The Ministry of External Affairs has announced that Indians will soon receive chip-enabled e-passports, which will facilitate international travel and immigration for all citizens worldwide. MEA Secretary Sanjay Bhattacharya made the announcement via Twitter.
According to the MEA secretary, the new e-passports will include a number of new features for travellers, such as biometric data security and compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards. These passports will be manufactured at India Security Press in Nashik.
According to media reports, the e-passport will contain a chip containing vital information about the passenger such as biometric data, name, address, and other important identity-related information.
According to reports, the new e-passports will also include security features that will prevent unauthorised data transfer via radio-frequency identification (RFID). According to the MEA, this will make international travel more comfortable and secure.
Announcing the launch of the same, Bhattacharya tweeted, “India to soon introduce next-gen e-passport for citizens. Secure biometric data. Smooth passage through immigration posts globally. ICAO compliant. Produced at India Security Press, Nashik.”
As a trial run for the same, the government had issued 20,000 official and diplomatic e-Passports with an electronic microprocessor chip embedded in them. If the trials are successful, then the Centre will start issuing e-passports to all the citizens.
Currently, Indian citizens’ passports are printed on a booklet. According to a MEA release, the new passports will adhere to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards and will be stronger as well as more difficult to destroy.
“India Security Press, Nashik has awarded the contract for procurement of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)-compliant electronic contactless inlays along with its operating system necessary for chip-enabled e-Passports,” the MEA stated in March 2021.