A public debate has emerged following a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs that possession of an Indian passport alone does not conclusively establish Indian citizenship. The Union government has also claimed on several occasions that documents such as Aadhaar, PAN, voter identity cards, driving licences, or school certificates are not, by themselves, definitive proof of citizenship.
Indian citizenship is governed by the Citizenship Act, 1955, and the relevant provisions of the Constitution of India. Citizenship may be acquired through birth, descent, registration, naturalisation, or incorporation of territory. Most Indian citizens acquire citizenship by birth and therefore do not possess a separate citizenship certificate. Passports, meanwhile, are issued under the Passports Act, 1967. Under certain circumstances permitted by law, passports may also be issued to non-citizens, making passport possession distinct from a formal determination of citizenship.
Against this backdrop, some commentators and organisations have renewed calls for a nationwide mechanism to verify citizenship through an updated National Register of Citizens (NRC). India's first NRC was prepared in 1951, but it has not been updated nationwide. Assam remains the only state where an NRC update was undertaken, following directions of the Supreme Court of India between 2015 and 2019.
The issue has also figured in judicial proceedings. In a recent case, the Gauhati High Court upheld a 28 February 2019 order of a Foreigners' Tribunal in Assam declaring an individual to be a foreigner. The court examined various documents produced by the individual, including PAN, voter identity card, school certificates and land records, but concluded that these documents were insufficient to establish citizenship under the applicable legal framework.
The Assam NRC exercise has remained the subject of legal, administrative and political debate. After the publication of the final NRC list in 2019, questions were raised regarding its completeness and accuracy. The list has not received final certification from the Registrar General of India.
Former Assam State NRC Coordinator Hitesh Dev Sarma has publicly alleged procedural irregularities in the NRC update process and has sought a comprehensive re-verification of the register. He has also filed representations and legal petitions requesting further scrutiny. These allegations have been disputed and remain matters of public and legal discussion.
Separately, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India identified financial and administrative irregularities in its audit of the NRC updating process and recommended appropriate action in accordance with the law. The findings contributed to wider discussions about the management and implementation of the exercise.
The Assam government has also expressed concerns regarding the accuracy of the NRC. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has stated on multiple occasions that the register requires re-verification to address possible errors and ensure that it serves its intended purpose. Petitions seeking such re-verification are currently before the courts.
Media coverage of the NRC has reflected a range of perspectives. While some reports have highlighted alleged administrative and financial shortcomings, others have focused on the humanitarian, legal and procedural implications of the exercise. The debate continues among policymakers, legal experts, civil society groups and political stakeholders.
The discussion over a nationwide NRC ultimately centres on balancing the state's responsibility to maintain accurate citizenship records with the need to ensure fairness, transparency and due process. Whether India should adopt a nationwide citizenship register remains a matter for public debate, legislative consideration and judicial oversight.
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*Journalist based in Guwahati
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