The NRI Guides Team regularly reviews this article to ensure the content is up-to-date and accurate. The last editorial review and update were on 25 October 2023.
MADAD is an online consular grievances management system launched by India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in February 2015. The aim of the Madad grievance system is to extend a helping hand to Indians abroad requiring consular assistance.
Currently, the Madad portal is used by the Indian missions abroad and MEA’s offices in Chennai, Guwahati, Hyderabad and Kolkata to track and follow up on consular grievances. The full form of MADAD is (‘MEA’ in Aid of Diaspora in Distress). Madad is also the Hindi word for “help”.
This article explains the features and services offered by the Madad portal. You can also learn how to register as a user and file a complaint using the portal.
Table of Contents
Features of Madad Portal
Members of the public can register their grievances directly with the system, and the entire grievance-handling process can be tracked.
Among the chief characteristics of the Madad portal are to speed up the forwarding and handling of complaints, improve tracking and redressal and escalate unresolved cases.
Madad has several more innovative features, including a flexible architecture to deal with a variety of grievances, online filing and linking of similar grievances for easier retrieval and reference, automatic priority enhancement, colour-coded dashboards for easy assessment and monitoring, and an associated call centre to assist illiterate grievants.
The Madad portal represents a qualitative improvement over existing procedures for handling consular grievances, through online forwarding, tracking and escalation until their eventual resolution.
Madad has also been launched as a mobile app available on Google Play Store and App Store.
What Services are Available on the Madad Portal?
Under the Madad portal, you can lodge grievances relating to compensation, court cases, domestic help, imprisonment abroad, transportation of mortal remains, repatriation, salary dues, and finding out about the whereabouts of the deceased.
Problems pertaining to visa and passport complaints, document attestation, and travel documents will not be dealt with in this portal.
Madad Helpline for Indian Students
Besides consular grievances, Madad also allows Indian students studying abroad or looking to study abroad to register and submit their course and contact details so that they may be able to connect with the Government of India for future initiatives.
Student registration will help to compile data about Indian students studying abroad so they can be contacted in case of need. This data will also provide useful insights into immigration patterns and the courses Indian students are registering for. The entry of details is voluntary.
The MEA has stated that the module will be further expanded to include country-specific advisories, and links carrying information on accredited educational institutions in various countries.
How Students Can Register Through Madad Portal
Step 1: Go to the Madad portal website
Step 2: Click on “Registration of Indian Students Abroad”
Step 3: Fill up the online form, click “Save”
Step 4: Activate the link on your email
Click on the verification link sent to your email. You are now registered as a student.
Types of Complaints Under Madad
The following types of complaints are handled by the Madad Portal:
- Asylum Cases
- Birth Certificates
- Compensation Issues
- Contract Problems
- Domestic Help
- Dubious Job Letter/Employment/Company
- Fraudulent Calls/Emails
- Imprisoned Abroad
- Marital Dispute
- Mortal Remains
- No Obligation to Return to India (NORI) Certificate
- OCI Card Related Issued
- Passport Issues Abroad
- Physical Abuse
- Recruiting Agent
- Repatriation
- Salaries/Dues
- Seafarer Issues
- Sexual Abuse
- Sponsor Problems
- Student Issues
- Whereabouts Unknown
- Worker Abuse
- Others
Complaints Not Covered Under Madad
- For students’ educational matters and marital disputes please email Overseas Indian Affairs.
- For grievances relating to contract problems and recruiting, agents please visit the Protector General of Emigrants website.
- For grievances relating to commercial matters, please visit the Ministry of Commerce and Industry website.
- For grievances relating to visa and passport, emergency travel documents, and attestation of documents please visit the Ministry of Home Affairs website.
- For passport and emergency travel documents, please visit the Passport Seva website.
- For attestation or apostille of documents, please email the Attestation Section at MEA.
Important Points to Note
The Madad portal is for filing grievances by Indian nationals only. Foreigners may submit their grievance to the Community Welfare/Consular Section in the concerned Indian Mission/Post through email.
In matters like purely family disputes, seeking the help of Indian authorities in resolving issues in India, complaints with foreign airlines/private schools abroad etc., applicants are advised to approach the concerned authority in India/abroad.
To demand action against a foreign entity/individual, the complainant should approach the concerned authority of the foreign country.
Requests to file court cases in a foreign country/India on behalf of an individual may not be possible for Indian Embassies/Consulates as diplomatic entities.
Complaints against fraud (including online fraud) or any criminal activities are required to be filed with the law enforcement agency concerned. Filing a complaint with Indian Missions/Posts is not sufficient in such cases.
Even though personal issues in marital relationships fall beyond the ambit of consular grievance, Indian Missions would, however, readily assist destitute Indian nationals abroad, particularly women in distress and children, on a case-to-case basis.
How to Register Grievance on the Madad Portal
Step 1: Go to the Madad portal website
First-time users need to create an account by entering their name, phone, email and password as shown below.
Step 2: Click on “Grievant Registration”
Step 3: Fill up the form and click on “Register”
Step 4: Click on the verification link sent to your email
Your account should be verified by clicking on a link sent to your email.
Step 5: Login using username and password
After the email verification, you can log in using the username and password.
Step 6: Fill up the grievance form
You can file your own complaint or even on behalf of someone else. You will receive a reference number after submission.
The entire history of your grievance will be maintained online and you can check the status and updates by logging in later. You can also use the Track Grievance Status option on the home page.
Colour Code System
Under the Madad system, the authorities would be assigned responsibility through a colour-coded dashboard that would change colour if the response is not given in a stipulated time.
The colour code system will follow a red-amber-green pattern, ie, missions performing well in redressing grievances would be in ‘green’, while say those keeping inordinately pending cases would show as ‘red’. Maximum priority would be given to cases related to bringing back “mortal remains” of any national.
When the colour code changes, it will escalate the case to higher authorities and the entire history can later be accessed by the complainant in a summary or detailed format.
Madad Helpline Call Center
For any information and suggestions on the Consular Services Management System, you can call 1800-11-3090 (Toll-Free) or 011-40503090 (International).
Call Centre Timings: Citizen Service Executive Support: 8 AM to 8 PM except Saturdays and national holidays.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can foreign nationals use the Madad portal?
No, the Madad portal is for filing grievances by Indian nationals only. Foreigners may submit their grievances to the Community Welfare or Consular Section in the concerned Indian mission through email.
How can I track the status of my complaint on the Madad portal?
You can check the status of your complaints by logging in to your account. You can also use the Track Grievance Status option on the home page.
Is there a helpline for information on Madad?
For more information on Madad System, you can call the toll-free number 1800-11-3090 or 011-40503090 (International).
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Aneesh, the Founder & Editor of DG Pixels, holds a Master’s Degree in Communication & Journalism, and has two decades of experience living in the Middle East. Since 2014, he and his team have been sharing helpful content on travel, visa rules, and expatriate affairs.