British tourists cancel trips en masse for want of visa: India denies report
A half-baked British media report has laid the 'blame' at the Indian High
Commission's door for the assumed losses of the British tourists, who have en
masse cancelled India trips for want of visas. In the first place, why one must
book tour package and then look for visa in a busy season? Because that has
been the practice with the tour operators and nothing new. They refund money if
visa is not comimg. However, the article is silent on this and implicates the
mission alleging it changed the visa rules, while that is contrary to the fact. The
UK report, duplicated in India mindlessly, has defamed the Indian High
Commission. However, there are some missing links!
LONDON, Oct 12: Thousands of British tourists have "cancelled" their trips
to India as they could not apply for and get the visa before their scheduled
departures for the current season. It has been reported by a section of British
media that a new rule introduced by the Indian High Commission in London made
it difficult to get the visa on time. The new rule required Britons to present
themselves in person at visa centres to apply for the tourist visas, the half-baked
report said. Besides, no slots for appointments are available for two months
as there is a lot of rush with the tourist season having started, especially
after a two-year break due to the covid pandemic.
The report has portrayed the High Commission as giving the tourists hell. But
what is the reality? The original report in the British press was not actually
done and dusted as it is replete with many a contradiction and lacks clarity,
raising a dust of uncertainty among the travellers. The report suspected to
be planted or yellow in nature has also been blindly replicated by the Indian
press, confounding the tourists further. This, for one, led the Travel and Tourism
Association of Goa (TTAG) to tell its partners that charters scheduled to land
in November and December have been cancelled as tourists failed to get a visa
on time.
In the first place, the report at the outset talks of the heavy cancellations
and blames the High Commission. But why someone in his senses book a flight
before getting a visa? Well, that is the practice among the travel operators
to book flights and hotels in advance to ensure availability and they also guarantee
money back if the visa is not coming on time! On this presumption, the cancellations
of tour packages is not news at all for the media to highlight except for the
high volume due to the seasonal rush. Therefore, the report looks like half-baked
or even malicious.
The report is not only silent on this practice but also lays the 'blame' at
the High Commission's door for the assumed losses of the British tourists, concocting
a sensational report.
It blames the Hgh Commission, accusing it of sudden changes in the visa application
rule, as the cause for the cancellations even as these no-cost cancellations
are not a new phenomenon.
High Commission statement
On the other hand, the High Commission asserted in a press release that the
rule requiring in-person application at a visa centre after taking an appointment
was always there and that there is no change of rule! There is no way doubting
the veracity of the official statement.
It said, the "High Commission of India emphasises that M/s VFS Global Services
is the only authorised outsourcing service provider for India-related passport/visa/
and consular services in the UK. As per established procedure, individual visa
applicants are, and have always been, required to submit visa applications at
the VFS centres in person.
"Applicants can book online appointments for submission of visa applications
by visiting https://www.hcilondon.gov.in/appointment_home/ and for information
on visa procedure please visit https://www.hcilondon.gov.in/page/general_visa-
information/ ," the press release stated last Friday.
Why investigation!
But then what prompted the High Commission recently to send out automated messages
to British passport holders reminding them of the rule of in-person applicartion
for visa?
This has not been clarified except that an official investigation has begun
into some unauthorised agents collecting visa applications and money for quick
delivery of visa.
The press release admitted that unauthorised agents and individuals were illegally
charging fees and collecting visa applications for submission at VFS centres
and that the matter is being investigated.
At nine visa processing centres (VFS) in Belfast, Birmingham, Bradford, Cardiff,
Edinburgh, central London, Hounslow, Leicester and Manchester all appointments
were fully booked till November 18.
At the same time, VFS Global said it insisted that travellers must be present
in person as a high number of errors had been made by third-party visa companies,
indicating that something fishy had been going on.
VFS has also therefore discontinued the practice of engaging sub-agents to
expedite application processing as they have done a hotchpotch of the work.
As the High Commission is responsible for the actions of the authorised VFS,
why is it not coming forward to clear the confusion and muddle.
Although the half-baked British media report has no head or tail, and cannot
be taken at face value, it has become clear that something has gone wrong somewhere!
Some missing links?
Speculations and e-visa demand
The UK media also claimed that visa reciprocity issues between the two countries
could be behind the reported visa problem fabricated by it, especially as Home
Minister Suella Braverman had a dissenting voice over the ramifications of a
recently-proposed free trade deal.
Travel agencies have, meanwhile, lost no time to avail themselves of the opportunity
that presented itself before them to press their demand to extend India's e-visa
system to the UK too. Post-covid, India has resumed e-visa for citizens of 156
countries, but not the UK and some others. E-visa is obtained totally online.
The Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) has urged the Indian Ministries
of Tourism, Home Affairs and External Affairs requesting them for restoration
of E-Visa for UK, Canada and other countries as maximum foreign tourists travel
to India from these countries.
