OCI card holders need special permission for missionary, journalistic activities: MHA

All Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders are required to take special permission from the central government if they want to be involved in any missionary, 'Tabligh' or journalistic activities in the country.

New Delhi:The Union Home Ministry (MHA) on Saturday said that Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders will need special permission if they want to take up missionary, tabligh or journalistic activities in India.

In a notification issued on Thursday, the MHA said that those with OCI cards who want to take up these activities will need special permission.

The notification said that overseas Indians will also need permission to take up any research work, an internship with foreign missions if they need to visit areas designated as restricted or protected.

The issue of OCI and Tablighi Jamaat came to the fore ever since the central government had anticipated security reasons following the outbreak of Covid19 last year.

Home Ministry officials said that all the rules were part of the brochure published on November 15, 2019.

"The rules have now been consolidated and notified," the MHA said.

The MHA notification clarified that OCI cardholders is a foreign national holding passport of a foreign country and is not a citizen of India.