“Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas”

Speech of Shri Sarbananda Sonowal at “Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas” at Gandhinagar, Gujarat

Following are the excerpts of the speech of the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Sarbananda Sonowal at “Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas” at Gandhinagar, Gujarat today:             “At the outset, I would like to compliment the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs for creating an excellent platform in the form of the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas, for engaging with the distinguished Indian Diaspora from around the world and more so, for deciding to celebrate the first day of the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas as the Youth PBD.              The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas this year is very special, as we celebrate the centenary of the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa as a Pravasi Indian. Mahatma Gandhi was 24 year-old young Indian when he first landed in South Africa and then, he led a non-violent struggle for justice in South Africa for 21 years, before finally returning to India to lead us to freedom.             The youth are indeed the most dynamic and vibrant segment of the population in any country. India is one of the youngest nations in the world, with about 65% population under 35 years of age.    It is expected that by the year 2020, the population of India would have a median age of 28 years only as against 38 years for US, 42 years for China and 48 years for Japan.             The Indian Youth have always been highly talented, hard-working and enterprising. A large number of young Indians have moved to various parts of the world and have made valuable contributions. A sizeable section of Overseas Indian community comprises of highly skilled young professionals, who have been extremely successful in their respective spheres of work. Indian IT professionals command respect all over the world. Today, over a dozen top Global Corporations have Indian CEOs, including MicroSoft, Pepsico and Deutsche Bank.             Despite their success around the world, the Indian Diaspora have continued to share strong bonds with their motherland.  They have continued to play an important role in supporting the India growth story in many ways. During 2013-14, the Overseas Indians sent home remittances totalling about 70 billion US Dollars, making India the global leader in terms of receipt of such remittances.             These are exciting times in India.  The new Government under the dynamic leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi ji, has embarked on the mission of building a united, strong and modern India – “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat”, following the principle of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas”.  A number of path-breaking initiatives have been taken during last 7 months. ‘Make in India’ campaign has been launched to develop India as a global manufacturing hub. ‘Digital India’ initiative seeks to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. ‘Skill India’ is being launched to impart necessary skills to prepare Indians for the opportunities in Indian Economy as also the opportunities abroad. A number of initiatives, including Smart Cities Project, have been launched for developing infrastructure. ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’ and ‘Clean Ganga’ Mission have been launched for building a clean and green India.             All these initiatives of the Government require active involvement and support of all stakeholders. Huge investments will be necessary. The young Indian Diaspora can play an important role in this ambitious task of building a modern and prosperous India. The Government has also initiated various steps to facilitate this process by simplifying rules and procedures for the Overseas Indians.             My Ministry is engaged in the noble task of developing the personality and leadership qualities of the youth by involving them in community service and various nation-building activities. This is being done, inter-alia, through two youth volunteer organisations, namely, National Service Scheme (NSS) and Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS). NYKS currently has 8.1 million youth volunteers enrolled through 2.85 lakh youth clubs with presence in entire rural India and NSS has 3.3 million student volunteers in senior secondary schools and colleges all over the country.  In fact, NSS was started in 1969, the birth centenary year of Mahatma Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi had once said “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others”. In the same spirit, the Motto of NSS is “Not Me, but You”. The Overseas Indian youth willing to make contribution to various social causes can connect to these organisations and work with them. In fact, some of these volunteers are present here today. This is an opportunity for the Indian Diaspora to interact with them.             I am glad to inform that  in addition  to the task of developing the personality and leadership qualities of the youth, my Ministry is also conducting Post Graduate and Graduate academic courses in Sports Coaching, Sports Medicine, Physical Education, Yoga, Youth Empowerment, Gender Studies, Life Skills Education, Career Counselling and other research and doctorate programme through our reputed institutions like Sports Authority of India`s Lakshmibai National College of Physical Education, Trivandrum,  Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education, Gwalior, and Rajiv Gandhi National Institute for Youth Development, Sriperumbudur (Tamilnadu).             India is one of the oldest civilization of the world and the world is a witness to the rich traditions and literature such as Vedas and Upanishads which speaks not only about religion but also about the human values and duties towards family and society.  The tradition of joint family and family values has been kept alive in India. On this occasion, I call upon all Pravasi Bharityas to preserve the values and traditions of their forefathers who came from India to different parts of the world to spread the word of human values.  Stable family makes a Stable Society and a stable society leads to a stable Nation.    India has a great past and our Government has set out on the task of projecting India and its richness to the world. I take this opportunity to urge upon all young Overseas Indians to join us in this gigantic task to spread the richness, talent and values of Indian tradition to the different parts of the World.

