External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Friday said e-passports will have multi-layered security as the data will be on paper like regular passports.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha on data security issues with respect to e-passports, the minister said: “The digital signature that will secure the data will be sent to other countries for recognition purposes.”
“The e-passport will ensure multi-layered security as the data will be on paper and on verified chips like regular passports,” he said.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will launch e-passport for citizens on Tuesday to increase their convenience in their foreign travel.
Later on Thursday, Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said that the Ministry of External Affairs is planning to issue chip-enabled e-passports to citizens with advanced security features.
“The e-passport has contactless smart card technology, which includes an embedded Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip embedded in the front or back cover or page of the passport. The chip features as per International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) guidelines. which defines the standards for international travel documents including e-passports,” Muraleedharan said in reply to an unstarred question in the Rajya Sabha.
He said the personal details of the applicants would be digitally stored in the chip, which would be embedded in the physical passport booklet. “If someone tampers with the chip, the system will be able to identify it, which will result in failure of passport authentication,” he said.
(with agency input)
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