Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated annually on 9 January to mark the contribution of the non-residential Indian community towards the development of the country. According the Ministry of External Affairs, 9 January was chosen for the observance, as on this day in the year 1915, Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa. He then went on to lead the country in its freedom struggle. Being celebrated since 2003, the year 2015 saw a slight change with PBD being celebrated every two years from then on. The convention allows NRIs to engage with the government and people of the land of their ancestors for mutually beneficial activities.

It is sad that the day  has lost importance over the years under the Modi government.

This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Non-Resident Indians (NRI) across the globe are coming together to celebrate the 16th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention in a virtual format.

The Day holds great significance as it not only reconnects NRIs with their roots but celebrates their achievements as well. It also acknowledges the difficulties faced by Indian expatriate workers living abroad.

Established in 2000, Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is sponsored by the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the Confederation of Indian Industries and the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region.

A celebratory event is held on 7-9 January every other year in an Indian city: a forum for issues concerning the Indian Diaspora is organised and the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards are given.

In 2006, the concept of Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) was launched during the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention at Hyderabad on 9 January.

In 2014, Pravasi Bhartiya Divas was held in New Delhi and was attended by 1,500 delegates from 51 countries. President Pranab Mukherjee gave the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards.

In 2013, 11th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was held in Kochi from 7-9 January, where the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) is organizing partner of the summit. The President of Mauritius, Rajkeswur Purryag, was the chief guest at the official inaugural session. Canadian Minister Jason Kenney became the first individual of non-Indian heritage to address the gathering.

The 12th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was held during 7-9 January 2014 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The Theme for this year was Engaging Diaspora: Connecting Across Generations.

The 13th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was held during 7-9 January 2015 at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, Gujarat . The Theme for this year was “Apna Bharat, Apna Gaurav”.

The 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, which was supposed to be held during 7-9 January 2016 at New Delhi, was cancelled under the MEA’s decision to make the event biennial.

The 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was held during 7-9 January 2017 at Bengaluru, Karnataka. The theme for this year was “Redefining engagement with the Indian diaspora”.

The 16th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2018 was held during 6-7 January 2018 at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.

The 17th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas 2019 was held during 21-23 January 2019 at Varanasi, India. Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth was the chief guest.

History

The decision to celebrate Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was taken in accordance with recommendations of the High Level Committee (HLC) on the Indian Diaspora set up by government of India under the chairmanship of L. M. Singhvi. The then Prime Minister of India,  Atal Bihari Vajpayee, received the report of the Committee at a public function at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on 8 January 2002, and announced the “Pravasi Bharatiya Divas” (PBD) on 9 January 2002. The day was chosen to mark the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to India in 1915.

The occasion is marked by special programs to recognise the contributions of NRI/PIO individuals of exceptional merit, felicitate NRI/PIO individuals who have made exceptional contributions in their chosen field/profession (Pravasi Bharatiya Samman and provide a forum to discuss issues and concerns of people of the diaspora. The event has been organized every year since 2003, and is sponsored by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs and the CII (Confederation of Indian Industry), initially sponsored by FICCI.

The 8th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas took place on 7-9 January 2010 and was webcast live at the official Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs website, also covered live on social media via live blogging and live tweeting at Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, an online platform powered by Kotak Mahindra Bank. An investment facilitation platform for overseas Indians, the Overseas Indians Facilitation Centre, was launched by India’s Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, with a view of strengthening ties with the diaspora for partnering in India’s growth story on the occasion.

The 2012 Pravasi Bhartiya Divas was held from 7-9 January 2012. The venue was Jaipur, Rajasthan. Chief Guest of this event was the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Ms Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

The 2013 Pravasi Bhartiya Divas was held from 8-9 January 2013 in Kochi, Kerala. Chief Guest of this event was the President of Mauritius, Rajkeshwar Purryag. The 2015 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was held in Ahmedabad celebrating 100 years of Mahatma’s return to India. Chief guest was Mr Donald Ramtar, President of Republic of Guyana. The theme for this was “Apna Bharat Apna Gaurav” “Connecting Generations”.

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD), the annual event for the Indian diaspora, was canceled for 2016. The format of the event, which is held between 7 and 9 January, has been changed as announced by the minister of external affairs and overseas Indian affairs Sushma Swaraj, in October 2015. As per the announcement, the event was being moved to different states every two years; a smaller event would be held in Delhi every alternate year.

In 2017, the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was held from 7-9 January 2017 in Bengaluru. The theme of this edition was “Redefining Engagement with the Indian Diaspora”. The Ministry of External Affairs, under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had used digital modes to reach out to Indians abroad. The campaign Digital India also played a major role in bringing the success to Pravasi Bhartiya Divas. The plenary session ‘Leveraging Social Media for Diaspora Connect’ held on 9 January 2017, at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas looked at social media as a medium in connecting the Indian Diaspora.

About PBD Convention 2021

In a virtual format, the convention will be held and the theme of the 16th PBD Convention 2021 is “Contributing to Aatmanirbhar Bharat”. The Convention of PBD will have three segments and will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. It will also be addressed by the Chief Guest, Chandrikapersad Santokhi, President of the Republic of Suriname. Winners of the online Bharat ko Janiye Quiz for the youth will be announced.

The inaugural session will also be followed by the two Plenary sessions. The first will be on the Role of Diaspora Aatmanirbhar Bharat and will be featured by the External Affairs Minister and Commerce and Industry Minister. And the second will be on Facing Post Covid Challenges – Scenario in Health, Economy, Social and International Relations that will be addressed by Minister of Health and Minister of State for External Affairs.

The Valedictory Session will be the finale where the President will deliver his Valedictory address to mark the occasion of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.

Here to inform you that the Youth PBD was also be observed virtually on the theme “Bringing together Young Achievers from India and Indian Diaspora” on 8 January 2021 and was anchored by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The Special Guest for the event is Priyanca Radhakrishnan, Minister for Community& Voluntary Sector of New Zealand.

In January 2019, it was celebrated at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh to acknowledge the Indian Diaspora of Indian origin to share their experience, knowledge which can help in the development of the country.