–to receive prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award

THE High Commission of India has announced that the Government of India will be hosting Guyana’s President, Dr Irfaan Ali, as the Chief Guest of the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention (Indian Diaspora Day), which will be held from 8-10 January 2023 at Indore, Madhya Pradesh.

High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr K J Srinivasa, in a statement, conveyed that “Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is commemorated on January 9 – the day when Mahatma Gandhi returned from South Africa to India in 1915.

To mark this day, the tradition of celebrating the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (Indian Diaspora Day) started in 2003. The first Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention was organised on January 9, 2003 to mark the contributions of the overseas Indian community to the development of India. Since 2015, under a revised format, Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention has been organised every two years.

Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention was conducted in a virtual setting, under the theme, “Contribution to Atmanirbhar Bharat” in 2021. In 2023, the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention will be held with the theme: “Diaspora: Reliable Partners for India’s Progress in Amrit Kaal.”

In a message during the online inauguration for the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention, External Affairs Minister of India, Dr. S Jaishankar, stated: “Even during testing times of the pandemic, our Diaspora displayed great devotion and commitment towards their motherland.

“During the forthcoming 17th PBD Convention, the diaspora will have the opportunity and the platform to share its ideas and sentiments about India’s future development.”
He invited and urged all diaspora brothers and sisters to visit India and participate in the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention in 2023.

The 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention programme will involve a Youth PBD Convention on January 8, 2023, for diaspora youth.
Member of Parliament from Australia, Zaneta Mascarenhas, will be the Guest of Honour for the Youth PBD Convention which will involve active participation of all the diaspora youth in seminars, plenary sessions, cultural programmes, among other things.

The 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention will be inaugurated on January 9, 2023, jointly by Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, and Dr. Ali.
The programme will include a PBD inaugural session, plenary sessions, cultural programme as well as a lunch hosted by the Prime Minister of India and dinner hosted by the External Affairs Minister of India.

The second-day deliberations will include plenary sessions, a valedictory session and a Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award ceremony. The award ceremony will be graced by the presence of Smt. Droupadi Murmu, President of the Republic of India.

The Government of India will be bestowing the Guyanese President with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award during the ceremony. Dr Ali is of Indian diaspora origin from the Uttar Pradesh/Bihar region of India and also studied in India during 2002- 2003.

It may be recalled that former Presidents of Guyana, Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar were Chief Guests of previous Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Conventions and were bestowed with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards in 2004 and 2015 respectively.

The plenary sessions of the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention 2023 will be based on the following themes:
• Plenary Session I: Role of Diaspora Youth in Innovation and New Technologies
• Plenary Session II: Harnessing the Potential of Women Diaspora Entrepreneurs towards an inclusive Approach to Nation Building
• Plenary Session III: Leveraging the Soft Power of India – Goodwill through Craft, Culture & Creativity
• Plenary Session IV: Exploring Links between Skills and Migration Trends of Indian Workers Abroad
• Plenary Session V: Role of Indian Diaspora in promoting India’s Healthcare Ecosystem in the Amrit Kaal: Vision @2047.

High Commissioner Srinivasa said: “India and Guyana are currently strengthening their partnership in many sectors including healthcare, pharma, infrastructure, energy, agriculture, renewable energy, education, capacity building and skills development.

“The Pravasi Bharatiya Convention 2023 will provide a huge platform for further solidifying this relationship [and] will also provide opportunities to promote Guyana as an investment destination in India.”