Marking the 13th Passport Seva Divas, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday said that Seva (service), Sushasan (good governance), and Garib Kalyan (welfare of the poor) form the three foundational pillars of governance that will guide India towards becoming a Viksit Bharat (developed nation).
In a post on X, the Minister praised passport authorities in India and abroad for their efforts to enhance service delivery and citizen empowerment. “Your commendable efforts, guided by Seva, Sushasan and Garib Kalyan, are instrumental to ensuring ease of travel, deepening access to the global workplace and empowering the citizen,” he wrote.
Jaishankar outlined recent achievements in the passport ecosystem, noting that passport issuance has seen a sharp rise- from over 91 lakh in 2014 to 1.46 crore in 2024. He also announced the rollout of the Passport Seva Programme Version 2.0 (PSP V2.0), which will leverage advanced technology to improve efficiency, transparency and user experience. The pilot of the Global PSP 2.0 is under way and will be extended to Indian missions worldwide in a phased manner.
Highlighting the government’s push towards digitalisation, the Minister said the introduction of e-Passports would allow contactless verification at immigration, easing international travel for Indian citizens. He also mentioned that the mPassport Police App has helped reduce police verification time to 5–7 days in 25 States and Union Territories.
Expanding access to services, 10 new Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs) were opened in the last year, including the 450th centre inaugurated in Kushinagar in April 2025.
Congratulating all those involved in the passport delivery ecosystem, Jaishankar said, “I take this opportunity to congratulate everyone for their dedication in rendering passport and related services collectively to our citizens. Happy Passport Seva Divas!”
