Embassy News

MEDICAL TEST OF INDIAN NATIONALS COMING TO KUWAIT

KUWAIT MEDICAL TEST FEES
    The Embassy of Kuwait in New Delhi has announced that the Kuwaiti authorities will henceforth accept medical reports only from GAMCA (GCC Approved Medical Centres Association) Medical centres in India replacing the services of M/s Khadamat Integrated Solutions Pvt Ltd. A copy of the Embassy of Kuwait, New Delhi’s Notice dated 29 June 2015 is attached for reference.
 
 
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Embassy informs about the death of two Indian nationals

 
The Embassy regrets to inform about the death of two Indian nationals in the bomb blast at Imam Sadiq Mosque, Kuwait on 26 June 2015. Both were taking part in the prayers when they died. Their details are given below:
(i)    Shri Rizwan Husain, DOB 29/6/1984, Passport No. H-0338720, date of issue 14/8/2008 from Lucknow, Resident of Village Walipur, PS Baldipur, District Sultanpur, UP, who was working as a watchman in the Mosque.
(ii)    Shri Ibne Abbas, DOB 20/07/1989, passport No. M-1629683, date of issue 28/08/2014 from Lucknow, Resident of 151 Jafarabad, The. Jalalpur, Ambedkar Nagar, UP, who was working as driver.
2.    In view of the bomb blast on 26 June 2015, all members of Indian community in Kuwait are advised to take precautions for their safety and security in the country.
 
 
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OBSERVE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA

OBSERVE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA

The Embassy is celebrating First International Day of Yoga (IDY) on 21 June 2015 (Sunday) from 0600 hrs to 0800 hrs at the Embassy premises. Embassy is pleased to inform that large number of people have registered their participation online. For the benefit of all participants and to avoid traffic congestion, a transportation service (27 Seater Coaster buses) have been arranged from the following three locations:

1.   From Fahaheel - Al Amal Clinic and one stop at Souq Sabah

2.   From Abbassiya - Opp. Udupi Hotel (Bhavans School) and one stop at United Indian School

3.   From Salmiya - Salmiya Garden entrance/Parking  and one stop at Thakkar Restaurant.

2.      Please note that transportation service will be available from 5 AM till 5.15 AM at the above locations. There will be only one trip from these three locations. Those who are desirous of availing this service must reach at above locations at 5 AM sharp in order to board the buses on time. The buses will also drop the participants back at the same place after the yoga session is over.

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INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP IN THE INDIAN COUNCIL FOR AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH

 INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP IN THE INDIAN COUNCIL FOR AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH

The Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) which is an autonomous body under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture, New Delhi invites applications for NETAJI SUBHAS-ICAR International Fellowship (ICAR-IFs) for the academic year 2015-16.

2.         The number of fellowships available for a programme leading to Ph.D. degree under this scheme is 30 and the allocation of fellowships between Indian and Overseas students will depend upon the availability of good candidates in the identified priority areas.

3.         The details for the admission procedure, guidelines, eligibility criteria, priority areas of study etc. are available on the ICAR Website www.icar.org.inand the applications are to be submitted on-line/by post to the Assistant Director General (EQR), Education Division, ICAR Krishi Anusandhan Bhawan-II, Pusa, New Delhi-110012 (E-mail: adgeqr@gmail.com).

4.         The last date for receiving the application in Indian Council for Agricultural Research is 30 June 2015.

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Ramadan Timings - Indian Embassy

 Ramadan Timings - Indian EMBASSY

During the Holy month of Ramadan, the office timings of the Indian Passport and Visa Service Centres of COX & KINGS Global Services, Kuwait, situated at (i) Behbahani Tower, 17th Floor, Sharq, Kuwait, (ii) Complex Kais Alghanim, 4th Floor, Mecca Street in front of Al Anood Complex, Fahaheel, Kuwait & iii) 2nd Floor, Jleeb Al Shuyoukh Block 1,Street 1, Xcite building, Kuwait, will be from 8.00 AM - 3.00 PM from SATURDAY to THURSDAY (i.e. six days a week). Tokens for submission of applications will NOT be issued after 2.00 PM. Delivery of passports and visas services will be from     11.00 AM onwards. Regular working hours (Sunday to Thursday 08:00 am to 5:00 pm & Friday and Saturdays 04:00 pm to 08:00 pm.) will be restored the day after Eid al-Fitr (end of Ramadan)”.

