Indian diaspora meet to begin tomorrow

By Staff
|
Google Oneindia News

New Delhi, Jan 6(UNI) India will highlight the massive investment potential for the overseas Indians in the education and health sectors against the booming economic scenario at the annual Diaspora meet beginning here tomorrow.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will declare open the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD)-2007 at 1100 hrs at a function at the majestic Vigyan Bhavan.

Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Prof S Jayakumar will be the Chief Guest at the fifth edition of the annual flagship event of the Overseas Indian Affairs ministry seeking to connect 25-million-strong Indian diaspora in 110 countries.

Indians in the United States and Malaysia will dominate the proceedings of the PBD, which will be attended by a total of 1,200 delegates. There would be 78 delegates from the Middle East, 40 from Canada, South Africa (22), Holland (20), Singapore (25), Mauritius (30), Europe (30), besides 180 from India.

About 50 per cent of the delegates today visited the venue and got their registration done.

OIA Minister Vayalar Ravi told UNI today that though there are 30-odd sessions during the three days, the focus would be on those of Education and Health Care.

The theme of this year's meet is 'Rooting for the roots -Meeting India's social development challenges'.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Commerce Minister Kamal Nath would attend the session and clear the doubts and concerns of the participants.

The session on Education would bring the focus on the education system in India and look at ways in which the Indian diaspora could participate in the revamping of the education infrastructure in India.

OIA ministry sources said education was made special focus because of the emergence of India as a major centre for quality education. The government also wanted to discuss the proposal to set up a university for the PIO and NRI children with full funding for the project coming from them.

The session on Health would deal with challenges and opportunities in India's Development in healthcare, that too in the context of the growing health tourism. This session would explore ways in which the Indian community residents abroad could also connect with India through their participation in making the average Indian healthier.

There will be separate sessions on Gulf, the US, Canada, South, South East and East Asia, Europe, Africa , Australia and Pacific and the Caribbean.

One of the Plenary sessions would discuss how to include the Indian diaspora in the planning for development and how to leverage their strength.

There would be a total of six Plenary sessions and 22 Working Group sessions.

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