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Time of India
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Nepal's amended citizenship bill paves way to acquire citizenship in mother's name- even if father's identity is unknown
Nepal on Saturday endorsed the Nepal Citizenship Bill (Second Amendment), which paves the way to acquire citizenship in the mother's name--even if the father's identity is unknown. The bill was endorsed by a majority of the lawmakers who took part in the deliberation. The significant move is being hailed as a step towards ensuring equality in citizenship rights, as lawmakers endorsed it in the House of Representatives (HoR). The bill, tabled by Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak , seeks to end years of uncertainty for children born to Nepali mothers by allowing them to acquire citizenship in their mother's name. While presenting the bill, Minister Lekhak stated that this long-awaited legislation addresses legal loopholes and incorporates several landmark court verdicts that had instructed the government to ensure citizenship rights through either parent. He emphasized that the bill will particularly benefit children born abroad to Nepali women working overseas who, upon returning to Nepal, often find their children rendered stateless due to the lack of legal recognition. "It is a matter of granting Nepali citizenship to the children who were born in a foreign country or to our Nepali females who went abroad for employment and returned with their children or in a condition of pregnancy," the Home Minister said. Live Events The passage of this bill marks a major milestone in Nepal's legislative history and offers hope to thousands who have long waited for legal recognition of their citizenship through their mothers. Lawmakers welcomed the bill, calling it a step forward in ensuring no genuine Nepali is denied citizenship while also maintaining safeguards to prevent non-citizens from acquiring it fraudulently. Lawmaker Prakash Jwala expressed confidence that the bill would finally open the path to citizenship through the mother's name, a long-standing demand rooted in the principle of gender equality. He underlined that this law strikes a balance between granting rightful citizenship and protecting national interest. "We are creating a situation where a child can become a citizen by getting the citizenship, mentioning the mother's name or only the mother's name. That's a positive step. I once again would extend wishes to all the mothers and thank the children," Jwala said. Lawmaker Jwala Kumari Sah highlighted that the new law has been carefully designed not to compromise Nepal's national security, unity, or sovereignty. She added that the provision would bring relief to children born to Nepali mothers and foreign fathers, many of whom have remained stateless despite their strong ties to Nepal. "The status of a woman, as the citizenship is being issued only in the name of the mother, was absent in the bygone days. There used to be a mandatory presence of the father. Now with this endorsement, the mothers are also set to get the recognition equal to that of fathers. I would like to thank the proposers of this bill," lawmaker Sah said. According to the new provision, such children born to Nepali mothers abroad, residing in Nepal, who have not acquired foreign citizenship or a passport, and whose father's identity is unknown, will now be eligible for naturalised Nepali citizenship upon self-declaration, as per specified procedures. The bill also includes a provision to issue minor identification cards to children under the age of 16 if either parent is a Nepali citizen.
Indian Express
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Visit visa scam: Nepal govt forms probe panel, 2 Opp parties say ‘cover-up' act
Nepal Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, who has rejected the demand for his resignation in what is known as 'visit visa ' scam, on Tuesday announced formation of a seven-member probe committee, but the two main opposition parties outrightly rejected it saying it is nothing but a 'cover-up act'. Lekhak said in the House of Representatives that the government has accepted his proposal and constituted a 7-member team headed by former Chief secretary Shankar Das Bairagi, which will conduct a probe into the alleged rampant extortion of Nepalis traveling on visit visa by the immigration authorities at the Tribhuvan International Airport. Members of two Opposition parties, the Rastriya Swatantra Party and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, walked out of the House in protest alleging that the choice of members in the panel–all serving bureaucrats — was clearly intended to shield Lekhak and others. The opposition parties, including the main Opposition Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre), had earlier demanded a probe and resignation of the Home Minister to ensure a fair investigation. However, the CPN (Maoist Centre) changed its stance and agreed to have a probe without the resignation of the minister. CPN (Maoist Centre) chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda justified the party's stand. 'Truth in the visit visa scam should come out,' he said, adding that the other opposition parties would realise later that the stand taken by the patry was the most appropriate one. Tirtha Raj Bhattarai, chief of Immigration, is under suspension and is being investigated for the scam but Lekhak, backed by Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and Nepali Congress chief Sher Bahadur Deuba, has all along said the minister cannot be held accountable for bureaucrats' errors.
