Usually controversies fade away after a few days of media limelight. But the one surrounding machine-readable passports in Nepal has become like a bad dream that keeps recurring.
Usually controversies fade away after a few days of media limelight. But the one surrounding machine-readable passports in Nepal has become like a bad dream that keeps recurring.
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Three months after Nepal cancelled the passport deal with India following political pressure, the issue is back in the headlines.
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This time, questions are being raised on the personalisation printers that Oberthur Technologies, the French firm that bagged the contract, has offered.
Immediately after the contract was awarded earlier this month, Perum Peruri (Indonesia) and De La Rue (UK), two rival firms that lost out, complained the printers do not comply with requirements.
Oberthur had said it would use printers of Park and OPC, a South Korean company, to personalise the passports.
Perum Pemuri and De La Rue allege the printers are substandard.
Acting on the complaints, the public accounts committee of Parliament has asked the ministry of foreign affairs, which awarded the contract to Oberthur, to probe the complaints.
Eyebrows are also being raised on whether the caretaker government has the authority to award such a big contract. Oberthur is to supply four million passports at a cost of $ 3.59 each.
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Taking note of media reports, India expressed concern that supply of low quality passports could have an adverse effect on security across the border.
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Taking note of media reports, India expressed concern that supply of low quality passports could have an adverse effect on security across the border.
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India’s worry springs from an unusually large number of loss of Nepali passports and use of them by non-Nepali citizens for illegal activities in India.
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.
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