Computerised draw of lots for selecting pilgrims for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra was held here on Wednesday, in which for the first time, preference for fresh applicants or route choice of senior citizens was incorporated into the software, MEA officials said.
Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale presided over the draw of lots held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Bhawan, and also urged pilgrims to help “protect and preserve” the fragile environment in the Himalayas.
The Ministry’s consistent effort has been to get as many applications, because it thinks this Yatra is important not only for those going for spiritual or religious purposes, but also to build relations between India and China, he said.
Ministry of External Affairs organises the Yatra during June to September each year through two different routes — Lipulekh Pass (Uttarakhand),and Nathu La Pass (Sikkim). Known for its religious value and cultural significance, it is undertaken by hundreds of people every year.
For Kailash Mansarovar Yatra 2019, the ministry received 2,996 applications, out of which 2,256 are male applicants, and 740 females. As many as 624 senior citizens had applied for the yatra.
For Lipulekh route, there are 18 batches with 60 pilgrims per batch and for Nathu La, 10 batches with 50 yatris per batch. Two liaison officers will assist each batch of yatris.
“It is our hope and endeavour that we provide the first chance to those who didnt ad the chance to go to the Yatra, the first-time applicants and we give priority to them. And, of course, to senior citizens as well,” Gokhale said.
He said, consistent efforts have been made to make the Yatra website as pilgrim-friendly as possible.
“We also have a helpline now for applicant yatris. And, emails received from them are regularly monitored and applicants are suitably advised in a time-bound way,” he added.
A senior official said, the Nathu La route is less arduous compared to Lipulekh and so preferred by senior citizens.
“Earlier they would tell us their route choice while applying for the Yatra, and we would try to accommodate their request in the overall process. This year, we have incorporate the preferences of first-time yatris and the senior citizens in the algorithm of the software used for the draw of lots, which is for the first time,” he said.
The selection is a fair computer-generated, random gender-balanced selection process, the MEA said in a statement, adding, the selected yatris are informed through mobile text messages and email. draw of lots