Lok Sabha Question No. 3678 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-21
Subject: New Scheme for Indians Abroad
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Chandra Prakash Choudhary

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 3678

ANSWERED ON- 21/03/2025

NEW SCHEME FOR INDIANS ABROAD

†3678 SHRI CHANDRA PRAKASH CHOUDHARY

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:-

- (a)  whether the Government has introduced any new scheme for the Indian citizens settled abroad over the last three years;
- (b)  If so, the details thereof;
- (c)  the details of the kind of assistance being made available to the Indian citizens under the said scheme;
- (d) whether such scheme has led to any positive and meaningful impact in terms of the protection of the rights of Indian Citizens; and

(e) if so, the details thereof, project-wise and year-wise?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

(a) & (e) The Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) has been set up in all Indian Missions and Posts abroad to meet the contingency expenditure incurred by them for carrying out various on-site welfare activities for Overseas Indian citizens on a means-tested basis. The ICWF guidelines have been comprehensively revised which have expanded the scope of onsite welfare activities for the benefit of distressed Indian nationals that could be extended through the Fund. The guidelines cover three key areas namely Assisting Overseas Indian nationals in distress situations (Boarding and Lodging, Air passage, Legal Assistance, Emergency Medical Care, Transportation   of   Mortal   Remains),   Community   Welfare   activities   and Improvement in Consular services. They now also include provisions for setting of legal panels in countries with sizeable Indian diaspora, payment of fines/penalty for petty crimes for release of prisoners and assistance to distressed Indian women abroad.

The details of assistance provided under ICWF in the last three years is given below:

| Kind of assistance                                                               |   No. of beneficiaries in 2022 |   No. of beneficiarie s in 2023 |   No. of beneficiaries in 2024 |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------|---------------------------------|--------------------------------|
| Boarding & Lodging                                                               |                          19182 |                           15286 |                           6860 |
| Emergency Medical Care                                                           |                           1162 |                             279 |                            115 |
| Air Passage to Stranded Overseas Indians                                         |                           2142 |                            1607 |                           1186 |
| Legal Assistance                                                                 |                            434 |                             601 |                           1003 |
| Air lifting of Mortal Remains                                                    |                            507 |                             433 |                            488 |
| Assistance to Indian women deserted by their overseas Indian/ foreigner husbands |                              2 |                               5 |                             15 |
| Small fines and penalties                                                        |                            992 |                             747 |                            211 |
| Total                                                                            |                          24421 |                           18958 |                           9878 |

*****