India extends visa-on-arrival facility to 180 countries

  In a significant step towards liberalization of the visa regime, the government on Wednesday cleared two initiatives: visa on arrival and electronic travel authorization for all countries barring eight "prior reference'' countries including Pakistan, Iran, Sri Lanka and China.

ETA will allow foreign travelers to apply for a visa from home and receive an online confirmation in five working days.

"We have decided to extend visa-on-arrival to tourists from 180 nations. It will take 5-6 months to put the infrastructure in place. We hope to implement this from the next tourist session beginning October," planning minister Rajiv Shukla said.

Visa-on-arrival at 9 airports initially

The extension of visa-on-arrival and electronic travel authorization to citizens of 180 countries will be implemented initially at nine airports including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Cochin, Hyderabad, Goa and Trivandrum. Both facilities are likely to be implemented by the end of the year.

India currently offers visa-on-arrival to tourists from 11 countries like Finland, the Philippines, Singapore and Japan. The decision was taken in a meeting convened by the Planning Commission that included representatives from the PMO, ministries of home affairs, external affairs and tourism.

ETA will be available for a 30-day period from the date of the tourist's arrival in India while VoA will also be for the same period for a single entry.

The move, aimed at boosting the tourism sector, would not need the Cabinet's nod, Shukla said, adding that the home ministry would notify the same at an appropriate time.

"The facility will provide a major boost to the country's tourism sector. This is historic," Shukla said.

A separate website would be set up for extending the facility to foreigners intending to visit India as tourists.

To get a visa, they would need to apply on the designated website along with the required fees. They would be granted an electronic version of the visa within three days.

This newspaper has consistently argued that providing a visa on arrival should be the norm rather than the exception. For reasons of geography, history and culture, India is well-placed to become one of the world's most favoured tourist destinations. Its potential has, however, been tapped only very slightly. Given the tourism sector's positive spin-offs on employment and earnings, we can ill-afford to let such a situation continue. Anything that can attract tourists to India is worth pursuing. Visa on arrival is one such thing, but far from being the only one. The government must also work to improve the tourism infrastructure and provide a greater sense of security to tourists, particularly women, among other things. 

Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-extends-visa-on-arrival-facility-to-180-countries/articleshow/29919007.cms?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral

21-year-old gang-raped on busy Kolkata road

A 21-year-old woman, working in one of the biggest malls in Kolkata, was allegedly gang-raped while returning home after work on Sunday evening.

Even before the Madhayamgram gang-rape incident could die down, the latest incident - in the heart of Kolkata - has come as a blot for the Bengal government.

The woman is stated to be serious and presently admitted at the Howrah State Hospital. Top Kolkata police officers have gone to Howrah to investigate the case.

According to sources, the girl - a resident of Howrah - had left the mall at 7.30pm along with other colleagues and friends. She came to the Hastings crossing where others got off and the girl hailed a shuttle taxi to take her home.

"The woman has alleged that as soon as she got into the taxi and crossed the Princep Ghat area adjoining the Ganga, five men forced her out of the taxi after threatening her with a weapon, took her inside a parked truck and took turns to rape her. They then finally abandoned her near a ground adjoining the Army barracks and fled," said a senior officer from Kolkata police.



The accused took away her mobile phone so that she could not contact anyone.

The girl regained consciousness only early morning. Though bleeding profusely, no one came to her aid. The woman then took a ferry and crossed over to the Howrah station where the police admitted her to hospital. The condition of the woman is stated to be critical and she is likely to be shifted to the SSKM Hospital in Kolkata for better treatment.



Though the Howrah city police initially registered a zero FIR, the case has now been transferred to the Watgunge police station under the Port division in Kolkata. "We have registered a case and are looking in to CCTV footage and questioning taxi drivers to nab the accused," said DCP (Port) V Solomon Kumar. The detective department has formed a separate team to investigate the case.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/21-year-old-gang-raped-on-busy-Kolkata-road/articleshow/29106633.cms

UK cautions travellers in India after rape of Dane

NEW DELHI: India's image as an unsafe destination for women travellers was further consolidated after reports that a 51-year-old Danish woman was gang-raped in Delhi. The UK foreign office issued a travel advisory on Thursday cautioning its citizens on travel in the country even as the tourism industry lamented the damage that violent crimes against women had caused.

This, coupled with sluggish growth, has acted as a death knell for the industry, experts said.

Advisor to the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) Rajinder Rai said, "Such incidents are disgraceful and cause serious damage to the image of the country. It is scary that time and again such incidents continue to happen.''

An Assocham survey conducted recently said women foreign tourists to the country had declined by 35% and overall tourism was affected by 25%.

The number of foreign tourists coming to India grew a modest 4% between January and December 2013, coinciding with women travellers' perception of the country as a safe destination hitting rock bottom. This is less than the 5% growth in 2012 and 13% in 2011. Expansion in foreign tourist arrivals worldwide was pegged at around 5% during the first nine months of 2013, according to data from the World Travel Organization.

