Overview

• External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar announced on June 24 the nationwide deployment of Passport Seva Programme 2.0 and e-passports, noting that issuance had climbed from 91 lakh in 2014 to 1.46 crore in 2024.
• PSP 2.0 leverages high-end technologies to streamline processing and enhance transparency, with pilot tests of the Global PSP 2.0 under way at Indian missions abroad.
• The new e-passports feature contactless chip-based data reading to expedite immigration clearance and bolster document security.
• The mPassport Police App has reduced police verification time to 5–7 days in 25 states and union territories.
• Ten new Post Office Passport Seva Kendras have been opened in the past year and mobile van services have extended coverage to remote communities.