Passport Seva Portal Downtime: Applicants Left in Limbo by Technical Issues

A technical failure within the Passport Seva Portal on Thursday resulted in widespread disruptions at Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs) across India. Applicants encountered non-functional systems, leading to delays and cancellations. The outage extended into Friday, leaving many passport applicants, especially those with urgent travel needs, in a precarious situation. Social media was abuzz with complaints from frustrated users, who cited a lack of official communication and difficulties rescheduling appointments. Numerous users shared screenshots of late-night cancellation messages and reported locked PSK gates with no available on-site assistance. Families and business travelers were particularly impacted, with concerns raised about the potential disruption to their travel plans and visa applications. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Passport Seva officials did not issue any official statements during the outage, which heightened the stress for those affected by missed appointments and schedule uncertainties. This incident follows a prior outage in April, which also led to appointment backlogs and anxiety for travelers.