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<ul><li>This is the second attack on the <keyword id="72335" type="General" weightage="40" keywordseo="indian-consulate" source="Orion">Indian Consulate</keyword> in <keyword id="12161" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="san-francisco" source="Orion">San Francisco</keyword> by Khalistani supporters within months. </li><li>The attack caused limited damage and no staff members were harmed.</li><li>India has requested partner countries to not give space to extremist Khalistani ideology.</li></ul> India's consulate in San Francisco came under an attack from <keyword id="116131" type="General" weightage="60" keywordseo="khalistan" source="Orion">Khalistan</keyword> supporters who tried to set the diplomatic facility on fire in the second such act of violence within months, drawing strong condemnation from the US government which termed it a "criminal offence". A video by Khalistan supporters, dated July 2 posted on Twitter, showed the act of arson at the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. The video, with the words "violence begets violence" emblazoned over it, also showed news articles related to the death of Canada-based Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar, one of India's most-wanted terrorists who carried a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Canada last month. Responding to the incident, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller in a tweet on Monday said: "The US strongly condemns the reported vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Saturday. Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the US is a criminal offence." Diya TV, a South Asian broadcast TV network in the US, said in a tweet that "a fire was set early Sunday morning between 1:30-2:30 am in the San Francisco Indian Consulate." "The fire was suppressed quickly by the San Francisco Department, the damage was limited and no staffers were harmed. Local, state and federal authorities have been notified," it said. The outlet also posted a video of the arson attack. A poster being shared on social media says that a "Khalistan Freedom Rally" will be organised on July 8 that will start in Berkeley, California and end at the Indian embassy in San Francisco. This is the second time within months that the Indian Consulate in San Francisco came under attack from Khalistani supporters. On March 19, a group of pro-Khalistan protesters attacked and damaged the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. Raising pro-Khalistan slogans, the protesters broke open the makeshift security barriers raised by the city police and installed two so-called Khalistani flags inside the Consulate premises. Two consulate personnel soon removed these flags. Ajay Bhutoria, an Indian community leader, said the attack on India's consulate in San Francisco is extremely concerning and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. "It is deeply disturbing to see such acts of violence targeting diplomatic missions," he said. "The Indian consulate serves as an essential hub for providing consular services and fostering bilateral relations between India and the United States. It is crucial that the staff and members of the consulate are able to operate in a safe and secure environment, free from any threat or harm," he added. Bhutoria asked the San Francisco Police Department to swiftly investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice. "Ensuring the safety and security of diplomatic missions is not only a responsibility of the host country but also a fundamental obligation under international law," he said. It is imperative that such incidents are met with a strong response from the authorities to deter any further attacks and ensure the safety of diplomatic personnel, he said. "Let us stand united against violence and work towards promoting peace, understanding, and harmonious relations," Bhutoria said. India's reaction External Affairs Minister <keyword id="491850" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="s-jaishankar" source="Orion">S Jaishankar</keyword> on Monday said India has asked its partner countries such as Canada, the UK and the US not to give space to "extremist Khalistani ideology" as it is "not good" for relations. He was responding to reports of Khalistani posters in Canada naming senior Indian diplomats. The minister said the issue will be raised with the government of that country. The "radical, extremist Khalistani ideology" is not good for India or its partner countries such as the US, Canada, the UK and Australia, he told reporters on the sidelines of a BJP outreach campaign. "We have already requested our partner countries like Canada, the US, the UK and Australia where sometimes Khalistani activities happen, not to give space to Khalistanis. Because their (Khalistanis) radical, extremist thinking is neither good for us nor for them nor our relations," the minister said. "We will raise the issue of posters with those governments," Jaishankar said. PTI YAS MRJ NSA AKJ NSA NSA

US condemns attempted arson at Indian Consulate in San Francisco by Khalistan supporters

By Seema Hakhu Kachru Houston, Apr 10 () The Indian consulate here has come to the rescue of thousands of stranded Indians in America amidst the unprecedented emergency situation arising out of the global coronavirus pandemic and the resultant lockdown in many countries.The sudden cancellation of commercial flights to India and other parts of the world following the COVID-19 pandemic has left several Indian students, business travellers, family visitors in many US states. During these times of unexpected crisis, the Consulate General of India here, which looks after the Indo-US diplomatic matters in the American states of Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas, has been providing support and guidance to the stranded Indians anxious to be home soon. "The consulate has been working round the clock since March 14 because of the unprecedented emergency situation and is actively responding to the flood of inquiries and is providing assistance. However, there are no evacuation plans by India at this point as some believe. There are no flights going to India till April 14 and things may change depending on the situation,"Aseem Mahajan, the Indian Consul-General in Houston, told . Among the problems faced by the students in the universities include, lodging and medical issues."Thousands of Indian students in local universities and visitors stranded in the US continue with myriad problems like lack of boarding and lodging and medical issues. Some of the students had to vacate college dorms and are struggling to find food and shelter because of limited resources and no flights to return to India. Their parents are equally worried and have been continuously contacting the Consulate for help," he said.Mahajan urged the students to stay positive, calm, at home, follow social distancing and local advisory and focus on their studies as all schools have resumed classes online."Many universities are providing all possible help to students. They have been put in the residence halls for anyone wanting to stay through the semester. All residence halls have access to dining services and campuses are secure," he said.Some Indians including researchers, project engineers and others on a short visit to US, were scheduled to return after their project completion but are stranded now are facing visa issues, while some visiting aged parents, with pre-existing health issues are having the worst time procuring medications as their Indian prescription does not work here," Mahajan said.He said various private bodies such as the American Association of Physicians of Indian Orgin are offering medical consultations. Globally, over 1.5 million people have been infected so far by the coronavirus and the fatalities stands at nearly 95,000.The United States accounts for nearly 30 per cent of the all the COVID-19 positive cases and over 17 per cent of all fatalities.In the US, the virus has claimed over 16,000 lives and infected over 460,000 people. SHK RUP RUPRUP

Indian Consulate in Houston helping stranded Indians impacted by COVID-19 restrictions

