Passport Is A Travel Document, Not Proof Of Citizenship: MEA

The passport is a travel document and not a document of citizenship, officials of the external affairs ministry said on Wednesday. The statement came while highlighting measures incorporated into new chip-based e-passports, such as biometric data, to boost global acceptance and reduce the risk of fraud.The passport remains a travel document, and not a document of citizenship, as it attests the nationality of Indians when they are abroad, the officials said. "A passport is issued after a lot of due diligence, and it is based on documents from several government agencies," an official said.The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) will host a two-day Human Resource Mobility Forum next week aimed at promoting safe and legal migration pathways while connecting

overseas employers with Indian job seekers, officials announced on Passport Seva Divas.Observed on June 24, Passport Seva Divas marks the enactment of the Passports Act, 1967. The officials said the forum will provide a platform for networking, employment opportunities, and discussions on facilitating overseas mobility for Indian professionals and workers.

14.7 Million E-Passports

A total of 14.7 million e-passports have been issued since the chip-based documents were rolled out last year as part of a revamp of the Passport Seva Programme, the officials said.The e-passports, which have an embedded antenna and a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip containing personal particulars and biometric data, account for about 10 percent of the total passports. All new passports are currently chip-based passports.Officials said e-passports provide enhanced security features, significantly reducing the risk of unauthorised access, data tampering, and fraudulent procurement. The technology makes counterfeiting far more difficult while also boosting confidence among immigration authorities abroad, resulting in smoother and faster clearance processes.“It is much harder to create fake passports, and e-passports offer greater assurance to foreign immigration officials, helping expedite verification and clearance procedures,” an official said.According to officials, the chips embedded in e-passports are supplied by the India Security Press in Nashik, which sources the components from overseas manufacturers.