News Analysis India

Tag: MHA

  • MHA approves release of 2nd instalment of Central share of State Disaster Relief Fund amounting to Rs 7,274 crore

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has approved the release of the second instalment of the Central share of the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) amounting to Rs 7,274.40 crore in advance to 23 states, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) informed on Friday.

    The state governments will now have an amount of Rs 23,186.40 crore in their SDRF including the state’s share, during the financial year 2021-22, in addition to the amount of opening balance available in their SDRF, to meet the expenses for granting ex-gratia to the next of kin of the deceased due to Covid-19 and for providing relief on other notified calamities.

    The Central government on September 25 had issued an order revising the items and norms of assistance under the SDRF, making therein a provision for grant of ex-gratia payment to the next of kin of the deceased due to Covid-19.

    This enabling provision in SDRF norms has been made so as to implement the guidelines issued by National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on September 11 in compliance with the order passed by Supreme Court dated June 30.

    This step of the Centre government will facilitate state governments to have enough funds in their SDRF. 

  • Keeping close watch on Assam flood situation, 10 NDRF teams deployed till now: MHA

    According to Flood Reporting and Information Management System, two children, one each in Chenga in Barpeta district and Mayong in Morigaon had drowned in the floodwaters till August 30.

  • After PM’s announcement, Home Ministry notifies August 14 as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Union Home Ministry on Saturday issued a notification declaring that August 14 will be observed as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day to salute those who sacrificed their lives during the country’s partition, hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the announcement to this effect.

    The prime minister has said that August 14 will be observed as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day in the memory of the struggles and sacrifices of people, saying the pain of partition can never be forgotten.

    Union Home Minister Amit Shah has welcomed Prime Minister Modi’s decision to observe August 14 as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day.

    “The wound of the partition of the country and the grief of losing loved ones cannot be described in words.

    I am sure that Partition Horrors Remembrance Day will strengthen peace, love and unity by eliminating the ill-will of discrimination and malice from society,” he said in a tweet in Hindi.

    In a notification, the Home Ministry said the people of India, while celebrating ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’, will salute those sons and daughters of the country who had to sacrifice their lives during the partition of India.

    “The Government of India has decided to declare 14th August as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day in remembrance of the people who lost their lives during the partition.

    “Therefore, the Government of India declares 14th August as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day to remind the present and future generations of Indians of the pain and suffering faced by the people of India during the partition,” the notification said.

    Modi has also noted that millions of people were displaced and many lost their lives due to mindless hate and violence caused by the partition.

    Pakistan was carved out as a Muslim country after the division of India by the British colonial ruler in 1947, and millions of people were displaced and many lakh of them lost their lives as large scale rioting broke out.

    India will be celebrating its 75th Independence Day on Sunday.

  • Assam-Mizoram border violence: Chief Secretaries, DGPs attend Home Ministry meet

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The chief secretaries and the police heads of Assam and Mizoram attended a meeting Wednesday called by the Union Home Ministry to resolve the ongoing border conflict between the two states which left five policemen and a civilian dead recently.

    Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla chaired the meeting which was attended by Assam Chief Secretary Jishnu Baruah and Director General of Police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta and their respective Mizoram counterparts Lalnunmawia Chuaungo and SBK Singh, officials said.

    ALSO READ | Assam-Mizoram border violence: Chief Secretaries, DGPs attend Home Ministry meet

    “The central government is concerned over the Assam-Mizoram border dispute which led to violence and deaths of six people. The objective of the meeting is to lower the tension, bring peace and possibly find a solution,” a home ministry official said.

    The Director General of CRPF also attended the meeting as the personnel of the paramilitary force have been deployed in the Assam-Mizoram border areas where tension is high, the official said.

    Five Assam Police personnel and a civilian were killed and over 50 others including a superintendent of police were injured when the Mizoram Police opened fire on a team of the Assam officials Monday.

