The online Passport Appointment Booking process has been changed by Indian Government on 1st June. But this change was bad compare to the old one because it is very harassing. This time government has made the online payment mandatory for passport application. This change was first come in effect on 1st June as a testing mode in Deharadun and on 21st June most of the Psk started the online Payment as well as challan payment method. This change was done due to the non availability of the passport appointment. I want to congratulates Ministry of external affairs for this step because due to this step the non visiting to kendra was reduce so Psk will efficiently use their full capacity. With the launch of online payment based appointment booking process now applicants will be required to make payment at the time of booking appointment on the government's website. This was a great change but the appointment booking process is completely hell like. When the online appointment booking process come to effect first they shows the Appointment date and time, and every Psk having their own rules of the slots opening timing. Every person was able to decide whether they want to choose this date or not. But in the new process server will automatically allot the date and time. Even they will get allotted appointment of the next day compare to the older system no one will allotted the appointment of the next day. Compare to the older system here is no way to book appointment according to our convenient date and time. And now the appointment taking  So this is the most worst step which was taken by Indian Government.
Now I am going to explain the full process of New Passport Appointment Booking System.

According to the new process one must have to make payment prior to the manage appointment. There is two way to make payment Online payment using Debit/Credit card and Internet Banking and Challan Payment.
Doing Payment for Passport Application using challan payment is the best method to make the payment to secure appointment. In this process you have to 

Regarding the Online Passport appointment booking system, it looks like some smart agents and geeks are using the decaptcha system (e.g. http://decaptcha.net/, Death By Captcha) to bypass the code to enter in order to Passport appointment Booking. I even got a message from a geek that for Rs.2000/- he will get the passport appointment booking on any day at any Passport Seva centre. This is not good at all for the general public as agents will mint money using technology available only to them. And if it’s confirmed true, we should definitely escalate it to the MoE technical team. Probably, a little more ethical and smart way of getting appointment is explained by Sulaiman in his comment here

Update 30-Apr-2011: Following escalation from media (especially The Hindu), the MoE has decided to take further steps to clean up the backlog. In the month of May, walk in is possible and token based services will be provided in addition to increased number of appointments per day. Please read the Hindu article for details.

Update on 28-Apr-2011: I wrote this post during the initial days of PSK launch in Bangalore and Chandigarh. Since then, the service quality at PSK seem to have gone down drastically as you can read from the comments many frustrated citizens. Basically, TCS & the passport office team are not able to handle the volume with just 2 PSKs in Bangalore. Moreover, the online system is unable to take the appointment request load as well. Today’s Hindu paper has detailed these problems in their article titled “Easy passport to frustration“. While they fix the problems, let us write to the Ministry of External Affairs to urgently look into the disastrous situation. Email addresses are available on their website

The old post continues…

Today is an memorable day for me as a citizen of India. On this day, I experienced the best ever quality service possible from a government organization i.e. the Indian Passport application via the Passport Seva Kendra in Marathahalli Bangalore.

The Passport Seva Kendras are part of the pilot project by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA_, Government of India. This project aims to speed up and simplify the passport application process and is now available on a pilot basis in Bangalore and Chandigarh. Applying the passport online is better than ever before and I will tell you why.


The following is what I had to do to obtain passport, for my children, online.

Step 1: Go to India Passport Website and signup for a user account. Make sure that the Date of Birth of the applicant accurately – this will be matched against the appointment later.

Step 2: Download the eFile PDF application form and fill in your details offline. In the offline PDF form itself you can validate your entries and once you validate it you will get an XML file that you can upload to your account. In addition you have to upload the scanned copies of your address proof, date of birth proof etc. For every category of applicants (e.g. children under 15, NRI adult etc) there is online help available as to which documents are required to be uploaded.

Step 3: Once the valid documents are uploaded, take an online appointment for your nearest PSK (Passport Seva Kendra). In Bangalore, the Marathahalli Passport Seva kendra is supposed to be the best. You will usually get an online appointment within 10 days of uploading the application form and supporting documents but you also have the option of walking in the very next day.

Step 4: On the appointment date, be present 10-15 minutes before the appointment to first validate your appointment at the security gate. Remember, you DO NOT need to carry your photograph copies. After the appointment validation, you obtain a system token and wait in the lounge to be called. The token numbers are displayed on large LCD screens and that tells you the impressive speed at which they handle their customers. You ideally will not wait for more than 15 minutes before your number is called out. Move to the desk number – there are more than 50 of them and provide your photocopies there. If you forgot to take photocopies, you can obtain high quality photocopies in the lounge at Re. 1 per copy.

