AlertBharatiya

#ProudToBeIndian

[AlertBharatiya @AlertBharatiya]

This is just legalese. If a passport is issued after verifying that the holder is a bonafide citizen, there should be no issue why that itself should be considered a proof of citizenship. Just add it to the list of official documents under Citizenship Act.

[Nirupama Menon Rao 🇮🇳 @NMenonRao]

The discussion sparked by a recent statement on Passport Seva Divas has generated more heat than light.

The Ministry of External Affairs stated that a passport is a travel document, not a document of citizenship. Legally, that is correct. A passport is issued under the Passports Act, while citizenship is governed by the Citizenship Act, 1955. One law regulates the document; the other regulates the legal status.

But law and public understanding are not always the same.

For most Indians, the passport is the most authoritative document the Republic issues. It bears the name of the Republic of India, carries the holder’s identity, and is accepted around the world because foreign governments trust that India has verified the bearer’s nationality before issuing it. It is therefore entirely understandable that many people asked: if a passport is not proof of citizenship, then what is?

The answer requires some nuance.

A passport does not create citizenship. Nor is it the legal instrument that finally determines citizenship if that status is challenged before a court. Like many democracies, India distinguishes between citizenship law and passport law. In rare cases involving fraud, disputed parentage or illegal acquisition, citizenship may have to be established through the provisions of the Citizenship Act and supporting evidence. That is why a passport is not regarded in law as conclusive proof in every conceivable circumstance.

But that should not be confused with its practical significance.

A passport is issued only after the Government has satisfied itself that the applicant is entitled to one. In everyday life, and in international travel, it is the strongest evidence of Indian nationality that most citizens will ever possess. Nothing said by the MEA changes that. No immigration officer abroad will suddenly regard an Indian passport with suspicion because of a legal clarification made in New Delhi.

The episode does, however, remind us of a larger challenge.

India’s systems of civil registration developed unevenly over many decades. Millions of older Indians were born when birth registration was incomplete. Names were recorded differently across school certificates, land records and electoral rolls. The painful experience of the Assam NRC showed how documentary inconsistencies can create profound hardship when citizenship itself becomes the subject of legal scrutiny.

The lesson, therefore, is not that passports have somehow lost their value. It is that India needs stronger and more comprehensive civil registration, universal birth registration and reliable archival records so that citizenship can never become hostage to missing or inconsistent paperwork.

Sometimes a legally precise statement can create unnecessary public anxiety if it is not accompanied by explanation. A better way of putting it might have been this:

A passport is issued only after the Government has verified that the applicant is an Indian citizen. While citizenship itself is governed by the Citizenship Act, the passport remains the Republic’s most trusted document for international travel and, in ordinary life, the clearest evidence of Indian nationality.

That is both legally accurate and reassuring. The law need not be diluted, but neither should public confidence in one of the Republic’s most important documents.

To distil the argument:

A passport is issued because the Government has satisfied itself that you are an Indian citizen. It is therefore powerful evidence of citizenship in ordinary life and in international travel. But in a legal dispute over citizenship itself, the governing law remains the Citizenship Act, and a passport is not conclusive proof that overrides all other evidence

[AlertBharatiya @AlertBharatiya]

@Ravisutanjani That's a ridiculous solution.

[AlertBharatiya @AlertBharatiya]

@IndianGems_ Indians are good at using them!

[AlertBharatiya @AlertBharatiya]

@Vtxt21 That is the stupidest reason not to use the product @Vtxt21 !

[AlertBharatiya @AlertBharatiya]

@Chellaney Pl do fact checking @Chellaney ! Russian supply of engines is not a new commitment, but one given way back in 2009. Engine supply is to China, and not to Pakistan directly. However, we must be clear that self reliance in critical areas is the only way forward!

[AlertBharatiya @AlertBharatiya]

@divya_gandotra How many different languages do people in these countries speak? India's division into states itself was based on a linguistic basis. Look at what happens to any effort to have a single compulsory language thru India. Don't even know why this mindless comparison is being done.

[AlertBharatiya @AlertBharatiya]

@Arattai Facing significant lag in message sync.... Absence of end to end encryption of messages is detecting people from using Attarai...sender is not able to delete messages both for everyone or only for self... Can the limit on size of a group can be increased to >1024?

[AlertBharatiya @AlertBharatiya]

@svembu When China built its messenger, it was called Weixin for mainland users, and WeChat for non-mainland users. India is an amalgamation of multiple cultures and languages. Make Arattai multilingual with familiar brand names for each version while ensuring interoperability!

[AlertBharatiya @AlertBharatiya]

@MichaelKugelman The reality!

[AlertBharatiya @AlertBharatiya]

@sabeer Did you utter even a word about narcissism in your country? You must have chickened out there lest your leader take legal action for criticising him. So you are full mouthed where you don't belong. Just pay attention to your country. We don't want you here!

[AlertBharatiya @AlertBharatiya]

@sabeer Are you still on India? Educated folks like you are expected to understand when the communication is so clear from Indians. You and your nose poking are not welcome here. Go back to your country.. Enough nonsense happening there for you to poke your nose!

[AlertBharatiya @AlertBharatiya]

@sabeer You are not wanted here @sabeer . Go back to your country. Enjoy @realDonaldTrump being shamelessly bootli..ed by his cabinet in front of the media... and thus ensuring every american sees it. Did you have the courage to call that out? #HypocrisyExposed

https://t.co/fdXFto3T96

[AlertBharatiya @AlertBharatiya]

@Broufus Kedarnath premium is justified: 3S tech, 1800 capacity, terrain, envir. compliance. PPP Efficiency: 25% premium for pvt funding + revenue-sharing (need to add finance, O&M costs if no PPP). Swiss Grindelwald-Männlichen and Austrian Dachstein are better comparisons. Do homework!

[AlertBharatiya @AlertBharatiya]

@Ravisutanjani They are just latching in to the current fad. Making money while the fad lasts.

[AlertBharatiya @AlertBharatiya]

@Chellaney Need based loans, not grants should be the way forward. Grants lead to lack of accountability, and India has given enough grants over the years. Also, neighbourhood first can't be a blind approach. We want a trusted friend in Nepal, is it willing to be one? That should guide us.

[AlertBharatiya @AlertBharatiya]

@abhijitmajumder Fact: Thailand, Egypt, Morocco, Vietnam face issues similar to India, yet outperform India in tourism. How? By leveraging cultural assets, identifying tourist zones, targeting improvements there and enforcing regulations. Strategic focus and execution can surely drive success.

[AlertBharatiya @AlertBharatiya]

@TheReal_Jassi Thats quite OK. Have a look:
Debt-to-GDP (2025 Est.)
1. Japan: 254%
2. USA: 123%
3. Italy: 140%
4. France: 112%
and many more...if the economy is growing at 6-7%, our ratio of 82% is not bad at all!

[AlertBharatiya @AlertBharatiya]

@HassanNawazPak You dont need to do all this. All you need to do is to tell your PM and Army to ensure that they do not allow terrorists to be bred in Pakistan, and they do not aid their entry into India. Just this will be enough.

[AlertBharatiya @AlertBharatiya]

@RepRileyMoore @HouseAppropsGOP US should do what is right for it. However to say that H1B program is "abused" is nonsense. You defined the program, you decided the shortfall, you ran it, you approved every visa, you let foreigners into your country. All under your laws and by your choice. How is this "abuse"?