Per above posts, looks like I have to conclude a visa on arrival entry into India carries more risk than in countries such HK, SN, ML and even China for that matter, since the POE officers in India can become crooks at their discretion.

If one assumes the POE officers use the visa on arr process as a means to extort money (since a weary 20 hr traveler might be glad to pay up to rid of hassle), doesn't that go against the very purpose of easing entry to promote tourism?

I said the risk is equal b/w Indian entry and entry into visa free countries only because of an assumption that the POE officers would simply do their jobs as they seem to have in all my prior visits. Apparently, that may not be the case, huh?

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Dimple2001

This must be idea of one of the gem(read stupid) Harward/Oxford or whatever great University that the people of the world are dying to visit India.

I guess many of the visitors are NRI visiting the family. Since they are technically “foreigner” , they automatically form part of the “visitor”. I guess the land of rape, scam , riots, filth and corruption would not attract many visitors. Of course, there are Arab sheikhs, Nigerian drug peddlers and Ukrainian prostitutes should benefit out of this schme of visa on arrival. Most other avid travellers would obtain visa before landing.

I have heard that Tejpal would be holding his next “Think” festival via 3D video link from a jail in Goa (poor guy, while he will be able to see girls, he cannot grope and rape except in his fantasy). He would attach rules for “visa on arrival” alongwith his invite.