To address the unanticipated surge in demand for Police Clearance Certificates (PCCs), Ministry of External Affairs has decided to include the facility to apply for PCC services at all online Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs) across India, starting from September 28.

In a statement, the MEA said that it is pleased to announce yet another step to improve citizens' experience while availing of passport-related services.

"To address the unanticipated surge in demand for Police Clearance Certificates (PCCs), the Ministry has decided to include the facility to apply for PCC services at all online Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs) across India, starting from Wednesday 28 September 2022," it read.

The action taken by the Ministry in extending the PCC application facility to POPSKs, would not only help Indian citizens seeking employment abroad, but also meet the demand for other PCC requirements including case of education, long term visa, emigration.

Earlier this year, the MEA had signed an agreement for the second phase of the Passport Seva Programme with Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS) appointing them as the service provider for the project.

"The Ministry of External Affairs today signed an agreement for the second phase of the Passport Seva Programme (PSP-V2.0) with M/s. Tata Consultancy Services Limited, our valued partner, appointing them as the Service Provider for the project," the ministry had said in a press release.

The Ministry also said that the issuance of e-Passports for enhanced customer satisfaction, increased security and the next level of citizen experience will also be unveiled in the upgraded PSP-V 2.0.