Sanjay Bhattacharyya, Secretary of Government of India in the Ministry of External, recently announced that it will soon introduce e-passports to citizens.
In a Twitter post, he said that the next generation passport will ensure the security of biometric data and refined by post imigraton hallway globally.
He further mentioned that the passport is appropriate ICAO and will be manufactured in India Security Press in Nashik, Maharashtra.
The idea of e-passport is not new and was first announced some time back by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
The first e-passports with biometric details in India issued for former President Pratibha Patil in 2008.
The current biometric passports issued in countries including Germany, the UK and Bangladesh.
HOW Silpow Works E-Passport, e-Passport looks like a regular passport.
However, the e-passport is equipped with a small electronic chip, something similar to that seen on the SIM.
Microchip stores all the information that is printed on your passport, including name, date of birth, address and other details.
Microchip will help counter immigration to quickly verify the details of a traveler.
This step will also help reduce the circulation of fake passports.
The chip is rumored to have enhanced security features, making it difficult for fraudsters to destroy the information stored.
This time travelers must spend a lot of time at the immigration counters to complete the formalities for the officials had to physically through every detail on the passport.
With the e-passport, the time spent at the counter imigtasi expected to fall by more than 50%.
Microchip is also said to store biometric details along with other information that makes it easier to identify a traveler digitally.
The chip can store the details of your trip in advance.
What is a simple term datain, biometrics is the metric associated with the features of your body.
This data must be unique and can be an eye, fingerprint, facial and other features.
One of the most common examples of biometric technology that most of us use every day is a feature of fingerprint and facial recognition smartphone.
This security feature uses your unique physical characteristics to verify your identity.
In the case of e-passports, biometric data could be your fingerprint.
Governments have already saved your fingerprints before issuing a new passport.
With this information stored in a microchip, it will be easier to compare and verify your identity at any immigration counter.
What will change and not with e-passports procedure to apply for a new passport will remain the same and there will be no changes in the application form as well.
As per the report, all 36 passport offices in India under the Ministry of External will issue e-passports.
Issuance process will also remain the same.
Until now, e-Passport issued by the government in the trial in the form of personalized printed booklet.
The chip in the new passports will be placed in front and it will come up with an internationally recognizable logo that is intended for e-passports.
These chips will be hard and difficult to destroy.
The government will soon launch e-passport: what is it and how it works
