October 30, 2007...1:55 pm
Getting Your Passport Renewed
Welcome to incredible India. Lots of taxpayers money is spent on doing what we don’t need to do at the cost of what is urgently required to be done.
Let me explain- We need a police verification before a passport is issued. Terrorists and illegal immigrants get a passport even after that , this is a seperate issue ,which has more to do with corruption than bureaucratic hurdles. I am talking here about a law abiding ordinary Indian. The form you fill to renew a passport is a masterpiece of bureaucratic stupidity.Information that could be obtained on a single sheet of paper is stretched out through pages and pages. Indian govt has started this ‘tatkal’ scheme. The renewal of a passport takes about 7-8 days under this scheme. The fee paid under this is double of what you would pay normally. You receive the passport and you are happy that finally things are moving faster in the metros at least. The surprise comes in the form of a policewallah after 15 days of your receiving the passport. He comes unannounced and wants you to produce the person who applied for the renewal, 2 proofs of address and 2 copies of your earlier passport. When you tell him the person concerned is not at home in the middle of the working day and he should have at least informed us before coming, he tells you that the govt hasn’t provided him with facilities like a mobile phone so that he could inform us in advance. The process now is that you have to visit his police station along with the required papers. He accuses you of taking things lightly hinting that he has powers to get the passport cancelled. Fortunately good sense prevails in him and he decides to come on a Sunday and the matter is resolved.
We are one of the few countries in the world who expect their citizens to fill departure and arrival cards. It was all fine earlier when only a handful of Indians travelled abroad and government departments had little work to do but we shouldn’t continue with this useless paperwork when millions of Indians take a foreign holiday every year. When we talk of promoting India as a tourist destination, along with the thousand and one infrastructure problems we need to remove some bureaucratic hurdles as well.
13 Comments
October 30, 2007 at 2:50 pm
even worse is ECNR check… what purpose on earth does that stamp serve
October 30, 2007 at 5:48 pm
this is nothing new
the govt has lost control on its paperwork so it is now goin digital
there have been fake tds rackets fake stamp paper scams and still the same
why are finance acts so bloated ?
bcause donations mean rebates to corporates which mean new subsections and tinkering
if the mentality doesnt change they will have to deal with a million digital
files rather than physical ones
simplification is neither good or safe for both the politicians or bureaucrats
who will loose their powers if this is done
October 30, 2007 at 9:23 pm
That sounds annoying..I guess they will justify it in the name of security or whatever, but dont worry yours is not the only country with annoying paperwork. At least they come to your home instead of you having to queue for an entire day in some government office somewhere. Aus has departure and arrive forms too.
Think of it this way - all the inefficiency is keeping lots of people employed who would otherwise be on the street.
Paul
October 31, 2007 at 2:36 am
Prerna,
Most countries I have travelled to, possibly except Thailand, have arrival and departure cards to fill.
I would prefer this to paying a ‘departure tax’ which I had to do in a number of places, including Samui (Thailand), Bali, Bangkok…..
October 31, 2007 at 4:39 am
I am surprised to read this..
In Karachi, its very easy, you go to passport office, they check your documents and N.I.C Number, take a horrible photo of you and within 15 day you get your passport.. TaDaa! you’re done
October 31, 2007 at 7:58 am
Rambodoc, I am talking about the local population. The foreigners have to fill the cards but are the citizens of the country also supposed to fill these cards? I would prefer it to ‘departure tax’ any day.
You are lucky Lubz.
Positive thinking Paul. Thanks.
//simplification is neither good or safe for both the politicians or bureaucrats
who will loose their powers if this is done//This is a valid reason for all the paper work@ Ram.
Ankur, You can get your ‘ECNR required’ removed if you apply for it. In anycase this not required for most countries. I could also not understand why some people get it while others don’t.
November 1, 2007 at 7:07 pm
hey whats a departure tax… and whats it rationale? is it same as the airport tax we pay on air tickets
January 11, 2008 at 4:36 pm
In case you are looking for convenience in passport services you can post request at http://www.saharacarehouse.com/document-facilitation-services.aspx. They will take care of everything for a small fee.
Hope this helps
January 11, 2008 at 4:43 pm
In case you are looking for convenience in passport services you can post request at
http://www.saharacarehouse.com/document-facilitation-services.aspx. They will take care of everything for a small fee.
Hope this helps
January 11, 2008 at 8:59 pm
Prerna:
“When we talk of promoting India as a tourist destination…”
Isn’t that a different point from Indians travelling abroad?
And of course, destination-India has an impact on visas, not on passports.
I can tell you that despite looking like dirty sarkari daftar, Indian High Commissions abroad are very efficient in their visa services.
January 12, 2008 at 12:41 pm
I am happy to know that the Indian High Commissions abroad are efficient in their visa services. Normally I hear NRI’s complaining about the Indian High Commissions.
January 12, 2008 at 1:55 pm
Prerna: Those NRIs probably send someone who does the work for a small fee
You see standing in a queue is below their dignity (the same would stand in a queue at any other embassy for a visa!)
I have had passports renewed and additional booklets issued many times. Yes, the ‘customer’ i.e. NRI, jostles and pushes. But once you are at the counter, the ‘aunties’ are nice, competent yet chatty in a very desi way.
I now need a visa to travel. I download the form, read all instructions and arrive with the right paperwork and fee in cash. I have seen many PIOs arguing with the counter staff: “Aap samajhte kyon nahin? Arre aap to jante hain, main pichhle saal bhi aaya tha.” Can you believe it? I feel like telling them - understanding or even remembering _you_ is not the staffer’s job; assessing whether your paperwork is complete is. People try to cut corners, push things around, get favours and thus make embassy staff’s life very difficult. And then they go out and tell people in India how bad High Commissions are! Why? Well, we are NRIs so treat us well. What horse-sh*t!
So now you have heard a bit about the reality too, may be next time people give gaalis to desi visa staff, it will be fun if you ask them what really happened.
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