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Chip-enabled passports soon to be a reality

Indian citizens will soon be able to carry chip-enabled e-passports with advances speciality features. The government is in the process to roll out advance security feature in passports, said External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar on the Passport Seva Divas. “We propose to pursue the manufacture of e-passports on priority so that a new passport booklet with advanced security features can be rolled out in the near future,” said the minister.

Promising that MEA and the department of posts would have a Passport Seva Kendra in every Lok Sabha constituency. “Both our ministries (MEA and Ministry of Communications) are completing the necessary formalities for early inauguration of the POPSK already announced. We would also be announcing more locations for setting-up POPSK after completing the feasibility studies,” he said.

“Together with the 93 Passport Seva Kendras which are already functional, this has taken the total number of PSKs in the country to 505 today. The common man of the country now has a Passport Seva Kendra near his or her residence and is not required to travel too far to submit the passport application. The partnership between MEA and Department of Posts is a wonderful example of the best practice in citizen-centric governance. Optimal use of the technology should be made along with the tools provided by the government’s initiatives under Digital India,” he said.