On the occasion of the 13th Passport Seva Divas, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar extended his greetings to passport authorities in India and abroad, commending their dedication to enhancing citizen services. Emphasizing the transformative principles of Seva (service), Sushasan (good governance), and Garib Kalyan (welfare of the underprivileged), the Minister underscored their central role in building a Viksit Bharat (Developed India).
Taking to X, Jaishankar wrote:
“Greetings to all Passport Authorities in India and abroad on the occasion of the 13th Passport Seva Divas. Your commendable efforts, guided by ‘Seva, Sushasan and Garib Kalyan’, are instrumental to ensuring ease of travel, deepening access to global workplace and empowering the citizen.”
He reaffirmed the Ministry of External Affairs’ (MEA) commitment to improving service delivery, particularly through the rollout of Passport Seva Programme Version 2.0 (PSP V2.0) and e-Passports, which aim to boost timeliness, transparency, and accessibility.
Key Highlights from EAM’s Message:
- Massive Growth in Passport Issuance: India has seen a dramatic rise in passport issuance over the past decade — from just over 91 lakh in 2014 to 1.46 crore in 2024.
- Passport Seva Programme 2.0: The upgraded PSP V2.0 harnesses advanced technologies to streamline and modernize passport services. Pilot testing is underway globally and will be implemented in a phased manner across Indian Embassies and Consulates.
- E-Passports for Seamless Travel: The introduction of e-Passports, embedded with chips for contactless data reading, is expected to revolutionize the immigration experience for Indian citizens, ensuring smoother and faster cross-border movement.
- Digital Police Verification: Through the mPassport Police App, police verification time has dropped to 5–7 days across 25 states and Union Territories — a major leap in efficiency.
- Expanded Access to Passport Services: In the past year alone, 10 new Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs) were launched, including the landmark 450th POPSK in Kushinagar in April 2025, further decentralizing access to passport services.
Concluding his message, the Minister praised the relentless efforts of all involved stakeholders:
“I take this opportunity to congratulate everyone…for their dedication in rendering passport and related services collectively to our citizens. Happy Passport Seva Divas!”
