Passport just a document to regulate departure of citizens from India: MEA
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has clarified that an Indian passport is a travel document used to regulate departure rather than a definitive proof of citizenship. This statement follows public debate regarding the legal status of travel documents in relation to the Citizenship Act.
Why it matters
The distinction between travel documents and citizenship status is a sensitive legal and political issue in India, impacting how identity is verified for government services.
NEW DELHI: After the recent row over remarks by government officials that a passport is not proof of citizenship, the MEA reiterated Tuesday that it is a document that, per Passports Act, 1967, is issued by Indian government to regulate the departure of citizens from India."...The issue of passports to Indian citizens or any other individual is governed by the Passports Act, 1967, and Passports Rules, 1980," said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
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