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[Diaspora]PravasiBharatiyaDivasPBD2015,Citizenship
Ordinance,OCIPIOMerger
PostedByMrunalOn25/01/2015@8:48pmInDiplomacy|30Comments

1. OriginofPravasiBharatiyaDiwas
2. EssayFodderforIndianDiaspora/NRItopics
3. Diasporaissues
1. #1:MergerofOCI,PIO
2. #2:BenefitsofOCIcard
3. #3:Citizenship(Amendment)Bill2014
4. #4:VisaonArrival&EVisa
4. Appendix1:PBDCoinsandStamps
5. Appendix2:WhogotPBD2015awardandwhy?
6. MockQuestions

OriginofPravasiBharatiyaDiwas
1915,9thJanuary:GandhireturnedfromS.AfricatoIndia
From2003onwards,PravasiBharatiyadivas(PBD)iscelebratedannuallyon
thisdate.
MinistryofOverseasIndianaffairs(MOIA)organizesPBD.
PBDmarksthecontributionofOverseasIndiansinIndiasDevelopment.Italso
providesaninteractionplatformforthemtoraiseissueswithIndianGovernment.
LocationandThemes?
13thPBD2015

Location

Theme

12thPBD2014

Gandhinagar,Gujarat.Firsttimeheld
here.
from7thto9thJanuary.
YouthPravasiBharatiyadivas:7th
Jan
Delhi
(Mains)PravasiBharaityadivas:
9th.
Principlesponsor:BankofIndia
RelationshipsBeyondBanking
YouthPBD:BharatkoJaano,
BharatkoMaano.
(Main)PBD:100yearsofGandhis
returnfromSouthAfrica

Engagingdiaspora:connecting
acrossgenerations

Chief
guest

DonaldRamotar,thepresidentof
Guyana
Capital:Georgetown
CountrylocatedinNorthEastern
cornerofSouthAmericancontinent.

YBDatukseri
PalanivelMalaysias
environmentminister.

EssayFodderforIndianDiaspora/NRItopics
BasedonthespeechesofPresident,PM,MinistersandeminentpersonsduringPBD
2015
InAncientGreek,DiasporameansScatteringorsowingofseeds.
~2.5croreNRIs/PIOsarespreadacross200countriesaroundtheworld.
Theysendover70billion$asremittancestohomehighestamongallcountries
(2014,WorldBankdata).
NRIshavespreadIndianculture,cuisineandvaluesabroad,sendtruckloadof
remittancesbacktoIndia.
ByreachingouttoNRIs,wecanmakeglobalimpactbyleveragingtheir
knowledge,expertiseorskills.
Earliertheywentabroadinsearchofopportunity,knowledgeandexposure,but
nowtheyangetthesameeveninIndia.
Earliertheyhadtowaitformonthstoknowwhatshappeningbackhome,butnow
thankstoICT&Media,theycanmonitorIndiassocial,economicandpolitical
eventsondailybasis.
Gangaprovideseconomicopportunitiesto40%ofIndiaspopulation.Weinvite
NRIstoNamamiGangeprojecttocleanthisriver.
EvenifasingleIndianispresentinaforeigncountryIndiaisalivethroughhim.
MauritiuscelebratesGandhisbirthday(2ndOctober)ismorevigourthanIndia.
Inthiseraofglobalization,thechallengeistofindahealthybalancebetween
senseofidentity,homeandcommunityanddoingthenecessarythingstosurvive
withinglobalizationsystem(ThomasFriedman).
YouthDiasporashoulddothreeCs
Connect Withnewgeneration,overcomethecasteandclassboundaries
Indiasheritage.Afterall,wecontributed

Celebrate

Contribute

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Zeroanddecimalsystem
Pi(Budhayana,6thCent.)
firstUniversityofworld(Takshila,700BC)
Ayurveda(Charak,2500yearsago)
Nonviolance,unityindiversity
ISROsMangalyangotbestinventionof2014awardfromTIME
magazine.

ToswachhBharat,MakeinIndia,digitalIndia,smartcities,Namami
Gangeandsoon.