102ND Science Congress Culminates

Shri Ram Naik Calls Upon Scientists Devise New Methods for Increasing Agricultural Praoduction, Better and Economic use of Water Resources as well as  Cost Effective Energy Consumption Knowledge of the Past should be with The Modern Concept Dr. A.K.Saksena Nominated as President Elect For 103rd Indian Science Congress to be held at Mysore The five days long sojourn of 102nd Indian Science Congress today came to an end with a call from Uttar Pradesh Governer and Chief Guest of the event  Shri Ram Nayak to the Scientist Community to devise new methods for increasing Agricultural Praoduction, better and economic use of water resources as well as  cost effective energy consumption.  He said it is a challange for us as he have an ever indreasing population  and scienists need to evolve solution for it. Shri Ram Naik first talked of Late Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri’s slogan “Jai Jawan Jai Kisaan” and linked it with the slogan given by former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratn Nominee Shri Atal Bihari Vajpeyee “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan aur Jai Vigyan”. He said our current Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is rightly working to promote Scientific Environment in the Country with a firm resolution. Referring  to the Ancient scriptures Shri Naik said what ever knowledge we have should be associated with the modern concept and there should be a thorough research in this regard. He said we must have proud on our past achievements as one who forgets past fails to design future. Shri Naik also referred to Swami Viveka Nanda’s words ‘awake, move aheadtill you reach at the destination’ and said we should keep in mind the Ved Mantra “Chaieveti-Chaireveti” in all our ventures. Shri Naik also released a Sovenier for the Indian Scince Congress on this Occasion. He also felicitated winners of Young Scientists Awards for the Year 2014-15 in the field of Agricultural & Forestry Science, Animal Husbandry, Embryology, Chemical Sciences, Engineering Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Mineral Sciences, Medical Sciences, New Biology, Physical and Plant Sciences. The Award carried a Citation with Rs. 25,000/-each. The Pwards for poster competion were also given on the occasion. In addition all the departments participating in the “Pride of India Expo” were also felicitated. The Guest of Honour Union Railway Minister Shri Suresh Prabhu in his address said he is addressing Scientists of today and tomorrow. He said emphasis be laid on how to use Science and Technology to achieve the targets and fulfill the aspirations of people. He said in coping with the developmental needs of our county anfd humanity at large Science and Scintifis fraternity has to play a pivotal role. He also emphasised the need to address the Climatic Changes concerns, conservation of our Ecological  resources. He said we have to think that “To solve a problem we should not create another problem” and Science  and Technology should be used for it. He called upon to prepare  a national agenda for devising a  long term vision in this regard. The other guest of honour, the Maharashtra Minister of Technical & Higher Education Shri Vinod Tavde said that suggestions during Science Congress will be duly considered by a  Task Force set up by the State Government. Earlier in his Welcome Address Dr. Naresh Chandra, Pro-Vice Chanceller of Mumbai University informed of the Participation of 15,000 plus delegates and 06 Nobel Laureates and o4 other Laureates in the Conference. In his Address Prof. Rajan Welukar, Vice Chanceler of Mumbai University while expressing gratitude to all the collaborates announced the dedication of University based Nano Science Cell and Nano Technology department to the Nation for open research. He said any one desirrous of doing research work can come here for hie persuits. Dr,. S.B.Nimse, Vice Chancellor Lucknow University and President of the Indian Science Congress in his address also expressed gratitute to all concerned for making this mega event a grand success. Earlier in the General Body Meeting of Indian Science Congress held to day Mr. A.K. Saksena was nominated  as new President elect for the 103rd Indian Science Congress to be held in Mysore in January, 2015.

