The District Administration Office in Nuwakot has refused to issue citizenships by descent in mother’s name to 20-year-old Sabitiri Thapa, 19 -year-old Sagar Thapa, and 17-year-old Shrawan Thapa of Likhu in Shivapuri Village Council. Sagar, Sabitri and Shrawan are the children of 39-year-old Rajani Thapa. Rajani’s husband, Dipak, is missing for the past 14 years. Though the Citizenship Act 2006 was amended giving women the right to pass on citizenship to their children, Sagar, Sabitri and Shrawan were denied citizenships in their mother’s name. The three siblings were able to receive birth registration certificates, but deprived of citizenship certificates, they said. Their mother had received citizenship from the District Administration Office 23 months ago. Rajani said she has decided to file a case against the DAO for denying citizenships to her children. CDO Bishnu Pokharel said there were legal hurdles to provide citizenship certificates from mother’s name. The DAO could not grant Rajani’s children citizenships because she could not furnish the necessary documents of their father, he added. The new citizenship provision still requires the applicant to prove that his or her father is a Nepali national, barring women to pass on citizenship to their children without the need of verifying the identity and nationality of the father.