The Government of India has changed the rules for making a passport. Now it has been made mandatory for any applicant to provide a birth certificate.
Passport is an important document, which is issued by the Passport Department of the Ministry of External Affairs. It is an important document to prove identity as well as citizenship. It is not possible to go abroad (except for some countries) without a passport. In foreign countries, your citizenship is proved only through a passport. The Government of India has changed the rules for making a passport. Now it has been made mandatory for any applicant to provide a birth certificate. That is, for those people who are born after October 1, 2023 and are willing to make a passport, then it has now been made mandatory for them to provide a birth certificate for their date of birth.
1. Birth Certificate: If people born after October 1, 2023 want to get a passport, then only birth certificates will be valid for their date of birth. However, those born before this can prove their date of birth on the basis of additional documents like 10th board mark sheet or certificate, school living certificate, PAN card, driving license or any other government ID.
2. Residential address: The last page of the changed passport will no longer have the residential address printed on it; instead, immigration officers will be able to access the information by scanning the barcode.
3. Colour-coding system: A new colour-coded system has now been introduced for passports. White passports will be issued for officials, red for diplomats and blue for civilians which will provide ease and convenience for officials to identify passports.
4. Removal of parents’ name: The names of the parents of the passport holders will no longer be printed on the last page of the passport. This rule will provide relief to children from single parents or separated families and will maintain their privacy.
5. Expansion of Passport Seva Kendra: The government has decided to increase the number of Passport Seva Kendras from 442 to 600 in the next five years. This will enhance security, efficiency and convenience for applicants.
