Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cardholders can now only lay claim to Non-Resident Indian (NRI) quota seats in educational institutions, according to new measures announced by India's Home Affairs Ministry.
These seats will be based on all-India entrance tests such as National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), Joint Entrance Examination (Mains), Joint Entrance Examination (Advanced) or other such all-India professional tests, it said.
The notification also added that OCIs are not entitled to undertake any “missionary, mountaineering, journalism and tabligh activities” without prior permission of the Indian Government.
The notification says that the OCI cardholder shall be required to obtain a “special permission or a special permit” from the competent authority or the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO) or the Indian Mission “to undertake research, Missionary or Tabligh or Mountaineering or Journalistic activities, undertake internship in any foreign diplomatic missions or foreign Government organisations in India or employment in any foreign diplomatic missions in India and visit any place which falls within the Protected or Restricted or prohibited areas as notified by the Central Government or competent authority”.
Though they are of Indian origin, OCI citizens are foreign passport holders and are not citizens of India, as the country does not allow dual citizenship but provides certain benefits under Section 7B(I) of the Citizenship Act, 1955.