Universal citizenship

Polity & Governance glossary

Also called: Inclusive citizenship · Topic: Citizenship: Idea and Indian Law · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 6 "Citizenship"

Meaning

Universal citizenship is a democratic ideal. It says everyone who lives and works in a country should be able to become a full member of it. No one should be left outside every state's protection. NCERT (Class 11) sets this ideal against reality: every state fixes its own rules for who can join, and it keeps unwanted people out, sometimes with walls and fences. Refugees and stateless people show the human cost of this gap. They often cannot legally work, school their children or own property.

Example

In India, the Chakmas and the Rohingya live in the country but are not its citizens. In NHRC v. State of Arunachal Pradesh (1996), the Supreme Court held that Article 21 protects non-citizens like the Chakmas too. That still falls short of the full membership that universal citizenship calls for.

Don't confuse with

  • Global citizenship: global citizenship is about people feeling linked across borders. Universal citizenship is about making membership of a state open to all who live in it.

Related concepts

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