India will have e-passports soon: MEA
MEA is now looking for newer countries which can offer employment to Indians and 12 countries have been signed for the same recently
HYDERABAD: Ministry of External Affairs, during its state outreach programme held in Hyderabad on Wednesday, confirmed that India will issue E-Passports by the year end. Soon India will also be at the forefront in Cloud passports, said Dr. Ausaf Sayeed, senior Indian Foreign Service Officer who is currently the Secretary (CPV & OIA), MEA.
The Ministry of External Affairs which aims to make India as a ‘Skill Capital’ is partnering with the state governments to bring training and orientation programmes for those who are moving overseas for employment. The country is top amongst nations whose citizens are living abroad with 32 million Non-Resident Indians. Hyderabad Regional passport office stands third in India for its services.
The ministry is now looking for newer countries which can offer employment to Indians and 12 countries have been signed for the same recently.
Addressing media Dr. Ausaf Sayeed, said “People who are going abroad should have proper training, we are partnering with the state governments to bring in such programsmes and the focus is to strengthen the skill as we take care of the whole migration cycle. We met chief secretary of TS, Somesh Kumar to review matters pertaining to mobility and migration, NRI and diaspora affairs, employment opportunities for workforce of Telangana, skilling and upskilling of prospective job seekers, ease of emigration services to the blue-collared workers from the state, etc. Special focus of the discussion was on safe and legal migration including the recent instances of illegal migration of domestic workers in the Gulf countries.”
“After the lockdown, through Vande Bharath mission, many Indians who are working abroad were brought back, and now there is a surge of emigrants as everyone is returning. Today we had few exercises which will enable the processes to be smoother.” he added.
While explaining about India being in the forefront in Cloud Passport, Dr. Ausaf Sayeed, asked T. Armstrong Changsan, Joint Secretary (PSP) and CPO, to explain about the E-Passport, and the latter said, “by the end of this year or early 2023, India will be having E-Passports, these passports will be same as the regular passports, with an additional layer with a chip and an antenna. These passports will be enabled to be read by machines, which will make the process faster and makes one to move faster. This week we signed with the technical partners on E-Passports.”
The high-level delegation to the State of Telangana from the Government of India included Dr. Ausaf Sayeed, Secretary (CPV & OIA), MEA, Joint Secretary (PSP) and CPO and Bramha Kumar, Joint Secretary (OE) and Protector General of Emigrants, and Viswanjali Gaikawadi, RPO Vishakapatnam. The delegation was introduced by Dasari Balaiah, RPO Hyderabad.