Passport seva portal faces nationwide outage: Here is what users are reporting
The Passport Seva Portal, which offers passport-related services in India, is currently experiencing a major nationwide outage. According to multiple user reports on social media platforms such as X, the outage began on Thursday, disrupting operations across Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs) on both Thursday and Friday. The technical glitch has rendered both the website and mobile app non-functional, leaving thousands of applicants stranded and confused.advertisementIndia Today Tech reached out to the Passport Seva customer support helpline regarding the ongoing issue. While the team acknowledged the server problems, they did not provide any estimated timeline for when services would be restored. As of Friday afternoon, no official update had been issued by the Ministry of External Affairs or the Passport Seva team.However, earlier when asked in Parliament on whether the Ministry was aware of the delays in Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) offices due to slow server issues, the ministry hinted that the issue was likely due to the ongoing migration from Passport Seva Programme V1.0 (PSP V1.0) to Passport Seva Programme V2.0 (PSP V2.0). 'Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is currently undertaking the process of migration from Passport Seva Programme V1.0 (PSP V1.0) to Passport Seva Programme V2.0 (PSP V2.0). This is being done in a phased manner since April 2024. The PSP V2.0 aims at providing the next level of citizen experiences using the latest and upgraded technology for the delivery of passport-related services to the citizens in a speedy, convenient and transparent manner.'advertisement
Meanwhile, the disruption of the Passport Seva Portal has sparked widespread frustration among applicants, many of whom took to X (formerly Twitter) to share their experiences. Users across the country, from cities such as Delhi, Bhopal and Thane, reported receiving late-night cancellation messages or, in some cases, no intimation at all prior to their scheduled appointments. Several applicants also reported arriving at their designated PSKs only to find locked doors, no staff, and no on-ground communication.'The Passport Seva Kendra pasted a notice — due to a technical issue, unable to process requests. No SMS, email or phone call regarding this was sent to applicants... Even people came to know only after reaching the Seva Kendra. Gate is locked and no one is available,' writes @vidyaamp in his post on X.
"Had an appointment for my kids' passports tomorrow morning, and for the second time in two months, they've asked us to reschedule due to technical issues, @passportsevamea. We received the message at 12:00 a.m., and they expect people to just wait around... Their app isn't working either,' writes another user, @MehulKothari3.
The outage is causing some serious implications for those with urgent travel plans. Many students, professionals, and families with international commitments are facing delays, with many unsure about how and when they will be able to rebook appointments.
Notably, this is not the first time that the Passport Seva system has faced such issues. Earlier this year in April, a similar server crash on Passport Seva led to a temporary halt of passport services nationwide, causing two days of disruption.
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