NEW DELHI: The process of police verification for passports has been simplified with the launch of an app called `M Passport Police App’, which has been introduced by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
The entire process will take five days now instead of the 15 days it took earlier.
"350 mobile tablets have been handed over to personnel of Special Branch/Delhi Police. This would be make the entire process of verification and submission paperless,’’ according to the MEA.
"Having digital verification will save time as well as bring transparency in the investigation. These steps taken are important efforts in the direction of Police Technology Mission established by PM Modi for smart policing,’’ said Home Minister, Amit Shah, during the 76th Police Raising Day on Thursday,
Police verification is an integral part of Passport Issuance system.
"This new process reflects on our commitment to efficient service delivery and Digital India,’’ according to the Regional Passport Office (RPO).
The police plays a significant role to deliver passports and related services such as Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) to the citizens. In the various models for police verification implemented, the status of intermediate activities related to verification process are not recorded or tracked in the system.
The verification is done in person and the police officer visits the address as stated in the application form. Once the information accuracy is checked, the police station sends a notification to the passport office. Post this, the passport is issued to the applicant.