10 Interesting Things You Should Know

Over a century ago (1915), Mahatma Gandhi returned from South Africa to lead the country to freedom. When a High Level Committee was set up in 2002 by the then Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari, one of the recommendations was the creation of a platform to interact with Indian Diaspora. On receiving the recommendation in a public function, Shri Atal Bihari chose 9th of January for the celebration which coincided with the re

One of the major aims of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is to connect India’s large diaspora community and harness their skills, expertise, and knowledge for the growth of the nation. The PBD Convention is sponsored by the Government of India and the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs. Besides the first two years, it has been held on the 7th to 9th of January.

When Pravasi Bharatiya Divas began in 2003, it was an annual event until 2015 when the government revised the schedule to make it a biannual event. With the revision, the next PBD convention happened in 2017 instead of 2016.

Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award is the highest honor that is given to an oversea Indian. The president uses the occasion of the PBD to confer this award on exceptional individuals as an appreciation for their role in the nation’s growth. 15 oversea Indians got the award in 2015.

Since its inception in 2003, PBD have had Chief Host from various countries across the world including Alpha Hospital Group, UK chairman, Dr. Khalid Hameed (2010), Ms. Kamla Persad Bissessar of Trinidad and Tobago (2012), and the president of Mauritius, Mr. Rajkeswur Purryag (2013).

Since the 12th edition of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention, the government has used different themes for the celebration. The theme for the 2017 event was “Redefining engagement with the Indian diaspora”.

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention usually rotates around different Indian cities. However, New Delhi has been the venue to PBD conventions for the years 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2014.

Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is organized from time to time in different cities outside India to give Diaspora Indians who cannot travel to India for the main event a chance to also link up with the diaspora community and with their motherland. RPBD has been organized in 8 different cities. The 2018 RPBD is scheduled to hold in Singapore.

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is a commemoration of the return of Mahatma Gandhi in the year 1915 to lead the nation’s freedom struggle. The year 2015 marked 100 years (a century) of that return. This made the 2015 celebration a very symbolic one.

Indian nationals residing abroad use the platform to interact with their government and the rest of the population. Diaspora Indians use the event to bring back knowledge and experiences they have gained from other countries.