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E-Passport of India: India is planning to issue e-passports to its citizens starting from the financial year 2022-23. This was shared by the Union minister of state for external affairs V Muraleedharan in the Rajya Sabha while replying to a question on the government’s plans for issuance of e-passports in Calendar Year 2022 on April 7th.
The MoS informed that the e-passport will be a combined paper and electronic passport. It will have an embedded Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip and antenna as an inlay in the back cover. The critical information of the passport will be printed on its data page and stored in the chip as well.
What is an e-passport?
An e-Passport is a chip-enabled passport with a biometric identification card. It will be no different from regular transport in terms of verification, application and information. The characteristics of the document and the chip are specified in International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) document 9303.
Who will manufacture e-passports?
The new e-passports will be manufactured at the India Security Press (ISP) in Nashik. The Ministry of External Affairs has entrusted the National Informatics Centre (NIC) with technical responsibilities in the context of the issuance of e-passports.
When will the e-passports be issued?
MoS V Muraleedharan informed that sample e-passports are currently being tested and the full-scale manufacture will commence with the completion of the technical eco-system and infrastructure.
Why is the government introducing e-passports?
The central government is planning to introduce e-passports to strengthen the transparency and security of travel documents.
E-Passport Benefits
-The unique benefits of an e-passport include:
-The passengers with an e-passport will not have to stand in queue for a long time as it can be scanned in a few seconds.
-The e-passport will have a biometric record of individuals and prevent fraudsters from conducting data piracy and making duplicate passports.
-The chip passport authentication will fail when tampered and no one will be able to wipe data from it.
Know 5 Key Features of e-Passport
1. The e-passport will have 41 security features including embossed holographic images and photograph and signature of the holder.
2. It will also have the demographic and biographic information of the e-passport holder.
3. The e-passport will comprise biometrics of the holder including iris scan and fingerprint.
4. It will be valid for 5 or 10 years based on the age of the applicant.
5. The e-passport will be tamper-proof, protecting the data of the holder.
How to get an e-passport?
Following are the steps to apply for an e-passport-
-Visit Passport Seva Website
-Click on register now
-Log in using your existing ID
-Click on Apply for Fresh Passport or “Re-issue of Passport”
-Click on on “Pay and Schedule Appointment” to make payment
Documents required for e-passport-
The documents required for an e-passport are the same as a regular passport including Address proof, date of birth proof and a passbook of a running bank account with an attached photograph.
Those applying for re-issuance of passports will require an original passport, a copy of first and last page of the passport, ECR or non-ECR page and observation page.
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