PATNA, June 25 -- For the first time, Bihar Police has earned the top position in passport verification services under the Passport Seva Project of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). On the occasion of the 13th Passport Seva Divas, Bihar Police received the Certificate of Recognition for its outstanding performance. IG (Special Branch) Rakesh Rathi accepted the award from Pabitra Margherita, Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Textiles. Announcing the recognition at a press conference held at Sardar Patel Bhawan, police headquarters, officials also revealed that chip-enabled passports under the Global PSP Version 2.0 will be issued to the public starting May 12. This upgraded version will leverage advanced technologies, including contactless data reading, for easier travel and a smoother interface with immigration authorities. In 2024, a total of 4,78,805 passport applications were sent to the Special Branch for verification - a 2.6 times increase compared to five years ago. The Special Branch serves as the nodal agency for passport verification. Currently, Bihar Police takes an average of 12 days to complete the verification process, according to ADG (Special Branch) Sunil Kumar. The Bihar government earned Rs.19.89 crore through faster verification efforts. Under the MEA's incentive structure, each application verified within 15 days earns the state Rs.150, while those completed in up to 20 days earn Rs.50. Verification times have significantly improved - from an average of 30 days before 2020, when the process was manual, to 18 days by 2020, and now 12 days on average thanks to the shift to an online system. Efforts are ongoing to bring the average down to under 10 days. To facilitate faster processing, 1,128 police stations have been equipped with tablets to streamline online verification, especially in high-demand districts. For instance, Khagaria clears verifications within 5 days, while Siwan may take up to 20 days. Siwan recorded the highest number of passport applications in 2024 at 63,000, followed by Gopalganj (52,000), Patna (40,000), and East Champaran (26,000). Passport demand in Bihar has been rising steadily, with 3.5 to 4 lakh passports issued annually. In 2024 alone, 4,00,346 applications were received and 3,86,820 passports approved. To meet this increasing demand, the Bihar government has actively collaborated with the MEA. Passport Seva Kendras are now functional in 39 of the 40 Lok Sabha constituencies, covering nearly every district headquarters. Additionally, 1.5 acres of land has been allocated in Gardanibagh, Patna, for the construction of a regional passport office, with design and construction set to commence soon....