Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD), observed biennially on 9th January, is a noteworthy event that celebrates the contributions of the Indian diaspora to their homeland. The 18th PBD Convention is being organised by Odisha from 8th to 10th January 2025, with the theme ‘Diaspora’s Contribution to a Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India).

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

• Background & History:  This bi-annual celebration commemorates the day in 1915 when Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest Pravasi (migrant), returned to India from South Africa to lead the country’s freedom struggle.

Primary Goals of PBD

• To commemorate the contributions of the Indian diaspora to India’s development.
• To create a better understanding of India abroad.
• To support India’s causes and work for the welfare of local Indian communities worldwide.
• To provide a platform for overseas Indians to engage with the government and people of their ancestral land.  

PBD Conventions

• The PBD Convention was first established in 2003 under the government of then Prime Minister Late Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, as a platform to recognise and engage with the overseas Indian community.

18th PBD Convention, 2025

• During the Convention, the Prime Minister of India inaugurated the Pravasi Bharatiya Express, a special tourist train for the Indian diaspora. 
• The Pravasi Bharatiya Express was conducted under the Pravasi Teertha Darshan Yojana of the Ministry of External Affairs. 
• An exhibition was also inaugurated to showcase rare documents of people who migrated from Mandvi in Gujarat to Muscat in Oman.
• PM highlighted the significance of Girmitiyas (indentured laborers from pre-independent India) who were sent to countries like Fiji, Mauritius, Trinidad and Tobago, and others. 
• It was also suggested to create a comprehensive database of the Girmitiyas.

Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award

• The award, given out as part of the Pravasi Bharatiya programme, is the highest honour conferred on a Non-Resident Indian (NRI), Person of Indian Origin (PIO); or an organisation or institution established and run by them.
• The award is to commemorate the contribution of the Indian diaspora to create a better understanding of India abroad, support India’s causes and work for the welfare of the local Indian community.

Diaspora

Background & Origin

• The term diaspora traces its roots to the Greek diaspeiro, which means dispersion. The Indian diaspora has grown manifold since the first batch of Indians were taken to counties in the east pacific and the Caribbean islands under the ‘Girmitiya’ arrangement as indentured labourers.

Classification of Diaspora

Non-Resident Indians (NRIs): NRIs are Indians who are residents of foreign countries. A person is considered NRI if:

• A person is a non-resident if they are in India for less than 182 days in a year or less than 365 days in the preceding 4 years and less than 60 days in the current year.
• Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs): PIO refers to a foreign citizen (previously held an Indian passport) who or their parents/grandparents born in India or who is a spouse of a citizen of India or a PIO. Nationals of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Iran, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Nepal are not included in the PIO classification. The PIO category was abolished in 2015 and merged with the OCI category.
• Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs): A separate category of OCI was carved out in 2005.  An OCI card is granted to a foreign national who was eligible for Indian citizenship on 26th January 1950 or belonged to a territory that became part of India after 15th August 1947. Minor children of such individuals, (excluding nationals of Pakistan and Bangladesh), were also eligible for OCI cards.

Geographical Distribution of Overseas Indians