Kathmandu, April 17 -- The Supreme Court has paved the way for individuals, whose parents are Nepali citizens by birth, to acquire citizenship by descent.

Justices Hari Krishna Karki and Bam Kumar Shrestha on Tuesday upheld the Home Ministry's circular to chief district officers across the country to issue citizenship by descent to the children whose parents are citizens by birth. Last week, the Supreme Court had issued an interim order in response to a writ petition filed by advocate Balkrishna Neupane to not implement the ministry's decision on citizenship.

Amid uncertainty surrounding the amendment to the Citizenship Act 2006, the Home Ministry on April 2 had issued a circular to all 77 chief district officers across the country, tel...