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10,000–12,000 ‘Digi Pravesh’ Passes Go Missing; Chaos at Mantralaya Gate; Rule-Breakers to be Blacklisted
Mumbai: The disappearance of thousands of entry passes issued under the ‘Digi Pravesh’ system—launched in August 2025 to facilitate smooth and secure entry into the Mantralaya (State Secretariat)—has created significant difficulties for general visitors. With a staggering 10,000 to 12,000 passes currently unaccounted for, there is a shortage of available passes for new visitors, leading to chaotic scenes at the Garden Gate.
Under the Digi Pravesh protocol, visitors are required to download a mobile application and register using their Aadhaar card. Following facial verification and the scheduling of a specific time slot based on the department they wish to visit, they are issued a digital entry pass embedded with a QR code. However, it is mandatory to surrender this pass upon exiting the Mantralaya. Since many visitors have failed to return their passes, the available stock has become insufficient.
Crowds tend to swell significantly after 2:00 PM. If the supply of passes runs out, visitors are directed to the police; however, due to a lack of clear instructions provided to the police regarding such situations, arguments and altercations frequently ensue. Citizens who do not own a smartphone face even greater difficulties, as they are often denied entry despite presenting their Aadhaar cards.
Anup Kumar Singh, Principal Secretary (Home Department), stated, “Approximately 10,000 to 12,000 entry passes are currently missing. We are reaching out to the concerned individuals in an effort to retrieve them. While some visitors have returned their passes, the overall supply remains insufficient. Those who fail to return their passes despite repeated reminders will be blacklisted. They will be permanently barred from entering the Mantralaya in the future.”
Although eight months have passed since the inception of the Digi Pravesh system, the ongoing mismanagement of passes continues to generate immense frustration among visitors. Furthermore, a lack of coordination between the administrative machinery and the police force means that many visitors are turned away—and even sent back outside the premises—despite having already cleared security checks.
Mumbai: The disappearance of thousands of entry passes issued under the ‘Digi Pravesh’ system—launched in August 2025 to facilitate smooth and secure entry into the Mantralaya (State Secretariat)—has created significant difficulties for general visitors. With a staggering 10,000 to 12,000 passes currently unaccounted for, there is a shortage of available passes for new visitors, leading to chaotic scenes at the Garden Gate.
Under the Digi Pravesh protocol, visitors are required to download a mobile application and register using their Aadhaar card. Following facial verification and the scheduling of a specific time slot based on the department they wish to visit, they are issued a digital entry pass embedded with a QR code. However, it is mandatory to surrender this pass upon exiting the Mantralaya. Since many visitors have failed to return their passes, the available stock has become insufficient.
Crowds tend to swell significantly after 2:00 PM. If the supply of passes runs out, visitors are directed to the police; however, due to a lack of clear instructions provided to the police regarding such situations, arguments and altercations frequently ensue. Citizens who do not own a smartphone face even greater difficulties, as they are often denied entry despite presenting their Aadhaar cards.
Anup Kumar Singh, Principal Secretary (Home Department), stated, “Approximately 10,000 to 12,000 entry passes are currently missing. We are reaching out to the concerned individuals in an effort to retrieve them. While some visitors have returned their passes, the overall supply remains insufficient. Those who fail to return their passes despite repeated reminders will be blacklisted. They will be permanently barred from entering the Mantralaya in the future.”
Although eight months have passed since the inception of the Digi Pravesh system, the ongoing mismanagement of passes continues to generate immense frustration among visitors. Furthermore, a lack of coordination between the administrative machinery and the police force means that many visitors are turned away—and even sent back outside the premises—despite having already cleared security checks.
Under the Digi Pravesh protocol, visitors are required to download a mobile application and register using their Aadhaar card. Following facial verification and the scheduling of a specific time slot based on the department they wish to visit, they are issued a digital entry pass embedded with a QR code. However, it is mandatory to surrender this pass upon exiting the Mantralaya. Since many visitors have failed to return their passes, the available stock has become insufficient.
Crowds tend to swell significantly after 2:00 PM. If the supply of passes runs out, visitors are directed to the police; however, due to a lack of clear instructions provided to the police regarding such situations, arguments and altercations frequently ensue. Citizens who do not own a smartphone face even greater difficulties, as they are often denied entry despite presenting their Aadhaar cards.
Anup Kumar Singh, Principal Secretary (Home Department), stated, “Approximately 10,000 to 12,000 entry passes are currently missing. We are reaching out to the concerned individuals in an effort to retrieve them. While some visitors have returned their passes, the overall supply remains insufficient. Those who fail to return their passes despite repeated reminders will be blacklisted. They will be permanently barred from entering the Mantralaya in the future.”
Although eight months have passed since the inception of the Digi Pravesh system, the ongoing mismanagement of passes continues to generate immense frustration among visitors. Furthermore, a lack of coordination between the administrative machinery and the police force means that many visitors are turned away—and even sent back outside the premises—despite having already cleared security checks.