At this desk, you will pay the fees, take your thumb impressions and the digital photo. The desk assistant then will bundle all these together as a neat file and you have to proceed to the passport official who will check the originals against the copies.

As the last step, the grant officer (Assistant Passport Officer, I think) will grant you – or seldom reject – the passport. You can check the status of your passport application online as well. Before moving out they will hand over an acknowledgment to you.

Typically kids passports are sent out within 3 business days and adults’ (or wherever police verification is required) within 5 to 7 business days. And that’s extremely fast!


Well trained, young and extremely friendly staff at the front desks. They are very well motivated as well, even the security guards there are friendly
Extremely fast handling of files from desk to desk
Priority queue for the physically challenged, senior citizens, pregnant ladies etc
Very good infrastructure – including photocopy service, sitting lounge, display/announcement systems, paid parking and number of desks
The online systems are more or less bug free and functional most times. It’s developed and supported by Tata Consultancy Services, I was told
Overall, it was a very pleasant experience – a pleasant surprise really.


There are hardly any improvement areas. However, I thought, once you already submitted the documents online, they didn’t have to reload them once again. I saw the lady doing it once again. Perhaps a bug?

While in most cases, there are only 3-4 documents required, sometimes it could be 5 but the online system allow uploading of only 4 documents per passport application form. Also, the address line length in the online form is slightly short.

At the moment, there are four such PSKs in Karnataka. I hope that every state will soon get 4-5 PSKs to make the passport application process smooth and super fast. We, Bangaloreans are privileged for now.


Having lived in Bangalore for more than 12 years, I have been a big fan of Shri. S.M. Krishna since he was the Chief Minister of the state. Now, I am extremely delighted that his leadership in the MEA has resulted excellent improvement in the passport application process. I wish him and his team the very best and a big THANK YOU for making our lives easier.

For those who are in Bangalore, I suggest that you visit the Marathahalli PSK than the Lalbagh one which is still building some of the facilities I hear.

Ok. Now that I have the passport with me, I thought of recording my learnings for posterity. Four visits to the passport office and I know a thing or two.

The Indian government Passport Management System works (It is the software that handles passport processing data). So be humble about your opinion on the sarkari processes… you just need to know how to get your work done in this vast government machinery. Which is what this blog is about. 24 simple tips that you won’t get in the official website or in any consumer complaint websites.

1. Take time to fill the form carefully, honestly and neatly. If you have any queries, check. Be sure that you will be caught for any mistake coz the Indian government Passport Management System works. Check out the link for the various mistakes that can be addressed with a penalty at http://passport.gov.in/cpv/penalty.htm . Make sure you don’t commit those mistakes.


2. You need to take a token to submit the passport application form. Online application is available for certain cities where you can book an online appointment (date and time) and so skip the token procedure completely. That would help you skip the standing in the token queue (See more on queues under the Queues sub section). Check out the cities with the Online registration option on https://passport.gov.in/pms/Information.jsp .

3. Keep the receipt safely till you get your passport.



If you are reading this blog then chances are that you haven’t got your passport for some reason that you don’t know. And you are figuring out just what to do.


Passport status

4. Passport status can be checked on the website http://passport.gov.in/  or http://passportstatus.nic.in/ .


5. The message in the status will not tell you what is wrong exactly which is when you would feel lost and helpless and curse the ‘system’. Fretting wont help you. Nor will the person lending you a sympathetic ear. Read on…


Email queries

6. Email to grv.jscpv@mea.gov.in  would get you a response but not a detailed one. You can visit your cities passport office home page too for some email Ids and phone numbers. But it wont help.



Visit the RPO

7. The only way to move your file is to visit the RPO. Chances are that you will have to visit the RPO a few times before anything happens.


8. In Delhi, the RPO’s don’t meet any visitors on wednesday. Check which day is applicable for your city.


9. In the Delhi passport office, RPO for Tatkaal sits in the ground floor and the RPO of the general category sits on the first floor. Don’t expect a swanky office space. Your tax may not really have been put to great use. The office is dusty and congested. Be prepared.


10. People around will complain about how sarkari the place is etc etc etc etc etc etc… etc. Don’t bother to contribute. It will only exhaust you in the already stuffy place and make you irritable. That won’t help when the RPO asks you to visit again and the thought of all the queues, travel and leave from office engulf you. Expect the worst. Smile, say OK and never question the RPO.



