KISHANGANJ, July 9 -- The 14th in the series of ongoing camps to facilitate the grant of Indian citizenship to Nepalese women having Indian spouses, and residing in India for the last seven years, began at seven blocks of Bihar's Kishanganj district, bordering Nepal, around 366 kms north-east of Patna on Wednesday, said officials. At least 53 among the 500-plus Nepalese women having Indian spouses who have so far applied at 13 such camps held in the district since April, see a glimmer of hope of getting Indian citizenship. "We have received 53 applications from the 13 special camps organised in the district so far. We are holding three camps at every block where officials will facilitate Nepalese women on how to apply for citizenship and upload documents online on the MHA's Indian Citizenship Online portal (https://indian citizenshiponline.nic.in) while also submitting a physical copy of their application to the officials at the camp. Such camps will continue for the time being," said Naveen Kumar, district magistrate of Kishanganj over phone. Beginning April, the Indian government has launched a special campaign to facilitate the grant of Indian citizenship to Nepalese women residing in India after marriage. India's Citizenship Act, 1955, allows Nepalese citizens married to Indians to acquire Indian citizenship by registration. Regarding the tepid response at the camps, Kumar said, "So far we have received 53 applications, but the number is likely to increase as the awareness drive gathers momentum. Applications of Nepalese women married to Indians and desirous of Indian citizenship will be processed under the special provisions of the Citizenship Act 1955. To make it simple and more accessible we are organising camps at block level just to facilitate the application process. However, people are still unaware about the camps and we need to launch a vigorous awareness drive, especially in rural and remote areas." Thakurganj block development officer (BDO) Ahmar Abdali, however, said the marriage registration certificate was preventing many such Nepalese women from applying for Indian citizenship, as most of them did not have one. Terhagachh BDO Ajay Kumar also echoed Abdali's statement. "Marriage registration certificates are posing an impediment for them to apply for Indian citizenship. Most did not get their marriage registered, and they find it difficult to do so now," he said. "We never considered India and Nepal as two separate nations. They are two bodies with one soul," said Madhu Devi, a Nepali woman married to an Indian and residing at Teragachh in Kishanganj. "When I got married almost a decade back, I never thought that I would have to prove my citizenship and for that I would require a marriage registration certificate, which warranted registering my marriage," she said. "I will first have to arrange my marriage certificate to get Indian citizenship now," she said. "There are many such Nepalese women, married to Indian men who are living in India without becoming citizens," she added. Bihar has scores of Nepalese women married to Indians, but their actual count is unavailable because most have not registered their marriages in India. To be eligible, the Nepalese spouse must ordinarily be a resident in India for seven years immediately preceding her application and renounce Nepalese citizenship as India does not permit dual citizenship. Among the documents required with the application are residence permit (a legal document or card that authorises a foreign national to reside in India for an extended period), birth certificates of the applicant and her Indian spouse; marriage registration certificate of the couple; Nepali citizenship certificate or Nepal's election card. Following scrutiny, administrative verification and final approval from the ministry of home affairs, these Nepalese women will be granted Indian citizenship after taking an oath of allegiance to the Indian Constitution, DM Kumar said. Special camps are being organised at almost every block of districts bordering the Indo-Nepal border such as Kishanganj, Araria, Supaul, Madhubani, Sitamarhi, East and West Champaran besides some other districts where Nepalese women are reportedly living in their in-laws' place after marriage. Kishanganj, Araria, East and West Champaran, Supaul, Madhubani and Sitamarhi districts have a substantial population of Nepalese women married to Indians. Besides, Purnea, Katihar and Saharsa districts also have a number of families with Nepalese brides. The citizenship issue of Nepali women married to Indians in bordering districts came up during the last Special Intensive Revision ( SIR) in 2025 June to August when officials had to delete names of women voters from the rolls who had documents of their origin in Nepal, officials said. In bordering districts of West Champaran, Supaul and Kishanganj, there were deletion of large number of Nepali women married to Indian men during the electoral revision, officials said. " This drive will help in giving Nepalese women to get Indian citizenship and also get enrolled in voters' list in coming days," said an official in Kishanganj, seeking anonymity. Thakurganj, Dighalbank and Terhagachh blocks in Kishanganj, Jogbani, Narpatganj, Forbesganj, Sikti, Kursakanta in Araria, Patahi and Raxaul in East Champaran and Sikta, Narkatiaganj in West Champaran have a substantial Nepalese women married to Indians. Mutual interdependence through 'roti' (livelihood) and 'beti' (daughter - post-marital family connections) between India and Nepal has been deeply intertwined, capturing the idea that citizens from both sides are not just neighbours, but are united by open borders. "In a broader sociological context, 'roti' and 'beti' is also used within traditional Indian communities to denote ultimate social intimacy, highlighting groups or castes close enough to intermarry and share food together," Saharsa-based social activist Amit Anand who has several relatives in Nepal told this reporter over phone. "You will see several matrimonial alliances between people of these two countries," said Anand, adding "They hardly ever think that they are foreigners."...