In 2016, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj began a unique initiative in 2016 where post offices would start serving as Passport Seva Kendras, so that no applicant will have to travel more than 50 km for a passport.
Announcing the second phase of the post office passport kendra offices, Swaraj said 149 more post offices were being identified for the purpose. Once operational, there will be a total of 251 passport offices across the country.
“When I inherited this office, there were just 77 passport offices, inadequate for a country of our size,” she said. Under her initiative, 16 more passport offices were created, but an out-of-the-box solution came when she decided to approach the postal department.
Eighty six post offices were roped in the first phase. The Centre claims that passport applications rose by 48 per cent after access to passport offices became easier.
Swaraj also launched a portal for the Know Your India programme, an initiative the ministry began in 2014 under the previous regime. Under this programme, Indian-origin youth (10 individuals of Indian origin and 10 Non-Resident Indians) will be selected for a thorough immersion into India. The winners are chosen through a multi-stage quiz contest. The online portal makes the process easier for the ministry as well as applicants across the globe.
The ministry has also come out with a booklet named 'Effective Diplomacy, Excellent Delivery' to list its past three years' achievements.
