MEA and TCS have signed an agreement for the second phase of Passport Seva Programme which envisages the roll out of microchip-embedded e-passports.
The Ministry of External Affairs will soon introduce chip-enabled e-passports in the country. Ministry of External Affairs Secretary Sanjay Bhattacharyya took to Twitter and wrote, "Indian citizens are likely to start getting e-passports soon." The MEA Secretary said the passports would be secure with biometric data and will enable smooth passage through immigration posts globally.
The government has given its approval for the procurement of electronic contactless inlays for the manufacturing of e-passports to India Security Press (ISP), Nashik. Meanwhile, MEA and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) have signed an agreement on Friday for the second phase of the Passport Seva Programme (PSP-V2.0), which envisages the roll out of microchip-embedded e-passports.
Reportedly, all 36 passport offices in India under the Ministry of External Affair will issue e-passports.
What is e-passport
The e-passports will be based on secure biometric data and will ensure smooth immigration process globally.
It is part of an effort by the Indian government to eliminate forgery while facilitating the immigration process.
Indian government at present issues traditional booklets as passports for individuals who wish to travel abroad.
The traditional passports pose a risk of fraudulent activities, which e-passports aim to curb.
The chip embedded in the passport booklet stores biographical information on page 2 of the passport.
The e-passports which is based on secure biometric data will have a digital security feature.
This means that the chip has a unique digital signature of each country that can be verified using their certificates.
The microchip embedded in the passport will hold all vital information related to the passport holder's biometric data.
It will also hold security features that will disallow unauthorised data transfer through RFID (radio-frequency identification).
They are equipped to deter identity theft, forgery and also enhance connectivity for a streamlined immigration process.
The idea was floated in 2017 and since then 20,000 official and diplomatic e-passports have been issued on a trial basis.
The country also has plans to introduce fully digital passports that can be stored in devices like mobile phones.
The government has selected the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) for the second phase of Passport Seva Program.
In this phase, Tata Consultancy Services will roll out fresh features to enable the issuance of e-passport.
The e-passports will follow the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards and harder to destroy.
The chip at the front of the passport will come with an internationally recognized logo meant for e-passports.
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 "India to introduce chip-enabled e-passports")
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