Hyderabad: Telangana Police have been recognised by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) with the Institutional Performance Award for State Police for their outstanding contribution to passport verification services.
The award was presented to Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) CV Anand by External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar during the Passport Seva Divas celebrations and Regional Passport Officers’ Conference held at Sushma Swaraj Bhavan in New Delhi from June 17 to 19.
Telangana secured the top position among state police organisations across the country for delivering efficient, transparent and citizen-focused passport verification services, an essential component of the passport issuance process.
According to officials, Telangana Police processed approximately 7.73 lakh passport verification requests during the 2025-26 period, accounting for nearly 99 per cent of the 7.87 lakh applications received. The average verification turnaround time was maintained between five and seven days.
VeriFast platform
A major factor behind the state’s performance has been the implementation of VeriFast, a technology-enabled passport verification platform. The system was initially developed by the Cyberabad Police in 2014 when CV Anand served as Police Commissioner and was later expanded across Telangana in 2015.
VeriFast uses artificial intelligence and advanced data-matching tools to verify applicant information against records available in the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) database and previous passport data. The system helps identify discrepancies, duplicate records and potential criminal antecedents, enabling faster and more accurate verification.
Police officials said the latest recognition marks the seventh national-level award received by Telangana Police for passport verification services since the introduction of the technology-driven system.
Speaking on the achievement, DGP CV Anand said the award reflects the commitment, professionalism and public service orientation of Telangana Police personnel. He added that the recognition would motivate the department to further improve service delivery and ensure faster, more citizen-friendly processes in the future.
