Amid slipping passport ranking, govt says efforts on to expand travel access

According to the MEA, Indian passport holders currently have access to visa-free entry in 27 countries, visa-on-arrival facilities in 47 countries and e-Visa facilities in 66 countries. At the same time, the government also questioned the methodology used by private organisations to rank passports.

The response comes days after recent global passport indices highlighted fluctuations in India’s ranking, with the latest edition of the Henley Passport Index placing the Indian passport at the 81st position, compared with the 75th spot earlier this year. The Ministry of External Affairs.

What Happened

It stressed that India was engaged with foreign governments through bilateral mechanisms, including consular dialogues and official-level engagements, to improve ease of travel, address visa-related issues and expand mobility arrangements for Indian citizens. However, it added that visa policies remain sovereign decisions.

• The newspaper is run by a five-member Trust, which is chaired by Shri N N Vohra, former Governor of J&K State (2008-2018); as well as Justice S S Sodhi, former Chief Justice of the.

• Restraint and moderation, rather than agitational language, are the hallmarks of the paper.The Tribune has two sister publications, Punjabi Tribune (in Punjabi) and Dainik Tribune (in Hindi).

• Shamsher Singh Mehta, former Western Army Commander; Shri Paramjit Singh Patwalia, Senior Advocate in the Supreme Court.THE TRIBUNE is free, objective, and independent.

Key Details

THE TRIBUNE was started by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, a public-spirited philanthropist of the time.

• THE TRIBUNE, India’s oldest, daily English-language newspaper, was first published on February 2, 1881, in Lahore (now in Pakistan), and save for 40 days in the immediate aftermath of Partition, has come out every.

• While the MEA does not consider private passport indices as a definitive benchmark, the debate has brought renewed attention to the broader challenge of improving global mobility for Indian travellers as India’s economic and.

• The government also said that India had upgraded the security features of its electronic passports in line with the guidelines of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to strengthen security and international acceptance.

Why It Matters

The details were shared in response to questions in the Lok Sabha on India’s position in global passport rankings, factors influencing passport mobility and steps being taken to enhance travel facilitation.

What Reports Say

Coverage of the story so far points to:

• Continued reporting by The Tribune as more details emerge