Passport among valid documents for SIR identification: EC officials

Election Commission clarifies passports remain a valid supporting document for electoral roll verification despite debate over their status as proof of citizenship

Election Commission officials on Thursday said that Indian passports continue to be among the 12 valid supporting documents required by voters to prove their eligibility to be on the voters' list under the ongoing special intensive revision of electoral rolls.

 

They were responding to a query following a controversy that arose after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that a passport is not proof of citizenship, referencing the Passport Act of 1967.

 

Government sources have underlined that a passport has never been considered proof of citizenship, and there has been no new policy regarding this document implemented by the Modi government in the past 12 years.

 

 

During the Bihar SIR, Assam's special revision, and subsequent phases of poll roll revision, passports have consistently been listed as one of the 12 documents that individuals can submit when applying to register or maintain their status on the electoral rolls.

 

"Passport was and continues to be one of the documents to establish identity," an official said, underlining that "there is no change."

 

The electoral registration officer examines one of the indicative documents to decide whether a person is eligible to be on the voters' list.