New passport rules announced | Fusion - WeRIndia

In India, the government has control over people’s access to public services. In order for a person to get this access, he or she must provide certain official documents.

In order to acquire these documents, a person must find an official of a certain rank, who will then provide him or her with the needed documents.

This is an onerous process for most people, since it is difficult to come into contact with a person of influence.

People have raised their complaints with the government, who has been responding to this issue bit by bit.

Now, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has taken a step to respond to these complaints by making it easier to apply for a passport under the tatkal or instant category.

According to the new rules set by the MEA, it is no longer required to have the recommendation of a Class 1 officer to apply for a tatkal passport or an instant passport.

A Class 1 officer is classified as someone who works for a state government or the Government of India at the level of deputy secretary or above.

Class 1 officers can also be district collectors, assistant commissioners, police superintendents, tehsildars, or government officials with a higher designation.

Since it is difficult for most people to have access to these Class 1 officers, it will now be much easier for citizens to acquire a passport if they need one.

This new decision by the MEA will be especially helpful for applicants who require a passport as soon as possible.

Originally, it could take one to three working days for a tatkal passport to be dispatched to people who had submitted all necessary paperwork.

Now, all it takes to submit an application for a tatkal passport are an Election card, a PAN card, and an Aadhaar card.

Not only does the MEA’s decision make things much more convenient for citizens who need to get their passports quickly, but it also demonstrates the government’s greater trust in the average Indian citizen.

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