Passports and Holi don’t mix well: Pune RPO urges citizens to be cautious

PUNE: Ahead of the Holi festival on Friday, the Regional Passport Office (RPO) Pune has issued a timely advisory warning applicants that passports and Holi colors don't mix well. The office has urged citizens to keep their travel documents safe from water and colors during the festive season, cautioning that damaged passports will require mandatory re-issuance.
The advisory comes at a crucial time as the demand for passport services has seen a significant surge ahead of the upcoming school holidays. To accommodate this increased demand, the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) in Pune has expanded appointment availability for both Normal and Tatkaal schemes.
RPO Pune continues to issue increasing number of passports and related services. In the first two months of 2025 RPO Pune issued 72,103 passports, while the number of police clearance certificates issued stands at 1,729.
On re-issuance process for damaged passports, Regional Passport Officer Dr. Arjun Deore said, "For citizens needing to replace damaged passports, applicants must download the mAadhaar and DigiLocker mobile applications before visiting PSK/POPSK to fetch essential documents including Birth Certificate, Aadhaar, and Class X/Matriculation certificates for document verification."
Applications must be submitted through the official Passport India website () under the 'Damaged passport' category.
DigiLocker can be used for online document submission, but only DigiLocker-issued documents shared during the initial application will be accepted, he said.
The RPO has specifically highlighted that passports "damaged beyond recognition" are not eligible under the Tatkaal scheme. When in doubt, applicants are advised to proceed with the Normal scheme.
Additional fees for damaged passports must be paid during online application submission, Dr Deore said.
On the appointment day, applicants need to submit their original passport, completed Annexure F form (available on the Passport India website), and Emergency Certificate (if the passport was damaged abroad).
The advisory emphasised that Aadhaar is not accepted as proof of date of birth, and "Smart ID Cards" like Aadhaar, PAN Card, and Voter ID printed on plastic by private entities or stationery shops are not accepted.