2.      The Consular wing of Embassy of India, Kuwait will however, maintain its usual working hours, i.e., 0730 hrs to 1630 hrs.

Nalanda University at Rajgir - Bihar

Nalanda University at Rajgir - Bihar

The Nalanda University has been established at Rajgir (Bihar) as an international institution of academic excellence. The University was formally inaugurated by the Hon’ble Minister of External Affairs on 19 September 2014.  The University's School of Historical Studies, School of Ecology and Environment Studies, set up in a temporary campus, are soon going to complete their first year of teaching.  The process of admission for the second year has already commenced.

2.        All students in Kuwait who are interested, may please see the following link for all the relevant details like admission procedure about Nalanda University. https://admissions.nalandauniv.edu.in, for taking admission.

General Amnesty by the Kuwait Government

 
Embassy has been receiving numerous queries/distress calls from Indian community seeking confirmation regarding announcement of General Amnesty by the Kuwait Government for illegal residents in the country allowing them to regularize their stay or leave the country without payment of fines.
 It is hereby informed that there is no such grant of General Amnesty by the Kuwaiti Government for these residents staying illegally in the country.
However, there is a grace period of 60 days effective June 01, 2015 for workers who are working with the companies whose licenses has been suspended so that these workers can regularize their stay.
All affected expatriate workers of these suspended companies will be given a chance to transfer to other sponsors or return to back to their own countries within the grace period from 1 June – 1 August, 2015.
 
 
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Do not go as Shepherd workers – Indian Embassy advises

 
 

The Embassy is deeply shocked and distressed to learn that an Indian national working as a shepherd in Kuwait has been found dead on 28 May 2015 in a remote desert area in Qashaniya.  According to press reports, preliminary investigations suggest that the Indian national died of thirst and de-hydration as his body was found in a very arid spot.

2.       As a matter of policy, the Embassy is not allowing Indian nationals in Kuwait to work as shepherds so as to protect their welfare.  Unfortunately, there have been some instances reported where Indian nationals have been forced to work as shepherds in desert areas of Kuwait or taken against their will to Saudi Arabia.

3.       The Embassy would, therefore, like to advise Indian nationals in Kuwait not to take up employment as shepherds.  Those who have been forced to work as shepherds in Kuwait in violation of their work contract, should immediately contact the Embassy for assistance in the matter/redressal of their grievances.

4.       Following Telephone / Mobile Numbers may be noted for contacting officers in the Embassy:

(a)     Shri S. Goldar, Deputy Chief of Mission (speaks Bengali, Oriya & Assamese), Tel. No. 22510891 & Mobile No.97229942;

(b)     Smt. Sunila Krishnan, Attaché (Labour) (speaks Malayalam&Tamil), Tel. No.22530409 &Mobile No.97264247;

(c)     ShriK.S.S. Naidu, Local Clerk (speaks Kannada & Telugu), Mobile No. 66442433; and

(d)     Smt. M. Thriveni Reddy, Local Clerk (speaks Telugu), Mobile No. 97108538.

 
 
 
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MEA declared PASSPORT SEVA MITRA scheme

 
The Government of India under the ageis of Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), New Delhi, had declared the launching of a new scheme in Bhopal (M.P) on 26 May called INTERNSHIP also known as PASSPORT SEVA MITRA. All relevant details in this matter has already been uploaded on Passport India Portal with the following link;-
https://passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/pdf/Passport_seva_mitra.pdf
The Passport Seva Project has recently achieved a rare distinction of becoming the first Mission Mode Project to receive three ISO Certifications. Their details have also been uploaded on Passport India Portal:-
https://passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/pdf/ISO_Certification.pdf
The MEA has made many quantitative and qualitative improvements in the delivery of passport services in the country through successful implementation of Passport Seva Project (PSP). The objective is to deliver passports to the citizens of India all over the world quickly in a comfortable manner. The location of the PSKs/RPOs may be accessed at the Passport Portal www.passportindia.gov.in.
 
 
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Indian Diaspora IDF OI

Fourth Meeting of the Board of Trustees

India Development Foundation of Overseas Indians

23 May 2015

 

embassyThe Fourth Meeting of the Board of Trustees of India Development Foundation of Overseas Indians (IDF-OI) was held on May 23, 2015 in New Delhi. The meeting was chaired by the Hon’ble Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs, Smt. Sushma Swaraj.  IDF-OI is a not-for-profit Trust set-up by MOIA in 2008 to serve as an avenue for overseas Indians to contribute to India’s social development efforts.

