The Passport Seva Portal, a critical online service for passport-related functions in India, temporarily halted its operations due to scheduled technical repairs. An official announcement on the portal’s website initially informed users about the maintenance, stating, “Passport Seva Portal will be down for technical maintenance from 29th August 2024, Thursday 20:00 hrs IST to 2nd September, Monday 06:00 hrs IST. System will not be available during this period for citizens and for all MEA/RPO/BOI/ISP/Dop/Police Authorities. The already booked appointments for 30th August 2024 will be suitably rescheduled and informed to applicants.”
Maintenance Completed Ahead of Schedule
Despite the planned maintenance period, the repairs were completed earlier than anticipated, allowing the portal to resume operations on September 1. The official update read, “After successful completion of technical maintenance well before schedule, the Passport Seva portal and GPSP are now available for all citizens and concerned authorities.” This early restoration brought some relief to users who rely on the portal for accessing essential passport services.
Users Report Persistent Issues Despite Maintenance
However, despite the early completion of repairs, numerous users continued to report problems with the portal’s functionality. Social media platforms were flooded with complaints as citizens expressed frustration over the prolonged downtime and ongoing glitches that affected their ability to access passport services.
One user expressed their frustration on social media, writing, “Today is the fifth day, and the passport site is still down. It will be good to know at least how many more days you expect it to be down, so we don’t need to check it every half an hour,” accompanied by a screenshot showing an internal server error on the portal.
Another user highlighted the persistent technical difficulties, stating, “It’s not working smoothly… Too much loading time and unauthorized logging out,” pointing to slow performance and frequent disconnections even after the maintenance.
Similarly, a disgruntled user criticized the quality of service, saying, “Service is down since the time after maintenance also completed. TCS maintenance is so poor? Very irresponsible service of a Passport related site. How to everyone or officials able to get the passport done????” The comment reflected growing discontent among citizens who rely on the portal for scheduling appointments and managing passport applications.
Alternate Access Points for Passport Services
The Passport Seva Portal remains a vital tool for Indian citizens seeking passport services, and any disruptions can cause significant inconvenience. The official website, www.passportindia.gov.in, is the primary online platform for accessing these services. Additionally, users can download the mPassport Seva mobile app, available on both Android and iOS devices, for a more accessible experience in managing passport-related tasks.