Abu Dhabi, May 1 () More than 32,000 Indians in the UAE, who wish to return home amidst the coronavirus lockdown, have registered with the Indian missions here on day one of the opening of the online registration process, according to a media report.On Wednesday night, the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi announced the details of data collection through the website of the Indian Consulate in Dubai. Within minutes, the site faced technical issues, prompting the missions to delete the tweet about it and repost it hours later.In a tweet posted in the wee hours of Thursday, the Indian Consulate asked applicants "to bear with it if it takes time for the page to load due to high traffic.""As of 5pm on Thursday, we received more than 32,000 registrations," Consul General of India in Dubai Vipul told the Gulf News.Vipul said the technical issues took place because of the huge rush of people trying to access the webpage on the Consulate's site for registration.Though the mission is yet to analyse the data to know the "compelling reasons" for the applicants to travel home, Vipul said the applications comprise various emergency cases including that of pregnant women."We understand that people want to go home for various reasons. People should be ready for travel by keeping in mind the overall restrictions on travel given the pandemic situation. Those who wish to go urgently should keep trying to register on the website in the next few days," he said.He said the registration would be open for some days and the data collected by the Indian missions in various countries would be provided to Indian states for making preparations for their travel. The Consul General reiterated that the registration in the databank does not guarantee a seat on the initial flights that would be arranged to repatriate the most deserving categories of people. "Workers in acute distress, medical cases, pregnant women, the elderly and the group of Indians stranded in Dubai Airport," are likely to get first priority when the government resumes services for repatriation, he said. Since there is no guidance from the Indian government on the conditions for travelling, he said, it is not yet clear how the COVID-19 status of an applicant would impact the journey. When asked about media reports that said 500 Air India flights and three warships of the Indian Navy are on standby for evacuating stranded Indians abroad, Vipul said he had no knowledge about warships being readied for the process. "I am sure Air India will be involved. I have no information about the warships," he said.Meanwhile, the government of Kerala on Thursday said the total number of registrations it received from Malayalis living in 201 countries has reached 3,53,468.The Consul General urged Keralites in the UAE, who have already registered with Norka (The Non Resident Keralites Affairs), to also register with the missions since it would help the central government to make arrangements for flight operations. NSA NSA

Coronavirus: Over 32,000 Indians in UAE register to return home

Reserve Bank of India Governor <keyword id="6358908" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Raghuram-Rajan">Raghuram Rajan</keyword> has said that now there is the political will for financial reforms and propel India’s economic growth. He also said that it’s a good time to invest in India.

	“Financial reform is not difficult — we have the political will to improve,” the Indian consulate in the US tweeted quoting Rajan. Another tweet quoted him as saying, “Time to deliver begins now. We need to focus on deliverables.” <o:p></o:p>

	Rajan called on the Indian-American business community to get involved in the “nitty gritty of the implementation process.” He said that this is not difficult as the new government in India has the political will to undertake reforms. <o:p></o:p>

	The <keyword id="30067" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="RBI">RBI</keyword> governor was addressing a gathering of prominent Indian-American businessmen from the finance and investment banking sector at an event organised by the consulate general in association with the <keyword id="1770110" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="India-America-Chamber-of-Commerce">India-America Chamber of Commerce</keyword>. <o:p></o:p>

	“Developing infrastructure, improving the quality of human capital, optimum regulation for good business and extensive financial sector reform should be the next steps for improvement and development of the Indian economy,” a press statement issued by the consulate stated. <o:p></o:p>

It’s Good Time
To Invest In India: Rajan

Dubai, Apr 30 () The Indian missions in the UAE have opened online registration for the expatriates who wish to fly back home after getting stuck in the country amidst the lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.On Wednesday night, the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi announced the details of data collection through the website of the Indian Consulate in Dubai, the Gulf News reported."It is informed that the Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of India, Dubai, have started a database to register Indians wishing to travel back to India under COVID-19 situation. The details can be entered through the website of the Embassy www.indianembassyuae.gov.in or Consulate www.cgidubai.gov.in by following the link 'Register in Database of Indians to Travel Back to India under COVID-19 situation'," India in Dubai tweeted on Thursday."These can also be entered by following the link www.cgidubai.gov.in/covid_register," it tweeted.However, minutes after posting the tweet, the mission deleted it citing "technical issues." It seemed some users were having trouble accessing the page, the report said.On Thursday, the Consulate General of India in Dubai reposted the link, warning it may take "some time for the page to load due to high traffic," the report said.The Abu Dhabi mission earlier clarified that the purpose of the form is only to collect information to enable the Government of India to plan for the return of Indians from abroad under the present COVID-19 situation, the report added.This form is to be filled for a single individual at a time. Families need to fill separate forms for each member, it said.Similarly, for companies, a separate form has to be filled for each employee.It was also clarified that the decision on resumption of passenger flights to India will be taken in due course, the report said.Tens of thousands of Indian expats are expected to register their details, it said. On April 10, the government said a decision to bring Indians stranded abroad will be taken after reviewing the COVID-19 situation.Ministry of External Affairs Additional Secretary Dammu Ravi said, "Some questions have come about Indians abroad. It is a situation where we cannot give a definite answer because the lockdown is still there. We need to assess the situation… It will be the government's decision on how we manage the return of Indians from other countries." Indian expatriate community of approximately 3.42 millions is reportedly the largest ethnic community in UAE constituting roughly about 30 per cent of the country's population, as per the International Migrant Stock 2019 released by the Population Division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), according to the Indian Embassy. AMS AKJ AMSAMS

COVID-19: Indian missions in UAE open online registration for its citizens who wish to fly home

