
e-passport: An Electronic Passport System has been inaugurated with the launch of Passport Seva Program 2.0. The government has embraced e-passports, enabling India to join the e-passport nations club. This was declared on the 13th Passport Seva Diwas. The minister over X has mentioned, “e-passport has been fully operational now” and this is a big boon for the nation. Let us discuss all details concerning it and see who can apply for it and the procedure for applications.What is an e-passport?The e-passport comprises a contactless chip which simplifcation of the immigration and traveling processes in airports to a greater extent. Foreign Minister Jaishankar highlighted last week that police verification through the mPassport Police App now takes only 5 to 7 days. The e-passport facility is currently available in Nagpur, Bhubaneswar, Jammu, Panaji, Shimla, Raipur, Amritsar, Jaipur, Tamil Nadu, Chennai, Hyderabad, Surat and Ranchi. It is expected that this will be available to everyone within a short time.Who can apply?All Indian citizens who qualify for a passport can apply for an e-passport. Currently, the service is only available in select cities, but shortly, it will be nationwide and the e-passport will be the sole standard. Obtaining an e-passport requires documents such as Aadhar card, PAN card, bank passbook, and an electricity/water/gas bill. To verify your date of birth, a birth certificate, Aadhar card, voter ID, driving license, or matriculation certificate can be used. Apply like this At the moment, e-passport applications can be submitted via the Passport Seva portal. In addition, biometric enrollment can be done at the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) or Post Office Passport Kendra (POPSK). For this, you can:
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