Aadhaar likely to be mandatory for issuance of passport

New Delhi, Nov 11: Government is planning to make Aadhaar mandatory for issue of passports and is in the process of establishing a system for validation of criminal antecedents of the applicant.

The issue was discussed threadbare at a meeting between the Ministries of the Home and the External Affairs, official sources said today.

The MEA is working with the Unique Identification Authority of India to implement it and the process is expected to be completed by the end of this month.

In the new process, the applicant, if not in possession of an Aadhaar card, has to produce the Aadhaar enrolment number.

The move has been taken up as per the directive of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has favoured faster passport services in a transparent and simplified manner to the citizens.

A number of complaints are being received regularly by the government related to police verification for passports and consequent delay in issuance of the travel document.

The MEA had a meeting with the National Crime Record Bureau, under the Home Ministry, and the latter confirmed that they will be able to establish a system for validation of criminal antecedents of the applicant.

"NCRB has confirmed that they will be able to set up the validation mechanism within two months. Once this is established, the criminal antecedents of the applicants for all categories will be validated on NCRB database before passport issuance," an official note prepared on the issue said.

The MEA is of the view that when an applicant already has an Aadhaar card or has applied for, his identity to a major extent is established -- this needs to be confirmed by UIDAI.

Therefore, based on NCRB validation and the applicant's self declaration on the aspects of citizenship, criminal antecedents, criminal proceedings, summons/ warrants etc. the passport can be issued on post-police verification basis.

While granting the passport, the applicant will also be given the address of police station which is responsible for the police verification so that the applicant can also actively pursue and complete the process of verification before travelling abroad.

"In the event of any wrong declaration by the applicant, the passport will be impounded/ revoked as per specified procedure," the note said.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

Mangaluru’s public transport revolution: 100 new govt electric buses to end private ‘trip-cutting’

News Network

December 19,2025

Mangaluru: Public transport in Mangaluru is set for a state-led transformation as the government moves to deploy 100 new electric govt buses to replace unreliable private services. The initiative aims to provide a dependable alternative to private operators who have been frequently "cutting trips," leaving thousands of commuters stranded.

The announcement was made by Deputy Commissioner and MCC Administrator Darshan HV during a public phone-in session. The move specifically targets routes where private bus service has become erratic, ensuring that citizens no longer have to rely on a fluctuating private sector for their daily commute.

Restoring the Govt Presence

The transport crisis was brought to the forefront by Ramayya, a resident of Bajal, who highlighted a growing trend of private buses skipping morning and night trips. With the previous KSRTC (govt) services discontinued, residents have been left without a fallback option.

To fix this, the DC confirmed that the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme will bring 100 government-owned electric buses to the city:

• Phased Deployment: The first 50 of the new 100 government buses are scheduled to arrive by March 2026.

• State Infrastructure: Two new government depots, including one at Mudipu, are being prepared for operations.

• Recruitment: The state has already begun training a new batch of government bus drivers to ensure the fleet is operational the moment it arrives.

Comments