Largest contingent of women without men to perform Haj from India this year: ministry

“All the 1.4 lakh applicants who had been selected for Haj were informed via SMS. Those on the wait list were also informed via text message along with their wait-list numbers,’’said senior ministry officials, adding that “dedicated efforts” have been made to make the process of pilgrim selection “objective, transparent, efficient, timely and without human involvement” as the applications received over and above the Haj quota have been finalised through an Online Randomised Digital Selection (ORDS) process.

It is also the first time that the list of selected and wait-listed applicants has been published on the official portal immediately after the selection process to ensure transparency.

The officials further said the ministry has partnered with State Bank of India (SBI) to make special arrangements to provide forex facilities to the pilgrims. Unlike earlier years, when each pilgrim was made available 2,100 Riyals by the Haj Committee of India, irrespective of his actual requirements, the Haj Policy 2023 gives the option and flexibility to the pilgrims to arrange their own foreign currency or take lesser foreign exchange, as per their individual requirement. The government has collaborated with the SBI to ensure supply of forex to the pilgrims at the most competitive rates.

“This is the first time ever that forex arrangements will be made for Haj pilgrims specifically. We will ensure that all embarkation centres for Haj will have a dedicated team of SBI officials who will ensure a smooth pilgrimage. Outside of the pilgrim centres, similar nodal officers and teams for Haj pilgrims will be set up in another 100 places. SBI will also facilitate the provision of mandatory insurance for the pilgrims. We will reach out to all the Haj pilgrims via SMS,’’said SBI MD Alok Choudhary.

The facility of ‘FOREX Card’, said officials, is being provided to all the pilgrims, thereby eliminating the possibility of theft or loss of physical currency. In case this card is lost during the pilgrimage, the person can get the money refunded from the bank. SBI will also set up a dedicated helpline for Haj pilgrims, said Choudhry, pointing out that with these facilities Haj will become largely “cashless”.

Since the largest cost during Haj is that of airfare, ministry officials revealed that it is currently in talks with the civil aviation ministry on the matter.

Earlier this month, the ministry announced comprehensive health support to Haj pilgrims, from the point of boarding to their journey back. For this, the Ministry of Minority Affairs is collaborating with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

States and district health authorities will set up camps for the pilgrims for pre-departure medical examination and vaccination. A health card for all the pilgrims will also be issued in these camps, which will examine their present health status and existing diseases. The health status will be made available to the medical teams in Saudi Arabia through digital means for timely health service delivery in case of any emergency.