The Indian Government has
announced new passport rules aimed at simplifying and easing the process of
issue of passport. The new passport rules also simplify the process of
application for single parents, orphaned children etc. The changes have thus
been notified.
In one of the most major
changes, eight (8) different documents will now be accepted as proof of Date of
Birth (DOB). As per the existing provisions of the Passport Rules, 1980, all
applicants born on or after 26th January 1989 must mandatorily submit a Birth
Certificate as the proof of Date of Birth (DOB). Changing this rule, the
government has now decided that applicants can submit any of the following
eight (8) documents as the proof of DOB while submitting the passport
application:
- Birth Certificate (BC)
issued by the Registrar of Births & Deaths, or the Municipal
Corporation, or any other prescribed authority whosoever has been
empowered under the Registration of Birth & Deaths Act, 1969 to
register the birth of a child born in India.
- Transfer or School-Leaving
or Matriculation Certificate issued by the school last attended, or by the
recognized educational board containing the DOB of the applicant.
- PAN Card issued by the
Income Tax Department with the DOB of applicant.
- Aadhar Card/E-Aadhar
having the DOB of applicant.
- Copy of the extract of
the service record of the applicant (only in respect of Government
servants) or the Pay Pension Order (in respect of retired Government
Servants), duly attested/certified by the officer/in-charge of the
Administration of the concerned Ministry/Department of the applicant,
having his DOB.
- Driving licence issued
by the Transport Department of the concerned State Government, having the
DOB of the applicant.
- Election Photo
Identity Card (EPIC) issued by the Election Commission of India having the
DOB of applicant.
- Policy Bond issued by
the Public Life Insurance Corporations/Companies having the DOB of the
holder of the insurance policy.
Simplified rules for various sections of society
Provision for Single
Parents: 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 allows single parents to apply for passports for their children and to
also issue passports where the issuing authority cannot print the name of
either the father or the mother, at the request of the applicant.
Number of Annexures reduced: The new rules bring
down the total number of Annexures prescribed in the Passport Rule, 1980, to
nine from the present 15. They have removed Annexes A, C, D, E, J, and K,
and merged certain Annexes.
Only Self-Declaration from
now on: All
the required annexes will now be self-declarations on plain paper. No
attestation/swearing by/before any Notary/Executive Magistrate/First Class
Judicial Magistrate will henceforth be necessary.
No affidavit/Marriage
Certificate required for married applicants: Applications now don’t require married
applicants to provide Annexure K/marriage certificate.
Spouse’s Name not required
for separated/divorced applicants: Passport applications now don’t require a spouse’s name for
separated/divorced persons. There is even no requirement of the Divorce Decree.
Provision for Orphaned
children : Orphaned Children without proof of DOB may now submit a
declaration. The declaration – by the Head of the Orphanage/Child Care Home on
their official letter head – confirms the applicant’s DOB.
Children not born out of a
wedlock: Applications
for children not born out of wedlock need only Annexure G.
For domestically adopted
children: Applications
for in-country domestically adopted children no longer requires submission of
the registered adoption deed. In the absence of a deed, the passport applicant
may give a declaration on a plain paper confirming the adoption.
Government Servants without
a NOC: Government
servants sometimes cannot obtain the Identity Certificate (Annexure-B)/NOC
(Annexure-M) from their employer. They can now get the passport by submitting a
self-declaration in Annexure-‘N’. The declaration must state that they
have informed their employer, that they are applying for an ordinary
passport.