Parliament Question: PSK in Jamui

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO - 2153 ANSWERED ON-31/07/2026 PSK IN JAMUI

2153. SHRI ARUN BHARTI

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:-

(a) the number of passports issued to the residents of Jamui during the last year through the nearest Passport Seva Kendra (PSK);

(b) the steps taken to streamline the application and verification process for the citizens of the district;

(c) the measures for providing assistance to the families of migrant workers from the district who are stranded abroad;

(d) the efforts made by Government for conducting skill-development workshops for potential overseas migrant workers;

(e) the status of the 'Pravasi Bharatiya' outreach program in the region;

(f) whether the coordination with the state police is done by the Ministry to ensure timely police verification, if so, the details thereof; and 1(g) the timeline for establishing a Passport Seva Laghu Kendra in the district headquarters? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

(a) Total number of passports issued to applicants of Jamui district from the Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK) Jamui during the years 2025 and 2026 (till 21.07.2026) are 2555 and 1838 respectively.

(b) To provide improved and smooth passport services in the country, including the applicants residing in Jamui district of Bihar, the Ministry has taken several steps. The upgraded Passport Seva Programme (PSP V2.0) introduces a digitally enabled passport ecosystem with several innovative enhancements to improve accuracy, transparency and convenience for applicants. The platform incorporates facial recognition and biometric matching to strengthen identity verification and speed up processing. PSP V2.0 leverages emerging technologies, including SMS/email alerts, data analytics and report generation.

Process automation supports document validation to prevent forgery, 2reduce manual errors and lower operational costs. New digital tools introduced under PSP V2.0 have significantly improved the passport application and grievance-redressal experience by making the process faster, transparent and more user-friendly. Moreover, in June 2018, Ministry had launched the ‘Apply anywhere in India’ scheme under which a passport can be applied at any PSK/POPSK in India. Also, MEA deploys Passport Mobile Van under respective RPO for on-site passport processing in rural, tribal, remote and underserved areas.

(c) Safety and security of the Indian diaspora is one of the foremost priorities of the Government of India. Various welfare initiative including Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana (PBBY), Pre-departure Orientation Training (PDOT) have been initiated by the Government for welfare of Indian nationals including migrant workers. Indian Missions/Posts utilize the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) from time to time to provide financial and legal assistance to Indian national in distress abroad on a means-tested basis. The grievances of the Indian diaspora members are responded through telephone calls, walk- ins, emails, social media, 24x7 emergency helplines, Consular Camps, Open Houses, the MADAD Portal and CPGRAMS. To offer direct assistance and counseling to Indian workers overseas, Pravasi 3Bharatiya Sahayata Kendras (PBSKs) have been established in key locations such as New Delhi, Dubai, Riyadh, Jeddah, London and Kuala Lumpur. MoUs/Agreements such as Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreements (MMPAs), Labour Mobility and Labour Welfare Agreements have also been signed with the partner countries for establishing robust frameworks for migrant workers welfare and protection and legal migration and for preventing irregular migration.

(d) PDOT programmes are aimed at enhancing the soft skills of Indian migrant workers largely going for work abroad especially in the Gulf region and Malyasia, in terms of culture, language, tradition and local rules and regulations of the destination country. One day-long PDOT training also sensitizes migrant workers about pathways to safe and legal migration and various government programmes for their welfare and protection.

PDOT curriculum content has been standardized all over the country.

Comprehensive PDOT Manuals for Master Trainers have been developed in seven languages i.e. Hindi, English, Bangla, Malayalam, Punjabi, Tamil and Telugu. Besides, the Ministry has compiled 13 country specific Handbooks for emigrant workers on UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Iran, Mauritius, Germany, Australia, Denmark, 4Portugal and Italy. The Ministry launched online PDOT in April 2021 to reach out to prospective emigrants who live far away from PDOT centers. As on 31 May 2026, PDOT Training has been imparted to 2,48,818 prospective emigrants.

(e) MEA strives to holistically engage with the Indian diaspora community through specific schemes and programmes. Ministry organizes the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) in India biennially when it invites Indian diaspora community members from all around the world.

Ministry also conducts the Know India Programme to engage with the younger generation of the Indian diaspora comprising of both NRIs and PIOs through a two-week programme in India in two age-based categories, providing them an opportunity to reconnect with their roots while experiencing India's rich cultural heritage and contemporary achievements. Besides, this Ministry offers 150 scholarships to the children of the Indian diaspora to facilitate their academic pursuits in Undergraduate Courses in Indian educational institutes under its Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children Scheme (SPDC). This Ministry also extends financial support to the large and diverse Indian diaspora overseas to organize programmes in foreign lands aimed 5towards protecting and promoting their Indian cultural heritage and identity.

(f) Police Verification has been an integral part of the Passport Issuance process. In January 2016, the Ministry launched ‘Passport Seva Police App’ (erstwhile mPassport Police App) for Android/iOS for use by State/UT police personnel tasked with conducting police verification, enabling them for an expeditious submission of PVR digitally directly from the Police Station itself. 25 States/UTs covering more than 9444 Police Stations across the country have already launched Passport Police Seva App.

(g) A POPSK is already functional at Jamui district in Jamui Lok Sabha Constituency in Bihar and currently, there is no proposal under consid- eration of Ministry of External Affairs for establishment of Passport Seva Kendra in district headquarters of Jamui.

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