The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD), also known as Non-Resident Indian (NRI) Day, celebrated once in two years on 9th January is a significant event that honors the contributions of the Overseas Indian community (Indian diaspora) in the development of India.
Background :
The PBD is observed every year on 9th January since 2003 to commemorate the day in 1915 when Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, returned to India from South Africa to lead the country’s freedom struggle.
- Since 2015, under a revised format, PBD Convention has been organised once every 2 years with the theme-based PBD Conferences.
Overseas Indians/Indian Diaspora:
i. Indian Diaspora is a generic term used for addressing people who have migrated from the territories that are currently within the borders of the Republic of India.
ii.It constitutes Non Resident Indians (NRIs), and Persons of Indian origins (PIOs) including Overseas Citizens of India (OCI), who are foreign nationals with Indian roots.
- NRIs have rights like voting in India, which PIOs don’t have.
iii. As of November 2024, there are around 35.4 million overseas Indians around the world (data by MEA).
Note: To streamline processes and enhance engagement, the government merged PIO and OCI cardholders into a unified category, OCI, in 2015.
Objectives:
- To Honor the Indian diaspora’s contributions to India’s development.
- To Foster a better understanding of India abroad.
- To Support India’s causes and promote the welfare of Indian communities worldwide.
- To Provide a platform for engagement with India’s government and people.
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention:
The PBD Convention, the flagship event of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) was 1st introduced in 2003 by the Government of India (GoI), led by Late Prime Minister (PM) Atal Bihari Vajpayee.It aims to honor and connect with the overseas Indian community, acknowledging their role in India’s development.
i.17 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Conventions have been organised till date.
- The 17th PBD Convention took place in Indore, Madhya Pradesh (MP) from 8th to 10th January 2023.
ii.The 18th PBD Convention was held for the 1st time in Bhubaneswar, Odisha from 8th to 10th January 2025.
- The theme of PBD Convention 2025:”Diaspora’s Contribution to a Viksit Bharat” (Developed India).
Segments of PBD Convention 2025:
i.Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas:
On 8th January 2025, the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas event was inaugurated jointly by the Union Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, MEA, Union Minister Mansukh L Mandaviya, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS), and the Chief Minister (CM) of Odisha, Mohan Charan Majhi.
- The day serves as a platform for Pravasi youth from Odisha to reconnect with their cultural roots.
ii.18th PBD Convention:
On 9th January 2025, the Prime Minister (PM) of India, Narendra Modi inaugurated the 18th PBD Convention Event in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
- He also flagged off the Pravasi Bharatiya Express, a special tourist train under the ‘Pravasi Teertha Darshan Yojana’ scheme, MEA.
- He also inaugurated 4 exhibitions:
1.Vishwaroop Ram – The Universal Legacy of Ramayana:
2.Diaspora’s Contribution to Technology and Viksit Bharat.
3.Spread and Evolution of Indian diaspora in the world with special focus on Mandvi to Muscat.
4.Heritage and Culture of Odisha
The 18th PBD featured 5 thematic plenary sessions:
- Diaspora Youth Leadership: Focus on leadership roles of youth in a globalized world.
- Migrant Skills: Stories of overcoming barriers and contributing skills to bridge gaps.
- Sustainable Development: Exploring the diaspora’s contributions to green initiatives.
- Women’s Leadership: Recognizing the role of women in the diaspora, focusing on Nari Shakti (Women Power).
- Cultural Connections: Exploring cultural dialogues and the sense of belonging among the diaspora.
iii.Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (PBSA) 2025:
On 10th January 2025, the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, conferred the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards (PBSA), highest honour conferred on overseas Indians, to 27 People to distinguished members of the Indian diaspora.
- The PBSA recognizes outstanding achievements of NRIs and PIOs in sectors like education, science and innovation, trade and industry, arts and culture, social work, public service and philanthropy.
Click Here to view the List of PBSA 2025 Awardees
