President to confer Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, MEA announces names

President Droupadi Murmu will confer the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman during the valedictory session of the upcoming PBD Convention, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday as it announced the names of the awardees for this year.

The awardees, who "represent the excellence achieved by our diaspora in various fields", include among others Baroness Usha Kumari Prashar from the UK (in the field of politics), Dr Sharmila Ford from the US for community service. There are a couple of institutions as well who will be given the award.

The names for the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (PBSA) 2025 were recommended by a Jury-cum-Awards Committee. The PBSA is the highest honour conferred on overseas Indians.

The award is conferred by the President as part of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention on Non-Resident Indians, Persons of Indian Origin or an organisation or institution established and run by the Non-Resident Indians or Persons of Indian Origin in "recognition of their outstanding achievements both in India and abroad," the MEA said in a statement.

The 18th edition of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention is scheduled to be held from January 8-10 in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

"The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards will be conferred by the Hon'ble President of India at the PBD Convention in the Valedictory Session of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas celebrations," the MEA said.

The Jury-cum-Awards Committee, with the Vice-President as the chairman and External Affairs Minister as the Vice-Chair, and other distinguished members from various walks of life, considered the nominations and "unanimously selected the awardees," it said.

As per the list of awardees recommended by the Committee for conferment of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award 2025, others who find a place in it include Prof. Ajay Rane from Australia for community service; Dr Marialena Joan Fernandes from Austria (in the field of education); Jaggannath Shekhar Asthana from Romania (in the field of business), among others.

Saraswati Vidya Niketan of Guyana is also on the list, besides Hindustani Samaj of Russia, both earning the honour for community service.