The announcement of the 12th edition of the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD) convention to be held in Delhi from 7th to 9th January 2014 was made by Vayalar Ravi, Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs, Govt of India, New Delhi, recently. The minister said that Pravasi Bhartiya divas (PBD) is celebrated on 9th January every year to mark the contribution of overseas Indian community to India, since it was on this day in 1915 that Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation, himself a Pravasi, returned to India from South Africa to lead India’s freedom struggle, to change the lives of Indians forever. The theme of the forthcoming PBD Convention is “Engaging Disapora – Connecting across Generations”. The minister informed that one of the focus areas of this PBD is to organize a Youth PBD on 7th January 2014 and open new horizons of a strong network of young overseas Indians to contribute to India’s engagement with youth in all sectors.
The ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports will be the partner ministry for the event. It is in the fitness of things therefore, that there is a focus on youth PBD during the 12th edition of the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas, to be held in Delhi this time. The Minister highlighted the fact that Youth is an engine that drives the nation, and if we are to propel India to greater heights, we need to harness this energy. The Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh, will inaugurate the event. The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, will deliver the valedictory address on 9th January and confer the Pravasi Bhariya Samman Award. In the session focused on youth on 7th January, 2014, there will be a main session on “Aspiration of Diaspora Youth” followed by a concurrent session on “Sharing A Common Heritage”, “The Emotional Connect”, “Young Achievers” and on “Emerging India In A Dynamically Changing World”.
On 8th & 9th January 2014, there will be a Plenary Session on “India’s Growth & Development Agenda”, “India’s Soft Power”, and “Investment Opportunities In The States”. There will be concurrent exhibitions showcased with participation from State Governments, the Indian Corporate community, Financial Institutions, NGOs and other sectors. FICCI is the event manager for the high profile event. It is expected that participation is likely to be over 2000 delegates from our heterogeneous and diverse overseas Indian community spread across the globe.