The Citizenship Act, 1955 defines how Indian citizenship is acquired and lost, providing legal procedures for birth, descent, registration, naturalization, and termination.

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•  The Citizenship Act, 1955 was enacted by Parliament under constitutional provisions to regulate acquisition and loss of Indian citizenship and has been amended multiple times.
•  Indian citizenship can be acquired by birth, depending on date-based conditions related to parents’ nationality and status, especially after amendments in 1987 and 2004.
•  Citizenship by descent applies to persons born outside India, subject to parental citizenship and mandatory registration at Indian consulates after December 2004.
• Citizenship may also be granted through registration and naturalization, where applicants must fulfill eligibility criteria and take an oath of allegiance to India.
•  In case of incorporation of foreign territory into India, the government specifies eligible persons who automatically become Indian citizens from a notified date.
•  The Act provides three ways of losing citizenship: renunciation by declaration, termination upon acquiring foreign citizenship, and deprivation by government under specific conditions.
•  Deprivation of citizenship can occur due to fraud, disloyalty to the Constitution, unlawful dealings during war, imprisonment, or prolonged residence outside India.
•  India follows the principle of single citizenship, ensuring equal civil and political rights across the country without separate state-level citizenship like some federal nations.