Bihar Police Bags National Recognition for Excellence in Passport Verification Services

At the Passport Seva Project Conference, Bihar Police received an award for excellence in passport verification. The recognition highlights their commitment to efficient public service delivery and improved processing times.

New Delhi, June 24, 2025

In a landmark moment at the Passport Seva Project Conference held in the capital, Bihar Police was honoured as one of the best-performing state police forces in passport and related verification services. The conference, organized by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), recognized Bihar's consistent strides in streamlining the verification process.

This recognition marks the first time since the award's inception in 2013 that Bihar Police has received such an accolade. Representing the force, Shri Rakesh Rathi, IG, Special Branch, accepted the award from the Minister of State for External Affairs, Shri Pabitra Margherita.

Director General of Police (DGP) Bihar, Shri Vinay Kumar, expressed pride in the achievement. "Bihar has been a pioneer in delivering public services efficiently. We were the first state to introduce the Right to Public Services (RTPS) Act in 2011. Since then, we've maintained a commitment to time-bound service delivery. This award is a testament to the seamless and citizen-centric work of our police personnel in passport verification," he said.

In 2024 alone, the Regional Passport Office (RPO) Patna forwarded 4.78 lakh applications for police verification-a number that has seen a 2.6-fold increase over the past five years. During this time, the average police verification processing time has improved from 18 days to 13. The Bihar Police, in collaboration with RPO Patna, aims to bring this number to a single-digit figure soon-a benchmark already achieved by states like Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh.

A district-wise breakdown of verification timelines reveals disparities. While Khagaria boasts the shortest average processing time at five days, Siwan lags with an average of 20 days. The variance is attributed to the high application volumes from districts like Siwan, Gopalganj, East and West Champaran, Saran, Muzaffarpur, and Madhubani-all known for their significant migrant populations.

To address challenges and ensure continued improvement, RPO Patna, in partnership with the Bihar Police Academy, Special Branch, and technical collaborator Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), has been conducting training sessions for police officials handling passport verification. Four such sessions have already been organized, including one ahead of the May 12 rollout of chip-enabled passports and an upgraded Passport Seva portal. According to RPO Patna's Swadha Rizvi, "We plan to institutionalize these trainings as part of the regular police curriculum."

She further highlighted Bihar Police's role in tackling passport-related crimes. "Through quick action against touts, fraudulent applicants, and criminal passport holders, Bihar Police has strengthened internal security and curbed cross-border criminal activities," she added.

This award not only acknowledges the exceptional work by Bihar's police personnel but also underscores their critical role in handling one of the most sensitive and security-intensive public services-passport verification.