According to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, India will shortly begin the second phase of the Passport Seva Programme (PSP-Version 2.0), which comprises new and updated e-passports.
Jaishankar urged all governments that issue passports to reaffirm their commitment to provide passports and associated services to citizens in a “timely, reliable, accessible, transparent, and efficient manner.” According to Jaishankar’s announcement on Passport Seva Kendra, “We will soon be starting on Passport Seva Programme (PSP) Version 2.0, including new and upgraded e-passports.”
In addition, he said, “These initiatives will usher in a new paradigm of ‘EASE’ in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of enhancing the ‘Ease of Living’ for citizens”: E: Better citizen services for passports via a digital eco-system A: Service provision enabled by artificial intelligence S: More convenient international travel thanks to e-passports with chips Improved data security, or E.”
According to Jaishankar’s statement, “I would like to call on all our passport issuing authorities in India and abroad to join me in renewing our pledge to provide passport and related services to citizens in a timely, reliable, accessible, transparent, and efficient manner.”
The Ministry of External Affairs tweeted Jaishankar’s message along with the following statement: “Here is a message from EAM @DrSJaishankar as we mark the Passport Seva Divas today. The #TeamMEA confirms its commitment to provide quick, dependable, accessible, transparent, and effective passport and associated services to people.
On the occasion of the Passport Seva Divas 2023, Jaishankar said it was a pleasure to congratulate all passport-issuing authorities in India and overseas as well as their counterparts from the Central Passport Organisation. In his remarks, he said that today is a chance to reflect on what has been accomplished and to reaffirm India’s commitment to working towards the highest standards in the provision of passport services.
After the COVID-19 outbreak, according to EAM Jaishankar, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) responded to the spike in demand for passport-related services by boosting the number of daily appointments and holding special drives on the weekends. He pointed out that in 2022, the ministry processed a record 13.32 million passports and other services, an increase of 63% from 2021.
According to Jaishankar’s speech, the Passport Seva Programme (PSP) has greatly helped the Indian government achieve its aim of creating a “Digital India.” He discussed his excursions to Passport Seva Kendras in several states.
Jaishankar said that other ministers and MEA high officials had undertaken such trips. He said, “These visits have allowed us to create consistency across the levels of operational governance and policy governance. Such attempts won’t be slowed down in the future either.
With achievements like the mPassport Seva Mobile App, the mPassport Police App, the integration of PSP with DigiLocker, and the “apply from anywhere” programme, PSP has substantially aided the government’s effort to create a “Digital India,” according to Jaishankar.
“While there were 77 Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs) in the nation in 2014, this number has increased 7-fold and is now 523,” he said. I want to acknowledge the Department of Posts and state police agencies as valuable partners in the POPSKS initiative.