Ahmedabad RPO to start student connect programme

AHMEDABAD: The Ahmedabad Regional Passport (RPO) office is likely to launch its students connect programe on Wednesday. Under this programe, students seeking passports will now also have a hassle-free, following the programme launched by the ministry of external affairs under its Passport Seva Project.
Officials said that the programme will be officially launched in Gujarat on Wednesday.As part of the programme, passport offices will accept attested copy of education certificates, instead of original certificates. The student applicant will have to provide a bona fide certificate from respective education institute verifying his status as a student. They can now have their applications processed without needing to produce original education certificates.
The student connect programme will also enable students to visit the passport seva office without prior appointment, but only with an application reference number (ARN), which he or she can obtain after applying on the website of MEA. The facility will also be extended to staff members of educational institutes.
Passport officials said educational institutions ask students to submit their original certificates during the time of admission, so it becomes difficult for them to produce the same.
“Students usually wait for the college tenure to end and then apply for passports,” said an official.