Prime Minister to inaugurate (NRI) Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas 2007

New Delhi, Jan 05, 2007
Col. Har krishan
NRI press

The Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs, Shri Vayalar Ravi informed that the Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh will be inaugurating the Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas 2007 (PBD 2007) on Sunday the 7th of January 2007. He said that the valedictory session of PBD 2007 would be addressed by the President of India Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam alongwith conferment of Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award by Rashtrapatiji on 9 January 2007.

Addressing the curtain raiser press conference here today, he further said,Jayakumar, Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore will be the Chief Guest of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2007. Dato Sri S Samy Vellu, Cabinet Minister of Works, Government of Malaysia & President, Malaysian Indian Congress, will be leading large Malaysian delegation for PBD 2007. Many Overseas Ministers are attending PBD 2007 and will speak in different sessions. These dignitaries include Mr. Balaji Sadasivan (Singapore), Mr. Madan Murli Dulloo (Mauritius), Mr. Dato G Palanivel (Malaysia) and Mr. Harinder Takhar (Canada).

Shri Ravi also informed that at present delegates from 47 countries have already registered. He added that near about 1500 delegates are expected to attend the 5th Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas. he said that the PBD-2007 is being organized to connect more than 25 million overseas Indians and to bring the expertise and knowledge of the Indian overseas community to India and integrating it into India’s development process.

Shri. Ravi also said 14 States are participating in the exhibition (Haryana, Delhi, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Bihar, MP, Kerala, Gujarat, UP, Uttaranchal, Tamil Nadu, and A.P). More States are expected to confirm their participation in the Exhibition.

The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is the annual flagship event of the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs. The forthcoming PBD is being organized with the institutional partnership of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi is the states partner.

Theme of the Fifth PBD is ‘Rooting for the roots – Meeting India’s Social development Challenges’ with the objective to encourage Overseas Indians to be part of the socio-economic development of India. The focus will be on social areas and issues. The Union governments and State governments will be fully involved in the sessions so that participants can directly interact with government representatives and address their concerns and have exposure to the governments programmes for the common man and how they could be involved in these.The focus areas are Education, Healthcare, Women, Youth, Investment. There will be 30 sessions on variety of topics where a large number of Speakers from India as well as Diaspora Countries are going to participate. There will be Regional Sessions on Gulf, USA, Canada, South, South East and East Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia Pacific and Caribbean. ...PKM