Budget 2019-20: Sitharaman proposes giving NRIs Aadhar cards upon arrival in India

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday proposed that Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) holding Indian passports be given Aadhar cards upon their arrival in India without the mandatory 180-day waiting period.

"I propose to consider issuing Aadhar card for NRIs with Indian passports after their arrival in India without waiting for the mandatory 180 days," Sitharaman said while presenting the 2019-20 Union Budget in the Parliament.

Sitharaman also announced that 18 new diplomatic missions will be opened in various locations across Africa.

"We have decided to open Indian embassies and high commissions where India does not have diplomatic missions yet. We have approved 18 new Indian diplomatic missions in Africa," the FM said on Friday.

"Five embassies have already been opened in Rwanda, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Guinea and Burkina Faso in 2018-19. The government intends to open 4 more embassies in the year 2019-20. This will not increase the footprint of India's overseas presence but also enable us to provide better public services to the local Indian communities," she added.