Lok Sabha Question No. 1712 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-02-13
Subject: Revoking Passport of NRI Husbands
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: SANTOKH SINGH CHAUDHARY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EXERNAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1712 TO BE ANSWERED ON 13-02-2019

## REVOKING PASSPORT OF NRI HUSBANDS

1712. SHRI SANTOKH SINGH CHAUDHARY:

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has revoked the passports of some Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) for abandoning their wives;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the number of complaints related to abandoning of wives received in the last three years, year-wise and state/UT wise: and
- (d) the steps taken or proposed to be taken by the Government to reduce the incidents of abandonment of wives by their husbands ?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

[GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD)]

(a) & (b) Yes Sir, The Ministry has, on the basis of Look Out Circulars/NonBailable Warrants/Summons/Court Notices, suspended passports under Section 10A of the Passports Act, 1967 and impounded/revoked under Section 10(3) of the Passports Act, 1967, of Non Resident Indians (NRI) husbands for deserting their wives. The Ministry of External Affairs has revoked 21 passports, suspended 21 passports and impounded 1 passport.

(c) This Ministry does not maintain State-wise data. However, it has been receiving petitions from Indian women who have been deserted or harassed by their   NRI   spouses.  Between   January   2014   and   December   2018   this   Ministry (including   the   Indian   Missions   abroad) has   addressed 5379 complaints   of distressed Indian women deserted by their NRI spouses. The year-wise data of the complaints addressed are as below:

|   Year |   Number of complaints addressed |
|--------|----------------------------------|
|   2014 |                              276 |
|   2015 |                              796 |
|   2016 |                             1510 |
|   2017 |                             1498 |
|   2018 |                             1299 |

| Total   | 5379   |
|---------|--------|

(d) This Ministry (including the Indian Missions abroad) has addressed these complaints of distressed Indian women deserted by their NRI spouses by way of providing   them   counseling,   guidance   and   information   about   procedures, mechanisms for serving judicial summons on the Overseas Indian husband, filing a case in India, issuing Look Out Circulars, impounding and revocation of Indian passport of the husband, getting access to lawyers and NGOs empanelled with Indian Missions etc.

In   addition,   with   an   aim   to   provide   financial   and   legal   assistance   to distressed women married to NRI spouses by all Missions and Posts, the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) Guidelines were revised in September, 2017.  The amount of legal & financial assistance to distressed Indian women has also been increased to US$ 4000 per case. The assistance is released to the empanelled legal   counsel   of   the   applicant   or   Indian   Community   Association/Women's Organization /NGO concerned to enable it to take steps to assist the woman in documentation and preparatory work for filing the case.

An   Expert   Committee   was   set   up   to   identify   legal   and   regulatory challenges faced by Indian nationals married to overseas Indian nationals and to suggest amendments in existing Acts/legislations or new policies/laws/regulations. Some of the recommendations of the Expert Committee have been accepted including the constitution of an Integrated Nodal Agency.

The INA is headed by Secretary, Women & Child Development . The other members of the INA are a) Joint Secretary (Judicial) & Joint Secretary (Foreigners), Ministry of Home Affairs, b) Joint Secretary (OIA-II), Ministry of External Affairs, and c) Joint Secretary (Legal), Ministry of Law & Justice. The INA is functioning as an effective body and providing a single window timely solution to the problems of Indian   women   married   to   overseas   Indian   spouses.  So   far,   the   INA   has   had thirteen   sittings   and   has   issued   eight   Look   Out   Circulars   against   the   erring spouses.

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