About 80 lakh e-passports issued till date in India; system upgrade to check fraudulent applications

NEW DELHI:  In a major upgrade of its passport-related system, the government has introduced a next-generation “e-passport” that combines both paper and electronic elements, a step that also seeks to detect and check forgery, impersonation and other fraudulent acts.

A senior official of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday said old legacy passports, which have not expired, will continue to remain valid till 2035 or until their expiry.

The MEA recently announced the successful rollout of the upgraded version of its flagship Passport Seva Programme (PSP), which includes the Passport Seva Programme (PSP V2.0), the Global Passport Seva Programme (GPSP V2.0), and the e-Passport, for citizens in India and those who are residing abroad.(PTI)