Centre allows OCI cardholders to visit India with certain conditions

New Delhi: The central government on Friday allowed certain categories of Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders, who are stranded abroad due to coronavirus-triggered lockdown, to come to the country.

According to a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) order, those allowed to travel to India include OCI cardholders who wish to come to the country on account of family emergencies.

Minor children born to Indian nationals abroad and holding OCI cards, couples where one spouse is an OCI cardholder and the other is an Indian national and they have a permanent residence in India, and university students who are OCI cardholders (not legally minors) but whose parents are Indian citizens living in India have also been allowed to visit the country.

The government is currently undertaking a special operation under the name of 'Vande Bharat Mission' to bring back stranded Indians from abroad.

A nationwide lockdown was first announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 for 21 days in a bid to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

It was first extended till May 3 and again till May 17. The lockdown has now been extended till May 31.