The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has reaffirmed that the Indian passport is not a proof of citizenship but primarily a travel document. “Passports are only issued to Indian nationals and their primary legal purpose is to facilitate international travel, transit through foreign ports and establish an individual’s identity abroad,” affirmed an official from the MEA. “Legal citizenship rights are governed by separate legal frameworks in India”.
So, in effect, a passport establishes a person’s nationality for travel, but citizenship is governed separately under the Citizenship Act of 1955. This clarification aligns with previous positions held by the Supreme Court, which stated that other widely used identity documents like the Aadhaar card also serve as proofs of identity, rather than ultimate evidence of citizenship.
“The Indian passport is issued after a lot of due diligence and we make sure that the person who gets it is actually entitled to it,” explained the official from the MEA. “And we also base ourselves on documents from several government agencies like the Aadhar, PAN Card”.
There is no single, universally recognised document in India that acts as absolute proof of citizenship for everyone. Because citizenship is determined by birth, descent, registration or naturalisation, establishing it requires a combination of records – most notably a birth certificate (along with proof of your parents' citizenship, depending on your birth year) or an official citizenship certificate.
A complex web of laws determines Indian citizenship based on when you were born. For those:
Born before 1 July 1987: A birth certificate or valid Indian passport is generally accepted as strong evidence of citizenship.
Born between 1 July 1987 and 3 December 2004: You must prove you were born in India and that at least one of your parents was an Indian citizen at the time of your birth.
Born on or after 3 December 2004: You must prove you were born in India, that at least one parent is an Indian citizen, while the other parent is not an illegal migrant.
Global mobility
According to a statement made recently by S. Jaishankar, minister for external affairs, a passport was more than just a travel document, as it serves as an essential tool for economic mobility, international trade and national identity. “Passport Seva Programme Version 2.0 actually has truly redefined global mobility for Viksit Bharat,” the minister said. “A passport is not merely a booklet of pages. It is a powerful tool, a vital tool, of economic mobility, international trade and national identity. The Indian passport commands respect and trust internationally, as India’s foreign policy positions the country as a ‘Vishwa Bandhu’,” he added. And, it is every Indian’s responsibility to ensure that the process of obtaining this document remains a matter of right, not a struggle.
Meanwhile, the MEA hosted an event on international mobility under the aegis of the Human Resource Mobility Forum that focused on countries like Italy, Germany, Japan, Russia, and Denmark. And, India, at present, has a broad network of service centres. The number of its Passport Seva Kendras has increased from 77 in 2014 to 545 today, touching even remote areas. This was an outcome of a successful partnership between the MEA and the Department of Posts. One-stop centres for distressed women in the Indian diaspora have also been opened in the Gulf countries and Singapore, supported by the Indian community. More such centres for Indian women facing domestic violence or other forms of distress are expected to be established in other countries.
At present, nearly 100 million Indians hold valid passports – nearly 9 per cent of the entire population. Women comprise about 35 per cent of the total passport holders. The Indian passport network covers nearly every parliamentary constituency. There is a continued roll-out of secure, chip-based e-passports. Nearly 10 per cent of Indian passport holders have chip-enabled e-passports, which are safer, as they are difficult to tamper with.
At present, 27 countries have given visa-free entry status to Indian passport holders, while 47 countries offer visas on arrival and 66 countries provide electronic visas (e-visas) to Indian passport holders. The Indian passport ranks 80th globally on the Henley Passport Index, granting visa-free, visa-on-arrival, or electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) access to 55 destinations worldwide. This represents an improvement from its 85th position in previous years.