For Passport, Birth Certificate Requirement Waived For Orphans.

Colon eNews Blog Post No. 14 | Date : 27.05.2015. 

Source: MEA| Post By: Mohammed Chand Shaikh.

There have been many cases in which children from orphanages were refused passport because they failed to produce a birth certificate from a civic body.

In a move that will bring relief to orphans and individuals based abroad who wish to adopt them, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has exempted orphans/abandoned children from the mandatory requirement of a birth certificate to obtain a passport. 

This will also help orphans who wish to travel abroad for study but struggled to get a passport. In recent times, there have been many cases in which children from orphanages were refused passport because they failed to produce a birth certificate from a civic body – a mandatory requirement as per a rule, for Indians born after January 26 1989. 

The MEA seems to have relaxed the norm after a slew of cases of orphans being denied passports were brought to the limelight in the media.

The difficulty in these children getting a passport had emerged as a major constraint for foreigners and Non Resident Indians (NRIs) who wished to adopt them.

The exemption only stand for orphans and abandoned children. For others born after January 1989 it remains mandatory to provide a birth certificate issued by the Municipal Authority or the Registrar of Births & Deaths as proof of date of birth along with the passport application form.