Jus soli
Also called: Right of the soil · Topic: Citizenship: Idea and Indian Law · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Jus soli means "right of the soil". Under this principle, anyone born in a country's territory becomes its citizen, whatever the parents' status. India followed it fully from 26 January 1950 to 30 June 1987. After that, the Citizenship Act 1955 was amended to require a parent who is a citizen, which moved India towards jus sanguinis.
Example
In the USA, the 14th Amendment (1868) gives citizenship to people born there. In India, the 1986 amendment, driven by migration into Assam, said that a child born from 1 July 1987 needs at least one citizen parent.
Don't confuse with
- Jus sanguinis: under this principle, citizenship depends on the parents' citizenship. Under jus soli, birth in the territory is enough.