(a) the details of various means by which Ministry can be contacted by Indians or their families in case of emergency situation abroad;
(b) the number of calls for help the Ministry has received over social media in the last three years;
(c) the number of instances in which the Ministry has responded;
(d) whether the Ministry is planning to launch an assistance App. for Indians in situation of emergency; and
(e) if so, the details thereof?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
[GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD)]
(a) The names and contact details of all officers in our Missions and Posts abroad are available on the websites of our Missions. These websites also provide an emergency contact number in respect of each Mission/Post, through which they can be contacted in the event of any emergency faced by an Indian citizen abroad. These numbers are also available on the website of the Ministry of External Affairs (A copy of the list downloaded from the website is enclosed). Most of our Missions also maintain duty rosters according to which a staff member is deployed for emergency duty on weekends or on closed holidays.
(b) & (c) Any grievance or complaint brought to the attention of the Ministry through social media is duly attended to. However, there is no data available regarding such instances of complaints and redressal.
(d) & (e) In pursuance of “good governance” initiatives, the Ministry of External Affairs has launched an online Consular Grievances Monitoring System, named MADAD, on 21st February 2015, to extend a helping hand to Indians abroad requiring consular assistance. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) work together to address complaints received through MADAD. All our Missions and Posts abroad and the MEA’s Branch Secretariats in Chennai, Guwahati, Hyderabad and Kolkata, have been linked to this portal for consular grievance tracking and follow-up.
The MADAD online portal represents a qualitative improvement over existing procedures for handling of consular grievances, through online forwarding, filing, tracking and escalation until their eventual resolution. It allows direct registration of the grievances by the members of the public and effective tracking of the entire grievance handling process all the way until the redressal of the grievance.
*****