(a) whether there is a prescribed format in which the Embassy/High Commission has to apply for consular access and if so, the details thereof;
(b) the time taken for an embassy to receive permission for consular access and duration of its validity; and
(c) the list of embassies that have been granted access to Indian nationals via consular access from January 2017 to June 2018?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
[GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD)]
(a)&(b)Indian Embassies/High Commissions/Consulates located in foreign countries seeking consular access to visit Indian nationals in prisons/detention centres send a request to the Ministry of foreign Affairs/Nodal Authority of the country concerned through a Note Verbale. The request includes the name of the Indian nationals to be visited and the place of detention as well as the name (s)/designation(s) of the Consular Officers of the Mission/Post. The consular access permission is granted as soon as possible, valid for a single visit.
(c) With a view to ensuring the welfare of the Indian nationals in prisons/detention centres abroad, our Missions/Posts seek consular access to visit them on a regular basis. This is a normal activity and no centralized list of such instances of consular access is maintained.
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