Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003

No: ---- Dated: Dec, 10 2003

MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS 

NOTIFICATION 

New Delhi, the 10^th December, 2003 

G.S.R.937(E).- In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-sections (1) and (3) of 

section 18 of the Citizenship Act, 1955 (57 of 1955), the Central Government hereby 

makes the following rules, namely :- 

1. Short title and commencement. œ (1) These rules may be called the Citizenship 

(Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003. 

(2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official 

Gazette. 

2. Definitions. œ In these rules, unless the context otherwise requires, œ 

(a) —Act“ means the Citizenship Act, 1955 (57 of 1955); 

(b) —Chief Registrar of Births and Deaths“ means the Chief Registrar of Births 

and Deaths appointed under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 

1969 (18 of 1969); 

(c) —Citizen“ means the Citizen of India in terms of the Constitution of India 

and provisions of the Act; 

(d) —Director of Citizen Registration“ means the Director of Census in a State 

or Union territory appointed by the Central Government under the Census 

Act, 1948 (37 of 1948), who shall also function as the Director of Citizen 

Registration in that State, or as the case may be, in the Union territory; 

(e) —District Register of Indian Citizens“ means the register containing details 

of Indian Citizens usually residing in the district; 

(f) —District Registrar of Citizen Registration“ means the District Magistrate of 

every revenue district, by whatever name known, who shall act as the 

District Registrar of Citizen Registration; 

(g) —Local Register of Indian Citizens“ means the register containing details of 

Indian Citizens usually residing in a village or rural area or town or ward or 

demarcated area (demarcated by the Registrar General of Citizen 

Registration) within a ward in a town or urban area; 

(h) —Local Registrar of Citizen Registration“ means a local officer, or a 

revenue officer, appointed by the State Government at the lowest 

geographical jurisdiction, that is to say, of a village or rural area or town, or 

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ward or demarcated area (demarcated by the Registrar General of Citizen 

Registration) within a ward in a town or urban area, who shall function as 

Local Registrar for the purpose of preparation of Local Register of Indian 

Citizens; 

(i) —National Identity Card“ means the identity card issued under rule 13; 

(j) —National Identity Number“ means a unique identity number allotted to 

every Indian Citizen by the Registrar General of Citizen Registration, 

India; 

(k) —National Register of Indian Citizens“ means the register containing details 

of Indian Citizens living in India and outside India; 

(l) —Population Register“ means the register containing details of persons 

usually residing in a village or rural area or town or ward or demarcated 

area (demarcated by the Registrar General of Citizen Registration) within 

a ward in a town or urban area; 

(m) —Registrar General of Citizen Registration“ means the Registrar General, 

India, appointed under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 (18 

of 1969), who shall also function as the Registrar General of Citizen 

Registration, India; 

(n) —State Register of Indian Citizens“ means the register containing details of 

Indian Citizens usually residing in the State; 

(o) —Sub-district or Taluk Registrar of Citizen Registration“ means the Sub- 

district Magistrate or Taluk Executive Magistrate of every sub-district or 

taluk, by whatever name known, as the case may be, who shall function 

as Sub-district or Taluk Registrar of Citizen Registration; 

(p) —Sub-district Register of Indian Citizens“ means the register containing 

details of Indian Citizens usually residing in a taluk, or by whatever name 

known, of the sub-district. 

3. National Register of Indian Citizens. œ (1) The Registrar General of Citizen 

Registration shall establish and maintain the National Register of Indian Citizens. 

(2) The National Register of Indian Citizens shall be divided into sub-parts 

consisting of the State Register of Indian Citizens, the District Register of Indian 

Citizens, the Sub-district Register of Indian Citizens and the Local Register of Indian 

Citizens and shall contain such details as the Central Government may, by order, in 

consultation with the Registrar General of Citizen Registration, specify. 

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(3) The National Register of Indian Citizens shall contain the following particulars 

in respect of every Citizen, namely :- 

(i) Name; 

(ii) Father‘s name; 

(iii) Mother‘s name; 

(iv) Sex; 

(v) Date of birth; 

(vi) Place of birth; 

(vii) Residential address (present and permanent); 

(viii) Marital status œ if ever married, name of the spouse; 

(ix) Visible identification mark; 

(x) Date of registration of Citizen; 

(xi) Serial number of registration; and 

(xii) National Identity Number. 

