New Delhi, Feb. 6 -- Anecdotes of Indian travellers being harassed on their return to India after an overseas trip for jewellery, photographic equipment, and electronics that they took with them from the country - the law requires that people declare what they are taking, but few do - may soon be a thing of the past. The government is creating a provision under which people can simply use their phones to take a picture of the jewellery and equipment they are travelling out with, upload them on the Atithi 2.0 app that will soon be launched, and not have to worry about any harassment on their return, a senior finance ministry official said on condition of anonymity. To be sure, not everyone who travels out with equipment and jewellery is asked to prove provenance on return, but there are enough anecdotes of people being pulled up for this. The finance ministry official said that the provision is in line with the government's focus on improving what it terms ease of living . The revenue department will soon launch the second version of the Assistance to International Travellers and Home Coming Indians (Atithi 2.0) with this facility and many other travel-friendly features, the official added. "This is part of the ongoing reforms to make travelling easy and hassle-free for scrupulous people. We are also planning to introduce body-cam for field formations of the Customs Department to ensure transparency." The test-run of Atithi 2.0 has been successful at certain airports and it will be soon launched , adding that it will be the part of the new baggage rules, announced in the Budget on February 1, 2026. Speaking about the government's resolve towards ease of living in her budget speech, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said: "I propose to revise provisions governing baggage clearance during international travel to address genuine concerns of passengers. The revised rules will enhance duty-free allowances in line with the present day travel realities and provide clarity in temporary carriage of goods brought in or taken out. The revised baggage rules enhanced duty-free allowances for resident Indians from Rs.50,000 to Rs.75,000 and for foreign tourists (from Rs.15,000 to Rs.25,000). The rules also specify duty-free jewellery limits for a resident who is returning from abroad. Special allowances for jewellery have been prescribed solely on weight basis by removing outdated value caps, under which eligible returning residents or tourists of Indian origin (after stay abroad for more than one year), are allowed to duty-free jewellery purely a weight basis, for female it is up to 40 grams and for persons other than female, up to 20 grams. An official in the Directorate General of Systems & Data Management confirmed the development about Atithi 2.0. "The pilot version of Atithi was already tested at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) in January 2026. The upgraded Atithi 2.0 is being built to fully match the new Baggage Rules, 2026," the official, who asked not to be named, said in a statement. The directorate leads IT initiatives of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), an arm of the revenue department of the Union finance ministry. The government on February 2 notified the new baggage rules. The app will also includes feature such as provision for travellers to file details up to 72 hours prior to landing, which will make the persons' arrival stress-free. The app will ensure that travellers don't have to fill any paper forms as it will make everything digital, from declaration to duty payment, the statement said. The duty calculation will also be automatic with no ambiguity. Travellers can pay duty online through UPI or cards, including foreign bank cards. The app will also facilitate travel of pets.The system will also generate export and temporary import certificates and the same could be tracked through registered mobile phones. According to the statement, passengers can know (from the app) whether they can pass through green or red channels before they land. The app will ensure smarter and faster checks so that genuine travellers sail through without any hassle, the statement said. The Baggage Rules, 2026 simplifies procedures, enhances transparency, enables electronic and advanced declarations and ensures smooth clearance, the finance ministry said in a statement issued on Monday. The new changes allowed enhanced free allowance, transfer of residence benefits, special allowances for jewellery, new provisions for temporary import or re-import, duty-free import of one laptop (for passengers above 18 years) and pets; and enhanced passenger facilitation, it said....