• Government links Pravasi Divas with Kumbha mela and republic day

About:

• The 15th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas will be held in Varanasi in January next year and the Indian diaspora attending the event will also get an opportunity to participate in the ‘Kumbha Snan’ and attend the Republic Day parade.
• It is on the request of diaspora who were expressed interest in attending the Kumbha Mela in Allahabad and Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi, usually Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD) is held on January 9 every year.
• The government is touting the event as the first of its kind as the participants will witness the cultural heritage of Varanasi and of Allahabad during the Kumbha Mela.
• The event is jointly being organised by the Uttar Pradesh government and the Ministry of External Affairs.
• The theme of PBD 2019 is the “Role of Indian Diaspora in building a New India”.
• Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth will be chief guest for the January 22 main event while Norway leader Himanshu Gulati and New Zealand MP Charanjit Singh Bakshi will be special guests at the PBD event to be held on January 21.

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas:

• It is observed on 9 January by the India to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community towards the development of India. The day commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to Mumbai on 9 January 1915.
• The decision to celebrate Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was taken in accordance with recommendations of the High Level Committee (HLC) on the Indian Diaspora set up by government of India under the chairmanship of L. M. Singhvi
• Established in 2000, it is sponsored by the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the Confederation of Indian Industries and the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region.
• A celebratory event is held on 7–9 January every other year in an Indian city: a forum for issues concerning the Indian Diaspora is organised and the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards are given.
• The 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, which was supposed to be held during 7–9 January 2016 at New Delhi, was cancelled under the MEA’s decision to make the event biennial.
• The 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was held during 7–9 January 2017 at Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• The Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2018 was held during 6–7 January 2018 at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.
• The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (PBSA) is the highest honour conferred on overseas Indians.
• PBSA is conferred by the Hon’ble President of India as a part of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Conventions organized annually since 2003 on Non-Resident Indians, Persons of Indian Origin or an organization or institution established and run by the Non-Resident Indians or Persons of Indian Origin in recognition of their outstanding achievements both in India and abroad.