Ministry of External Affairs made Big Announcement on Indian Passport
Officials made this important announcement during a high-level meeting held to review the improvements in the country's passport services and global mobility.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has put an end to the growing public confusion regarding the use of passports as proof of government benefits and citizenship eligibility. The Ministry has clarified that an Indian passport is strictly an international travel document and should not be considered as conclusive proof of citizenship.
Officials made this important announcement during a high-level meeting held to review the improvements in the country’s passport services and global mobility.
Passport in Just 5 Days:
Faster Processing: Thanks to the integration of modern technology, the passport issuance time has now been significantly reduced to just 5 working days.
Reduced Waiting Time: Due to streamlined operations, applicants now spend less than 45 minutes at Passport Seva Kendras (PSK).
e-Passports: Since May of last year, all newly issued passports in the country are embedded with secure electronic chips containing biometric information to curb fake passport rackets and facilitate smoother security checks at international borders.
Six-fold Expansion: The government is driving a six-fold expansion of the network to ensure there is a passport center in every Lok Sabha constituency.
The passport issuance network, which was highly limited a decade ago, has now seen massive growth across the country. Currently, 545 Passport Seva Kendras are operational in India.
2027 Vision: The government has decided to ensure that there is at least one passport center in every Lok Sabha constituency in the country by 2027. To support this, 20 new additional centers are being opened this year.
Mobile Vans: Special mobile passport teams are being dispatched to cater to remote villages and hard-to-reach areas.
Only 10% of Indians Own a Passport:
Despite all these facilities being available, currently only about 10 percent of India’s total population holds a passport. The Ministry stated that since the number of people going abroad for education and employment is rising, expanding passport accessibility to everyone is the government’s top priority.
Easier International Travel and Visa Facilities for Indians
Currently, 27 countries across the world offer visa-free entry to Indian citizens. Along with this:
47 countries provide Visa on Arrival facilities.
66 countries extend e-Visa facilities.
India has already signed 27 mobility agreements with 25 major nations, including the UK, Australia, and the European Union, to facilitate smooth travel. Additionally, to ease the migration process for laborers going abroad for work, the ‘e-Migrate 2.0’ portal has been launched, through which more than 7 lakh workers have benefited.
