Cancelling about 2,000 visa appointments made by bots, zero tolerance for fraud: US Embassy in India
New Delhi, Mar 27 (PTI): The US Embassy in India has said its consular team is "cancelling" about 2,000 visa appointments made by "bots", while asserting it has "zero tolerance" for agents and fixers who violate its scheduling policies.
The embassy informed this in a notice shared in a post on X on Wednesday.
A senior US official also confirmed the development.
"Consular Team India is cancelling about 2000 visa appointments made by bots. We have zero tolerance for agents and fixers that violate our scheduling policies," the embassy wrote on the social media platform.
The notice shared in the post underlined that the team has "identified bad actors" who made about 2,000 visa appointments that "violated our scheduling policies".
"Effective immediately, we are cancelling these appointments and suspending the associated accounts' scheduling privileges," it said.
"We will continue our anti-fraud efforts. We have zero tolerance for fraud," the notice says.
There is a very high demand for the US visas, both among students and tourists, besides travellers in other categories.
In 2023, the US Mission in India had processed a record 1.4 million visas overall.
The American universities attract a large number of Indian students, and the US consular team in India had in 2023 issued over 1,40,000 student visas -- more than in any other country.
Consular Team India is canceling about 2000 visa appointments made by bots. We have zero tolerance for agents and fixers that violate our scheduling policies. pic.twitter.com/ypakf99eCo
— U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) March 26, 2025
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President Murmu nominates Harivansh to Rajya Sabha
New Delhi (PTI): President Droupadi Murmu has nominated Rajya Sabha's outgoing deputy chairman Harivansh as a member of the Council of States.
The tenure of Harivansh as a member of the Upper Houses ended on April 9.
He has been nominated as a member of the Rajya Sabha after the vacancy was created following the retirement of former chief justice of India Ranjan Gogoi.
"In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-clause (a) of clause (1) of article 80 of the Constitution of India, read with clause (3) of that article, the President is pleased to nominate Shri Harivansh to the Council of States to fill the vacancy caused due to retirement of one of the nominated member," an official notification of the government said.
Harivansh, 69, has completed his two terms as a member of the Rajya Sabha representing Bihar. He has also served as deputy chairman of the Upper House.
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