Parl -Panel Report highlights the low rate of return of Indian prisoners

02 April 2025 07:28 AM IST A report of the parliamentary panel on external matters once again raised the votes for NRIs, raised the issue of OCI cards that brought the parliament panel back to abandon the parliament of parliament and abandon the parliament of parliament, the OCI cards. Rate “by bringing back Indian prisoners and calling” an assessment “of attempts aimed at it. The panel was through the data provided by the Foreign Ministry, which showed that India has captured only eight Indians abroad over the past three years, while 10,512 others remained in prison, despite having 31 multilateral and bilateral agreements to facilitate the transfer of prisoners. Parl-Panel Report highlights the low rate of return of Indian prisoners. This expressed concern about the limited political involvement of non-resident Indians (NRIs), despite the fact that India was home to one of the largest emigrant populations in the world. It has suggested that technology can help expand the voting rights to NRIs, and recommend the use of the electronically transferable post -disposal (ETPBS) for this purpose. The committee urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to pursue this matter with the Law Ministry and the India Electoral Commission to set up a clear timeline. In addition, the committee addressed the issue of the overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card recall, which raised concerns about the lack of consistency in its release and revocation. The report noted that the OCI card has an implicit promise of multiple, multi-purpose visas to visit India. This has asked the ministries of home and foreign affairs to take out “procedural precautions to ensure clear communication channels, including regular updates on requests addressed, the part of relevant information on suspected offenses and collaboration on the decision-making.” The Parliamentary Committee also requested the Ministry of Home Affairs to be more proactive in ensuring the rights of Indian prisoners abroad and to bring about the successful implementation of these agreements. “In light of the large number of Indians submitted abroad in prisons, the committee wants no efforts to be saved to tackle the agreements,” it states. While Indian missions abroad provide legal aid and financial assistance to prisoners by the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF), the report expressed concern about the effectiveness of this efforts to bring about meaningful repatriation. The committee recommended that the government investigate the obstacles in the current agreements and investigate ways to create new frameworks or to amend existing to streamline the process. The committee also touched on the issue of Indian deported, especially from the US, and pointed out that the responsibility for their reintegration lies with state governments. However, it emphasized that a ‘solid reintegration program’ led by the central government is needed to ensure that deported individuals do not risk dangerous trips abroad.