New Delhi, June 26: The Government of India has announced a revision in passport application fees, with the updated charges scheduled to come into effect from July 1, 2026. The revised fee structure applies to various passport services, including fresh applications, renewals, Tatkal services, and replacement of lost or damaged passports.

Under the new rates, adults applying for a standard 36-page passport through the normal process will pay ₹2,500, while applicants opting for the Tatkal service will be charged ₹5,000. The fee for a 60-page passport has also been increased, with higher charges applicable under both the normal and expedited categories.

The revised schedule also includes updated fees for passport services for minors, replacement of lost or damaged passports, and certain related documents such as Police Clearance Certificates and miscellaneous passport certifications. Officials have indicated that emergency certificate provisions remain unchanged within India.

According to government notifications, the validity period for adult passports continues to remain up to 10 years, while passports issued to minors will generally remain valid for five years or until they attain the age of 18 years, subject to applicable rules. Existing concessions for eligible categories, including young children and senior citizens, are also expected to continue under the revised framework.

The updated fee structure is part of amendments notified under the Passports Rules and will apply to passport applications submitted on or after July 1, 2026. Applicants planning to obtain or renew their passports are advised to verify the latest charges before submitting their applications.

Mumbai, June 26: In a major political flashpoint, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Thursday launched a scathing attack on rebel Member of Parliament (MP) Sanjay Dina Patil after the latter allegedly abused and threatened to assault journalists on camera.

Sanjay Dina Patil, who recently defected from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) to join Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction, has sparked widespread public outrage across the state for his aggressive outburst against media personnel.

Reacting strongly to the incident, Raut alleged that Maharashtra is currently witnessing an unprecedented surge in threats, extortions, and contract killings under government protection. He said if journalists are being threatened and the state’s Chief Minister is simply laughing it off, it is a deeply serious matter. Raut urged journalists across the country to unite and raise their voices against this intimidation.

He reminded the media of its constitutional importance, adding that the judiciary and the press are the pillars of democracy, but those at the Centre do not respect it. Raut drew a sharp historical parallel to highlight the changing political climate in the state.

He recalled that years ago, there was a fierce dispute between the undivided Shiv Sena and Nikhil Wagle, the then-editor of Mahanagar, but even back then, they never issued death threats. He questioned where that unity has gone today, noting that journalists from across the country had gathered outside Shiv Sena Bhavan to demand action following an assault.

Raut demanded that the Mumbai Police and the Home Minister act without any political bias. He condemned the language used by the rebel MP, noting that talking about throwing bombs or sending people to the cemetery on camera is tarnishing the reputation of Maharashtra. “Our Maharashtra was never like this,” he lamented.

Responding to counter-allegations from the Shinde camp that Raut himself frequently uses abusive language, the Sena (UBT) leader challenged his detractors to show him one instance where he used an abusive word against a professional.

He said he called the defectors “traitors” (gaddars) because that is what they are, and one cannot substitute words like “Mahatma” or “Acharya” for traitors.

He further targeted the Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde over the lack of action, stating that if the Deputy Chief Minister cannot understand the difference between calling someone a traitor and issuing a murder threat, he has no right to hold his position.

Raut demanded that an SIT (Special Investigation Team) be set up to find out where their sense of judgment has gone.

Without explicitly naming Patil, Raut delivered a veiled warning regarding Patil’s past claims about being involved in a retaliatory killing. Patil had previously claimed that his family “killed five people” when his father was attacked. Rebunking any political undertones to that past incident, Raut claimed that they hold the entire record of who killed whom and why.

He said that it was not a political or Shiv Sena dispute but a deadly conflict between two local illegal liquor den operators that resulted in murder.

Wrapping up his offensive, Raut trained his guns on Mumbai’s top cop. He said Mumbai has a highly capable Police Commissioner, and if a criminal lawmaker refuses to respect the law, the police must make them listen.

He concluded that this kind of lawless language is typically seen in Bihar, and, unfortunately, the situation has deteriorated to the point where Maharashtra has become like Bihar.

The efforts to resolve the issues pending for years to establish genuine and officially operating hawkers and remove unauthorised hawkers in Mumbai are now succeeding. As part of this, a representative launch of QR code-based identity cards for registered hawkers is being held today, Mumbai Mayor Ritu Awade said. As per the court directions and on the basis of the Municipal Street Vendors Act, the process of distributing QR code-based identity cards to a total of 99,435 registered urban street vendors (hawkers) was formally inaugurated by Mumbai Mayor Ritu Awade. The inauguration ceremony held at the Standing Committee Hall of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters was attended by Leader of the House Ganesh Khankar, Standing Committee Chairman Prabhakar Shinde, Shiv Sena Group Leader Aimee Ghole, Indian National Congress Group Leader Ashraf Azmi and others. Chairperson of the Improvement Committee, Chairperson of the Education Committee, Scindia Doshi, Rajeshree Shravadkar, Corporator Deep Malabadhe, Corporator Preeti Satam, Corporator Sheetal Gambhir, Corporator Dr. Syeda Khan, Corporator Ramakant Rahete, Corporator Tejendra Singh Tiwana, Corporator Shivkumar Jha, Licensing Superintendent Anil Katte etc. were present on the occasion. On this occasion, about 100 registered city street vendors (hawkers) from different areas of Mumbai were provided with QR code based identity cards by Mayor Ritu Tawde and various dignitaries. Speaking on the occasion, Mayor Ritu Tawde said that after taking charge of the Mayor, I got all the information about the hawker policy and the current situation to solve the problem of hawkers in the Municipal Corporation. Continuous efforts were made to solve the problems in this regard.

Although the election of the City Street Vendors i.e. Hawker Committee was held in August 2024, the counting process could not be completed due to legal reasons. The court allowed the process to proceed and the Law Department was directed to make efforts in this regard. After the permission was granted by the court, the counting process was completed and the issue of the City Street Vendor Committees was resolved. As per the directions given by the court and within the stipulated time, QR code-based identity cards are being distributed to a total of 99,435 hawkers on the basis of the City Street Vendors Act. We will continue our efforts to resolve various issues related to hawkers. The Mayor said that we will continue comprehensive efforts so that no one is abused and no deserving person is deprived of benefits.