The Ministry of External Affairs clarified this week, on the occasion of the 14th Passport Seva Divas, that a passport is primarily a travel document and does not by itself constitute proof of citizenship. The statement drew criticism from some quarters, most notably from writer and lyricist Javed Akhtar.
Akhtar, 81, called the position absurd. On X, he asked: if the government is not fully satisfied that an applicant is a citizen, how is it issuing them a passport at all? It is a fair question on the surface, but the legal picture is more layered than that.
What the debate does raise legitimately is a broader question: as of June 2026, India has no single document legally designated as definitive proof of citizenship. That gap is what Akhtar, and many others online, are pointing at.
