Now Reading: India adds 11 ports to e-visa network, total now 88
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India adds 11 ports to e-visa network, total now 88
The Centre has notified 11 new international ports where foreigners holding an e-visa can enter or exit India, taking the total to 88. The Ministry of Home Affairs announced the addition on…
The Story in Brief
The Centre has notified 11 new international ports where foreigners holding an e-visa can enter or exit India, taking the total to 88. The Ministry of Home Affairs announced the addition on Monday, which includes nine land ports and two airports. The new land ports are Attari (Punjab), Moreh (Manipur), Dawki (Meghalaya), Darranga (Assam), Agartala (Tripura), and Jaigaon, Haridaspur, Gede and Ghojadanga in West Bengal. The two airports added are Bhopal and Tirupati.
Of the 88 ports now, 37 are airports, 38 are seaports and 13 are land ports. The home ministry said the move is part of simplifying the visa regime under the new Immigration and Foreigners Act. India launched e-visas in 2014 for 43 countries and now covers 172 nations across 17 categories. About 95% of e-visa applications are processed within 72 hours, and e-visas now account for roughly 78% of all visas issued, according to the government.
The Indian Opinion
The expansion is being sold as a liberalisation win, but it also raises old worries about porous borders. The home ministry insists it balances ease for genuine travellers with better tech for security. That is the right emphasis, but the proof is in implementation. At Attari and Moreh, checking will be harder. The real test is whether these 88 ports can process e-visa holders smoothly without creating new loopholes for overstayers or smugglers.
Sources (4): ndtvprofit.com, hindustantimes.com, livemint.com, thehindubusinessline.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 4 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 4 sources.
