The Union Home Ministry has not come up with a specific response on what documents can be treated as valid proof of citizenship whenever the issue has been raised in Parliament.
While the ministry has not reacted to the ongoing controversy over the passport not being a proof of citizenship, it has informed Parliament in the recent past that “the Citizenship Act, 1955, as amended in 2004, provides the Central Government to compulsorily register every citizen of India and issue National Identity Card to him”.
This response came while addressing queries from lawmakers on the “categories of valid documents” needed to prove citizenship, whether the “identity card is proof of an Indian citizen”, and “details of cards which as per court is admissible ID proof of Indian citizen”.
However, despite the legal provision, the provision of issuance of a national identity card has not yet been implemented.
On August 12, 2025, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, responding to a question seeking details of categories of documents required to prove citizenship, did not specify any document.
Instead, he said, “Citizenship of India is governed under the provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955, and rules made thereunder. It can be acquired by birth (Section 3), descent (Section 4), registration (Section 5), naturalisation (Section 6) or incorporation of territory (Section 7). The eligibility criteria for acquisition and determination of citizenship is as per the provisions of the Act and the rules made thereunder”.
A week earlier, on August 5, 2025, Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar, replied to a question on whether an identity card is a proof of an Indian citizen and which cards are admissible as such. He reiterated that the Citizenship Act, 1955, as amended in 2004, provides to compulsorily register every citizen and issue a National Identity Card.
He also referred to the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Card) Rules, 2003, under which, “The Registrar General of Citizen Registration, or any officer authorised by him in this behalf, shall issue the National Identity Card to every citizen whose particulars are entered in the National Register of Indian Citizens.”
The rules further stated, “National Identity Cards (are) to be Government property and it is the responsibility of citizens to keep them properly”.
