The Indian government has restricted the recruitment of nurses through a few designated state-run agencies, the Indian embassy in Kuwait has said, pointing out that it was part of a move to make the process transparent.

The embassy in a statement said the restriction has been in effect since since May 2015 after some private hospitals in Kuwait enquired it about the process for recruitment of Indian nurses.

"It is reiterated that to streamline the recruitment of Indian nurses for work in Kuwait, the Government of India has restricted since May 2015 the recruitment of nurses through a few designated state-run recruiting agencies and placed nurses under the 'ECR' (Emigration Check Required) regime so that emigration clearance through E-Migrate becomes mandatory for them for any employment in any of the 18 ECR countries," it said.

Besides Kuwait, emigration clearance is required for 16 other nations namely Afghanistan, Bahrain, Iraq, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Libiya, Lebanon, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Sudan, Syria, Thailand, the UAE and Yemen, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

"The process of recruitment of Indian nurses under E-Migrate system is easy, transparent and user-friendly. Recruiting agencies in Kuwait which are keen to recruit Indian nurses for Kuwait should register themselves with the E-Migrate system. The embassy has an E-Migrate Helpdesk in its premises - for those wishing to register in E-Migrate system," the embassy said.

Six state manpower corporations in India have been authorised for recruitment of Indian nurses abroad, it said.

They are Norka-Roots Centre, and Overseas Development and Employment Promotion Consultants in Thiruvananthapuram; Overseas Manpower Corporation Ltd, Chennai; UP Financial Corporation, Kanpur; Telangana Overseas Manpower Company, Hyderabad; and the Overseas Manpower Company of Andhra Pradesh, Vijayawada