Earlier in the day, on the occasion of the 14th Passport Seva Divas, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar shared a message on X, noting that the event marks the anniversary of the Passports Act, 1967, and serves as a reflection on the modernisation of India's passport infrastructure.A PASSPORT is a travel document, not a proof of citizenship, the Ministry of External Affairs has said.Even though it is issued only to citizens, it is not a document that establishes citizenship, officials clarified on Wednesday.Earlier this year, during the hearing on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the Supreme Court said Aadhaar was not conclusive proof of citizenship, just a document of identity.The MEA also underlined measures incorporated in the new chip-based e-passports, such as biometric data, to boost global acceptance and reduce the risk of fraud.Officials said the government continues to expand the ease of services with over 500 Passport Kendras and delivery of 1.5 crore passports and related services in 2025.With six working days for passports, excluding police verification, the time spent at passport seva kendras spans less than 45 minutes, officials said.An MEA official said for Indians, countries with visa-free entry stand at 27, an increase from 16 in 2019. “Forty-seven countries have visa on arrival (policy) for Indians and 66 countries offer electronic visas for Indians,” the official said, highlighting a slew of mobility agreements signed with European countries in the recent past.Story continues below this ad“They (agreements) facilitate easier mobility of academics, students, apprentices, regular tourists and businesses. Also, create a mechanism for easier return of illegal migrants.”The ministry will soon organise a two-day Human Resource Mobility Forum to highlight legal pathways for migration and facilitate networking between foreign employers and Indian nationals seeking jobs abroad.Earlier in the day, on the occasion of the 14th Passport Seva Divas, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar shared a message on X, noting that the event marks the anniversary of the Passports Act, 1967, and serves as a reflection on the modernisation of India’s passport infrastructure. Divya A reports on travel, tourism, culture and social issues - not necessarily in that order - for The Indian Express. She's been a journalist for over a decade now, working with Khaleej Times and The Times of India, before settling down at Express. Besides writing/ editing news reports, she indulges her pen to write short stories. As Sanskriti Prabha Dutt Fellow for Excellence in Journalism, she is researching on the lives of the children of sex workers in India. ... Read More