18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention begins at Bhubaneswar : EAM Jaishankar says India is on the way to build a modern and progressive society.

By B.Maharana
Bhubaneswar, January 08
Government of India’s flagship event the three-day 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention began at Bhubaneswar, the state capital of Odisha on Wednesday. The celebration got started with the organization of Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in the first session. The of theme of 18th convention is ‘diaspora’s Contribution to a Viksit Bharat’.
The event is being celebrated to mark the contribution of overseas Indian community to the development of India. The PBD conventions provide a platform for the government to engage overseas Indians from different countries on key issues concerning the Indian Diaspora, besides the networking opportunities for diaspora participants.
Addressing the Youth Pravasi Bhartiya Divas Convention, jointly organised by the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and Odisha Government, the External Affairs Minister Dr.S Jaisksankar said India has just started a journey towards ‘Viksit Bharat’ in the Amrit Kaal.
Jaishankar said India is on the way to addressing longstanding challenges to build a modern, inclusive and progressive society. He said ‘our quest is unique because the largest nation in the world is developing in that manner in a democratic framework.
The Minister stressed that the mantra of that journey is to advance, as Prime Minister Modi says, advance on the two legs of technology and tradition. Dr Jaishankar also said youth can surely be the defining factor in the pace of that endeavour and the realisation of our goals.
He added that this is an endeavour which is very much about the future generation. In this period, the youths will come to the front ranks of our society and lead our nation. He said a large part of the Government is to give the right motivation to the younger generation to accelerate their efforts.
The Minister remarked that given the rapidity of changes underway, it is also essential that we step up efforts to keep the diaspora continuously connected. Union Ministers Kirti Vardhan Singh, Pabitra Margherita, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Raksha Nikhil Khadse and Chief Minister of Odisha Mohan Charan Majhi attended the Convention.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi will formally inaugurate the PBD Convention tomorrow morning.
President of India Draupadi Murmu will be the Chief guest in the valedictory session of the convention Friday. The President will also confer the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman upon members of the Indian diaspora to recognise their achievement in various fields.
Over six thousand NRIs from around 75 countries are participating in the PBD convention.