Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2015 to be held in Gandhinagar

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The next edition of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) would be held in Gandhinagar as 2015 marks the 100th anniversary of the return of Mahatma Gandhi, the "greatest pravasi", the Lok Sabha was informed Wednesday.

"It has been decided to celebrate the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD), 2015, in a befitting manner," Minister of State for Overseas Indian Affairs Gen. V.K. Singh (retd) said.

The PBD conventions provide the largest platform to persons of Indian origin (PIOs) and Non-Resident Indians for exchanging views and networking on matters of common interest. He said continuous efforts are made to make it more significant and beneficial to them.

The PBD is celebrated Jan 9 every year to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community to the development of country. The date was chosen since it was on this day in 1915 that Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa, led India's freedom struggle and changed the lives of Indians forever, according to the website of the ministry.

The 12th PBD was held in January this year in New Delhi. There are 25 million people of Indian origin residing outside India.