Congress Criticizes PM Modi Over India's Passport Ranking Decline

NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday criticised PM Modi's government over India's recent passport rankings, alleging that its policies had hurt the country's global reputation. He also questioned the recent increase in passport fees, saying citizens were paying more despite what he described as poor services.

In a post on X, Kharge referred to Prime Minister Modi's 2018 remarks about the strength of the Indian passport and said the current rankings did not support those claims.

"Modi Govt's policies are responsible for hurting India's global reputation," Kharge wrote. "PM Modi claimed in 2018: 'People travelling and living abroad know the respect and strength of the Indian passport today.' Where is that 'strength' reflected? Facts bely his assertions," he said.

Citing different global passport rankings, Kharge claimed that India's position had weakened over the years. "In one global passport ranking, India has fallen from 74th in 2013 to 80th in June 2026. [World Economic Forum] Another global passport index places India at a dismal 125th in 2026. [Global Citizen Solutions]," he wrote.

Kharge also criticised the government's decision to increase passport charges, saying fees had gone up without any improvement in services. "Instead of improving services, the Modi Govt has made passports more expensive. Passport fees have been hiked from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,500, while Tatkal charges have gone up to Rs 5,000," he said.

The Congress chief also alleged that foreign tourist arrivals had not recovered to pre-pandemic levels and questioned the government's tourism and visa policies. "Even with respect to the ease of travelling to India, Foreign Tourist Arrivals are still below pre-COVID levels: They have dropped from 10.93 million (2019) to 9.95 million (2024). Is the Modi Govt masking this failure by clubbing NRI arrivals with foreign tourist data? Why is India's official visa application portal still so outdated and confusing that it resembles a website from the late 1990s? No one in India, the land of 'Atithi Devo Bhava' wants to welcome the tourists like this?" he wrote.

Concluding his post, Kharge questioned the government's claims about India's international standing. "If the passport is weaker, tourism has not recovered, visa services are lacklustre and citizens are paying more for substandard services, then where exactly is this much-advertised global respect? Reality bites. India's reputation suffers. Courtesy: Modi Govt!" he said.

Kharge's remarks came after the Global Passport Index 2026 ranked India 125th, down from 124th last year, with visa-free access to 26 destinations. The ranking placed India behind countries including the Philippines, Morocco, Uzbekistan and China, but ahead of Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan. His comments also follow the Centre's decision to revise passport application fees from July 1, 2026. Under the new rates, the fee for a fresh or reissued 36-page ordinary passport has increased from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,500, while the Tatkal charge has risen from Rs 2,500 to Rs 5,000. The fee for a 60-page passport has increased to Rs 3,500, with the Tatkal charge revised to Rs 6,000.