New Delhi, Mar 16 (IANS): A total of 32,31,353 applicants have been issued Domicile Certificates in Jammu and Kashmir as of December 31 last year, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) told the Parliament on Tuesday.

Citing information provided by the J&K government, Union Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy said these applicants were among the 35,44,938 people who filled applications for the issue of Domicile Certificates have been received till December 31.

"As of December 31, 2020, a total of 31,08,682 Domicile Certificates have been issued to the dependents or holders of erstwhile Permanent Resident Certificates in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir," the Minister said in a written reply.

However, a total of 2,15,438 applications have been rejected as of December 31 last year.

Rule 5 of the Jammu and Kashmir Grant of Domicile Certificate (Procedure) Rules, 2020 mandates certain documents to be annexed with the application.

"The applications which lack the prescribed documents are rejected," the Minister added.

The Domicile Certificates are necessary for the purpose of applying for local jobs in the J&K, the erstwhile state which was reconstituted into two union territories, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The reorganisation took effect from October 31, 2019.