Rao the mathematical legend had fathered the path-breaking Rao-Blackwell
theorem, one of the most important theorems in mathematical statistics, at the
age of 25. That brought him global fame. He is also famous for his Cramér-Rao
Bound inequality theorem relating to quality of estimators in statistics which has
had a profound bearing on applications of modern economics and several other
diverse fields. Simply put, with the pioneering statistician computation became a
tool to analyse even socio-economic challenges of modern times.
The ISRO said on Thursday evening that after rolling out from Vikram lander to
the Moon's surface in the previous night, Pragyan's rover mobility operation
commenced during the day on Thursday. The exploration has started.
Chairman Somanath said everything is working very well.
The rover will mainly study the mineral composition of the moon, the ions and
water ice***, its atmosphere and any seismic activities.
Chandrayaan-3 had successfully landed on the Moon's south pole on
Wednesday at 6:03 pm as per schedule, making India the first country ever to
touch down on the polar surface.
The alleged incident has received such a flash publicity that a standardised
city's hugely middle class population will have second thoughts about eating
outside for some time. Now everything on the table looks suspicious!
“All subjects directly connected to the people should be shifted to the State List. Particularly the subject of education. Only if this is done can cruel exams like NEET be abolished,” Stalin said. Education was moved from the State List to the Concurrent List with the 42nd Constitution Amendment made by the Central Government in 1976.
Decentralisation has been at the core of Tamil politics since the times of CN Annadurai. Stalin indicated there will be political changes in the offing.
TAILPIECE: While the Centre and the States are at loggerheads, it takes a
different cognitive acumen to know that entrance tests are not the way for
students' admission to courses.
A University of Florida Professor, Harrison Hove who was on the flight, posted
on social media that the incident was "terrifying." He said, "I've flown a lot. This
was scary ... The photos cannot capture the burning smell, loud bang or ear
pops ... Something failed midflight and depressurized the cabin."
As recently as Tuesday Craig Robertson had posted on Facebook: "Perhaps
Utah will become famous this week as the place a sniper took out Biden the
Marxist." Biden was scheduled to make his first visit to Utah as President
Wednesday afternoon.
Let's Go! The legal immigrants should be allowed the flexibility
to change jobs and travel without obstacles. Doing away with the country cap
on Green Cards only can do this easily.
Bureaucratic delays in the US legal immigration system are also a drag on
the country's economy while leaving so many families in limbo, the Congressmen
argued.
In fact, the country cap was introduced to ensure diversity of immigrants
as well as to prevent monopoly by any one country like China leading to distortions
in the American culture and politics in course of time.
In any which case, it is high time the US straightened its convoluted immigration
laws for their own convenience and to allow the immigrants their basic rights!
Maruti is recalling 87,599 S-Presso and Eeco vehicles to inspect and possibly
replace parts in the steering system. All reputed companies around the
world do recall their products when a defect comes to light.
Meanwhile, a question arises why just in about a year so many accidents have
taken place involving Mercedes sent to India while the car has won safety awards
abroad? In most cases, the vehicle collided with divider, while manoeuvring a
turn. Was there a split second delay in the steering system coming to a grip
when at high speed? Did anybody in India bother to study a pattern in several
of these accidents that took place one after other?
Former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry died when his Mercedes-Benz-SUV hit
a divider in Gujarat. Cricketer Rishabh Pant's Mercedes-Benz-SUV rammed a divider
in Uttarakhand and smashed. It went up in flames but he escaped with injuries.
Brother of PM Narendra Modi, Prahlad Modi's Mercedes-Benz-SUV met with a similar
accident in Mysuru. And many more.
Experts blame violation of the Visual Flying Rules (VFR) for most of the
chopper crashes in the mountains as the leading cause. VFR means fly only
visually - because of the lack of navigation aids in remote areas or unreliability
of GPS-like aids in hilly terrains or a remote manipulation of instruments
in cases of sabotage - as the topography plays havoc especially in the monsoon
(mid-June to September).
Even when VFR is followed, most crashes occur due to CFIT (Controlled Flight
into Terrain) - that is, everything else is OK but the aircraft collides with
hills or trees hidden by the clouds. This also occurs mostly in the monsoon.
On Tueday with Manang, the chopper was brand new, pilot was highly experienced.
But it hit an 'invisible' tree and then crashed against a hillside. This
CFIT occurred when the pilot tried to dodge patches of clouds even as he was
following the VFR.
Simply put, everyone knows flying in the hills during the monsoon is risky,
but the companies want to make more money in any which case. This type of
tragedy is very frequently invited in the Indian hill State of Uttarakhand
as well, where pilots are even made to fly without the mandatory rest.
The new offer will enable H-1B speciality occupation visa holders in the US to
apply for a Canadian work permit, while also offering study and work permit
opportunities for their family members accompanying them.
The selected applicants will be granted an unrestricted work permit for a maximum period of three years. The IRCC will entertain 10,000 applications. The window is open
for one year.
