New Delhi: The Central government has clarified that an Indian passport is primarily a travel document issued to regulate the departure of Indian citizens from the country and should not be treated as conclusive proof of citizenship. The clarification comes weeks after public debate over the use of passports in the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
Addressing the weekly media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said passports are issued under the provisions of the Passports Act, 1967, after due verification through an established procedure. He stated that the document is meant to regulate the international travel of Indian citizens and is governed by the Passports Act, 1967, along with the Passports Rules, 1980.
Jaiswal also revealed that fewer than eight per cent of Indians currently possess a passport, highlighting that the document is held by only a small section of the country’s population.
The clarification follows remarks made by the Ministry during Passport Seva Divas on June 24, when it described the passport as strictly a travel document rather than definitive evidence of citizenship. Those comments came in response to questions over whether a passport could serve as proof of citizenship during the Election Commission’s ongoing revision of electoral rolls in several states.
Government officials explained that while passports are generally issued to Indian citizens after detailed verification, their principal purpose is to facilitate international travel and establish the holder’s identity outside the country.
The government also pointed out that, under the Passports Act, passports may be issued in certain circumstances to individuals who are not Indian citizens. It referred to a 2013 Bombay High Court judgment, which held that possession of a passport alone does not constitute conclusive or definitive proof of Indian citizenship.
The clarification has attracted attention because passports are issued only after a verification process that includes police verification of an applicant’s residential details and supporting documents. This has led many to question why such a document should not be accepted as final proof of citizenship.
The Centre, however, maintained that the legal purpose of a passport remains linked to international travel and departure from India. It reiterated that the document is governed by statutory provisions, which define its scope and purpose independently of questions relating to citizenship determination.
