India rolls out e-passports with embedded chips to enhance travel security

Advertisement

New Delhi: India has launched the issue of a hi-tech and new generation passport. The said passport has an electronic chip on it which is a significant improvement. The document, which is referred as the e-Passport, is geared towards increased security, detection of fraud and misuse, and ease of traveling of the Indian citizens in internationally recognized countries.

The e- Passport resembles a normal passport except that it has a safe chip, which is incorporated in the booklet. This chip contains the personal information of the holder including the bio-metric data like facial information, fingerprints and so on. The data is coded and thus very hard to duplicate, modify or abuse it.

Who is eligible

Any Indian citizen is eligible to get an e-Passport provided he/she is entitled to a regular passport. This involves first time applicants and those who are renewing an expired passport. Current passports will not expire, and they will still be valid until now.

Its implementation is being carried out in stages and is already provided at the selected Passport Seva Kendras and Post Office Passport Seva Kendras. Availability can be based on location since the service is being slowly spread throughout the country by the authorities.

How to Apply

The process of application has not changed much:

The passport application form should be registered and completed by the applicants on the official Passport Seva portal.

One has to make an appointment in a center that issues e-Passports.

Advertisement

During the visit, the necessary paperwork should be made and biometric information is deposited.

The e-Passport is then sent to the accepted address of the applicant on approval.

The cost of e-Passports is equivalent to that of regular passports based on the number of pages and the type of service through which normal or Tatkal service is selected.

Key Benefits

The e-Passport has a number of benefits as compared to the conventional one:

Increased security: Chip-based system eliminates chances of forgery and identity theft.

Faster immigration: There is faster reading of chip information through automated scanners and this saves time at the airport.

International acceptance: The passport is in line with international aviation and travelling standards and as such international processing is made easier.

The e-Passport has been termed by officials to be a part of the larger Indian digital governance and secure identity system initiative. With the increasing number of centers starting to issue the chip-enabled passports, it is expected that the travellers will be able to have a smoother and safer movement across the borders.

Also Read: Woman Forced To Quit After Manager’s Insensitive Remark On Sick Mother

Advertisement