By yoshita singh New York, May 10 () Some of the Indian nationals stranded in the US due to COVID-19 related international travel restrictions will fly back home on Sunday on a non-scheduled commercial flight from New Jersey to Mumbai and Ahmedabad, even as authorities said another five flights have been arranged to repatriate others still stuck in the country. Beginning May 9, Air India has scheduled seven non-scheduled commercial flights from the US to India facilitating the return of Indian nationals, who could not travel due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Indian Embassy in Washington had said in its advisory on Wednesday night. The first flight took off from San Francisco on Saturday to Mumbai and Hyderabad. The Air India flight from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey will fly on Sunday, taking back Indian nationals to Mumbai and Ahmedabad under India's biggest ever repatriation exercise named 'Vande Bharat Mission'. Another flight from Newark will fly on May 14 to Delhi and Hyderabad. All passengers will be required to undergo medical screening before boarding the flight and only asymptomatic passengers will be allowed to travel. All passengers on arrival in India will be medically screened and would have to download and register the Aarogya Setu app. Further, all passengers will need to undergo a 14-day mandatory quarantine on arrival in India in institutional facilities on payment basis as per the protocols framed by Government of India. Highly placed sources in the Indian Consulate in New York said that it "has been a relentless and non-stop work" to coordinate the repatriation exercise and authorities "are going out of their way to make sure not even one seat on the flight goes vacant" since a large number of Indians are stranded in the US due to various reasons and they are "desperate" to go home. Priority is being given to stranded passengers, terminally-ill patients, passengers with medical concerns and students. The sources said that while flights from New Jersey were only supposed to take passengers from states that fall under the jurisdiction of the Consulate in New York, special arrangements have been made to ferry four terminally-ill patients from Houston. Apart from the two flights from New Jersey, two flights have been scheduled from Chicago on May 11 (to Mumbai and Chennai) and May 15 (Delhi and Hyderabad). The solo flight from Washington DC on May 12 will fly to Delhi and Hyderabad. Sources said that some people who had initially registered to return to India on the flights later balked and changed their plans as they did not want to undergo the two-week mandatory quarantine on arrival in India. Sources said the repatriation exercise could be expanded to countries where there is high demand. Under the 'Vande Bharat' Mission, India has already repatriated its citizens from the Gulf and the UK. Nearly 15,000 Indians are expected to return on special Air India flights from 12 countries in the coming days. The sources said efforts were being made to reach out to the Indians stranded in the US. The Indian Consulate here has been assisting several students by helping them with accommodation and essential services after their university and college dormitories closed down. Indian Consulate sources said they were facing a number of challenges in the repatriation exercise. People share credit card details with pizza companies but now they are reluctant to share details when the Consulate and Air India authorities are working round-the-clock to help them, the sources added. YAS IND AKJ INDIND

COVID-19: Air India schedules 7 commercial flights to repatriate nationals from the US

Dubai, May 7 () A total of 354 Indian nationals, including 11 pregnant women and a pair of twins, will return home on Thursday in the first two flights from the UAE to Kerala as India begins its biggest ever repatriation exercise to bring back its citizens stranded abroad amidst the international travel lockdown over the coronavirus pandemic.On Monday, the Indian government announced plans to begin a phased repatriation of its citizens stranded abroad from May 7. The government also said that Air India will operate 64 flights from May 7 to May 13 to bring back around 15,000 Indian nationals stranded abroad amid the COVID-19-induced lockdown.Short-listing the first passengers from among a database of more than 200,000 applicants, who include around 6,500 pregnant women, has been a mammoth task which posed several challenges for the missions, Neeraj Agrawal, Consul, Press, Information and Culture at the Indian Consulate in Dubai told the Gulf News.As many as 354 of them from the UAE will fly back to India in the first two flights to Kerala on Thursday, the report said.An Air India Express flight, which is scheduled to take off from Abu Dhabi to Kochi at 4.15 pm is the first flight, which will be followed by a Dubai-Kozhikode flight of the same airline at 5.10pm, it said. India is conducting its biggest ever repatriation exercise named Vande Bharat Mission-sans social distancing and COVID-19 tests to bring back stranded Indians from abroad.The Indian missions in the UAE finalised the list of passengers, who were chosen based on the compelling reasons they submitted while registering their names."Only passengers with confirmed tickets must proceed to the airport. They are required to reach the airport five hours prior to departure," Agrawal said.The Indian Consulate has appealed to passengers not to overcrowd the airport, maintain social distancing and follow all necessary precautions stipulated by the authorities, he was quoted as saying by the report."We are trying to accommodate as many deserving people as possible. We expect the understanding of the people. It has been very difficult to sort out everyone's urgency," he said."Though we want to give priority to pregnant women, it is practically not possible and not good for the health and safety of the applicants to allot a lot of them on the same flight."He said 11 pregnant women have been issued tickets on the Dubai-Kozhikode flight, the report added.He said the government is trying to add more flights to un-chartered destinations and a new flight from Dubai to Kannur has been added on May 12.An elderly couple is on the list who was in Dubai to visit their son when the lockdown in India led to cancellation of flights and they could not leave from the UAE."We are really lucky to have made it to the list. It was our wish to be in Kerala for Ramzan and also celebrate Eid with family back home. We have no words to thank the UAE and India government," Khader, 65, told the Khaleej Times."CGI Dubai wishes them a safe flight...@ indiandiplomacy@meaindia Elderly Indian couple from UAE on repatriation flight happy to spend Ramadan in Kerala," Consulate General of India, Dubai tweeted.Indian identical twins Jackson and Benson Andrews are also among the ones who received an e-mail from the Consulate General of India in Dubai on Tuesday to fly back home."CGI Dubai is very pleased to assist twin brothers in their safe reparuation back home today. @MEAIndia @IndianDiplomacy @MOS_MEA @PMOIndia Indian twins, stuck at Dubai airport for 50 days, set to fly home," the consulate tweeted."We received the letter from the consulate on Tuesday. A copy of our flight tickets have been sent to us as well," Jackson told Khaleej Times. Jaimson Pappachan, an expat for 27 years and his wife and child will be on the first flight from Abu Dhabi to Kochi, the Khaleej Times reported."I received a call from the Indian Embassy on Tuesday and booked our tickets at the Air India Express office on Wednesday. Now, I am busy moving our stuff through cargo, Pappachan said.Thejjass Jyothilal has spent just eight months in Abu Dhabi when his company winded up their project."I am placed on unpaid leave. There is no point continuing here like this as I don't know for how long this will continue. So, I am leaving but will return as my visa is valid, Jyothilal was quoted as saying by the report.Air India Express which will operate the first two flights to Kerala on Thursday will operate its Boeing 737-800 aircraft, with a seating capacity of 186 economy class seats.With nine seats reserved for isolation, only 177 passengers would be flown.Air India crew members on board the repatriation flights will be fully protected with protective gear, including Personal Protective Equipment, to reduce the risk of contracting coronavirus, Khaleej Times reported.The Indian expatriate community of approximately 3.42 million is reportedly the largest ethnic community in the UAE constituting roughly about 30 per cent of the country's population, according to information available on the Indian Embassy website.India imposed a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus in the country, grounding all international flights since mid-March. Under the repatriation plan, the government will be facilitating the return of Indian nationals stranded abroad on compelling grounds in a phased manner. AMS AKJ AMS

