At present, citizens of 171 countries can avail the e-visa facility in India, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai informed the Parliament on Tuesday.
In a written reply to the question put forth by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Uttar Pradesh, Rai further said that the e-visa facility is granted to nationals of various countries after taking into consideration, inter-alia, the issues of security, inbound tourism and investments, bilateral relations, etc.
"E-visa facility is granted to nationals of various countries after taking into consideration, inter-alia, the issues of security, inbound tourism and investments, bilateral relations, etc. Extension of this facility is an ongoing process," said the minister.
The e-visa system is an innovation introduced by the Narendra Modi government in 2014. The facility was expanded in 2017-2018.
( With inputs from ANI )
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor