Pravasi Bharatiya Divas- Non-Resident Indian Day

 

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is the flagship event of the Government of India that provides an important platform for engagement and connection with overseas Indians. The main goal of this event is to reintroduce the Non-Resident Indian community to its roots. The convention is held annually on January 9 as it was the date when Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa in 1915 and became the greatest Pravasi who led India's Freedom Struggle and made India free from British or colonial rule. He not only changed the lives of Indian's but also created an example that if a person's dreams and desires are clear, he or she can achieve anything. As a Non-Resident Indian or Pravasi, he is presented as a symbol of a change and development that could bring into India.

According to the Indian Government NRI has global exposure in terms of business and development strategies around the world. If some opportunity is provided to them they will contribute to the developmental process by infusing their ideas and experiences into their motherland  India because of this the day  January 9 is marked as NRI day.

 First Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention was organised on 9 January 2003 under the chairmanship of L. M. Singhvi and The Prime Minister of India, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee it is sponsored by the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India and the FICCI( Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry ),the Confederation of Indian Industries and the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region .after successfully completion of the event , it was announced that this event is a biennial event from 2013 and has been celebrated 2013,2014,2015,2017,2018,2019,2021and in 2023.This celebratory event is held from the 8th to the 10th of January every other year in a selected city in India and the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awards are given.The occasion is marked by special programs to recognise the contributions of NRI individuals of exceptional merit, felicitate NRI individuals who have made exceptional contributions in their chosen profession and provide a forum to discuss issues and concerning the Indian Diaspora .

  

List of annual Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Program since 2003 has been organised :

 

Pravasi Bhartiya Divas	Year	Location
1st	2003	New Delhi
2nd	2004	New Delhi
3rd	2005	Mumbai (Maharashtra)
4th	2006	Hyderabad (Telangana)
5th	2007	New Delhi
6th	2008	New Delhi
7th	2009	Chennai (Tamil Nadu)
8th	2010	New Delhi
9th	2011	New Delhi
10th	2012	Jaipur(Rajasthan)
11th	2013	Kochi (Kerala)
12th	2014	New Delhi
13th	2015	Gandhinagar (Gujarat)
14th	2017	Bengaluru (Karnataka)
15th	2019	Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh)
16th	2021	Delhi  (it was virtual event)
17th	2023	Indore (Madhya Pradesh)

 

About 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas :

The 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention is  organized in partnership with the Madhya Pradesh Government from 08-10 January 2023 in Indore  city of Madhya Pradesh.The theme of the Convention is "Diaspora: Reliable partners for India’s progress in Amrit Kaal”. Over 3,500 diaspora members from nearly 70 different countries have registered for the PBD Convention.

PBD Convention has three segments:

On 08 January 2023, the inauguration of the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas held in partnership with Ministry of Youth affairs and Sports. H.E. Ms. Zaneta Mascarenhas, Member of Parliament of Australia, was the Guest of Honour .

On 09 January 2023, the PBD Convention  inaugurated by Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India and the feature addresses by the Chief Guest, H.E. Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, the President of Cooperative Republic of Guyana, and the Special Guest of Honour, H.E. Mr. Chandrikapersad Santokhi, Hon’ble President of the Republic of Suriname.

A Commemorative Postal Stamp ‘Surakshit Jaayen, Prashikshit Jaayen’ was released to underline the importance of safe, legal, orderly and skilled migration. Hon’ble Prime Minister  also inaugurate the first-ever digital PBD Exhibition on theme "Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav - Contribution of Diaspora in Indian Freedom Struggle” to highlight the contribution of our diaspora freedom fighters in India’s Independence. In view of India’s ongoing Presidency of the G20, a special Town Hall was organized on January 09.

On 10 January 2023, Hon’ble Rashtrapati ji, Smt. Droupadi Murmu confer Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards 2023 and preside over the Valedictory Session. Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards are conferred to select Indian diaspora members to recognize their achievements and honour their contributions to various fields, both in India and abroad.

The PBD Convention has five thematic Plenary sessions-

First Plenary on ‘Role of Diaspora Youth in Innovations and new Technologies’, chaired by Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur.

Second Plenary on ‘Role of Indian Diaspora in promoting Indian Healthcare Eco-system in Amrit Kaal: Vision @2047’, chaired by Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya and co-chaired by Minister of State for External Affairs, Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh.

Third Plenary on ‘Leveraging the soft power of India - Goodwill through craft, cuisine & creativity’, chaired by Minister of State for External Affairs, Smt. Meenakashi Lekhi.

Fourth Plenary on ‘Enabling global mobility of Indian workforce – Role of Indian Diaspora’, chaired by Minister of Education, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan.

Fifth Plenary on ‘Harnessing the potential of diaspora entrepreneurs towards an inclusive approach to nation building’, chaired by Minister of Finance, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman.

All the Plenary Sessions feature panel discussions inviting eminent diaspora experts.

 Government Initiatives related to Overseas Indians :

§  Pravasi Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PKVY): To institutionalize the process of skill development of emigrant Indian workers.

§  Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children (SPDC): 100 scholarships per annum are granted to PIO and NRI students for undergraduate courses.

§  Know India Program’ (KIP): It familiarizes Indian-origin youth (18-30 years) with their Indian roots and contemporary India.

§  E-migrate System: It is a foreign employers database. It ensures the welfare and check on exploitation met to emigrants.

§  VAJRA (Visiting Advanced Joint Research Faculty) Scheme: It formalizes a rotation program wherein top NRI scientists, engineers, doctors, managers and professionals serve Indian public sector organizations for a brief period, lending their expertise.

 

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