Lok Sabha Question No. 142 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-07-18
Subject: Suspension of Passport Officer
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Tejpratap Singh,Yadav, ANJU BALA

- (a) No.
- (b) The  Passport   was   issued   at   Passport   Seva   Kendra,   Lucknow   after careful examination of the documents submitted and following due procedure as per Passport Act, 1967.
- (c) There are six Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) functional in Uttar Pradesh. Also, the Ministry in association with the Department of Posts has decided to open 289 Passport Seva Kendras at the Head Post Offices (HPO)/ Post Offices (PO)   in   the   country   called   'Post   Office   Passport   Seva   Kendra'   (POPSK), including 35 in Uttar Pradesh. As of today, out of the planned 35 POPSK, 26 POPSK are functional in Uttar Pradesh and the remaining nine will be made operational at the earliest.
- (d) The Passport details for the last two years, in respect of Uttar Pradesh, are as tabulated below:

| Duration   | State   | Passport application processed   | Passport services rendered   |
|------------|---------|----------------------------------|------------------------------|

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.142 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.07.2018

## SUSPENSION OF PASSPORT OFFICER

142.   SHRI TEJ PRATAP SINGH YADAV: SMRIMATI ANJU BALA:

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether   the   Ministry   of   External   Affairs   (MEA)   has   suspended   a passport   officer   in   Lucknow   for   hurting   religious   sentiments   of   an applicant and if so, details thereof;
- (b) whether the MEA has directed Regional Passport Office in Lucknow to issue passport to the applicants without verification of their credentials and if so, details thereof;
- (c) the number of Passport Seva Kendra (PSKs) at present functional in Uttar Pradesh and number of PSKs proposed  to be opened during the year 2018 in Uttar Pradesh including Mainpuri;
- (d) the number of Passport applications received in Uttar Pradesh with special reference to Hardoi and Sitapur districts along with number of passports issued during the last two years; and
- (e) the   details   of   initiatives/steps   being   taken   by   the   Government   to expedite   and   to   ensure   safe   process   of   passport   application   and verification in India during the last three years?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

## [GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD)]

| Jan- Jun'18   | Uttar   | 5,15,627   | 4,92,269   |
|---------------|---------|------------|------------|
| Jan- Dec'17   | Pradesh | 10,41,943  | 10,15,211  |
| Jan- Dec'16   |         | 10,57,108  | 10,96,781  |

The Passport details for the last two years, in respect of Hardoi and Sitapur districts of Uttar Pradesh, are as tabulated below:

| Duration    | District   | Passport application processed   | Passport services rendered   |
|-------------|------------|----------------------------------|------------------------------|
| Jan- Jun'18 | Hardoi     | 2,123                            | 2,064                        |
| Jan- Dec'17 | Hardoi     | 4,718                            | 4,699                        |
| Jan- Dec'16 | Hardoi     | 4,492                            | 4,605                        |
| Jan- Jun'18 | Sitapur    | 3,400                            | 3,274                        |
| Jan- Dec'17 | Sitapur    | 7,822                            | 7,606                        |
| Jan- Dec'16 | Sitapur    | 8,770                            | 9,158                        |

- (e) With the implementation of the Passport Seva Project, the process of passport issuance has become very transparent and easy. Under this system, the   applicants   are   required   to   apply   for   their   passports   online,   upload relevant documents, make the payment online through debit/credit card or SBI net-banking/SBI Challan, schedule an appointment and then visit the designated Passport Seva Kendra (PSK)/Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK). A user friendly portal has been made available. When an applicant visits   the   PSK/POPSK,   an   Electronic   Queue   Management   System   (EQMS) working on the principle of First-in First-out is available at all PSKs/POPSKs to monitor the flow of applicants. After completing the non-sovereign activities by the staff of the Service Provider, applicants move to the Passport Office Staff   for   verification   of   documents   and   granting   of   passports.   The shortcoming(s), if any, in the documentation is conveyed to the applicant there itself. Exit letter giving position of the application ensuring fairness is provided to the applicant at the time of exit. The applicants can track the status of their applications themselves through portal and also SMS services. In the current system of passport issuance, there is no manual intervention at any stage, complete process is digitally flown with re-engineered process through a single visit clearance.

At all the PSK/POSPK, self-service kiosks have been provided where semi-illiterate applicants or those not familiar with computer operation are assisted   by   Citizen   Service   Executives   (CSEs)   in   filling   up   the   online application   form.   The   LCD   screens   at   the   PSK/POPSK   vividly   guide   the applicants to respective counters. The CSEs deployed at the PSK/POPSK, are also available to guide the applicants. The applicants are free to approach eSeva centres, internet cafes or travel agents to assist them in applying for passports online. A 24x7 call centre facility has also been set up for providing Passport related enquiry, application status tracking and grievance handling services in 17 languages. With the view to address the challenges faced by citizens   in   obtaining   appointments,   walk-in   facility   has   been   provided   to certain   categories   of   applicants   including   senior   citizens,   information regarding which is available on the Passport Portal (www.passportindia.gov.in). Passport Melas are also organised by Passport Offices from time to time for accepting passport applications.

