- Government stated only Indian citizens are eligible for passports.
- Centre avoided confirming if passport conclusively proves citizenship.
- Passports are issued after due verification under Passports Act.
- India does not permit dual citizenship, reiterating legal stance.
Amid a continuing debate over which government-issued documents establish Indian citizenship, the Centre on Thursday told Parliament that only Indian citizens are eligible to receive an Indian passport. However, it stopped short of stating whether a passport constitutes conclusive proof of citizenship.
In a written reply to questions raised by Rajya Sabha MP Abdul Wahab, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said Indian passports are issued by the Government of India under the Passports Act, 1967, following due verification through an established process.
The response comes as questions continue to be raised over the legal status of various government-issued documents in determining Indian citizenship.
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Government Does Not Give Direct Answer
Wahab had sought clarification on several issues, including whether an Indian passport constitutes conclusive proof of citizenship, the eligibility criteria for obtaining a passport, the effect of acquiring foreign citizenship on Indian nationality, the process through which foreign nationals who acquire Indian citizenship become eligible for a passport, and whether the government intended to review the existing citizenship and passport framework.
In response, the government did not provide a direct yes-or-no answer to the question of whether an Indian passport is conclusive proof of citizenship.
“An Indian passport is issued as per the Passports Act, 1967 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 established process,” Singh said in his written reply.
Centre Reiterates Passport’s Legal Purpose
Rather than describing a passport as definitive proof of citizenship, the government reiterated its legal purpose under the Passports Act.
The minister said passports are travel documents issued to regulate the departure of Indian citizens from the country and are granted only after applicants undergo the prescribed verification process.
The reply marks another instance in which the Centre has refrained from explicitly stating that an Indian passport is conclusive proof of Indian citizenship, while maintaining that it is issued only to eligible Indian citizens.
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India Does Not Permit Dual Citizenship
Singh also reiterated the government’s position that India does not recognise dual citizenship.
Citing Articles 9 and 11 of the Constitution, along with Section 9 of the Citizenship Act, 1955, the minister said the legal framework does not permit an individual to hold Indian citizenship alongside the citizenship of another country.
“The provisions of Article 9 and 11 of the Constitution of India read with Section 9 of the Citizenship Act, 1955 do not allow dual citizenship,” Singh said in his reply.
