Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) on January nine in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. The day commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to India in 1915 and the tradition of celebrating PBD started in 2003. It marks the contribution of the overseas Indian community to the development of the motherland. The Divas is organized once every two years and the theme of the 17th PBD beginning January 8 and ending January ten is “Diaspora: Reliable Partners for India’s Progress in Amrit Kaal.”
India has received over 3,500 registrations from nearly 70 countries and the President of Guyana will be the chief guest, Secretary(CPV and OIA), Ministry of External Affairs Ausaf Sayeed said here on Thursday.
The first day of the 17th edition will be the - Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. One of the plenary sessions in the convention will be on “Role of Diaspora Youth in Innovation and New Technologies”, he said.