An Indian passport is a document issued to “regulate the departure of Indian citizens” from the country, said the Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday.

The statement came weeks after ministry officials said that a passport is a travel document and not proof of citizenship. This had prompted Opposition leaders to ask what documents Indians could rely on to prove their citizenship.

On Tuesday, ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal made the statement while responding to a question about the legal status of passports.

Jaiswal said that passports are issued “after due verification through an established process”. He added that the issuance of passports to Indian citizens or other eligible persons is governed by the 1967 Passports Act and the 1980 Passports Rules.

“At present, fewer than 8% of Indian citizens hold a passport,” he added.

Jaiswal was also asked whether a passport is only a travel document or also proof of nationality. However, he did not address the point directly.

He said that questions on the matter should be taken up with the authorities concerned, adding that the ministry had explained the process through which passports are issued.

On June 25, the Union government said that passports had never been regarded as proof of citizenship and that no such policy change had been made recently.

The Supreme Court and different High Courts have, over the years, held that documents such as Aadhaar card, voter identity card, permanent account card and a certificate issued by the Gram Panchayat Secretary, as well as ownership of a bank account or property, are not evidence of citizenship.

There is no single document that proves Indian citizenship. Only foreign nationals who take up Indian citizenship are granted actual citizenship certificates. People born in India do not have any such document.

Written by Sara Varghese. Edited by Tanya Shrivastava.

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