India authorizes district collectors in border states to grant citizenship

The Indian Union Home Ministry has notified the Citizenship (Third Amendment) Rules 2026, granting district collectors in several border states and Union Territories the authority to grant naturalised citizenship. The designated regions include Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, West Bengal, Assam, and Tripura (excluding tribal areas), as well as the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Under these new rules, district collectors will replace the previously existing ‘Empowered Committees’ and ‘Designated Officers’. As the new ‘competent authority’, collectors are tasked to receive, scrutinise, and dispose of applications for registration or naturalisation electronically. A collector may grant citizenship if they are satisfied that the applicant is a ‘fit and proper person’ based on suitability and document verification.

The government has directed that all citizenship applications currently pending with previous committees or District Level Committees in these regions be transferred immediately to the relevant district collectors. Upon submission, the system will provide an automated acknowledgement, after which the collector will conduct necessary inquiries to determine an applicant's suitability.