The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday commemorated the 12th Passport Seva Divas to mark the enactment of the Passports Act on 24 June 1967 and External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar highlighted the annual growth of nearly 15% in passport and related services.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar expressed pleasure on the occasion of the 12th Passport Seva Divas and emphasised that the ministry has rendered 1.65 Crore passport-related services to Indian citizens in 2023 and over 14 lakh visa applications were submitted monthly.
According to senior officials, searches are underway at around 50 locations, including Kolkata, Gangtok, Siliguri, and other locations since last evening. A senior superintendent of Passport Seva Laghu Kendras (PSLK) in Siliguri, along with a middleman, has been apprehended.
The Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) in Kottayam will be reopening by the end of October this year, said Kottayam Member of Parliament Thomas Chazhikkadan. He said that he recieved a letter from External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar informing the decision.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested two persons, including an assistant at Passport seva Kendra for allegedly demanding bribe to issue a passport.
Jaishankar called on passport-issuing authorities in India and abroad to join him in renewing the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)'s pledge to provide passport and related services to people in a "timely, reliable, accessible, transparent and efficient manner."
New Delhi [India], September 26 (ANI): To address the unanticipated surge in demand for Police Clearance Certificates (PCCs), Ministry of External Affairs has decided to include the facility to apply for PCC services at all online Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs) across India, star
New Delhi [India], June 24 (ANI): The Central government is working to roll out e-Passports to make easier international travel and enable protection against identity theft and greater data security, the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Friday.
New Delhi [India], January 7 (ANI): The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) signed an agreement for the second phase of the Passport Seva Programme with Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS) appointing them as the service provider for the project on Friday.
New Delhi [India], December 21 (ANI): Emphasising the necessity for various ministries to work collectively, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan has said that the government is adopting a holistic approach instead of working in silos to derive the desired outcomes.
New Delhi [India], June 24 (ANI): On Passport Seva Divas, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Thursday said nowadays Indians can participate in the global workplace more effectively as passports are now more easily available and renewed.