(Image source from: Timesofindia.indiatimes.com)

Telangana Launches E-token for Passport Seekers:- It is not needed to carry the print of passport application reference number (ARN) registered on your mobile phone to a Passport Seva Kendra in the future. They will just have to show the SMS to the PSK staff to process the application of passport. The regional passport officer of Hyderabad, E Vishnu Vardhan Reddy said that Telangana is the first state to launch e-token system for passport applicants. The passport authorities implemented this e-token system as a pilot project in Ameerpet PSK.

Following this, the regional passport office (RPO) which has four PSKs and 23 post office passport seva kendras (POPSKs) introduced the e-token system recently. The applicant will be asked to carry all the necessary documents. Another new initiative of RPO is to go paperless. After Delhi, Hyderabad is the second RPO to turn paperless in the country. The RPO will also send SMS alerts to the applicants about the renewal of their passports six months prior to the date of expiry so that they can renew before the expiry.

The passport holders have been strictly advised to visit the MEA official portal (www.passportindia.gov.in) and apply online instead of logging into fraudulent portals.