Diasporaissues

#1:MergerofOCI,PIO

DetailedtablegiveninM.LaxmikanthsPolitybookchapteroncitizenshippage6.5
onwards.Following,isjustanoverview:
OCI
PIO(PersonofIndianOrigin)
Ifyouoryourparents
Ifyourparents,grandparentsorspousewereIndiancitizen
wereIndiancitizenonce
onceuponatime.
uponatime.
CardValidonlyfor15years.(Modiordinance:thisvisa
Lifelongvisatravel.
givenforlifetime.)
Noneedtoregisterat
Ifstayingbeyond180days(6months)inasinglevisit,
anyoffice.Doesnt
youvetoregisterForeignersRegionalRegistrationor
matterhowlongyou
Policestation.(Modiordinance:theydontneedtovisit
wanttostayinIndia.
police,evenifstayingforlongterm.)

#2:BenefitsofOCIcard

WhatarethebenefitsofanoverseascitizenshipofIndia(OCI)?
Cando
Cantdo

1. Amultipleentry,multipurposelifelongvisafor
visitingIndia.
2. Doesntmatterhowmanydays/weeks/months
youwanttostayinIndiayoudontneedto

Cantvote
Cantcompetefor
parliament,Vidhansabha
elections
Cantnormallyget
sarkaarinaukari.

CantholdConstitutional
postsPresident,VP,
SCHCjudgeetc.

registerwithlocalpolice.

OCIcardholdergetsallbenefitsgiventoanNRIin
economicfinancialeducationalfields.
OCIcardcanbeusedasanidproofforgetting
Drivinglicense
Pancard
Bankaccountopening.

BUThecantbuyagricultural
landorplantation.
PakistaniorBangladeshicant
getOCIcard.

#3:Citizenship(Amendment)Bill2014
OriginalCitizenshipactwasmadein1955,buthadsomelacunas.So,HomeMinistry
draftedthisbilltofixit.
1955Act
IfapersonORhisparentwereIndian
citizenspreviouslythenhecanapplyfor
Indiancitizenshipprovidedthathestayed
inIndiafor1year.
ButhecantleaveIndiaforevenasingle
dayduringthat1yearperiod.

2014Bill
HecanleaveIndiaforatotal
of30days.
Andstill,ifunionGovernment
issatisfiedhecanget
citizenship.
Expandedthatdefinitiontoinclude

DefinedtheoverseascitizenofIndia

SeparateprovisionsofOCIandPIOs.
PIOcardholdersgetlessbenefitsthanan
OCIcardholder.

MinorchildofIndiancitizen.
SpouseofIndiancitizen
SpouseofOCI/PIO
cardholder.
Greatgrandchildrenofa
personwhowasIndiancitizen
at/aftercommencementof
IndianConstitution.

Mergedthem.
GovernmentcancanceltheOCI
citizenshipofthespouseofanOCI
citizenIF

Nosuchprovision

Courtdissolvedtheirmarriage
Spousemarriedanotherparty
withoutdivorcingfromfirst
marriage.

2014,December:BillpresentedinWintersessionofparliament,butcouldnotbe
passedduetofrequentdisruptions.
2015,Jan:ModigotisimplementeditthroughPresidentialordinance.

#4:VisaonArrival&EVisa
UnderHomeministry,thisSchemebeganin2010,reformedin2014.
VisaonArrival:Foreignerhastoapplyonline(3daysbeforearrivingtoIndia)
WhenhereachesIndia,pays$60fees,goesthroughbiometricidentificationand
getsthe(Tourist)Visa.
Validity:30days,Cannotberenewed.Hemustleaveafterthat.
ElectronicTravelauthorization(eVisa):announcedinBudget2014,foreigner
appliesonline,getsvisain5days.
DuringPBD2015,Modiannouncedhehasgiventhesetwofacilitiesfor43
countries.
Although,Indiaisnotthefirstcountryinworldtorunsuchscheme.Japan,
Finland,Singaporeetalalreadyoffersuchfacility.

