Passport application process in Patna.

One of my Reader write this post. If anyone having any doubt please tell us.

Every time I have to go to any government office I shiver in anticipation. My last passport was issued from Patna 10 years back. It was a very long and painful process. My passport was rejected the first time due to negative police verification process. But after doing few rounds of passport office and some jugaad it was finally reissued after 1 year of applying.

My passport expired last year so I had to get it renewed. The process has changed a lot and it is a lot easier and user friendly now. The whole front office process has been outsourced to TCS. There are PSK in every state. You have to go to the PSK to submit your passport application. You'll find both TCS as well as government officers at the PSK. My experience at Patna Passport office was quite good.

Patna Passport office is located on Ashiyana Digha road. To reach there, you drive straight on Bailey road. After Raja Bazaar you take right turn. It is hardly 200 meters on Ashiyana Digha road.

For the information of all the readers who wish to apply to passport office Patna I am writing down the whole procedure.

The first step is to register you-self at passport seva portal. The process is online now. So you would not be able to apply unless you have an account on passport seva portal.

Download relevant application form. Fill it in correctly and save it on you laptop/PC. When you save the PDF an xml file is generated as well. Upload this XML. Yes, you are right. It seems a bit weird that you upload XML and the actual PDF. Probably guy who wrote this webpage at TCS assumed everyone was a techie like him.

After uploading the XML, you'll have to schedule an appointment for Patna. That is a tricky part. Like everything else in our country getting an appointment for passport office is not east. Best time to try for appointment is 3:55 pm. One more thing now the Appointment opening time for patna PSK is changing to 11 am instead of 4 pm from 11th march. You must have high speed internet connection as appointment slots get filled up very fast. Another time is Monday mornings after 8 am.

My experience at Patna PSK was kinda mixed. It was extremely chaotic. They did not care much about appointment time. I entered PSK at 2:30 pm for 2:45 pm appointment and finally came out at 6:30 pm. It took 2 hours to get the token. And another 2 hours  to meet all the officials.

You'll have to meet 2-3 guys in the PSK. The first person you meet will be someone from TCS. He'll check your documents and tell you whether you can proceed further or you need more document. For reissue they asked me only first 2 and last 2 copies of old passport as there was no change in my details and address.

After that I was directed to another cabin area where my documents were collected, finger prints were taken and cash collected. All this was done by TCS guy who seemed very friendly. Now you do not have to carry any photos with you. It'll be taken by the same at the PSK. No need to make demand drafts for fee payment. You can pay cash.

After that I was directed to another cabin area. There I had to wait for sometime. A sarkari babu called me to his desk. Verified my photo and cancelled my old passport. He did not speak much. He went mute after that. My further attempts at getting more clues about what next went blank. So anyway I moved to the next cabin. It was 4:30 pm. There was a huge crowd in this cabin. Apparently all the Talkal cases had to be cleared by passport officer. So if you are applying for a talkal passport you'll have to meet this guy. Anyway not knowing what to do I just waited. Around 6:30 pm, someone from PSK told everyone who was not for Talkal could leave after collecting a slip from the security. 

I left at 6:30 pm. I was somewhat annoyed at total mismanagement at the PSK. They could have made it better.

I had applied on 16th July 2012. Status on online seva portal on 18th July was -
Passport application has been granted to applicant on 17/07/2012. Your application is under processing. You would receive an email/sms once the passport is dispatched.  

Now there are various categories of police verification. For some application police verification is done before the passport is issued. For some applicants, passport is issued even before the police verification is done and for some no police verification is done. You can find out type of police verification from the receipt you get at the PSK.

Status on 19th July :
Passport application has been granted to applicant on 18/07/2012. Your application is under processing. You would receive an email/sms once the passport is dispatched.

Status on 20th July:
Passport application has been granted and Police Verification Report has been submitted. You would receive an email/sms once the passport is dispatched.

Status on 20th July evening:
Passport ZXXXXXX has been dispatched on 19/07/2012 via Speed Post. Speed Post Tracking Number is XXXXXXX.

I received my passport on 22nd July or 23rd July.On 29th July I got a call from my local police station. They asked me to come down to the police station with witnesses. Now you have to sign at the police station in presence of witnesses. And that form is sent by passport office to the local police. So you must go and sign it. You can't just pay bribe and get it done. Your signature is must.

Good thing is first I got the passport and then I got call for police verification. If I ignore the inconvenience at PSK due to passport officials, everything went smoothly. I have my passport within one week of applying. Every step of application procedure was traceable.

Appointment Opening Timing for Different Psk in India

Today I am going to share The Passport appointment booking opening timing for various RPO & PSK in India. I will separate them using time slot for the Passport office. Please locate your Passport office and find the appointment opening time.

