illi News - Open Appeal: Renew Indian Passports by Citizenship, Not Immigration Status

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Indian passport — proof of Indian citizenship

Indian citizens abroad deserve passports—by right, not residency.

CHICAGO - illiNews -- Noble World Foundation calls on the Indian government and consular authorities to uphold the constitutional rights of Indian citizens abroad—particularly those unable to renew their passports due to undocumented immigration status in the United States.

The Passports Act, 1967, which applies to all Indian citizens, both within India and overseas, clearly states under Section 6(2)(a) that a passport may only be denied if the applicant is not an Indian citizen. Nowhere does the Act require proof of valid immigration status in a foreign country. Indian citizenship—not U.S. immigration status—is the sole legal criterion for passport renewal.

Further, Article 21 of the Constitution of India, which came into full effect on January 26, 1950—celebrated as Republic Day—guarantees the right to life and personal liberty, including the right to travel abroad. When outsourced service providers deny passport renewals based on non-statutory immigration criteria, it constitutes procedural overreach and violates constitutional law.

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"Every Indian citizen holds a birthright to a passport—a lifeline to identity, mobility, and dignity," says Shiv R. Jhawar, founder of the Noble World Foundation and author of Building a Noble World. "India must not abandon its citizens—especially in times of fear and uncertainty."

The urgency has escalated following the enactment of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) by the U.S. government on July 4, 2025. This sweeping law expands expedited removals, enabling deportations without judicial review, eliminates DACA and TPS humanitarian protections, and authorizes mass ICE raids. In this hostile environment, even law-abiding Indians who originally entered the U.S. legally on student visas fear legalizing their status, knowing any application could now trigger immediate detention or deportation.

Noble World Foundation strongly urges that Indian citizenship—not foreign immigration status—be reaffirmed as the sole legal basis for passport renewal. The passport processing agency should immediately revise its checklist to comply with the Passports Act of 1967 and the Constitution of India. Consular officials should issue regular passports, not emergency certificates, to Indian nationals who can establish their identity and origin.

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Outsourced passport agencies must follow Indian law—not foreign immigration policies. "We must honor the spirit of सत्यमेव जयते (Truth Alone Triumphs)—India's national motto. Denying passports on non-statutory grounds violates not only Indian law but also India's sacred commitment to truth and justice," Jhawar adds.

For more information, visit:
🌐 https://www.nobleworld.org