Starting August 5, 2023, individuals applying for new passports for international travel will need to upload the necessary supporting documents in Digilocker at the Passport Seva Kendra and post office Passport Seva Kendra before the submission of online governments.
The Ministry of External Affairs has advised the applicants to complete the Digilocker Process of uploading required supporting documents to minimize the overall processing time. The new ruling says that before online submission of passport applications must first upload the mandatory documents of Digilocker.
The Process
As per the new document application processes, “Applicants will no longer need to carry their original documents to if they have been already uploaded through Digilocker. The Digilocker process aims to establish streamlined applications and reduce the volume of the physical document verification at the Passport Seva Kendras located across different regions.
The ministry has also expanded the acceptance of Aadhar Documents through Digilocker for online application submissions.
The Regional Passport Office receive a substantial number of passport applications each year for processing. In the past, instances of discrepancies emerged during the physical document verification at the PSK, including alterations to birthdates and personal details.
The government has provided a list of acceptable documents that can serve as proof of residence. These include Aadhar Cards, current ration cards, driving licenses, electricity bills, income tax assessments and others.
Why Digilocker?
As per reports, the Digilocker has been introduced in the Passport application process not only to speed up the application process but also to make it efficient. This measure has been taken by the government to facilitate applications and keep the documents handy and safe.
What is Digilocker?
Digilocker is a digital wallet service that has been launched by the Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information. With this, the users will be able to collect and keep their essential documents issued by the government in a safe and secure manner. Users will also be able to access it whenever and wherever required, like driving license, marksheets and other necessary documents.
You can use the Digilocker to save crucial documents such as educational certificates, birth certificates, PAN Cards, Aadhar Cards, passports and voter IDs. You can access Digilocker through the app or the website from a web browser.
How to use Digilocker?
In order to open a Digilocker Account, the users need to download the app or use the search engine to go to the website and then provide a registered mobile number that is already linked to Aadhar. The user will receive a one-time password (OTP) to the linked mobile number and complete the registration process. To make changes, the user must update the corresponding data in their Aadhar.
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