S.1 Short title and commencement

       (1) This Act may be called the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2015.
       (2) It shall be deemed to have come into force on the 6th day of January, 2015.

S.2 Amendment of section 2

       In the Citizenship Act, 1955 (57 of 1955) (hereinafter referred to as the principal Act), in section 2, in sub-section (1), for clause (ee), the following clause shall be substituted, namely:-
       (ee) "Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder" means a person registered as an Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder by the Central Government under section 7A;

S.3 Amendment of section 5

       In the principal Act, in section 5,-
       (i) in sub-section (1),-
       (a) in clause (f), for the words "has been residing in India for one year", the words "is ordinarily resident in India for twelve months" shall be substituted;
       (b) in clause (g),-
       (A) for the words "Overseas Citizen of India", the words "Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder" shall be substituted;
       (B) for the words "has been residing in India for one year", the words "is ordinarily resident in India for twelve months" shall be substituted;
       (ii) after sub-section (1), the following sub-section shall be inserted, namely:-
       "(1A) The Central Government, if it i

S.4 Substitution of new sections for sections 7A, 7B, 7C and section 7D

       In the principal Act, for sections 7A, 7B, 7C and section 7D, the following sections shall be substituted, namely:-
       "7A. Registration of Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder.--
       (1) The Central Government may, subject to such conditions, restrictions and manner as may be prescribed, on an application made in this behalf, register as an Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder-
       (a) any person of full age and capacity,-
       (i) who is a citizen of another country, but was a citizen of India at the time of, or at any time after the commencement of the Constitution; or
       (ii) who is a citizen of another country, but was eligible to become a citizen of India at the time of the commencement of the Constitution; or
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S.5 Amendment of section 18

       In the principal Act, in section 18, in sub-section (2), after clause (ee), the following clauses shall be inserted, namely:-
       "(eea) the conditions and the manner subject to which a person may be registered as an Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder under sub-section (1) of section 7A;
       (eeb) the manner of making declaration for renunciation of Overseas Citizen of India Card under sub-section (1) of section 7C;".

S.6 Amendment of Third Schedule

       In the principal Act, in the Third Schedule, in clause (c), the following proviso shall be inserted, namely:-
       "Provided that if the Central Government is satisfied that special circumstances exist, it may, after recording the circumstances in writing, relax the period of twelve months up to a maximum of thirty days which may be in different breaks.".

S.7 Repeal and savings

       (1) The Citizenship (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015 (Ord. 1 of 2015) is hereby repealed.
       (2) Notwithstanding such repeal, anything done or any action taken under the principal Act, as amended by the said Ordinance, shall be deemed to have been done or taken under the corresponding provisions of the principal Act, as amended by this Act.