Way back in 2003 and before you had to stand in a Big queue to submit your passport application and there were high chances that you would be sent back upon reaching the counter for some silly mistake in the application form. This was not all; after you submitted your application it could take anywhere from 3-6 months for you to finally receive your passport.
Regardless of what the current GDP or the state of economy is today, I can say with pride that we have done a much better job in issuing passport in the last decade.
Thanks to Shri SM Krishna, Minister of External Affairs, the pilot project for Online Passport Seva was launched in Bangalore and Chandigarh in May 2010 and August 2010 respectively. Today the Passport Seva Project has been launched in most major cities of the country.
I got my passport re-issued in Bangalore and my passport was delivered to me on the 11th day after submitting my application in the PSK, Sai Arcade under the "Normal" category without having to pay a single penny as bribe. With so much of negativity with the system around these days, I believe it will only be fair to share good experiences if that can boast the morale of people in the system who are doing their job really well. Go to http://passportindia.gov.in and register yourself as a user. After a successful registration, login to complete your online passport application.
The online application is very self explanatory and easy to complete. The online portal gives you the flexibility of saving and completing your form in multiple sittings either offline or online. You can review your filled in form for correctness. After you submit your application you will receive your online generated Application Reference Number (ARN Number).
Please remember the following important points:
1. Your ARN or submitted application will be valid for 90 days from the date of submission after which it will be deleted from the database. You have 90 days to complete your passport application process.
2. The second stage after submitting your online application is taking an online appointment at your nearest PSK which we will discuss a little later in this blog.
3. You will be able to apply under the category "Validity Expired Within 3 Years/Due To Expire" only when you are within the one year window from the Date of Expiry on your passport. My passport was due for expiry in 2013, but I wanted to have it renewed without having to wait till the last moment. Since I was outside that one year window from my passport expiry, I applied under the "Change In Existing Personal Particulars" category to have my wife's details added.
4. Every time a new passport is issued on your name, it will have a new passport number with a reference to your old passport on its last page. Additionally the new passport will have a new expiration (10 years) from the date it is issued.
5. Your old passport is cancelled and returned back to you when you submit your documents at the PSK (Passport Seva Kendra).
6. Any Valid Visa stamped on your old passport will still valid after your old passport is cancelled but you will have to travel with both your old and new passports together. So be prepared to wait until you receive your new passport if you have any immediate travel plans.
Online Application for Issue / reissue of Passport under Normal Category:
Taking an online appointment after submitting your online application is still a pain. Appointments open at specific times of the day in various cities (In Bangalore the online appointments open at 6 PM every day) and get over in no time. People keep sitting in front of their computers trying to book a slot. Sometimes they have to try for days. I had to sit for 45 minutes clicking on "Book My appointment" when I finally got one. I read on many forums that agents/brokers charge anywhere from Rs 800 - Rs 1500 to book an online appointment on your behalf. Since online booking is a very transparent process, I wonder how an agent / broker can get an appointment when you cannot. Such an infringement is not possible without the help of a hacker who is exploiting the site and helping the brokers mint money at the expense of innocent people. I hope this will be fixed soon. However I would recommend the readers of this blog to discourage going through agents to book appointment slots. Have some patience and try booking your online appointments yourself for a couple of days. If you still fail to get an appointment, please read the following alternative procedure of getting an online appointment: Advisory for Applicants You can go to the RPO and take an appointment through them. I understand you want your passport in no time. Let that not be an excuse to pay agents/brokers money for things you can do yourself. You might as well donate that money on some NGOs or Non profit making institutions on Satyamev Jayate
On the Day of Apppointment:
Reach the PSK an hour in advance. You are not called in sequence of your ARN number so whoever reaches first stands before the others in the queue outside the PSK. They however let everyone for a given slot get inside the PSK. Phones with cameras are not allowed. There is a front desk manned by TCS employees who do the initial check for all your documents. I understand that it is important to complete the process once you reach the PSK but for some reason if any of your document is missing, there is no point getting angry. Try arranging for the document(/s) and coming back the same day if you can, else take an appointment for the next available day. Always have your documentation clean and clear. Remember every individual has a right to have a passport and these documents that you are required to submit are to safeguard your own interests. If you do not have a certain document, make an inquiry at the front desk people and ask for alternatives.
Once you have the initial verification done, you will get an appointment number (N463,T128,etc.) With this appointment number enter with your file and documents into an air conditioned waiting launge where you need to go through three counters sequentially A-->B-->C for verification and submission. There are big screens in the waiting lounge where you can see when your number is called for a specific counter.
At Counters B, VO (Verification Officer), your documents are verified by Government Officials from where if your documents are clean, you are redirected to Counter C GO (Granting Officer) for the granting of passport.
At Counter A, manned by TCS officials, your documents are scanned. The official takes your photograph (this means you do not need to carry passport size photographs) along with your fingerprints. If there are any corrections in the Application form which you may have realized after form submission, you can have the changes updated here.
At Counter C GO (Granting Officer), the final decision on your passport application is taken. If you have cleared Counter A and Counter B then it is almost certain that passport will be granted to you. Another important decision that is taken by GO is whether your qualify for Pre, Post or No police verification. Mine was a reissue case
with change in address so I qualified as a post verification.There are 3 modes of police verification:
Police Verification is not required.
Police Verification is required on a Post-Passport Issuance basis.
Police Verification is required on Pre-Passport Issuance basis.
Depending on whether an application is for issue of fresh passport or reissue of passport, Passport Office (PO) shall decide whether Police Verification is required for issuance of Passport to you. In most cases, of issue of fresh passport, pre-police verification would be required, exception being Government servants on submission of 'Identity Certificate' as per Annexure 'B', or minors whose parent(s) hold valid passport etc. In most cases of reissue, depending on records available in the Passport Office system, police verification would not be required or only post police verification would be required, exceptions being reissue of passport in lieu of lost passport or complete change of name.
The screens in the waiting lounge are programmed to flash appointment numbers and you cannot bypass them so there is no point queuing up in front of the counters. After you done with say Counter A, please come back to the waiting lounge and wait for your appointment number to flash on the screen for the next stage. There are arrangements for refreshment with a well maintained restroom. Tea, coffee and snacks are available at MRP and you can be very comfortable when you are inside. The entire process should normally take about 2-3 hours. It would be a good idea to take leave on that day from work and be patient when you are inside the PSK. Once you are at counter C and the passport is granted to you, please remember to collect an acknowledgement at the exit. If you have applied for a reissue of passport, your old passport will be cancelled by the GO (Granting Officer) at Counter C and returned back to you.
I got an SMS and an email with the Speed Post Number when my passport was dispatched. I planned to work from home the very next morning and at 11 AM sharp I got my passport delivered. Passport delivery normally happens in the first half of the day between 9 AM to 12 noon. My Police Verification also completed in a weeks time after I received my passport.
Say no to bribe and follow the process with a little bit of patience and you will come out clean and confident on the other side with your job well done.
I hope this post was useful to you.
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