India debates passport's role as proof of citizenship

On Passport Seva Divas, the Ministry of External Affairs said an Indian passport is a travel document, not a definitive proof of citizenship. The comment triggered a nationwide debate about what documents certify Indian citizenship. India’s Citizenship Act of 1955 and the Passports Act of 1967 govern the two separate legal regimes, and while a passport is issued after verification, it does not create citizenship. Less than 10 % of the 1.4 billion population hold passports, and in the past five years more than 200,000 Indians have voluntarily renounced citizenship and 900,000 have surrendered passports, with a record 225,620 surrenders in 2022, the United States being the leading destination.

The controversy has revived talk of a nationwide citizenship register linked to the National Register of Citizens (NRC). The NRC was first compiled after the 1951 census and later updated in Assam between 2015‑2019 amid allegations of irregularities and exclusion of millions. Officials suggest any future roll‑out would need to address those shortcomings. The discussion highlights gaps in civil‑registration, birth records and the broader challenge of linking travel documents to citizenship status in India.