Pravasi Bharatiya Divas to strengthen diaspora's engagement with India's growth story: Vayalar Ravi

Minster for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi on Wednesday said that the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) convention will strengthen diaspora's engagement with India's growth story.

Addressing inaugural session of 12th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas here, Ravi said: "The diaspora is keen to be partners in our growing economy. The Government is aware of these sentiments. Hence, it has been the constant endeavour of the government to sort-out various diaspora related issues and introduce new schemes to ensure their active participation in our growth story."

He said that several initiatives including the Overseas Citizen of India Scheme, voting rights for NRIs and the scholarship program for diaspora youth have been introduced.

Many more schemes such as the e-migrate project are on the anvil, the Minister added.

Asserting that the 12th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in New Delhi is unique from the point of view that a youth PBD was celebrated yesterday for the first time, Ravi said: "Indeed this year the theme of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is "Engaging the Diaspora-Connecting across Generations and this itself emphasises on youth connection.

"The youth population in India is one of the largest in the world, and it is contributing immensely to the growth of our great country. The younger generation of the Diaspora also constitutes a large group and is beginning to play important roles in their countries. It is essential that these new generations of Indians and pravasis bond together in the same way their parents and forefathers did," he said.

"Many sessions were held yesterday focussed on youth. The interactions certainly helped young people from India and the diaspora to have thoughtful insights into the economic, cultural and development horizons of their mother country. Hence, this edition of PBD will find a unique place in the history of PBDs in India," he added.