On Passport Seva Divas, the Ministry of External Affairs stated that a passport serves only as a travel document and does not prove Indian citizenship. Officials noted that passports are issued after thorough checks using records from multiple government sources. The clarification came after the Supreme Court observed that Aadhaar is not conclusive evidence of citizenship.
The ministry referred to Section 20 of the Passports Act, 1967, which allows the central government to issue passports to non-citizens when it considers it necessary in the public interest. The government stressed that this position has remained unchanged for over a decade.
Opposition leaders questioned the timing of the remarks. The ministry added that past court rulings, including a 2013 Bombay High Court judgment, have confirmed that holding a passport does not establish citizenship.
To prove citizenship, individuals must provide documents showing date and place of birth as specified in the Citizenship Rules, 2009. The Passports Act, 1967, governs the issuance of various passports and travel documents, including ordinary, official, and diplomatic passports, as well as emergency certificates.
The Act also lists grounds on which authorities may refuse to issue or endorse passports, such as risks to national sovereignty, security concerns, or harm to India’s relations with other countries.
