Is it Namo effect - UAE has introduced Hindi as language for Driving Licesne test
16 June, 2015
In a welcome move ,from September Four Indian languages including Hindi can be chosen while appearing for driving tests in the UAE . Is it Namo effect ? No, its increasing recognition of Indian Community living in UAE .The Indian community in the UAE, numbering 2.6 million, constitutes 30 per cent of the total population. It is the largest expatriate community in the country. Interestingly ,nearly 40 per cent of the Indian workers in the second largest Arab economy are from the south-Indian state of Kerala. Read More
Process simplified for Government employees to obtain Passport
14 June 2015 , New Delhi
The procedure for obtaining passport by Govt. employees, officials working in PSUs and autonomous body has become simplify. As per Govt. rule, any govt. servant who wants to apply for passport has to get NOCs (no-objection certificate and identity certificates from their respective departments. Getting through with these processes is a time taking procedure. To simplify the process, the MEA has introduced “Annexure N” or PIL, so that the govt. servant doesn’t have to face much difficulty. Read More
Whats in a number - Perhaps a lot for Bengalurites
4 Jun 2015 , Bengaluru
Citizens are willing to pay for fancy registration number as much as they would pay for Tata Nano car . Interesting trend was seen in the recent auction at Bangaluru's road transport offices( RTO). Transport department introduced an open bidding for fancy numbers, the registration number 9999 at Indiranagar ( KA 41) regional transport offices bagged for Rs 2.05 lakh each,the highest anyone has ever paid for a number in the tech hub of India. Read More
Record number of H-1B visa applications received by USA
Reuters | Apr 14, 2015, 05.06 PM IST
WASHINGTON: Applications for H-1B visas allowing US businesses to hire foreign workers in science, engineering and computer programming totaled a record 233,000 for fiscal 2016, according to government figures released. A maximum of 85,000 of the work visas, including 20,000 for holders of master's degrees, are available each year under limits set by Congress, despite years of heavy lobbying by tech companies to raise the cap. Read More
Visa on arrival scheme renamed as e-tourist visa by Government
TNN | Apr 14, 2015, 05.29 PM IST
NEW DELHI: The Union home ministry has decided to rename the tourist visa-on-arrival scheme as 'e-tourist visa' scheme with effect from Wednesday. The step is aimed at avoiding inconvenience to foreign tourists who, misled by scheme's nomenclature, would fly into India presuming that they would be granted visa on arrival upon landing."It has been observed that the name of the scheme is creating confusion among tourists. Tourist presumed as if the visa is being granted on arrival..however in present system the pre-authorisation of visa to foreigners is being given prior to travel," the home ministry said in a press release on Tuesday. The ministry also referred to the requests it had received from "some Indian embassies" for a change in nomenclature of the scheme. Read More
NGT bans diesel vehicles older than 10 years in Delhi NCR
NEW DELHI, April 8, 2015
The National Green Tribunal on Tuesday banned all diesel vehicles over ten years old from plying in Delhi and the National Capital Region and also cracked the whip on rampant construction activity adding dust to the air. Reiterating that diesel vehicles are major source of pollution in the ambient air quality and citing examples of countries which are in the process of controlling or banning diesel vehicles, the NGT ordered, “We direct all diesel vehicles, heavy or light, which are ten years old will not be permitted on roads of NCR of Delhi”. Read More
H1-B visa application cap reached within 5 days
PTI | Apr 8, 2015, 12.41 PM IST
NEW YORK: The US said it has reached the cap for the much-coveted H-1B work visas for 2016 within the first five days for the third consecutive year and will now conduct a lottery system to allocate the visas highly popular among IT professionals from countries like India. USCIS will now use the computer-generated process, also known as the lottery, to randomly select the petitions needed to meet the caps of 65,000 visas for the general category and 20,000 for the advanced degree exemption. Read More
1.65 Lakh fake Ration card to be cancelled in Delhi
7th June, 2014
.65 lakh ration cards have been deactivated by the Delhi Government's Food and Civil Supplies Department,found these cards to be bogus.The supply of subsidised food grains has been stopped. Around 1.7 lakh card holder across the city suspecting these cards might be bogus. 2 months of time has been given to proof their authenticity.The department has decided to deactivate these cards from the records. Read More
Marriage Registration within 24 hours under Tatkal Scheme for Rs. 10,000
May 11, 2014
Indian Embassy in US outsources visa, passport services to new firm
May 08. 2014
The Indian Embassy in the US has announced to outsource its passport and visa related services to a new company for all its diplomatic missions in America following complaints against the current service provider. Cox & King Global Services Ltd will replace the existing BLS International Limited and would offer its services from May 21 at all Indian diplomatic posts in the US, according to a statement by the Indian Embassy. Read More
Marriage registration to become compulsory
April 20, 2014
