RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.656
TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.02.2018
RATIONALE FOR COLOUR CODING OF PASSPORTS
656. SHRI RAJEEV SHUKLA:
Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) whether Government proposes to review the proposal of issuing orange passports to unskilled migrants;
(b) if so, the details thereof and if not the rationale for colour coding the passports of Indian nationals;
(c) whether there is any proposal to link passports with Aadhaar; and
(d) if so, the details thereof ?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
[GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD)]
(a) & (b) A decision was taken by the Ministry on the recommendations of a three-member Committee comprising officials of the Ministry and the Ministry of Women and Child Development not to print the last page of the Passport Booklet. The Ministry also took
the decision to issue a passport with orange colour jacket to passport holders with Emigration Check Required (ECR) status, with a view to help and assist them on priority basis.
The Ministry received several individual and collective representations requesting to reconsider these two decisions.
The Ministry reviewed both these decisions in the light of these representations. After comprehensive discussions with the various stakeholders, the Ministry decided on 29 January, 2018 to continue with the current practice of printing the last page of the
passport and not to issue a separate passport with orange colour jacket to ECR passport holders.
(c) & (d) The applicant is given an option to provide the Aadhaar number at the time of applying online for a passport. In case the applicant provides it, the Aadhaar number of the applicant gets linked with the passport once issued.
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