The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a statement on Tuesday clarifying that an Indian passport is a document issued to regulate the departure of Indian citizens from the country under the Passports Act,1967, amid a debate over whether it should be considered a proof of citizenship or not.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that an Indian passport is issued only after due verification carried out through an established process laid down under the Passports Act, 1967 and the Passports Rules, 1980, PTI reported.
Jaiswal said that the primary purpose of issuing a passport is to regulate the departure of Indian citizens from India and facilitate international travel, rather than serve as a definitive document of citizenship.
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The ministry's clarification came after public debate was triggered by earlier comments from senior government officials stating that a passport is not a proof of Indian citizenship. The remarks were made during the Passport Seva Divas in June, when a senior MEA official said that a passport is fundamentally a travel document and should not be construed as proof of citizenship.
Jaiswal said that fewer than 8% of Indians currently possess a passport. According to the MEA, the low penetration underscores why a passport cannot be treated as the sole document for establishing citizenship across the country's population.
The MEA also maintained that passport issuance involves extensive verification of an applicant's identity and eligibility before the document is granted. However, the ministry has distinguished this verification process from the legal determination of citizenship, The Tribune reported.
The clarification was issued in response to questions from reporters during the MEA's media briefing, where the ministry sought to explain the legal purpose of passports under existing Indian law.
The government has not announced any further changes to passport issuance rules or eligibility criteria. The latest remarks were intended to clarify the legal status and purpose of passports amid the ongoing public discussions.
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