The order for the compulsory registration of marriage was cleared by Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung earlier this week. The Delhi (Compulsory Registration of Marriage) Order, 2014, will be applicable to all marriages solemnised in the city under both the Hindu Marriage Act as well as the Special Marriage Act of 1954. All those getting married in the city from next month will have to get their marriage registered within 60 days of taking the vow. The Delhi Government is likely to issue the notification for compulsory registration of marriage by the end of this month. Read More
Pending passports to be sent by April second week
April 4, 2014
By printing 2,800 passports a day against the regular 1,600, the Regional Passport Office (RPO), Bangalore, is hopeful of dispatching all pending passports by April 15.“Our personnel are working overtime and even on holidays. We will be able to clear the backlog by the end of April second week,” said Regional Passport Officer P.S. Karthigeyan. Read More
Income-tax Dept to send out letters to 23 lakh assessees for not filing returns
Feb 16, 2014
In a last-ditch effort to meet revenue targets, the Income-Tax Department will be sending out letters to 23 lakh assessees who have not filed returns.“We have identified 23 lakh people who have invested their money, but have not filed returns. We will be sending out letters to them asking them details of their tax returns,” an official said.The I-T department is spreading its net over people who conducted high-value transactions in 2010-11 and 2011-12. Read More
Bangalore: Passport Mela helps 2,000+ applicants
Feb 16, 2014
To expedite the application process in view of the high demand for passports, a Passport Mela was organised on Saturday from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm at the four Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs) in Karnataka.At the PSKs on Lalbagh Road and in Marathahalli in Bangalore, about 2,000 appointments were made available to passport seekers, who visited the PSK to get their passport applications processed. The appointment slots to register for the Mela were made available from February 10. On Saturday, a total of 1,768 tokens were issued during the Mela. Read More
Now get marriage registration certificate via video-conferencing
Feb 16, 2014
High Court has said that these certificates can be issued via video-conferencing.Justice Manmohan, allowing this to a newly-wed couple based in Canada, said that the rule mandating physical presence while applying for registration was "framed at a time when technology was nascent".The court said the family members could take delivery of the marriage certificate once the couple confirms this through video-conferencing."The law has to adapt to changing times," the court opined. Read More
India to issue e-passports with biometric data by 2015
Feb 13, 2014
Indian citizens are likely to get electronic passports embedded with biometric information from next year in order to ensuring greater security and transparency, the country’s Ministry of External Affairs has informed. Chief Passport Officer, Muktesh Pardeshi shared, “A Task Force has been set up to look into the e-passport project, which has held deliberations with different stakeholders. We are planning to start issues e-passports to new applicants by next year.” Read More
Relief from stringent PAN norms may be temporary
Feb 08, 2014
The relief given to permanent account number (PAN) applicants from furnishing original documents may be temporary. After putting the decision in abeyance within a week after notifying it, the tax department is planning to enforce it again, albeit with some relaxation.
The Directorate of Income Tax (Systems) has written to the finance ministry, conveying its concern about the misuse of PAN cards, and asking it to make the verification process fool-proof. Read More
New PAN card to cost Rs 105
Jan 28, 2014
UK visa: Online payment must for Indians from Dec 16
December 05, 2013
All Indians seeking British visa will have to pay the visa fees online through debit or credit cards as other mode of payments such as cash or demand draft will be discontinued from December 16. Britain's Immigration Regional Director for Central and South Asia Thomas Greig said the new initiative has been taken as part of efforts to streamline the visa application process and to make it consistent with the wider global trend. Read More
ICAO sets Nov 2015 deadline to phase out handwritten passports
December 09, 2013
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) plans to phase out all non-Machine Readable Passports (MRPs) by 2015."The ICAO has set a deadline of November 24, 2015 for globally phasing out all non-Machine Readable Passports," Jammu passport officer Rajinder Gupta said on Monday. Read More
India-Bangladesh Passport to be discontinued from November 15
November 11, 2013
The India-Bangladesh Passport (IBP) will be discontinued with effect from November 15 this year."Pursuant to the signing of the Revised Travel Arrangements (RTA) between India and Bangladesh signed on January 28, 2013, it has been decided by the Ministry of External Affairs to discontinue issuance of IBP with effect from November 15, 2013," Passport Granting Officer (Administration) under Regional Passport Office here said in a release today. Read More
Rajya Sabha passes bill for compulsory marriage registration
August 13 , 2013
The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday passed a bill which makes it mandatory to register all marriages, irrespective of religion.The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill will, however, not make the unregistered marriages void, Law and Justice Minister Kapil Sibal said. Read More