Structure This chapter addresses the legal status of stateless individuals and precarious citizens in India. It extensively delves into the right to nationality and draws attention to the stakes and consequences of loss of nationality status on individual rights. It situates Indian laws and procedures relating to nationality and statelessness within the norms and frameworks of international law. By doing so, the chapter highlights the gaps in Indian practice and advocates for greater protections for persons on the brink of statelessness. The first section of this chapter lays out two intertwined standards in international law – the right to nationality for every individual, and the duty on states to prevent and reduce statelessness. These two standards, when combined with India’s human rights obligations, affirm that under international law, every individual has a right to nationality and States are prohibited from arbitrarily depriving individuals of this foundational right. Moreover, all those individuals who have a genuine connection to India can only enforce this right through India. This argument is particularly relevant but not limited to persons excluded from the NRC in Assam, whose citizenship status is on the slippery slope towards statelessness. It further places a special emphasis on the right to nationality for children. The second section asserts the need for legal recognition of all stateless persons in Indian territory. Recognition of legal status should operate as the first step towards the eventual naturalisation of stateless persons, drawing from international best practices towards the prevention and reduction of statelessness. The chapter ends with recommendations to harmonise India’s citizenship laws with the prevailing international law norms and customs relating to statelessness. chapter i • status 41 41 SECTION