Decision on passports taken after demands for reconsideration

The decision not to go ahead with issuing of passport with an orange jacket to ECR passport holders and printing of the last page of the travel document was taken after demands were made to reconsider the move, the Rajya Sabha was told today.
The decision was taken after accepting recommendations of of a three-member committee comprising officials of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Ministry of Women and Child Development, V K Singh, Minister of State in the MEA said in a written reply.
"The ministry received several individual and collective representations requesting to reconsider these two decisions," Singh said.

He said that the ministry reviewed both these decisions in the light of the representations made before it.
"After comprehensive discussions with various stakeholders, the ministry decided on January 29 to continue with the current practise of printing the last page of the passport and not to issue to separate passport with orange colour jacket to ECR (Emigration Check Required) passport holder," the minister said.
Earlier, on January 30, the external affairs ministry has announced that it has reversed its decision on the issuance of a orange-coloured passport to those who have ECR status as also on printing of the last page with personal details.