Centre to relax passport biometrics rules for infants

The Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday said they will bring about a change in passport laws to exempt infants from having to be physically present for a biometric fingerprint.

"As instructed by the External Affairs Minister, this is under review," MEA spokesperson Gopal Baglay said in a statement.

A Kolkata-based social activist Sundeep Bhutoria wrote to MEA minister Sushma Swaraj, requesting her to work out a mechanism where biometric fingerprints of infants are not needed. In the letter, written on June 27, Bhutoria told Swaraj that it is a "worrisome matter" for parents as the environment in most offices is not conducive and arrows the risk of infection.

Speaking to DNA, Bhutoria said that he had been awaiting such a response. Bhutoria himself faced the predicament when he went to make a passport for his daughter. He first went to the local RTO but was met with helplessness. He was also going to draft a letter to Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi over the matter, after tweets to Swaraj went unanswered.

Pranab Sarkar, president of the Indian Association of Tour Operators said that visas from various countries require separate passports of individual travellers. "This was not the case before. In fact, the United Kingdom requires the child to be present for a biometric fingerprint. The fingerprints of young children change quickly," said Sarkar.

The move could also prove to be a blessing for non-resident Indian parents who travel to India for delivery, said a child rights activist from Kolkatta.