According to some government sources, it happened after one of the servers operational under old online system went down at 10.30 am, caused due to bugging of a random access memory (RAM) and insufficiency of motherboard in handling increased number of applications.  

 

"The information technology machinery still in use at RPO since past nine years has already lived its life and is not under any annual maintenance contract (AMC)," a senior government official with national informatics centre, NIC told Governance Now. NIC was the nodal agency handling online passport system before the implementation of passport seva project (PSP) project, being implemented by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). 

 

He said that the old IT system was supposed to be shut down just after the national roll out of passport seva project (PSP). “However, the old and new systems were being run parallel, compromising on the security of the system and usability of the hardware already in place for nine years,” he said.  

 

Since the NIC got out of the contract with MEA in 2009 as soon the ministry signed pact with TCS, it was not able to procure or buy new hardware for the required replacement. “We brought this into the notice of the MEA several times, but that’s all we can do,” he said. 

 

Apparently, this shows a wide gap in the government's strategy of migration of service delivery from an old system to a new one. According to the detailed project report (DPR) of the PSP, as soon the pilot in Bangalore and Chandigarh get over, the project would be rolled across all 37 RPOs within six months.  TCS had to take over the project completely, but it failed, he said. 

 

The NIC official also said that what happed on Wednesday have already happened in December, 2011, as well.  Moreover, he cautioned that since the takeover is happening partially, the going down of servers and subsequently services, would happen in most of the RPOs, given the fact that most of the hardware system are not covered under AMC.

 

An official with ministry of external affairs, requesting anonymity, said that the real issue is about transfer of legacy data. The delays are not due to the PSP implementation but with the existing applications pending with the older system, he said. He informed that the processing of fresh applications in the new system is smooth. The problem or delays are happening in cases where applications were filed in the older system and are currently in various levels of processing. 

 

A senior management official with TCS blamed the old systems being run by NIC for the short crisis and said that TCS has nothing to do with the present crisis. Defending TCS, he said, “Our system is working fine. The applicants who initially went to Bhikaji Cama office, have now been directed to our PSK at Herald House in Delhi and we are managing it very well.”

 

When the servers went down, the applicants at the RPO were told that a “server has caught fire” and that they should come the other day. However, the applicants, who could be more than a hundred in numbers failed to get their work done even on Friday, after repeated visits to the passport office.

 

“My son and daughter in law will fly to Australia in a few days time but their passport had to be renewed. On Tuesday morning, when I went to RPO, my application was rubber stamped and I was given a token, saying that I should come on Wednesday for further formalities. When I went on Wednesday I was asked to come on Thursday and then eventually on Friday,” a senior media person who failed to get his work done after multiple visits told to Governance Now.  

 

According to NIC official, the government will close the Bhikaji Cama office, which was until now taking tatkal and miscellaneous applications, completely for service delivery and will soon be opening a PSK within the premises.