India has made it mandatory for all female migrant workers with an ECR stamp on their passport, and nurses, to be recruited only through seven approved recruitment agencies.

UAE-based Gulf News quotes an Indian embassy official.

"India issues ECR category passports to those who have not passed Grade 10 and hence they need emigration clearance before going to work in 18 ECR countries that include the Gulf countries. This rule was made applicable to qualified Indian nurses also when India banned their recruitment by private agents for overseas jobs since April 30, 2015."

The country hopes that this would reduce the exploitation of female migrant workers.

The seven approved agencies are:

Non-Resident Keralites’ Affairs Department (NORKA-ROOTS), Kerala

Overseas Development and Employment Promotion Consultants Ltd (ODEPC), Kerala

Overseas Manpower Corporation Limited (OMCL), Chennai

Uttar Pradesh Financial Corporation (UPFC), Uttar Pradesh

Overseas Manpower Company A.P. Ltd, Andhra Pradesh

Telangana Overseas Manpower Company Ltd, Telangana

Commissionerate of Employment and Training, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Viajayawada

 

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