Question : Colour of Passports

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has decided to change the colour of passports under the Emigration Check Required (ECR) and non-ECR categories, if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;

(b) whether the Government has conducted any study regarding the impact of change in colour of passports for the migrant Indians and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government is planning to remove the information furnished in the last page of the passport and if so, the details thereof along with evaluation/study, if any, conducted by the Government in this regard;

(d) whether the Government has sought opinion of migrant Indians and Indians working abroad with regard to change in colour of passports and avoidance of the information in the last page of the passport and if so, the details thereof; and

(e) whether the Government proposes to review the decisions taken in the matter on the basis of the opinion of the migrant Indians and if so, the details thereof?

THE MINISTER FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
(SHRIMATI SUSHMA SWARAJ)

(a) to (e) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House

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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (e) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 75 REGARDING “COLOUR OF PASSPORTS” FOR ANSWER ON 07.02.2018

(a) to (e) A decision was taken by the Ministry on the recommendations of a three-member Committee comprising officials of the Ministry and the Ministry of Women and Child Development not to print the last page of the Passport Booklet. The Ministry also took the decision to issue a passport with orange colour jacket to passport holders with Emigration Check Required (ECR) status, with a view to help and assist them on priority basis.

The Ministry received several individual and collective representations requesting to reconsider these two decisions.

The Ministry reviewed both these decisions in the light of these representations. After comprehensive discussions with the various stakeholders, the Ministry decided on 29 January, 2017 to continue with the current practice of printing the last page of the passport and not to issue a separate passport with orange colour jacket to ECR passport holders.