Are you willing to get a passport?

You can apply for it for whatsoever reason. Before that, you must go through the recent amendment that the ruling government has introduced. It’s about the so called Tatkal Passport. It’s basically issued to meet the emergency need to fly across the border.

Do you know which colored passport you’re going to have? Does it sound absurd?

Let’s catch on a few facts about its classification in the next section.

How many types of passport are there?

The passport authority has classified the applicants under three categories. You can identify them with its jacket colour or cover. Firstly, let me introduce the three categories which are:

• Government officers
• Diplomats
• Laymen

The government officers would be issued a white-colour passport. This colour is changed to red for the diplomats. The rest ones, like you and me, cover laymen who would be given a blue-colour passport.  The government executed this colour scheme for the passport jacket.

The MEA and the ministry of women and child development (WCD), earlier, decided to issue orange passport to the ones who have not yet passed 10 class exams. However, the recent amendment is called off since it drew a lot of flak. So for now, there would be no orange coloured passport issued to the needy of the emigration clearance check. Albeit, the last page, that reads the personal particulars of its holder, is printed in the same orange colour.

The police and immigration authority use these personal particulars to verify its bearer’s identity and nationality.

Who does come under Class 1 officer?

It is to drill into your head that the stamp from a Gazette officer or class 1 officer over supporting documents used to be essential. It was the tale of yesterday. Today, it’s changed. Now, you don’t need the attestation service of the class 1 officer.

The class 1 officers are the Gazette officers. They are the government servants who are designated at the level of deputy secretary or above in the state or center. The district collector, superintendent of police, assistant commissioner and tehsildars collectively define the category of the Gazette officer or Class 1 officers.

What the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has amended?

The recent amendment applies to the issuance of the Tatkal passport. Now, the seal of verification from the class 1 officers is no more a must to have for this passport service. It’s a gift of convenience to the laymen who’re going to be an NRI.

The government has assessed the dilemma of the laymen. It found that everyone has no reach to the class 1 officers. So, it was a Herculean task to get their documents attested from the Grade 1 government officers. The findings revealed that usage of the discretionary power is a norm. Only influential people enjoy this privilege.  Therefore, the government has abandoned that barrier. It’s the impact of higher level of trust in the common man.

Which documents are required to apply for tatkal passport?

The altered provision stated these documents to be attached in support of your passport application:

• Aadhaar Card
• PAN Card
• Election Card

A year ago, the birth certificate or birth proof was a mandatory document to submit. Now, the aforementioned documents are required only.

How many days does it take to process?  

The Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) takes just two to three days for processing this kind of application. Most of the expats find it an outstanding NRI service to get it in a short fragment of time. But, it won’t be dispatched unless the paperwork is completed and submitted to the competent authority.

Eventually, the applicant receives it via postal service.