A cluster of earthquakes shakes Taiwan after a strong one killed 13 earlier this month
New Delhi (PTI): Frequent Indian travellers to Europe will now be able to apply for multiple entry Schengen visa of up to five years, with the European Commission effecting certain changes in existing rules.
European Union's ambassador to India Herve Delphin described the new visa regime as another step towards enhancing people-to-people contact between the two sides.
"On April 18, the European Commission adopted specific rules on the issuing of multiple entry visas to Indian nationals, which are more favourable than the standard rules of the visa code that applied to date," an EU readout said.
It said this new visa 'cascade' regime for Indian nationals residing in India who apply for Schengen (short-stay) visas in India will provide easier access to visas with multi-year validity for travellers with an established travel history.
"According to the newly adopted visa 'cascade' regime for India, Indian nationals can now be issued long-term, multi-entry Schengen visas valid for two years after having obtained and lawfully used two visas within the previous three years," the readout said.
"The two-year visa will normally be followed by a five-year visa, if the passport has sufficient validity remaining. During the validity period of these visas, holders enjoy travel rights equivalent to visa-free nationals," it said.
The changes in the visa norms came in the context of "strengthened" relations under the EU-India common agenda on migration and mobility, which seeks comprehensive cooperation on migration policy between the two sides, it added.
Schengen visas allow the holder to travel freely in the Schengen area for short stays of a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period. The visas are not purpose-bound, but they do not grant the right to work.
The Schengen area consists of 29 European countries of which 25 are EU states.
The countries are Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden, along with Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Lok Sabha adjourned till 12 noon after obituary tributes
New Delhi (PTI): The Lok Sabha was adjourned till 12 noon on Monday after paying tributes to departed members of the House, including two MPs who won the parliamentary elections this year.
As soon as the House met on the first day of the Winter Session, Speaker Om Birla mentioned the deaths of Vasantrao Balwantrao Chavan, who was elected to the House from Nanded constituency in Maharashtra and Sk Nurul Islam, who was elected from the Basirhat seat in West Bengal.
Birla also mentioned the deaths of three former members -- M. M. Lawrence (Kerala), M Parvathi (Andhra Pradesh) and Harischandra Devram Chavan (Maharashtra) -- and paid respects to them.
After the House remained silent for some time as a mark of respect to the departed leaders, the Speaker adjourned the House till 12 noon.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, DMK leader T R Baalu, and Congress' Gaurav Gogoi were among those present in the Lower House.
Ravindra Vasantrao Chavan, son of deceased MP Vasantrao Balwantrao Chavan, got elected as MP from Nanded in the just concluded by-elections.
