Pravasi Kaushal Vikas Yojana, Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Bengaluru

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced that the Government will shortly launch a skill development program – Pravasi Kaushal Vikas Yojana – targeted for Indian youth seeking overseas employment.

Addressing the main convention of 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Bengaluru, he urged the overseas Indian community to convert their PIO (Persons of Indian Origin) cards to OCI (Overseas Citizens of India) cards. He said the deadline has been extended for the conversion of cards from 31st December 2016 to 30th June 2017 without any penalty.

The Prime Minister said, Government is working to put in place procedures so that descendants of Girmitiyas can become eligible for OCI cards, which will be initiated with Mauritius. He added that the Centre is committed to address such difficulties of persons of Indian origin in Fiji, Suriname, Guyana and other Caribbean states. Modi said, from 1st January special counters have been set up at immigration points in Delhi and Bengaluru Airport for OCI card holders.

He conveyed that the Government wants to turn the brain drain into brain gain and the support of Non Resident Indians is very important in it. He also said that remittances close to 69 billion dollars annually by overseas Indians makes an invaluable contribution to Indian economy.

The prime minister held that the Indian diaspora is a valuable partner in India’s journey of development. “30 million Indians living abroad are valued not just for strength in numbers, but respected for contributions to India and the countries where they live,” he said.

Modi lauded the invaluable contribution made by NRIs to the Indian economy by sending close to 69 billion dollars in remittance. Acknowledging that the security of all Indians abroad as a top priority, the Prime Minister said that his government doesn’t look at the colour of the passport but their blood relationship with India.