RPO & PSK With server opening timing 1 PM

1. Cochin Passport Office
• Alappuzha Psk
• Aluva, Ernakulam Psk
• Kottayam Psk
• Thrissur Psk
• Tripunithura, Cochin Psk
2. Coimbatore RPO
• Coimbatore Psk
3. Jaipur RPO
• Jaipur
• Jodhpur
• Sikar
4. Khozikode RPO
• Kannur Psk
• Kozhikode Psk
• Payyanur, Kannur Psk
• Vadakara, Kozhikode Psk
5. Malappuram Passport
• Malappuram Psk
6. Surat RPO
• Surat Psk
7. Trivandrum RPO
• Kollam Psk
• Neyyattinkara, Trivandrum Psk
• Vazhuthacaud, Trivandrum Psk

RPO & PSK With server opening timing 2 PM

1. Ahmedabad RPO
• Ahmedabad Mithakali
• Ahmedabad Vijay Char Rasta
• Rajkot
• Vadodra
2. Chennai RPO
• Aminijikarai Psk
• Saligramam Psk
• Tambaram Psk
3. Madurai RPO
• Madurai Psk
• Tirunelveli Psk
4. Trichy RPO
• Trichy Psk
• Thanjavur Psk

RPO & PSK With server opening timing 3 PM

1. Bhubaneswar RPO
• Bhubaneswar Psk
2. Guwahati RPO
• Guwahati Psk
3. Kolkata RPO
• Kolkata Psk
• Behrampore Psk
4. Mumbai RPO
• Malad Psk
• Andheri Psk
• Lower Parel Psk
5. Nagpur RPO
• Nagpur Psk
6. Pune RPO
• Pune Psk
7. Thane RPO
• Thane Psk
• Nasik Psk

RPO & PSK With server opening timing 4 PM

1. Bareilly RPO
• Bareilly Psk
2. Bhopal RPO
• Bhopal  Psk
3. Dehradun RPO
• Dehradun Psk
4. Goa RPO
• Panaji Psk
5. Hyderabad RPO
• Ameerpet Psk
• Begumpet Psk
• Nizamabad Psk
• Tirupathi Psk
• Toli Chowki Psk
• Vijayawada Psk
6. Jammu RPO
• Jammu Psk
7. Lucknow RPO
• Gorakhpur Psk
• Kanpur Psk
• Lucknow Psk
• Varanasi Psk
8. Patna RPO
• Patna Psk
9. Raipur RPO
• Raipur Psk
10. Ranchi RPO
• Ranchi Psk
11. Shimla RPO
• Shimla Psk
12. Srinagar RPO
• Srinagar Psk

RPO & PSK With server opening timing 5 PM

1. Amritsar RPO
• Amritsar Psk
2. Chandigarh RPO
• Ambala Psk
• Chandigarh Psk
• Ludhiana Psk
3. Jalandhar RPO
• Hoshiarpur Psk
• Jalandhar Psk (Guru Nanak Mission Chowk)
• Jalandhar Psk (Nakodar Chowk, Mahavir Marg)
4. Visakhapatnam Passport office
• Visakhapatnam Psk

RPO & PSK With server opening timing 6 PM

1. Bangalore RPO
•  Bangalore, Lalbagh Psk
• Bangalore, Sai Arcade Psk
• Hubli-Dharwad Psk
• Mangalore Psk
2. Delhi Passport
• Gurgaon Psk
• Herald House - ITO  Psk
• R K Puram Psk
• Shalimar Place Psk
3. Ghaziyabad Passport office
• Ghaziyabad Psk

Whats new in passport appointment online process

Want to leave for a vacation at the soonest possible time? You can do it through online passport application. One may think that it cannot be possible but it is possible now a days. This is because online passport application and online appointment for passport are now offered through the use of internet. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has also taken the advantage of online passport application and other online transactions like appointment online concerning the agency. With that effort, the agency has launched the website Passport Seva where everybody can avail the services of the agency at the most convenient way possible.

You may think that availing your passport and appointment online is not good as it is not part of the norms that people are used to. But looking into it critically, you may know its different advantages as compared to other modes of application. One is convenience. This is because an applicant no longer need to stand in long queue, now just fill up online form, get passport appointment online and visit your preferred PSK. What is more important is all these (get passport appointment online) can be done at the comfort of one’s home. Another thing convenient in online passport application through appointment online portal is that you do not have to spend much which can be true especially if you come from a far place. The more exciting part that you would appreciate in having your online passport application form from www.passportindia.gov.in is the easiness in navigating the website. This is true as the website is designed to be used by all kinds of clients even those who are not that knowledgeable in using computers and the internet.

