Number of Cases received since inception and the success stories

National Commission for Woman was nominated as the Coordinating agency at the National level for dealing with issues pertaining NRI marriages by Government of India vide Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs order dated 28th April 2009, based on the recommendation of the Parliamentary Committee on Empowerment of Woman (14th Lok Sabha) on the subject 'Plight of Indian Woman deserted by NRI husbands' which was discussed and deliberated upon the Inter Ministerial Committee meeting held on 7th July, 2008.

In furtherance of this, the NRI Cell was formally inaugurated on the 24th of September, 2009. NRI Cell deals with complaints received from India and abroad resulting due to cross country marriages wherein there is any deprivation of women's rights or any issue involving grave injustice to women. Since its inception around 350 cases have been registered.  

The main points of relevance and achievements of the NRI Cell are

1. The complaints are attended to, in co-ordination with concerned Embassies/ Consulates/ Ministries and public authorities, who also respond.
2. Ministry of Law and Justice is being approached for execution of warrants of arrest or orders given by Indian courts.
3. The issue of feasibility of dual passport to women who marry NRIs/PIOs was taken up with Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Law and Justice. However under existing Passport Act, 1967 the same is not feasible, the MEA has assured the following:
   1. If a wife is harassed and deserted and is without her passport and if the original passport is valid and the husband has that in his custody, she can make an application to the Passport Office and a new passport will be given after verifying passport particulars from original Passport issuing authority, in case she does not have any record or photocopy of her old passport.
   2. If the wife has the photocopy and record of the old passport, a new passport will be issued fairly fast after canceling the old one in the system. Registration of FIR is not essential in such cases.
   3. In case she is on a dependent visa, and the visa has been cancelled, the matter will have to be taken up with the concerned country.
   4. In case Non Bailable Warrants (NBWs) have been issued, application may be made directly to the Passport Authority for revocation of the passport of the person against whom such Non Bailable Warrants have been issued, since it is a discretionary power of the Passport Office.
4. Action Taken Report received from Police Authorities, relating the action taken or the reason for inaction in respect to respective complaints.
5. Ministry of Home Affairs were given approx. 100 copies of the Brochure of Dos and Don'ts for onward submission to all State Governments.
6. Maintaining a data bank record of cases registered for further references and guidelines.