The ministry of external affairs has plans to soon issue chip-enabled e-passports to citizens with advanced security features that will support smooth passage through immigration globally. “It has been the constant endeavour of the ministry to enhance passport services, in fact all citizen services that we provide, and introduce new features and facilities in the passport and our passport services,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Thursday. “The Prime Minister had announced that we, India, would be introducing e-passports. We are in the process of implementing this project,”
In 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that work is on to issue chip-based e-passports to Indian citizens under a centralised system.
“Our embassies and consulates are being connected to the Passport Seva Project worldwide,” he had said while addressing the inaugural ceremony of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Varanasi.
MEA secretary Sanjay Bhattacharya on Wednesday tweeted that India will soon introduce the ICAO-compliant next-gen e-passports for citizens with secure biometric data and it will ease passage through immigration posts worldwide.
India ???????? to soon introduce next-gen #ePassport for citizens– secure #biometric data– smooth passage through #immigration posts globally– @icao compliant– produced at India Security Press, Nashik– #eGovernance @passportsevamea @MEAIndia #AzadiKaAmritMahotsav pic.twitter.com/tmMjhvvb9W
— Sanjay Bhattacharyya (@SecySanjay) January 5, 2022
The personal particulars of the applicants would be digitally signed and stored in the chip, which would be embedded in the passport booklet. In case, anyone tampers with the chip, the system will be able to identify it resulting in the failure of the passport authentication. This would make forgery of passports difficult and help in hassle-free immigration for passengers.
The government gave its approval for the procurement of electronic contactless inlays for the manufacturing of e-passports to India Security Press (ISP), Nashik. The government press is a subsidiary of the Security Printing & Minting Corporation of India Limited (SPMCIL), a public undertaking of the Indian government. In this regard, ISP, Nashik was authorised to float a global tender for procurement of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)-compliant electronic contactless inlays along with its operating system, which is required for the manufacture of e-passports. The manufacturing is supposed to commence on the successful completion of the tendering and procurement process by the press.
India has a network of about 555 Passport Kendras, including 36 Passport Offices, 93 Passport Seva Kendras and 426 Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSK), according to government data.
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