(4) The Central Government may, by an order issued in this regard, decide a 

date by which the Population Register shall be prepared by collecting information 

relating to all persons who are usually residing within the jurisdiction of Local 

Registrar. 

(5) The Local Register of Indian citizens shall contain details of persons after due 

verification made from the Population Register. 

4. Preparation of the National Register of Indian Citizens. œ (1) The Central 

Government shall, for the purpose of National Register of Indian Citizens, cause to 

carry throughout the country a house-to-house enumeration for collection of 

specified particulars relating to each family and individual, residing in a local area 

including the Citizenship status. 

(2) The Registrar General of Citizen Registration shall notify the period and 

duration of the enumeration in the Official Gazette. 

(3) For the purposes of preparation and inclusion in the Local Register of Indian 

Citizens, the particulars collected of every family and individual in the Population 

Register shall be verified and scrutinized by the Local Registrar, who may be 

assisted by one or more persons as specified by the Registrar General of Citizen 

Registration. 

(4) During the verification process, particulars of such individuals, whose 

Citizenship is doubtful, shall be entered by the Local Registrar with appropriate 

remark in the Population Register for further enquiry and in case of doubtful 

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Citizenship, the individual or the family shall be informed in a specified proforma 

immediately after the verification process is over. 

(5) (a) Every person or family specified in sub-rule (4), shall be given an 

opportunity of being heard by the Sub-district or Taluk Registrar of Citizen 

Registration, before a final decision is taken to include or to exclude their particulars 

in the National Register of Indian Citizens. 

(b) The Sub-district or Taluk Registrar shall finalize his findings within a 

period of ninety days of the entry being made, or within such reasonable extended 

time for which he shall record the reasons in writing. 

(6) (a) The draft of the Local Register of Indian Citizens shall be published by 

the Sub-district or Taluk Registrar, for inviting any objections or for inclusion of any 

name or corrections for the family or individual particulars collected and proposed to 

be finally entered in the National Register of Indian Citizens. 

(b) Any objection against a particular entry or for inclusion of a name, or 

corrections if any, in the Local Register of Indian Citizens may be made within a 

period of thirty days from the date of publication of the draft of the Local Register of 

Indian Citizens, spelling out the nature and reasons for the objection in such form as 

may be specified by the Registrar General of Citizen Registration. 

(c) Subject to the provisions contained in clause (a) of sub-rule (5), the Sub- 

district or Taluk Registrar shall consider such objections and summarily dispose off 

the same within a period of ninety days, and thereafter submit the Local Register of 

Indian Citizens so prepared to the District Registrar of Citizen Registration who shall 

cause the entries in the Local Register of Indian Citizens, to be transferred to the 

National Register of Indian Citizens. 

(7) (a) Any person aggrieved by the order of the Sub-district or Taluk 

Registrar under sub-rule (5) or sub-rule (6), may prefer an appeal within thirty days 

from the date of such order, to the District Registrar of Citizen Registration. 

(b) The District Registrar of Citizen Registration shall take a final decision, after 

giving an opportunity of being heard to the person so aggrieved, within a period of 

ninety days from the date of appeal. 

(c) In case the appeal is allowed, the particulars shall be entered in the National 

Register of Indian Citizens. 

5. Officials of the Central Government, State Governments and local bodies to 

assist the Registrar General of Citizen Registration. œ Every official of the Central 

Government, State Government, local bodies or their undertakings shall assist the 

Registrar General of Citizen Registration or any person authorized by him in this 

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behalf, in preparation of the database relating to each family and every person, and 

in implementing the provisions of these rules. 

6. Initialization of National Register of Indian Citizens. œ (1) The Registrar 

General of Citizen Registration shall, by order, notify the date on which the National 

Register of Indian Citizens shall be initialized throughout the country. 

(2) The order made under sub-rule (1) may provide for the initialization period 

specified by the Registrar General of Citizen Registration for establishment of the 

National Register of Indian Citizens. 

(3) Every individual must get himself registered with the Local Registrar of Citizen 

Registration during the period of initialization as specified under sub-rule (2). 

7. Head of family and individual to act as informant. œ (1) It shall be compulsory 

for every Citizen of India to assist the officials responsible for preparation of the 

National Register of Indian Citizens under rule 4 and get himself registered in the 

Local Register of Indian Citizens during the period of initialization. 

(2) It shall be the responsibility of the head of every family, during the period 

specified for preparation of the Population Register, to give the correct details of 

name and number of members and other particulars, as specified in sub-rule (3) of 

rule 3, of the family of which he is the head. 

