3 months ago
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The Kerala Assembly connected Monday (February 23, 2026) referred to the Subject Committee connected Lane Revenue and Devaswom the Kerala Nativity Card Bill, aimed astatine issuing a legally valid papers to found one’s individuality arsenic a Keralite.
Minister for Revenue K. Rajan, who piloted the Bill, said the authorities had announced the nativity paper truthful that a idiosyncratic calved successful Kerala irrespective of residence could beryllium arrogant of his individuality arsenic a Keralite.
A idiosyncratic could beryllium conscious and arrogant of their individuality arsenic an Indian national arsenic good arsenic a Keralite done this humanities initiative, helium said.
The Minister pointed retired that the Indian Constitution ensured freedom, equality, and justness connected the ground of citizenship. However, the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) denied citizenship to galore calved and and brought up connected Indian soil. The Act was impervious of the Union authorities misusing the legislative process to instrumentality definite agenda. Its implementation had resulted successful monolithic apprehension among number communities successful Kerala. It was against this backdrop that the Chief Minister had declared that the CAA would not beryllium implemented successful Kerala, Mr. Rajan said.
Though the authorities issued nativity certificates to beryllium residency, the nativity paper would realise the request for a legally valid papers that established one’s individuality arsenic a Keralite, similar successful the lawsuit of citizenship provided for successful the Constitution, the Minister said.
The Bill was besides aimed astatine Keralites surviving overseas who had not forgotten their roots and their individuality arsenic a Keralite.
It volition besides beryllium utilized to entree State authorities services, assistance, and different “social requirements,” easing governance, particularly arsenic home migration accrued successful modern times.
The Bill was being presented successful the 70th twelvemonth since the enactment of Kerala. Someone calved successful Kerala; whose parents were calved successful the State; oregon either genitor was calved present and who became imperishable residents of the State would beryllium issued the nativity card. It would reenforce the individuality arsenic a Keralite of a Malayali surviving anyplace successful the world, helium said.
Any idiosyncratic details required by the authorities from clip to clip could besides updated connected the card.
However, the Minister pointed retired that the Opposition was not contiguous successful the House to recognise and suggest immoderate amendments to the Bill. The Union authorities had introduced the CAA, leaving galore apprehensive and scared. Through the SIR, it had underscored that it would proceed to instrumentality its argumentation of exclusion. It was regrettable that the Opposition had not expressed solidarity with Keralites who had concerns astir citizenship, Mr. Rajan said.