COVID-19: 354 stranded Indians to fly back home on Thursday from UAE

(Eds: Updating with fresh details) Dubai, May 7 () The first of the two flights from the UAE carrying 177 Indian nationals left for Kerala on Thursday, as India began its biggest ever repatriation exercise to bring back its citizens stranded abroad amidst the international travel lockdown over the coronavirus pandemic.A total of 354 Indian nationals, including 11 pregnant women and a pair of twins, will return home on Thursday in the two flights from the UAE to Kerala as part of the repatriation exercise named 'Vande Bharat Mission.'The Air India Express flight IX452 took off from Abu Dhabi to Kochi, which will be followed by a Dubai-Kozhikode flight of the same airline.Passengers started arriving at Abu Dhabi and Dubai airports as early as 9.30am on Thursday. Some of the passengers were carrying the Indian flags.Indian Ambassador Pavan Kapoor was seen enquiring about the procedure from some of the passengers undergoing medical screening at the Abu Dhabi airport."Kudos to all the passengers for waiting patiently for their turn for medical screening and many thanks to all the frontline health workers and airport staff for extending full support," the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi tweeted. There are no suspected COVID-19 cases among the first batch of passengers being repatriated on Thursday."All of them have cleared the tests," Consul General of India in Dubai Vipul was quoted as saying by the Gulf News.He said the criteria of passengers' selection included medical cases, loss of jobs, pregnant women and senior citizens. Those with complications and financial issues were also picked.On Monday, the Indian government announced plans to begin a phased repatriation of its citizens stranded abroad from May 7. The government also said that Air India will operate 64 flights from May 7 to May 13 to bring back around 15,000 Indian nationals stranded abroad amid the COVID-19-induced lockdown.Short-listing the first passengers from among a database of more than 200,000 applicants, who include around 6,500 pregnant women, has been a mammoth task which posed several challenges for the missions, Neeraj Agrawal, Consul, Press, Information and Culture at the Indian Consulate in Dubai told the Gulf News.India is conducting its biggest ever repatriation exercise named Vande Bharat Mission-sans social distancing and COVID-19 tests to bring back stranded Indians from abroad.The Indian missions in the UAE finalised the list of passengers, who were chosen based on the compelling reasons they submitted while registering their names."Only passengers with confirmed tickets must proceed to the airport. They are required to reach the airport five hours prior to departure," Agrawal said.The Indian Consulate had appealed to passengers not to overcrowd the airport, maintain social distancing and follow all necessary precautions stipulated by the authoritiesAir India crew members on board the repatriation flights will be fully protected with protective gear, including Personal Protective Equipment, to reduce the risk of contracting coronavirus, Khaleej Times reported.The Indian expatriate community of approximately 3.42 million is reportedly the largest ethnic community in the UAE constituting roughly about 30 per cent of the country's population, according to information available on the Indian Embassy website.India imposed a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus in the country, grounding all international flights since mid-March. Under the repatriation plan, the government will be facilitating the return of Indian nationals stranded abroad on compelling grounds in a phased manner. AMS ZH AKJ ZHZH