(3) It shall be the responsibility of every Citizen to register once with the Local 

Registrar of Citizen Registration and to provide correct individual particulars to that 

authority. 

(4) In the case of dependents, such as minor who has not attained the age of 

eighteen years, or who is disabled, the responsibility of reporting the particulars 

under this rule shall be of the head of the family: 

Provided that in so far as inmates of institutions, such as orphanages, old age 

homes, mental asylums are concerned, the responsibility for providing the requisite 

details shall lie with the head of the Institution. 

8. Power of District Registrar, Sub-district or Taluk Registrar or Local Registrar of 

Citizen Registration to obtain information. œ The District Registrar, Sub-district or 

Taluk Registrar or the Local Registrar of Citizen Registration may, by order, require 

any person to furnish any information within his knowledge in connection with the 

determination of Citizenship status of any person and the person required to furnish 

information shall be bound to comply with such requisition. 

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9. Procedure as to making of entries in National Register of Indian Citizens. œ The 

Registrar General of Citizen Registration may, by order, specify the procedure to be 

followed in preparation of the National Register of Indian Citizens and disposal of 

claims and objections with regard to family and individual particulars proposed to be 

entered in that Register. 

10. Deletion of name and particulars from National Register of Indian Citizens. œ 

(1) The name and particulars of a Citizen may be removed from the 

National Register of Indian Citizens by an order of the Registrar General of Citizen 

Registration or any officer authorized by him in this behalf in the event of œ 

(i) death of the person; or 

(ii) the person ceasing to be an Indian Citizen under section 8 of the 

Act; or 

(iii) revocation of Indian Citizenship under section 9 of the Act; or 

(iv) the particulars provided by the individual or the family found to be 

incorrect subsequently, thereby affecting the Citizenship status of 

the person. 

(2) It shall be the duty of the Indian Citizen concerned to inform the District 

Registrar of Citizen Registration, within a period of thirty days, about the cessation of 

his Indian Citizenship under clause (ii) of sub-rule (1); 

(3) In the event of an order under sub-rule (1), the person concerned, or in 

the event of his death his nearest relative, shall be duly informed about the deletion 

of any entry from the National Register of Indian Citizens. 

Provided that any person aggrieved by the order of an authorized officer may 

prefer an appeal against such order to the Authority within a period of thirty days of 

such order. 

(4) The appeal under sub-rule (3) shall be disposed off, after giving to the 

appellant an opportunity of being heard, and produce any documentary or oral 

evidence in support of his claim. 

11. Maintenance and updating of National Register of Indian Citizens. œ (1) The 

Registrar General of Citizen Registration shall cause to maintain the National 

Register of Indian Citizens in electronic or some other form which shall entail its 

continuous updating on the basis of extracts from various Registers specified under 

the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 (18 of 1969) and the Act. 

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(2) It shall be the responsibility of the head of each and every family to ensure 

that any event of birth or death occurring in the family has been duly entered in, or 

deleted from, the Local Register of Indian Citizens. 

(3) The Chief Registrar of Births and Deaths and all other officials engaged in the 

registration of births and deaths shall assist the Registrar General of Citizen 

Registration in updating the National Register of Indian Citizens as required under 

sub-rule (1). 

12. Modification of entries in National Register of Indian Citizens. œ The Sub-district 

or Taluk Registrar may, on an application made by the concerned person and after 

due verification, authorize the modification of any entry in respect of the following 

particulars in National Register of Indian Citizens, namely:- 

(a) change of name; or 

(b) the name of the applicant‘s parent in case his status has been altered 

by adoption under the relevant laws; or 

(c) change of residential address; or 

(d) change of marital status; or 

(e) change of sex. 

13. Issue of National Identity Cards. œ The Registrar General of Citizen 

Registration, or any officer authorised by him in this behalf, shall issue the National 

Identity Card to every Citizen whose particulars are entered in the National Register 

of Indian Citizens under sub-rule (3) of rule 3. 

14. National Identity Cards to be Government property and responsibility of Citizens 

to keep them properly. œ (1) The National Identity Card shall be the property of the 

Central Government. 

(2) No person shall willfully destroy, alter, transfer or use in any form the National 

Identity Card, except for the lawful purposes. 

