My most hilarious and annoying interaction with Modi gormint machinery is when the Passport Office refused to accept a valid Passport, that it itself had issued 4 years ago, as proof of address. It was like something out of a Monty Python sketch.
The whole story was so bizarre that every time I tell it, soft sanghis randomly get upset and say "no no, Indian passport process is very smooth now 😡"
Well, our experience was not so.
This friend of mine in an aviation job suddenly had to fly a lot internationally.
Well, our experience was not so.
This friend of mine in an aviation job suddenly had to fly a lot internationally.
He was working in Australia & tho his Indian passport had 6 more years of validity left, his travel meant he had run out of pages. And he had to travel again soon.
He applied to Indian consulates in Australia for an expedited passport book. Very routine generally.
He applied to Indian consulates in Australia for an expedited passport book. Very routine generally.
They said we don't have dates for 2 months.
He said how about Tatkal?
They said oh, Tatkal is only for new passports. You've run out of pages. That is not listed so we can't expedite you. But you can try dates in New Zealand, Singapore etc.
He thought might as well go to India
He said how about Tatkal?
They said oh, Tatkal is only for new passports. You've run out of pages. That is not listed so we can't expedite you. But you can try dates in New Zealand, Singapore etc.
He thought might as well go to India
In India, he came across the same issue.
Tatkal is for new passports or expired passport renewals.
By having a passport with 6 year validity but no blank pages, my friend found himself in red tape limbo.
He needed a "gazetted officer" to approve his request.
Tatkal is for new passports or expired passport renewals.
By having a passport with 6 year validity but no blank pages, my friend found himself in red tape limbo.
He needed a "gazetted officer" to approve his request.
Extremely random!
It wasn't enough for him to just show up at the passport office in Pune and say, look, valid Passport, no more pages, please give another booklet.
How it works in most countries.
He needed to get a gazetted officer to verify & sign off on his request.
It wasn't enough for him to just show up at the passport office in Pune and say, look, valid Passport, no more pages, please give another booklet.
How it works in most countries.
He needed to get a gazetted officer to verify & sign off on his request.
And then we come to
"Pune address proof?"
"Passport has it. It's still valid."
"No, that will not do."
"But I use my valid passport as address proof elsewhere!"
"That's nice. But you can't use a passport as address proof in the passport office, even if valid. 🤷"
"Pune address proof?"
"Passport has it. It's still valid."
"No, that will not do."
"But I use my valid passport as address proof elsewhere!"
"That's nice. But you can't use a passport as address proof in the passport office, even if valid. 🤷"
Oh, they did give him the passport within a couple of days in Pune. They just had some extremely random documentation requests. That seemed very made up and on the spot.
Haha yeah, and it gets funnier.
"I live in Australia, I can give you current proof of Australian address"
"No, has to be Pune address."
"Bank passbook?"
"As long as it has a photo on it."
"Mine doesn't."
"Staple photo, get signed by bank manager"
"I live in Australia, I can give you current proof of Australian address"
"No, has to be Pune address."
"Bank passbook?"
"As long as it has a photo on it."
"Mine doesn't."
"Staple photo, get signed by bank manager"
The extra twist here is that all this happened in December 2016.
A time when you couldn't just walk into a bank and get a signature. Modi had made everyone fill up banks for their own money.
We did manage to get it from the SBI tho. A very perfunctory signature.
A time when you couldn't just walk into a bank and get a signature. Modi had made everyone fill up banks for their own money.
We did manage to get it from the SBI tho. A very perfunctory signature.
That whole experience showed me how very theatrical the Modi idea of efficiency is.
The whole system is based on demonstrating your power over someone less powerful than you. #NewIndia
The whole system is based on demonstrating your power over someone less powerful than you. #NewIndia
Loading suggestions...