COVID-19: Air India flight from UAE carrying 177 Indian nationals takes off

(Eds: Updating with more details) Dubai, May 7 () Two special flights from the UAE carrying a total of 354 Indian nationals left for Kerala on Thursday, as India began its biggest ever repatriation exercise to bring back its citizens stranded abroad amidst the international travel lockdown over the coronavirus pandemic.The Air India Express flight IX452 carrying 177 passengers from Abu Dhabi to Kochi took off at 5.07 pm (local time). Few minutes later, the Dubai-Kozhikode flight took off at 5.46 pm (local time) as part of the repatriation exercise named 'Vande Bharat Mission.'"#VandeBharatMission begins! The first flight with 177 passengers takes off from Abu Dhabi to Kochi. #TeamIndia will continue with its tireless efforts to bring Indians home," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava tweeted.assengers started arriving at Abu Dhabi and Dubai airports as early as 9.30am on Thursday. Some of the passengers were carrying the Indian flags.Indian Ambassador Pavan Kapoor was seen enquiring about the procedure from some of the passengers undergoing medical screening at the Abu Dhabi airport."Great to see the #VandeBharatMission Abu Dhabi Kochi special flight IX452 taking off from the @AUH. Thanks all for cooperation and support for making it possible," the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi tweeted."Kudos to all the passengers for waiting patiently for their turn for medical screening and many thanks to all the frontline health workers and airport staff for extending full support," it said earlier.Captain Rizvin Nasser, 26, an alumnus of the Sharjah Indian School, is co-pilot of flight IX452.Minutes after the departure of the first flight, India's second repatriation flight from the UAE also took off. "Air India Express Flight left for Kozhikode with 177 passengers on boardwith last passenger Ajith was added to attend final rites of her mother after one passenger dropped out due to immigration issue. A big satisfaction to serve all," the Consulate General of India in Dubai tweeted. Ajith Pullanikotti, an IT professional, made it to the flight at the last minute to be able to attend the last rites of his mother who died two days ago. He was the only son."I have been trying to go for weeks so that I could be by my mother's side. Unfortunately, she had to breathe her last without me being next to her. I really hope I can make it today," Ajith told Khaleej Times.There are no suspected COVID-19 cases among the first batch of passengers being repatriated on Thursday."All of them have cleared the tests," Consul General of India in Dubai Vipul was quoted as saying by the Gulf News.He said the criteria of passengers' selection included medical cases, loss of jobs, pregnant women and senior citizens. Those with complications and financial issues were also picked.The last two rows of seats in both the flights are not occupied. In case of any health issues, passengers can use them.On Monday, the Indian government announced plans to begin a phased repatriation of its citizens stranded abroad from May 7. The government also said that Air India will operate 64 flights from May 7 to May 13 to bring back around 15,000 Indian nationals stranded abroad amid the COVID-19-induced lockdown.Short-listing the first passengers from among a database of more than 200,000 applicants, who include around 6,500 pregnant women, has been a mammoth task which posed several challenges for the missions, Neeraj Agrawal, Consul, Press, Information and Culture at the Indian Consulate in Dubai told the Gulf News.India is conducting its biggest ever repatriation exercise named Vande Bharat Mission-sans social distancing and COVID-19 tests to bring back stranded Indians from abroad.The Indian missions in the UAE finalised the list of passengers, who were chosen based on the compelling reasons they submitted while registering their names."Only passengers with confirmed tickets must proceed to the airport. They are required to reach the airport five hours prior to departure," Agrawal said. The Indian Consulate had appealed to passengers not to overcrowd the airport, maintain social distancing and follow all necessary precautions stipulated by the authorities. The passengers included 18 pregnant women, five infants and 12 senior citizens and three people including identical twin brothers Jackson and Benson Andrews who have been stranded in Dubai Airport for 50 days.The tired and homesick 30-year-old brothers, Jackson and Benson Andrews, have been stranded inside the Dubai International Airport's terminal 3 since March 19 while they were returning from Lisbon, Portugal. They were among the 19 Indians who were stuck inside the airport for over a month.From the UAE, at least 200,000 Indians have registered on the web portal collecting data of persons wishing to return home.Air India crew members on board the repatriation flights were fully protected with protective gear, including Personal Protective Equipment, to reduce the risk of contracting coronavirus.The Indian expatriate community of approximately 3.42 million is reportedly the largest ethnic community in the UAE constituting roughly about 30 per cent of the country's population, according to information available on the Indian Embassy website.India imposed a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus in the country, grounding all international flights since mid-March. Under the repatriation plan, the government will be facilitating the return of Indian nationals stranded abroad on compelling grounds in a phased manner. AMS ZH AKJ ZHZH

COVID-19: Two Air India flights from UAE carrying 354 Indian nationals take off

(Eds: Updating with fresh inputs) Abu Dhabi/Dubai, May 7 () Two special flights from the UAE carrying a total of 363 Indian nationals, including nine infants, left for Kerala on Thursday, as India began its biggest ever repatriation exercise to bring back its citizens stranded abroad amidst the coronavirus-induced travel restrictions.The first Air India Express flight IX 452 carrying 177 passengers and four infants from Abu Dhabi to Kochi took off at 5.07 pm. Few minutes later, the Dubai-Kozhikode flight IX 344 with 177 passengers and five infants took off at 5.46 pm as part of the repatriation exercise named 'Vande Bharat Mission.'The two flights carried a total of 363 passengers, including nine infants, an airline spokesman said in Kochi."#VandeBharatMission begins! The first flight with 177 passengers takes off from Abu Dhabi to Kochi. #TeamIndia will continue with its tireless efforts to bring Indians home," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava tweeted.Passengers slected by the Indian missions started arriving at the Abu Dhabi and Dubai airports as early as 9.30 am on Thursday. Indian Ambassador to the UAE Pavan Kapoor was seen enquiring about their wellbeing from some of the passengers undergoing medical screening at the Abu Dhabi airport."Great to see the #VandeBharatMission Abu Dhabi Kochi special flight IX452 taking off from the @AUH. Thanks all for cooperation and support for making it possible," the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi tweeted.Captain Rizvin Nasser, 26, an alumnus of the Sharjah Indian School, is the co-pilot of flight IX452 to Kochi.Minutes after the departure of the first flight, the second flight from the UAE to Kozhikode also took off."Air India Express Flight left for Kozhikode with 177 passengers on boardwith last passenger Ajith was added to attend final rites of her mother after one passenger dropped out due to immigration issue. A big satisfaction to serve all," the Consulate General of India in Dubai tweeted.Ajith Pullanikotti, an IT professional, made it to the flight at the last minute to be able to attend the last rites of his mother who died two days ago. He was the only son."I have been trying to go for weeks so that I could be by my mother's side. Unfortunately, she had to breathe her last without me being next to her. I really hope I can make it today," Ajith told Khaleej Times.There are no suspected COVID-19 cases among the first batch of passengers being repatriated on Thursday."All of them have cleared the tests," Consul General of India in Dubai Vipul was quoted as saying by the Gulf News.He said the criteria of passengers' selection included medical cases, loss of jobs, pregnant women and senior citizens. Those with complications and financial issues were also picked for the first flight.The last two rows of seats in both the flights are not occupied. In case of any health issues, passengers can use them.On Monday, the Indian government announced plans to begin a phased repatriation of its citizens stranded abroad from May 7. The government also said that Air India will operate 64 flights from May 7 to May 13 to bring back around 15,000 Indian nationals stranded abroad due to the lockdown.Short-listing the first passengers from among a database of more than 200,000 applicants, who include around 6,500 pregnant women, has been a mammoth task which posed several challenges for the missions, Neeraj Agrawal, Consul, Press, Information and Culture at the Indian Consulate in Dubai told the Gulf News.The Indian missions in the UAE finalised the list of passengers, who were chosen based on the compelling reasons they submitted while registering their names.The Indian Consulate had appealed to passengers not to overcrowd the airport, maintain social distancing and follow all necessary precautions stipulated by the authorities.The passengers included 18 pregnant women and 12 senior citizens and three people including identical twin brothers Jackson and Benson Andrews who have been stranded at the Dubai Airport for 50 days.The tired and homesick, the 30-year-old brothers, Jackson and Benson Andrews, have been stranded inside the Dubai International Airport's terminal 3 since March 19 while they were returning from Lisbon, Portugal. They were among the 19 Indians who were stuck inside the airport for over a month.Suresh Kandampully Bhaskaran came to see off his eight-month pregnant wife and two-year-old daughter."My wife will be back after few months. This is just a temporary phase just like the UAE is seeing. My family will be back here with new bundle of joy. I am working here for 14 years now. I have a stable job...," Suresh said.From the UAE, at least 200,000 Indians have registered on the web portal collecting data of persons wishing to return home.The Air India crew members on board the repatriation flights were donning the full range of personal protective equipment.The Indian expatriate community of approximately 3.42 million is reportedly the largest ethnic community in the UAE constituting roughly about 30 per cent of the country's population, according to information available on the Indian Embassy website.India imposed a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus in the country, grounding all international flights since mid-March. Under the repatriation plan, the government will be facilitating the return of Indian nationals stranded abroad on compelling grounds in a phased manner. AMS ZH AKJ ZH

