As domestic flights gear up to resume services from May 25, Monday, the Union Government is now restarting Flight services for Indians who want to come to India. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on May 22 allowed some Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders who are stranded abroad to return to the country.
The ministry has relaxed the visa and travel restrictions that were imposed due to coronavirus outbreak.
Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cardholders can now take a breath of relief as the Home Ministry relaxed the travel and visa restrictions. The Government has already been operating special Air India flights amid the pandemic and lockdown around the globe to rescue Indians stuck abroad.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said those allowed to travel to India include OCI cardholders who wish to come to the country on account of family emergencies or need.
Minor children born to Indian nationals abroad who hold OCI cards and couples where one spouse is an OCI cardholder, and the other is an Indian national and are a permanent resident of India are also allowed to visit the country.
University students who are OCI cardholders (not legally minors) but whose parents are Indian citizens living in India can travel, the ministry said.
” The travel restrictions, imposed earlier by MHA on 07.05.2020, would not apply to any aircraft, ship, train or any other vehicle deployed for bringing back the above mentioned categories of OCI cardholders who are stranded abroad. All other terms and conditions laid down by MHA on 07.05.2020 would continue to remain in effect”.
Earlier, the Government launched a special operation under the name of ‘Vande Bharat Mission’ to bring back stranded Indians from abroad as international flights remain suspended in the view of the novel coronavirus.
(Source: PIB)
