Saudi introduces free visa for foreign scientists, experts
Riyadh: Saudi Arabia will grant visas free of charge to foreign scientists and experts, in a move that primarily aims at improving its health sector, media reports said on Sunday.
Secretary general of the Saudi Health Council Ahmed Al Aamiri praised the decision made by the cabinet last week, Xinhua reported.
Aamiri said the new visa policy was approved as part of various health initiatives suggested by the council to promote the health sector.
The new visa, which will be provided only to those who have proven their competency in different fields, is expected to attract top foreign experts who will take part in the research programmes in the kingdom.
The experts, especially health specialists, could contribute to the major steps the kingdom has been taking to implement various reforms.
Notably, they will help Saudi deal with serious medical issues, including preventing the spread of contagious diseases such as the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus that caused many deaths since 2012.
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Crackdown on prison contraband underway, says Minister Parameshwara
Tumakuru (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday said the state government has initiated stringent measures to curb the supply of contraband, including ganja and mobile phones, in prisons across the state.
He said the government had taken serious note of illegal activities originating from Parappana Agrahara jail and spreading to other prisons, prompting immediate administrative and technological interventions.
“For many days, as you are aware, in Parappana Agrahara Jail, they had been supplying ganja to several prisons across the state, and were also providing mobile phones. Such activities had come to the notice of the government,” he said.
To address the issue, the government appointed senior officials to investigate and take corrective action. “At that time, we felt that all this must be curbed by appointing a senior officer — to find out why this is happening and who all are involved, including whether any of our own personnel are involved,” he said.
The minister said the appointment of Alok Kumar as Director General of Police (Prisons) had begun yielding results, with increased detection of violations.
“After he took charge, these issues have been increasingly coming to light in all prisons. The police have also been conducting surprise raids and making detections,” he said.
Highlighting structural reforms, he said advanced surveillance systems have been introduced.
“These CCTV systems are equipped with Artificial Intelligence (AI) cameras that can even capture audio -- I mean conversations can also be heard at the headquarters,” he added.
He asserted that the government’s intent was to eliminate such activities entirely and ensure accountability within the prison system, warning of strict disciplinary action against erring staff, including dismissal from service.
