Kathmandu, January 12
The government has approved a bill to amend the Citizenship Act, introducing provisions to address various issues, including granting citizenship to children with unidentified fathers, a minister told Onlinekhabar.
The bill proposes granting citizenship to children whose fathers are out of contact or whose identities remain unknown, provided the father’s name is mentioned on any official document of the child. It also allows children born while their mothers were abroad to obtain citizenship based on their father’s identity if known, or on their mother’s name if the father’s identity cannot be established. Additionally, children unable to identify their fathers due to the father’s death can also acquire citizenship.
The bill further includes a provision to integrate minor identification certificates into the Citizenship Act. These certificates, which were previously excluded from the Act, enable minors to access services like passports.
Moreover, the amendment clarifies the social, cultural, and economic rights of individuals holding Non-Resident Nepali (NRN) citizenship, ensuring their inclusion under the law.