The benefits of Aadhaar

The direct benefits transfer (DBT) scheme of the Indian government, said to be the largest of its kind in the world, was technically rolled out across the entire country from January 1. It has been initiated with the transfer of the subsidy for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), meant for cooking gas to the consumer's designated bank account that is also linked to her Aadhaar number. This is an important part of the government's programme to pass on as many subsidies as possible directly to the beneficiary concerned in order to avoid leakage. There are three legs on which the whole operation stands - the consumer's proof of identity as established through the biometric Aadhaar system, her bank account to which the subsidy will be credited and the beneficiary details of the service in question, in this instance supply of LPG cylinders. So far close to 65 million or 43 per cent of the total number of consumers have registered and till now Rs 624 crore of subsidy has been disbursed through bank accounts. A massive 728 million people (58 per cent of the country's 2013 population) have registered under Aadhaar so far. In the last three months, 103 million bank accounts have been opened under Jan Dhan Yojana, thus bringing under its ambit 98 per cent of targeted households. By any measure, all this adds up to a highly credible technological achievement for any country, not to speak of a developing one.

The key identification enabler, Aadhaar, was developed by the previous government but became mired in controversy, some of it created by the Bharatiya Janata Party itself, then in opposition. TheDBT for LPG was also introduced by the previous United Progressive Alliance government, but was held back when initial glitches surfaced. Right now, Aadhaar registration is not compulsory and a sixth of those who have registered for LPG have not furnished Aadhaar details. They have three months to do so. Even if a consumer fails to do that, she will not lose her subsidy for good as it will rest in an escrow account until the paperwork is complete. These important fallbacks have been introduced so that consumers can take their time to understand what they have to do and do it with confidence.

It is to the credit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he saw the potential of Aadhaar as a key enabler for the DBT scheme and stretched out across bipartisan skirmish lines to revive and adopt it. Once the DBT scheme gets fully going, leakages resulting from the existence of fictitious consumers and impersonation will be virtually abolished. But more will need to be done to meaningfully target subsidies. The important task of identifying the deserving in order to make targeting work has to be a separate exercise and that is likely to prove challenging. Right now an absurdly huge proportion of households in several states has been designated as falling below the poverty line and, hence, entitled to many subsidies. This is a failure of targeting. As only three per cent of Indians pay income tax, determining incomes for the rest to enable effective targeting will be both difficult and controversial.

Govt deserves credit for moving on direct transfers

Finding a number for 'good' governance

The recent elections saw the emergence of an aspirational class exercising their franchise in an unprecedented manner. The electorate put its faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an attempt to prevent the moral and operational decay of India's governing institutions.

Following Modi's election, political discourse has been dominated by talk of good governance. The term occupies such a hallowed position that we have christened (pun-intended) "Good Governance Day." However, notwithstanding the wisdom of the Indian electorate, there has been something amiss amid all this rhetoric. While it is possible to meaningfully and objectively evaluate a claim of Kerala being better developed than Bihar; on what grounds can one evaluate the claim that governance in Gujarat is objectively better than governance in Maharashtra? A prerequisite to make good governance the benchmark of an effective government is a mechanism to evaluate and assess the same. Previous attempts by government agencies have resulted in incomplete or discarded projects. This shifts the onus upon private institutions and civil society organisations. India must have a system that introduces accountability and allows the public to evaluate the claims of good governance on the basis of evidence and not mere rhetoric. Given this backdrop, there is a dire need to establish a governance index for Indian states. Such a tool will create a ranking system that gives poor performance little chance to hide, while simultaneously encouraging constructive competition and empowering civil society to hold their governments to account.

The development of a governance index for Indian states is not limited to reasons of accountability alone. Tying assistance to good governance conditionalities is imperative. For example, the Millennium Challenge Corporation determines US foreign aid contributions based purely on governance improvements of poor countries, completely divorced from political compulsions. In a similar vein, a certain amount of central assistance in India could be conditioned on the governance performance of states. In this scenario, the political futures and revenue sources of leaders and governments becomes dependent on their governance performance.

Furthermore, the establishment of a comprehensive data set and index of governance will effect informed academic research and help develop more robust theory drawing links between governance and development, lack of governance and conflict and so on. It can also be used to question policy; asking how two states with similar human and natural resources end up with very different levels of security and development.

The debate over the need for a composite governance index has many parallels to the Sen-Haq debate prior to the development of the Human Development Index (HDI). Amartya Sen thought that capturing a concept as complex as human development in a single number was a "crude" and "vulgar" idea. However, Mahbub ul Haq convinced Sen of the merits of a composite index that would give policymakers the ability to fall back on a statistic that was more accessible and easier to understand and convey. The simplicity of a ranking system, in other words, is the defining characteristic that makes it a powerful tool that is easily accessed, digested, and understood by ordinary citizens to hold their governments to account. This is fundamentally the reason that ranked indices such as the HDI, Ease of Doing Business, Corruption Perceptions Index and so on gain front-page traction in media outlets in India and across the world; and thus become better tools of accountability, while World Bank's Worldwide Governance Indicators fail to achieve this level of outreach.

However, before quantitatively evaluating good governance, one has to conceptualise what good governance means. Some global indices measure governance by the outcomes it produces - indicators of health, education, infrastructural development and so on. This is problematic, as it equates governance with development and thus makes the link between governance and development tautological. It also ignores, for example, the fact that the development of the health sector and the under-five mortality rate is not exclusively determined by public governance; but is often a result of a complex interplay of societal structure, citizen actions, private sector performance and public sector efforts.

Thus, there is an urgent need to focus on governance as the interplay of institutions, processes and mechanisms as opposed to development outcomes. It is necessary to think about not just what good governance achieves but particularly on how good governance works and who it works for.

While acknowledging that institutional processes and mechanisms have legitimate reason for contextual variation, governance in the Indian context must acknowledge the normative constructs that are already deeply embedded in the Indian polity - transparency, decentralisation, human rights and other normative dimensions of democracy cannot be ignored because of the intrinsic value that the Indian polity has already ascribed to them. Any effort to build a governance index must also take into account other factors unique to the Indian context - the efficiency of the bureaucracy, federalism and devolution of power through Panchayati Raj, special interest capture, autonomy and independence of institutions, minority representation and so on.

Academics, policymakers and other key stakeholders must enter into a comprehensive dialogue to debate and define governance in the Indian context before commencing a substantive home-grown project to build upon existing literature, gather data and design an index. Unless we develop a rigorous method to quantify the quality of governance and hold government and politicians to account, the clarion call for good governance is doomed to failure.

Define good governance in the Indian context, and then build an index

India's healthcare crisis

The wide disparity between the best healthcare & quackery that much of the population must endure is partly to blame for India's apathy

Whether Indians in ancient times discovered algebra and the Pythagoras theorem before "selflessly" passing them on to the Arabs and the Greeks as Science and Technology MinisterHarsh Vardhan said last week is for agile historians to ponder. Widely accepted is that Indians in ancient times studied the science of logic. Whether our government does in 2015 is debatable.

What is one to make of the plans for the spectrum auction in February that will drive prices through the roof and leave us short of capacity in 3G even as the government tom-toms its plans for Digital India at every opportunity? Even more bizarre is the lack of focus on healthcare, especially for mothers and babies, while holding forth about India's demographic dividend at every investors' forum in the country.

Reuters reported on December 23 that the 2014-15healthcare Budget was going to be cut by about $950 million, down by about 20 per cent from the Budget allocation of $5 billion. Cuts in the healthcare Budget in the mid to high teens have been true every year for the past few years as the time comes to meet fiscal deficit targets - but this year was supposed to be different.

