Passports are so far the highest degree of identity proof in India. However, this medium is now all set to face few changes in the coming days, many reforms are already taking place out of which excluding the existing address in the last page of the passbook is in progress.

Coming to the details, the Ministry of External Affairs, on Friday announced that it would end printing the information of the individual’s family and the person’s address in passports. In addition to that, the Ministry will also offer a new jacket color, based on an emigration check requirement status. India’s Foreign Ministry issued new rules saying citizens who require emigration checks will now carry orange passports, while those who don’t will carry blue ones.

Following this, another suggested that the government declined the idea of printing the information like name of the passport holder’s father, mother or spouse, address, Emigration Check Required (ECR) and any old passport number with the date and place of issue.

When questioned about the reason behind making this crucial move, the MEA stated, “A three-member committee comprising the officials of the MEA and the ministry of women and child development was constituted to examine various issues pertaining to passport applications where mother/child had insisted that the name of the father not be mentioned in the passport, and also relating to passports issued to children with a single parent and to adopted children.”

Now, if these are considered, the last page is all set to remain blank and the passports will most likely cease to be a valid address proof. Under the changed system, those with ECR status would be issued orange passports, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. “The Ministry has decided that the last page of the passport and other travel documents issued under the Passports Act, 1967, and Passport Rules, 1980, would no longer be printed,” the MEA added.

Further, the reports from media suggest that the new orange passports are supposed to protect vulnerable laborers from exploitation abroad, but critics argue that the orange and blue color coding could lead to discrimination against poor and illiterate workers.

Meanwhile, these brand new passports will be designed as well as printed at the Indian Security Press at Nashik. It must be noted that the existing passports will remain valid till the date of expiry printed on them.

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