NRI Club

This year the Punjab government will be inviting 550 Non-Resident Indian (NRI) Punjabis to witness the historic celebrations of the 550th Parkash Parb to be celebrated in November, NRI Affairs Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi said on Wednesday. Further, the minister said that the arrangements of boarding, lodging as well as transportation would be made by the Punjab government. He also said that these NRI Punjabis would be taken to visit Sultanpur Lodhi, Batala, and Dera Baba Nanak. The Punjab government is also planning to honor those NRIs who have been carving out a niche for themselves in various spheres, thus earning laurels for the country. The ‘Achiever Awards’ would start for those NRIs which the department has been directed to work out the modalities.  The awards would be given from the next year. 

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on 10 th  March 2019 announced that Lok Sabha polls  2019  will be held in seven phases. The results of the  2019 general election  will be out on May 23. With the election just a few weeks, there is a buzzing question as to whether NRIs c an cast their vote online or not? The answer is no.  Having said that , according to ECI regulations, a  non-resident Indian, who holds an Indian passport, can vote in his/her hometown after registering as an Overseas Voter. The NRI must fill the Form 6A, which can be downloaded online  at nvsp.in or by using Voter helpline mobile app  or can be taken from the nearest Indian Mission. The duly filled forms with supporting documents must be submitted to the Electoral Registration Officer in the constituency in person or via post. After verification, the ECI will add the NRI to the electoral rolls as an 'Overseas Voter’. Once the person returns to India, he or she will ...

Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden in   Srinagar, locally known as  Siraj Bagh  with 20 lakh Tulips of over  60 varieties of early, mid and late blooming Tulips  in its lap is Asia’s largest Tulip  garden . The mega 15-day Tulip festival, part of  Bahaar-e-Kashmir  (spring in Kashmir) the event, kick-started with the opening of the Tulip garden on Saturday, April 1 st , 2019.  The festival was earlier known as the Model Floriculture Center and showcased a wide variety of flowers including hyacinths and daffodils, among others. Later on, tulips took over the entire garden and covered a majority of the space.  The  Tulip garden, a  seven-layered garden  was opened in 2008 by the then Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. It is  nestled in the foothills of Zabarwan Range, a place where you can witness the colorful tulips bloom in the beautiful backdrop of Dal Lake.          ...

The Kala Ghoda Arts Festival of Mumbai held in Mumbai in February every year. The nine-day event features artworks, craft exhibition, literature, culinary workshops, children’s activities, theatre, dance shows, and music performances in  outdoor as well as indoor settings . This year, the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival celebrated its 20th anniversary as well as the 150th birth anniversary of  Mahatma Gandhi.  The message of the festival this year is environmental preservation and restoration, aptly reflected in the theme “Hara Ghoda” (green horse). The theme of mindfulness and sustainable living carries on into the culinary track as well, with a focus on using local ingredients and lesser-known vegetables, reducing kitchen waste, and creatively using left-over food. The makers in the festivals don’t have to present items that are expensive, but a healthy mix of cost and variety of range in products will surely inspire people to use and try recycled products with great...

The Pushkar Mela also is known as the Pushkar Camel Fair is a unique celebration of the beauty of the coveted “ship of the desert” – the camel along with some other cattle. It is estimated that more than 2 lakh people from all around the world visit this unique mela, which mainly focuses on trading camels and cattle, camel races which are the main attraction and a variety of other cultural performances and art exhibits. This year the dates of the Mela (Fair) are from 4th to 12th November 2019. The Pushkar Mela is also a holy pilgrimage for Hindus, pilgrims that visit Pushkar come to take a holy dip in the Pushkar Lake and offer prayer to Lord Brahma, the deity residing in the temple at Pushkar. It is said to be the only temple of the deity in the country, which makes it an important pilgrimage spot for people of faith. The Pushkar Mela creates a grand event cherished with a huge carnival including an array of musicians, magicians, dancers, acrobats, snake charmers ...

At the height of summer, in early June, Shimla the quaint capital of Himachal Pradesh holds a Summer Festival every year.  A week-long festival Shimla Summer Festival  is very popular with tourists as well as locals as they get to witness a variety of programs which include flower shows, exhibitions of paintings, photographic competitions, cuisine extravaganza, book festivals and power packed cultural evenings.  Several A-listing celebrities share the stage with budding local talent along with local schools who put up performances during the festival. The festival celebrates the change of season and observes a huge association of men and women who gather and celebrate the advent of summer. They pay reverence to the gods by singing and dancing in gratefulness. They thank their gods for a rich harvest and the repetition of this bliss is also requested for the following year. The entire state showcases exuberant pomp and grandeur during this festival. With its richly tinte...

