New Delhi: The Centre on Thursday reiterated that an Indian passport is issued under the Passports Act, 1967, to regulate the departure of Indian citizens from the country, while once again stopping short of declaring it as conclusive proof of Indian citizenship.
In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said passports are issued by the Government of India after due verification through an established process under the provisions of the Passports Act, 1967.
Responding to a question on whether an Indian passport constitutes conclusive proof of citizenship, the minister did not provide a direct answer. Instead, the government reiterated that the passport is issued under the legal framework governing international travel for Indian citizens.
The Centre also reaffirmed that India does not permit dual citizenship. Referring to Articles 9 and 11 of the Constitution along with Section 9 of the Citizenship Act, 1955, the government said that acquiring foreign citizenship results in the cessation of Indian citizenship under existing laws.
On passport reforms, the government said it has been continuously working to improve passport services by making them more efficient, transparent and accessible in accordance with the Passports Act, 1967, and the rules framed under it.
The clarification comes weeks after the Ministry of External Affairs had stated that an Indian passport is primarily a travel document issued under the Passports Act and should not be treated as a standalone proof of citizenship, a position that had sparked political debate over the legal status of the document.