COVID-19: Two Air India Express flights from UAE carrying 363 Indian nationals take off

(Eds: Updating with more details) Abu Dhabi/Dubai, May 7 () Two special flights from the UAE carrying a total of 354 Indian nationals, including nine infants, left for Kerala on Thursday, as India began its biggest ever repatriation exercise to bring back its citizens stranded abroad amidst the coronavirus-induced travel restrictions.The first Air India Express flight carrying 177 passengers from Abu Dhabi to Kochi took off at 5.07 pm (local time). Few minutes later, the Dubai-Kozhikode flight took off at 5.46 pm (local time) as part of the massive repatriation exercise named 'Vande Bharat Mission.'"#VandeBharatMission begins! The first flight with 177 passengers takes off from Abu Dhabi to Kochi. #TeamIndia will continue with its tireless efforts to bring Indians home," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava tweeted.Passengers slected by the Indian missions started arriving at the Abu Dhabi and Dubai airports as early as 9.30 am on Thursday. Indian Ambassador to the UAE Pavan Kapoor was seen enquiring about their wellbeing from some of the passengers undergoing medical screening at the Abu Dhabi airport."Great to see the #VandeBharatMission Abu Dhabi Kochi special flight IX452 taking off from the @AUH. Thanks all for cooperation and support for making it possible," the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi tweeted."Kudos to all the passengers for waiting patiently for their turn for medical screening and many thanks to all the frontline health workers and airport staff for extending full support," it said earlier.Captain Rizvin Nasser, 26, an alumnus of the Sharjah Indian School, is the co-pilot of flight IX452 to Kochi.Minutes after the departure of the first flight, India's second repatriation flight from the UAE to Kozhikode also took off. "Air India Express Flight left for Kozhikode with 177 passengers on boardwith last passenger Ajith was added to attend final rites of her mother after one passenger dropped out due to immigration issue. A big satisfaction to serve all," the Consulate General of India in Dubai tweeted. Ajith Pullanikotti, an IT professional, made it to the flight at the last minute to be able to attend the last rites of his mother who died two days ago. He was the only son."I have been trying to go for weeks so that I could be by my mother's side. Unfortunately, she had to breathe her last without me being next to her. I really hope I can make it today," Ajith told Khaleej Times.There are no suspected COVID-19 cases among the first batch of passengers being repatriated on Thursday."All of them have cleared the tests," Consul General of India in Dubai Vipul was quoted as saying by the Gulf News.He said the criteria of passengers' selection included medical cases, loss of jobs, pregnant women and senior citizens. Those with complications and financial issues were also picked for the first flight.The last two rows of seats in both the flights are not occupied. In case of any health issues, passengers can use them.On Monday, the Indian government announced plans to begin a phased repatriation of its citizens stranded abroad from May 7. The government also said that Air India will operate 64 flights from May 7 to May 13 to bring back around 15,000 Indian nationals stranded abroad due to the lockdown.Short-listing the first passengers from among a database of more than 200,000 applicants, who include around 6,500 pregnant women, has been a mammoth task which posed several challenges for the missions, Neeraj Agrawal, Consul, Press, Information and Culture at the Indian Consulate in Dubai told the Gulf News.The Indian missions in the UAE finalised the list of passengers, who were chosen based on the compelling reasons they submitted while registering their names.The Indian Consulate had appealed to passengers not to overcrowd the airport, maintain social distancing and follow all necessary precautions stipulated by the authorities. The passengers included 18 pregnant women, five infants and 12 senior citizens and three people including identical twin brothers Jackson and Benson Andrews who have been stranded at the Dubai Airport for 50 days.The tired and homesick, the 30-year-old brothers, Jackson and Benson Andrews, have been stranded inside the Dubai International Airport's terminal 3 since March 19 while they were returning from Lisbon, Portugal. They were among the 19 Indians who were stuck inside the airport for over a month.Suresh Kandampully Bhaskaran came to see off his eight-month pregnant wife and two-year-old daughter."My wife will be back after few months. This is just a temporary phase just like the UAE is seeing. My family will be back here with new bundle of joy. I am working here for 14 years now. I have a stable job...," Suresh said.From the UAE, at least 200,000 Indians have registered on the web portal collecting data of persons wishing to return home.The Air India crew members on board the repatriation flights were donning the full range of personal protective equipment.The Indian expatriate community of approximately 3.42 million is reportedly the largest ethnic community in the UAE constituting roughly about 30 per cent of the country's population, according to information available on the Indian Embassy website.India imposed a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus in the country, grounding all international flights since mid-March. Under the repatriation plan, the government will be facilitating the return of Indian nationals stranded abroad on compelling grounds in a phased manner. AMS ZH AKJ AKJ

COVID-19: Two Air India Express flights from UAE carrying 354 Indian nationals take off

