The Centre on Thursday sought to quell controversy over whether an Indian passport can be treated as proof of citizenship, asserting that the position is neither new nor a recent policy shift.Under Section 5 of the Passports Act, 1967, a passport authority may issue a passport only after considering the application and making such inquiry as it deems necessary. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)“It was not decided yesterday that the Passport is not a proof of citizenship. It was not even decided in the last 12 years," a government official said, adding that the legal position has existed for decades.The clarification comes a day after the ministry of external affairs (MEA), during a detailed briefing on Passport Seva Divas, said that a passport is primarily a travel document and should not be treated as conclusive proof of citizenship. The remarks triggered criticism from Opposition leaders and sparked a wider debate online.Government cites law and court rulingsThe government defended its position by pointing to existing laws and court rulings, arguing that a passport has never been treated as conclusive proof of citizenship.Explaining the rationale, an official said, “The Passport has never been a proof of citizenship. The Passport Act 1967 says that passports can be given to non-citizens. Judgments of the Bombay HC from 2013 have made it clear that passport is not a proof of citizenship.”The MEA also referred to Section 20 of the Passports Act, 1967, which allows the Central Government to issue passports or travel documents to non-citizens in certain cases if it considers doing so to be in the public interest, news agency ANI reported.The provision states that the government may issue a passport or travel document “to a person who is not a citizen of India” if it believes such a step is necessary in the public interest.Row erupts after MEA remarksThe controversy began on Wednesday when the MEA, while unveiling the benefits of chip-enabled e-passports, stated that a passport should not be regarded as definitive proof of citizenship.The clarification revived a long-standing legal question: if a passport is not conclusive proof of citizenship, then what document establishes nationality?The remarks quickly gained traction on social media, where users questioned why a document that enables international travel, secures consular protection abroad and is accepted by immigration authorities around the world is not considered proof of nationality.What the law saysThe government's clarification also highlights a broader reality: India does not issue a single document that automatically serves as definitive proof of citizenship for every citizen. In fact, when asked in Parliament in February 2020 whether documents such as Aadhaar, passport, voter ID, PAN card or a birth certificate could be accepted as conclusive proof of citizenship, the ministry of home affairs did not endorse any one document.Also Read | Amid row over MEA passport statement, what constitutes proof of citizenship in India?Instead, it said that questions of citizenship are determined under the provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955, and the rules framed under it.Under the law, Indian citizenship can be acquired through birth, descent, registration, naturalisation or incorporation of territory.As a result, citizenship is established based on an individual's circumstances and supporting records rather than through a single nationally issued citizenship card, which India has never adopted.