Government Tests Sample E-Passports for Data Safety

Last Updated on February 7, 2022 by Amanpreet Kaur

The Indian government has already started testing samples of e-passports that will be rolled out for Indian citizens soon. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the launch of e-passports in her Budget speech, earlier this week. E-passports are said to have “multiple layers of security” and feature radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. These innovative passports will ensure better security.

E-Passports Under Examination to Ensure Better Security and Smooth Travelling

During a Lok Sabha session on Friday, Union Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar said that testing of e-passport samples is being carried out to ensure complete data safety. Moreover, the government assured that e-passports will be launched only after guaranteeing the efficacy of their data security features.

“We are cognisant to the danger of the skimming vulnerability. In fact, it is one of the reasons why the sample passports are being tested to ensure (they are safe).. Until we are sure that skimming danger is adequately addressed, naturally we will not be going forward. But, we have every confidence”, the minister said while replying to questions of the members in the House.

The opposition member Shashi Tharoor raised his concerns regarding safety measures taken by the government for passport holders, before the launch of e-passports in the country. Elaborating his doubts, the Congress member pointed out that anybody can skim and copy data from RFID tags to be used in e-passports. He said that many global studies supported this fact.

Also Read: E-Passports In India To Be A Thing Soon

“The average citizen will find the passport data more integral and more protected than it would be in other circumstances,” the minister said while replying to a related question.

DMK leader Dayanidhi Maran commented that while the government claims to make immigration smooth with the launch of e-passports, the “irony is that wherever Indian passport holders go, they are treated like third-class citizens, especially in our own country”. The minister added that unlike other countries, “In India, we are made to wait and stand in a queue, look like criminals”.

Reacting sharply to these remarks, S Jaishankar said, “I think the member’s characterization of the situation at the airports is quite unfair. I do more airport travelling probably than any other member of the House…I am not blind. I also look at what is happening in other counters.”

E-Passports To Have “Multiple Layers” of Security

“I think all members should be fair enough to recognize that airport processes have improved. There are many more counters today. There is room for improvement at airport and BOI (bureau of immigration) counters… but please do not sort of give it such a sweepingly negatively characterization. That is not fair… I resent that. I think that is completely uncalled for”, the minister added.

Jaishankar further highlighted that the purpose of issuing e-passports is to make travelling easier and smoother for e-passport holders. “The e-passport has both the data and a sheet like a regular passport… In terms of data security, the data is put into the chip through a personalization process”, he said.

As explained by the Union minister, e-passport will have “multiple layers” of security and digital signature, which will be sent to other governments for verification. For enhanced security, there will other digital keys to verify the passport at different stages—when the chip is made, inlay is made, the passport office is loading the data, the embassy is loading the data and when the passport is made.

Commenting on the final launch of e-passports, the minister said that, “We expect once we award contract which will take a little time, within six months we will be in the process of issuing the passport. We will do this in this financial year”.