The draw to select pilgrims to go on hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) will be held in the second week of January and will have several significant changes. Women over the age of 45 will be allowed to undertake the pilgrimage sans male company for the first time while the draw itself will be conducted in a more transparent manner.
More than 3 lakh people have applied go on hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) next year. The Haj Committee of India said the number includes more than 1,000 women applicants who hope to travel without a mehram (a male a woman cannot marry in her life such as father, son or brother).
In addition, the government has announced that the draw would be held in a more transparent manner. Earlier, there were complaints that many people were getting selected for multiple pilgrimages while others never got a single chance. The last day to apply for the pilgrimage was extended to December 22 from December 7.
The Haj Committee is also pushing to increase India's hajj quota, which currently stands at 1.7 lakh pilgrims.
The centre's decision to lift the mehram requirement in October had led to protests from some Muslim groups.
