From the First Step- Procedure in getting the Passport at Passport Seva Kendra.

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• published: 01 Oct 2014
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Vision "To deliver passport services to citizens in a timely, transparent, more accessible, reliable manner and in a comfortable environment through streamlined processes and committed, trained and motivated workforce" In recent years, the Government of India has taken many initiatives to usher in an era of e-Governance to improve the delivery of public services. The National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) includes many high impact e-Governance projects that have been identified as Mission Mode Projects (MMP's). One such project focuses on reforming Passport services in India. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is responsible for issuance of Passports to Indian Citizens through a network of 37 Passport offices across the Country and 180 Indian Embassies and Consulates abroad. A Passport is an essential travel document for those who are traveling abroad for education, tourism, pilgrimage, medical attendance, business purposes and family visits. During the last few years, the growing economy and spreading globalization have led to an increased demand for Passport and related services. The passport demand is estimated to be growing by around 10% annually. This increased demand for passport and related services is coming from both large cities and smaller towns, creating a need for wider reach and availability. To augment and improve the delivery of passport services to Indian citizens, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) launched the Passport Seva Project (PSP) in May 2010. The project has been implemented in a Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode with Tata Consultancy Services, selected through a public competitive procurement process. Under this program, the sovereign and fiduciary functions like verification, granting and issuing of passport have been retained by MEA. The ownership and strategic control of the core assets including data/information is with MEA. Passport Seva enables simple, efficient and transparent processes for delivery of passport and related services. Apart from creating a countrywide networked environment for Government staff, it integrates with the State Police for physical verification of applicant's credentials and with India Post for delivery of passports. Transforming Passport Services for India Citizens The Passport Seva Project is transforming passport and related services in India to provide a best-in-class experience to Indian citizens. PSP is enabling MEA to deliver passport services in a reliable, convenient and transparent manner, within defined service levels. Key aspects of the service transformation achieved by PSP are as follows: Anywhere Anytime Access : Citizens can submit their passport applications and seek an appointment on payment of passport fees at their convenience. The portal provides comprehensive and latest information on all passport related services. Citizens visit the nearest PSK with prior appointment date/time, thus avoiding long queues and inconvenience. Increased Network :As extended arms of 37 Passport Offices, 77 Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs) have been made operational across the country and 16 Passport Seva Laghu Kendras(PSLKs) are being established as part of Passport Seva. Improved Amenities :The PSK provides a world class ambience. Amenities in every PSK include helpful guides, information kiosks, photocopying, food and beverage facilities, public phone booth, baby care, newspapers and journals and television in a comfortable air-conditioned waiting lounge. The Electronic Queue Management System ensures the 'first-in-first-out' principle in application processing. State of the Art Technology Infrastructure : Passport Seva is supported by state-of-the-art technology infrastructure which enables end-to-end passport services to be delivered with enhanced security comparable to the best in the world. The photograph and biometrics of the applicants are captured when they visit the PSK. Their applications and supporting documents are digitized and stored in the system for further processing. Integration with Police and India Post : The PSP network connects with the State Police across all the states and union territories. The applicant's data is sent electronically for police verification. PSP also provides an interface to India Post for tracking delivery of passport to citizens. Call Centre & Helpdesk : A multi-lingual National call centre operating in 17 Indian languages enables citizens to obtain passport service related information and receive updates about their passport applications, round the clock, seven days a week. An e-mail based helpdesk besides a mobile based application 'mPassport Seva' provides information on passport services.