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Union Cabinet Approves ₹1,800 Cr Extension of IVFRT Scheme Till 2031 Under Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025

Target:UPSC GS-IIMPSCSSC GATeachingPrelims HighMains MediumStatic GK Link
25 Mar 2026
~2 min
Source: The Hindu
Key Data:₹1,800 crore5 years till March 203191.24% e-visa clearance within 72 hours2.5-3 minutes average clearance30 seconds FTI-TTP clearance117 Immigration Posts
Bodies:Union CabinetCabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)
Practice MCQs from today's news ▸
What This Article Covers

1.The Union Cabinet approved the continuation of the IVFRT scheme with a ₹1,800 crore outlay until March 2031.

2.The extension is driven by the need to implement the recently enacted Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 and address emerging security challenges.

3.The scheme's performance metrics, like 91.24% e-visa clearance within 72 hours and reduced passenger clearance time, demonstrate its exam-relevant impact on governance and ease of travel.

The Big Picture
Prelims · HighMains · Medium

The Union Cabinet has approved a ₹1,800 crore, five-year extension of the IVFRT scheme, a critical national security and immigration modernization project. This strategic move, mandated by the new Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, aims to transform India's border control and visa system using emerging technologies to facilitate legitimate travel while strengthening security against illegal migration.

Exam Lens

Quick Exam Facts From News

Budget Outlay₹1,800 crore
Extension Period5 years (till March 2031)
Initial CCEA Approval2010 (₹1,011 crore)
E-visa cleared in 72 hrs91.24% (past 5 years)
Avg. Passenger Clearance2.5-3 minutes (with biometrics)
FTI-TTP Clearance Time30 seconds (via e-gates)

1-Minute Revision

  • ›Budget Outlay: ₹1,800 crore
  • ›Extension Period: 5 years (till March 2031)
  • ›Target this Data: Budget outlay of ₹1,800 crore and extension till March 2031.
  • ›Target this Nodal Body: Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) which first approved the scheme in 2010.
  • ›Target this Legal Point: The Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 which necessitated this modernization.

Mastered this topic? Test your knowledge with a full MCQ quiz.

Practice exam-style questions, track your score, and strengthen your recall.

Q1Static LinkageEasy

The Immigration, Visa, Foreigners Registration & Tracking (IVFRT) scheme operates under the administrative control of which Union Ministry?

Q2Statement-basedHard

Consider the following statements regarding the IVFRT scheme:

1. It was first approved by the Union Cabinet in 2010 with an initial outlay.

2. The scheme has enabled a 100% contactless and faceless visa process for all applicants.

3. One of its components, the Fast Track Immigration-Trusted Traveller Programme (FTI-TTP), is currently available free of cost only to Indian nationals and OCI cardholders.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Q3Data-centricMedium

According to the article, what is the total budgetary outlay approved by the Union Cabinet for the five-year extension of the IVFRT scheme?

Q4Application/ImpactMedium

What is the primary strategic objective behind the recent extension and modernization of the IVFRT scheme as per the government release?

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