Lok Sabha Question No. 3254 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-22
Subject: Simplification of Passport Issuing Process
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: S. RAJENDRAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3254 TO BE ANSWERED ON 22.03.2017

## SIMPLIFICATION OF PASSPORT ISSUING PROCESS

3254.        SHRI S. RAJENDRAN:

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  a large number of passport seekers/passport renewal aspirants  are  unable  to  use  online  mode  as  the  server  often remains down and  the information process is complicated;
- (b) if so, the reaction of the Government thereto and the reasons therefor;
- (c) the  efforts  made  by  the  Government  to  simplify  the  above process  so  that  the  citizens  of  the  country  can  get  their passport easily; and
- (d) the  success  achieved  in  this  regard  as  a  result  of  above efforts?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS [GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD)]

(a) & (b)  (i) It would be incorrect to say that a large number of applicants  seeking  passport  services  are  unable  to  use  online method  as  often  server  goes  down  and  the  process  of  giving information  is  complex.    Effective  technical  infrastructure  is  in place  to  ensure  that  the  Passport  Seva  system  is  available  for access at all times from any location. The Passport Portal (www.passportindia.gov.in) is accessible to anyone, anywhere and anytime.  With  a  view  to  address  the  challenge  of  digital  divide, especially  in  the  rural  hinterland,  the  Ministry  in  association  with CSC  e-Governance  Services  India  Ltd.  (which  is  promoted  by  the Department  of  Electronics  and  IT),  has  facilitated  online  filing  of passport  applications,  through  the  vast  network  of  over  1.5  lakh Common Service Centres (CSCs) across rural hinterland. Under the

Passport  Seva  Project,  a  robust  information  system  has  been created to offer a bouquet of online passport services. (ii) Comprehensive  information  relating  to  passport  application procedure,  requirement  of  supporting  documents,  applicable  fees, location  of  Passport  Offices,  Passport  Seva  Kendras(PSK),    police station jurisdiction is posted on the Portal to make it user-friendly. It is kept updated with Advisories/Notices and Press Releases relating to  Passport  services  developments.  Status  of  applications  can  be tracked through the Passport Portal. (iii) An  e-mail  based  helpdesk  facility  and  a  24x7  National  Call Centre has been set up to provide requisite information to citizens. (iv) The  Passport  Seva  system  sends  four  free  of  cost  SMS  to applicants - (i) at the time of dispatch of passport, (ii) in 'returned undelivered'  passport  cases,  (iii)  rejection  of  request  for  counter delivery cases and (iv) clear Police Verification(PV) report in pre-PV PCC cases or review of PV and clearance by the PIA. In addition, a premium optional SMS Service, on nominal payment basis, has been made  available  to  enable  citizens  to  receive  alerts  and  updates regarding  detailed  progress  of  their  passport  applications  and pending actions. The service can be availed from any mobile phone. (v) mPassport Seva mobile app provides passport related information including PSK locator, applicable fees, mode of submission  and  tracking  of  passport  application  status  on  smart phones. (vi) For  assistance,  citizens  can  call  toll-free  helpline  1800-2581800. (vii)   The Passport system has interface with the police for verification of personal particulars of applicants and with India Post for tracking delivery of passports. (c) The  following additional steps have been  taken by the Government to further simplify the mechanism of issuing passports: (i) Police Verification: Police Verification of applicants' particulars plays an important role in timely dispatch of passports. The  Ministry  as  well  as  the  Passport  Offices  continue  to  engage closely with the Police Departments across States/Union Territories

- and  with  concerned  Home  Departments  to  reduce  time  taken  in police verification.
- (ii) The Government has set up 90 Passport Seva Kendrass (PSK) across the country.
- (iii) Greater outreach: The Government is working on setting up 3 more PSKs in addition to the existing functional 90 PSKs across the country.
- (iv) The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Department of Posts (DOP) announced on 24 January, 2017 their decision to utilize the  Head  Post  Offices  (HPO)  in  the  various  States  as  Post  Office Passport  Seva  Kendra  (POPSK)  for  delivering  passport  related services  to  the  citizens  of  the  country.  The  objective  of  this partnership is to extend passport services on a larger scale and to ensure wider area coverage. The pilot projects for this joint venture between MEA and DOP was inaugurated on 25 January, 2017 at the Post Offices at Mysuru in Karnataka and at Dahod in Gujarat. The POPSK at these two places have been running successfully since their  inauguration.  With  the  successful  operationalization  of  these two  pilot  projects,  the  Government  has  now  decided  to  set  up another   83 POPSK in the country taking the total number of POPSK to 85.  Out of these 85 POPSK, 12 are already operational.
- (v) In  order  to  speed  up  passport  issuance,  Walk-in  facility  has been  allowed  for  certain  categories  of  services/  citizens  having Application Registration Number (ARN) to enable them to apply for Tatkaal  services  ;  issue  of  Police  Clearance  Certificate  (PCC)  ; deletion  of  Emigration  Check  Required(ECR)  status;  inclusion  of name  of  spouse  in  passport  and  new  booklets  where  pages  have been exhausted. Senior citizens (above 60 years); minors below 15 whose  parents hold valid passports; differently-abled persons; central/state government servants and their spouse/dependent minor children, have also been permitted walk-in facility.
- (vi) With a view to meet heavy and seasonal demand for passport services,  Passport Melas are organized on weekends from time to time by Passport Offices.
- (vii)   Passport Seva Camps: In order to provide closer and speedier passport services to people located far away from PSKs, Passport Seva Camps are being organized at various locations in the country.

