'Passport issued to regulate departure of Indian citizens': MEA clarifies amid citizenship debate

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has sought to clarify the legal purpose of an Indian passport, saying it is issued to "regulate the departure" of Indian citizens from the country under the Passports Act, 1967. The clarification comes as a political debate intensifies over whether a passport can be treated as definitive proof of citizenship, particularly in the context of the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

MEA reiterates legal purpose of Indian passport

Addressing reporters on Tuesday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the passport's legal basis remains unchanged and that it is issued only after an established verification process.

"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," Jaiswal said.

He was responding to questions following recent remarks by senior ministry officials that sparked a wider political controversy.

"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," he said.

Jaiswal also highlighted the limited reach of passport ownership in the country.

"Currently, less than eight per cent of Indian citizens hold a passport," he added.

Passport not a citizenship document, says MEA

The latest clarification follows comments made by senior MEA officials during a media briefing on Passport Seva Divas on June 24. At that briefing, officials described the passport as a travel document rather than a certificate establishing citizenship.

The issue surfaced after questions were raised about whether an Indian passport could be accepted as proof of citizenship during the Election Commission's ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in several states.

According to the ministry's position, a passport is issued to facilitate international travel and should not be interpreted as a standalone document establishing citizenship status.

Opposition questions government's position

The ministry's earlier remarks prompted criticism from opposition parties, including the Congress, which questioned how a passport issued by the Government of India could be viewed as something other than evidence of the holder's citizenship.

The Congress accused the government of creating conditions that could allow citizenship rights to be denied arbitrarily to certain individuals. The party argued that the ministry's interpretation raises broader concerns about the treatment of official identity documents in citizenship-related processes.

Debate linked to electoral roll revision

The controversy has unfolded against the backdrop of the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision exercise, which has renewed scrutiny over the documents accepted for electoral verification.

While the MEA has reaffirmed that passports are issued only after due verification under the legal framework established by the Passports Act, 1967 and the Passports Rules, 1980, it has maintained that the document's statutory purpose is to regulate overseas travel rather than serve as proof of citizenship.

(With agency inputs)