Citizenship Act, 1955 · Overseas citizenship
Section 7B: Conferment of rights on Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder
(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force, an Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder shall be entitled to such rights, other than the rights specified under sub-section (2), as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf.—
(2) An Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder shall not be entitled to the rights conferred on a citizen of India
(a) under article 16 of the Constitution with regard to equality of opportunity in matters of public employment;
(b) under article 58 of the Constitution for election as President;
(c) under article 66 of the Constitution for election as Vice-President;
(d) under article 124 of the Constitution for appointment as a Judge of the Supreme Court;
(e) under article 217 of the Constitution for appointment as a Judge of the High Court;
(f) under section 16 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 (43 of 1950) in regard to registration as a voter;
(g) under sections 3 and 4 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (43 of 1951) with regard to the eligibility for being a member of the House of the People or of the Council of States, as the case may be;
(h) under sections 5, 5A and section 6 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (43 of 1951) with regard to the eligibility for being a member of the Legislative Assembly or the Legislative Council, as the case may be, of a State;
(i) for appointment to public services and posts in connection with affairs of the Union or of any State except for appointment in such services and posts as the Central Government may, by special order in that behalf, specify.
(3) Every notification issued under sub-section (1) shall be laid before each House of Parliament.]
Source: India Code (indiacode.gov.in), the consolidated text published by the Legislative Department, Government of India. Text as updated on India Code on 15 October 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.
Supreme Court judgments citing the section 7B
- Kshitij Gupta v. Union of India & Ors
- Khalid Jahangir Qazi Through His Power of Attorney Holder Ms Farida Siddiqi v. Union of India Through Secretary & Ors
- Devadarsini Umapathy v. Medical Counselling Committee & Ors
- Kenisha Agrawal Minor Represented by Father and Natural Guardian Mr Nitin Agrawal v. Union of India & Ors
- Karm Kumar v. Squash Association of Delhi & Ors
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Pallavi v. Union of India & Ors.
The petitioner-foreign national, challenges the rejection of candidature to a Post graduate medical seat when she was allowed to appear in the NEET mains as Overseas Citizen of India Card cardholder, wherein she…
- Daeyoung Jung v. Bar Council of India & Anr
- Anushka Rengunthwar & Ors. v. Union of India &