Lok Sabha Question No. 1685 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-02-13
Subject: Simplification of Passport Process
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: V. SATHYABAMA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1685

TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.02.2019

## SIMPLIFICATION OF PASSPORT PROCESS

1685. SHRIMATI V. SATHYA BAMA:

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has simplified the process of obtaining passports or renewal of passports;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether   the   Government   has   also   eased   the   process   of   obtaining passports and visas for the Indian   Diaspora   and   Persons   of   Indian Origin; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

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

(a) & (b) The Ministry has eased the passport issuing process and has made it an online procedure including getting appointments for submission of documents for passports.   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   Common Service Centres (CSCs) across rural hinterland.

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.

mPassport Seva mobile app launched on 26.06.2018 enables to apply, pay and   schedule   appointments   for   passport   services.   This   App   is   available   in Android and iOS platforms. It also provides passport related information including PSK and POPSK location, applicable fees, mode of submission, and tracking of passport application status on smart phones. Citizens would not require access to a computer and printer to apply for passport services.

Securing online appointment for submission of passport applications at PSK/ POPSK has been simplified. The current provision is allowing applicants to choose any appointment date from the earliest five available dates (working days) for scheduling/rescheduling an appointment for passport related services. Earlier, the System used to offer only one available date to the applicant for seeking appointment for passport related services.

Before 2014, 77 Passport Sewa Kendras were operational in the country. After 2014, 16 new Passport Sewa Kendras were established by this Government. Thereafter, in the year 2017, a decision was taken in co-operation with the

Department of Posts to open 'Post Office Passport Sewa Kendras' under which as on 6   February,2019,   326 'Post   Office   Passport   Sewa   Kendras' have   be established.   Thus,   as   on   6   February,   2019,   419   'Passport   Kendras'   are operational in the country. The passport rules have also been simplified to make it easier for the citizens to get passports. This is at Annexure-I. (c) & (d) The Ministry proposes to link and integrate all the Embassies and Consulates abroad with the Passport Seva Project (PSP). As a first step in this process, our Embassies and Consulates in the United Kingdom and the United States of America have been integrated with the PSP system. This will facilitate holders of Indian passports to apply for a fresh passport or renew their existing passport from an Indian Embassy or Consulate abroad. Rationalization and simplification of Visa regime is a continuous process. Foreigners of Indian origin can avail Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card scheme. As per the provisions of the scheme, OCI card holders get the benefit of a multiple entry life-long visa for visiting India for any purpose. Further, foreigners of Indian origin may also obtain multiple entry visa for the period of five years at a time from our Mission/ Post. In addition, the spouse and children of an Indian citizen/Person of Indian origin/OCI card holder may obtain multiple entry Visa for a period of five year at a time.

Foreigners of Indian origin can also avail e-Visa facility, which is available for the nationals of 166 countries.

*****

2

## 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 T ax 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) Election 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 past 15.

(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.  Attestation/swearing by/ before any Notary/ Executive Magistrate/ First Class Judicial Magistrate would be henceforth not required.

(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   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).

(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 any 3 of the following

documents for obtaining passport:

- (a) Aadhaar card/e-Aadhaar 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/Central Government, Public Sector Undertakings, local bodies or Public Limited Companies
- (d) Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe/Order Backward Class Certificate
- (e) Arms License
- (f) Pension   Document   such   as   Ex-servicemen's   Pension   Book/Pension Payment order, ex-servicemen's   widow/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 ldentity Card issued by an Educational lnstitution;
- (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 outof-turn post-Police Verification basis without paying any additional fees on the submission of minimum three documents mentioned in para-xii.

*****