The Union Cabinet of India has approved the introduction in Rajya Sabha the Registration of Marriage of Non-Resident Indian (NRI) Bill, 2019. The bill empowers passport authorities to impound or revoke passport or travel documents of NRIs who fail to register their marriage in India or Indian Missions & Posts within 30 days of getting married in India or abroad. The Bill is an outcome of a joint initiative of the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Law and Justice. The objective of the Bill is to create more accountability and offer more protection against the exploitation of Indian women by their NRI spouses. It envisages (i) Registration of Marriages by Non-Resident Indians; (ii) Amendment of the Passports Act 1967 and (iii) Amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure 1973. The introduction of the Bill was necessitated by the Ministry of External Affairs due to numerous complaints received from Indian na...

Delhi International Mango Festival is a brilliant opportunity to taste 1,100+ varieties of mangoes for free and is totally engrossing as mango lovers embark on a two-day the journey of fun and frolic as well as an exploration into traditional mango varieties as well as the new hybrid versions. Every year in Summers, the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation organizes the International Mango Festival dedicated to celebrating the beloved summer fruit including  Alphonso, Chausa, Dasehri, Langda, Bombay Green Mango, Fasli along with o ne of the rare species of mangoes- Gula by Tariq Mustafa from Purkazi in Muzaffarnagar is also put on display here. The first festival was organized in the year 1987 .  This 2-day festival also draws  sellers and growers of this succulent fruit from India and abroad to interact and generate awareness about its multifarious uses.  A visitor can also buy mangoes from across the country, shop for mango products...

One of the most-awaited Indian festivals that attract the crowd from all over the world is the International Kite Festival of Ahmedabad, Gujarat.  The festival kicks off with much enthusiasm and of course with big, beautiful and unique kites. This festival is organized by the state government and tourism department of Gujarat. Kites of all shapes and sizes are flown, and the main competition is to battle nearby kite-flyers to cut their strings and bring down their kites.   The city of  Ahmedabad has been hosting Kite Festival since 1989 as a part of the official celebration of Uttarayan which is celebrated every year on 14th January, known as Makar Sankranti in other parts of north India, and Pongal in Tamil Nadu, and continues on the 15th.  The festival  brings the master kite makers and flyers not just local but from all over the world to demonstrate their unique creations and amaze the crowds with their highly unusual ...

It is imperative for an individual to define his/her residential status to determine the taxability of income earned by such taxpayer. An individual is a resident of India (for tax purposes or otherwise) if: ·           He/she has lived in India for at least 182 days during the financial year. ·           He/she has lived in India for at least 60 days of a year, in the previous year, and at least 365 days in the preceding four years. If an Indian citizen leaves India in any year for the purpose of employment, or as a member of a crew of an Indian merchant ship, the period of ‘60 days’ is to be replaced by ‘182 days.’ Similarly, when An Indian citizen or a person of Indian Origin (PIO) who is abroad coming to visit India, the period of ‘60 days’ is to be replaced by 182 days. If you satisfy any of the two conditions, you are a Resident Indian. Else, you have deemed a Non-Resident Indian (N...

The Goa food and Cultural Festival 2019 was inaugurated at DB Bandodkar Ground Campal, Panaji. The chief the guest was the minister for tourism and sports, Manohar Ajgaonkar, who declared the festival open.   The five-day extravaganza, (Feb 6–10) was Goa Tourism’s attempt at bringing local food, music and general vibe of revelry for tourists and locals to enjoy. Visitors could browse through around 70 stalls with lip-smacking delicacies such as fish in a banana leaf, Goan style BBQ chicken, coconut water, Alphonso mango wine, kachoris, fusion food like Gol Gappa Platters, Spanish Beer, Shawarmas, Urrak, Seafood, Stuffed Poli, Sandwiches, Exotic Juices, Tandoors, and more. Some of these stalls belonged to Flamingo, The Yellow Chilli, Mahou India, Sammy’s Kitchen, Zaki's biryani, BBQ corner, Café Ave Maria, Temptations, Pan Asian Hut, etc. That apart, the annual festival also witnessed great musical talent coming from the state and other parts of India.  The Valentinos with Mar...

The Moda Goa Museum and Research Centre  will be the first costume museum in India— there are many textile museums but this is a first costume museum that is based  on the history of Goan costumes .  Housed in a 450-year-old traditional Goan residence, ‘ Casa Dona Maria ', which served as a home for its founding member and managing trustee, designer Wendell Rodricks, for the past 20 years.  The museum has 800 artifacts — covering statues, objects, furniture, photographs, costumes, jeweler and accessories — from the 7th century AD till the present date. The objects were selected based on their rare and unique characteristics, and if they told a story related to clothing.  There will be 15 galleries in the restored heritage building on a floor area of 750 square meters set on two levels. The museum will also have an extensive in-house library between the main museum and the phase two building. Phase two, in traditional Goan style, will consist of house storage, ...

