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Passport application fee to go up from July 1
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The application fee for an ordinary fresh passport or reissue of a passport containing 60 pages has been hiked from ₹2,000 to ₹3,500. | The new rules will come into effect from July 1.According to a notification dated June 20, and published by the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday (June 25, 2026), the reissue of a 36-page passport will also cost ₹2,500, while a tatkal application for a fresh or reissued passport will cost ₹5,000 as opposed to the current ₹3,500 rate.Similarly, the application fee for an ordinary fresh passport or reissue of a passport containing 60 pages has been hiked from ₹2,000 to ₹3,500. For tatkal, the revised fee for 60-page passports will be ₹6,000 as against the current ₹4,000.Rules amended"In exercise of the powers conferred by section 24 of the Passports Act, 1967 (15 of 1967), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules further to amend the Passports Rules, 1980, namely — 1. (1) These rules may be called the Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026. (2) They shall come into force with effect from the 1st day of July, 2026," the notification said.In its notification, the government also issued a schedule which will substitute the "Schedule IV to the Passports Rules, 1980". The revised schedule mentions two sub-categories: for applicants 18 years of age and above, and minors aged between 15 to 18 years, if applied under this category; and minor applicants below 18 years of age. Published - June 25, 2026 09:49 pm IST
PU lecturers and principals addressed a press conference in Shivamogga opposing the amended PU recruitment rules, on June 23, 2026. | K. Dinesh Pre-University (PU) college lecturers have opposed the amended Karnataka General Services (Pre-University Education) (Recruitment) Rules, which provide for the deputation of PU lecturers to teach in high schools. The associations of PU lecturers and PU college principals have resolved to stage a protest in Bengaluru in the first week of July against the amended rules.Addressing a press conference in Shivamogga on June 23, S. Yogeesh, president of the Shivamogga PU Lecturers’ Association, said the government had framed the rules without consulting lecturers, principals, students, parents, or education experts. The associations, he said, would oppose the unilateral decision taken by the government of Karnataka.Mr. Yogeesh alleged that the draft rules were aimed at weakening, rather than strengthening, the PU education system. He pointed out that PU lecturers are recruited to the gazetted Group-B academic cadre, and that deputing them to high schools would undermine the existing cadre structure.“The government has produced no evidence to suggest that the quality of education will improve by deputing PU lecturers to high schools,” he said.He urged the government to fill vacancies in schools and colleges either through direct recruitment or promotions; create additional posts; and ensure the scientific utilisation of available human resources.G.F. Kutri, president of the PU College Principals’ Association, Supriya, vice-president of the lecturers’ association, and office-bearers Halappa Suruu, Dinakar, H.A. Madhu, M.P. Prabhakar, and C.N. Rajesh were present at the press conference. Published - June 23, 2026 03:22 pm IST
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