India's total foreign tourist arrivals in 2013 stood at 6.84 million. In comparison, China received 132 million and Singapore got 14 million (end-2012 figures) visitors.

Industry sources said women travelers were skipping India from their itinerary. A hotelier said, "The last one year has caused deep concern among first-time visitors who feel that India is unsafe as a destination. We try our best to reassure them but there is little that can be done with the increasingly regularity of such crimes against women.''

In a bid to quell the panic, the tourism ministry has introduced a 'I respect women' campaign that includes advertisements and promotions addressing these concerns. The ministry has also issued an advisory on its website cautioning women.

Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/UK-cautions-travellers-in-India-after-rape-of-Dane/articleshow/28914973.cms?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral 

Danish tourist gangraped in Delhi

The woman was returning to her hotel in Paharganj from Connaught Place

A 51-year-old Danish tourist was allegedly gang-raped by more than half-a-dozen men at knife point near New Delhi railway station on Monday night, police said on Tuesday.

Police have registered a case and several suspects have been detained for questioning.

Although senior police official remained tight-lipped about the case, police sources said that the incident took place when the victim, who was returning to her hotel in Paharganj from Connaught Place, lost her way.

She then approached a group of men for directions, who instead of helping her, allegedly took her to a secluded place and took turns to rape her on knife point.

They also robbed her of valuables.

She then returned to her hotel and narrated the incident to the manager, who in turn called the police at around 8:30 p.m.

A case has been registered at the Paharganj Police Station.

The Danish Embassy was also informed. The woman has been taken to the Embassy after recording her statement with the police.

According to sources, the victim has refused to undergo a medical examination and has expressed her desire to return home.

Source:http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/danish-tourist-gangraped-in-delhi/article5577707.ece?homepage=true 

51-year-old Danish woman allegedly gangraped in Delhi

In a shocking incident, a 51-year-old Danish tourist was gangraped by unidentified men at knife point near New Delhi Railway Station of the national capital. The assailants also robbed her of money and valuables. Police have registered a case against eight unidentified assailants.




As per initial reports, the woman had gone to visit the national museum. While returning to Paharganj to her hotel she lost way near New Delhi Railway station. A group of indentified men took her to a secluded spot at knife point and gangraped her.




She reached her hotel and informed her friend about the incident who informed the Danish Embassy. Senior police officers reached the hotel after being informed by the embassy officials.

A case has been registered against eight unidentified men. Police are trying to identify the assailants.

Meanwhile, the woman has gone to the Danish Embassy after recording her statement with the police. She is likely to leave India after medical test on Wednesday. Investigation is on.

Source:http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/danish-woman-gangraped-near-new-delhi-railway-station/1/336217.html

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/danish-woman-gangraped-near-new-delhi-railway-station/1/336217.html

51-year-old Danish woman gang-raped, robbed in Delhi

In a shameful incident, a 51-year-old Danish national was gang-raped by a group of men near New Delhi railway station Tuesday night.

Reports say that a Danish woman, who was here on a tourist visa had gone to visit a museum and while returning to her hotel in Paharganj lost her way in the area when a group of men stopped her way and robbed, gang-raped her.


The woman after returning to her hotel narrated her ordeal to her near ones, who further informed the police.

The Danish embassy has also pitched in and asked the authorities for swift action.

Delhi police have zeroed in several people and interrogating them. The officials suspect that the people who are drug addicts and stay at roadside in the Paharganj area might be involved in the crime.

The victim was supposed to leave for her native country Wednesday morning has been asked by the police to stay back and assist in probe.

Source:http://zeenews.india.com/news/delhi/51-year-old-danish-woman-gang-raped-robbed-in-delhi_904175.html

Danish woman allegedly robbed and gang-raped near New Delhi railway station

A Danish national has alleged that she was gang-raped by a group of men near New Delhi railway station on Tuesday night.

The accused suspects are vagabonds, police said. The victim, who is around 51-year-old, has claimed that the men also robbed her after the sexual assault.

In her statement to the police, the woman has said she was in India for the past one week. The victim first went to Agra and then arrived in the capital on Tuesday.

The woman checked in a hotel (hotel Amax). Later she went to visit National Museum on Tuesday evening. On her way back to hotel in the evening, she lost her way.

When she was inquiring about the hotel she was accosted by suspects. The victim claims she was sexually assaulted by vagabonds near New Delhi Railway Station. The tourist was also robbed of her belongings including cash and other valuables.

She somehow reached her hotel and informed the police and the Danish embassy.

Police have detained six suspects in the case on the basis of information provided by the woman. A case of gang rape under section 376 G (2) of IPC and robbery has been registered and Delhi Police teams are raiding several places to nab the suspects.
The incident comes weeks after a 16-year-old woman claimed she was sexually assaulted in a similar manner around the same place. She had however retracted her statement later and said she had not been raped at all. The police are investigating all angles in this case as well. 
Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Danish-woman-allegedly-robbed-and-gang-raped-near-New-Delhi-railway-station/articleshow/28819762.cms