Latest news with #M-Passport
The Hindu
03-07-2025
- The Hindu
Over 1.2 lakh e-passports issued since March, says Chennai Regional Passport Officer
The Regional Passport Officer (RPO), Chennai, S. VijayaKumar on Thursday said over 1.20 lakh e-passports had been issued so far since it was launched last March in the city. Addressing mediapersons on Thursday, Mr. Vijayakumar said: 'E-passport is a chip-based passport and was rolled out across India recently. Chennai is the first city in south India where e-passport was rolled out in March. Till June 30, 1.20 lakh e-passports have been issued. The basic purpose of issuing e-passports is to reduce forgery and enhance security measures. It was initiated as a policy measure by the Ministry of External Affairs.' The e-passport is a combined paper and electronic passport, with an embedded radio frequency identification (RFID) chip and antenna embedded as an inlay. The main benefit of the e-passport is its enhanced ability to maintain the integrity of its data. Since the e-passport has the data in printed form on the booklet, as well as encrypted in the chip, it makes it harder to forge. The RPO said e-passport would facilitate the ease of travel for Indian citizens by enabling automated identity verification processes and making their interfacing with immigration authorities easier. M-Passport initiative Mr. Vijayakumar said the Passport Seva Mobile Van (also called M-Passport) would be rolled out in Krishnagiri district on July 7 and it would cater to the needs of those living in rural areas and were unable to travel long distances to apply for passports. The mobile passport seva van will be boon in order to provide last-mile connectivity, especially to prospective applicants, he said the RPO, adding that the mobile service would be extended to other districts within the RPO Chennai jurisdiction. People can get appointments using the Passport seva website. He said there were 13 Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POSK) within RPO, Chennai, and the process is on to open another in Perambur soon. 'We have a policy to set up POSK in each and every Parliamentary constituency,' said Mr. Vijayakumar.
Time of India
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
133 students, majority Indians, get their SEVIS records restored: What is this record? Why is this crucial to stay in US?
A Georgia court reinstated the SEVIS records of 133 students, majority Indians. Amid the Donald Trump administration's massive crackdown on international students, a court in Georgia has ruled in favor of 133 students, reinstating their SEVIS records. A majority of these 133 students are Indians. They filed a lawsuit against the ICE after their SEVIS records were terminated. What is SEVIS record? SEVIS is the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System -- an online database that the US Department of Homeland Security uses to maintain information regarding schools which have exchange programs, F-1 and M1 students studying in the US, J-1 visa exchange visitor program participants. When is a SEVIS record terminated? A SEVIS record is terminated if a student does something violating the terms of their visa status. How to check SEVIS record If you want to verify your valid SEVIS status, you can log into M-Passport and check your SEVIS Status. If your SEVIS Status is Active or Initial, then your SEVIS record is valid. What happens if a SEVIS record is terminated? If your SEVIS record is terminated, you have two options: travel outside the US with a new I-20 or submit a Reinstatement application to regain your status. A terminated SEVIS record strips a student of their lawful status, leading to invalidation of their F-1 work authorization (including OPT and STEM OPT). OPT stands for Optional Practical Training which is related to an F-1 student's major area of study. What was the case of these 133 students? The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups in the Northern District of Georgia. The students claimed that ICE terminated their SEVIS records "abruptly and unlawfully". The lawsuit claimed that by terminating these records, ICE is ending a student's status and making them deportable. "DHS's act of unlawfully terminating SEVIS records appears to be designed to coerce students, including each Plaintiff, into abandoning their studies and 'self-deporting' despite not violating their status," the lawsuit said. Some of the students are nearing graduation and are enrolled in work programs. Reasons for their record revocation were cited as traffic violations, minor misdemeanors etc. Government lawyers had argued that granting any relief to the students would affect the executive branch's "control over immigration."