The Bharatiya Janata Party manifesto promised universal healthcare and a focus on rural health, for starters. Just days after the news that the healthcare Budget was to be cut, the National Health Policy was unveiled. People with incomes of less than Rs 1,640 in rural areas and Rs 2,500 in cities are to qualify for medical assistance. Primary care is to be free for all. The policy also makes a case for more than doubling government spending on healthcare from 1.04 per cent of gross domestic product, among the lowest in the world even among poor countries, to 2.5 per cent.

Anyone with a basic knowledge of arithmetic would notice that the cutting of the health Budget by almost $1 billion and expanding coverage to all does not quite add up. In fact, the Lancet Commission on Investing in Health study of 2013 pegged at $23.6 billion annually what India would have to spend over the next 20 years to achieve a convergence with global levels on infectious disease, child and maternal mortality rates.

Impossible? Perhaps, but we should be trying to move in that direction as if the country was in an emergency. Which, of course, it is, for the parents of babies dying from diarrhoea because of the lack of rehydration salts and zinc that cost all of Rs 15 each. In total, 1.4 million Indian children die before the age of five.

Where would all the money come from? India could redirect at least some of the subsidies lavishly spent on fertilisers (total subsidy for 2013-14 about $11 billion) and petroleum (about $13.5 billion over the same period). Instead of encouraging the excessive use of fertilisers on our farms, and of liquefied petroleum gas cylinders to the extent that some middle-class families hook them up to their water geysers, or of diesel for SUVs as we have done historically, we would do better to invest in healthcare.

Far from aspiring to global averages, India trails poorer countries such as Cambodia, Bangladesh and, heaven help us, Nepal on yardsticks like inoculating babies against diphtheria and tetanus or even the percentage of mothers who breastfeed their babies.

Despite some improvement over the years, what India's poor performance underlines is both too little money being spent on healthcare as well as inefficient primary healthcare systems in many states. As K Srinath Reddy, the president of the Public Health Foundation of India, puts it, the "metric" for success should be the life expectancy of a tribal girl in Madhya Pradesh.

The Gates Foundation in India has targeted turning around high maternal mortality numbers in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh (UP), where many women die in childbirth when wounds turn septic - because midwives and mothers-in-law use cow dung or oil as a salve where the umbilical cord is cut. The foundation's head, Girindre Beeharry, says the Budget next month offers an opportunity to "think big and act big" on healthcare. Likening healthcare spending to a funnel, he says India needs to spend significantly more at the "mouth" and also manage the efficiency of the "stem" that carries that funding to, say, mothers and children needing neonatal care. Working in UP, the foundation has used mobile cards, or mobile kunjis, to help health workers disseminate information to mothers on breastfeeding and the like as well as a recording of a "Dr Anita" that mothers can call into to get tips on looking after their babies. States like Tamil Nadu and Kerala, where I have followed energetic primary healthcare workers making house calls to new mothers on a reporting assignment years ago, show how it can be done.

Rampant absenteeism of doctors and nurses at primary healthcare centres in many of India's 640,000 villages cannot perennially be used as an excuse for withholding funding from healthcare. In Rajasthan last summer, I was impressed to hear the government was considering bussing villagers to primary healthcare centres in towns. It might fail, but the logic was straightforward enough. "Even a saintly doctor needs a small room with a toilet (to rent). We have to accept ground realities," said Rajiv Mehrishi, then chief secretary of Rajasthan and now finance secretary in New Delhi.

The wide disparity between the best healthcare in the country and the quackery and absenteeism that much of the population must endure is partly to blame for India's apathy. With the spread of drug-resistant tuberculosis and antibiotic-resistant infections to the middle class in the cities, we are at a point when the health epidemic is about to hit home, even in New Delhi. As Kaushik Basu observed recently, if poverty were a communicable disease, we would have found more energetic solutions to it.

