Transporting mortal remains to India from abroad to ease with e-CARe
The portal called ‘e-CARe’ or ‘e-clearance for after life remains’ is aimed at facilitating the swift transfer of mortal remains of Indian citizens who die abroad.
Transporting the mortal remains of a loved one to India from abroad is set to get easier. This comes in the backdrop of the government creating a dedicated portal for it. The portal called ‘e-CARe’ or ‘e-clearance for after life remains’ is aimed at facilitating the swift transfer of mortal remains of Indian citizens who die abroad.
About the portal
Nodal officers from the Airport Health Organisation (APHO) will be monitoring the portal 24X7. They will be responsible for the scrutiny of the applications and approvals. There will also be an alert-based system which will help officials track the applications. The nodal officer will be based in Delhi and reviews have to be done in a time-bound manner. Approval to the application shall be given within 48 hours.
The Process
According to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, the applicant will have to submit scanned copies of four documents, namely death certificate, embalming certificate, no-objection certificate (NOC) from Indian embassy or consulate and cancelled passport of the deceased.
At present, one needs an e-mail based clearance from the Airport Health Officer (APHO) to transport the mortal remains of a loved one from another country. The request has to be made through the transporting airlines. Further, there is delay in the existing system as clarification is sought by various agencies involved in the approval process who work separately. There is also a delay on account of international time zones.
However, in the e-CARe model, once an application for transportation of mortal remains is made, intimation will be sent via email, SMS as well as WhatsApp to the Central International Health Division, Nodal Officer, APHOs, consignees and the airlines for timely action.
Additionally, the applicant and other stakeholders including the airline concerned will be able to view the status in the e-CARe portal through registration number. Furthermore, anyone can apply for transporting of the mortal remains including the family members of the deceased and become the consignee not just the airlines.
