KATHMANDU: Legal hurdles have been cleared to obtain the citizenship certificate in the mother’s name. With the new move, anyone whose father’s identity is not revealed would get the citizenship certificate in the mother’s name following the approval of the Nepal Citizenship (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2082.

The Council of Ministers had approved the Nepal Citizenship (Fourth Amendment) Regulations and published in the Nepal Gazette on January 5, paving the way for the implementation of the provision stated in the Citizenship Act, 2063.

Spokesperson of the Ministry of Home Affairs Ananda Kafle stated that all the District Administration Offices across the country have been written for the implementation of the provision mentioned in the Nepal Citizenship (Fourth Amendment) Regulations.

The President in September had authenticated the Nepal Citizenship (Second Amendment) Bill, 2082 made to amend the Nepal Citizenship Act, 2063 BS. The amendment ensures provisions allowing anyone to acquire citizenship in the mother’s name if the identity of their father remains unknown.

In regard to the naturalised citizenship, it states that a child born to a Nepali female citizen in a foreign country, residing permanently in Nepal, may be granted naturalised citizenship as prescribed, provided the child has not acquired foreign citizenship through the father.

The Regulations also mentioned that a child is eligible for obtaining citizenship in the mother’s name if the father is dead or not supporting the child in acquiring citizenship, or is married to another person.