The biggest advantage of the e-passport is that it has a digitally signed chip that reduces the risk of forgery, passport duplication and identity theft.
As part of the Passport Seva Programme (PSP) Version 2.0, the Ministry of External Affairs has rolled out the e-passport initiative. This is not just a major step towards the modernisation of India’s passport system, but will also help avoid duplication of passport holders’ data. E-passports will make identity verification more efficient, along with offering enhanced protection against fraud.
What Is An E-Passport?
An e-passport is a combination of traditional paper documentation with a secure, electronic chip that holds personal and biometric data. The e-passport uses a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Chip that stores all the personal information and biometric details.
How To Identify An E-Passport?
It is very easy to identify an e-passport as it will come with a small additional gold colour symbol printed below the front cover of the passport.
Key Benefits Of E-Passports?
Enhanced Security: The biggest advantage of the e-passport is that it has a digitally signed chip that reduces the risk of forgery, passport duplication and identity theft.
Data Protection: The Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) makes sure that sensitive data of the chip is encrypted and can’t be accessed or altered by unauthorised parties.
Seamless Travel Experience: This will make the travel experience seamless, as authentication of the passport will be easier because of the availability of the chip.
From Where Can You Get An E-Passport?
Currently, e-passports are being issued in 13 cities. They are – Amritsar, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jammu, Nagpur, Raipur and Ranchi. The phase-wise roll out of ePassport covering all Passport Offices across India may take few months.
Is E-Passport Mandatory?
It is not mandatory as of now for valid passport holders to get a new e-passport. According to the government, all the passports issued by the authority will remain valid.