The Ministry of External Affairs clarifies that a passport is issued to regulate the departure of Indian citizens from India and is not a document that determines citizenship. In statements reported by multiple outlets, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says the passport is issued under the Passports Act, 1967, and its purpose is administrative—facilitating and regulating overseas travel—rather than establishing legal nationality. The MEA also reiterates that a passport is not a determinant of citizenship. All three reports cite Jaiswal’s claim that less than 8% of Indian citizens currently hold a passport. The clarification comes weeks after earlier remarks by a government official who described the Indian passport as a “travel document” and said it is not a “citizenship document.” Taken together, the reports present a consistent government position: passport issuance is governed by the Passports Act and is meant to manage departure from India, while citizenship status is determined separately from whether a person holds a passport.