New Delhi: The external affairs ministry on Wednesday reiterated that a passport is a travel document, not proof of citizenship, while detailing enhanced security measures in India’s recently introduced chip-enabled e-passports aimed at strengthening international trust and curbing fraud.
Officials spoke on Passport Seva Divas, observed on June 24 to mark the 1967 Passports Act, and said the ministry will host a two-day Human Resource Mobility Forum on June 30 and July 1 to outline lawful migration channels and link Indian jobseekers with foreign employers, as reported by Hindustan Times.
Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia will be the forum’s focus countries, and the event is being organised alongside the labour and education ministries to bring together recruitment agencies, employers and prospective migrant workers.
A Travel Document, Not Citizenship
“A passport is issued after a lot of due diligence, and it is based on documents from several government agencies,” an official said, stressing that the passport’s role is to attest nationality when Indians are overseas rather than serve as a document of citizenship.
Since the chip-based passports were rolled out last year, officials said 14.7 million e-passports have been issued. These passports contain an embedded antenna and an RFID chip that stores personal particulars and biometric identifiers. E-passports now account for about 10% of all passports in circulation, and all passports issued currently are chip-based as part of a broader Passport Seva Programme revamp.
Officials said the embedded chips significantly raise security by limiting unauthorised access, preventing tampering, and reducing opportunities for fraud. “It is more difficult to generate fake passports, and the e-passports offer greater reassurance to immigration authorities abroad and make clearances faster,” an official said. The chips are procured by the India Security Press in Nashik from overseas suppliers, and ministry staff said international best practices were consulted during design to make the documents as robust as possible.
Data Control & Tech Partner
While Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) serves as the technology and service provider for the Passport Seva Project, officials were keen to point out that all passport-related data are stored on the external affairs ministry’s own servers, underscoring government control over sensitive information. Efforts are ongoing to further harden security features and refine operational protocols.
Protecting Migrant Workers
Officials also highlighted the need for structured recruitment channels and worker training to prevent exploitation abroad. They referenced cases, including Indians being duped into joining foreign armed forces, as examples of why tighter oversight and candidate education matter. “Ethical employers have to be matched with the aspirants, who have to be told what to watch out for,” an official said.
Mobility & Service Improvements
Since 2019, the ministry noted, visa-free travel options for Indian passport holders have risen to 27 from 16; 47 countries now offer visa-on-arrival, up from 38; and 66 provide e-visas. India has migration and mobility agreements with 25 countries, mainly in Europe, expanding legal migration pathways and aiding returns of illegal migrants.
On the domestic front, average passport processing time has been reduced to five–six days, time spent at Passport Seva Kendras cut to under 45 minutes, and the number of kendras increased to 544 from 77 a decade ago. Officials said they are working to replicate states that have shortened police-verification to two–three days nationwide.
