‘Goal is to minimise applicant travel and strengthen digital services’: New Lucknow RPO Gyanveer Singh

Gyanveer Singh, a 2011 batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, has taken charge as the Regional Passport Officer (RPO), Lucknow. A native of Macha village near Pukhrayan in Kanpur Dehat district, Singh secured second rank in the UP-Board Class 12 examinations in 2000 and has served in Cairo, Kathmandu, Vienna and Doha. Singh is proficient in Hindi, English, Arabic, and Nepali language as well. Before joining civil services, he worked as a Senior Software Engineer at Samsung Electronics. In an interaction with Arvind Chauhan, Singh outlined his priorities and reforms for passport services in Uttar Pradesh.Q: This is your first stint as Regional Passport Officer. What is your priority?A: Every day, nearly 250 applicants’ queue outside the RPO office, many travelling long distances from different parts of Uttar Pradesh. My priority is to reduce the need for such visits. Most passport-related issues can be resolved through clear guidance, which we are now providing via email, WhatsApp and other digital channels. We are working towards minimizing applicants’ travel to the Lucknow office.Q: Having served abroad, do you plan to introduce any international best practices in passport services?A: India’s passport system is highly efficient, transparent and comparatively faster than many countries. For example, in Uttar Pradesh, tatkal applicants often get appointments the next day, while regular appointments are available within a week to 10 days. In several European countries, waiting periods can exceed two months.Q: How has the Lucknow Passport Office performed this year?A: Between January 1 and May 31, the office received 3,91,577 passport applications and issued 3,86,223 passports. We also processed 19,958 Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) applications and issued 19,358 certificates. Additionally, 26 surrender certificates were issued, reflecting a high disposal rate across services.Q: What steps have been taken to improve public access and grievance redressal?A: We have strengthened grievance redressal through WhatsApp (9454004092), the Passport Seva grievance portal, X and email. These channels have reduced response times and improved communication with applicants.Q: How is the Passport Van initiative helping citizens?A: Monthly outreach camps are being organized in various locations, bringing passport services closer to citizens. Mobile units have processed hundreds of applications and travelled more than 2,300 km to improve service coverage.Q: What measures have been introduced to improve the applicant’s experience?A: Additional customer service executives and dedicated counters have been deployed to facilitate same-day grievance resolution wherever possible. This has significantly improved the overall applicant experience.Q: How is the office promoting digital governance?A: Applicants are being encouraged to link Aadhaar, PAN, educational certificates and other documents with Digi Locker. Digitally verified documents help reduce delays and streamline verification processes.Q: Any recent reforms for applicant convenience?A: Applicants can now close pending passport files online through the Passport Seva Portal, eliminating the need for a physical visit. To further improve service delivery, staff have also been working extended hours on Saturday evenings.