Passports to be in Hindi and English; 10% reduction in fee for those under 8 and over 60: Sushma Swaraj

Passports would now be in both English and Hindi and not just in English, External Affairs Sushma Swaraj announced on Friday. Also, there will be 10 per cent cut in passport fee for those who are under 8 and over 60, she announced.

The details that used to be printed only in English in passports, will now be printed in Hindi as well.  Sushma made this announcement while addressing an event to mark 50 years of the Passport Act, 1967.

Last week, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had said that the Narendra Modi government was planning to set up comprehensive network of Passport Seva Kendras (PSK) across India for the ease of citizens. 

She said that with this move no Indian will be required to travel more than 50 kilometer to get their passport and that major post offices in the country will also provide the service. 

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Sushma also announced 149 new Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs), saying these will be set up in the second phase. The first phase witnessed the setting up of 86 POPSKs out of which 52 are now functional.

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