The Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday reiterated that a passport is a travel document issued under the Passports Act, 1967, and is not proof of citizenship.
Responding to a question during the ministry's weekly briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said an Indian passport is issued by the Government of India to regulate the departure of Indian citizens from the country.
"An Indian passport is a document that, as per the Passports Act, 1967, is issued by the Government of India to regulate the departure from India of citizens of India," he said.
Jaiswal also noted that less than 8 per cent of Indian citizens currently hold a passport. His remarks came amid an ongoing debate over which documents can establish citizenship following the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Last month, senior MEA officials had said that passports are issued only to Indian citizens, but the document identifies nationality and does not by itself establish citizenship. They had also said that a passport cannot be used as proof of citizenship for the SIR exercise.
The clarification had drawn criticism from opposition parties, including the Congress, which accused the government of creating conditions that could allow citizenship rights to be denied arbitrarily.
Reiterating the government's position, Jaiswal said the issuance of passports to Indian citizens and other individuals is governed by the Passports Act, 1967, and the Passports Rules, 1980. He again stated that fewer than 8 per cent of Indians possess a passport.