You can soon apply for a passport using your smart phones and tablets.
The Passport Office is working on a technology platform that will enable people to use mobiles to download application, apply and pay for a passport. The mobile can also be used to track the status of the application through various stages, apart from locating the nearest passport seva Kendra and downloading other relevant information.
Muktesh K. Pardeshi, Chief Passport Officer, said this platform would be ready in a few months’ time. “Initially, certain smart phones and tablets can only be used for mobile applications,” he told media persons here today.
It has already launched its passport seva project that has made the entire process of application on-line.
He said the next step on the technology ladder would be for the passport office to get linked to police stations so that even the process of police verification became largely on-line. “We are working on this. It will take some time for becoming operational,” he said.
Last year, the passport office issued 74 lakh passports across the country. This year it expects to increase it by a couple of percents, with the first six months seeing about 37 lakh passports being issued. Another 11-12 lakh passports were likely to be issued through different embassies and missions abroad.
Its passport seva project has been declared as the winner of the eIndia public choice award 2013 under the government to citizen service category.