PM's address at the Inauguration of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

PM calls upon the Indian diaspora across the world to unite as a positive global force in the cause of humanity The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today called upon the Indian diaspora across the world to unite as a positive global force in the cause of humanity. In his inaugural address at the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas at the Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, the Prime Minister recalled that exactly 100 years ago, a Non Resident Indian - Gandhi - had returned to India to serve the people. Today, he said, he was welcoming NRIs from across the world as a Non Resident Gujarati. The Prime Minister said NRIs are present across the world, in more than 200 countries. "India is global because of you," he told the gathering. He said that in the past, Indians had travelled across the world in search of opportunity, or to gain knowledge and exposure. "Today, opportunities beckon you in India," he asserted, adding that today, the world looks at India with hope. He said times are changing quickly, and India is rising with great strength. The Prime Minister exhorted the Indian diaspora to contribute to India`s success in any way possible, including knowledge, expertise or skills. The Prime Minister mentioned in particular, the Namaami Gange project to clean the River Ganga, and make it a source of economic empowerment for 40 percent of India`s population. He said he was sure all NRIs would be inspired to contribute to this cause. The Prime Minister welcomed the dignitaries from Guyana, South Africa and Mauritius. He recalled how Indian festivals such as Holi and Diwali are enthusiastically celebrated in Guyana. He recalled that today - January 8th - was the founding day of the African National Congress in South Africa. He mentioned that Mahatma Gandhi`s birth anniversary - October 2 - is observed in Mauritius with even greater vigour than it is observed in India. The Prime Minister called upon NRIs across the world to forge and take pride in a common identity and heritage, and to use this strength collectively. He said even if a solitary NRI is present anywhere in the world, India is alive and present in that corner of the world through him. The Prime Minister said he had met representatives of 50 countries since assuming office, and he could say with confidence that rich or poor, all nations across the world, today feel that their goals and objectives can be met in partnership with India. He said this was a rare opportunity, and it was now upto everyone to use this opportunity for the benefit of humanity, and for India`s benefit. The Prime Minister said the world was showering affection on India, as was evident from the fact that a record 177 nations out of 193, had co-sponsored India`s resolution on International Day of Yoga at the United Nations. External Affairs and Overseas Indian Affairs Minister's Address at the Inaugural Session of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2015 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2015 Following is the text of the External Affairs Minister`s address at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas - 2015 “Let me, at the outset, extend a very warm welcome to all of you, to this Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. It is apt that this year PBD is being held in Gujarat, marking the 100th Anniversary of the return of Mahatma Gandhi to India from South Africa. Bapuji gave shape and character to India`s freedom struggle. He demonstrated the power of non-violence, by precipitating the disintegration of the mightiest empire in the world at that time. He also fought against indentureship and the exploitation of Indians around the globe. It is a fitting tribute to Bapu that we have with us today Hon’ble Donald Ramotar, President of Guyana, as the Chief Guest. Our warm and friendly relations are embedded in historical, cultural and traditional links. We have just commissioned well-known sculptor and Padma Shri awardee, Biman Das, to build a monument dedicated to the arrival of Indian indentured labourers in Guyana. Excellency, we look forward to taking our relationship to greater heights, for the mutual benefit of our peoples. Friends, it is also a particular pleasure for me to welcome our Guest of Honour, Hon’ble Madam Mashabane, the Foreign Minister of South Africa. Excellency, your presence here today underscores the value you attach to our common legacy and cooperation in the struggle for freedom from colonialism and oppression. I am happy to note that South Africa is a partner country at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit being held in Gandhinagar from 11-13 January 2015. We are pleased to have with us Vice Prime Minister of Mauritius, Hon’ble Mr. Showkatally Soodhun. The historical and civilizational connection of Mauritius with India is so deep that they take pride in calling the country "Chhota Bharat”.The PIOs in Mauritius celebrate the arrival of Indian