Bhubaneswar: Odisha for the first time is hosting Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) convention, celebrated once in every two years to strengthen the engagement of the overseas Indian community with the Government of India and reconnect them with their cultural roots.
The 18th edition of 3-day convention is being held in Bhubaneswar, starting Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Union Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, and Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi inaugurated Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas-2025 at the Janata Maidan here.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to arrive in the city later this evening and formally inaugurate the event, which commemorates Mahatma Gandhi’s return to India from South Africa on January 9, 1915, at 10 am the following day.
Trinidad and Tobago President Christine Carla Kangaloo is expected to join the inaugural event.
President Murmu’s flight is scheduled to arrive around 4.35 pm on January 9. She will be attending the valedictory session on January 10 and conferring Pravasi Bharatiya Samman’ awards on Indian diaspora for exceptional work in their fields in India and abroad.
Glimpses from PBD
