligible to become Indian citizens on 26 January 1950, or belonged to territories that later became part of India.
- A foreign-origin spouse of an Indian citizen or OCI cardholder may apply if the marriage is registered and has subsisted for at least two years.
- Persons with parents, grandparents or great-grandparents who were citizens of Pakistan or Bangladesh are not eligible for OCI registration.
- OCI cardholders get lifelong visa facility and exemption from local police registration for any length of stay in India.
- OCI cardholders cannot vote, become MPs/MLAs/MLCs, hold constitutional posts, obtain an Indian passport, or acquire agricultural land, plantation property or farmhouses in India
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