Budget 2022: What is E-Passport? Know all about chip-embedded passport, set to roll out in 2022-23

New Delhi, Feb 01: Issuance of E-passports will be rolled out in 2022-23 to enhance convenience for citizens, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in her Budget speech on Tuesday.

E-passports and its Significance:

ePassport is an upgrade to the traditional passport and is aimed at making it more secure and ensuring smooth passage through immigration posts globally.

The ePassports will be embedded with a chip that will include personal details of the holder including biographical information.

The software for the ePassport has been developed by IIT Kanpur and the National Informatics Centre (NIC).

NIC under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is the technology partner of the Government of India. NIC was established in the year 1976 with the objective to provide technology-driven solutions to Central and State Governments.

It will ease immigration process across the world and will also increase digital safety for the passport holders.

The e-passports will follow the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards, and will be tougher, as well as harder to destroy.

ICAO is a United Nations (UN) specialized agency, established in 1944, which laid the foundation for the standards and procedures for peaceful global air navigation. India is its member.