In its meeting on May 23 the Board reviewed the functioning of IDF and its Action Plan for 2015-16. It decided to enhance engagement with overseas Indians and increase the number and variety of projects. The Board revised the mandate of IDF to seek contributions from overseas Indians for the three flagship programmes of the Government of India – Namami Gange, Swachh Bharat and Swachh Vidyalaya. Previously, IDF focussed mainly on philanthropy by overseas Indians to social and development projects in India which were selected by the donors.

The Board also decided that Indian Diaspora can also contribute through IDF, to projects identified by the State Governments; and projects implemented by NGOs. The participants in the Board meeting included prominent Indians and NRIs Shri Yusuff Ali, Shri Joginder Pal Sanger, Shri Subhash Jindal, Dr. B.K. Agnihotri, Shri Ashok Chowgule, Ms. Ritu Beri and Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak.

WORLD HINDI CONFERENCE in Bhopal

 
The Government of India (GOI) under the aegis of the Ministry of External Affairs in partnership with the State Government of Madhya Pradesh (M.P.) is organizing the 10th World Hindi Conference in Bhopal (M.P.) from 10-12 September 2015. A dedicated official website for the forthcoming conference has been launched which can be visited at www.vishwahindisammelan.gov.in for which online registration facility is available on the aforesaid web portal. The details/requirements for the registration of foreign participants are outlined in detail in the above website.
2.    All those interested to participate in the Conference, will have to register themselves through the online process. Subsequently, those who have successfully registered themselves are required to apply online for Conference Visa which will be given on presentation of their travel documents and an invitation letter from the organizer as per standard GOI guidelines.
3.    All interested participants are requested to submit online application for Conference visa at www.indianvisaonline.gov.in immediately.
 
 
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National Mission for Clean Ganga Project - Nirmal Ganga Bhagidaari

National Mission for  Clean Ganga Project -  Nirmal Ganga Bhagidaari

          The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA), Government of India, New Delhi has been making consistent efforts to enhance economic engagement with our community and to promote philanthropy by the Indian Diaspora to social and development projects in India. While for strengthening economic engagement with diaspora, the Overseas Indian Facilitation Centre (OIFC) has been set up by this Ministry (MOIA) in partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the India Development  Foundation of Overseas Indians (IDF-OI) has been set up by the MOIA to promote the philanthropy by our community to projects in India.

2.      In order to expedite the above, IDF-OI and OIFC are both working on the project of National Mission for Clean Ganga Project (NMCG) which has been captioned as NIRMAL GANGA BHAGIDAARI. The advertisement issued by NMCG giving all required details is attached. All Indian Community members who are interested in investing in projects as listed in the advertisement or any other form of economic engagement are requested to contact IDF-OI & OIFC for further information.

nirmal

Recruitment of Indian Nurses

Recruitment of Indian Nurses

You are aware that to streamline the recruitment of Indian nurses for work in Kuwait with effect from 30 April 2015, the Government of India decided to restrict the recruitment of nurses through the following three State-run recruiting agencies:

 

a)   Non-Resident Keralites’ Affairs Department (NORKA-ROOTS), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala;

b)   Overseas Development and Employment Promotion Consultants Ltd. (ODEPC), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala; and

c)   Overseas Manpower Corporation Limited (OMCL), Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

2.      The Government of India has also decided earlier this month that these recruitment agencies which are authorized to recruit Indian nurses will not charge any fees towards recruitment expenses from Indian nurses.  Such cost, if any, shall be met by the concerned agencies in Kuwait on mutually agreed terms.  Moreover, foreign employers in Kuwait will not recover any amount towards the cost of recruitment from Indian nurses, initially or subsequently, during their contract.

3.      The Government has decided today (14 May 2015) to make one-month relaxation with regard to emigration clearance, that is, Indian nurses coming for work in Kuwait till 30 May 2015 would not require any emigration clearance.

BHANGRA FUNCTION

 
  The Embassy of India in coordination with the National Council for Culture Arts and Letters is organizing a cultural evening for two days on 4th & 5th May at Kaifan Theatre (Opposite Kaifan Cooperative Society) and Indian Embassy Auditorium respectively. The  function on both the days starts at 7.00 PM (1900 HOURS).

 
SS (Press, Info & Culture)

Tele & Fax-22531716

Mobile-97229914

E-mail ssinfo@indembkwt.org

                        &

E-mail sspic@indembkwt.org
 
 
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e-Tourist Visa Facility - Indian Embassy

e-Tourist Visa Facility - Indian Embassy

In pursuance of the announcement made on March 14, 2015 by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, the Embassy of India is pleased to inform that the e-Tourist Visa (eTV) scheme is extended to nationals of 45 countries with effect from Tuesday, April 15, 2015.  e-Tourist Visa Facility is available for holders of passport of following countries: Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Cook Islands, Djibouti, Fiji, Finland, Germany, Guyana, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Myanmar, Nauru,  New Zealand, Niue Island, Norway, Oman, Palau, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Russia, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga, Tuvalu, UAE, Ukraine, USA, Vanuatu & Vietnam.  Kuwaiti nationals are not included in eTV facility.

2.      The new scheme will be in addition to the existing visa services.  Foreign nationals of above 45 countries holding Diplomatic / Official passports cannot avail of the eTV scheme. International Travellers having Pakistani passports or of Pakistani origin are not eligible for this facility.

 

3.      The eTV can be utilized by all foreign Nationals holding ordinary passports whose sole objective of visiting India is recreation, sightseeing, casual visit to meet friends or relatives, short duration medical treatment or casual business visit. The applicant should not have a residence or occupation in India. The applicant should hold a passport with at least six months validity from the date of arrival in India.

 

4.      It may be noted that visa will not be issued on arrival without ETA. Applicants have to apply and obtain ETA online prior to undertaking travel to India. This process will take a minimum of 4 working days.

 

5.      The eTV will be for single-entry, and valid for only 30 days stay from the date of arrival in India. The eTV will be non-extendable, non-convertible and not valid for visiting Protected /Restricted and Cantonment Areas. Entry into India must be through any of the following 9 designated airports only - Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram. However, exit can be through any authorized Immigration Check Post (ICP) in India. Entry into India must be undertaken within 30 days from the date of approval of ETA. The eTV facility cannot be availed of more than twice in a calendar year.

 

6.      The applicant should carry a printed copy of ETA along with him / her at the time of travel. He / she should have a return / onward journey ticket, with sufficient money to spend during his/her stay in India.

 

7.      Biometric details of the applicant will be captured at Immigration on arrival in India.

 

8.      There is a special fee of US$ 60 per person (plus an interchange charge of US$ 2 for credit / debit cards) for the new scheme. This fee must be paid before the application can be processed, and once paid, the fee is non-refundable.

 

 

How to apply for ETA

 

9.       Applicants should apply online at:

 https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html

 Each applicant must have a separate passport (international travel documents shall not be accepted). Applications by individuals endorsed on parent’s/ spouse’s passport shall not be accepted.

 

10.    The application process requires uploading the scanned page of the passport containing the photo and personal details like name, date of birth, nationality, expiry date, etc., in PDF format (10 KB to 300 KB).

 

11.    The application process also requires the uploading of a recent front-facing digital photograph with plain white background, in JPEG format (10 KB to 1 MB). The head should be centred within the frame and present the full head, from top of hair to bottom of chin. The photograph should not have any shadow on the face or on the background, and should not have any border. The height and width of the photograph must be equal.

 

12.    The application is liable to be rejected if the uploaded document and photograph are not clear and as per specification.

 

13.    The fee can be paid through Credit or Debit card. If there are more than three unsuccessful payment attempts, the application ID would be blocked & the application has to be made afresh, with a new application ID.

 

14.    A decision on the application will be conveyed by email. Applicants are advised to ensure that correct e-mail address is provided. Applicants can track the status of their application online by clicking visa status.

 

15.    For any assistance call 24 x 7 visa support center at +91-11-24300666 or send email to indiatvoa@gov.in

 

16.    The process of ETA issuance is completely online, and the Embassy of India will be unable to assist in expediting the issuance of ETAs. However, in case the eTV application is rejected, the applicant may apply afresh for issue of a regular visa.

 

National Pension System (NPS) for Non Resident Indians (NRIs)

National Pension System (NPS) for Non Resident Indians (NRIs)

The Government of India has launched the National Pension System (NPS) for the benefit of 10 million Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) so as to provide old age security to Indians, both in India and abroad.

2.       While most NRIs remit a large part of their earnings to India, in the form of bank deposits, share investments, real estate acquisitions etc., unfortunately very little is saved for old age financial security.  It is in this context that the National Pension System (NPS) has been launched by the Government of India (GOI) and supervised by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), New Delhi.

