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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.The GDP growth in the second quarter of the current financial year has been recorded at 7.6 per cent over the corresponding period of last financial year.

The performance of the infrastructure sector has also been impressive. In almost all sectors we have done well. During April-October, 2008, there has been a significant positive growth. To give a few examples, during this period, the National Highways Authority of India has constructed, widened and strengthened 1,238 kilometres of highways, which is significantly higher at 67.7 per cent over corresponding period in the year 2007, where the achievement was 738 kilometres. The telecommunications sector witnessed a growth of 72 per cent in switching capacity; 29.5 per cent in telephone connections and 24 per cent in cell phone connections over the corresponding period in the previous year. Similar impressive growth has also been recorded in petroleum, ports and railways sectors. The Indian community should take advantage of this robust growth for promoting the image of the country in the international fora.

India has been a victim of terrorism ever since Independence. The acts of terror which were confined to the border States of Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir in the initial few decades are now being perpetrated in other parts of the country. These attacks are aimed towards crippling a booming economy in our nation which has caused deep concern in the civilised world. We are confident that our country would face any challenge in its strident march towards progress and prosperity. There are about five million overseas Indians all over the world. They have contributed a great deal to the economic and social empowerment of their families back home, to the development of their communities and to the economic enrichment of our country. In recent years, the remittance inflows have increased impressively, rising from US $ 13 billion in 2001 to over US $ 30 billion in 2007. During the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, 2006, a universal electronic integrated remittance gateway was launched by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs in association with the UTI Bank as an affordable and efficient facility for remittance by overseas Indians.

The setting up of the Overseas Indian Facilitation Centre in New Delhi and Overseas Indian Development Fund have been some of the recent initiatives which would go a long way in catering to the needs of the Indian diaspora across the world. As a result of the awareness about the role of the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, more people are now seeking the Ministry’s assistance in tiding over specific issues that they face. A number of welfare measures for the benefit of expatriates have been extended by the Government and the opening of a 24-hour toll free helpline is one of them. The Government has established an India Development Foundation of Overseas Indians which would channel contributions that NRIs would like to send home for specific development projects. NRIs wishing to send money for philanthropic reasons can rest assured that their funds would be used for whatever purpose they desire and the Government would identify local NGOs to carry out the activities.

India is a land of diverse cultures, religions, languages and regions. Our strength lies in our unity in the midst of all these diversities. The idea of Indian-ness bonding us together within the country and across the globe is of utmost relevance today. Despite successfully assimilating in your adopted countries, you have managed to retain your strong bonds with India. The bond that the global Indians have maintained with India has led to the persistent demand for dual citizenship.

The Government of India has responded to this demand by launching the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) scheme to facilitate life long visa-free travel to India and provide certain economic, educational and cultural benefits. I am sure, by now over a million overseas Indian citizens have been able to derive the benefits conferred under the scheme. Yesterday, the honourable Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has announced that OCI card holders who are professionals in fields like medicine, engineering and law would be permitted to practice their professions in their motherland in addition to their adopted lands. Besides being one of the fastest growing economies, India is also a nation of young men and women bubbling with vigour and energy. You would have seen that every nation which makes significant economic progress has working age population as a high percentage of its total population.

In less than 15 years from now, India’s working age population would form a lion’s share of its total population. This gives us a chance to work to achieve higher productivity, savings and investments. To mutually benefit from this opportunity, I invite you all to join India’s march towards prosperity. We wish to benefit from your knowledge just as we wish all of you to benefit from the enormous opportunity that India offers.

The minister said,   The investment climate in the country in general is at its best today even at a time of economic crisis globally. I invite you to be active partners of a new India.