GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3228
TO BE ANSWERED ON 15.12.2016
HARASSMENT TO WOMEN WHILE RENEWING PASSPORT
3228. SHRI C. M. RAMESH:
Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) whether Government is aware of the procedural harassment being faced by women while getting/renewing their passports;
(b) the reasons why the Ministry is making it mandatory to have mother, father and spouse name in the passport booklet;
(c) if so, how Ministry is planning to go ahead; and
(d) what is the global practice in this regard at present?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
[GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD)]
(a) The attention of the Government has been drawn to some media reports regarding difficulties having been faced by women applicants, who are either divorced or separated, at the time of applying for issue of passports for their children.
(b) & (c) As per the extant provisions, only one parent’s name [either mother or father or legal guardian] is mandatory while submitting the application for issue of It is not mandatory for the applicant to provide the names of both the mother and the father in the application form. In case of passport for minor, Annexure-H is required to be signed and submitted on plain paper by both the parents or the guardian of the minor. However, if consent of one of the parents is not available, then an affidavit in Annexure-C or Annexure-G sworn before a judicial magistrate has to be submitted by the parent applying for the passport of a minor.
In case of divorce/separation, the applicant is not required to provide the name of the spouse in the form while applying for the issue of passport. However, in case of married applicants, it is mandatory to provide the name of the spouse in the application form for issue of passport.
(d) It has been observed from the passport booklets of other countries available with this Ministry that the names of father, mother and spouse are generally not printed in them.
