HYDERABAD: The state police was presented the Institutional Performance Award for State Police by the ministry of external affairs (MEA) for its outstanding performance in passport verification and citizen-centric service delivery.
Union external affairs minister S. Jaishankar presented the award to Director General of Police C.V. Anand during the Passport Seva Divas celebrations and Passport Officers’ Conference held at Sushma Swaraj Bhavan in New Delhi.
The recognition comes in acknowledgement of state police’s quick, transparent and technology-driven passport verification system. During 2025-26, the department processed 8,67,741 passport applications and completed police verification and clearance of 8,67,452 applications, achieving a 99 per cent disposal rate within an average of five to seven days, according to a statement.
In 2024-25, Telangana Police verified 8,06,684 passport applications with an average turnaround time of less than seven days, earning national recognition for its efficiency. Officials attributed the success to ‘VeriFast,’ an advanced passport verification platform first developed by Anand during his tenure as Cyberabad Commissioner in 2014 and adopted statewide in 2015.
The AI-powered system cross-checks applicant details with CCTNS, previous passport records and other databases to identify discrepancies and criminal antecedents, according to the statement.
This marks the seventh national-level recognition received by Telangana Police since 2015 for excellence in passport verification services. The DGP said the award reflects the dedication, professionalism and citizen-focused service of the police force.