External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar shared a message on the social media platform X to mark the 14th Passport Seva Diwas, extending his warm wishes to all passport issuing authorities based in India and overseas. The day honours the centres and staff who work through the year to process documents for millions of citizens.
What the message said
In his post, Jaishankar specifically pointed to the rollout of the Passport Seva Programme 2.0 and the chip-enabled e-passport. He also acknowledged the work of Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs) and Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs), which play a key role in bringing passport services closer to ordinary people.
A modernising passport system
The chip-enabled e-passport is seen as a major step towards making India's passport system more secure and modern. The Passport Seva Programme 2.0, meanwhile, aims to make the entire journey from application to delivery faster, simpler and more technology driven. The growing network of PSKs and POPSKs has helped citizens in smaller towns and cities access passport services nearer home.
Background
According to news reports, global rankings are released from time to time measuring the strength of passports, that is how many countries one can travel to without arranging a visa in advance, and India's position is also assessed in these lists. Strengthening passport services and making them more reliable has remained a government priority, and Passport Seva Diwas symbolises that effort.
Public reaction
The post drew a mix of responses. Some users praised the services, while several citizens raised personal concerns, such as confusion over minor name differences in documents and questions about the application process. A few also shared views on foreign policy and other issues.
