Outbound

Improvement in the working of passport offices

ETW Staff - Mumbai

The government of India had entrusted the National Institute of Smart Government (NISG), Hyderabad, with the task of undertaking a time-bound study on the passport issuance system, including its IT aspects with the objective to deliver passport related services to the citizens in a timely, transparent, more accessible and reliable manner. NISG has submitted its report, which has been accepted by the government, and it has been decided to launch 'Passport Seva Project'.

The project is expected to result in passports being issued within three days and in cases, which require police verification, within three days after the completion of the verification process. Tatkal passports are expected to be issued the same day. The proposal is to have 68 Passport Facilitation Centres all over the country where the non-sovereign functions, involved in the passport issuance process, such as initial scrutiny of the application forms, acceptance of fee, scanning of the documents, taking photos, etc, will be done by the service provider to be selected through an open bidding process. The government staff at the Passport Facilitation Centres will verify the documents and decide on granting of passports. Police verification will be expedited through electronic linkage of the Passport Facilitation Centres with the police authorities in state capitals.