Passport rules liberalized for single parents, adopted children

The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday announced new Passport Rules that are more in sync with the modern times.
Image for representational purpose only.
Image for representational purpose only.

NEW DELHI: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday announced new Passport Rules that are more in sync with the modern times. The most prominent has been the ease with which children who are adopted, orphaned or born out of wedlock can obtain passport. 

The new rules were announced by Minister of State for External Affairs Gen (retd) V K Singh after he inaugurated a Twitter Sewa of the MEA. Singh said the rules are being made keeping in view of the “societal need”. As reported by The New Indian Express earlier, divorces/ separated persons do not need to provide names of his/her spouse or furnish the divorce decree for obtaining passport. The married applicants would not require providing any marriage certificate.

The new rules are formulated based on the report of a three-member Committee comprising of the officials of the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Women and Child Development was constituted to examine various issues pertaining to passport applications where mother/child has insisted that the name of the father should not be mentioned in the passport and also relating to passport issues to children with single parent and to adopted children.

Procedure has become easier for single parents to apply for passports for their children. The online passport application form now requires the applicant to provide the name of father or mother or legal guardian, i.e., only one parent and not both. This would enable single parents to apply for passports for their children and to also issue passports where the name of either the father or the mother is not required to be printed at the request of the applicant.

The Passport acquisition has been made smoother for children, who are orphaned, adopted or born out of wedlock. In case of orphaned children who do not have any proof of date of birth such as Birth Certificate or the Matriculation Certificate can now submit a declaration given by the Head of the Orphanage/Child Care Home on their official letter head of the organization confirming the same.

No longer is the submission of registered adoption dead is required in case of in-country domestically adopted children. In lieu of the deed the passport applicant can now give a declaration on a plain paper confirming the adoption.

In case of children born out of wedlock, the applicant for the passport of such children would need to submit only a declaration from one of the parents that the other parent has not given consent for Passport.

Sadhus/ Sanyasis can also apply for a passport with the name of their spiritual Guru mentioned in the passport application in lieu of their biological parents names subject to their providing of at least one public document such as Election Photo Identity Card issued by the Election Commission of India, PAN card, Aadhar Card, etc wherein the name of the Guru has been recorded against the column for parents names.

Now PAN Card, Aadhar Card, Driving license would serve as the proof of date of birth of the Passport Applicant.

EOM/

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The New Indian Express
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