Union Government to launch e-Passports comming soon

Highlights:

• Recently, Foreign Secretary Dr Ausaf Sayeed informed that the new age e-chip passport is likely to be launched by the end of the year 2022 or by the first week of January 2023. 
• In this passport the details of the applicant will be kept digitally in the chip which will be embedded in the passport booklet. 
• It will provide security upgrade of Indian passport and enable machine reading.

Features:

• The e-passports comprise of a microchip with secure biometric data. 
• Chip of an e-passport usually contain biometric information of the holder. 
• The biometric information is printed on the data page of document and a biometric identifier. 
• Such passports are digitally secured, in a bid to prevent unauthorised reading of data stored on the chip.

Brief History:

• India’s largest software exporter, 
• TCS, is likely to bring in technology for e-passports. 
• However, authority to grant and print passports will remain with the government. 
• All security aspects, including strategic assets like database, data centres, and application software will also be owned by government. 
• The e-passports will also comply with the guidelines of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
• National Informatics Centre and Indian Security Press in Nashik are involved in designing security features for the e-passport.

Passport Seva Programme:  A Fact File

• The PSP-V 2.0 provides for rolling out of microchip-embedded e-passports.
• It is the largest e-governance programme of India, wherein TCS would deploy the latest technologies to ease the services.
• During this phase, e-passport will be unveiled.
• The PSP-V 2.0 will ensure a digital ecosystem, improve citizen interface, process overhauling & integration among different stakeholders & database, upgraded technology, as well as a stronger data security.