Budget 2022: Chip based E-passports to be issued soon, says FM Nirmala Sitharaman

In her Budget 2022 speech on Tuesday, FM Nirmala Sitharaman said that microchip based e-passports are likely to be issued to citizens from this year itself. FM was presenting the Union Budget 2022-23 in the Lok Sabha today. The finance minister has made several important announcements for this year during the Budget 2022 speech. In an important move, while presenting the budget, FM said that the e-passports will bring great benefits to citizens.

Moreover, to facilitate faster movement of people and goods, the Union Finance Minister also announced the PM Gati Shakti Master Plan for Expressways to be formulated in 2022-23. She said that the national highways network will be expanded by 25,000 km in the current financial year and the estimated cost to complement public resources is ₹20,000 crores.

Sitharaman stated, "PM Gati Shakti is driven by 7 engines: roads, railways, airports, ports, mass transport, waterways, logistics infra.” All 7 engines will pull forward the Indian economy in unison supported by energy transmission, IT communication, bulk water and sewerage and social infrastructure, she further added.

Sitharaman also shared that India's growth for the current year is 9.27 per cent which is highest among all large economies. She further informed the parliament that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Centre's Budget is aiming to complement micro and macro economy, promoting digital economy, and private and public investments.

E-passports will have advanced security features

The new e-passport will feature an electronic chip encoded with important security-related data on its cover. The chip will store digitally signed personal details of the applicants such as their biometric data, name, address, and other important identity-related information. The advanced security features of e-passports will prevent unauthorized access and data transfer through Radio-frequency identification (RFID) by identifying the problem. The e-passports will be issued in line with the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organisation(ICAO).  It will be manufactured at India Security Press, Nashik.