Passports: Evolution and Features

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Table of contents

Context(IE): The recent film ‘Dunki’ focuses on the issue of immigration and the history of passports.

Evolution of Passports

In France, the ‘Passport System’ had been well established before the French Revolution 1789.
In 1914, the British Nationality and Status of Aliens Act was enacted. It spoke about the naturalisation of aliens (non-British subjects) and other laws related to citizenship.
The first modern passport was a product of this Act. It carried the holder’s identity, photograph, signature, and other physical details.
The League of Nations also held a conference on regulating travel through passports in 1920.

For the first time, under the Defence of India Act 1915, possessing a passport for leaving and entering India was compulsory. Later, the Indian Passport Act of 1920 was passed.
In 1952, old passports were revoked. New Indian passports were granted only to “respectable” people.
The Supreme Court in the Satwant Singh Sawhney vs D. Ramarathnam case (1967) ruled that every citizen had the right to a passport. Subsequently, the Indian Passport Act 1967 was passed.
A passport is proof of address as well as citizenship.

Ordinary Passport (P-type): A dark blue cover passport is issued to ordinary citizens for private travel, such as vacation, study and business trips.
Official Passport (S-type): A white cover passport is issued to individuals representing the Government of India on official business, including members of the Indian Armed Forces stationed abroad.
Diplomatic Passport (D-type): A maroon cover passport is issued to Indian diplomats, Members of Parliament (MPs), members of the Union Council of Ministers, certain high-ranking government officials and diplomatic couriers, and their dependents.
Diplomatic and official passports are now issued as ePassports (Biometric).

All passports contain a note from the President of India to allow safe passage to Indian citizens.
The language allowed on the passport is Hindi and English only.
India secures 80^th rank on the Henley Passport Index 2023.