3.       Although NPS was initially launched for government and semi-government employees w.e.f. 1 January 2004, it has now been made available to every Indian citizen from May 2009 on a voluntary basis. The scheme is open to all citizens of India, whether resident or non-resident between 18-60 years of age. Till 31 March 2015, the NPS had a total of 8.5 million subscribers and manages around Rs. 80,000 crore of funds.

4.       The NPS is a well regulated and transparent scheme. It is portable across geographies and employments. It being technology driven, subscribers can view their accounts online. It has laid down prudent investing norms for the fund managers, and their performance and portfolios are regularly monitored by the NPS Trust and under the overall supervision of the PFRDA, the statutory regulator. The scheme offers complete flexibility to investors in terms of choice of investment mix. The investor decides the percentage of the corpus that goes into equities, corporate bonds and government securities, with the only limitation being that there is a 50% cap on the exposure to equities. Hailed as one of the lowest cost pension products in the world, its returns have generally outperformed the market. The returns under the Citizen scheme, which would be applicable to NRIs, are given below:

Returns on Annual compounding basis on the various schemes

under NPS since inception

 

Compound Annual Growth Rate

(Since inception)

Scheme

For the period ending 31.03.2014

For the period ending 30.09.2014

E (Equity)

9.20%

12.84%

C (Corporate Debt)

10.53%

10.84%

G (Govt. Securities)

7.93%

8.79%

Pvt. Sector Overall (Weighted Average)

7.67%

9.15%

5.       For more details on the NPS, Mrs. Sumeet Kaur Kapoor, General Manager, Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), New Delhi can be contacted either by e-mail at sumeet.kapoor@pfrda.org.in or by telephone at +91-11-26897937. Details on the NPS are also available on PFRDA’s website: www.pfrda.org.in.

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Indian Embassy Help Desk services and contacts

Indian Embassy  Help Desk  services and contacts

The Embassy would like to inform that there is an Emergency number 22530600 during office hours and even beyond normal office hours/weekends. During the office hours, one needs to know the extension number of the concerned Wing which may be dialed immediately after hearing the automatic recorded voice. The extension number of the concerned section/wing is available on the link of 24/7 Emergency contact (Embassy Website). Even if anyone does not know the extension, then caller is attended  by the Receptionist who can then connect him/her to the concerned desk. Besides, the Embassy has many officials and local staff who speak the various regional languages whose names are already there on the Embassy Website along with their contact details and mail-IDs.

2.         The Embassy has drawn up a list of officials who can be approached for assistance in different Indian languages apart from Hindi and English. The main objective is to help the members of our community who are not able to convey their problems due to language problem. The list of such officials with their contact details are placed below. Members of Indian community are requested to make use of this initiative of the Embassy

Indian Language Skills in Embassy of India. Kuwait (other than Hindi/English)

i)         Malayalam


S.No.

Name

Designation

Telephone No.

1

Shri Balram Kumar Upadhyay

Counsellor

22533125
Mob:97224029

2

Smt. Sunila Krishnan

Attache (LabourI)

22530409
Mob: 97264247

3

Shri
M. Sudheendran

Local Clerk

Mob: 99183576

4

Shri Mujib Kollorath

Local Clerk

Mob: 97610246

5

Shri Justin James

Local Clerk

Mob: 94476852


ii)        Telugu

S.No.

Name

Designation

Telephone No.

1

Smt. Thriveni Reddy

Local Clerk

Mob: 97108538

2

Smt. Deena Ratnam

Local Clerk

Mob: 66560773

3

Shri K.S.S. Naidu

Local Clerk

Mob: 66442433


iii)       Tamil

S.No.

Name

Designation

Telephone No.

1

Smt. Sunila Krishnan

Attache ( Labour )

22530409
Mob: 97264247

2

Shri Sajan Varghese

Local Clerk

22550725
Mob: 99896053


iv)       Bengali / Assamese / Oriya

S.No.

Name

Designation

Telephone No.

1

Shri Shubashis Goldar

Deputy Chief of Mission

22510891
Mob: 97229942


v)        Kannada

S.No.

Name

Designation

Telephone No.

1.

Ms. Sarita Shetty

Local clerk

Mob. 97983059

               All Indian nationals are advised to use the above facilities.

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Holiday Notice

Holiday Notice

The Embassy of India shall remain closed on the following day during the month of April 2015:-

14 April 2015 Tuesday-Birthday of Dr. Ambedkar.

However, on above day, the Embassy will continue to provide Emergency services in the Consular and Visa section.

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