Thanks for the info wonderclicks. Yes mine is a metro, but I read somewhere that if the passport is issued in tatkal without police clearance it might take them few weeks to do the verification & issue a clearance. I dont want to give my original passport & work permit papers to the consulate. so I planned not to apply here & apply it in india in july as I will be visiting anyway. But do u think they will ask me to submit it before that? In that case i have no option other than to apply now and wait & hope for the best. What if i dont get it before july, will they let me take back my application & passport to travel to india?