A senior official of the ministry of external affairs said the government was in fact against granting political privileges to foreign passport holders for fear these might be misused to "subvert" the country's political system.

The official noted that possession of the passport entitled the holder to political rights, including voting in and contesting elections. But, at the same time, the govt is trying to strengthen the Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) cards scheme it introduced last year, facilitating hassle-free visits to the country and granting certain benefits and privileges.

The response to the scheme has been poor - only 1,200 takers out of an estimated 20 million people of Indian origin settled across the globe. "The government is considering reducing the PIO card cost and making the scheme more attractive, but dual citizenship has been ruled out," ministry officials said.

- nriol.com report