Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas - Introduction & Significance (UPSC GS-II Notes)

Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas (Non-Resident Day) is a biennial event held in January, to commemorate the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa on 9th January 1915. This day marks the contribution of the overseas Indian community towards the country’s development. The below article shares some important facts and features about Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas.

Aspirants would find this article very helpful while preparing for the IAS Exam.

Aspirants should begin their preparation by solving UPSC Previous Year Question Papers now!!

To complement your preparation for the upcoming exam, check the following links:

Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas 2024

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi extended his greetings to the people on the occasion of the 18th Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas on 9 Jan 2024. The Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas is the flagship event of the Ministry of External Affairs.

Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas 2023

The 17th edition of the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas was inaugurated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 9th January in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. The Prime Minister remarked that the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is special in numerous ways as India completed 75 years of its independence only recently. He also informed that the first-ever digital PBD Exhibition on the theme ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ has also been organised.

The theme of the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is “Diaspora: Reliable partners for India’s progress in Amrit Kaal”.

  • First Plenary on ‘Role of Diaspora Youth in Innovations and new Technologies’, was chaired by Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports, Anurag Singh Thakur.
  • Second Plenary on ‘Role of Indian Diaspora in promoting Indian Healthcare Eco-system in Amrit Kaal: Vision @2047’, was chaired by Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya and co-chaired by Minister of State for External Affairs, Dr Rajkumar Ranjan Singh.
  • Third Plenary on ‘Leveraging the soft power of India – Goodwill through craft, cuisine & creativity’,  was chaired by Minister of State for External Affairs, Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi.
  • Fourth Plenary on ‘Enabling global mobility of Indian workforce – Role of Indian Diaspora’, was chaired by Minister of Education, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan.
  • Fifth Plenary on ‘Harnessing the potential of diaspora entrepreneurs towards an inclusive approach to nation building’, was chaired by Minister of Finance, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman.
  • All the Plenary Sessions will feature panel discussions inviting eminent diaspora experts.

The 17th PBD Convention holds significance as it is being organised as a physical event after a gap of four years and the first after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The last PBD Convention in 2021 was held virtually during the Pandemic

PBD 2021  – Features

Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas (PBD 2020)  – Non-Resident Day
When did it take place? on 9th January the 16th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention was being organised despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic
Where was PBD 2020 celebrated? It was celebrated virtually in New Delhi and the Chief Guest was President of Suriname Chandrikapersad Santokhi.
What is the main theme of the Convention? The theme was “Contributing to Aatmanirbhar Bharat”.
What are the major attractions of the 16th PBD Convention? In the context of the 75th Anniversary of India’s Freedom (2021) the PM asked the members of the diaspora and people in the Indian Missions world over to prepare a portal, a digital platform where the contribution of the Pravasi Bharatiyas in the freedom struggle of India can be documented.

30 Winners of the Pravasi Bhartiya Samman Award 2021 were felicitated,

Fifteen winners of the Bharat ko Janiye Quiz were announced during the PBD convention and will be invited for an India Tour (Bharat ko Janiye Darshan) after Covid.

Pravasi Bhartiya Samman Award – 

  • It is the highest honour conferred on a Non-Resident Indian, Person of Indian Origin; or an organisation or institution established and run by Non-Resident Indians or Persons of Indian Origin, who have made significant contribution in better understanding of India abroad, support India’s causes and concerns in a tangible way, community work abroad, welfare of local Indian community, philanthropic and charitable work, etc.

Bharat ko Janiye Quiz –

  • It was launched in 2015-16 in order to strengthen the engagement with young overseas Indians (18-35) and encourage them to know more about their country of origin.

Check out the following links that are relevant for the preparation of the upcoming UPSC Civil Services exam-

Indian Diaspora Meaning and Facts Overseas Citizenship Scheme – OCI Card and Eligibility Policy Framework For Diaspora
Financial Services and Overseas Indian Community Citizenship of India National Register of Citizens
Important Acts in India Citizens’ Charter Constitution of India
Migration – Human Migration in India Citizenship Amendment Act 2019  Difference between Nationality and Citizenship

Key Facts about Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas for IAS Exam

Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas – Non-Resident Day
When did it start?
  • The first time it was observed in 2003, however, and it was made a biennial event from 2015 and has been celebrated in (2015,2017,2019)
  • 2021 will mark the next Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas 
Why is the Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas important? It commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa. He returned on 9th January 1915 to India. 
Who sponsors the celebratory day?
  • Ministry of External Affairs
  • Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)
  • Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
  • Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region
When and how is it celebrated?
  • The celebration starts on the 7th of January and goes till 9th January, sometimes on other dates too
  • To represent and concerning Indian diaspora, a forum is organised and at the same, Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards are given. 
Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas 2006
Where is the Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas celebrated? Every other year, the Government of India(MEA), selects an Indian city to observe this day. 
Names of Indian cities where the day was observed from 2015-2019 The following cities were selected to mark the day:

  • Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas 2015 – Gandhinagar, Gujarat 
  • Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas 2017 – Bengaluru, Karnataka
  • Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas 2019 – Varanasi, India
15th PBD Theme (Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas 2019) Role of Indian Diaspora in building New India

Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas – UPSC Notes:- Download PDF Here

The above details would help candidates prepare for UPSC 2022.

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