The government has announced that the Passport Seva portal, the online platform for passport applications, will be shut down for five days due to a scheduled maintenance exercise. The portal will be unavailable from Thursday, August 29th, 2024, at 8:00 PM IST until Monday, September 2nd, 2024, at 6:00 AM IST. During this period, no new appointments can be booked, and previously scheduled appointments will be rescheduled.
A notice on the Passport Seva portal stated, "The system will not be available during this period for citizens and all related authorities, including MEA, RPO, BOI, ISP, DoP, and Police Authorities. Appointments already booked for August 30th, 2024, will be suitably rescheduled and applicants will be informed accordingly."
ALSO READ | Hurun India Rich List 2024: Jayshree Ullal Is Wealthiest Indian Professional Manager
The Ministry of External Affairs has clarified that this maintenance is a routine procedure. "We always have contingency plans for rescheduling appointments. The maintenance activity for a public-centric service like Passport Seva Kendras is always planned in advance to minimise inconvenience to the public. Rescheduling appointments will not pose a challenge," a ministry source said.
The Passport Seva portal is essential for booking appointments at centers nationwide for new passport applications or renewals. On the day of the appointment, applicants are required to visit the passport centers with their documents for verification.
This is followed by police verification, after which the passport is dispatched to the applicant's address. Applicants have the option of choosing the regular mode, which delivers the passport within 30-45 working days, or the Tatkaal mode, which offers expedited delivery within days.