Queues!!

11. You don’t need to take a token to visit the RPO if you have already applied for the passport. But you need to show the receipt of the payment made for the passport application. So the token queue can be skipped.


12. If you are in Delhi, then this is the timing for the queue:


a. Token queue starts at 9.30 am. If you need a token then be there by 8.45 am coz by then the queue starts building up.

b. The entry to the building starts at 10:00 am and once the entry starts, the queue moves smoothly. If you want to meet the Tatkal RPO or if you have an online appointment there is no need to come before 10:00.

c. If you want to meet the RPO in the general category, then you could come by 9.30 am to be slightly ahead in the queue.


13. Don’t try to jump the queue. Especially the one outside the RPO’s office! You can’t use gender, age and other sympathy generators. No one will help you. So don’t expect any help. (By the way, Senior citizens can skip the main entrance queue but only their spouses can accompany them. Don’t call in on your ageing parents or grandparents just to skip the queue! The Indian Government is ahead of you on this one. There is a notice right outside with this message).

14. The officials come in only after 10:30 am and most by 11:00 am. So you cannot really avoid the waiting part.

15. Once the officials are there the queues move forward fairly quickly.

16. You maybe asked to stand in another queue if you have to pay a fine or get some document checked. Bear it with a smile.



What to carry in all your follow up visits to the passport office (This should save you another trip or two to the passport office)

17. Carry 4 sets of personal particulars form (or PP form). You might need 2 or 3 but why take a chance.

18. Passport size photographs. To be safe carry the same version as in your application form.

19. A few blank pages incase you are asked to submit any application

20. Stationary – Pen, Glue stick, stapler etc

21. Originals and photocopy of the various documents that you are/were required to submit with your passport application.



RTI (Right to information)

22. If nothing works, you can try RTI. The common man has no clue how RTI works, so here is my contribution – Just write a letter to the PIO (Public Information Officer) of the department requesting for the information you seek along with a Rs 10.00 postal money order. Send the letter via speedpost and keep the receipt. You can get the address of the PIO of the concerned passport office at http://passport.gov.in/cpv/RTI.htm .

23. You can followup with an email to uscpvrti@mea.gov.in if you wish.



Bribing

24. Don’t even think about it! (I did not think of it either). The Indian government Passport Management System works. And you should go through the procedure.


To repeat myself yet again - the Indian government Passport Management System works. You just need to figure out what to do. And no, there are no shortcuts. If you did not get your passport for whatever reason and regardless of whether it was your fault or not, you have to go through the government procedure And yes, it is just like the television serial Office-Office. Grin and bear and you will receive your passport - finally.

New process to apply for Indian Passport

The new passport application process at Passport Seva Kendra of
Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.
With this new project, MEA has tried to make process simpler for
citizens to get new/reissue passport.
Here is the process + tips in very brief.

Before going to Passport Seva Kendra (PSK), you can do following from
home to save time, else these can be done on reaching there:

1. Visit http://www.passportindia.gov.in/ and register. On the main
page, there is a link to find list of documents required. Collect all
necessary documents before applying.
Note for those applying for minors: It is mandatory to have spouse
name endorsed on at least one parent's passport.

2. Go to the link which says "Apply for Fresh Passport". A
step-by-step wizard like interface will help you fill the details.
Remember to save it after filling in each page. You can take break in
between, retrieve your form later and continue.

3. After filling the form, check the details and submit it by pressing
"submit" button.

4. You can upload documents also using the same interface, but that
link was not working when I check 2 days back.

5. At this stage, it is advisable to book appointment. With
appointment, you need not go to PSK and stand in queue. Remember to go
at least 30-45 min before the appointment time.

6. After booking the appointment, you can print the application
receipt which you have to carry to PSK.

Steps at PSK:

7. Go to the counter which says "Tokens". There you show your
application receipt and get a token.

8. In the waiting area, keep an eye on the display. They do not
announce the token numbers, you have to watch your token number on the
display. Display shows a list formatted like table_number -
token_number. Table numbers are like Axx, Token numbers are like
Qy-zz.
note: if you have forgot to take any photocopies, thre is a
photocopier available here. Also there are restrooms and tea counter.

9. When your token number is displayed, go to the assigned table (Axx)
and submit the documents. There they will take photo and fingerprints.
No need to take your own photos to PSK. You also need to submit the
documents there. They will collect the application fees here only.

