Srinagar, August 20: Deputy Commissioners (DCs) in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have been empowered to process and grant citizenship to eligible applicants under the newly notified Citizenship (Third Amendment) Rules, 2026.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has introduced the revised mechanism, transferring the authority to decide applications for citizenship by registration or naturalisation from the existing Empowered Committees and District-Level Committees to the respective jurisdictional district authorities.
Deputy Commissioners To Handle Citizenship Applications
Under the new citizenship rules, applicants ordinarily residing in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh can submit their applications electronically to the competent district authority.
The revised rules also cover eligible applicants residing in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, West Bengal, Assam and Tripura, while tribal areas of Assam and Tripura have been excluded.
The district authority will scrutinise documents, conduct necessary inquiries and determine whether applicants fulfil the eligibility requirements prescribed under the Citizenship Act, 1955.
J&K, Ladakh DCs Empowered Under Section 6B
The amended rules refer to the empowered district authority as the “Collector.” In Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, the respective Deputy Commissioner will perform this role as the head of the district administration.
The authority can grant citizenship to an applicant who is found to be a “fit and proper person” and fulfils the conditions prescribed under Section 6B of the Citizenship Act.
All citizenship applications pending before the Empowered Committee and District-Level Committee in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh will also be transferred to the concerned district authority under the revised system.
Document Verification, Inquiry Mandatory
The concerned Deputy Commissioner will be responsible for verifying documents, conducting necessary inquiries and administering the prescribed oath of allegiance before taking a final decision on an application.
The new procedure also retains the requirement of personal appearance. Applicants must appear when required to subscribe to their application and take the oath of allegiance.
An application may be rejected if an applicant fails to appear despite being given reasonable opportunities to complete the required formalities.
Centre Revises Citizenship Processing System
The latest Citizenship Amendment Rules 2026 effectively shift the district-level processing of eligible citizenship applications in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh from the earlier committee-based system to the respective district authorities.
The move gives J&K and Ladakh Deputy Commissioners a greater role in citizenship applications, including scrutiny, verification, inquiries and the final decision on eligible cases under the revised legal framework.
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