Server outage makes passport applicants fret and fume in absence of official information

A suspected outage in the server lead to hours-long wait for many applicants of passports in many parts of the country, including Hyderabad, Bhubaneshwar, Mallapuram, Udupi and Lalbagh. According to an online tracker of server outages, the website ‘https://www.passportindia.gov.in’ had an ‘Active Service Outage and services are currently experiencing technical difficulties or downtime according to our checkers”. Another outage service tracker, listed the website ‘https://services2.passportindia.gov’ as inaccessible across the world.

But with no information coming out officially, people took to social media to raise the issue withing hours of opening of Passport Offices at 10.15 a.m. “Really disappointed with the Passport Seva service today. The servers are down, and people are left waiting without any clear update or alternative. The government really needs to focus more on IT infrastructure for critical public services like Passport Seva,” wrote one social media user.

Passport Seva Service did not put out any official information about the outage. “Big goof up and mishandling at #raidurg #PassportSevaKendra nobody cares to inform applicants waiting for hours for services after paying huge revised fees and no info as to what’s happening,” wrote one irate user about the outage and lack of information from officials.