The Ministry of External Affairs has issued a strong advisory addressing the increasing misuse of Indian Passports for advertising purposes, as stated by a senior official on Thursday.
The advisory highlights a concerning trend where travel agents deface Indian Passports by affixing their agency or company stickers. Dasari Balaiah, Regional Passport Officer and Head of MEA Branch Secretariat, Hyderabad, emphasized this issue in a release.
This practice not only diminishes the passport’s integrity but also violates Union Government guidelines related to passport maintenance.
The outer cover of the Indian Passport features the national emblem with the Ashoka Chakra and incorporates multiple security measures to ensure its authenticity and integrity. The application of adhesives or promotional stickers by agents can obscure the national emblem, compromise security features, and potentially hinder verification of authenticity, according to the release.
Moreover, such actions may lead to difficulties in verifying the genuineness of passports, causing potential issues for Indian travelers at immigration points, the release further noted.
