BOSTON—Mr. Sandeep Chakravorty, India’s Consul General in New York who oversees 10 Northeastern states in the United States and has diligently weaved a network of Indian and Indian-American communities together, says that Indian passport services have now opened, four categories of Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cardholders can travel to India and about 24-hour hotline to serve the community.
In an exclusive video interview with Chai With Manju’s COVID-19 Dairies series, Mr. Chakravorty also talks about drug prescription services for Indians stranded in the United States during COVID pandemic lockdown.
To listen and watch the services provided by Consul General on passport renewal, travel to India, status of OCI card renewals and drug prescription services, please click here or on the image link below.
“Indians are doubly affected,” says Mr. Chakravorty, adding that they are suffering the lockdown impact here in the United States as well as are concerned for their families in India.
Despite all the precautions taken by the Consulate General, some staff members of the office in New York were also infected by coronavirus as the pandemic spread overnight in New York City.
Mr. Chakravorty, a member of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) since 1996, has served in India’s Missions in Spain, Colombia, Bangladesh and Peru. Prior to assuming charge as Consul General of India in New York in August, 2017, he was the Ambassador of India to Peru and Bolivia. Earlier he had been India’s Deputy Chief of Mission in Bangladesh.
In India’s Ministry of External Affairs he has held several positions including Press Relations Officer, Staff Officer to Minister of State and worked on desks dealing with Central Asia, East Asia and China.
Before joining the Government, Mr. Chakravorty worked with civil society organizations dealing with natural resources and environmental issues.
He has a Master’s degree in Advanced Studies in International Security from Geneva University, a Master’s degree in Sociology besides a Post Graduate Diploma in Forestry Management and an under graduate degree in Physics from Delhi University.
He is fluent in Hindi, Bangla and Spanish. In his spare time he reads up on International Relations and the Environment and enjoys visiting historical sites.