Instead of rushing to passport authorities in the last minute seeking passports, students have been advised to apply for passports in advance.
In the recent past, a number of students approached the passport office here for passports, citing urgent reasons such as higher studies and employment opportunities. In most of the cases, the officials could not oblige due to various administrative reasons. Hence, the authorities have started visiting educational institutions across the region to create awareness of the procedures involved in getting a passport, which may help the students avoid last minute rush.
Speaking at The American College here on Wednesday, Passport Officer (Madurai Region) S. Maniswararaja said that applicants could visit the two Passport Seva Kendras – at Kochadai in Madurai and in Tirunelveli – after online registration.
While it took several days for getting appointment in big cities such as Chennai and Kolkatta, the PSKs in the region granted appointments at the shortest possible time. For instance, an applicant who registered online on Monday would get an appointment on Tuesday or the next working day, he noted.
After explaining in detail the steps involved in applying for a fresh passport and the documents to be furnished such as birth certificate and address proof, he cautioned about the consequences of submitting fake documents and the punishment as per the Indian Passports Act.
Special cases
To ensure swift processing for college students, the passport officials would organise exclusive walk-in interviews as special cases, if the number of applicants was high. “They need not register online and can visit the office. We can process the applications,” he said, adding educational institutions were also welcome to organise awareness programmes on their campuses in which the passport officials would participate.
Answering questions from the students, Mr. Maniswararaja said that birth certificate and proper proof of address were essential. Minor changes in birth certificates were admissible. Photographs were not required for obtaining passports as the PSK staff would capture the picture of the applicants at the time of processing their applications.
The fee for obtaining a passport in the normal course was Rs. 1,500. Any applicant born after January 26, 1989 had to produce the birth certificate. If an applicant was born in a house, a certificate from the VAO concerned was required, he noted.
He also clarified doubts about two categories of passport – ECR (Emigration Check Required) and ECNR (Emigration Check Not Required). If a person had lost the passport issued in the past, he/she should disclose the details, he stressed.
