More than one crore 73  lakh e

The government has said that more than one crore 73  lakh e-Passports have been issued so far in India and abroad. In a written reply in Rajya Sabha today, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said that currently, all Regional Passport Offices, Passport Seva Kendras and Post Office Passport Seva Kendras in India and all the Indian Missions abroad are issuing e-Passports. He informed that the e-Passport was launched in May last year. Mr Singh said that the Passport Seva Programme provided comprehensive digital platforms. This includes the Passport Seva Portal, Passport Seva Mobile Apps and a centralised citizen service call centre, enabling applicants to access information, track application status and obtain responses to routine queries without visiting Regional Passport Offices. The Minister said, these digital initiatives have substantially reduced the need for physical visits for administrative enquiries while improving accessibility, convenience and service delivery.