RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1927
TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.01.2018

CHOICE OF REGIONAL LANGUAGES IN PASSPORTS

1927. SHRIMATI KANIMOZHI:

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a) whether it is a fact that passports would be printed both in English and Hindi;

(b) if so, the reasons therefor; and

(c) whether people from States where Hindi is not spoken would have a choice of English and their regional languages, in their passports?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
(SHRI M. J. AKBAR)

(a) Yes. The pre-printed portion of the passport is already in Hindi and English languages. At present, the personal details of the applicant are printed in English language only. The Government has now decided to print personal details on passports in both Hindi and English languages.

(b) The reasons for printing passport in Hindi and English arise from the fact that Hindi is the official language of India.

(c) The English version is available for the people of those states where Hindi is not spoken. The facility of passport printing in other languages is not available.

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