**Executive Summary**
This order, issued by the Ministry of External Affairs on May 26, 2026, under the Passports Act, 1967, delegates the authority to sanction prosecution for offences under section 12 of the Act. It empowers State Governments, Union Territory Administrators, and specific officials in Tamil Nadu to grant such sanctions within their jurisdictions. The order supersedes previous notifications from 1979 and 2010 and clarifies the mandatory prior sanction requirements for prosecuting public servants.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Delegation of Authority**
* The Central Government authorizes all State Governments and Administrators of Union territories to sanction prosecution for offences under section 12 of the Passports Act, 1967.
* The authorization allows these entities to act against any person within their territorial jurisdictions, excluding specific public servants.
**Special Provisions for Tamil Nadu**
* Specific authority is granted to the District Collectors of all districts in Tamil Nadu.
* The Commissioners of Police for Chennai City, Chennai Sub-urban, Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli, Madurai, Tirunelveli, and Salem are also authorized to sanction prosecutions.
**Legal Supersession**
* This order supersedes the Ministry of External Affairs notification G.S.R. 662 (E) dated December 1, 1979.
* It also supersedes notification G.S.R. 370 (E) dated February 9, 2010.
**Provisions for Public Servants**
* Courts are prohibited from taking cognizance of offences allegedly committed by public servants in the discharge of their official duties without previous sanction.
* Sanction must be obtained from the Central Government for persons employed in connection with the affairs of the Union.
* Sanction must be obtained from the respective State Government for persons employed in connection with the affairs of a State.
**Impact Analysis**
**State Governments and Union Territory Administrators**
**Impact**
They are legally empowered to sanction prosecutions for passport-related offences under section 12 within their respective territories.
**Action Required**
They must establish or follow procedures to review and grant sanctions for prosecution as requested within their jurisdiction.
**Specific Tamil Nadu Authorities (Police Commissioners and District Collectors)**
**Impact**
Direct authority is devolved to these local officials in Tamil Nadu to manage prosecution sanctions, bypassing the need for higher-level intervention for section 12 offences.
**Action Required**
The designated Commissioners of Police and all District Collectors in the state must exercise their authority to sanction prosecutions for passport offences within their specific administrative limits.
**Public Servants (Current and Former)**
**Impact**
They retain legal protection against immediate court cognizance for acts performed during official duties, as prior government sanction remains a mandatory prerequisite for prosecution.
**Action Required**
No direct action; however, they remain subject to the requirement of Union or State Government sanction before legal proceedings for official acts can commence.
Key Entities Referenced
Passports Act, 1967: The primary legislation under which the Central Government exercises powers to delegate the authority for sanctioning prosecution.
Ministry of External Affairs: The central ministry responsible for issuing this order and delegating prosecution-related powers to state and local authorities.
Section 12 of the Passports Act, 1967: The specific legal provision defining offences for which the delegated authorities are empowered to sanction prosecution.
State of Tamil Nadu: The specific state where Police Commissioners and District Collectors are explicitly authorized to exercise the delegated power to sanction prosecution.
