The paths of these two stars have intersected on several occasions due to their association with the luxury brand Bulgari
entertainment3 hours ago
Though UAE expatriates stranded in India have welcomed the Indian government's decision to begin operations of non-scheduled commercial flights, many have appealed for 'better clarity in the procedures that need to be followed ahead of their travel'.
However, a spokesperson for the Indian diplomatic mission in Dubai told Khaleej Times on Monday that they are awaiting more clarity on these procedures.
On Sunday, the Government of India announced that UAE residents who are currently stranded in India can soon return on the special non-scheduled commercial flights that are allowed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA).
The SOP, released by the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), provided a clear list of protocols that needs to be followed by travellers, including gaining a clearance letter from the MoCA. Furthermore, the MHA has said only persons with a one-year valid visa will be allowed to travel to the destination countries.
Expats stranded in India hope to return soon
Owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, India went into a nation-wide lockdown on March 21, causing several Indian expatriates with jobs in the UAE to get stuck in India.
Rajini Menon, a UAE resident and school teacher, said her daughter has been stuck in India for nearly three months. "She is a university student and is one of the few students left behind in her hostel campus. She has received approval from the UAE authorities to travel. However, we don't know what to do next," said Menon.
Udayasena Anumandla, another Indian expat, said: "My family, consisting of my wife and daughter have been in India since March. She wants to come back as she has a job here. We have already applied through the ICA smart services. Unfortunately it got rejected and now we have reapplied. We request the government to provide clear details for easy understanding."
Missions awaiting clarifications from India
Neeraj Agarwal, Consul for Press, Information and Culture at the Consulate-General of India in Dubai, said: "We need to hear from the Government of UAE about their plans for allowing valid residence visa holders back into the country."
He explained: "The non-scheduled flights specified in the MHA SOP refer to specifically chartered flights like the ones in which Indian medics were flown to the UAE, like the ones arranged by Aster DM or VPS Healthcare."
The other category of flights, according to the Consul, are the ones organised for strategic cooperation purposes, flights arranged in cooperation with foreign governments for the evacuation of their citizens to their countries.
"Normal civil aviation for stranded Indians wishing to go abroad has not yet been approved. It depends on the host country as well. It will also take some time for complete resumption. Several clarifications in this matter are yet to be received," said Agarwal.
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com
The paths of these two stars have intersected on several occasions due to their association with the luxury brand Bulgari
entertainment3 hours ago
The students' demands range from a ceasefire in Israel's war with Hamas to calls for universities to stop investing in Israeli enterprises
world3 hours ago
Despite Kohli's flowing form ahead of the T20 World Cup in June, pundits have raised concerns over his strike-rate
cricket3 hours ago
Saudi Arabia has begun to explore extracting lithium from sea water
business4 hours ago
Speaking after meeting Lebanese leaders, French foreign minister says there had been "a lot of progress" over the French proposals
mena4 hours ago
The three-shot winner from Japan says he is aiming to become a member of the PGA Tour in the future
sports4 hours ago
Big-hitting Nienaber falters at the finish to settle for secondwhile former Abu Dhabi resident David Horsey takes the third spot at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club
sports4 hours ago
The UAE is India's second-largest export destination after the US
economy5 hours ago