Which Articles of Indian Constitution are related to citizenship?
- (a)Article 3 to 10
- (b)Article 4 to 11
- (c)Article 5 to 11
- (d)Article 6 to 11
Correct — C, Articles 5 to 11. Citizenship is dealt with in Part II of the Constitution, which runs from Article 5 to Article 11. Article 5 defines citizenship at the commencement of the Constitution; Articles 6-7 cover migrants to and from Pakistan; Article 8 covers persons of Indian origin residing abroad; Article 9 bars dual citizenship (voluntarily acquiring foreign citizenship ends Indian citizenship); Article 10 continues citizenship rights; and Article 11 empowers Parliament to regulate citizenship by law (the basis of the Citizenship Act, 1955). Hence the range is Articles 5-11 — option (c).
- (a)Article 3 to 10 — Articles 3 and 4 belong to Part I (Union and its Territory) and deal with the formation of new states and alteration of boundaries — not citizenship. It also stops at Article 10, wrongly omitting Article 11.
- (b)Article 4 to 11 — Article 4 is part of Part I (consequential laws for state reorganisation under Articles 2-3), not citizenship. Citizenship provisions begin at Article 5, not Article 4.
- (d)Article 6 to 11 — It leaves out Article 5, which is the foundational provision defining citizenship at the commencement of the Constitution — so the range is incomplete.
Part II of the Constitution (Articles 5-11) deals with citizenship. It identifies who were citizens when the Constitution came into force (Article 5), addresses migrants to and from Pakistan (Articles 6-7) and Indians abroad (Article 8), rules out dual citizenship (Article 9), and — crucially — leaves the detailed law to Parliament (Article 11). Parliament used Article 11 to enact the Citizenship Act, 1955, which governs acquisition and loss of citizenship today.
All the distractors shift the boundary by one or two articles, so anchor the two endpoints. Citizenship STARTS at Article 5 (this rules out option d, which begins at 6) and ENDS at Article 11 (this rules out option a, which stops at 10). Articles 1-4 form Part I ('Union and its Territory'), so any option beginning at 3 or 4 has strayed into the wrong Part.
- Part II of the Constitution (Articles 5 to 11) deals with citizenship
- Article 11 empowers Parliament to regulate citizenship → Citizenship Act, 1955
- Article 9: voluntarily acquiring the citizenship of a foreign state ends Indian citizenship (no dual citizenship)
- Part I (Articles 1-4) covers the Union and its territory — states, boundaries — not citizenship
Citizenship runs from Article 5 to Article 11 → option (c). Articles 1-4 (Part I) cover the Union and its territory, not citizenship.
- Confusing Part I (Articles 1-4, states and territory) with Part II (Articles 5-11, citizenship)
- Assuming the Constitution details all citizenship rules — in fact Article 11 leaves the details to Parliament's law (1955 Act)
UPPSC/UPSC ask which Part/Articles cover citizenship, which Article empowers Parliament to legislate on it, or whether India allows dual/single citizenship — anchor 'Part II = Articles 5-11' and 'Article 11 = Parliament's power'.
With reference to India, consider the following statements: 1. There is only one citizenship and one domicile. 2. A citizen by birth only can become the Head of State. 3. A foreigner once granted the citizenship cannot be deprived of it under any circumstances. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 only
- (c) 1 and 3
- (d) 2 and 3
Answer(a) 1 only — India has single citizenship and one domicile; any citizen (not only by birth) can be President; and citizenship can be terminated under the 1955 Act.
Same concept — citizenship under the Constitution (Part II, Articles 5-11) and the Citizenship Act, 1955. It tests the single-citizenship rule and how citizenship is granted/lost, the framework this UPPSC question locates in Articles 5-11.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which Article of the Constitution empowers Parliament to make laws regarding the acquisition and termination of citizenship?
- (a)Article 5
- (b)Article 9
- (c)Article 11
- (d)Article 15
Answer(c) Article 11 — it lets Parliament regulate citizenship by law; the Citizenship Act, 1955 was enacted under it.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Part II of the Indian Constitution deals with which of the following?
- (a)The Union and its territory
- (b)Citizenship
- (c)Fundamental Rights
- (d)Directive Principles
Answer(b) Citizenship — Part II runs from Article 5 to Article 11; Part I covers the Union and its territory.