Could Section 20 of the Passports Act unlock Sports Passport for India?
A little-discussed provision in India’s 1967 Passports Act has emerged as a key talking point in the growing debate around PIO and OCI athletes representing the country.
For years, the debate around PIO and OCI players representing India has largely hit the same roadblock: India’s citizenship laws do not permit dual nationality.
That reality has forced athletes of Indian origin to make a difficult choice. If they want to represent India, they must surrender their existing nationality and acquire an Indian passport, as Bengaluru FC forward Ryan Williams did earlier this year before making his debut for the Indian football team.
Khel Now exclusively reported on June 12, 2026, that the Sports Ministry had proposed a Sports Passport framework that could allow eligible PIO and OCI athletes to represent India across multiple sports, including football, tennis and basketball.
Recent developments suggest the conversation may be more nuanced than previously believed.
At the centre of the discussion is Section 20 of The Passports Act, 1967.
Recent remarks attributed to Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) officials on the day of ‘Passport Seva Divas’ which is celebrated on June 24 to commemorate the Passports Act of 1967 have brought renewed attention to an important legal distinction: a passport is primarily a travel document and not, by itself, conclusive proof of citizenship.
While the observation may appear technical, it has sparked fresh discussion around whether existing Indian laws could help support a Sports Passport framework for athletes of Indian origin.
The section 20 has now sparked a new debate as well a ray of hope among the fans who have long voiced their demand for the PIO and OCI players to be included in India’s national team set ups.
What does Section 20 of the Passports Act, 1967 say?
The provision states:
“Notwithstanding anything contained in the foregoing provisions relating to issue of a passport or travel document, the Central Government may issue, or cause to be issued, a passport or travel document to a person who is not a citizen of India if that Government is of the opinion that it is necessary so to do in the public interest.”
The clause gives the Central Government discretionary powers to issue a passport or travel document to a non-citizen if it believes doing so serves the public interest.
The provision has existed for nearly six decades, but until recently, it had barely featured in conversations around athlete eligibility and Indian sport.
That has now changed.
As discussions around Sports Passports gather momentum, Section 20 is increasingly being viewed as a provision that could potentially support a future framework if policymakers decide to pursue one.
AIFF’s long-standing push for PIO and OCI players
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has consistently explored ways to widen India’s talent pool by including players of Indian origin living abroad.
AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey has repeatedly raised the issue with government authorities and stakeholders, arguing that India should examine models used successfully by several other countries.
During a recent meeting involving Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, AIFF officials and ISL club representatives, the federation once again pushed for greater consideration of PIO and OCI players.
Sources have indicated that football authorities have already identified a shortlist of overseas players who could become eligible if a regulatory pathway is eventually created.
The issue has become even more prominent as Indian football continues to struggle internationally while several players of Indian heritage represent other nations at the highest level.
Also Read: What is Sports Passport? All you need to know
Sports Ministry’s Sports Passport proposal
The debate received a significant boost when it emerged that the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports had submitted a Sports Passport proposal to the Government of India.
The proposal reportedly seeks to create a framework through which eligible PIO and OCI athletes could represent India across multiple sports without necessarily following the traditional citizenship route.
Importantly, football is only one part of the discussion.
Sports such as basketball, tennis and several Olympic disciplines could also benefit from access to a wider pool of athletes with Indian heritage.
The proposal remains under consideration, and any eventual decision is expected to involve multiple government departments.
Could Section 20 provide the legal foundation?
This is where the focus on the Passports Act becomes particularly interesting.
If the government eventually decides to introduce a Sports Passport framework, legal experts and policymakers may look to Section 20 as a provision capable of supporting such a system.
The provision does not automatically create sporting eligibility, nor does it override existing citizenship laws.
However, it demonstrates that Indian law already contains a public-interest mechanism that permits passports or travel documents to be issued to non-citizens under exceptional circumstances.
As a result, the debate may no longer be restricted to whether India should permit dual citizenship. Instead, policymakers could explore whether a sports-specific framework can be built using powers already available under Indian law.
Why does this matter for Indian football?
Indian football finds itself at a critical juncture.
The national team has failed to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 and remains far from competing consistently against Asia’s leading nations.
At the same time, players of Indian origin continue to represent countries competing on some of football’s biggest stages.
The prospect of accessing a broader talent pool has therefore become increasingly attractive for many within the football ecosystem.
While a Sports Passport framework remains some distance from becoming reality, the conversation has clearly evolved.
The proposal remains under consideration and there is no guarantee it will eventually become policy.
Yet the debate has already shifted.
For years, discussions around PIO and OCI athletes rarely moved beyond the question of citizenship. The emergence of Section 20 has added a new dimension to the conversation, one centred not on changing citizenship laws, but on whether existing legislation already offers policymakers more flexibility than previously assumed.
Whether that ultimately leads to a Sports Passport system remains to be seen.
But for the first time, there appears to be a legal pathway that many believe is worth exploring.
What is a Sports Passport?
A Sports Passport is a proposed framework that could allow eligible athletes of Indian origin to represent India in international sports through a special sporting eligibility mechanism.
What is Section 20 of the Passports Act, 1967?
Section 20 allows the Central Government to issue a passport or travel document to a person who is not an Indian citizen if it believes doing so is necessary in the public interest.
Does Section 20 automatically allow PIO and OCI athletes to play for India?
No. Section 20 does not automatically grant sporting eligibility. Any framework would still require government approval and recognition from international sporting bodies.
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Ashish Negi is the co-founder and CEO of Khel Now. A computer engineering graduate from LPU (2015), he has been closely following and covering Indian football and sports since 2007. He started the Indian Football Team Facebook page in 2013 and later handed it over to the AIFF in 2015 when it had grown to over 500K followers. Ashish continues to drive Khel Now’s vision while staying deeply connected to the pulse of Indian sport.