New Delhi: Passport is issued only to Indian citizens, but despite this it is not a strong document to prove citizenship. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has sparked a new debate by giving this clarification on the occasion of the 14th Passport Seva Day. After this statement, a wide discussion has started on social media platform X about what is the final and irrefutable proof of citizenship in India.
Passport only a travel document
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, a passport is primarily a travel document, issued by the government to facilitate international travel. This simply means that merely having a passport does not automatically prove one’s citizenship.
This situation creates a contradiction in itself, as no non-citizen can obtain an Indian passport. Moreover, just because you have a passport does not mean that you are its owner. It is clearly written on the back side of the passport that it is “Property of the Government of India” and it may have to be surrendered at any time on the orders of the Government.
Aadhaar and Voter ID are also not proof of citizenship
This confusion regarding proof of citizenship is not new. Earlier, the courts and the government have also clarified the situation regarding other major identities of the country. Earlier this year, during the hearing of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list, the Supreme Court had clarified that Aadhaar is not a definitive proof of citizenship. It is just a document of identity. Voter ID is also not considered the final document of citizenship. Its main objective is to ensure the identity of the citizen and to give him the right to vote in elections.
Who is a citizen of India according to law?
- Every person born in the country between 26 January 1950 to 1 July 1987 is an Indian by birth.
- A person born after July 1, 1987 will get citizenship only if one of his parents is an Indian citizen.
- The conditions for getting citizenship are more difficult for a person born on or after December 3, 2004. For this, either both parents should be Indians, or one should be an Indian and the other should not be an illegal immigrant.
Government released figures
On Wednesday, the Ministry of External Affairs highlighted the expansion of India’s passport service network and several important achievements, including the successful launch of chip-enabled e-passport. An MEA official said, “1.5 crore passports and related services were provided in the year 2025, of which the number of passports alone was 1.39 crore.”
Additionally, the MEA reported that the average time taken to process a passport has also improved; Passports are now available within six working days, excluding the time taken for police verification. The official said that now citizens have to spend on an average less than 45 minutes at Passport Seva Kendras. According to the MEA official, the reason for less time taken in processing is the six-fold increase in the number of passport service centres. A decade ago, there were only 77 passport centers in the country, whereas now their number is 545.
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SK Sharma is a content writer who writes on news, entertainment, and lifestyle topics. She has over four years of experience and is known for conveying information in simple and clear language.