Curfew was clamped on areas in Paris on Thursday lasting till Monday. The
police apprehend an escalation of volence in the coming days. There will be
"actions targeted at the forces of order and the symbols of the State", they
said.
Under present law, the police have brute powers to deal with traffic violators.
Young Nahel was shot point-blank by a cop for purported traffic violation
and an anticipated crime.
Way back when on June 20 EST after searches were launched, India Travel
Times had, on an analysis of the data available, indicated the probability of
Titan undergoing a sudden and massive implosion (inward collapse) at great
depths. (SEE: Titanic expedition goes missing: A ray of hope from
sounds of bang)
Now videos taken by a Canadian robot that reached the floor on
Thursday evening, June 22, has confirmed it. The fragments are lying
scattered. Horizon Arctic's ROV robot found the debris 1600 ft from Titanic
bow.
The submersible imploded at 500 metres above sea bed, if we go by our
calculations. The water pressure it had to withstand at that point was 2,345 kg
per sq inch. The hull was not built to take that, as per the court cases fought by
concerned people at the time of building the sub and going by the details revealed
in the cancellation of booking by at least one ocean expert.
Sources said some people shifted places on the decks of the boat crammed
with over 500 migrants and that tilted the vessel, while others said engine failure. It sank about 75 km from Pylos peninsular jetty on the Greek coast in the Ionian Sea bay in the international waters of the Mediterranean Sea on the intervening night of
Tuesday-Wednesday.
ChatGPT has 'duped' a New York lawyer of a federal court. A first-time user,
Schwartz asked the bot to do the laborious research work on his behalf and
bring out cases similar to the suit he was filing against Avianca airline. About six
non-existing cases the chatbot "hallucinated" and Schwartz promptly submitted
them. The judge could not find these "legal gibberish" in records and the lawyer
stands thoroughly discredited and humiliated. What was all the excitement
about ChatGPT? When we approach ChatGPT does it introduce itself as what
it is and what it is not?
After reaching New York, the Cessna made a hairpin turn and flew back over
Washington DC for inexplicable reasons. But why was the pilot unresponsive to
air traffic controllers FAA for two hours in the air and the fighters' flares later? It
is said the plane, flying at 34,000 feet, likely lost cabin pressure, the pilot
slumping due to hypoxia that sets in in about 20 to 30 seconds! Did the auto
pilot take over till fuel lasted? Why did it make a 360 deg turn? The moot point
is, how secure is the White House!
ANALYSIS: The underlying crime that defendant ex-President
Donald Trump, is said to have concealed by falsification of business records -
which only will make the whole thing a felony and stand up in the court - is not
specified in the indictment which is sketchy: may be because prosecutors can withhold
details at this stage. Yet, the hush-money payment being federal election law
violations, it cannot come under the jurisdiction and scope of State prosecutors.
Deprived of substantial documentary evidence, how will the veteran District Attorney
Alwin Bragg navigate through this complexity and prove the intent is to be seen.
He will have an option to invoke State tax laws, where violation is serious crime.
But that is another case. The trial will drag on for years, anyway!
What next: His fingerprints and mugshot will be taken like any defendant in
criminal cases. Arrest is unlikely (Florida Governor can block any warrant,
complicating matters). Trump's attorney Tacopina said Trump will turn himself
in.
Can Trump contest presidential election? Yes. There is no existing US
law to bar him. He can even serve as President from prison.
The loophole: The Grand Jury has no documentary evidence as the NDA
was not signed either by Trump or Cohen (Trump's attorney who turned hostile) on his behalf. It is depending on the testimony of Cohen and Daniels.
Where do Republicans stand: At any rate, the 'stormy petrel' has cooked
Donald Trump's presidential goose, although he thinks otherwise. The Republicans
are a divided lot.
The shooter, a former student of the school., entered through a side door,
after breaking the glass door. She was shot dead by the police, but only after
six lives were lost.
Every time a shooting takes place in the US, every time the White House
makes a statement: “Enough is enough.” It's funny, painful and cruel!. Mostly
the mass shootings take place in the schools.
In a related development, the USCIS issued a clarification that those who have
lost jobs in the ongoing layoffs in the tech sector can apply for a change of
non-immigrant status or for a "compelling circumstances" employment
authorization document and stay back. This followed an appeal to Biden by
thousands of Indians who have been affected by the layoffs.
Darkness has descended on most of the US from the Great Lakes to Mexican
border and from the Appalachian mountains in the east to the Rockies
mountains in the west without power, and large swathes have gone under the
snow. Several thousands of flights have been cancelled due to the howling
blizzards and zero-visibility in the past few days and medical services are
unable to operate sans accessibility. A fast-moving Guv Kathy Hochul has
already declared emergency in New York and closed vulnerable airports.
Christmas is washed out.
The story is no different in Canada, coming nearer to the pole where the cold
vortex cycle has been blasted off (Arctic blast) by the hot winds from an
Atlantic, warmed up due to climate change.
The life-threatening situation will continue for several days more. Too taxing for
the hypothalamus!