    Assam’s Barak Valley districts of Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi share a 164-km long border with three Mizoram districts of Aizawl, Kolasib and Mamit.

    ALSO READ | Assam Police prevents Congress delegation from visiting Mizoram border after violent clashes

    After counter allegations of encroachment of territory over the past few weeks and skirmishes that escalated tensions between the two states, violent clashes were reported along the inter-state border that ended in the death of five Assam Police men and a civilian.

    The incidents came two days after Union Home Minister Amit Shah held talks with the chief ministers of eight northeastern states and underscored the need to resolve lingering border disputes.

  • New Zealand national accuses Indian government of denying entry, MHA cites violation of visa rules

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: A New Zealand national has accused the Indian government of denying him entry without specifying any reasons leading to his “separation” from his Indian wife, a charge the Home Ministry rejected saying he was barred due to violation of visa conditions.

    Karl Edward Rice, who claims to be a content creator, appealed to New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and also approached the Delhi High Court for the withdrawal of the Indian government’s decision to “blacklist” him.

    He also launched an online petition to gather public opinion in his support.

    “Dear @jacindaardern, the Govt. of India has blocked me from entering India separating me from my wife & family in Delhi. They blacklisted me without telling me, giving reasons, or letting me reply. Please watch my struggle https://t.co/dq0Z98SCFw @NZinIndia,” he tweeted from a handle @iamkarlrock along with a video of his life story.

    He claimed that his wife Manisha Malik hails from Haryana and they married in 2019.

    He also claimed that he was COVID-19 positive last year and after his recovery he donated plasma twice in Delhi to help people recover from the virus.

    When contacted, Union Home Ministry officials said the New Zealand national has been restricted from entering India till the next year for violating terms and conditions of his visa.

    He was found to be doing business activities on a tourist visa and also violating other visa conditions, they said without specifying.

    In the video, Rice claimed that about eight months ago, when he was about to leave for Dubai and Pakistan, he was told at the airport that his Indian visa has been cancelled.

    Since then he has approached MHA officials and Indian High Commission officials in New Zealand seeking reasons for the visa ban.

    However, he said, he has not received any reply from anyone so far.

    Rice said that he has approached the Delhi High Court seeking remedies and reversal of the government decision of banning his entry.

    He said that he has visited every Indian state and Union Territory — from Mizoram to Lakshadweep — and that India is his “passion”.

    “It is very difficult for me to be away from my family,” he said in the video and appealed people to sign the attached online petition in his support.

    Describing the Indian government “very, very tough”, the New Zealander said it was “very wrong” of India to “exile” him from his family.

    He said he had undergone “separation trauma” and “panic attack” in the past and was very unhappy with his life.

    He also said he would fight back the government’s decision and hoped to visit India again.

  • MHA hands over Jammu Air Force Station attack case to National Investigation Agency

    By ANI
    SRINAGAR: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday handed over the Jammu Air Force station attack case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

    Earlier, multiple agencies including the NIA, National Security Guards along with the local police and Air Force authorities were looking into the first of its kind terror attack in the country which has not caused any major damage to the equipment or personnel but had the potential of causing heavy damage to the infrastructure there.

    The investigators were probing the possibility of drones having been launched from nearby locations in Jammu even as drones were seen hovering close to the Army facilities in the city.

    The drones, however, could not be captured were taken out from the area by their handlers in the Army-related incident too.

    ALSO READ | Jammu IAF station attack shows security installations still vulnerable

    on Monday, sources had said that while investigating the Jammu airbase attack, it was emerging that the drones which were used to carry out the hit, dropped the explosives and were moved out from the area by their handlers.

    “In investigations at the attack site, the investigators have not yet been able to find parts of any drone. This suggests that the drones used to carry out the attack dropped the explosives over the airbase and were navigated away from the area by their handlers,” they had added.

    Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is taking all possible measures to ensure that such an incident is not repeated at other places and a high alert has been sounded at all stations.

    Two low-intensity explosions were reported early Sunday morning in the technical area of Jammu Air Force Station.

