June 3, 2019 by admin

The social media identifiers will be incorporated into a background check review against watchlists generated by the US government. Applicants will also be required in the future to turn more extensive information on their travel history. The policy stems from a March 2017 executive order issued by President Donald Trump intended to put “extreme vetting” into place. The State Department had published its intent to implement the policy in March 2018. — PTI BIG BROTHER GOES REAL BIG We are constantly working to improve our screening processes to protect US citizens, while supporting legitimate travel to the US. — US State Department Email addresses, usernames to be furnished Revised visa forms, first proposed in March 2018, require most visa applicants, including tourists, to furnish five years’ worth of social media usernames, previous email addresses and phone numbers as part of the application process Authorities estimated proposal would affect 1.47 crore people annually. Certain diplomatic and official applicants will be exempt. However, people travelling to US to work or study will have to hand over their information Previously, only applicants needing additional vetting, such as those who had been to parts of world controlled by terrorist groups, would need to hand over this data

New Delhi

In his first trip as Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh on Monday will visit the Siachen Glacier — the world’s most dangerous battlefield — to meet the soldiers guarding the border beyond the heights of 12,000 feet.

Singh, to be accompanied by Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat, will also visit the headquarters of the Army’s 14 Corps in Leh and 15 Corps in Srinagar, official sources said.

Top commanders of the Army will brief the Defence Minister about overall security situation along the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan and apprise him about the anti-terror operations in Kashmir, they said.

Singh will first arrive at the high-altitude Thoise airfield in Ladakh from where he will travel to an operational base and then go to the Siachen Glacier where he will interact with Army’s field commanders and soldiers.

The Siachen Glacier in the Karakorum range is known as the highest militarised zone in the world where the soldiers have to battle frostbite and high winds.

According to official figure, the Army lost 163 personnel at the world’s highest battlefield during the past 10 years. India and Pakistan started deploying troops at the strategically key glacier in 1984.

Sources said the Defence Minister will be given detailed and specific presentations at 14 Corps and 15 corps relating to India’s preparedness to deal with any possible eventualities and misadventure by Pakistan.

The Army’s 14 Corps guards the Line of Actual Control with China as well as the LoC with Pakistan. The Defence Minister is scheduled to return to New Delhi on Monday evening.