The Khajuraho Dance Festival is the marvelous celebration of the Indian Art and culture against the Khajuraho temple backdrop. Famous for their erotic sculptures and nagara-style architectural symbolism, apart from the festival, the group of temples in Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh itself is intriguing and attracts tons of visitors from all around the globe. The dance festival is organized by the Kala Parishad under the tutelage of Madhya Pradesh government. The dance performances comprise intricate foot skills of Kathak, cultured Bharathnatyam, poetic temple dance of Odissi, dance dramas of Kuchipudi and Manipuri and the Kathakali stage fights with elaborate masks. The performances are accompanied by the melodious strains of the flute and tanpura, rhythms of beats of the mridangam and tabla echoed by the ghungroo of dancers. The event is held at open-air auditoriums in two of the most popular temples of Khajuraho, the Chitragupta, and Vishwanatha Temple. The dance Festival also pays ho...

April 13, 2019, marked the 100 years of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre— one of the haunting memories of India’s Freedom struggle days. The history behind the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, its repercussion and untold chronicles of the hundreds of people have been brought together in Delhi for all to witness, to pay homage to the martyrs and understand what role did this day played in the freedom movement. Titled “Jallianwala Bagh Centenary Commemoration Exhibition (1919-2019)”— an extensive show of archival reports, newspapers, installations, audio resources, and photographs detailing the aftermath of the brutal event. It has been put on display by The Arts and Cultural Heritage Trust (TAACHT) at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) from April 13th to April 28, 2019. IGNCA has been organizing Baisakhi Cultural Annual Fair but this year they choose to remember the hundreds of people killed when British soldiers opened fire without warning, while they were attending a peac...

The Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is offering the facilities of online bookings for trains, hotels, catering services, flights, holiday packages, and other such services  to the Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) as well.  With a nominal fee of Rs 100 (exclusive of GST) on international/NRI user registration whose residence the country is other than India  and u pon the successful registration on IRCTC website, NRI users can avail the aforementioned facilities. Following are the steps for creating an IRCTC account: S tep 1:  The User needs to visit the IRCTC website,  https://www.irctc.co.in  and click on the ‘REGISTER link’ on the homepage. Step 2:  Then the user will fill in the requisite details such as name, date of birth, email ID, mobile number, etc. and then click on the ‘REGISTER’ button. Step 3:  A pop up will appear asking the user to verify the email id and mobile number entered by him. Step 4:  Cross-...

Delhi International Mango Festival is a brilliant opportunity to taste 1,100+ varieties of mangoes for free and is totally engrossing as mango lovers embark on a two-day the journey of fun and frolic as well as an exploration into traditional mango varieties as well as the new hybrid versions. Every year in Summers, the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation organizes the International Mango Festival dedicated to celebrating the beloved summer fruit including  Alphonso, Chausa, Dasehri, Langda, Bombay Green Mango, Fasli along with o ne of the rare species of mangoes- Gula by Tariq Mustafa from Purkazi in Muzaffarnagar is also put on display here.The first festival was organized in the year 1987 .  This 2-day festival also draws  sellers and growers of this succulent fruit from India and abroad to interact and generate awareness about its multifarious uses.  A visitor can also buy mangoes from across the country, shop for mango products ...

The private sector lender, IDBI Bank has launched 'NRI-Insta-Online' account opening process for the Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) residing in the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) member countries. FATF is an inter-governmental body which devices policy and sets standards to promote effective implementation of legal, regulatory and operational measures to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system. The body has 38 member countries, including the US, UK, India, Japan, China, and France, among others. Key details of NRI-Insta-Online account: 1.       In order to open an account with them bank, customers will not be needed to furnish physical documents and Know Your Customer (KYC) proofs. 2.       NRIs desirous of opening account can now access the 'NRI Insta-Online' on the bank's website via web module, upload the supporting documents and choose ...

If you are an NRI and are planning to invest in real estate in India there are certain things you should know beforehand and here  are a few things you should keep in mind: 1.       Know Your Options NRIs Can Invest Most Schemes Such as Mutual Funds, Fixed Deposits, Bonds, Real Estate, Certificate of Deposits, Equities, and ETFs. 2.       Mode of Payment The monetary transaction must be in Indian rupees (INR) and through normal banking channels using an NRE/NRO or FCNR accounts for a more flexible and convenient payment. 3.       Power of Attorney It is important for an NRI to execute a Power of Attorney (POA) in the name of his spouse, children or any other trusted relative in India if he is unable to be pre sent himself. That way, he would be assigning the power to transact on his behalf to the person in whose favor the POA is executed like the assigned person can buy, lease, rent, maint...