14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2017

The Pravasi Kaushal Vikas Yojana

Question: The 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2017 Convention was held from 7 to 9 January, 2017 in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Who was the Chief Guest for this year’s convention?
(a) Donald Ramotar
(b) Dr. Antonio Costa
(c) Priti Patel
(d) None of these
Ans: (b)
Related facts:

  • From 7 to 9 January, 2017; The 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2017 Convention was held in Bengaluru in partnership with Karnataka.
  • The theme of this year is “Redefining Engagement with the Indian Diaspora.”
  • It’s organized by the Ministry of External affairs and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in collaboration with the Karnataka government.
  • In PBD -2017 about 8,000 delegates from 30 countries have participated.
  • Prime Minister of Portugal Dr. Antonio Costa was the Chief Guest for 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2017.
  • While the Vice President of Suriname, Shri Michael Ashwin Adhin partipated as special guest.
  • The first day of convention January 7 was celebrated as the Youth PBD-2017.
  • The inaugural session has theme “Role of Diaspora Youth in the Transformation of India.”
  • Youth PBD saw the participation of 160 Indian origin youth visiting under four of our “Know India” programs, 250 graduate and postgraduate students from the National Service Scheme and 200 students from Bengaluru College.
  • On 8 January, the PBD Convention was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Prime Minister.
  • On this occasion Prime Minister Narendra Modi also launched Pravasi Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PKVY).
  • It is skill development program targeted at Indian youth seeking overseas employment to make India the Skill Capital of the World.
  • On 9 January 2017 President Pranab Mukherjee conferred “Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award -2017” to 30 NRIs/organizations, these are:
    1. Dr. Gorur Krishna Harinath(Australia)-Community Service
    2. Mr. Rajasekharan Pillai Valavoor Kizhakkathil(Bahrain)-Business
    3. Antwerp Indian Association(Belgium)-Community Service
    4. Mr. Nazeer Ahamed Mohamed Zackiriah(Brunei)-Community Service
    5. Mr. Mukund Bhikhubhai Purohit(Canada)-Business
    6. Mr. Nalinkumar Sumanlal Kothari(Djibouti)-Community Service
    7. Mr. Vinod Chandra Patel(Fiji)-Social Service
    8. Mr. Raghunath Marie Antonin Manet(France)-Arts & Culture
    9. Dr. Lael Anson E. Best(Israel)-Medical Science
    10. Dr. Sandip Kumar Tagore(Japan)-Arts & Culture
    11. Mr. Ariful Islam(Libya)Community -Service
    12. Tan Sri Dato Dr. Muniandy Thambirajah(Malaysia)-Education and Community Service
    13. Hon’ble Mr. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth(Mauritius)-Public Service
    14. H.E. Mr. Antonio Luis Santos da Costa(Portugal) Public Service
    15. Dr. Raghavan Seetharaman(Qatar)-Business Management
    16. Ms. Zeenat Musarrat Jafri(Saudi Arabia)-Education
    17. Singapore Indian Association(Singapore)-Community Service
    18. Dr. Carani Balaraman Sanjeevi(Sweden)-Medicine
    19. Mr. Susheel Kumar Saraff(Thailand)-Business
    20. Mr. Winston Chandarbhan Dookeran(Trinidad & Tobago)-Public Service
    21. Mr. Vasudev Shamdas Shroff(United Arab Emirates)-Community Service
    22. India Social and Cultural Centre, Abu Dhabi(United Arab Emirates)-Philanthropy and Community Service
    23. Rt. Hon’ble Ms. Priti Patel(United Kingdom)-Public Service
    24. Ms. Neena Gill(United Kingdom)-Public Service
    25. Mr. Hari Babu Bindal(USA)-Environmental Engineering
    26. Dr. Bharat Haridas Barai(USA)-Community Service
    27. Ms. Nisha Desai Biswal(USA)-Public Affairs
    28. Dr. Mahesh Mehta(USA)-Community Service
    29. Mr. Ramesh Shah(USA)-Community Service
    30. Dr. Sampatkumar Shidramapa Shivangi(USA)-Community Leadership
  • PBD has been held traditionally on 9th January every year to commemorate the return of Mahatma Gandhi as a Pravasi from South Africa to India on 9 January 1915.
  • The Day was established in 2003.

Reference:
http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=156091
http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=156225
http://www.pmindia.gov.in/en/news_updates/pms-address-at-the-inauguration-of-the-14th-pravasi-bharatiya-divas-convention-in-bengaluru/?comment=disable