Home The Constitution Part II Article 11

Art. 11 Part II: Citizenship

Parliament to Regulate the Right of Citizenship by Law

Exact text — Constitution of India

Nothing in the foregoing provisions of this Part shall derogate from the power of Parliament to make any provision with respect to the acquisition and termination of citizenship and all other matters relating to citizenship.

In Plain English

What this Article actually means

The most consequential Article in this entire Part, despite its brevity — it hands Parliament complete, essentially unrestricted power to legislate on every aspect of citizenship: how it's acquired (birth, descent, registration, naturalisation) and how it's terminated, going far beyond what Articles 5-10 addressed. Parliament used this power almost immediately, passing the Citizenship Act, 1955, which has been the operative citizenship law ever since (amended several times, including in 1986, 2003, and 2019).

Why This Matters To You

How it shows up in everyday life

Every citizenship question you might have today — how a child born in India (or to Indian parents abroad) becomes a citizen, how a foreign national naturalises, or how citizenship can be renounced or revoked — is answered by the Citizenship Act, 1955 (as amended), not by Part II of the Constitution directly. This Article is simply the constitutional permission slip that let Parliament build that whole system.

How This Is Enforced

Laws and mechanisms that put this Article into practice

Citizenship Act, 1955

The complete, still-operative legislative framework for acquiring and losing Indian citizenship, made under this Article's authority and amended several times since (most notably by the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019).

Read alongside this one

Art. 5 — Citizenship at the Commencement of the Constitution Art. 9 — Persons Voluntarily Acquiring Foreign Citizenship

Frequently Asked

Quick answers about Article 11

Why does almost everything about Indian citizenship trace back to a 1955 law rather than the Constitution?

Because Article 11 deliberately handed this entire subject over to Parliament's ordinary law-making power — the framers chose not to freeze detailed citizenship rules into the Constitution itself, leaving room for Parliament to adapt the rules over time.

← PreviousArticle 10: Continuance of the Rights of Citizenship Back toPart II Overview

The text above reproduces Article 11 of the Constitution of India as amended to date, for general educational reference. It is public-domain legislative text, but we recommend cross-checking the authoritative version at legislative.gov.in or india.gov.in before relying on it for a legal matter. The explanation, examples and FAQs are general information, not legal advice — consult a qualified advocate for guidance on your specific situation.