Current Affairs 2022: E-passport & Its Benefits

Over 120 countries are using e-passports at present. India is set to join the fray soon. 

e-Passports For Indians

A standard passport, also known as a machine-readable passport (MRP), usually comprises data pages containing written information about the user that can be scanned by an optical scanner. An e-passport, electronic passport, or biometric passport is an international level travel document with identification and detailed information such as passport number, name, surname, national origin, date of birth and a digital microprocessor. A digital microprocessor chip contains data such as fingerprint recognition, pictures, and electronic signature. Special types of equipment are used to scan biometric passports.

In India, an e-passport with an electronic data chip will provide an additional level of protection above that of a standard passport. It will strengthen the connection between a passport and its original owner, reducing the risk of forgery. An e-passport is a modern biometric passport that has all of the information included in a regular passport and is designed to reduce the time people spend at airport passport inspections. 

More than 120 countries are using e-Passports at present. People can use it as documentation of identification or for foreign travel. 

Benefits of an E-passport:

• The increased security features of this technology will prevent counterfeiting. Passengers with an e-passport won’t have to wait long because it will be verified in seconds.
• If the chip passport authentication is tampered with, it will reject the passport to scan. It maintains a database of people's biometric information. Hence, it will prevent data breaches and the issuance of duplicate passports.
• No one can delete data from the e-passport.
• The passport's upgraded security features will make it much more acceptable in a lot of countries. It is also expected to indicate the list of countries to which an Indian passport bearer can travel without obtaining a visa.

E-passports in India:

• For many years, India has been exploring e-passports. In 2008, then president, Pratibha Patil, received the first biometrically secured passport.
• According to a recent declaration, civilians will soon be able to get an electronic travel document.
• Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in the Budget this year that the government will roll out e-passports with integrated chips and future technologies in the fiscal year of 2022-23.
• While the method won't be completely paperless, as facilities like visa stamping will still be available, it will reduce the amount of paperwork by automating routine tasks as much as possible.
• Personal data of people applying for passports will be digitally signed and encrypted on the chip.

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