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QUESTION NO.1736 E-PASSPORTS

September 21, 2020

LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1736
TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.09.2020

E-PASSPORTS

1736. MS. LOCKET CHATTERJEE:

Will the Minister of External Affairs be pleased to state:

(a) whether any deadline has been set for issuing chip based E-Passports;

(b) if so, the details of thereof;

(c) whether the Government is aware of rampant bribing during Police verification of passports; and

(d) if so, the details of steps taken to solve this problem?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
[SHRI V. MURALEEDHARAN]

(a)&(b) India Security Press, Nashik has awarded the contract for procurement of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)-compliant electronic contactless inlays along with its operating system necessary for manufacture of chip-enabled e-passports. Manufacture of e-passport will commence on the successful completion of the procurement process by ISP, Nashik.

(c)&(d) Attention of the Ministry has been drawn at times that the people have found it difficult to get police verification for obtaining a passport, including on account of resource and manpower constraints in the Police Department.

The Ministry has taken various steps to streamline the process of Police Verification (PV) to get a passport in coordination with the Ministry of Home Affairs and State Governments. The Ministry has successfully connected 787 District Police Headquarters (DPHQ) digitally into the Passport Seva System. In addition, the Ministry has launched mPassport Police Application for speedy submission of Police Verification Report. The application has the capability to capture passport applicant’s personal particulars and photograph and transmit the same electronically to concerned stakeholders. The Passport Offices remain in touch with the district police authorities to expedite police verification and also take up the issue of delays in the PV process with the concerned State Governments requesting them to accord high priority for the submission of PV Reports.

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