The Crossbill News Desk
The cancellation of Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) registrations has seen an unprecedented surge in 2024, with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs revoking as many as 57 OCI cards in a single year — nearly half the total cancellations recorded over the past decade.
Data accessed by The Hindu under the Right to Information Act reveals that from 2014 to 2023, a total of 122 OCI registrations were cancelled under Section 7D of the Citizenship Act, 1955.
In contrast, the current year has already witnessed 57 cancellations, followed by 15 more as of May 19, 2025.
Section 7D of the Citizenship Act empowers the central government to cancel OCI registration if it was obtained fraudulently, if the holder has shown disaffection toward the Constitution, engaged in prohibited activities during wartime, or received a prison sentence of two years or more within five years of registration.
The recent spike in cancellations has drawn criticism from academics, journalists, and rights groups, who allege that the Modi government is using the provision as a tool to silence overseas dissent.
Earlier this week, Nitasha Kaul, a London-based academic known for her criticism of the Modi administration, announced that her OCI status had been revoked. In a government notice to Kaul, authorities cited her "numerous inimical writings, speeches, and journalistic activities" and accused her of regularly targeting India’s sovereignty and institutions on international platforms and social media.
Kaul denounced the move as “vindictive” and “cruel,” calling it a blatant example of “transnational repression.”
The OCI scheme allows foreign nationals of Indian origin several privileges, including a lifelong, multiple-entry visa to India.
However, in recent years, concerns have grown over the Modi government’s increasing use of revocation powers against vocal critics. The trend has been accompanied by regulatory tightening, such as the 2021 requirement that journalists, missionaries, and mountaineers obtain special permits in addition to their OCI status.
Among the high-profile cancellations in recent years are those of French journalist Vanessa Dougnac in 2024, Sweden-based academic Ashok Swain in 2023, and American journalist Raphael Satter the same year. In the cases of Dougnac and Swain, Indian courts overturned the government’s decisions and ordered the restoration of their OCI status. Satter’s challenge is currently pending in court.
While the government maintains that such actions are in line with national interest and legal provisions, critics argue that the increasing use of Section 7D disproportionately targets dissenting voices and undermines democratic values.
Data accessed by The Hindu under the Right to Information Act reveals that from 2014 to 2023, a total of 122 OCI registrations were cancelled under Section 7D of the Citizenship Act, 1955.
In contrast, the current year has already witnessed 57 cancellations, followed by 15 more as of May 19, 2025.
Section 7D of the Citizenship Act empowers the central government to cancel OCI registration if it was obtained fraudulently, if the holder has shown disaffection toward the Constitution, engaged in prohibited activities during wartime, or received a prison sentence of two years or more within five years of registration.
The recent spike in cancellations has drawn criticism from academics, journalists, and rights groups, who allege that the Modi government is using the provision as a tool to silence overseas dissent.
Earlier this week, Nitasha Kaul, a London-based academic known for her criticism of the Modi administration, announced that her OCI status had been revoked. In a government notice to Kaul, authorities cited her "numerous inimical writings, speeches, and journalistic activities" and accused her of regularly targeting India’s sovereignty and institutions on international platforms and social media.
Kaul denounced the move as “vindictive” and “cruel,” calling it a blatant example of “transnational repression.”
The OCI scheme allows foreign nationals of Indian origin several privileges, including a lifelong, multiple-entry visa to India.
However, in recent years, concerns have grown over the Modi government’s increasing use of revocation powers against vocal critics. The trend has been accompanied by regulatory tightening, such as the 2021 requirement that journalists, missionaries, and mountaineers obtain special permits in addition to their OCI status.
Among the high-profile cancellations in recent years are those of French journalist Vanessa Dougnac in 2024, Sweden-based academic Ashok Swain in 2023, and American journalist Raphael Satter the same year. In the cases of Dougnac and Swain, Indian courts overturned the government’s decisions and ordered the restoration of their OCI status. Satter’s challenge is currently pending in court.
While the government maintains that such actions are in line with national interest and legal provisions, critics argue that the increasing use of Section 7D disproportionately targets dissenting voices and undermines democratic values.
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