India Extends OCI Card Eligibility in Sri Lanka to Sixth Generation

During his official visit to Sri Lanka, Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan announced that India has extended Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card eligibility for persons of Indian origin in Sri Lanka up to the sixth generation. Earlier, eligibility was limited to the fourth generation. The move aims to strengthen diaspora engagement and bilateral ties between the two countries.

Key Points:

OCI eligibility extended from 4th generation to 6th generation of Indian-origin people in Sri Lanka.

Announcement made during the Vice-President’s 2-day visit to Sri Lanka.

Decision will particularly benefit Indian-origin Tamil community in Sri Lanka.

OCI cards may now be issued based on documents provided by the Sri Lankan government, simplifying the process.

Discussions during the visit included:

Economic cooperation

Housing projects

Fishermen issues (sensitive bilateral concern)

Move aligns with India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy.

Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Scheme:

Introduced in 2005 under the Citizenship Act 1955 amendment.

Provides:

Lifelong visa to visit India

Exemption from police registration

Parity with NRIs in economic/educational fields

Not full citizenship:

No voting rights

Cannot hold constitutional posts

PIO–OCI Merger:Person of Indian Origin (PIO) scheme merged with OCI in 2015 to simplify diaspora policies.

India–Sri Lanka Relations Based on:

Historical & cultural ties

Tamil community linkage

Key cooperation areas:

Housing projects

Economic assistance (e.g., during Sri Lanka’s 2022 crisis)

Fisheries management