Citizenship in all countries should be natural human right of people who have generational links to the country and children born there. We at Right to Nationality and Citizenship Network (RNCN) firmly believe that the right to citizenship of no child born on the soil of India can be taken away. It is a natural and birth right of every child.

RNCN aims to create awareness, campaign for and advocate for people’s right to nationality as a human right. The right to nationality enables people to have all other human rights. Citizenship is the gateway to enjoyment of rights. 

Further, in many countries gender discriminatory nationality laws render women and their children stateless. Only men can transfer nationality to their children. RNCN advocates for an end to gender bias in nationality laws.

Our campaigns, which are the individual focus areas of our work, are also located in the larger global reality of many governments using different means to deprive their people of citizenship.

Statelessness is a growing problem globally. Though there is no exact estimate of people without citizenship, per United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), “Today, millions of people around the world are denied a nationality. As a result, they often aren’t allowed to go to school, see a doctor, get a job, open a bank account, buy a house or even get married.” Marginalised groups like religious and linguistic minorities, women and migrant workers are most at risk of statelessness. 

RNCN aims to raise awareness on the above issues in the Indian context by conducting campaign and advocacy through communications, research and documentation exercises.

Founding members

Aman Wadud | Angshuman Choudhury | Anjuman Ara Begum | Dipak Dholakia | Jayshree Satpute | Paresh Hate | Oliullah Laskar | Ravi Hemadri | Tapan Bose | Tanya Laskar | Tripti Poddar

Right to Nationality and Citizenship Network is a project under the Development And Justice Initiative (DAJI).