tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473300844840480922.post2913186774324775678..comments2022-04-20T02:26:03.017-04:00Comments on Things Blight and Beautiful: India Visa MiserySandipMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04721935576457691892noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473300844840480922.post-9414182450518469972015-10-28T06:49:31.845-04:002015-10-28T06:49:31.845-04:00Sadiy what you say is too true. We tripped over ma...Sadiy what you say is too true. We tripped over many glitches and were rescued by humans - CKGS. AmOKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17351322682932613136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473300844840480922.post-69516458956959288782015-09-14T03:52:55.854-04:002015-09-14T03:52:55.854-04:00Avay, you've done a lot to help traveling Indi...Avay, you've done a lot to help traveling Indians that isn't known to most Indians. I remember the totally unnecessary nuisance of needing to renew passports every 5 years till you became special assistant to then Union Foreign Minister I.K. Gujral (1994-1996?). That's when passport validity was increased to 20 years. What a boon, and I'm sure the IFS lobby hated it - I saw how their passport officers were downcast about their reduced opportunities to harass and oblige back in 1996 when I went for the 20 year extension to their Chicago consulate office. After you left that Special Assistant post the IFS reclaimed it - you as an IAS were a thankful anomaly! They maneuvered to then reduce the passport validity period to 10 years. But that's still a lot better than the earlier 5 years, so a big thanks to Mr. Gujral and you!<br /><br />I may act on your advice about the PMO web site. I'm sorry to see how they gave the (all too familiar) bureaucratic dodge on the very valid issue you raised of better physical access to AADHAR centers for those with special needs. I laud your tenacity in thinking of pursuing this matter by other means.SandipMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04721935576457691892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473300844840480922.post-89275041034072223262015-09-13T01:27:25.300-04:002015-09-13T01:27:25.300-04:00Very enlightening, Sandip. Not having renounced my...Very enlightening, Sandip. Not having renounced my Indian citizenship ( still trying to figure out what it entitles me to !) I had no idea the whole process of securing a visa for India is so tortuous. I suggest you send this blog post to the Prime Minister on the PMO web site which has a link for grievances. It might just be taken seriously, though there are no guarantees. I've taken up one case with them, relating to getting an AADHAR card for my son, who, as you know is seriously disabled and confined to a wheelchair. The AADHAR centre( where he is supposed to go for his card) has no provisions for physically challenged people- not even a ramp! How is he supposed to get a get the biometrics done if he can't even access the centre? I wrote to the PMO eight months ago: the complaint did the rounds of the Social Welfare Ministry, The Chief Commissioner for Disabilities( a statutory authority with the power to punish), the UIADI ( the agency entrusted with the job of generating the AADHAR cards). The latter intimated three months ago that they have sent my complaint to their Regional office. The Ministry, satisfied with this answer, has closed the case as resolved! Nothing has happened to fix the problem. I am now planning to go to the High Court. More important, I have decided that we have to do more than just complain, and have therefore decided to set aside a part of my pension for legal expenses to try and improve the system. A citizenship should be worth fighting for, after all !Avay Shuklahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02928879917197239026noreply@blogger.com