(3) On the happening of any of the events specified under sub-rule (1) of rule 10, 

the National Identity Card shall be surrendered, by the Citizen concerned or his 

nearest relative, as the case may be, to the Registrar General of Citizen Registration 

or any other authorized officer acting on his behalf. 

(4) In the event of a loss of the National Identity Card, it shall be the duty of the 

Citizen or his nearest relative, as the case may be, to report the matter immediately 

to the nearest police station and the concerned Authority. 

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15. Designation of National Registration Authority and officers. œ (1) On and from 

the date of commencement of these rules, the Registrar General, India shall be 

designated as the Registrar General of Citizen Registration, India who shall also 

function as such for the purposes of these rules. 

(2) The Central Government may designate œ 

(a) one or more officers as Additional or Joint or Deputy Registrar 

General of Citizen Registration and such other officers and staff 

as may be required; and 

(b) an officer as a Director, and one or more officers as Joint Director, 

Deputy Director, Assistant Director of Citizen Registration for 

each of the States and the Union territories along with requisite 

support staff, to assist the Registrar General of Citizen 

Registration in discharging the functions and responsibilities 

under these rules, 

(3) The State Government shall notify a State Co-ordinator of National 

Registration not below the rank of a Secretary in the State Government or 

equivalent. 

16. Supervision and Control of Registrar General of Citizen Registration over 

District, Sub-district or Taluk and Local Registrars of Citizen Registration. œ (1) 

The State Government shall designate an officer or a person as Local 

Registrar of Citizen Registration for each lowest geographical jurisdiction, that is to 

say, of a village or rural area or town, or ward or demarcated area (demarcated by 

the Registrar General of Citizen Registration) within a ward in a town or urban area 

who shall function as Local Registrar for the purpose of preparation of Local 

Register of Indian Citizens. 

(2) Every Local Registrar of Citizen Registration shall function under the 

overall supervision of the Sub-district or Taluk Registrar of Citizen Registration. 

(3) Every Sub-district or Taluk Registrar of Citizen Registration shall 

function under the overall supervision of the District Registrar of Citizen Registration. 

(4) For the purposes of implementing and carrying out the provisions of these 

rules, the District Registrar, the Sub-district or Taluk Registrar and the Local 

Registrar of Citizen Registration shall be under the supervision and control of the 

Registrar General of Citizen Registration. 

(5) The Registrar General of Citizen Registration or any officer authorized by him 

at any time may call for any records for examination, and issue directions regarding 

inclusion or exclusion of any individual or family particulars from the Population 

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Register or Local Register of Indian Citizens, to the District Registrar, the Sub-district 

or Taluk Registrar and the Local Registrar of Citizen Registration. 

17. Penal consequences in certain cases. - Any violation of provisions of rules 5, 

7, 8, 10, 11 and 14 shall be punishable with fine which may extend to one thousand 

rupees. 

18. Guidelines for collection of particulars of individuals, verification, issue of 

National Identity Cards, etc. - The Registrar General of Citizen Registration may, in 

consultation with the Central Government, issue from time to time such guidelines to 

the State Governments as are considered necessary for implementation of these 

rules. 

[F.No.26011/2/2003-IC.I] PRAVIN SRIVASTAVA, Jt. Secy. 

Note: The Principal rules were published in the Gazette of India vide number SRO 1574, 

dated 7-7-1956 and subsequently amended vide number: 

1. 2/13/57-IC dated 16-5-58 

2. 10/3/58-IC dated 19-11-58 

3. 2/11/58-IC dated 31-1-59 

4. 2/1/60-IC dated 16-9-60 

5. 1/1/62-IC dated 20-12-62 

6. 1/1/64-IC dated 3-3-65 

7. 24/161(ii)/64-IC dated 5-5-65 

8. 2/1/66-IC dated 29-5-67 

9. 2/1/68-IC dated 12-11-68 

10. 2/1/69-IC dated 14-5-69 

11. 2/7/69-IC dated 19-12-69 

12. 24/75/69-IC dated 28-8-70 

13. 26011/1/71-IC dated 9-8-71 

14. 26011/12/(i)/71-IC dated 15-2-72 

15. GSR 383(E) dated 5-6-81 

16. GSR 25(E) dated 15-1-86 

17. GSR 567(E) dated 1-4-86 

18. GSR 18(E) dated 7-1-87 

19. GSR 392(E) dated 13-4-87, and 

20. GSR 141(E) dated 19-3-98 

21. GSR 344(E) dated 20-4-2000 

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Actual Document -