India’s passport ranking drops to 125th in 2026
Congress blames Modi govt for hurting global reputation
New Delhi: India’s passport has slipped to 125th position in the Global Citizen Solutions Passport Index 2026, with visa-free access to only 26 destinations, marking a sharp decline from 74th in 2013, just a year before the BJP came to power.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the latest ranking places India behind countries including the Philippines, Morocco, Uzbekistan and China, but ahead of Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan. Another global ranking, the World Economic Forum, also shows a fall for India from 74th in 2013 to 80th in June 2026.
The drop has triggered criticism of the BJP government’s policies. The fee for a fresh 36-page passport has been hiked from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,500 from July 1, 2026, while Tatkal charges have gone up to Rs 5,000. For a 60-page passport, the fee is now Rs 3,500 with Tatkal at Rs 6,000.
Tourism figures were also questioned, with Foreign Tourist Arrivals dropping from 10.93 million in 2019 to 9.95 million in 2024. The official visa application portal was described as “outdated and confusing.”
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, in a post on X, held the Modi government responsible for the decline. Referring to PM Modi’s 2018 remarks on the “strength” of the Indian passport, Kharge said, “Where is that ‘strength’ reflected? Facts bely his assertions.” “Modi Govt’s policies are responsible for hurting India’s global reputation,” he wrote.
“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!”
