KATHMANDU: The State Affairs and Good Governance Committee under the House of Representatives has unanimously passed the bill to amend the Nepal Citizenship Act, 2006.
The committee meeting held on Tuesday at Singha Durbar approved the bill, which the government had introduced to amend the Act for the second time.
Committee Chair Ramhari Khatiwada stated that the bill was passed with the aim of ending the situation where eligible Nepali citizens remain without citizenship. He said the decision was unanimous among all committee members.
Earlier in the meeting, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak highlighted that the current government, within 11 months of its formation, has been working on policy, legal, and structural reforms—with citizenship being a key priority.
He mentioned that the rights of Non-Resident Nepalis (NRNs) to obtain citizenship are already outlined in the constitution and do not require further discussion. He added that a separate bill for NRNs is being prepared.
The Home Minister also said that the bill simplifies the process of acquiring citizenship through the mother’s name, in line with constitutional provisions. It particularly addresses cases where the father’s identity is unknown but the mother declares the child as her own.
Furthermore, he clarified that children born to a Nepali mother and a foreign father can be granted naturalized citizenship if they have not acquired foreign citizenship. The government had registered the bill in the House of Representatives on January 28 to resolve legal complexities in citizenship distribution.
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