The right of citizens to reside and settle in any part of the territory of India is guaranteed by:

Article 19(1)(e) gives every citizen the right to reside and settle in any part of the territory of India.

Purpose of the right:

• It promotes the unity of the nation by allowing citizens to live anywhere in the country.
• It removes internal barriers between regions and helps people migrate for work, education or family reasons.
• It reflects the idea of single citizenship, under which every Indian is a citizen of India and not of a particular state.

Reasonable restrictions under Article 19(5):

• The State may impose reasonable restrictions in the interests of the general public.
• It may also impose restrictions to protect the interests of any Scheduled Tribe.
• For example, outsiders may be prevented from buying land or settling in some tribal areas so that tribal land and culture are protected.

Examples of restrictions:

• Laws under the Fifth and Sixth Schedules protect tribal land in scheduled and tribal areas.
• Some hill and border areas have special rules on settlement by outsiders.
• Prostitutes and habitual offenders can be prevented from residing in certain areas in the interests of public order and morality.

Earlier special status of Jammu and Kashmir:

• Under the former Article 35A, the legislature of Jammu and Kashmir could define permanent residents and limit property ownership to them.
• This provision ceased to apply after the later constitutional changes concerning Jammu and Kashmir.

Overlap with movement:

The right to reside and settle overlaps with the right to move freely. Both are often read together.

Who can claim it:

Only citizens of India can claim this right.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Article 19(1)(b) covers peaceful assembly without arms.
• ✗Article 19(1)(a) covers freedom of speech and expression.
• ✗Article 15(1) bars discrimination by the State on certain grounds.