News Analysis India

Tag: OCI

  • Have offers from political parties, will think wisely: Harbhajan Singh

    By ANI

    JALANDHAR: A day after retiring from all forms of cricket, spinner Harbhajan Singh on Saturday revealed that he has offers from multiple political parties to join them, but he will get into politics only after making up his mind.

    Harbhajan had announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on Friday. The 41-year-old spinner has played 103 Tests, 236 ODIs and 28 T20Is for Men in Blue. He scalped 294 wickets in limited-overs cricket.

    ALSO READ | The Turbanator bids farewell: Harbhajan retires from all forms of cricket

    “Future plan is something I have not decided, I will stay connected with cricket, it is because of cricket, that people know me. As far as my political career is concerned, I will reveal it myself. Whenever it happens, I will let everyone know,” Harbhajan said during a press conference on Saturday.

    “To be honest, I have not thought about it. I have offers from different parties to join them but I will have to sit and think very wisely. It won’t be a small decision because it is a demanding job. I do not want to do it half-heartedly. The day I think I am prepared to do it, I will go for it,” he added.

    Harbhajan had played his last red-ball match against Sri Lanka in 2015 while his last ODI was against South Africa in the same year. His last game for India was a T20I against UAE in the 2016 Asia Cup. Since then, he was not picked for the Indian side. Harbhajan retires after scalping 417 wickets in 103 Tests at an average of 32.46.

    I know politicians from every party. I’ll make an announcement beforehand if I’ll join any party. Will serve Punjab, maybe via politics or something else, no decision has been taken yet:India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on Friday pic.twitter.com/TTOd5lSRNW
    — ANI (@ANI) December 25, 2021
    “If I did not have cricket, I would not have reached this level. God has been really kind to me. My journey has been amazing, I will try to play the Legends League, I have not thought about playing in overseas leagues. The point of retirement is to spend more time with your family and this is something that I will look to do. If I had to play competitive cricket, I could have played IPL. I feel this is the right time to retire,” said Harbhajan.

    Earlier, Punjab Congress leader and former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu had set off speculations after he tweeted a photo of himself with fellow cricketer Harbhajan Singh months ahead of the Assembly polls in the state.

    “Picture loaded with possibilities ….With Bhajji the shining star,” Sidhu captioned the photo of himself draped in a shawl with Harbhajan Singh dressed in a jacket.

    Talking about this post, Harbhajan said, “It was a casual meeting, the polls are near so I understood why people started speculating, but there is nothing to speculate. If I enter politics, I will let everyone know.” 

  • OCI cardholders require special permit if they want to undertake ‘Tabligh’, media activities: Govt

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: All Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders will henceforth be required to take a special permission from the central government if they want to be involved in any missionary or ‘Tabligh’ or journalistic activities in the country.

    However, the Union Home Ministry has given a major concession to OCI cardholders by allowing them parity with Indian nationals in the matter of tariffs in air fares in domestic sectors, entry fees for visiting national parks, national monuments and museums in India.

    The ministry, in a notification, said the OCI cardholders will be entitled to get multiple entry lifelong visa for visiting India for any purpose but “required to obtain a special permission or a special permit from the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer or the Indian Mission to undertake research and to undertake any missionary or Tabligh or mountaineering or journalistic activities”.

    The OCI cardholders will also have to take a special permit to undertake internship in any foreign diplomatic missions or foreign government organisations in India or to take up employment in any foreign diplomatic missions in India or to visit any place which falls within the protected or restricted or prohibited areas as notified by the central government or competent authority.

    In March 2020, when the nationwide lockdown was in force following the coronavirus outbreak, over 2,500 Tablighi Jamaat members found to be residing at the organisation’s headquarters in Delhi despite guidelines and orders issued against large congregations of people.

    As many as 233 foreign Tablighi workers were arrested for violations of visa rules and many of them were blacklisted, putting a ban on their future visit to India.

    Tablighi Jamaat workers, both foreigners as well Indians, indulge in preaching tours across the country also known as ‘Chilla’ in which a volunteer of the organisation travels for 120 days to various parts of the country and stay in local mosques where they inform the neighbourhood people about their activities besides holding special prayers.

    The Home Ministry said the OCI cardholders will now be exempted from registration with the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO) or Foreigners Registration Officer (FRO) for any length of stay in India, but they have to inform the FRRO or FRO concerned whenever there is a change in permanent residential address and in their occupation.

    The OCI cardholders will now enjoy parity with Indian nationals in the matter of tariffs in air fares in domestic sectors in India, entry fees to be charged for visiting national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, the national monuments, historical sites and museums in India.

    An OCI cardholder is a foreign national holding a passport of a foreign country and is not a citizen of India.

    They will also get parity with Non-Resident Indians in the matter of inter-country adoption of Indian children subject to the compliance of the procedure as laid down by the competent authority, appearing for the all India entrance tests such as National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, Joint Entrance Examination (Mains), or other such tests to make them eligible for admission only against any Non-Resident Indian seat or any supernumerary seat, provided that the OCI cardholder shall not be eligible for admission against any seat reserved exclusively for Indian citizens, the notification read.

    The OCI cardholders will get parity in purchase or sale of immovable properties other than agricultural land or farm house or plantation property and pursuing professions like doctors, dentists, nurses and pharmacists in India as per the provisions contained in the applicable relevant statutes or laws.