Passport Ownership in India: Less Than 8% Citizens Hold the Travel Document, Says Centre
IIE DIGITAL: Weeks after a debate over whether a passport can serve as evidence of citizenship, the Centre has clarified that an Indian passport is primarily a travel document issued to regulate the departure of Indian citizens from the country.
During the Ministry of External Affairs’ (MEA) weekly media briefing on Tuesday, spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that passports are issued only after a verification process under the provisions of the Passports Act, 1967 and Passports Rules, 1980.
Jaiswal explained that an Indian passport is a document issued by the Government of India to regulate the international movement of Indian citizens. He added that the issuance of passports is governed by established legal procedures and verification norms.
Highlighting the limited reach of passport ownership in the country, the MEA spokesperson said that fewer than eight per cent of Indians currently possess a passport.
The clarification comes after the MEA, during a briefing on Passport Seva Divas on June 24, stated that an Indian passport should be treated strictly as a travel document and not as conclusive proof of citizenship.
The issue gained attention after questions were raised over whether passports could be accepted as citizenship proof during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls being conducted by the Election Commission in several states.
Government officials reiterated that although passports are generally issued to Indian citizens, their main purpose is to facilitate overseas travel and establish identity internationally. They also pointed out that under the Passports Act, 1967, passports may be issued in certain cases to non-citizens as well.
The debate intensified after references were made to a 2013 Bombay High Court judgment, which stated that merely holding a passport cannot be considered definitive or conclusive evidence of citizenship. The clarification has since sparked political discussions, with several groups questioning the distinction between passport verification and citizenship status.
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