(a) whether the Government has 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh recently;
(b) if so, the details thereof along with the objectives of organizing Pravasi Bharatiya Divas;
(c) the number of participants participated in Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, Country-wise;
(d) the issues discussed during the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and the outcome thereof; and
(e) whether any assurance was received from the Indian Diaspora regarding investment in the Country and if so, the details thereof?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
[GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD)]
(a) Yes. The Government organised the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention from 21 to 23 January 2019 in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
(b) to (d) Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is a major flagship event of the Ministry, which is held once every two years to reach out and connect to the Indian Diaspora. The objective of this event is to strengthen the engagement of the overseas Indian community with the Government of India and reconnect the diaspora with their cultural roots. The convention also aims to celebrate the achievements of our eminent diaspora in their fields of excellence.
The Convention started with the celebration of the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on 21 January 2019, which was organized in partnership with the Ministry of Youth Affairs, and was specifically aimed at engaging with our young Indian Diaspora. Guest of Honour, Shri Himanshu Gulati ji, Member of Parliament from Norway and Special Guest, Shri. Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi, Member of Parliament from New Zealand graced the event.
On the second day, i.e. 22nd January 2019, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention. Prime Minister of Mauritius, Shri Pravind Kumar Jugnauth graced the event as the Chief Guest of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. A Cultural Evening themed “Ganga Avataran” showcasing the performance by Smt. Hema Malini was also organized for the delegates.
On the third day of the Convention, i.e. on 23 January 2019, Hon’ble President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind addressed the Valedictory Session of the PBD and conferred Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards to 30 eminent and distinguished Indian-origin individuals or organizations for their outstanding achievements in their chosen fields in India and abroad.
Total number of persons registered for the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas held at Varanasi is 7239, out of which 3121 were registered from foreign Countries.
The country wise break-up of the registration of persons from foreign countries is as follows:-
<pre>
Country
No: of Registrations
Afghanistan
1
Argentina
4
Australia
77
Bahrain
58
Bangladesh
1
Belgium
1
Bhutan
1
Botswana
6
British Indian Ocean Territory
1
Brunei Darussalam
1
Bulgaria
7
Cameroon
1
Canada
67
China
18
Cyprus
1
Denmark
4
Djibouti
1
Egypt
1
Equatorial Guinea
1
Fiji
48
Finland
1
France
38
Germany
9
Ghana
4
Guyana
31
Hong Kong
5
Iceland
2
Indonesia
8
Iran
1
Ireland
1
Israel
5
Italy
4
Jamaica
2
Japan
13
Jordan
1
Kazakhstan
1
Kenya
18
Kuwait
58
Latvia
3
Liberia
1
Libya
1
Liechtenstein
1
Luxembourg
2
Macedonia
1
Malawi
2
Malaysia
440
Maldives
3
Martinique
2
Mauritius
413
Mexico
1
Mozambique
4
Myanmar
11
Nepal
3
New Zealand
14
Nigeria
6
Norway
6
Oman
113
Palau
1
Papua New Guinea
1
Peru
2
Poland
7
Portugal
2
Qatar
156
Reunion
26
Romania
1
Russian Federation
4
Saudi Arabia
92
Seychelles
5
Sierra Leone
1
Singapore
74
Slovakia
1
South Africa
59
South Korea
4
Spain
5
Sri Lanka
13
Sudan
1
Suriname
21
Sweden
4
Switzerland
14
Tajikistan
2
Tanzania
2
Thailand
17
The Netherlands
16
Trinidad and Tobago
30
Tunisia
2
Uganda
6
United Arab Emirates
404
United Kingdom
120
United States
488
United States Minor Outlying Islands
2
Zambia
5
Others
4
Grand Total
3121
</pre>
(e) The 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas gave an important platform for the government to engage with the diaspora, and showcase its various flagship programmes and policies to the overseas Indians. During the event, the interaction led to an increased interest among the Diaspora in various investment opportunities in India. However, the objective of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is not to gain investment from the diaspora but to connect the diaspora with their Indian roots, and hence no formal assurance was asked from the Indian diaspora regarding investment in the country.
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