Changes in the format of the Police Verification Report
Police authorities are today required to verify both the identity and the
criminality aspects of a passport applicant in all cases where Police
verification is necessary. This is evident from the latest version of Police
Verification Report (PVR) format for applicants who are more than 15 years
of age (F/C) and for applicants below 15 years (F/D). The number of
questions to be answered by the police authorities depends on the current
and old addresses of the passport applicant if the stay of the applicant at the
current address is less than one year. These forms were revised in
September 2016 and are now being followed by all Police authorities.
2. The PVR format requires the Police officials to visit the address
mentioned in the Personal Particulars (PP) Form and obtain the signature of
the applicant or the authorised signatory as a confirmation that the meeting
between the Police authorities and the applicant had indeed taken place.
The applicants are required to provide their addresses during the preceding
year. The Police officials are required to only verify the present address of
stay and not the previous ones during the preceding year.
3. As per the existing re-engineered process under the Passport Seva
Project (PSP), the applicants have to mandatorily fill their data online. The
photograph of the applicant, biometrics including verification of online data
is done in person at the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK). The applicant
personally meets our Verification Officer and Granting Officer at the PSK
and the identity and other personal details are fully verified at the PSK itself.
It is, therefore, felt that requesting the Police authorities for an identity
verification is duplicating the same work which has already been
undertaken by MEA.
4. The instances of an adverse police report arising on account of the
applicant being not available at the residential address provided in the
Passport Application Form is on the increase. Sufficient documentary proof
of address is provided by the applicant while applying for the passport and
the same is verified at the PSK. The genuineness of the address provided in
the passport application form is checked when the passport is delivered to
the applicant by India Post. In case an incorrect address has been provided
by the applicant, the passport would Return Undelivered (RUD).
Statutorily, a passport cannot be denied to an applicant if the police report is
adverse on the issue of proof of address.
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5. In view of the above, it is felt that the PVR could be confined only to
the criminality verification of the applicant and the Police authorities would
be advised to give their PVR on the basis of the revised PVR format i.e.
questions 1 to 6 of the questionnaire for applicants who are more than 15
years of age (F/A) and only question 6 for applicants below 15 years (F/B)
to be answered. Instead of obtaining the residential address of last one
year, the applicants would be requested to provide only their present
residential address. This change in our approach will help in avoiding
duplication of identity verification already carried out at the PSK, help in
reducing the time taken in the police verification process and prevent
generation of adverse police reports on account of the applicant being not
available at the given address.
6. Though the police would not be required to travel and meet the
applicants for verification purpose, it is proposed that the rates of
reimbursement being made to the police authorities for their services (Rs.
150 for all applications processed within 21 days and Rs. 50 for those
processed after 21 days) would not be changed. They can now undertake
the police verification from their available records and CCTNS of MHA. The
police authorities would be requested to utilize the money being reimbursed
by MEA for strengthening their IT infrastructure, procurement of Tablet etc.
so that paperless and timely submission of PVR using mPassport Police
App could be undertaken by them for the convenience of all stakeholders.
