New Passport Rules

An individual travelling to the United States on a business or tourist visa -- B-1, B-2 -- can apply for new jobs and even appear in interviews, a federal agency said Wednesday.

Rules for issuing OCI (overseas citizen of India) cards have been simplified by the Home Ministry - an individual registered as an OCI cardholder after turning 20 now does not need a new card on issue of a fresh passport

In India, the rich and poor inhabit vastly different worlds. Now, many fear, new government rules will deepen that divide with different-colored passports.

Sushma Swaraj has sought feedback on the new passport rules which were announced by the External Affairs ministry on Friday. The new rules have introduced changes in various categories including orphaned children, single mothers, government employees, sadhus, among others. Ms Swaraj termed these changes as necessary and "significant".

The government introduced a host of changes to ease the rules for applying for an Indian passport, including expansion of the basket of documents needed to be submitted for date of birth proof.

Sadhus and sanyasis can now mention names of their spiritual gurus instead of biological parents under new passport rules announced in Delhi today which also eliminate the mandatory requirement of the birth certificate as the proof of date of birth (DOB).

As the ruling BJP confronts a raging controversy over Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj helping former IPL boss Lalit Modi obtain British travel papers in July last year when his passport was held by Indian authorities, a dinner at a London hotel has raised new questions for the party.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has refused to issue a new passport to Iqbal Kaskar, younger brother of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim.

An individual travelling to the United States on a business or tourist visa -- B-1, B-2 -- can apply for new jobs and even appear in interviews, a federal agency said Wednesday.

Rules for issuing OCI (overseas citizen of India) cards have been simplified by the Home Ministry - an individual registered as an OCI cardholder after turning 20 now does not need a new card on issue of a fresh passport

In India, the rich and poor inhabit vastly different worlds. Now, many fear, new government rules will deepen that divide with different-colored passports.

Sushma Swaraj has sought feedback on the new passport rules which were announced by the External Affairs ministry on Friday. The new rules have introduced changes in various categories including orphaned children, single mothers, government employees, sadhus, among others. Ms Swaraj termed these changes as necessary and "significant".

The government introduced a host of changes to ease the rules for applying for an Indian passport, including expansion of the basket of documents needed to be submitted for date of birth proof.

Sadhus and sanyasis can now mention names of their spiritual gurus instead of biological parents under new passport rules announced in Delhi today which also eliminate the mandatory requirement of the birth certificate as the proof of date of birth (DOB).

As the ruling BJP confronts a raging controversy over Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj helping former IPL boss Lalit Modi obtain British travel papers in July last year when his passport was held by Indian authorities, a dinner at a London hotel has raised new questions for the party.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has refused to issue a new passport to Iqbal Kaskar, younger brother of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim.