Despite the current COVID epidemic, the 16th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Conference is being organized on 9 January 2021 in the country.
Important facts about Pravasi Bharatiya Divas:
- Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is organized on 9 January to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community in the development of India.
- The PBD Conference is a major event of the Ministry of External Affairs and it provides an important platform to connect and establish relationships with Indians living abroad.
- This program has been regularized since the year 2003.
- The format of the event was revised in the year 2015 and since then PBD Conference is organized once every two years.
- The theme of PBD Conference 2021 is “Contribution to Self-reliant India”.
Reason for celebrating Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on 9 January:
January 9 has been chosen to celebrate PBD, as Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa on this day in 1915 and changed the lives of Indians forever by leading India’s freedom struggle.
Importance:
- This conference provides a platform for the overseas Indian community to engage with the people of the land of the Government of India and their ancestors and for mutually beneficial activities.
- These conferences are also very useful for networking among the diaspora community living in different parts of the world and enable them to share their experiences in various fields.
Source: The Hindu