    One of the blasts caused minor damage to the roof of a building while the other exploded in an open area. There was no damage to any equipment, the IAF said.

    An investigation into the matter is in progress along with civil agencies, it added.

    ALSO WATCH:

  • Visa of foreigners stranded in India due to COVID-19 pandemic extended till August 31

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The visas of foreign nationals, stranded in India due to the COVID-19 pandemic, have been extended by the government till August 31 on gratis basis or free of charge.

    The Union Home Ministry said that due to the non-availability of normal commercial flight operations on account of the pandemic since March 2020, a number of foreign nationals who came to India prior to that date on valid Indian visas got stranded in the country.

    Keeping in view the difficulties being faced by such foreign nationals in getting their visas extended due to the lockdown, the Home Ministry had issued an order on June 29, 2020, conveying that the Indian visa or stay stipulation period of such foreign nationals expiring post June 30, 2020, shall be deemed to be valid until 30 more days from the date of resumption of normal international flight operations, on gratis basis.

    However, such foreign nationals have been applying for extension of their visas or stay stipulation period on a monthly basis, the Home Ministry said in a statement.

    The matter has now been reconsidered by the ministry in the light of non-resumption of normal commercial flight operations, and it has accordingly been decided that the Indian visa or stay stipulation period of such foreign nationals stranded in India will be considered as deemed to be valid till August 31, 2021 on gratis basis without levy of any overstay penalty, the statement said.

    These foreign nationals will not be required to submit any application to the FRRO or FRO concerned for extension of their visas.

    Such foreign nationals may apply for an exit permission to the FRRO or FRO concerned before exiting the country, which would be granted on gratis basis without levy of any overstay penalty, the statement said.

    ALSO WATCH:

  • MHA invites citizenship applications for non-Muslim refugees from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh in 13 districts

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Union Home Ministry has issued a notification under the 2009 rules of the Citizenship Act, 1955 asking non-Muslims belonging to Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan and residing in 13 districts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Punjab to apply for Indian citizenship.

    The fresh order is in no way connected to the Citizenship Amendment Act passed in 2019 as the rules under it are yet to be framed by the government.

    The Union home ministry on Friday night issued the notification for immediate implementation of the order under the Citizenship Act 1955 and Rules framed under the law in 2009.

    This benefit is extended to minorities from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh who fulfil all conditions applicable to any foreign citizen seeking citizenship by naturalisation after a minimum of 11 years of residency in India.

    Under the CAA, the period for this category was cut to five years.

    “In exercise of powers conferred under Section 16 of the Citizenship Act, 1955 (57 of 1955), the central government hereby directs that powers exercisable by it for registration as citizen of India under Section 5, or for grant of certificate of naturalisation under section 6 of the Citizenship Act 1955 in respect of any person belonging to a minority community in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan namely, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians, residing in the districts mentioned and the states mentioned below,” the fresh notification said.

    People who are eligible to apply for Indian citizenship are those currently living in the districts of Morbi, Rajkot, Patan and Vadodara of Gujarat, Durg and Balodabazar in Chhattisgarh, Jalore, Udaipur, Pali, Barmer and Sirohi in Rajasthan, Faridabad in Haryana and Jalandhar in Punjab.

    “The application for registration as citizen of India or grant of certificate of naturalisation as citizen of India under the said rules (Citizenship Rules, 2009) shall be made by the applicant online,” the notification said.

    In 2016, the central government had in a similar step sought applications from members of these minority communities from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh living in 16 districts in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

    The district magistrates of the districts and home secretaries of the seven states were allowed to receive and process the applications of these refugees for two years by the home ministry.

    In 2018, the said notification was extended for an indefinite period or till further order.

    With Friday night’s order, the total number of districts where such facility is available has gone up to 29 districts in nine states.

    The home ministry said the verification of the application is to be done simultaneously by the collector or Secretary (Home) at the district-level and the state-level and the application and the reports thereon shall be made accessible simultaneously to the Centre on an online portal.

