India to start issuing biometric passports

Indian passports are set to go hi-tech with the government clearing the way for the introduction of e-passports. The new passports, which will incorporate biometrics and sophisticated fingerprinting technology, are being seen as a major initiative to check tampering with passports and duplication. To be introduced initially for diplomats and officials under a pilot project, the move is an attempt by the ministry of external affairs to ensure international standards of travel safety in the country. Indian passports are currently being machine-printed and are machine-readable, as per the specifications laid down by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). "The incorporation of biometrics in the passports, such as fingerprinting, will put a check on the tampering of passports and will make them more secure travel documents as per international standards," external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee said while replying to a question in Parliament recently.

An attempt to ensure that India falls in line with security measures adopted internationally by developed countries, the new passports will put India in the league of many other countries that already use the technology. The fingerprinting technology, for example, is already in use in the US and many other developed countries to check the entry of illegal visitors. Asked if the current passports issued by the government are tamper-proof, Mukherjee had said: "There have been a few cases where unscrupulous elements have tried to tamper with passports by substituting photographs or changing personal particulars." Several efforts have been taken over the last couple of years to make the passport application process more friendly and convenient. As part of the government's initiative to streamline the process, the government has already introduced online registration for passport applicants in New Delhi and has simplified the procedure to establish the identity and nationality of an applicant.

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