Mandatory fee applies to nearly all non-immigrant visa categories -- including tourist, business, student, H-1B, and exchange visas -- and will be added to existing visa fees.
EC says SIR is lawful and constitutional, while Opposition alleges process will "benefit" NDA by deleting voters unlikely to support them, citing similar claims in Maharashtra.
Rahul Gandhi alleged that although the INDIA bloc secured a majority of seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha election in Maharashtra, the subsequent Assembly election saw a dramatic and questionable shift