- Officials reiterated passports are travel documents, not citizenship proof.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday said an Indian passport is issued by the government under the provisions of the Passports Act, 1967, to regulate the departure of Indian citizens from the country and is granted only after due verification.
The clarification comes amid a debate over whether a passport can be used as proof of citizenship, particularly in the context of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls underway in several states.
MEA Explains Legal Basis Of Passport Issuance
Responding to questions during the ministry’s weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “An Indian passport is a document that, as per The Passports Act, 1967, is issued by the government of India to regulate the departure from India of citizens of India.
#WATCH | Delhi: MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, “An Indian passport is a document that, as per the Passports Act, 1967, is issued by the Government of India to regulate the departure from India of citizens of India. It is issued after due verification laid out by an… pic.twitter.com/iBoDnys4Zl
— ANI (@ANI) July 14, 2026
“It is issued after due verification laid out by an established process. The issue of passports to Indian citizens or any other individual is governed by The Passports Act, 1967 and Passports Rules, 1980.”
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Jaiswal also noted that fewer than 8 per cent of Indian citizens currently possess a passport.
Earlier Remarks Triggered Debate
The clarification follows remarks made by senior MEA officials during a briefing held on June 24 to mark Passport Seva Divas.
At the time, the officials described the passport as a travel document rather than a document of citizenship.
Responding to a question on whether a passport could serve as proof of citizenship for the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, the officials said the passport is intended to enable Indian nationals to transit through and travel across foreign ports and territories.
Government Cites Legal Provisions
The earlier remarks sparked widespread debate, including on social media, and drew criticism from the Opposition Congress.
Government officials also referred to a 2013 Bombay High Court judgment, saying it had made it clear that a passport is not proof of citizenship.
They further pointed to a provision in the Passports Act that allows the Central government to issue a passport “to a person who is not a citizen of India” if doing so is considered necessary in the public interest.
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