Why in News?

• India has become the first country in the world to completely Digitize the Haj process.
• Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that various services have been added to the online application service like e-visa, haj mobile app, e-messiah health facility, stay and traffic information in Mecca Medina and Haj pilgrimage information.

Highlights:

• India recently signed a bilateral Haj 2020 agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Haj and Umrah Minister Mohammad Saleh bin Taher.
• It is for the first time when digital pre-tagging has been arranged by the airlines so that Haj pilgrims will get all kinds of information in India itself.
• Haj pilgrims will get prior information about which room of which building in Mecca Medina and what number bus will have to be taken after landing at the airport.
• The SIM card of the passengers will be linked with the Haj Mobile app so that they will continue to get the latest information about the Haj.
• This year 100 telephone line information centres have been started at Haj House in Mumbai.
• The government of India will provide health cards to all travellers in India, while in Saudi Arabia they will be given ‘e-Messiah health facility’.
• This system will have information about the health of each Haj pilgrim. They will be provided medical assistance immediately in case of an Emergency

Haj 2020:

• Indian consulate in Jeddah, the Saudi Arabian government and other relevant agencies are working together to make Haj 2020 a successful affair.
• It is estimated that about two lakh Indian Muslims will go on the Haj pilgrimage without any Haj subsidy in 2020.
• The Indian Haj Committee had received a total of 176,714 applications by 30 November. The last date for application is December 5, 2019.