News18
13-06-2025
- Politics
- News18
Nepals parliament deadlock ends as 3 key parties reach agreement on visa scam
Kathmandu, Jun 13 (PTI) The over two-week-long deadlock in Nepal's House of Representatives (HoR) ended on Friday after the ruling Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, and main opposition CPN (Maoist Centre) reached a two-point agreement addressing the visit visa scam and immigration irregularities. The HoR session resumed after 17 days of obstruction by opposition parties, demanding the resignation of Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak over alleged involvement in the visa scam. The agreement, signed by the three parties, includes full cooperation with the ongoing investigation by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) and a commitment to policy, legal, and structural reforms in the immigration and visa systems, Nepali Congress (NC) MP Bimalendra Nidhi said. Despite the agreement, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) continued their protest, saying that it was not satisfied with the deal reached between the ruling alliance and the Maoist Centre. The opposition parties, including the Maoist Centre and RSP, have been obstructing the lower house of Parliament since May 27 demanding resignation of Home Minister and NC leader Lekhak. The CIAA, the anti-graft body, during an investigation found that immigration officers at the Tribhuvan International Airport were allowing Nepalese youths seeking jobs abroad to visit a third country on visit visa without producing work permits by paying tens of thousands of rupees as bribes. The chief of the immigration department at the airport has been suspended following a raid by the CIAA. The opposition parties have alleged that Home Minister Lekhak was also involved in the scam and demanded his resignation to allow impartial investigation into the case. However, Lekhak has denied the allegation and assured to cooperate with the anti-graft body in the ongoing investigation into the immigration irregularities. Home Minister Lekhak addressed the House, denying any involvement in the scam. Home Minister Lekhak also accused the RSP of registering complaints against him by bringing fake victims in the case. PTI SBP SCY SCY First Published: June 13, 2025, 21:30 IST
Hans India
27-05-2025
- Business
- Hans India
MB Patil to BJP: Where were you when KSDL was rocked by scams?
Bengaluru: Takinga jibe at BY Vijayendra and other BJP leaders for their recent statements about preserving the legacy of Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL), M.B. Patil, Minister for Large and Medium Industries, on Monday, questioned their silence when the company was plagued by irregularities during the BJP's tenure in power. 'In the wake of actress Tamannaah Bhatia being appointed as KSDL's brand ambassador, BJP leaders are making loud statements. But where were these leaders when large-scale scams occurred under the chairmanship of Madal Virupakshappa?' Patil asked. 'The same leaders, who now portray themselves as protectors of Karnataka's entrepreneurial heritage, remained tight-lipped when Madal Virupakshappa was sent to jail on charges of corruption in KSDL. Did Vijayendra have a share in those irregularities?' he added sharply. Patil clarified that the decision to appoint Tamannaah as KSDL's brand ambassador was made purely on business grounds. 'An expert committee reviewed several factors before making the decision. Some other celebrities were also considered, but they were under contract with competing brands and therefore could not be selected,' he explained. He said that since the Congress government took office, proactive measures have been taken to streamline KSDL's operations. 'With the same equipment and workforce, we have enhanced the production capacity, and the company is now turning a profit. The BJP leaders, who were indifferent when KSDL was incurring losses, are now issuing grand statements about protecting the state's interests,' Patil criticised. 'Leaders of a few organisations who had earlier questioned Tamannaah's appointment later contacted me and expressed their satisfaction with the measures being taken to expand KSDL's reach. They admitted that they were not fully aware of the facts initially,' the Minister remarked. He also informed that 23 new products have been added to KSDL's line-up, with plans underway to launch dishwashing products and perfumes. Patil further stated that similar reforms are being implemented in the Mysore Sales International Limited (MSIL). 'Initiatives will soon be launched by the Chief Minister. We have introduced digitisation measures aimed at increasing MSIL's annual transactions to Rs 10,000 crore by 2030. Additionally, MSIL's stationery division has been revived, including the relaunch of 'Lekhak' notebooks,' he said.
