Parliament Question: Modernization of Passport Offices

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 1035 ANSWERED ON- 24/07/2026 MODERNIZATION OF PASSPORT OFFICES 1035. SHRI ARUN BHARTI : Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state : (a) whether regional passport offices have successfully implemented automated systems to handle sudden changes in appointment sched- ules, if so, the details thereof; (b) whether the expansion of passport sewa kendras in smaller towns has reduced the average processing time significantly, if so, the details thereof; (c) whether real time short message service notifications are being utilized systematically to update applicants regarding documentation status, if so, the details thereof; 1(d) whether digital inquiry systems operating at regional headquarters have effectively minimized physical footfalls for routine administrative queries, if so, the details thereof; (e) whether specialized training modules have been introduced to en- hance public interaction standards among frontline passport verifica- tion officials, if so, the details thereof; and (f) whether updated security features on electronic travel documents comply strictly with latest global civil aviation tracking benchmarks, if so, the details thereof? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH) (a) & (b) The appointments are scheduled by the applicants themselves via the Passport Seva website (https://www.passportindia.gov.in/) for the Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs) or Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs) under respective Regional Passport Offices (RPOs). To cater to the increase in demand for the passport and related services, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has been taking various steps including increasing 2the number of daily appointments and organising special drives on week- ends. Moreover, in June 2018, Ministry launched the ‘Apply anywhere in In- dia’ scheme under which a passport can be applied at any PSK/POPSK in India. Also, MEA has been deploying Passport Mobile Van, for on-site pass- port processing in rural/remote, hilly and underserved areas. To provide improved and smooth passport services to applicants, in- cluding those residing in smaller towns, the Ministry has taken several steps. The upgraded Passport Programme Version 2.0 (PSP V2.0) was rolled out in all 37 Regional Passport Offices (RPOs) and their Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs) and Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs) in the country in a phased manner and the pan-India roll out was completed on 26 May 2025. MEA has also taken several steps to expand the network of PSKs and POPSKs in underserved cities and to improve digital/online facilities for faster processing. MEA, in association with Department of Posts (DoP), de- cided in January 2017 to open Seva Kendras at the Head Post Offices (HPO)/Post Offices (PO) in the country called Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSK) in each Lok Sabha Constituency (LSC) where there is no PSK or POPSK. Currently, 93 PSKs and 456 POPSKs are operational under 37 RPOs in the country. These steps have certainly reduced the average 3passport processing and issuance time. Police Verification has been an in- tegral part of the Passport Issuance process. In January 2016, the Ministry launched Passport Seva Police Verification App (erstwhile mPassport Police App) for Android/iOS for use by State/UT police personnel tasked with con- ducting police verification, enabling them for an expeditious submission of PVR digitally directly from the Police Station itself. It is worthwhile to note that 25 States/UTs covering more than 9444 Police Stations across the country have already launched Passport Police Seva App. Moreover, a dedi- cated Project Monitoring Unit (PMU) in the PSP Division continuously moni- tors system performance and stability, while a 24×7 helpline provides round- the-clock support to users and resolves operational issues ensuring unin- terrupted and efficient service delivery. (c) The Passport Seva system utilizes SMS notifications to keep applic- ants informed at various stages of passport processing. Automated alerts are sent regarding appointment confirmation, receipt of application, status of document scrutiny, initiation and completion of police verification, granting, printing, dispatch and delivery of passports, as applicable. Ap- plicants can also track the status of their applications online through the 4Passport Seva Portal, thereby ensuring greater transparency and timely communication throughout the passport issuance process. (d) The Passport Seva Programme provides comprehensive digital plat- forms, including the Passport Seva Portal, Passport Seva Mobile App and centralized citizen service call centre available through toll free number, enabling applicants to access information, track application status and ob- tain responses to routine queries without visiting Regional Passport Offices. These digital initiatives have substantially reduced the need for physical visits for administrative enquiries while improving accessibility, conveni- ence and service delivery. (e) Yes, training modules/programmes are conducted for officials includ- ing service personnel engaged in passport service delivery to enhance pro- fessional competence, public interaction standards and citizen-centric ser- vice delivery. The training covers customer service, grievance handling, communication skills, passport rules and procedures. Trainings also help ensure efficiency and quality of services across the Regional Passport Of- fices (RPOs), Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs) and Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs). 5(f) Yes, the updated security features on electronic travel documents comply strictly with latest global civil aviation tracking benchmarks. ***** 6