<p>India now ranks third in the world after China and the US in issuing passports with the number having doubled since 2010, a senior official of the External Affairs Ministry said here today.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The number of passports issued went up from around 60 lakh five years ago to 1.2 crore last year, Joint Secretary and Chief Passport Officer of Ministry Muktesh K Pardeshi said.<br /><br />"In 2010 we embarked on a journey for passport seva programme to set up new centres. Now there are 37 passport offices and 90 seva kendras. India has become a major passport issuing country in the world and is today ranked third in the world after China and USA in issuing passports," Pradeshi said.<br /><br />No state or union territory was now without passport related facilities, he said after Chief Minister N Rangasamy inaugurated the passport seva kendra here, the 90th in the country.<br /><br />The chief minister thanked External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for expediting its establishment and said the government felt the need for a centre locally to cater to needs of students, tourists and others from Puducherry and Karaikal regions.<br /><br />Passport applicants earlier had to go to the Regional Passport Office in Chennai, he said.<br /><br />Rangasamy said there had been a rise in enrolment of students in professional colleges and youth going abroad for jobs and for higher studies. Demand for passports had thus shot up, he said.</p>
<p>India now ranks third in the world after China and the US in issuing passports with the number having doubled since 2010, a senior official of the External Affairs Ministry said here today.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The number of passports issued went up from around 60 lakh five years ago to 1.2 crore last year, Joint Secretary and Chief Passport Officer of Ministry Muktesh K Pardeshi said.<br /><br />"In 2010 we embarked on a journey for passport seva programme to set up new centres. Now there are 37 passport offices and 90 seva kendras. India has become a major passport issuing country in the world and is today ranked third in the world after China and USA in issuing passports," Pradeshi said.<br /><br />No state or union territory was now without passport related facilities, he said after Chief Minister N Rangasamy inaugurated the passport seva kendra here, the 90th in the country.<br /><br />The chief minister thanked External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for expediting its establishment and said the government felt the need for a centre locally to cater to needs of students, tourists and others from Puducherry and Karaikal regions.<br /><br />Passport applicants earlier had to go to the Regional Passport Office in Chennai, he said.<br /><br />Rangasamy said there had been a rise in enrolment of students in professional colleges and youth going abroad for jobs and for higher studies. Demand for passports had thus shot up, he said.</p>