**Executive Summary**
This document addresses Unstarred Question No. 2428 in the Lok Sabha regarding consular services in Uttar Pradesh, specifically focusing on challenges faced by residents of Western Uttar Pradesh in passport issuance and grievance redressal. The document details the steps taken by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to improve services, including the rollout of Passport Programme Version 2.0 (PSP V2.0) and other initiatives. The answer was provided on 13/02/2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh:**
* 6 Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs) and 52 Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs) are operational under 3 Regional Passport Offices (RPOs): Lucknow, Ghaziabad, and Bareilly.
* Western Uttar Pradesh is served by 2 PSKs and 19 POPSKs under RPO Ghaziabad and RPO Bareilly.
* **Ministry Initiatives for Improved Services:**
* The Ministry of External Affairs has taken steps to provide improved passport and consular services nationwide, including Western Uttar Pradesh.
* The upgraded Passport Programme Version 2.0 (PSP V2.0) has been implemented in all 37 Regional Passport Offices (RPOs) across the country, including the 3 RPOs in Uttar Pradesh.
* PSP (Passport Seva Programme) is an IT-driven project providing efficient, secure, user-friendly, transparent, and accountable passport services.
* New digital tools under PSP V2.0 have improved passport application and grievance redressal by making the process faster, more transparent, and user-friendly.
* Digital modes expanded for application fee payments.
* Online appointment facilities and feedback kiosks/screens installed in PSKs/POPSKs.
* Launched the ‘Apply anywhere in India’ scheme in June 2018, allowing passport applications at any PSK/POPSK.
* Regular deployment of Passport Mobile Vans in respective RPOs, including those in Western Uttar Pradesh.
* **Attestation and Apostille Services:**
* Provides attestation/apostille services to Indian nationals for their documents to be used abroad.
* Acceptance of Apostille in all member countries of the Hague Convention of October 5, 1961.
* Launched e-Sanad portal in 2017 for contactless, faceless, seamless, economic, and efficient online attestation & apostille services.
* e-Sanad is linked with Digilocker for real-time verification of documents.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Residents of Uttar Pradesh (especially Western Uttar Pradesh)**
* **Impact:** Improved passport and consular services, easier application process, quicker grievance redressal, and increased accessibility through various initiatives like mobile vans and the "Apply anywhere in India" scheme.
* **Action Required:** Utilize available facilities such as PSKs, POPSKs, online portals, and mobile vans for passport application and related services.
**Stakeholder: Passport Applicants Nationwide**
* **Impact:** Benefit from the upgraded PSP V2.0 and other digital initiatives, leading to a more efficient, transparent, and user-friendly passport application experience.
* **Action Required:** Familiarize themselves with the new digital tools and online services to streamline the passport application process.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of External Affairs: Indian government ministry responsible for foreign affairs and consular services, the primary subject of the document.
Passport Seva Programme (PSP): An IT driven mission mode project to provide efficient and transparent passport services.
Passport Programme Version 2.0 (PSP V2.0): The upgraded version of the Passport Programme rolled out to improve passport application and grievance redressal.
Uttar Pradesh: Indian state where consular services are being addressed.
Apply anywhere in India: Scheme under which a passport can be applied at any PSK|POPSK in India.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2428
ANSWERED ON 13/02/2026
CONSULAR SERVICES IN UTTAR PRADESH
2428. Shri Zia Ur Rehman
Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state :
(a) whether the Government is aware of difficulties faced by residents
of Western Uttar Pradesh in passport issuance, consular services and
grievance redressal;
(b) if so, the details of steps taken to improve accessibility and effi-
ciency of passport and consular services in the said region;
(c) whether similar service-delivery issues exist in other parts of the
country; and
(d) if so, the details of measures undertaken at national level to im-
prove citizen-centric external affairs services?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)
1(a) to (d) Currently in Uttar Pradesh, 6 PSKs and 52 POPSKs are opera-
tional under 3 RPOs viz. RPO Lucknow, RPO Ghaziabad and RPO Bareilly.
In Western Uttar Pradesh, Passport related services are provided
through 2 PSKs and 19 POPSKs under RPO Ghaziabad and RPO Bareilly.
Ministry of External Affairs has taken several steps to provide
improved and smooth passport and consular services to the citizens of
the country, including the citizens residing in western Uttar Pradesh. The
upgraded Passport Programme Version 2.0 (PSP V2.0) has been rolled
out in all 37 Regional Passport Offices (RPOs) in the country, including
the 3 RPOs in Uttar Pradesh.
Passport Seva Programme (PSP), an IT driven mission mode
project, has been successfully providing an efficient, secure, user-
friendly, transparent and accountable passport services to citizens
across the country.
New digital tools introduced under PSP V2.0 have significantly
addressed the difficulties faced by the Passport applicants and improved
the passport application and grievance-redressal experience by making
the process faster, transparent and more user-friendly. Further, the
2payment of application fees has been expanded through expanded
through digital modes. Online appointment facilities and feedback
kiosks/screens has also been installed in PSKs/POPSKs for quicker
service improvements.
In June 2018, Ministry had launched the ‘Apply anywhere in India’
scheme under which a passport can be applied at any PSK/POPSK in In-
dia. Also, MEA has been regularly deploying Passport Mobile Van under
respective RPOs, including RPOs in Western Uttar Pradesh, for on-site
passport processing in rural/remote and underserved areas.
Further, the Ministry provides attestation/apostille services to In-
dian nationals for their original document/true copies of documents to
be used abroad. Apostille is acceptable in all member-countries of the
Hague Convention of October 5, 1961. Ministry also launched e-Sanad
portal in the year 2017 with the aim of contactless, faceless, seamless
economic and efficient online attestation & apostille services. e-Sanad
has been linked with Digilocker as well, wherein verification is done real
time for documents which can be fetched from the Digilocker database.
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