Self-declaration required if father Is unknown
KATHMANDU, Jan 29: The government has registered a bill in the House of Representatives to make it easier for children raised by single mothers to obtain citizenship under their mother's name.
On Tuesday, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak presented the bill in the House of Representatives, which amends the Nepal Citizenship Act of 2006. The bill provides a somewhat easier path for children to obtain citizenship under their mother's name.
However, the applicant for citizenship must make a self-declaration if the father's identity is unknown.
The bill states that even if a person's birth registration, educational qualification certificate, or father's name is listed, children will be able to obtain citizenship under their mother's name if the father is currently unreachable.
The Citizenship Act previously lacked such a provision, which resulted in children raised by single mothers being deprived of obtaining citizenship.
Even if a person's birth registration, educational qualification certificate, or any other document mentions the father's name, if the person declares the father's identity as unknown and states that he is currently unreachable, authorities will consider the father's identity unknown, allowing the person to obtain Nepali citizenship based on descent.