Birth certificate not needed in new policy for issuing passports

New Delhi: In a new passport policy announced on Friday, the External Affairs Ministry has eased various stringent rules and allowed self-attestation of various documents required to annexed with the application. The number of documents to be submitted is also reduced from 15 to 9.

The new passport rules to be effected through the necessary notifications soon in the official Gazette replace the mandatory requirement of the birth certificate as the proof of the date of birth for all born after January 26, 1989 with seven other certificates suffice the requirement.
The date of birth can be now established by submitting transfer/ school leaving or matriculation certificate of the school or the education board, or PAN card, Aadhar Card having the date of birth, driving licence, election photo identity card, copy of extract of service record or pay pension order, or policy bond issued by LIC having the date of birth of the holder.
The online passport application from now on wards requires only name of father or mother or legal guardian, enabling single parents to apply for passport of their children and applicant can request not to print name of either father or mother on the passport.
The new policy says the self-declaration of documents on a plain paper will suffice as no attestation or swearing before a notary, executive or first class judicial magistrate is necessary.
The married applicants need not provide the marriage certificate, nor will the separated or divorced persons are required to submit divorce decree. For children not born out of wedlock, only Annexure G is to be submitted nor will the registered adoption deed required in case of issue of passport to a domestically adopted child.
In case of orphaned children not having any proof of date of birth, declaration by the orphanage age of child care home on the official letter head will suffice.
A government employee unable to obtain the identity or no-objection certificate from the employer can seek urgent passport on the self-declaration of having given prior intimation to the employer.
Sadhus and sanyasis can state the name of their spiritucal Guru in lieu of the name of the biological parent and provide at least one public document mentioning the Guru”s name as parent. The document could be the election photo identity card, PAN card or Aadhaar card.