Union External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar on Wednesday, 24 June 2026 greeted passport authorities across India and at missions abroad on the occasion of the 14th Passport Seva Divas, highlighting a series of upgrades to the country's passport services infrastructure under the banner of 'Surakshit Passport, Sugam Seva, Sashakt Nagrik' ('Secure Passport, Smooth Service, Empowered Citizen').

Context

In his post, Dr. Jaishankar pointed to four concurrent developments: the rollout of the Passport Seva Programme 2.0, the introduction of chip-enabled e-Passports, the opening of new Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs) and Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs), and what he described as 'record levels of passport issuance.' He framed these as measures that are 'enhancing ease of travel, expanding access to global opportunities, and empowering citizens.'

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has observed Passport Seva Divas annually to mark the anniversary of the Passport Seva Project, an e-governance initiative approved in 2008 that began replacing manual processing with a centralised digital system from 2010 onward. This year's observance marks 12 years of service delivery under that framework, as reflected in the hashtag #12YearsofSeva.

Policy Backdrop

The Passport Seva Programme was conceived as a public-private partnership to digitise the entire passport application, processing and delivery chain. POPSKs, introduced from 2017 onward, extended the service network by co-locating passport application centres within post offices, reducing the need to build standalone infrastructure in smaller towns and semi-urban areas.

The move toward chip-enabled e-Passports aligns India with standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which mandates biometric data storage on embedded chips for machine-readable travel documents. The upgrade is designed to strengthen document security and reduce the risk of forgery, bringing Indian passports in line with those issued by most major economies.

Passport Seva Programme 2.0 represents the next generation of this infrastructure, building on the original platform with enhanced digital capabilities and a broader network of service points. The emphasis on transparency and speed in Dr. Jaishankar's statement echoes the MEA's longstanding positioning of passport services as a direct measure of citizen-state trust.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries of the expanded network are Indian citizens — particularly those in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities and rural areas — who previously had to travel long distances to reach a PSK. The addition of POPSKs has been especially significant for first-time applicants and those in states with limited urban infrastructure.

Overseas Indians, including students, workers and members of the diaspora, benefit from the upgraded consular services at Indian missions abroad, which are also part of the Passport Seva network. Faster processing and chip-enabled documents reduce friction at international immigration counters, with direct implications for travel, work authorisation and identity verification abroad.

What's Next

The phased nationwide rollout of chip-enabled e-Passports remains the most closely watched element of the current phase, with citizens and policy observers awaiting MEA announcements on the timeline for universal availability. Further expansion of POPSK coverage — particularly in underserved districts — and any new features introduced under PSP 2.0 are expected to be detailed in subsequent ministerial communications and budget statements.

As demand for passports continues to grow alongside India's expanding middle class and diaspora, the MEA's commitment, reiterated by Dr. Jaishankar, to make services 'faster, more transparent and accessible' will be tested by the scale and pace of implementation in the months ahead.