(viii)   Passport  Adalats,  on  need  basis,  are  also  conducted  by Passport Offices to redress passport service grievances by dealing with citizens directly.

- (ix)   In order to further streamline, liberalize and ease the process of  issue  of  passport,  the  Ministry  of  External  Affairs  has  taken  a number of steps in the realm of passport policy to ease the process of  issue  of  passports.  The  details  of  these  steps  are  given  below whci have come into force from 26th December, 2016:-

## A. Documents in support of proof of Date of Birth

As per the extant statutory provisions of the Passport Rules, 1980, all the applicants born on or after 26/01/1989, in order to get a passport, had to, hitherto, mandatorily submit the Birth Certificate as the proof of Date of Birth (DOB). It has now been decided that all applicants  of  passports  can  submit  any  one  of  the  following documents  as  the  proof  of  DOB  while  submitting  the  passport application:

-  Birth  Certificate  (BC)  issued  by  the  Registrar  of  Births  & Deaths or the Municipal Corporation or any other prescribed authority whosoever has been empowered under the Registration of Birth & Deaths Act, 1969 to register the birth of a child born in India;
-  Transfer/School leaving/Matriculation Certificate issued by the school last attended/recognized educational board containing the DOB of the applicant;
-  PAN Card issued by the Income Tax Department with the DOB of applicant;
- 
- Aadhaar Card/E-Aadhaar having the DOB of applicant;
-  Copy of the extract of the service record of the applicant (only in respect of Government servants) or the Pay Pension Order (in respect of retired Government Servants), duly attested/certified by the officer/in-charge of the Administration  of  the  concerned  Ministry/Department  of  the applicant, having his DOB;
-  Driving license issued by the Transport Department concerned State Government, having the DOB of applicant;
- of
-  Election  Photo  Identity  Card  (EPIC)  issued  by  the  Election Commission of India having the DOB of applicant;
-  Policy Bond issued by the Public Life Insurance Corporations/Companies having the DOB of the holder of the insurance policy.

## B. Other Changes:

-  The online passport application form now requires the applicant  to  provide  the  name  of  father  or  mother  or  legal guardian, i.e., only one parent and not both. This would enable single parents to apply for passports for their children and to also  issue  passports  where  the  name  of  either  the  father  or the mother is not required to be printed at the request of the applicant.
-  The total number of Annexes prescribed in the Passport Rule, 1980, has been reduced to 9 from the present 15. Annexes A, C, D, E, J, and K have been removed and certain Annexes have been merged.
-  All the annexes that are required to be given by the applicants would be in the form of a self declaration on a plain paper. No attestation/swearing by/before any Notary/Executive Magistrate/First Class Judicial Magistrate would be henceforth necessary.
-  Married  applicants  would  not  be  required  to  provide  the erstwhile Annexure K or any marriage certificate.
-  The passport application form does not require the applicant to provide the name of her/his spouse in case of separated or divorced persons. Such applicants for passports would not be required to provide even the Divorce Decree.
-  In case of children not born out of wedlock, the applicant for the  passport  of  such  children  should  submit  only  extant Annexure C while submitting the passport application.
-  In case  of issue of passport to in-country domestically adopted children, submission of the registered adoption deed would  no  longer  be  required.  In  the  absence  of  any  deed  to this effect, the passport applicant may give a declaration on a plain paper confirming the adoption.
-  Government servants, who are not able to obtain the Identity Certificate (extant Annexure-A)/ No-Objection Certificate (extant Annexure-G) from their concerned employer and intend  to  get  the  passport  on  urgent  basis  can  now  get  the passport by submitting a self-declaration in extant Annexure'H'  that  he/she  has  given  prior  Intimation  Letter  to  his/her employer informing that he/she was applying for an ordinary passport to a Passport Issuing Authority.
-  Sadhus/ Sanyasis can apply for a passport with the name of their  spiritual  Guru  mentioned  in  the  passport  application  in lieu  of  their  biological  parent(s)  name(s)  subject  to  their providing  of  at  least  one  public  document  such  as  Election Photo Identity Card (EPIC) issued by the Election Commission of India, PAN card, Aadhaar Card, etc wherein the name of the Guru  has  been  recorded  against  the  column(s)  for  parent(s) name(s).

(d) The online system and establishment of PSKs have facilitated better  accountability,  transparency  and  streamlining  of  passport service delivery.  This has also helped in issuing error-free and more secures  passports.    The  time  taken  in  issuing  passports  has decreased since the introduction of online application system and opening of PSKs.  During the period January-December 2016, 93% passports were issued within 14 days (excluding the time taken for police  verification)  compared  to  91%  during  January-December 2015.

*****