Appendix1:PBDCoinsandStamps
1915:GandhireturnsfromS.AfricatoIndia,after21years.
2015:marks100yearsofhisreturn.
Therefore,Modireleasedcommemorativecoins(Rs.10andRs.100)andStamps
(Rs.5andRs.25)

Appendix2:WhogotPBD2015awardandwhy?
15personsreceivedPravasiBharatiyaSamman2015.
MoreimportantforPINMCQs
Nameofthe
person
DonaldRamaotar
Dr.Rajaram
Sanjaya
Kanwaljitsingh
Bakshi
Duraikannu
Karunakaran
SatyaNadella

country
Guyana
Mexico
New
Zealand

contribution
PresidentofGuyana
Winnerof2014worldfoodprizedeveloped480
wheatvarieties
MPofNewZealandparliament

Seychelles JusticeofsupremecourtofSeychelles
USA

CEO,Microsoft.HailsfromAndhraPradesh,his
fatherwasanIAS.

LessimportantforMCQs
Nameofthe
person
MalaMehta

country
Australia

contribution
IndoAustralianbalbharatiyavidhyalaya(promotionof
Hindilanguage)

EssopGoolam
Pahad
Ashraf
Palarkannumal
Mahendrananji
mehta
Prof.Nathuram
Puri
Dr.Nandini
Tondon
Dr.Kamlesh
Lulla
RajLoomba
RajmalParakh
Bharatkumar
Shah

South
Africa

politician

UAE

Socialactivist

Yuganda Businessman
FounderofPuricogroup
USA

HealthcareandIT

USA

ChiefscientistforearthobservationatNASA

UK
Oman

PhilanthropistmemberofHouseofLords,UK

UAE

MockQuestions
Q1.Findcorrectstatement
A. Pravasibharatiyadivas(PBD)isorganizedbyMinistryofExternalaffairs
B. PBDisobservedon9thJanuarybecauseitisonthisdayGandhireturntoIndiain
1919.
C. BothAandB
D. NeitherAnorB
Q2.WhatwasthethemeofPravasibharatiyadivas2015?
a.
b.
c.
d.

100yearsofGandhisdeparturetoSouthAfrica
100yearsofGandhisreturnfromSouthAfrica
100yearsofGandhisservicetoSouthAfrica
Noneofabove

Q3.Findcorrectstatement
1. ThechiefguestofPBD2015wasDonaldRamotar
2. DonaldRamotaristhePresidentofGuyana.
3. GuyanaisalandlockedcountryofSouthAmerica
Answerchoices
a.
b.
c.
d.

Only1and2
Only2and3
Only1and3
Noneofthem

Q4.PersonholdinganoverseascitizenshipofIndia(OCI)can
1. ContestinVidhanSabhaelections.
2. Buyagriculturalland

3. GetadmissioninNRIquotaseatinanIndianuniversity.
Answerchoices
a.
b.
c.
d.

Only1and2
Only2and3
Only1and3
Noneofthem

Q5.WhatisthepurposeofCitizenship(Amendment)Ordinance,2015?
a.
b.
c.
d.

Provideforelectronicvisafacility
Provideforvisaonarrivalfacility.
PermitOverseasIndianstocontestinLocalassemblyelections.
Noneofabove.

Q6.Whoamongthefollowing,isnotareciepientofPravasiBharatiyaSamman
2015?
a.
b.
c.
d.

KanwaljitsinghBakshi
DuraikannuKarunakaran
SatyaNadella
TulsiGabbard

Q7.Findincorrectstatement(s)
A. PIOcardentitlesapersonlifelongvisafreeentryinIndia
B. IfanOCIcardholderstaysinIndiabeyond6months,heisrequiredtoget
registeredatlocalpolicestation.
C. BothAandB
D. NeitherAnorB

MainsGeneralStudiesPaper2
Answerfollowingin150200wordseach
1. DiscusstheissuesinCitizenshipAct1955pertainingtoOverseasIndians.How
doesCitizenship(Amendment)ordinanceaddressthem?
2. DiscusstherationalebehindmergerofOCIandPIOcards,andcriticallyexamine
itsimpactonIndianeconomy.
3. PointoutthedifferencebetweentheJewishDiasporaandtheIndianDiaspora.
(Mains2004)
4. WhatarethereferencesmadetotheNRIintheUnionBudget2015?(Similar
questionfrom2004budget,askedinUPSC2004.)
5. Answerfollowingin50wordseach:(UPSC2008)
a. PravasiBharatiyadivas
b. OverseasCitizenshipofIndia(OCI)Scheme
c. IndianDiasporaandBollywood.
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Mrunal.org/Diplomacy.

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