On Friday, the government announced new passport rules aimed at simplifying and easing the process of issuing passport. The new passport rules simplify the process of application for single parents, orphaned children and sadhus.
To start with, eight different documents will now be accepted as proof of date of birth.
As per the existing provisions of the Passport Rules, 1980, all the applicants born on or after 26 January 1989, mandatorily submit the birth certificate as the proof of date of birth. The government has now decided that applicants can submit any of the following eight documents as the proof of date of birth while submitting the passport application.
- Birth certificate issued by the Registrar of Births and Deaths or the Municipal Corporation or any other prescribed authority whosoever has been empowered under the Registration of Birth and 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 recognised educational board.
- PAN card issued by the Income Tax Department.
- Aadhaar Card or e-Aadhaar.
- 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 or certified by the officer or in-charge of the administration of the concerned ministry or department of the applicant.
- Driving licence issued by the transport department of concerned state government.
- Election photo identity card issued by the Election Commission of India.
- Policy bond issued by the Public Life Insurance Corporations/Companies of the holder of the insurance policy.
Simplified Rules for Single Parents
A three-member committee with officials of the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Women and Child Development was constituted to examine various issues pertaining to passport applications where mother and child has insisted that the name of the father should not be mentioned in the passport.
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 would enable single parents to apply for passports for their children.
Only Self-Declaration From Now On
All the annexes that are required to be given by the applicants would be in the form of a self-declaration on a plain paper. No attestation before any notary, executive magistrate or first-class judicial magistrate would be henceforth necessary.
No Affidavit or Marriage Certificate Required for Married Applicants
Married applicants would not be required to provide any marriage certificate.
Name of Spouse Not Required for Separated, Divorced Applicants
The passport application form does not require the applicant to provide the name of her/his spouse in case of separated or divorced persons. Such applicants for passports would not be required to provide even the divorce decree.
Provision for Orphaned Children
Orphaned children who do not have any proof of date of birth, such as birth certificate or the matriculation certificate or the declaratory court order, may now submit a declaration given by the head of the orphanage or child care home on the official letter-head of the organisation confirming the date of birth of the applicant.
For Domestically Adopted Children
In case of issue of passport to in-country domestically adopted children, submission of the registered adoption deed would no longer be required. In the absence of any deed to this effect, the passport applicant may give a declaration on a plain paper confirming the adoption.
Government Servants Without an NOC
Government servants, who are not able to obtain the identity certificate or no-objection certificate from their concerned employer and intend to get the passport on urgent basis, can now get the passport by submitting a self-declaration that he/she has given prior intimation letter to his/her employer, informing that he/she was applying for an ordinary passport to a passport issuing authority.
For Sadhus, Sanyasis
Sadhus and sanyasis can apply for a passport with the name of their spiritual guru mentioned in the passport application in lieu of their biological parent(s) name(s) subject to their providing at least one public document, such as election photo identity card issued by the Election Commission of India, PAN card, Aadhaar Card, wherein the name of the guru has been recorded against the column(s) for parent(s) name(s).
(Source: Factly)
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