Work on for having an e-passport facility: Govt

The government has carried out elaborate liberalisation and simplification of the passport issuance process, and work is on for an e-passport facility, officials said Tuesday.

Speaking about the welfare of overseas Indians at the inauguration of the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas here, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said passport and visa rules have been simplified and e-visa has made it much easier for them to travel.

"Our Embassies and Consulates are being connected to the Passport Seva Project worldwide. This will prepare a centralised system connected to the passport service for all of you. Now, one step ahead, work is also going on for issuing chip-based e-passport," Modi said.

Along with passports, the rules related to visas are also being simplified, he said.

Dnyaneshwar Mulay, Secretary, Consular, Passport and Visa division at the Ministry of External Affairs, at a briefing, said passport seva has seen a revolution in the past few years.

Over 290 passport centres have been opened in the country and the aim is to have such facilities in all 543 Lok Sabha constituencies, he said.

"There has been an elaborate liberalisation and simplification of the passport seva," he said.

The whole world is moving towards e-passports and India has also decided to go for it, Mulay said.