The Ministry has been working on improvement of portal from time to time on the basis of feedback received from various stakeholders and the citizens. The Ministry has also liberalized the documentation process required for issuance of Passports and continuous efforts are being made to improve it in future.

Recently, on 26 th   June 2018, the Ministry has launched the mPassport Seva Mobile App. The mPassport Seva App is available in Android and iOS platforms and will have the facilities to apply, pay and schedule appointments for passport services.  With the launch of this mPassport Seva App, citizens would not require access to a computer and printer to apply for passport services.

An applicant can now apply for a passport from anywhere in India. But Police   verification   would   be   conducted   by   the   Police   Station   in   whose jurisdiction the address mentioned in the form falls and the passport will also be dispatched at the same address.

In   order   to   streamline,   liberalize   and   ease   the   process   of   issue   of passport, the Ministry of External Affairs announced a number of steps which is expected to benefit the citizens of India applying for a passport. The details of these steps can be seen at Annexure-I .

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## Simplification of Passport Rules

In order to 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:-

- 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:

(i) 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;

(ii) Transfer/School   leaving/Matriculation   Certificate   issued   by   the   school   last attended/recognized educational board containing the DOB of the applicant;

(iii) PAN Card issued by the Income Tax Department with the DOB of applicant;

(iv) Aadhaar Card/e-Aadhaar having the DOB of applicant;

(v) 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;

(vi) Driving   license   issued   by   the   Transport   Department   of   concerned   State Government, having the DOB of applicant;

(vii) Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) issued by the Election Commission of India having the DOB of applicant;

(viii) Policy Bond issued by the Public Life Insurance Corporations/Companies having the DOB of the holder of the insurance policy.

- B. Other Changes:

(i) 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.

(ii) 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.

(iii) 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.

(iv) Married applicants would not be required to provide the erstwhile Annexure K or any marriage certificate.

(v) 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.

(vi) 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.

(vii) 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.

(viii) 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.

(ix) 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 Electors 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).

(x) Orphaned children who do not have any proof of DOB such as Birth Certificate or the   Matriculation   Certificate   or   the   declaratory   Court   order,   may   now   submit   a declaration given by the Head of the Orphanage/Child Care Home on their official letter head of the organization confirming the DOB of the applicant.

(xi) An applicant for a passport has to submit any one of the documents as mentioned in (A) above as proof of Date of Birth (DOB) while submitting the passport application. The DOB mentioned in the document would be recorded in the passport. In case there is a discrepancy between the DOB previously recorded in the passport and the new proof of DOB submitted by the applicant, the Passport Issuing Authorities (PIA) have been authorized to consider the explanation of each applicant seeking change in the DOB (irrespective of the period that would have lapsed after the issue of the passport) to find the genuineness of the claim and if the PIA is satisfied with the claim and with the document(s) submitted by the applicant in support of the claim, the PIA shall accept all such requests made by the applicant to issue the passport with revised DOB.

(xii) Passports can be now obtained under the 'Tatkaal' Scheme without providing the Verification   Certificate   from   a   Gazetted   Officer,   which   was   required   earlier.   The documents to be submitted for getting a passport under this Scheme have been notified vide G.S.R. 39(E) dated 18 January, 2018 and O.M. No. VI/401/1/4/2013 dated 23 March

2018 read with O.M. of even number dated 17 April 2018. Applicants may submit minimum three out of the following documents for obtaining passport:

(a) Aadhaar Card/e-Aaadhar containing the 12 digit Aadhaar number/28-digit Aadhaar Enrolment ID printed on the Aadhaar Enrolment Slip issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).

(b) Electors Photo Identify Card (EPIC)

(c) Service Photo Identity Card issued by State or Central Govemment, Public Sector Undertaking, local bodies or Public Limited Companies;

(d) Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribes/Other Backward Class Certificate;

(e) Arms License;

(f) Pension   Document   such   as   Ex-servicemen's   Pension   Book   or   Pension Payment order, ex-servicemen's widow or dependent Certificate, Old Age pension Order;

(g) Self-Passport (unrevoked and undamaged):

(h) Permanent Account Number (PAN) Card;

(i) Bank/Kisan/Post Office Passbook;

(j) Student Photo Identity Card issued by an Educational Institution;

(k) Driving License (valid and within the jurisdiction of State of submission of applicant);

(l) Birth Certificate issued under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act; and

(m) Ration Card

(xiii) Now Passports can also be obtained under the Normal scheme on out-of-turn post-Police Verification basis without paying any additional fees on the submission of minimum three documents mentioned in para-xii.

*****