BioEnable’s STQC Certified DactyScan84c

Introduction:

The Indian passport is the document issued by the Government of India to its citizens. It’s an important document to the bearer to travel internationally and serves as proof of Indian citizenship. The Consular Passport & Visa (CPV) Division of the Ministry of External Affairs, functioning as the central passport organization, is responsible for issuance of Indian passports on demand to all eligible Indian citizens.

Passports are issued at 37 locations across the country and at 162 Indian missions (High Commissions, Embassies and Consular posts) abroad.

Passport issuance system upgraded because of growing passport demand and heightened expectations of the public so to fulfill this need, a Mission Mode Project named Passport Seva Project (PSP) was launched under the National e-Governance Plan.The aim of Passport Seva Project (PSP) is “to deliver all Passport-related services to the citizens in a timely, transparent, more accessible, reliable manner & in a comfortable environment through streamlined processes and committed, trained & motivated workforce”.

The Passport Seva Project has been launched in Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) mode with M/s. Tata Consultancy Services as Service Provider. The crucial operations like verification, granting, issuing/revocation/impounding of passports have been retained by MEA. The ownership and strategic control of the core assets including data/information is with the Ministry.

Passport Seva provides simple, efficient and transparent processes for delivery of passport related services. Also it aims to integrate with the state police for physical verification of applicant

Key aspects of Passport Seva Project are as follows :

  • Anywhere Anytime Access : Indian citizens need to submit their passport applications and seek an appointment through the PSP website(www.passportindia.gov.in) at their convenience. The website provides updated information on all passport related services. Citizens can plan their visit to the nearest Passport Seva Kendra at the appointment date/time, so this process makes user comfortable by avoiding long queues and inconvenience.
  • State of the Art Technology Infrastructure : Passport Seva is supported by state-of-the-art technology infrastructure which enables end-to-end passport services to be delivered with enhanced security.The photograph and biometric data of the applicants are captured when they visit the PSK. Their applications and supporting documents are digitized and stored in the system for further processing.
  • Improved Amenities : The Passport Seva Kendra provides a world class amenities like information kiosks, food and beverage facilities,baby care, newspapers in a comfortable air-conditioned waiting lounge. The Electronic Queue Management System ensures the ‘first-in-first-out’ principle in application processing.
  • Multilingual Call Centre & Helpdesk : A call centre operating in 17 Indian languages enables citizens to obtain passport service related information and receive updates about their passport applications, round the clock, seven days a week. An e-mail based helpdesk also provides information on passport services.
  • Integration with Police and India Post : The Passport Seva Kendra network connects with the State Police across all the states and union territories. The applicant’s data is sent electronically for police verification. Passport Seva Kendra also provides an interface to India Post for tracking delivery of passport to citizens.

The initial launch of this project was in Bangalore and Chandigarh in May 2010 and August 2010 respectively. After certification of the Project by the STQC ( Standardization, Testing & Quality Certification ), the Third Party Audit Agency under the Department of Information Technology in January 2011, the Passport Seva Project was cleared for launch across the country. The Project is slated for completion during 2011-12.

Biometrics can be used for Passport Seva Project:

The DactyScan84c is STQC(Standardization Testing and Quality Certification),India & FBI APP .F certified 10-print live scan in full compliance with the “10-print capture scanner & software user group requirements” suitable for passport seva project.


Fig.1.0 DactyScan84c Fingerprint Slap Scanner

The DactyScan84c is a 3.2” x 3.0” 10-prints and rolls Livescan at 500 dpi certified by the FBI according to FBI IAFIS IQS App. F. as Live-scan System as well as for Identification Flats.