(Eds: Incorporating related stories) London/Dubai, May 5 () Thousands of stranded Indians in countries like the UK, the UAE and the US due to the coronavirus-induced travel restrictions would be brought back by special flights and the Indian missions abroad were gearing up for the massive operation.India imposed a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus in the country, grounding all international flights since mid-March. Under the repatriation plan, the government will be facilitating the return of Indian nationals stranded abroad on compelling grounds in a phased manner.Air India will operate 64 flights from May 7 to May 13 to bring back around 15,000 Indian nationals stranded abroad amid the COVID-19 lockdown, it was announced in New Delhi on Tuesday.Around seven special Air India flights are being scheduled from London Heathrow Airport to Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Bengaluru starting on Thursday, Indian High Commission said in London.According to officials, the more vulnerable cases will be given priority for booking on to these flights, to be paid for by the passengers, who will also have to sign an undertaking to go into a 14-day quarantine on arrival in India. "This news will come as a big relief to Indians who find themselves stranded in the UK and have been desperate to return," said Ruchi Ghanashyam, the outgoing Indian High Commissioner to the UK. The Indian government announced plans to facilitate the return of Indians stranded abroad on "compelling grounds" in a phased manner on Monday. For the UK, Air India will start by operating non-scheduled commercial flights from London between Thursday and next Tuesday. It will start with flights from London Heathrow to Mumbai, followed by flights to Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Chennai and New Delhi. "Due to limited number of these flights, priority will be given to carry people who are in the most vulnerable categories such as elderly people, pregnant women, people facing medical emergencies, people who have bereavements or serious illnesses in their families in India, stranded tourists etc," the Indian mission in London said. Medical screening of passengers would be done before taking the flight. Only asymptomatic passengers would be allowed to travel, it said. Over 200,000 expatriates in the UAE have registered so far to travel back to India.The first two special flights that will operate from Thursday to evacuate Indians stranded in the UAE due to the coronavirus pandemic will begin with applicants from Kerala, who formed the majority of the expatriates who have registered to be repatriated from here, Indian Ambassador to the UAE, Pavan Kapoor said."The missions have prioritised the list of passengers and have given it to Air India. We would call and email each passenger to contact Air India to get their tickets issued. The first two flights on Thursday would be to Kerala, considering the high number of applicants from the state," Kapoor was quoted as saying by the Gulf News.He said the priority list includes blue collar workers in distress, people with medical emergencies, including the elderly and pregnant women, and those who have lost jobs, the report added.The passenger list for the two flights -- Abu Dhabi to Kochi and Dubai to Kozhikode -- will be finalised by the Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi, and the Consulate General of India, Dubai, the Indian Consulate in Dubai announced on Monday.The list will be made on the basis of registrations in the Embassy or Consulate database which was launched for this purpose a few days back, it added.In Kochi, a defence ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday that a naval ship has been sent to Dubai. The INS Shardul was diverted to Dubai to evacuate the expatriates and it will return to Kochi, he said.The special evacuation flights for thousands of Indians stranded in the US are most likely to begin this week from San Francisco and other cities, according to officials.While no exact dates have been announced yet, the flights could take off from San Francisco, New York, Chicago and Washington DC, the officials said.Given that a large number of Indian students and visitors are stranded in the US because of the strict travel restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic, more flights are likely to be scheduled in the coming weeks.Community leaders have welcomed the move of the Indian government which on Monday announced that special flights facilitating the return of Indian nationals stranded abroad on compelling grounds would begin in a phased manner from May 7.The Indian embassy and its consulates in the US last week started preparing a list of Indians planning to travel back home. The list is being prepared through an online registration form.A note on the mission's website makes it clear that the government will be facilitating the return of Indian nationals stranded abroad on compelling grounds in a phased manner.Medical screening of passengers would be done before boarding the flight and only asymptomatic passengers would be allowed to travel, it says.All passengers on arrival in India would be medically screened and would have to register on Arogya Setu app. The cost of travel from designated airport in the USA to the designated airport in India will be borne by the passenger, according to the note. TEAM AKJ AKJ

COVID-19: Repatriation of Indian nationals from the UK and UAE to start from Thursday

By Seema Hakhu Kachru Houston, May 18 () Thousands of Indians, including students, stranded in the US for weeks due to the COVID-19 related travel restrictions, are urging the government to operate additional flights to evacuate them and add more departure cities like Houston and Dallas with sizeable Indian population.The worst affected people by this humanitarian crisis are the students, and emergency medical tourists, who need evacuation badly to avoid further financial strain.There are around 30,000 students alone in the Houston Consular region, comprising eight US states with top universities.Many students have left just before the lockdown and those who could not are ready to go after their semester exams last week.An Indian national, who lost his close family and is desperately wanting to be home said, "If Air India can fly and charge exorbitant prices in the name of helping stranded Indians, then why doesn't India let private airlines fly."This is not a help, instead, it's robbing people, charging round trip fare for one way and still not letting the deserving people go," he said.One of the netizens, Prasad Bhalekar tweeted that if India was really worried, then one has to plan according to that. "Please show the real percentage (5 to 10 per cent Phase I &amp; II) of evacuation to Indians." he tweeted.Alia, an Indian in New York, who is an Overseas Citizen Of India (OCI) card holder, just lost her father and has been awaiting permission to board the evacuation flight."My father passed away in Mumbai on April 26 and the elderly mother is helpless and in need of medical care. Please help me get to Mumbai urgently. There is no reply from the Indian Embassy in the US. Please help," she said."At the time of a pandemic, who would like to leave their home and visit India, if this was not an emergency," another OCI passport holder said.Dipti, from Faridabad, Haryana, is in Houston with her young brother for his treatment at the Medical Center since January.She is "eagerly waiting" for a positive response for evacuation in phase II, as her four-year-old son is away from her in India for the past 80 days.The Indian Embassy and consulates are working round the clock and facing challenges to cater to all emergencies, helping cancer patients, pregnant women, students, stranded tourists, laid-off workers and persons wanting to go home due to deaths in the family and expired visas.Consulate helplines receive over 10,000 emails and calls daily.Consulate officials said that they are not just helping with flights but also offering assistance by helping students with accommodation and essential services as their university and college dormitories closed down in March.From May 9 to May 15, Air India operated commercial flights from the US to India facilitating the return of stranded Indian nationals.Consul General of India in Houston, Aseem Mahajan, told in an interview that, "We are facing a unique humanitarian crisis that has taken everyone unawares and impacted all. Every situation is critical and needs attention and we are making sure there is timely help available for all."Around 260 passengers have flown from our 8 states; destinations covered so far are Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi from Chicago," he said."In phase II, we are covering Uttarakhand, Punjab, Himachal - through New York - Bangalore, and Kochi from San Francisco. Flights to Delhi, Bhubaneswar, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad will be from Chicago"."The proportion of all consulates is the same. The reason for special flights from San Francisco, Chicago and New York is because Air India hubs are there. The closest hub for our Consular area comprising 8 states; Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado and Nebraska, is Chicago," Mahajan said."At this point, we have the constraint of sending people only to some destinations that have domestic flights and quarantine requirements. The constraints are internal in India due to no domestic travel until May 31 for now," he said."Also, at this point, nothing can be said about the resumption of commercial flights," Mahajan said.A total of seven flights from the US will be a part of the second phase break down.Two flights are scheduled to depart from San Francisco, one from DC, two from Chicago and other two from New York.Mahajan said "it has been a relentless and non-stop work" to coordinate the repatriation exercise and we are making sure not even one seat on the flight goes vacant" since a large number of Indians are stranded in the US due to various reasons and they are "desperate" to go home.Priority is being given to stranded passengers, terminally-ill patients, passengers with medical concerns and students.As of now, the flights are limited to Indian nationals only, who would have to reimburse the Indian government for the one-way ticket.The Consulate has no discretion to make exceptions for the OCI cardholders or Indian-Americans needing to fly back to India.All passengers on arrival in India will be medically screened and would have to download and register the Aarogya Setu app.Further, all passengers will need to undergo a 14-day mandatory quarantine on arrival in India in institutional facilities on payment basis as per the protocols framed by the Government of India. SHK NSA AKJ NSA

Coronavirus: Stranded Indians in US ask India to operate more evacuation flights

<ul><li>The 42-year-old was admitted to <keyword id="859577" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dubai-hospital">Dubai Hospital</keyword> on April 23 and had tested positive for Covid-19. </li><li>He recovered after 80 days of treatment and the hospital handed him a bill of 7,62,555 Arab Emirate Dirham (Rs 1 crore 52 lakh).</li><li>Harjeet Singh wrote a letter to the Dubai Hospital management, requesting them to waive the bill on humanitarian grounds. They responded positively and waived the bill. </li></ul> A hospital in Dubai has waived the Rs 1.52 crore bill of a labourer from <keyword id="68884" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telangana">Telangana</keyword>, who was treated there for Covid-19. Odnala Rajesh, who was under treatment at the Dubai Hospital for 80 days, reached Hyderabad in the early hours of Wednesday and left for his village in Jagtiyal district. The 42-year-old was admitted to Dubai Hospital on April 23 and had tested positive for Covid-19. He recovered after 80 days of treatment and the hospital handed him a bill of 7,62,555 Arab Emirate Dirham (Rs 1 crore 52 lakh). Gundelli Narasimha, president of the Gulf Workers' Protection Society in Dubai, who took the worker to the hospital and was visiting him regularly, brought the matter to the attention of Sumanth Reddy, an Indian Consulate volunteer in Dubai. Reddy and Ashok Kotecha of BAPS Swaminarayan Trust requested Harjeet Singh, Consul (Labour) of Indian Consulate in Dubai, to help the poor worker. Harjeet Singh wrote a letter to the Dubai Hospital management, requesting them to waive the bill on humanitarian grounds. They responded positively and waived the bill. Dubai Hospital is a multi-specialty hospital and is a part of the Dubai Department of Health and Medical Services. Ashok Kotecha provided free flight ticket to Rajesh and his escort <keyword id="9583405" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="dyavara-kankaiah">Dyavara Kankaiah</keyword> and paid Rs 10,000 for pocket expenses. They reached Hyderabad by an Air India Express flight. Rajesh has been sent to 14-day home quarantine. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/jio-glass-akash-ambani-and-isha-ambani-announce-reliances-latest-product-which-offers-holographic-video-calls/articleshow/76977640.cms">Jio Glass – Akash Ambani and Isha Ambani announce Reliance’s latest product which offers holographic video calls</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/wipro-share-price-16-increase-leads-to-surge-in-infosys-share-price-too/articleshow/76973619.cms">Wipro share price 16% increase leads to surge in Infosys share price too</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/moderna-covid19-vaccine-will-be-in-final-stages-of-human-trial-starting-july-27/articleshow/76972580.cms">Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine will be in final stages of human trial starting July 27</a>

You Searched For "indian consulate" and got 14 results

US condemns attempted arson at Indian Consulate in San Francisco by Khalistan supporters

PTI

Indian Consulate in Houston helping stranded Indians impacted by COVID-19 restrictions

PTI

Coronavirus: Over 32,000 Indians in UAE register to return home

PTI

It’s Good Time To Invest In India: Rajan

BI India Bureau

COVID-19: Indian missions in UAE open online registration for its citizens who wish to fly home

PTI

COVID-19: Air India schedules 7 commercial flights to repatriate nationals from the US

PTI

COVID-19: 354 stranded Indians to fly back home on Thursday from UAE

PTI

COVID-19: Air India flight from UAE carrying 177 Indian nationals takes off

PTI

COVID-19: Two Air India flights from UAE carrying 354 Indian nationals take off

PTI

COVID-19: Two Air India Express flights from UAE carrying 363 Indian nationals take off

PTI

COVID-19: Two Air India Express flights from UAE carrying 354 Indian nationals take off

PTI

COVID-19: Repatriation of Indian nationals from the UK and UAE to start from Thursday

PTI

Coronavirus: Stranded Indians in US ask India to operate more evacuation flights

PTI

A Dubai hospital waived ₹1 crore bill of an Indian Covid-19 patient on humanitarian grounds

IANS

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