India launches e-visa facility for 43 countries

November 27, 2014

New Delhi, Nov 27: India Thursday launched electronic visa (e-visa) facility for tourists from 43 countries, including US, Israel, Palestine and Japan to the boost tourism sector and offer hassle-free travel to foreign visitors.

indian visa

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, along with Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Mahesh Sharma launched the Tourist Visa on Arrival (TVOA) service enabled with electronic travel authorisation (ETA) scheme here.

"India has a unique advantage in tourism sector owing to its geographical location and that no other country offers such abundance of diversity in weather conditions," said Singh.

Apart from these four countries, tourists from Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Cook Islands, Djibouti, Micronesia, Fiji, Finland, Germany, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Tongo, Laos, Luxembourg, Mauritius, Mexico, Myanmar, New Zealand, Niue, Norway, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Â Kiribati, South Korea, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Russia, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Thailand, Tuvalu, UAE, Ukraine, Vietnam and Vanuatu will now be able to get e-visa following four-simple steps through the website https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/Visa_VOA/tvoa.html

This visa will allow entry of the tourists into India within 30 days from the date of approval of ETA and will be valid for 30 days stay from the date of arrival. The facility will be extended to other nations in a phased manner.

The tourists will be allowed to enter and depart from nine international airports - Bengaluru, Chennai, Kochi, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram.

Tourists availing this facility would be able to go for usual sightseeing and recreational activities. The tourism ministry has included facilities like short duration medical visit and casual business visit with e-visa.

According to officials, 75 TVOA counters will be placed at nine international airports to facilitate smooth transaction.

P.K.Bhardwaj, joint director, immigration department said that checking of tourists' background will be done from an already created database and these TVOA counters will act as a first stage of personal interaction of tourists with the authority.

Subhash Goyal, president of Indian Association of Tour Operators, assured the tourism ministry that they do "every possible thing to translate this vision into success".

Peter Kerkar, director, Cox and Kings said: "This is a great news for the Indian tourism industry as it will enable and encourage tourists from our key source markets to travel to India in large numbers."

"We believe that this decision will lead to rapid growth in inbound tourism numbers and generate double digit growth in arrivals," he added.

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News Network
March 16,2024

Mangaluru: In the wake of complaints regarding middlemen menace, sleuths of Lokayukta on Friday, March 15, conducted a raid at the Mangaluru Urban Development Authority. 

The Lokayukta team found unaccounted money and several files, which were not disposed of for a long period.

Lokayukta SP CA Simon said that the Lokayukta has received complaints that middlemen have been interfering in the MUDA office, and files pertaining to the public are not being cleared on time.

A raid that commenced in the evening on March 13, lasted for 18 hours. During the raid, Lokayukta officials found cash in a bag in MUDA office, and also with officials and others. MUDA officials could not inform the source of money found in their office, the SP said.

Further, he said that many people gathered at the MUDA office during the Lokayukta raid, and have raised complaints about the harassment at the urban development authority. “We have gathered evidence for MUDA officials carrying out file disposal processes through brokers on phone calls. The investigation on the MUDA network will be continued,” he said.

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News Network
March 26,2024

Bengaluru: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has detained two suspects in connection with the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case in Bengaluru, sources confirmed on Tuesday.

The preliminary probe has revealed that the two suspects were in direct contact with the suspected bomber.

The NIA sleuths have picked up the suspects from an area in the state capital. However, a statement is yet to be made by the NIA in this regard.

Even as the investigating agencies, both NIA and state special wing CCB teams have launched an extensive search operation in various states, the bomber has remained elusive. The authorities had obtained the bomber’s images and videos from CCTV footage on March 1, soon after the incident.

Sources said that the sleuths were suspecting that the bomber had come from Tamil Nadu and was staying in a neighbouring state for two months before carrying out the blast.

The hair samples of the accused were gathered from the hat of the accused which he abandoned in Bengaluru near a religious place. The authorities have sent the samples for the DNA testing and were hoping for a breakthrough.

The Rameshwaram Cafe bomb blast took place on March 1 on the International Technology Park Limited (ITPL) road in the Brookfield area. Low intensity Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was used to carry out the blast and nine persons were injured in the incident.

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News Network
March 14,2024

busowner.jpg

Udupi: In a freak mishap, a 65-year-old man lost his life after being hit by his own bus which was being repaired at a garage at Athrady in Udupi district on Wednesday, March 13.

The deceased has been identified as Dayanand Shetty, the owner of a private bus.

It is learnt that the bus had been kept for repairs at the garage and Dayanand had gone there to inspect the repair works.

At this time, the mechanic started the engine and the bus moved ahead. Dayanand, who was standing in front of the bus, came under its wheels.

He was immediately rushed to a hospital where he died without responding to the treatment. A case is registered at jurisdictional Manipal police station.

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