However, there are also things that you should remember in having pass port from this website. One of them is that passport servicing has its limited passport appointment online slots everyday but slots are available on a daily basis. Also, if applicants failed to secure appointment online , they can always visit their concerned RPO. However, such applicants should fill the applications that are available online to easily facilitate their requests. In addition, applicants should be sure enough of the schedule that they must be in the RPO or otherwise if they miss their schedule, the office and the website have the right to delete their application and the information that they gave. Applicants should also be frugal enough to provide the necessary information needed to process their travel documents to avoid delays. Applicants should be worried about the information that they provide to us because they are in safe hands.

Online application such as the one offered by www.passportindia.gov.in is a thing that is mostly patronized now a days. This is because of the convenience that such service provides to its clients. For this and in the case of this website, clients will surely appreciate transacting with this website as it can be done with much comfort and easiness.

Experience of Gurgaon Passport office

This post was sent to me by one of my blog reader from Gurgaon, who is sharing his experience of Gurgaon passport office and help the reader who are not able to get passport appointment for gurgaon

Gurgaon Passport Seva Kendra

I am not very fond of going to a govt. offices and I think not many of us would be. There is always an exception but in general the ignorant, indifferent and inhuman attitude of the staff towards people and the work disgusts me.

My three and half year old son did not have a passport so I thought to apply for a minor tatkaal passport. As usual I did the due diligence by going through the internet forums/websites. There was a lot of information as well as confusion. It seems every RPO in this country has its own rule, so what might apply to Bangalore passport office might not hold true for online passport application Gurgaon office.

The system has also changed to online passport application since the last time I renewed in 2010. In February 2012 PSK project was launched, which is a partnership between TCS and the Government of India.

Right now there are two government websites serving different information regarding passport application. The old and defunct website http://passport.gov.in/ and the new website http://passportindia.gov.in. When you use google to search, the results are returned from both websites. This is some what confusing as many things  advocated on old website are no more applicable.

I live in Gurgaon so it was logical for me to go to Gurgaon PSK. The steps to online passport application Gurgaon are simple:

1. Visit http://www.passportindia.gov.in
2. Register yourself.
3. Login to the website.
4. Fill the online application form.
5. Take an online appointment for passport.
6. Get the printout of the appointment for passport in a sheet.
7. Take the documents required for application of passport (original and photocopy) with the passport appointment sheet.

For more help on Application process follow the link Application of passport.

Although these steps seem to be easy, the last step (#7) is where the complication occurs. On the official website there is a Document Advisory where you can enter the information about which kind of passport you want to apply for and it will show you the documents required. Everything works great except whatever it says is rubbish. In my case it said that I did not need Annexure F for minor tatkal which was not true. To be on the safer side I decided to go to the PSK and ask for the required documents.

MM Tower, Udyog Vihar, Gurgaon

Gurgaon PSK is located at MM Towers, Plot No. 8 & 9, Phase IV, Udyog Vihar, Gurgaon – 122002. If you are going from IFFCO Chowk then drive in the side lane instead of NH-8, else you will have to take a long detour. There is a sign board Atlas Chowk, from there turn left and go straight. Around 1 km you will see the MM tower on your left hand side. The location is easily accessible but the there is no parking (just 4-5 slots in front of the building), so you have to park on the road side. During my 4 visits I either went early or went with the driver to avoid any inconvenience.

There are few notary services located nearby so if you have to get any affidavit it can be easily done.

At the entrance the guard checks your online passport application for gurgaon sheet. I told him that I have come to ask few questions and he let me in. There is a token/information counter where I asked the staff about the documents required for minor tatkal application. He said:

1. Parent’s passport.
2. Marriage certificate or name endorsed of spouse in the passport.
3. Annexure H
4. Annexure I
5. Annexure F
6. Birth certificate.
7. Residence proof.

For full list of Documents visit Required documents for application of passport.

He also told that the child needs to be present.

1. Parent’s passport: We both have passport so no issue here. There is no need to get the photocopy attested by gazetted officer.
2. Marriage certificate or name endorsed of spouse in the passport: I have the name of my wife endorsed on my passport and we also have marriage certificate.
3. Annexure H: This is a declaration by both parents with signature. Just to be printed on plain paper. No need to be notarized.
4. Annexure I: This is an affidavit by the applicant but in case of minor it has to be written by parent. This needs to be printed on a low denomination stamp paper. If you go to the notary service they know what to write in there. The guy at the notary service charged me Rs 200 for printing it on Rs 10 stamp paper and notarizing it.
5. Annexure F: This is also known as VC (verification certificate). There are limited number of Govt. officials who can issue this certificate. The list is mentioned in the Annexure F form. There is a friend of my father at rail bhawan from whom I got this issued.
6. Birth Certificate: We have the birth certificate issued by NDMC.
7. Residence proof: If you have not lived at the same residence for last one year then you need to show the address proof of all previous residences. For Gurgaon residence I had only Bank account statement of a private sector bank. I went to the bank and got the printout of monthly bank statements (the one you get in the mail) signed by the staff. For previous residence I had Voter ID card.

I made 2 photocopies of all the documents and my wife and I self attested it. I printed out the passport application form and pasted a photo of my son and put a left hand thumb impression on it. Now next is to taking appointment online. I tried several times but unable to took the appointment online. At last I go through agent and he provided me the online appointment for passport @ 1500. I got an appointment for passport on Thursday, 4th October at 2:30pm. For tatkaal I got an appointment for passport Gurgaon on the next day but I have heard that for normal it take weeks.

Visit 1

We reached the PSK, Gurgaon at 2:15pm. I had the driver with me so parking was not an issue but things look chaotic on the road. There is Maruti Suzuki and other factories nearby so you see constant flow of trucks and trailers.

First you need to take the token at the reception. To get the token you have to stand in the queue. They have batch numbers which is a number allotted to a group of people according to online appointment time. Only people from the current batch (having same appointment group) need to stand in the queue. Things were little chaotic here but nothing compared to my earlier experience at Bhikaji Cama Place RPO. The whole setup is fully air conditioned with proper sitting arrangements. Also there is refreshment counter in case you get hungry or thirsty. There was also a photocopier installed.

At the token counter TCS staff does a preliminary scrutiny. If they approve it then all the photocopies are put in a file with a printed token sheet stapled at the top.

With this token you can enter inside the designated area. There are many electronic information boards where token numbers keep flashing with a counter number against it. When your token number flashes you have visit the respective counter. The whole process involve 4 steps  A Counter > B counter > C counter > Exit counter.

A counters at Gurgaon PSK

A Counter: There are approximately 15-20 A (A1, A2, A3 etc.) counters. Here the TCS staff takes your original document to scan and upload it. You can also upload the documents through the website, which I did, but the lady at the counter did it a fresh.Do not staple any document as the paper gets stuck in the document feeder of scanner. She printed the passport form again, so the one I brought with photo and thumb impressions was not used.

For 4 years and above they take a photo there only but my son was below that age so she took the photo I brought with me. Here is a funny moment, she asked about my three and half year old kid, “Can he sign?” I almost replied, “Yes, but he might not able to restrict his creative urge inside that small signature box”.

B counters at Gurgaon PSK

B Counter: Once you are through with A counter you have to go to B counter. There is nothing you have to do other than wait; your token will flash again with B counter information. There are three B counters (B1, B2 and B3) this is where the real deal starts. These are the passport officers which check your document. Unfortunately I had few shortcomings with Annexure F:

• Annexure F had to be on printed stationary (no computer printout) the one which comes out of printing press. They differentiate it by checking if emblem or logo is embossed or not.
• I had put the two addresses where I stayed for last one year under present address marked as i) and ii). The correct format is:
  Present address: Residing since [date] and then the address
  Previous address: Resided since [date] till [date]
• I did put NA in front of Permanent address. It has to be filled with present address in case you do not have a permanent address.

So for that day my journey ended there only. I asked the passport officer if I need to bring my son again, he said, that would not be required. This whole process took around two and half hours.
At the exit counter you have to deposit the file. On my file the staff wrote On hold and gave me an acknowledgement letter which mentioned that I can bring the required document from Mon to Fri, 9:00am till 10:30am

Visit 2

I went to the rail bhawan again on Friday, 5th October and got the new Annexure F with corrections. I took an online appointment for gurgaon passport office from that agent again paying the same charge for Monday, 8th October 9:00am. On that day I departed from home at 8:00am to beat the traffic. I reached at Gurgaon Passport office at around 8:30am. There were not many people around at that time and there was ample space for parking.

Road outside Gurgaon PSK

The PSK opened exactly at 9:00 am. I gave the new Annexure F at the token counter and he issued me a token number. I went to the counter A where the lady scanned the Annexure F and uploaded it. For some reason the work for the passport officers start at 10:00 am so despite being issued the first token, I had to wait.

This time I appeared in front of another passport officer. He checked the document and Okay it. Next was the C counter.

C Counter: This counter also has three desks C1, C2, C3. The passport officers here are senior to the one at B counters and their job is to scrutinize the documents again.  Here the officer rejected my Annexure F.

Annexure F has a fixed format (which can be downloaded from the website) in which there is a line which says “Applicant has been staying at his/her address continuously for the last one year”. This needs to be amended if the stay is less than a year. The officer who checked earlier should have pointed this out with other mistakes but then in govt. office the onus always lies with the applicant. I tried to argue this out since on the same form both the address have been mentioned with respective period of stay. I also went to APO (Assistant Passport Officer) but in vain. That lady did not look like decision making type. She even tried to convince me to covert that application to normal. I deposited my file again at the exit counter to be put on hold.

I visited the rail bhawan on the same day just after leaving the passport office and got that line changed to reflect the current tenure of residence.

Visit 3

I took an online appointment for passport on Tuesday, 9th October 9:00 am. This time I was issued a token number which said to visit APO. Yippie!! I was promoted. Seems second rejection was some kind of flag. If the junior officers start at 10:00 am so you cannot expect any less from their in-charge. She came at around 10:15 am. Thankfully I was first in the queue. She checked the document and said it was OK. She told me to go to C counter. I thought I will pick up from where I left yesterday but after C counter I had to go through the same drill again: A > B > C > Exit.

If you want to learn virtues like patience, humility then there is no place better than a govt. office. After having an unfruitful conversation with APO and TCS in-charge I went in to the queue again. By that time there were already lots of people. When I reached at the C counter again, it was more than 3 hours.

Despite having three counters there was only one officer at C1 since morning. A lady passport officer arrived at 12:30 pm but she did not seem in hurry. Finally my turn came. The officer at C1 counter cleared the VC this time.

Now all I had to do was deposit the file at exit counter and get the acknowledgement receipt.

On Thursday, 11th October I checked the status on website and it said, “Passport printed, ready for dispatch”. On 12th I got an email as well as SMS that the passport has been dispatched via speed post. They also provided a tracking number. On 13th afternoon my passport was delivered.

Same day in the evening a policeman came for verification. He asked for an address proof, some details from my two neighbors (with their signature) and finally my signature. Surprisingly he did not show any sign for want of money.

I am quite satisfied with the overall experience. I can say that this is an almost a perfect example of private and public sector venture. Keeping the govt. staff at minimum (only passport officers), Passport Seva Kendra does not make you feel that you are dealing with a govt. entity. I applaud both the parties for their effort.

Feel free to ask if you have any questions. A question asked might save you a trip to PSK 

How to get passport appointment online?

Source: Manish Singh

Since 2012, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has changed the process of passport application and reissue. The application for issuance of fresh passport or reissue of expired/expiring passport has been made online. This has been done to streamline the whole process. Also Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has been roped in to manage the online application system as well as to manage the data entry process. MEA and TCS have launched many passport kiosks also known as Passport Seva Kendras (PSK) where an Indian citizen can visit to submit his or her passport application. This is certainly a good news for Indian Passport applicants as it removes all middlemen and agents in the process. However, in order to visit the PSK, one has to book an appointment online (unless your are filling up a tatkal application in which case you can simply walk into the nearest PSK without appointment). The number of slots at any given PSK are limited and hence they get filled up really quickly as soon as they are open. Here are some of the tips that will help you get your appointment faster.

Make sure you have already created your account on the website http://passportindia.gov.in/

Either fill the application online or download the PDF form to be filled offline. Once the offline form is filled, you need to generate the upload file and upload the same from your account at passportindia website.

Verify all the details entered in the form and submit the form. Once submission is complete, you will now be able to create an appointment.

Click on “View Saves/Submitted Applications” link and the system will list down all the applications that you have created. At most you can create only 3 applications per account.

Select the appropriate application and below the application list, click “Manage Appointment” link. The link will only be enabled for forms that have been submitted. Partially filled forms will not have this link enabled.

On the next screen, the system will ask you to choose PSK nearest to your location and click on “Create Appointment”.

The system will ask you to fill in a CAPTCHA code to verify its a human being and not any automated bot trying to create appointments. The CAPTCHA code is alphanumeric and alphabets are also in capital.

Once you enter the CAPTCHA, click on “Show Available Slots”. Most likely you will see the following message displayed “Currently no appointment slots are available for the selected Passport Seva Kendra (PSK). Please try scheduling an appointment from DD/MM/YYYY, 3:00 PM onwards. Total number of appointments booked today : XXX“. The appointment timings for various passport offices are also published on the passport website.

Note down the date and time carefully. Also sync your computer/watch/mobile (whichever one you refer to) to the website’s clock. Website’s clock is displayed at top left corner of every page.

Visit the website on specified date at least 10 minutes before the scheduled time.

Follow steps 4 to 7 and reach the “Show Available Slots” page. Make sure to keep the CAPTCHA code filled in the form. Do not click on the link to see the slots yet. Wait until the time is exactly 3:00 PM (or whatever time was mentioned in the error message). Hit the “Show Available Slots” within seconds of clock hitting 3PM.

You will now see many slots open for one or more days. Do not think twice and simply choose a slot immediately. It is advisable to choose afternoon slots as many people don’t prefer it or 3PM to 4PM slots.

The system will ask you to enter another CAPTCHA and if the choosen slot is still available, you will receive an appointment confirmation number.

The system may become extremely slow during this period since there is heavy visitor traffic on the website. Make sure to access the website from a broadband or high speed Internet line (if possible, e.g. from office). Do not hit refresh/back buttons on the browser since you will only get one chance before slots get filled. If for some reason, your booking gets stuck on the final page, open another window without disturbing the stuck window and login into your account again and see if you have an appointment ID. Sometimes the system is too slow to respond and may have already booked your slot but unable to show you the appointment confirmation. In such cases opening the account in a new window can help verify if appointment went through.

If you are unsuccessful in your attempt, come back again at the date and time mentioned in the error message.

Do not try to make bookings for multiple accounts as only one account will be logged in from a single browser. If you have multiple bookings to be made, make sure to open them on different browsers (such as Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome etc) or use multiple computers.

Update (June 13, 2013): If media reports in TOI and other leading newspapers are to be believed then Passport authorities are rolling out two important changes in the application process.

Now the system will automatically give an appointment from available slots instead of users logging in at a specific time to book an appointment. Users will be allowed to change their appointment twice in an year.

Payment of Passport Fees will be made online and must be done along with the appointment in order to confirm the booking.

These changes will be rolled out slowly through the country.

Not able to get passport appointment

For the one who are not able to get passport appointment online and wants to know How to get passport appointment online – sync your clock with the server’s clock and add your passport appointment booking online request at exactly the time passport appointments open. 3 minutes late and you lose. To get an idea of how to get passport appointment online. Also, use IE for this. Update: To know what to expect on the select passport appointment screen, scroll to the end.

[Now that the "executive summary" folks are gone] I recently wrote about appreciating the increased use of technology by government departments, while criticizing the look and feel. I finally got a chance to enjoy using one of these web services. My new passport will require renewal (the correct term is re-issue) soon, so I went over to the nearest PSK. Upon trying to ask the usual questions I might have – what documents are needed, any specifics to keep in mind etc – I got the response, “check it online”.
“But…(you haven’t even heard my questions!)”
“online, everything online”, he waved and pointed at a printed notice pasted on the window. Not having an urgent need, I left. I figured I’ll look it up online and if I have any specific questions, I’ll return; I need to get to work.

Over the next few days, I browsed the site and figured out what all was needed and how to get passport appointment online
- fill up the passport application form online
- look up the documents required based on the procedures (change in details, Non-ECR status, etc) needed 
- upload documents
- and how to get passport appointment online
Following this I spent the next few days/weeks chasing up documentation that would be required. Once I had all the documents (that I interpret to be needed – I’m yet to see!), I scanned and uploaded them. Following that I went to the manage passport appointment online section. The page had a drop down with the nearest PSK and captcha. I filled in the captcha and submit. Something didn’t work; maybe I got the captcha wrong? I tried again – same thing I am not able to get passport appointment online. Then I noticed the error message “Currently no appointment slots are available for the selected PSK. Please try scheduling an appointment from 10/01/2013, 6:00 PM onwards ( For passport appointment Bangalore).” This was in the evening on the 9th. (Side: Who writes their copy?)
Wait, what? Is my concept of taking an slot wrong? May be for this I am not able to get passport appointment online, I was expecting a calendar with slots, you choose a date/time if it’s free in their schedule and lock it in – even if the next free slot was a week or a month away!

Okay, maybe they designed it this way because a lot of people might (or they’ve tried this already and it’s based on sampling actual behavior) fill up the slots and never show up.  Just like we’re great at standing in lines, we’re great at keeping times and appointments too. [Side note: There may be a lot of individuals in this country (or world) who are intelligent, considerate, law abiding, decent and other qualities which might be considered for an “evolved civilization”. But when it comes to thinking about the group, the opposite qualities take over.] Missed appointments would lead to wasted time and resources (Tax 
sucker
 payer’s money) on part of the state employees. This limitation of the system could certainly have been built around – but that’s another discussion (allow a limited number of people who would like to wait – limit to a specific lot – take a chance on someone not showing up after taking an passport appointment. Also, fine the people who don’t re-schedule or cancel their passport  appointment at least a day before.).
PSK site at 5:40 pm ( passport appointment Bangalore)

The next day I tried once in the morning – same problem I am not able to get passport appointment online. Then again around 5:40 pm ( passport appointment Bangalore) . I thought to myself, "Okay, If this is how the system works – it unlocks at 6, I’ll log in then and tried to get an passport appointment". When I tried, this was a 6:03 pm ( passport appointment Bangalore) – just 3 minutes past the time the system would’ve been “opened”, I got a new message “Currently no appointment slots are available for the selected PSK. Please try scheduling an appointment from 13/1/2013, 6:00 PM ( passport appointment Bangalore) onwards”. Again unable to book online appointment ! Two days worth of slots are gone in 3 minutes?

PSK site at 6:03pm ( passport appointment Bangalore)
Side Note: The next day I went to the PSK, while walking towards it I heard a person sitting in the back of a Black Scorpio (SUV, seems dodgy…) speak out loud – “ Passport ?” I thought it was to someone else and I kept walking. Along a wall I saw a bunch of people with documents in their hands hanging around this guy in dark glasses (now I’ve got touts and agents in my thought process; the “good old” system).
Is the passport appointment a separate number – not linked to the ARN – which can be traded by touts?
If the passport appointment system is rigged by touts – I haven’t figured out their play yet. Have they written a bot? (Some of the guys I’ve worked it might remember P-R-A…[end cryptic-inside-joke].)

[Next day] I went into the PSK and met “Mr. Online” again. He gave me the usual response at first, but then I told him that I already tried – even at 6:03 ( passport appointment Bangalore) two days worth of slots were gone.
“Is it like a lottery/rally/contest…? You have to get in at exactly 6:00 (for passport appointment Bangalore) to win the slot ?”
He just nod his head and shrugged “heh heh heh” (So he does utter sounds other than – online). I asked if there was someone I could speak with – file a grievance. “Yahan toh kuch nahi hai (There’s nothing here)”.
“Fine, I’ve got to get to work, I thought and left. 

Also, there’s a toll free support/grievance number. On the 10th, when I called it in the evening (16:27 in my phone’s log), the number was busy – it’s supposed to be a 24 hour call center. I guess it’s too much to expect to be in a wait queue (which can tell you the queue length/expected time to answer). Then I tried late in the evening (23:38 in my phone’s log) – this time I got through to an IVR. I navigated through it and choose the option to speak to a representative to file a grievance.
“This service is only available between 8:00am and 6:00(or was it 10?)pm”
Oh, okay, so it’s on the “official” 24 hour clock.
The next morning I tried again (10:55 am in my call logs) – guess what? Busy. I’m starting to see a pattern here.

I mentioned the online queue which is gone in minutes at work and another person mentioned that he’s been trying for months but has not able to get passport appointment finally given up. He mentioned there was a protest a while back and it was revealed that all online slots for a particular day were from the same IP. I’ll take that with a grain of salt since that’s just anecdotal “evidence” that I’ve heard. The system has the benefit of doubt till I come across any conclusive proof.

Suggestion: I propose a few steps as a way to make the system more transparent.
Since I don’t want the PSK workers to waste their time in creating reports etc, these systems are to be automated (More project work and payments for you, TCS!). Knowing a thing-or-two about programming, I know these suggestions can be implemented.
If they don’t want to implement a system where it gives you an slots at an arbitrary (free) date in future, the suggestions below can be implemented instead. [I've mentioned the system to friends and they have responded that they would have expected a similar system. I say - these fancy trip date selector websites selling travel tickets have spoilt this lot!]

The manage slot page should show a (paginated) report of all the slots given out. The fields should include ARN, User ID (blanked out for privacy – like on Google Groups), IP Address (blank out one digit from second and third set of numbers), time slot. These are the slots still to happen. The manage (request) slots screen should show the number of available slots, the number of filled slots and also the number of appointments (unique ARNs) requested. The requested slots number will give people a clearer picture on how hard other people are trying to make an appointment, but it should be backed with a report on all the attempts – otherwise the “riggers” will just use a bot (breaking that captcha shouldn’t be too hard) to drive up the number by filing a lot of applications and requesting an passport appointment on it.

There should be an additional report showing the slots that have happened. This would include all the earlier fields and whether the slot was made and whether or not the appointment result was success (application have moved into the next stage – police verification or accepted for renewal etc) or failure (person was turned back for not enough documentation etc). The system is known to have this data, since one can track status of an application online. This post passport appointment booking report will also help to catch bogus slots; unless the department employees themselves rig it – but I trust (at least hope) that everyone in the department wouldn’t be crooked.

Time for a win

Anyway, I logged in on the 13th and synced my clock to the server’s time then took into account the lag a little and managed to win an passport appointment. I’d like to think I keep most of-less-use junk disabled, but for the duration of this competition, I added the clock gadget to time my clicks better.
Perhaps someone from the department took a course ongamification since it’s quite a popular term lately. Or they’re preparing the country for an Electronic Sports Olympics.Game Time!

T minus 54 seconds – Logged in and ready to “Manage passport Appointment”

10 seconds remain (Unreal Tournament anyone?)
The gadget seems to be off sync from the server by 6 seconds, I’ll keep that in mind.

T plus 3 seconds; captcha time.

T plus 26 seconds.
Hurry! I’ve clicked on the first slot I could lay the mouse pointer on. Another captcha.
Unfortunately this was the first time slot link, a lot more people might’ve chosen it. After this I saw a page telling me that the slot was already full.
Did I lose and not able to get passport appointment again?! No
Not so fast.
I was a little tense on the select an appointment screen focusing on trying to score one that I forgot to take a screenshot. In the coming days, I will play the game again and try and change my passport appointment to sooner (yes, there’s an option). Next time I will be calmer and get the screenshot.

T plus 90 seconds.
In the excitement I’ve missed pressing the hot-key for the slot screen’s shot again.
Did the shot clock run out? I seem to have caught the rebound and have another shot!
(For the uninitiated, that’s a Basketball reference.)
So I blazed through the process of View Applications > Manage Appointment… and chose another slot at the bottom of the page. Once again, I was in game-mode and couldn’t take a screenshot. But to describe it, the left coloumn had dates. The columns on the right were links with time on them – each slot being a 15 minute slot.
What was odd though was the first (row) slot was the 16th as seen in the screenshot above, but below that there were almost 15 or so rows with something in capital letters, I couldn’t register it (my head was filtering out noise) as I scrolled to the bottom of the page (last row) and noticed a few open appointments – for almost a month away.

T plus 101 seconds.
He shoots, he scores. It’s good!
I hope this set of screenshots helps others know what to expect and therefore shave off some time in trying to get an passport appointment.
“But doesn’t that decrease your chances? You’re giving your edge away” Meh, had I been desperate enough, I’d write a bot.Update: As promised, here’s a screenshot of the slots selection screen. This should help you know exactly what to expect when you come across and plan where you want to click.
And this is the way How to get passport appointment and left not able to get passport appointment

Step to step guide -How To Apply For Passport And Manage Appointment

To get new Passport, facility of online application is available now. Some Psk in selected cities have started to accept printout copies of online application to issue passport. In this regard, Indian government has launched PSK which is running by TATA Consultancy Services (TCS).
To apply for new passport in online way is preformed in many steps. For this, firstly you will have to register in Passport Seva Web portal,  then you will have to download and then upload filled form on the website and  manage passport appointment online and visit the your prefered PSK of which you have taken the appointment online and at last it will be finally verified by police by visiting on your address. So it is a time consuming process. But Here I  am trying to make easier. That is why, tips and process of how to get passport appointment online is being described step wise. Get further:
1.    How to apply and How to get passport appointment online –

• To do it, launch official website of seva – http://passportindia.gov.in
• Choose Register link  from left corner of main page. Now fill up each boxes in online form with personal details. Make ensure that you have valid email address to complete registration in proper ways (email is optional).

• After registering online application form successfully, you will get message as Thank You.
• A registration link is dispatched to your email address. You need to remember that validity of the sent email link is only 7 days.

• So, sign in your email account and click on link immediately in order to activate and complete registration procedure
• 

Login Passport Seva Portal –

• Again go to official websites and click on login link nearby existing user option and type user Id and it’s password.
• Next you will have to across from verification process. Then view captcha text carefully and Type it in capital letters. Click on Login button.

• Then after click this link – Apply for Fresh / Reissue of Passport

 Submit the Application –
You can submit the application with two modes.

• Download pdf format, fill it and again upload the filled format to the online portal.
• Otherwise you can apply and fill the form online. To continue click online apply link.

• Then type correct details in each box and hit Next button after ending each page.
• Finally press this link – Save my details to submit your application online.

2.   Passport Appointment schedule –
In this process, you can undergo through several difficulties. So you have to follow every instructions fluently.
Important Instructions -

• The Passport appointment page of seva portal starts from 6:00 pm (say for passport appointment bangalore) only for 5 minutes. So you are permitted to access in between schedule of appointment.
• The appointment page will confirm period of 15 days with different present time period. If you miss an opportunity in any day then you will have to wait 24 hours or next day to start passport appointment schedule.
• To complete passport appointment booking schedule successfully, you need to follow time policy of time management.

To know How to get passport appointment  

• At first, sign in your online portal and click this link - Manage Appointment

• Choose your preferred PSK and type the captcha text quickly in capital letters.

• At this stage, online portal becomes slow down around 6 pm for passport appointment bangalore due to huge traffic, so keep your patience and wait to page loading completely.
• As soon as next page loads, immediate choose any passport appointment time/date.
•  If you become successful in this process, you will be given passport appointment format with serial no, batch no, date/time and extra details. Now take print out of this page at once or later if you save it.
• This print out will be submitted at PSK of chosen cities and get a receipt with file number.

4.  Know Application Status Online –

If you wish to know the current status of your application -

• Click on this link – Track Application Status  in left panel under Passport Services section in online portal .
•  Next insert the file number with your date of Birth and choose Track option.

5. Police Verification –
In this process you will receive a call on mentioned mobile number from police station in order to commence police verification. Follow next instructions while they visit at your address or home on schedule date/time.
6. Dispatch of a Passport -
As soon as your passport will ready, you will receive an SMS on your mobile phones or email regarding Dispatch related details.