Part II - Citizenship • Article

Article 6 Simplified: Rights of citizenship of certain persons who have migrated to India from Pakistan

Article 6 helped people who moved from Pakistan to India during the Partition gain citizenship.

Official Text

Notwithstanding anything in article 5, a person who has migrated to the territory of India from the territory now included in Pakistan shall be deemed to be a citizen of India at the commencement of this Constitution if— (a) he or either of his parents or any of his grand-parents was born in India as defined in the Government of India Act, 1935 (as originally enacted); and (b)(i) in the case where such person has so migrated before the nineteenth day of July, 1948, he has been ordinarily resident in the territory of India since the date of his migration, or (ii) in the case where such person has so migrated on or after the nineteenth day of July, 1948, he has been registered as a citizen of India by an officer appointed in that behalf by the Government of the Dominion of India on an application made by him therefor to such officer before the commencement of this Constitution in the form and manner prescribed by that Government: Provided that no person shall be so registered unless he has been resident in the territory of India for at least six months immediately preceding the date of his application.

Simple Meaning

Article 6 helped people who moved from Pakistan to India during the Partition gain citizenship.

Explain Like Ten

Article 6 was a rule for people who moved to India from Pakistan when the country was divided. It said that if they came before a certain date and signed some papers, they could be Indian citizens.

Student Mode

Deals with citizenship for persons who migrated to India from Pakistan. It sets July 19, 1948, as the cutoff date for simplified citizenship.

Example

A family migrating from Lahore to Delhi in 1948 used Article 6 to register as Indian citizens, ensuring they had the right to live and work in India.

Key Takeaway

Article 6 protected the citizenship of refugees arriving from Pakistan.

FAQs

What is the importance of July 19, 1948?

July 19, 1948 was the cutoff date when the permit system for migration was introduced. Those who came before this date were treated differently from those who came after.

What is the difference between Article 6(a) and 6(b)?

Clause (a) sets ancestry eligibility — you or your parent/grandparent must have been born in pre-1935 British India. Clause (b) then sets the residency cutoff: those who came before July 19, 1948 needed only to be ordinarily resident; those who came after needed to formally register.