Article 10

Continuance of the rights of citizenship

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Source edition: The Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)
Source locator: Part II, Article 10
Last human source-link check: Not yet checked
Last human legal review: Not yet reviewed

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1. In One Sentence

Guarantees that anyone recognized as a citizen under Articles 5–8 continues to remain a citizen, subject only to laws enacted by Parliament.

2. What It Means in Everyday Language

Article 10 provides constitutional security and permanence to every person who obtained citizenship under Articles 5 through 8.

It guarantees that an individual’s citizenship cannot be revoked arbitrarily by executive orders, police actions, or administrative decrees. Once you are a citizen of India, your status continues automatically, subject only to laws that Parliament may constitutionally enact.

This ensures the rule of law: only Parliament, as the elected national legislature representing the people, has the authority to define conditions for holding or losing citizenship.

3. Practical Illustrative Example

Everyday Scenario:

A local administrative official or police officer threatens to revoke or question an individual’s citizenship status during an administrative dispute.

Core takeaway: Under Article 10, an executive official cannot cancel your citizenship arbitrarily; citizenship is a constitutionally protected status that can only be regulated or terminated in accordance with a valid law enacted by Parliament.

Illustrative Notice: Citizenship status is protected against arbitrary executive action, but Parliament possesses constitutional power under Article 11 to pass legislation governing citizenship.

4. Important Limits, Qualifications & Exceptions

Guarantees continuity of citizenship against arbitrary executive interference.

Protection against executive whim: No minister or bureaucrat can revoke citizenship without statutory parliamentary authority.
Subject to parliamentary law: Parliament retains legislative power under Article 11 to set grounds for termination or deprivation.

5. Operative Constitutional Text

Every person who is or is deemed to be a citizen of India under any of the foregoing provisions of this Part shall, subject to the provisions of any law that may be made by Parliament, continue to be such citizen.

Transcription for reference; compare with the linked official editionNot yet verified by a human legal reviewer

6. Sources & Historical Assembly Deliberations

Assembly quotations are withheld until wording, dates, and attribution have been checked against the primary record.

Sources & Citation Metadata

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Constitutional TextThe Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)Cited PDF page
Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India (Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice) • Part II, Article 10 • Human source-link check pending
Official consolidated text of the Constitution published by the Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice.
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Assembly RecordConstituent Assembly Debates (Official Report)Source or archive portal
Lok Sabha Secretariat (Parliament of India / Lok Sabha Secretariat) • Volume IX, 10 August 1949 • Human source-link check pending
Official verbatim record of Constituent Assembly proceedings published by the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

Human legal review is pending; compare the text with the cited editionNon-partisan educational resource