On 24th December ,Ministry of External affairs has come up with new set of guidelines for passport application to ease out the process . Highlights of those are :
- List of documents accepted as proof of date of Birth by including Aadhar and E-aadhar card as documentary proof while applying for passports. Earlier submission of birth certificates as proof of date of birth was mandatory.
- The MEA also modified a few policies for easing the process for single parents and divorced applicants. The passport application form instead of both parents now only requires the name of either father or mother or legal guardian.
- The rules are relaxed for separated and divorced couples. Applicants can apply for passport without providing the name of her/his spouse and moreover no divorce Decree is required even married applicants need not provide marriage certificate.
- The orphan and adopted child not having any proof of date of birth can now submit a declaration given by the Head of the Orphanage/Child Care Home on their official letter head of the organization confirming the same for the purpose of applying for passport. Submission of the registered adoption deed would no longer be required; the passport applicant may give a declaration on plain paper confirming the adoption.
- Even government took notice of the nomadic nature of the life of sadhus and sanyasis and hence allowed them to submit form for passport applications, where in place of name of their biological parent they can write the name of their spiritual guru with a condition of mandatory submission of atleast one public document (such as election photo identity card, PAN or Aadhaar card) where their guru’s name has been recorded against the column for parents’ names.
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