AGRA: A new VIP protocol has been implemented at the Taj Mahal after several cases of fake or unauthorised guides escorting VIPs, including the US Navy secretary and the defence minister of Vietnam, came to light this year, resulting in some embarrassment for India.Under the new system, it is now mandatory for the agencies managing VIP tours to get the district administrations permission 24 hours before the appointment of a guide for the tour. The authorities will first check the credentials of the guide and then the permission to assign duties will be issued by the sub-divisional magistrate (Taj security). SDM (Taj security) Abhay Singh said, "In case of violation of the new protocol, strict punitive action will be taken against the guide and the travel agency. We will consider it breach in security of the VIP and disruption in government work." An FIR was registered against an unauthorised guide, Asad Alam Khan, from Agra on October 9 for escorting the US Navy secretary, Carlos Del Toro, during his visit to the world heritage site on November 19, 2022. Following the incident, president of Tourist Guides Welfare Association, Deepak Dan, filed a complaint with the defence ministry. Investigation conducted by the tourism department revealed that Asad is a hawker who operated as a guide using forged documents. Earlier this year, Vietnam defence minister General Phan Van Giang was also escorted by an unlicensed guide during his visit to the Taj Mahal. In August, a fraudulent guide led a 36-member high-level delegation from El Salvador to the monument.w The UP tourism department and the Archaeological Survey of India have 400 approved guides at the Taj Mahal, but on any given day, as many as 1,000 "guides" operate there.

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