The home ministry will allow all SP-level police officers access to databases such as
- National Population Register (NPR)
- Aadhaar and Electoral Photo I-Card via the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System (CCTNS) to enable online verification of identity, address and criminal record, if any, of the passport applicant.
The ultimate step is to eliminate the total physical process and make it an online one. For now, the online check shall be backed up by the physical verification. Online system for police verification is expected to get implement by November.
This is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent direction to the foreign and home ministries — conveyed during his June 24 review under Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation (PRAGATI) — to work towards quicker processing of passport services.
This online system for police verification will not be limited to passport services alone. The home ministry plans to extend it to police verification of tenants, domestic servants, new government recruits and even to background checks of prospective employees by companies.
