14th Edition of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

• The 14th edition of the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD) Convention 2017 held in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• The theme of the three day PBD 2017 was: “Redefining Engagement with the Indian Diaspora”.
• The ‘Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas‘ was also inaugurated as part of the PBD 2017 with an aim to connect with the youth, the new generation of Pravasis growing up all over the world.

About Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

• Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated on 9 January every year to mark the contribution of Overseas Indian community in the development of India. January 9 was chosen as the day to celebrate this occasion since it was on this day in 1915 that Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest Pravasi, returned to India from South Africa.
• During the event, individuals of exceptional merit are honoured with the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award to appreciate their role in India’s growth. The event also provides a forum for discussing key issues concerning the Indian Diaspora. Thirteen PBDs have been held earlier in various places of India.

Analysis:

• Presently there are nearly 3.12 crore i.e. about 31.2 million overseas Indians settled globally, of which nearly 1.34 crore i.e. 13.4 million are Persons of Indian Origin and 1.78 crore i.e. 17.8 million are Non Resident Indians.
• The first PBD was held in January 2003 in New Delhi. So far 13 editions of the PBD Convention have been held, the last in Gandhinagar, Gujarat in January 2015 which coincided with the 100th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s return from South Africa.
• These conventions provide a platform to the overseas Indian community to engage with the government and people of the land of their ancestors for mutually beneficial activities.
• These conventions are also very useful in networking among the overseas Indian community residing in various parts of the world and enable them to share their experiences in various fields.
• The event also provides a forum for discussing key issues concerning the Indian Diaspora.
• NRIs generate earnings is estimated to be $250 billion and is one third of the GDP of India. This clearly indicates that they can contribute a lot to Indian economy and enhance its fiscal growth.
• Even though NRI’s contribution is not visible but they are helping their country through varied activities in India. Many reports reveal that NRI’s are major source of Direct Foreign Investment, market development (outsourcing), technology transfer, charity, tourism, political contributions and more substantial flows of knowledge, in India.
   

By: Vishal