Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention is 'great opportunity' to interact with diaspora, says PM Modi

Ahead of the inauguration of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) convention on January 9, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that event will be a ''great opportunity'' to interact with the Indian diaspora.

"At 10:30 am tomorrow, 9th January will address the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention. This is a great opportunity to interact with our vibrant diaspora," Prime Minister Modi tweeted.

PBD convention is the flagship event of the Ministry of External Affairs and provides an important platform to engage and connect with overseas Indians, according to an official release.

In view of the sentiments of our vibrant diaspora community, the 16th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention is being orgsed on January 9, despite the ongoing covid pandemic. The Convention will be held in a virtual format, as were the PBD Conferences held recently in the run-up to the Convention. The theme of the 16th PBD Convention 2021 is "Contributing to Aatmrbhar Bharat".

The PBD Convention will feature a keynote address by the Chief Guest, Chandrikapersad Santokhi, President of the Republic of Suriname. The winners of the online Bharat ko Jye Quiz for the youth will also be announced, the release said.

The inaugural session will be followed by the two plenary sessions. The first plenary on Role of Diaspora in Aatmrbhar Bharat will feature addresses by External Affairs Minister and Commerce and Industry Minister while the second plenary on Facing Post covid Challenges - Scenario in Health, Economy, Social and International Relations, will be addressed by Minister of Health and Minister of State for External Affairs. Both Plenaries will feature panel discussions inviting eminent diaspora experts.

The finale would be the valedictory session where President Ram Nath Kovind will deliver his valedictory address to mark the occasion of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.

The names of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awardees for 2020-21 will also be announced. Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards are conferred to select Indian diaspora members to recognize their achievements and honour their contributions to various fields, both in India and abroad.

The youth PBD will also be celebrated virtually on the theme "Bringing together Young Achievers from India and Indian Diaspora" on January 8, 2021, and will be anchored by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The Special Guest for the event is Priyanca Radhakrishnan, Minister for Community and Voluntary Sector of New Zealand.

( With inputs from ANI )