India, Feb. 27 -- Donald Trump's citizenship-for-cash programme - the US president announced the so-called Gold Card initiative on Wednesday - is neither new for America nor particularly unique in terms of granting expedited citizenship to wealthy immigrants. The country's EB-5 visa programme had a lower threshold for investment in an American company, at $800,000, in exchange for a Green Card which accelerates naturalised citizenship for individuals; the Gold Card, set to replace the EB-5 visa, will need individuals to invest at least $5 million. Several other countries have similar programmes that invite the wealthy to take up residentship and consequently, expedited naturalised citizenship.

What is singular though is President Trump's...