India extends OCI card eligibility in Sri Lanka to sixth generation

Weather ePaper Today’s Paper Journalism of Courage Home ePaper Politics Explained Opinion India Business Premium Cities UPSC Entertainment Sports World Lifestyle Tech Subscribe Sign In TrendingMumbai NewsDelhi NewsChandigarh NewsBangalore NewsLucknow News Advertisement function checkAndLoadWindowSizeScript() { if (window.jQuery) { // jQuery is loaded, include your script jQuery(document).ready(function($) { // Your existing script for checking window width if (window.innerWidth) var page_w = window.innerWidth; else if (document.all) var page_w = document.body.clientWidth; if (page_w > 1024) { $(".add-left, .add-right").show(); } else { $(".add-left, .add-right").hide(); } }); } else { // jQuery is not loaded, check again after 0.2 seconds setTimeout(checkAndLoadWindowSizeScript, 200); } } // Initial call to the function checkAndLoadWindowSizeScript(); NewsIndiaIndia extends OCI card eligibility in Sri Lanka to sixth generation India extends OCI card eligibility in Sri Lanka to sixth generation The Vice-President also met leaders of Sri Lankan Tamil parties and Indian Origin Tamil parties. Written by: Divya A2 min readNew DelhiApr 20, 2026 05:02 AM IST Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Colombo on Sunday. (ANI) Make us preferred source on Google Whatsapp twitter Facebook Reddit PRINT ON A two-day official visit to Sri Lanka, Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan on Sunday announced the extension of the eligibility for Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card for the Indian community in the island nation till the sixth generation. Until now, this was limited to the fourth generation. “In the case of Sri Lanka, this will now be extended to the fifth and sixth generations of the diaspora,” said Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri at a press briefing in Colombo on Sunday evening. “OCI cards would now be issued on the basis of documents that, in several cases, are issued by the government of Sri Lanka.” Earlier in the day, Radhakrishnan met Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to discuss the multifaceted bilateral ties, housing projects and fishermen issues between the two South Asian neighbours. The two leaders also discussed the ongoing Indian project implementation in Sri Lanka with emphasis on the $450 million Cyclone Ditwah aid offered by India, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The two sides also discussed addressing fishermen issues in a humanitarian manner, considering the livelihoods of fishing communities on both sides. The fishermen issue is a contentious one in the ties between India and Sri Lanka. The discussions, Misri said, underscored India’s evolution from a traditional neighbour to a reliable “first responder” during regional crises. Dissanayake expressed deep gratitude for India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy, citing three critical interventions that have stabilised the island nation: Economic Crisis in 2022: India’s financial lifelines during Sri Lanka’s debt crisis; and Cyclone Ditwah last year, as per the MEA. The Vice-President also met leaders of Sri Lankan Tamil parties and Indian Origin Tamil parties. Divya A reports on travel, tourism, culture and social issues - not necessarily in that order - for The Indian Express. She's been a journalist for over a decade now, working with Khaleej Times and The Times of India, before settling down at Express. Besides writing/ editing news reports, she indulges her pen to write short stories. As Sanskriti Prabha Dutt Fellow for Excellence in Journalism, she is researching on the lives of the children of sex workers in India. ... Read More Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram