E-Passports In India To Be A Thing Soon

Last Updated on February 5, 2022 by Anu Joy

The Union Budget 2022-23 introduced cryptocurrency tax and promised cheaper smartphones with duty concessions. Besides, the Union Government has also announced plans to roll out e-passports to the citizens of India. The announcement was first made by Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, in her parliament budget session.

What are e-Passports—Benefits, Usage, and All You Need To Know

E-passports or electronic passports are passports with a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)-based chip fitted either at the back or in the front. This chip would store the passport holder’s biometric data to provide advanced security features. Details such as passport holder’s name will be stored on this chip.

“The ministry is planning to issue chip-enabled e-passports to citizens with advanced security features. The e-passport features contactless smart card technology, including an embedded Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip embedded in the front or back cover or page of the passport,” Muraleedharan said in a written reply to a question on e-passports.

Also Read: Union Budget 2022: Mobile Phones To Get Cheaper In India

“The personal particulars of the applicants would be digitally stored in the chip, which would be embedded in the physical passport booklet”, the minister added.

These passports will be printed at India Security Press, Nashik. Muraleedharan said that the features of the RFID chips to be used in e-passports are in line with the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization), a specialized agency of the United Nations that defines standards for travel documents.

Coming to the benefits of using e-passports, these will ensure smoother passage at immigration posts and undoubtedly upgrade security levels. Furthermore, this could also reduce cases of e-passport frauds.

The Minister also added, “In case, anyone tampers with the chip, the system shall be able to identify it, resulting in the failure of the passport authentication.”

What do you think about introduction of e-passports in India? Let us know in the comments section below.