India to Extend Overseas Citizen of India card Benefits to 6th Generation Tamils in Sri Lanka

Vice President of India C. P. Radhakrishnan addressed the Indian diaspora during a community event in Colombo, reaffirming India’s continued commitment to the welfare of Indian-origin Tamils in Sri Lanka. During the event, the Vice President virtually handed over the final cluster of 4,000 housing units under Phase-III of the Indian Housing Project. He noted that India has successfully delivered 50,000 houses to the Tamil community so far, with an additional 10,000 homes planned under the upcoming Phase-IV. Highlighting the cultural and historical ties, he described Indian-origin Tamils as a “vibrant bridge” between India and Sri Lanka. In a significant policy announcement, he extended eligibility for the Overseas Citizen of India card to Indian-origin Tamils up to the sixth generation. He also emphasized that the application process for OCI cards has been simplified to improve accessibility. The announcement is expected to strengthen people-to-people ties and deepen bilateral relations between India and Sri Lanka, particularly benefiting the Tamil diaspora.