• On 21st January 2019, the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was inaugurated in partnership with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.


• Following this, the Government of Uttar Pradesh shall also organize the 15th State Pravasi Bhartiya Divas.


• The event was inaugurated by Hon. Prime Minister Shri Narender Modi on January 22, 2019.


• Hon. President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, delivered the Valedictory address and conferred the citizens with Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards.


• This event was graced with the presence of Mr. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Prime Minister of Mauritius as the chief guest.


• Shri Narendra Modi has also invited Mr. Himanshu Gulati, Member of Parliament of Norway as the special guest to the event.


• Besides, Mr. Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi, Member of Parliament of New Zealand was present as the Guest of Honor.


• All the information about the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards is available on pbsaward@mea.gov.in

• Pravasi Bhartiya Divas Convention was organized in reverence to the sentiments of the larger diaspora community.

Diaspora : the dispersion of any people from their original homeland

• The 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention provides an essential platform to connect and engage the diaspora overseas.


• The theme of this flagship event is 'Role of Indian Diaspora in building a New India'.


• With the idea of increasing the involvement of the community in the event, the event was organized in the holy city of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.


• Usually, the event is celebrated on January 9. This day marks the return of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation, from South Africa to Mumbai in India. In this way, the day marks the contribution of the overseas Indian community in the development of India.

• The day was first formally introduced in 2003.


• Since then, the celebrations have been sponsored by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

Pravasi Bhartiya Samman Awards:
The highest honor that can be conferred on overseas Indians is the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards.
Non-resident Indians, Persons of Indian Origin or institutions established and those run by the Non-Resident Indians or an organization or Persons of Indian origin are conferred with this award for there contribution in the following fields:

• People who have established a better understanding of India overseas,


• People who extend support to India’s causes and concerns in a tangible way,


• People who support social and humanitarian causes in India and abroad,


• People who build closer links between overseas Indian community and India, and also their country of residence and India,


• People to work for the welfare of the local Indian community,


• People who contribute to charitable and philanthropic work,


• People who are known for their contribution in any field or outstanding job and have enhanced India's prestige in the country of residence,


• People who are eminent in skills and have improved India's influence in the country for non-professional workers.

The awards are conferred during the Pravasi Bhartiya Samman Awards ceremony.
For the Pravasi Bhartiya Samman Awards 2019, self-nomination has also been allowed. In this case, the applicants must submit the completed nomination form to the Ministry of External Affairs.