    The collector or the secretary will make enquiries as considered necessary for ascertaining the suitability of the applicant and for that purpose forward the application online to such agencies for verification and comments.

    The instructions issued by the Centre from time-to-time in this regard shall be strictly complied with by state or union territory and district concerned, it said.

    “The comments of the agencies referred to in clause (C) are uploaded online by such agencies and accessible to the collector or the secretary, as the case may be, and the central government,” it said.

    The collector or the secretary on being satisfied with the suitability of the applicant, will grant him the citizenship of India by registration or naturalisation and issue a certificate of registration or naturalisation, as the case may be, duly printed from an online portal and signed by the collector or the secretary in the form as prescribed in the said rules, the notification said.

    The collector or the secretary shall maintain an online as well as physical register, in accordance with the said rules, containing the details of the person registered or naturalised as a citizen of India and furnish a copy thereof to the central government within seven days of such registration or naturalisation, it said.

    “This order shall come into force on the date of its publication in the official gazette and shall remain valid until further orders,” the notification said.

    When the CAA was passed in 2019, there were widespread protests in different parts of the country and communal riots erupted in Northeast Delhi in early 2020 after clashes between those opposing and supporting the law.

    According to the CAA, Indian citizenship will be given to non-Muslim persecuted minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan — Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian — who had come to India till December 31, 2014.

  • MHA orders continuation of COVID guidelines till June-end; asks states to focus on local curb strategy

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Centre on Thursday directed states and union territories to continue the ongoing COVID-19 guidelines till June 30 and asked them to go for intensive and local containment measures in districts with a high number of cases to check the spread of the deadly disease.

    In a fresh order, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said strict implementation of containment and other measures has led to a declining trend in the number of new and active cases, across states and union territories, barring some areas in the southern and northeastern regions.

    “I would like to highlight that in spite of the declining trend, the number of active cases presently is still very high. It is, therefore, important that containment measures may continue to be implemented strictly.

    “Any relaxation by states and UTs, may be considered at an appropriate time, in a graded manner, after assessing the local situation, requirements and resources,” Bhalla said in his order issued to chief secretaries of the states and union territories.

    He said the guidelines issued on April 29 for the month of May will continue till June 30.

    According to the guidelines, the home ministry told the states to take necessary action to ensure sufficient oxygen-supported beds, ICU beds, ventilators, ambulances including creation of makeshift hospitals, oxygen, as needed, besides sufficient quarantine facilities.

    The home ministry, however, did not mention anything about the imposition of lockdown anywhere in the country in the fresh guidelines issued in view of the pandemic.

    The fresh guidelines for COVID-19 management came amid some decline in the daily count of the coronavirus cases and improvements in the situation of the availability of the beds, ICU and oxygen in some parts of the country like Delhi.

    India’s COVID-19 infection tally climbed to 2,73,69,093 as 2,11,298 more people tested positive for the disease in a day, while the country’s recovery went up to 90 per cent, according to the Union health ministry on Thursday.

    The death toll due to the disease rose to 3,15,235 with 3,847 fresh fatalities being reported in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.

  • Didi’s heightened tension, MHA team reaches Bengal to know the reason for the violence

    In West Bengal, the period of political violence continues after the elections. So far 16 people have been killed in the violence. On Thursday, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan convoy was attacked and his car was also damaged. Minister of State for External Affairs V Muralitharan also shared the video of the attack on him. Meanwhile, a 4-member investigation team of the Union Home Ministry, which reached Bengal to investigate the post-election violence, reached Raj Bhavan on Friday and met Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar. Please tell that the Home Ministry is constantly taking strict action regarding the violence in Bengal.

    The investigation team visited some sites in the violence-hit South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas. And met with the victims’ families and local people. Significantly, the Union Home Ministry has sought a report from the Governor on the law and order situation in the state in view of the incidents of post-election violence.