Anand Teltumbde: India’s citizenship riddle demands documents that prove nothing

Justice Madan B. Lokur argued that equating a passport with a travel document misreads the Passports Act. He contended that a passport holder is a citizen of India, and that treating it merely as a ticket undermines legal provisions. Lokur questioned the validity of Section 20 of the Passports Act regarding issuing passports to non-citizens, noting a lack of verifiable facts on this matter. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday clarified that an Indian passport is issued under the provisions of the Passports Act, 1967, following a prescribed verification process, amid a debate over whether a passport serves as proof of Indian citizenship. Responding to questions during the weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the issuance of passports is governed by the Passports Act, 1967 and the Passports Rules, 1980. Jaiswal said an Indian passport is a government-issued travel document The Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday said a passport is issued to regulate the departure of "Indian citizens" from the country, citing provisions of the Passports Act, 1967, amid continuing discussions over the legal status and purpose of the travel document. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said an Indian passport is issued by the Government of India after due verification under an established process laid down in the Passports Act, 1967, and the Passports Rules, 1980. "An Indian passport is The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has sought to clarify the legal purpose of an Indian passport, saying it is issued to "regulate the departure" of Indian citizens from the country under the Passports Act, 1967. The clarification comes as a political debate intensifies over whether a passport can be treated as definitive proof of citizenship, particularly in the context of the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Addressing reporters on Tuesday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said