Passport used to regulate departure of citizens: govt.
The External Affairs Ministry said an Indian passport is issued under the Passports Act, 1967 and Passports Rules, 1980 to regulate the departure of Indian citizens from India.
- The External Affairs Ministry clarified the legal purpose of an Indian passport and said passports are issued after verification under the Passports Act, 1967 and the Passports Rules, 1980.
- An Indian passport is a document used to regulate the departure of Indian citizens from the country.
- The External Affairs Ministry said fewer than 8% of Indian citizens currently hold passports.
What happened
The External Affairs Ministry clarified that an Indian passport is a document used to regulate the departure of Indian citizens from the country. The ministry also said that passports are issued after verification under the Passports Act, 1967 and the Passports Rules, 1980.
The clarification followed comments by a government official who had described the passport as only a travel document and not a citizenship document. The ministry noted that fewer than 8% of Indian citizens currently hold passports.
UPSC can frame the issue around the legal status of a passport, the difference between proof of nationality and proof of citizenship, and the statutory powers of the executive under the Passports Act, 1967. The issue can also be linked to administrative verification, documentation standards, and public misunderstandings about identity papers.
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