By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: Day 2: 09 January 2025, Inauguration of the 18th PBD Convention:
Opening by the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, in the presence of the Chief Guest of the convention.
Prime Minister will remotely flag-off the inaugural journey of the Pravasi Bharatiya Express, a special Tourist Train for the Indian diaspora, which will depart from the Nizamuddin Railway Station in Delhi and would travel to multiple destinations of touristic and religious importance in India for a period of three weeks. The Pravasi Bharatiya Express will be conducted under the Pravasi Teertha Darshan Yojana of the Ministry of External Affairs.
Prime Minister will also inaugurate four exhibitions at the 18th PBD Convention as follows:
(i) Vishwaroop Ram – The Universal Legacy of Ramayana: This exhibition would present the timeless epic of Ramayana through a curated juxtaposition of traditional and contemporary art forms.
(ii) Diaspora’s Contribution to Technology and Viksit Bharat. This exhibition would acknowledge the contributions of the Indian diaspora to the development of technology in the world.
(iii) Spread and Evolution of Indian diaspora in the world with special focus on Mandvi to Muscat. This exhibition will showcase rare documents of people who had migrated from Mandvi in Gujarat to Muscat in Oman.
(iv) Heritage and Culture of Odisha: The exhibition will showcase the rich heritage and cultural traditions of Odisha through its different art and craft forms and highlight its illustrious legacy.
Day 3: 10 January 2025
Valedictory Session:
– Closing remarks by the President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, along with the presentation of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards.
Plenary Sessions (Day 2 & Day 3):
Diaspora Youth Leadership: Harnessing youth leadership in a globalized world.
Migrant Skills: Stories of building bridges and breaking barriers.
Sustainable Development: Contributions of the diaspora to green initiatives.
Women’s Leadership: Celebrating Nari Shakti and the influence of diaspora women.
Cultural Connections: Stories of belonging and cultural dialogue.
The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) celebrated once in two years on 9th January is a significant event that honors the contributions of the Indian diaspora to their homeland. The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention was first established in 2003 under the government of then Prime Minister Late Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, as a platform to recognize and engage with the overseas Indian community.
The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is the flagship event of the Ministry of External Affairs. It is held in different cities, to showcase the diversity and progress of different regions of India. Since 2015, it has evolved into a biennale event, with theme-based conferences held in the intervening years. This format allows for more focused discussions on specific areas of interest and provides opportunities for networking among the global Indian diaspora.