रजिस्ट्री स.ं डी.एल.- 33004/99 REGD. No. D. L.-33004/99
सी.जी.-डी.एल.-अ.-12062026-273396
CG-DxLx-xEG-I1D2H0x6x2x0 26-273396
xxxGIDExxx
असाधारण
EXTRAORDINARY
भाग II—खण् ड 3—उप-खण्ड (ii)
PART II—Section 3—Sub-section (ii)
प्राजधकार स ेप्रकाजित
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY
स.ं 2916] नई ददल्ली, िुक्रिार, िनू 12, 2026/ज्य ष्े ठ 22, 1948
No. 2916] NEW DELHI, FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2026/JYAISTHA 22, 1948
जिदेि मत्रं ालय
आदेि
नई ददल्ली, 26 मई, 2026
का.आ. 3022(अ).— पासपोर्ट अजधजनयम, 1967 (1967 का 15) की धारा 15 द्वारा प्रदत्त िजियों का प्रयोग
करते हुए तथा भारत सरकार के जिदेि मंत्रालय की अजधसूचना संख्या सा . जन.का. 662 (अ), ददनांक 1 ददसम्बर, 1979
और सा . जन.का. 370 (अ), ददनांक 9 फरिरी, 2010 का अजधक्रमण करते हुए, केंद्र सरकार एतद्द्वारा सभी राज्य सरकारों,
संघ राज्य क्षेत्रों के प्रिासकों तथा तजमलनाडु राज्य के संबंध में पुजलस आयुिों (चन्ने ई जसर्ी, चेन्नई उपनगरीय, कोयंबर्ूर,
जतरुजचरापल्ली, मदरु ै, जतरुनले िेली और सलेम) तथा उि राज्य के सभी जिलों के जिला कलेक्र्रों को यह प्राजधकृत करती ह ै
दक िे अपन-े अपने प्रादेजिक अजधकार-क्षेत्र के अंतगटत उि अजधजनयम की धारा 12 के अधीन अपराधों के संबंध म ें दकसी भी
व्यजि के जिरुद्ध, उस लोक सेिक को छोड़कर जिसे उसके पद से सरकार द्वारा या उसकी स्ट्िीकृजत के जबना हर्ाया नहीं िा
सकता, अजभयोिन की स्ट्िीकृजत प्रदान करें।
2 िब दकसी व्यजि पर, िो लोक सेिक ह ै या था, जिसे सरकार द्वारा या उसकी स्ट्िीकृजत से ही उसके पद से हर्ाया
िा सकता ह,ै अन्यथा नहीं, दकसी ऐसा अपराध का अजभयोग ह ै जिसके बारे में यह अजभकजथत ह ै दक िह उसके द्वारा तब
दकया गया था िब िह अपने आजधकाररक कतटव्यों के जनिटहन में कायट कर रहा था या िब उसका ऐसे कायट करना तात्पर्यटत
था, तब कोई भी न्यायालय ऐस ेअपराध का संज्ञान – उसके जसिाय
4248 GI/2026 (1)2 THE GAZETTE OF INDIA : EXTRAORDINARY [PART II—SEC. 3(ii)]
(क) ऐसे व्यजि की दिा म,ें िो संघ के कायटकलाप के संबंध म,ें यथाजस्ट्थजत, जनयोजित ह ैया अजभकजथत अपराध के दकए िान े
के समय जनयोजित था — केंद्र सरकार की ;
(ख) ऐसे व्यजि की दिा में, िो दकसी राज्य के कायटकलाप के संबंध में, यथाजस्ट्थजत, जनयोजित ह ै या अजभकजथत अपराध के
दकए िाने के समय जनयोजित था— उस राज्य सरकार की,
पूिट स्ट्िीकृजत से ही करेगा, अन्यथा नहीं ;
[फा. स.ं: िी/जिि. II/551/10/2023]
बी. एस. मुबारक, संयुि सजचि
MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
ORDER
New Delhi, the 26th May, 2026
S.O. 3022(E).— In exercise of the powers conferred by section 15 of the Passports Act, 1967 (15 of 1967),
and in supersession of the notifications of the Government of India in the Ministry of External Affairs number G.S.R.
662 (E), dated the 1st December, 1979 and G.S.R. 370 (E), dated the 9th February, 2010, the Central Government hereby
authorises all State Governments, the Administrators of the Union territories, and in respect of the State of Tamilnadu,
the Commissioners of Police (Chennai City, Chennai Sub-urban, Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli, Madurai, Tirunelveli and
Salem) and the District Collectors of all the districts in the said State, to sanction prosecution within their respective
territorial jurisdictions in respect of the offences under section 12 of the said Act against any person, except a public
servant not removable from his office save by or with the sanction of the Government.
2. When any person, who is or was a public servant, not removable from his office save by or with the sanction of
the Government, is accused of any offence alleged to have been committed by him while acting or purporting to act in
the discharge of his official duty, no court shall take cognizance of such offence, except with the previous sanction,—
(a) in the case of a person who is employed or, as the case may be, was at the time of commission of the
alleged offence employed, in connection with the affairs of the Union, of the Central Government;
(b) in the case of a person who is employed or, as the case may be, was at the time of commission of the
alleged offence employed, in connection with the affairs of a State, of the State Government.
[F. No. V/Vig. II/551/10/2023]
B. S. MUBARAK, Jt. Secy.
Uploaded by Dte. of Printing at Government of India Press, Ring Road, Mayapuri, New Delhi-110064
and Published by the Controller of Publications, Delhi-110054.