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Prathima Nandakumar
Prathima Nandakumar

PBD - 2017

Modi woos NRIs, says they are role models for other communities

India Overseas Indians Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during the 14th edition of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Bengaluru | AP

Home should never be far away. Safety of Indian diaspora is of utmost important to us, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Bengaluru on Sunday. 

Reassuring the Non-resident Indians (NRIs) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) that his government was committed to the welfare and safety of all Indian nationals living abroad, he said, “Whether it is on loss of their passports, need for legal advice, medical assistance, shelter, or even transportation of mortal remains to India, I have directed all Indian embassies to be proactive. Sushmaji (External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj) has been proactive and prompt in reaching out to distressed Indians through social media too.”

“Hum passport ka colour nahi, khoon ka rishta dekhte hai. (we don't see the colour of the passport but our blood relation). We help all. We have evacuated 150 from South Sudan and thousands in Yemen. In the last two years, 2014-2016, we facilitated the repatriation of over ninety thousand Indian nationals from nearly 54 countries. Through the Indian Community Welfare Fund, we have assisted more than eighty thousand Indian nationals abroad who were in contingency situations,” said Modi. 

Announcing a new scheme – Pravasi Kaushal Vikas Yojana – a soft skills development programme for young Indians seeking overseas employment, Modi said, “The unskilled workers will be trained in softskills to get better wages abroad as we want them to go well trained and feel secure. We have streamlined systems to safeguard immigration of Indian workers. About six lakh emigrants have been granted emigration clearance online for overseas employment through registered recruitment agents.

Online registration of foreign employers on e-Migrate portal has been made mandatory. e-Migrate and MADAD platforms address the grievances and petitions of Indian migrant workers to curb illegal recruitment agent menace in India, provision for prosecution sanctions by the CBI or state police against illegal agents and increase in bank guarantee by recruiting agent from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 50 lakh have been made.”

“The deadline to avail OCI card without penalty has been extended to June 30, 2017, and special immigration counters have been set up at Delhi and Bengaluru airports to begin with. Starting with Mauritius, we will soon ensure descendants of Girmitiyas are eligible for OCI cards. Similar difficulties of PIOs in Fiji, Reunion Islands, Suriname, Guyana and other Carribean states will be addressed,” said Modi. 

The prime minister, who began his speech condoling the passing away of former President and Prime Minister of Portugal Mario Soares, welcomed the current Prime Minister Dr Antonio Costa and Vice President of Surinam Michael Ashwin Adhin, both persons of Indian origin. 

What binds us all together is 'Bharatiyata' (Indianness),” said Modi hailing the Indian diaspora for its achievement on foreign soil. “There are 30 million Indians abroad. Around 69 billion dollars is remitted annually by overseas Indians. But they are valued not for their large numbers but their valued contribution to diverse fields. They best represent the Indian cultural ethos and are role model for other immigrant communities. There is new energy among the diaspora to connect with India's social and economic transformation. It is not brain drain but brain gain.”

“Nearly seven lakh Indian students are pursuing academic programs abroad. The soon-to-be-launched Visiting Adjunct Joint Research Faculty (VAJRA) scheme will enable NRI and overseas scientific community to participate and contribute to research and development in India. Under the scheme, an overseas Indian can work for one to three months in an institution in India,” said Modi. 

Elaborating on the recent initiatives to engage the global Indian, Modi said, “We want the Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra in Delhi to emerge as a symbol of global migration, achievements and aspirations of the diaspora. We have launched Know India Programme, where young NRIs can visit India to reconnect with their roots, the Bharat Ko Jaaniye quiz that saw 5,000 NRI youths last year and hopes to reach out to 50,000 to foster stronger bond. FDI is fully liberalised. A second definition to FDI is First Develop India. Investments made by PIOs will now be deemed as domestic investment at par with that of resident Indians. We encourage PIOs to invest in our flagship programmes like Namami Gange, Swachch Bharat, Digital and Startup India. ”

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Topics : #Narendra Modi

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