Kathmandu: The House of Representatives today endorsed by majority the proposal to consider the “Nepal Citizenship (Second Amendment) Bill, 2081” along with the amendments made by the National Assembly. The proposal was tabled by Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak.
The bill, first registered in the House of Representatives on Magh 15, 2081 (January 29, 2025), had gone through various stages of discussion before being passed by the National Assembly and returned.
Responding to queries raised during deliberations, Minister Lekhak stated that the bill was introduced in line with constitutional provisions to ensure citizenship through the mother’s name. He highlighted that in cases where the father’s identity is unknown, citizenship can be granted through the mother’s name—calling this the most important feature of the bill.
According to him, the bill also simplifies the process of acquiring citizenship so that no citizen is deprived of their rights. It includes provisions to grant citizenship to children of those who have obtained citizenship by birth. Minister Lekhak assured that safeguards are in place to prevent misuse of the self-declaration provision and to ensure that foreign nationals do not obtain Nepali citizenship unlawfully.
Most lawmakers who took part in the debate welcomed the bill, though some expressed concerns.
- Lawmakers Basudev Ghimire, Shyam Kumar Ghimire, and Maina Karki said the bill would resolve the problem of stateless people and would be significant for gender equality.
- Lawmaker Amaresh Kumar Singh stressed the need to address citizenship issues faced by Dalits and marginalized communities in the Tarai.
- Lawmakers Ranjukumari Jha and Purna Bahadur Gharti cautioned about possible misuse of certain provisions and emphasized the need for special attention in border areas.
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