A passport is not conclusive proof of citizenship

It was not a recent decision that a passport is not considered proof of citizenship. This position has existed for decades and is not a development of the past 12 years. Legally, a passport has never been treated as conclusive evidence of citizenship, despite being an important identity document for international travel.

The Passport Act of 1967 clearly states that passports can, under certain circumstances, be issued to non-citizens as well. Additionally, several judgments by the Bombay High Court since 2013 have reaffirmed that a passport alone cannot be accepted as definitive proof of citizenship. These legal clarifications highlight the distinction between travel documents and official citizenship verification.