indentured labourers as `Aapravasi Divas`which I had the privilege of attending two months back. Gandhiji visited Mauritius in 1901 and as a tribute to him the National Day of Mauritius is celebrated on March 12, which is the date of launch of the Dandi Salt Satyagraha.Owing to the strong Diaspora ties and the great pride in our shared ancestral heritage, Mauritius has been an active participant in the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) since its inception in 2003. I respectfully welcome the Hon’ble Prime Minister without whose guidance and leadership this event would not have been possible at this scale. I welcome Governor of Gujarat Shri Kohliji for gracing this occasion.I welcome Smt. Annadiben, Chief Minister of Gujarat; Gujarat happens to be the partner state of PBD this year. I welcome my colleagues Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad and Shri Jayant Sinha who have helped us in releasing the commemorative stamp and coin. I welcome my colleague Gen. V.K. Singh, MOS who has personally supervised all arrangements for the PBD. Last but not least, I welcome Secretary MOIA Shri Soni who has executed our decisions with speed and efficiency. Friends, the term diaspora, in ancient Greek, refers to "a scattering or sowing of seeds". The presence of Indians abroad can be attested to from the days of remote antiquity. Our classical texts describe the long journeys that saints and monks undertook for the spread of knowledge, peace and love. This was followed by several waves of outward migration over centuries, from the medieval period to the colonial and then the post-independence era, resulting in diverse communities of people of Indian origin in various parts of the world. The present-day travel of Indians as professionals, labourers, traders and entrepreneurs to the rest of the world is a continuing saga of Indian Migration.Our common bond, however, continues to be the mother tree – India. The Indian diaspora today constitutes an important, and in some respects unique, force in world culture. In the past couple of decades, it has grown into an energetic and confident community of over 25 million that has given India a presence in many parts of the world. However, it is not a one-way interaction that benefits only one side. It pleases all Indians when the Overseas Indian community is respected for its work culture, discipline, successful integration with the local community and for its outstanding contributions in their countries of residence. A successful, prosperous and politically influential diaspora is an asset to India, much as a strong and self-reliant India would be a source of strength and inspiration for the diaspora. This synergy acts as a vibrant bridge between us and sustains our relationship. The Government of India is determined to work closely with the diaspora to leverage each other’s strengths to mutual benefit. The Prime Minister himself has taken the lead in reaching out to the Overseas Indian community and engaging you. We welcome entrepreneurs, investors and professionals from the diaspora to partake in our endeavour to develop the motherland and restore it to its past glory. I promise you that it will be a mutually rewarding and satisfying partnership. I believe you have the unique insights, perspectives and the extensive natural links that can make this partnership work. The Prime Minister said he firmly believes that NRIs are a big strength of India, and India can make a global impact by reaching out to them. The Prime Minister said he was happy to announce that he had fulfilled all promises made to NRIs, such as lifelong visa for PIO cardholders, merging of PIO and OCI schemes, visa on arrival for 43 countries, and electronic travel authorization.

solar energy

With about 300 clear, sunny days in a year, India's theoretical solar power reception, on only its land area, is about 5,000 trillion kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year (or 5 EWh/yr).^[7][8][9] The daily average solar energy incident over India varies from 4 to 7 kWh/m² with about 1,500–2,000 sunshine hours per year (depending upon location), which is far more than current total energy consumption. For example, assuming the efficiency of PV modules were as low as 10%, this would still be a thousand times greater than the domestic electricity demand projected for 2015.^[7][10]

The amount of solar energy produced in India in 2007 was less than 1% of the total energy demand.^[11] The grid-connected solar power as of December 2010 was merely 10 MW.^[12]Government-funded solar energy in India only accounted for approximately 6.4 MW-yrs of power as of 2005.^[11] However, India is ranked number one in terms of solar energy production per watt installed, with an insolation of 1,700 to 1,900 kilowatt hours per kilowatt peak (kWh/KWp).^[13]25.1 MW was added in 2010 and 468.3 MW in 2011.^[14] By end September 2014, the installed grid connected solar power had increased to 2,766 MW,^[15] and India expects to install an additional 10,000 MW by 2017, and a total of 20,000 MW by 2022