The government on Wednesday clarified that an Indian passport is primarily a travel document and should not be construed as proof of citizenship, a statement that triggered debate and drew political reactions.According to media reports, officials of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) made the clarification while outlining developments in India’s passport and mobility ecosystem on the occasion of Passport Seva Divas.The officials reportedly said that a passport attests to the nationality of an Indian citizen while travelling abroad but is not, in itself, a document of citizenship.News reports quoted officials as saying that passports are issued only after extensive verification and due diligence involving multiple government agencies. However, they stressed that the document’s principal purpose is to facilitate international travel and establish identity overseas.The clarification comes amid continuing public debate over what documents can be relied upon to establish citizenship. Several court rulings in recent years have held that documents such as Aadhaar cards, voter identity cards, PAN cards and other records are not, by themselves, conclusive proof of citizenship.Another report noted that there is no single universally accepted citizenship document issued to all Indian citizens by birth. The report said citizenship claims are often determined through a combination of records and legal provisions under the Citizenship Act.The MEA’s remarks also sparked political criticism. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray questioned the rationale behind the clarification, asking whether police verification conducted before passport issuance would lose significance if a passport was not regarded as proof of citizenship.The government, however, maintained that the passport remains a secure and rigorously verified travel document. Officials highlighted the rollout of chip-based e-passports and ongoing efforts to modernise passport services across the country.