Kalam presents Pravasi Awards

New Delhi, Jan 9 (UNI) President A P J Abdul Kalam today presented the coveted "Pravasi Bharatiya Awards" to 15 prominent Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) in recognition of their contribution to different areas connected to their country of origin.

The highest of four awards went to PIOs from the United States.

The awards were given away at the concluding ceremony of the three-day "Pravasi Bharatiya Divas," attended by 1,200 delegates from 50 countries.

A Presidential notification naming the awardees was issued here last night.

The awardees are: Dr. M Anirudhan, Mr P Jayaraman, Mr Gopal Raju and Mr Nirmal K Sinha (all US), Dr B R Shetty and Mr Syed M Salahuddin (both UAE), Mr Billy Nair (South Africa), Dr Abdool Majid Abdool Karim Vakil (Portugal), Mr Tan Sri Dato' Somasundaram (Malaysia), Mr Feroze Nowrojee (Kenya), Mr Kenneth S Benjamin (Jamaica), Mr Siba Prata Roy (Germany), Mr Moti Tikaram (Fiji), Mr Dave Sujhdip Singh (Canada) and Lord Diljit Rana (UK).

UNI