The second day of the 17th edition of the 'Pravasi Bharatiya Divas' convention will commence with an opening statement by Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar. The convention is being held in Madhya Pradesh's Indore. It will conclude on January 10.
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On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver the keynote address, marking the start of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention. The chief guest at the event will be President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana Dr Mohamed, Irfaan Ali, while the special guest of honour will be Republic of Suriname President Chandrikapersad Santokhi.
To emphasise the need of safe, legal, orderly, and skilled migration, a commemorative postal stamp titled 'Surakshit Jaayen, Prashikshit Jaayen' will be issued. According to an official, the Prime Minister will also unveil the first-ever digital PBD exhibition on the topic 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav- Contribution of Diaspora in Indian Freedom Struggle' to emphasise the role of diaspora freedom fighters in India's independence.
In light of India's current G20 presidency, a special town hall will be held on Monday. The Group of 20 (G20) is an international forum comprised of the world's biggest industrialised and developing nations. Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union are all members (EU).
More than 3,500 diaspora members from 70 countries will attend the conference, which is being held in person for the first time since 2019.
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the 16th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) conference was conducted virtually in 2021. The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is observed on January 9 to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi's arrival in Mumbai from South Africa on that date in 1915.
Since 2015, the conference has been held every two years to commemorate the contribution of the overseas Indian community to the nation's progress. The 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas conference is being organised by the Centre in collaboration with the Madhya Pradesh government.