Passport Row: Identity Or Citizenship? What Aadhaar, Voter ID, PAN And Other Documents Establish

Indian citizenship is not established through the most commonly used identity documents such as Aadhaar, PAN card, Voter ID, passport or driving licence. Contrary to common misconception, these government documents are largely used for establishing identity or address proof by the authorities.

Under Indian law, citizenship is determined primarily by legal criteria such as birth, descent, registration, naturalisation or incorporation of territory.

The renewed debate around this issue follows after an official from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday clarified that the Indian passport is a travel document and not proof of citizenship. The official said the passport is primarily meant for international travel and is meant to identify a person's nationality while abroad.

ALSO READ | Passport Row Explained: What The Passport Act, Government Sources Say About Citizenship

Citizenship in India is determined by statutory provisions under the Citizenship Act, 1955, and related rules. It is not determined by any single identity document. To establish proof of citizenship, one must meet specific legal conditions depending on the time and circumstances of acquisition.

Among commonly available documents, a birth certificate directly records a person's date and place of birth, and can be used to support citizenship-related claims. However, citizenship by birth in India is subject to conditions based on the date of birth and the citizenship status of the parents. Different rules apply to people born before 1987, between 1987 and 2004, and after December 2004.

Other documents such as Aadhaar and PAN card serve different purposes, primarily for identity verification and taxation. They help to facilitate access to different government services, but it is crucial to understand how these different documents are used:

#Citizenship of India may be proved by giving any document relating to date of birth or place of birth or both. Such a list is likely to include a lot of common documents to ensure that no Indian citizen is unduly harassed or put to inconvenience.#CAA2019

10/n

— PIB - Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) December 20, 2019

What Aadhaar, Voter ID, PAN And Other Documents Establish

Passport

• Proof of Identity: Yes
• Proof of Address: Yes
• Proof of Date of Birth: Yes
• Proof of citizenship: No

Aadhaar

• Proof of Identity: Yes
• Proof of Address: Yes
• Proof of Date of Birth: Yes
• Proof of citizenship: No

PAN

• Proof of Identity: Yes
• Proof of Address: No
• Proof of Date of Birth: Yes
• Proof of citizenship: No

Driving License

• Proof of Identity: Yes
• Proof of Address: Yes
• Proof of Date of Birth: Yes
• Proof of citizenship: No

Ration Card With Photo And Address

• Proof of Identity: Yes
• Proof of Address: Yes
• Proof of Date of Birth: Yes
• Proof of citizenship: No

Birth Certificate

• Proof of Identity: No
• Proof of Address: No
• Proof of Date of Birth: Yes
• Proof of citizenship: Yes (subject to conditions)

Electricity-Gas Bills

• Proof of Identity: No
• Proof of Address: Yes
• Proof of Date of Birth: No
• Proof of citizenship: No

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