Kathmandu, June 28 -- Nepal on Saturday endorsed the Nepal Citizenship Bill (Second Amendment), which paves the way to acquire citizenship in the mother's name--even if the father's identity is unknown. The bill was endorsed by a majority of the lawmakers who took part in the deliberation.

The significant move is being hailed as a step towards ensuring equality in citizenship rights, as lawmakers endorsed it in the House of Representatives (HoR). The bill, tabled by Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, seeks to end years of uncertainty for children born to Nepali mothers by allowing them to acquire citizenship in their mother's name.

While presenting the bill, Minister Lekhak stated that this long-awaited legislation addresses legal loopholes a...