Separate awards for Pravasi workers to be considered from next year
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The President Mrs. Pratibha Devisingh Patil has called for better regulatory systems and "best practices" in the management of capital markets as well as in fiscal policy. In her valedictory speech at the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas in Chennai, Mrs Patil underlined that sustainable economic growth is far too important to be left entirely to the market.
The President called for a more inclusive and participative global financial architecture with restructuring of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. She said, this is required to prevent the recurrence of economic crises in the future.
Mrs. Patil said, the absence of regulation can and does create hazards. Global financial markets need a coherent set of transparent rules for all of the participants in order to have a fair and orderly market.
Mrs Patil pointed out that India has an effective capital market regulator and a strong central bank and the growth impetus of the Indian economy stems essentially from its large and growing domestic market. The President said, India is seeking to bridge the infrastructure deficit and to achieve energy security, food security and human welfare security in a climate of a global slowdown but at the same time affirmed that India has the capacity to grow even in these difficult times.
Emphasising that India offers the opportunity to invest in a stable and growing market, she invited overseas Indians to benefit from the various economic opportunities that India offers, particularly in infrastructure. She called upon the diaspora to join in India’s efforts to reduce disparities, poverty, inequity and the knowledge divide between the 'haves' and the 'have - nots'.
Paying tributes to the common citizens, policemen, firemen and special forces who laid down their lives in the Mumbai attack, Mrs. Patil said, NRI investment in India will also be a strong rebuff to the terrorists who attacked Mumbai.
Commending the role of over five million overseas Indian workers who remit to India about US $ 10 to 12 billion annually, she asked the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs to consider to institute a separate set of awards from next year to recognize their contribution. She said, the Government could also look at innovative approaches to channelise foreign remittances, especially of workers for productive investment.
The President said, India is proud of the Diaspora whose is a story of ordinary people with extraordinary courage and enterprise after travelling to distant lands.
The President gave away the Pravasi Bhartiya Samman awards for 2009 to 13 eminent personalities from across the world including the Vice President of Surinam, Mr Ramdien Sardjoe and the Vice President of Mauritius, Mr Angidi Veeriah Chettiar. In his acceptance speech, Mr. Chettiar said that persons of Indian origin cherish their links with India and find the awards a great honour.
The Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Mr. Vayalar Ravi described the PBD-2009 as a watershed event where the language and cultural linkages between the diaspora and India were strengthened. He said partnerships forged during the convention will be converted to real projects and programmes.
The Tamil Nadu Governor Mr. Surjeet Singh Barnala in his speech, lauded the overseas Indians for helping to create a ‘Brand India’ and highlighted the investment potential in the state, particularly in the infrastructure sector.
Source: The Economic Times |
| AR/MJS Special Fund Launched to Help Indian Overseas Workers in Distress |
The Government has set up a Fund for the welfare of the overseas Indian workers in distress in foreign countries. The Fund has become operational at Indian Missions in all the 17 Emigration Clearance Required (ECR) Countries from 1st of January this year. The countries are United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Malaysia, Libya, Jordan, Yemen, Sudan, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Syria, Lebanon, Thailand, and Iraq. The Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) has been established by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs.
The Fund will provide the following services: boarding and lodging for distressed overseas Indians in household / domestic sectors and unskilled labourers; expenditure on incidentals and for airlifting the mortal remains to India or local cremation/burial of the deceased overseas Indian in such cases where a sponsor is unable or unwilling to do so as per the contract and the family is unable to meet the cost; extending emergency medical care to the overseas Indians in need; providing air passage to stranded overseas Indians in need and providing initial legal assistance to the overseas Indians in deserving cases. The contingency expenditure incurred by the Indian Missions abroad for carrying out these welfare activities will be met by MOIA.
The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs will provide the budgetary support for the Fund. This will be in proportion to the size of Indian workforce subject to a maximum of Rs. 15 lakh each for Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain and Malaysia. For the remaining 10 ECR countries, an amount of Rs. 5 lakh each will be granted. The MOIA contribution will be initially for 3 years or till the period the Fund becomes self sustaining whichever is earlier. The other sources of funding of ICWF will be from funds raised by the Indian Missions by levying a service charge on consular services and voluntary contribution by Indian community. The Heads of Missions are authorized to administer the Fund. They may decide releasing financial assistance based on merits of each case received by them.
Overseas Indian workers are estimated at over 5 million, with a net outflow of about a million each year excluding returnees. A significant number of overseas Indian workers are women. The vast majority of these workers are temporary migrants and 90 percent of them work in the Gulf. These workers often face difficult living and working conditions in the host countries and they approach the Indian Missions for help. There have been a large number of cases of Indian workers not being taken care of by their sponsors / employers and seeking assistance from the Indian Missions. In order to look after the welfare of such workers, until such time their problems are solved, expenditure is required to be incurred on food, shelter, attestation of legal documents for death compensation and occasional hiring of casual staff as caretakers to look after their welfare. |
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Three new universities for children of NRI would be setup: G K Vasan
Shri G K Vasan, Minister of State (Independent charge), Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation said that the Government of India has plans for setting up three new universities for the benefit of the children of NRIs and PIOs. While addressing at the Regional Session on Carribean at the 7th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, 2009 today at Chennai, he informed that the first of these universities to be located at Bangalore is expected to be operational by the year 2010. These universities would have a reservation of 50 per cent seats for NRIs and PIOs. The Government has also increased the number of scholarships to 120 to facilitate unhindered access to higher education for children of NRIs and PIOs who are not economically well off in their adopted lands, the Minister added.
Following is the text of the Minister’s address on the occasion:
At the outset, I extend to you all a very warm welcome to India and especially to my home State, Tamil Nadu. I am sure, you would enjoy the hospitality of Chennai and carry happy memories of your stay here.
It is a privilege for me to participate in this Session of this year’s Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. It is a matter of honour that I am taking part in the Regional Session on Carribeans when we have the Vice President of Suriname as the Chief Guest at the Inaugural Session. I am happy to see this afternoon a large number of Indian diaspora professionals who have distinguished themselves in their adopted homelands. By your presence here, besides enhancing the prestige of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, you have also exhibited the importance you attach to your roots in your motherland.
The United Progressive Alliance Government, led by Dr. Manmohan Singh has taken many initiatives ever since assuming office in the year 2004. The formation of the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs is one of such initiatives to mitigate the problems being faced by Indians living abroad, to serve the cause of the Indian diaspora in general and to facilitate the Indian community in other countries to contribute for the welfare of their brothers and sisters in India in a better manner. The positioning of a Cabinet Minister at the helm of affairs of this Ministry represents the continuing commitment to address issues relating to overseas Indians across the world meaningfully.
The presence of Indian diaspora spans about 130 countries in eight different regions of the world at an approximate strength of 30 million. India today is proud of its diaspora. You have all risen to positions of eminence in the fields of your chosen activity. Representatives of Indian diaspora have become Heads of State, Nobel Laureates, captains of industry, astronauts and sports icons in their adopted homelands. Their contributions are well recognised in their native land, in the land of their domicile, and across the world. It is a matter of immense pleasure for me to welcome you all to our great country.
India today is a resilient economy unaffected by the global economic meltdown, thanks to the caution exercised in implementing economic reforms. Here, I would like to quote some statistics. Full Text
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