18 ACQUISITION OF CITIZENSHIP CERTIFICATE IN NEPAL ESTIMATION AND PROJECTION The projection of the cumulative population without citizenship certificates reads as follows: Year People without Citizenship certificate in the previous year Projected gap in distribution of citizenship certificates of that year (Q) Projected Total number of people without citizenship of that year 2015 4,677,053 (O3) 259,317 (Q1) 4,936,369 (S1) 2016 4,936,369 (S1) 296,014 (Q2) 5,232,383 (S2) 2017 5,232,383 (S2) 225,236 (Q3) 5,457,619 (S3) 2018 5,457,619 (S3) 262,214 (Q4) 5,719,834 (S4) 2019 5,719,834 (S4) 302,141 (Q5) 6,021,975 (S5) 2020 6,021,975 (S5) 345,290 (Q6) 6,367,265 (S6) 2021 6,367,265 (S6) 391,959 (Q7) 6,759,224 (S7) Adding the number of people without citizenship certificates in the previous year with the yearly gap of citizenship certificate distribution of that year, the study has found that the cumulative projected number of people without citizenship certificates in the year 2021 is 6.7 million (S7). The number is projected to increase by 1.8 million in only seven years time. The projection clearly shows that the number of people without citizenship certificates in Nepal will continue to increase unless the Government of Nepal takes some special measures to bridge the gap.