External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday lauded the efforts of passport officers in India and abroad on the occasion of the 13th Passport Seva Diwas. He announced the next phase of the Passport Seva Program (PSP) and the launch of nationwide e-passport services.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar congratulated all passport officers in India and abroad on the occasion of the 13th Passport Seva Diwas. He wrote, ‘Your commendable efforts under the guidance of service, good governance and poor welfare are helpful in easing travel, deepening access to the global workplace and empowering citizens. With the launch of Passport Seva Program 2.0 and e-passport, the Ministry of External Affairs reiterates its commitment to improving the timeliness, transparency and accessibility of our passport services better than ever before.’
‘Service, good governance and poor welfare’
In a post on ‘X’, Jaishankar emphasised the transformation of passport services under the pillars of ‘service, good governance and poor welfare’. He called it a central tool to achieve the goal of developed India. He said, “Service, good governance and poor welfare are the three key pillars of governance that will take us towards a developed India. All these are clearly visible in our passport seva programme.”
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Transformation in passport facilities over a decade
He said passport facilities have undergone a transformation over the last decade, with the number of passports issued increasing from 91 lakh in 2014 to 1.46 crore in 2024. The minister informed that Passport Seva Programme version 2.0 has already been rolled out across the country, incorporating high-end, emerging technologies to improve efficiency and transparency.
PSP V2.0 launched across the country
He said, ‘In line with the Government of India’s commitment to the next level of citizen-centric service, I am happy to inform that we have launched PSP V2.0 across the country. He said that pilot testing of Global PSP V2.0 is also going on. It will be implemented in phases in all Indian embassies and consulates.
Greetings to all Passport Authorities in India and abroad on the occasion of the 13th Passport Seva Divas.
Your commendable efforts, guided by ‘Seva, Sushasan and Garib Kalyan’, are instrumental to ensuring ease of travel, deepening access to global workplace and empowering the… pic.twitter.com/pDn53sjyyJ
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) June 24, 2025
E-passport a major achievement
Jaishankar described the e-passport initiative as a major achievement. It makes travel easier with contactless chip-based data reading and expedites immigration clearance. He also cited the launch of the mPassport Police App, which has reduced police verification time by 5-7 days in 25 states and union territories.
10 new Post Office Passport Seva Kendras opened
He said 10 new Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs) were opened last year, including the 450th POPSK in Kushinagar in April 2025. He said, ‘We have reached the most remote areas of our country through our mobile van facilities, thereby increasing the ease of passport services for citizens living in remote areas.’
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