10. Processing at these counters (CSE counters) numbers Axx take about
20 min. Then you need to go to Verification Officer counters which are
numbered (Bx). For this, again your token number will be displayed at
the display telling which Bx counter you need to go.

11. At VO counter your originals are examined. So remember to carry
them. If you are appying under Tatkal scheme, tell about it here.

12. If yours is a Tatkal application, your VO will sind you to VO
counter again for paying the additional Tatkal fees. Sadly this takes
time because the system puts you at the end of queue.

13. After paying tatkal fees, you again have to go to a VO counter.
Sadly this is required by the system, though not necessary.

14. If yours was not a tatkal application or if you completed steps 12
& 13, you need to go to a Granting Officer (GO) counter. These are
numbered Cx. Again you have to wait for your token to be displayed on
the display.

15. Based on your documents, if everything is fine, GO will approve
your passport. The GO and VO counters take 5 minutes each.

16. After this, last thing is to collect your application
acknowledgement near the exit gate. It contains the FILE NUMBER (very
important).

I hope I have captured all items. Since the process is new, and still
evolving, there may be some change by the time you apply.

Psk	Timing	Normal	Tatkaal
Ahmedabad	02:00 PM	800	1200
Amritsar	05:00 PM	500	600
Bangalore	06:30 PM	500	600
Bareilly	04:00 PM	1000	1000
Bhopal	11:00 AM	500	600
Bhubaneswar	11:00 AM	500	600
Chandigarh	11:00 AM	500	600
Chennai	02:30 PM	500	600
Cochin	01:30 PM	500	600
Coimbatore	01:30 PM	500	600
Dehradun	04:00 PM	500	600
Delhi	06:00 PM	500	600
Ghaziabad	07:00 PM	500	600
Goa	11:30 AM	500	600
Guwahati	11:00 AM	500	600
Hyderabad	04:30 PM	500	600
Jaipur	01:00 PM	500	600
Jalandhar	11:00 AM	500	600
Jammu	04:00 PM	500	600
Kolkata	03:30 PM	800	1200
Kozhikode	01:30 PM	500	600
Lucknow	07:00 PM	1000	1000
Madurai	02:30 PM	500	600
Malappuram	12:30 PM	500	600
Mumbai	03:00 PM	800	1200
Nagpur	03:00 PM	500	600
Patna	11:00 AM	500	600
Pune	12:00 PM	500	600
Raipur	11:00 AM	500	600
Ranchi	11:00 AM	500	600
Shimla	11:00 AM	500	600
Srinagar	11:00 AM	500	600
Surat	01:00 PM	800	1200
Thane	03:00 PM	800	1200
Trichy	02:30 PM	500	600
Trivandrum	12:30 PM	500	600
Visakhapatnam	05:30 PM	2000	2000

Passport Appointment

Psk	Timing	Normal	Tatkaal
Ahmedabad	02:00 PM	800	1200
Amritsar	05:00 PM	500	600
Bangalore	06:30 PM	500	600
Bareilly	04:00 PM	1000	1000
Bhopal	11:00 AM	500	600
Bhubaneswar	11:00 AM	500	600
Chandigarh	11:00 AM	500	600
Chennai	02:30 PM	500	600
Cochin	01:30 PM	500	600
Coimbatore	01:30 PM	500	600
Dehradun	04:00 PM	500	600
Delhi	06:00 PM	500	600
Ghaziabad	07:00 PM	500	600
Goa	11:30 AM	500	600
Guwahati	11:00 AM	500	600
Hyderabad	04:30 PM	500	600
Jaipur	01:00 PM	500	600
Jalandhar	11:00 AM	500	600
Jammu	04:00 PM	500	600
Kolkata	03:30 PM	800	1200
Kozhikode	01:30 PM	500	600
Lucknow	07:00 PM	1000	1000
Madurai	02:30 PM	500	600
Malappuram	12:30 PM	500	600
Mumbai	03:00 PM	800	1200
Nagpur	03:00 PM	500	600
Patna	11:00 AM	500	600
Pune	12:00 PM	500	600
Raipur	11:00 AM	500	600
Ranchi	11:00 AM	500	600
Shimla	11:00 AM	500	600
Srinagar	11:00 AM	500	600
Surat	01:00 PM	800	1200
Thane	03:00 PM	800	1200
Trichy	02:30 PM	500	600
Trivandrum	12:30 PM	500	600
Visakhapatnam	05:30 PM	2000	2000