Addressing an event to mark 'Passport Seva Divas', the minister said the ministry has integrated 174 Indian embassies and consulates abroad with the passport service programme.
The PDP leader had applied for a fresh passport in December 2019, but the application has not been cleared till date in the absence of a police verification report.
The current heightened interest among US citizens for a second passport predates the coronavirus pandemic, but the crisis has helped turbo-charge demand.
The govt was responding to opposition members alleging that the move was a "further saffronisation" attempt by the Modi govt, given that the lotus is BJP's election symbol.
Passengers arriving at participating airports will already have their identity data encrypted and stored on their mobile phone, instead of on a passport microchip.
The e-passport will contain a 64 KB chip that will have all details of the passport-holder. The move will help crack down on trafficking and fake passports.
The ECI needs to respond to Rahul Gandhi’s accusations professionally and transparently. Else, it will end up giving him the ammunition he is desperately seeking.
India’s industrial output growth saw a 10-month low in June, with Index of Industrial Production (IIP) growing by mere 1.5% as against 1.9% in May 2025.
Gen Dwivedi framed Op Sindoor not just as retaliation to Pahalgam, but as demonstration of India’s capability to fight multi-domain conflicts with integration between services & agencies.
Standing up to America is usually not a personal risk for a leader in India. Any suggestions of foreign pressure unites India behind who they see as leading them in that fight.
COMMENTS