Gandhinagar, Jan 8 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday said he has fulfilled his promise to the diaspora of merging the Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) and Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) cards.
"I can say with pride that I have done what I promised. I said that PIO and OCI cards will get lifelong visas and the work is done," he said at the 13th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas here as the crowd cheered.
He said the government has done away with the requirement of PIO card holders living in India to visit a police station, as it is "a question of the swabhiman (self pride)" of the diaspora, adding he wondered why the requirement existed at all.
He said his promise of merging PIO and OCI cards which he made during his address at the Madison Square Garden in New York has been fulfilled.
He said that it has been done after overcoming some niggling issues and both card holders will "get the same benefits".
Modi also said that his promise of visa on arrival has been granted to 43 countries.
He said that Indian missions around the world would be there to provide all assistance to the diaspora and added the government was planning to introduce electronic authorization for online correspondence with the Indian missions.
A PBD Kendra is also coming up and would be inaugurated soon for the benefit of pravasis, he said.
Modi also proposed an online quiz competition for diaspora youth on the subject Bharat Ko Jano and the winners would be felicitated at the PBB.
More than 4,000 delegates are attending the 13th PBD, the world's largest annual gathering of people of Indian origin aimed at enhancing networking and reinforcing commercial linkages.
There are 25 million people of Indian origin residing outside India.
The event is being held in Gandhinagar Jan 7-9 to mark the centenary of India's "sarva sreshtha pravasi Bharatiya", or foremost Indian diaspora member, Mahatma Gandhi's return to the country from South Africa.
Chief guest Guyana President Donald Ramotar and South African Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane were also present.
Good News For Reliance Jio Users, New Offer Up To 5000GB Extra Data
Reliance Jio is good news for users. The company is giving double data benefit to its JioFiber users with every plan. After this, additional data up to 5000GB is being available in Jio Fiber plans.
Samsung Galaxy A52 And Galaxy A72 launched in India, know their price and features
Samsung has launched two Galaxy A series smartphones Galaxy A52 and Galaxy A72 in India. Samsung has focused on bringing the flagship feature to its Galaxy A series phones this year. The company has
DGP and Additional Chief Secretary visited the victim family; Girl's mother's accusation- last time daughter's face not even shown
3 days after burning the body of the Hathras gang-rape victim, the police have given the media entry into the victim's village (Bulgaria). In a media interaction, the victim's family made serious
29th day of the attack on Ukraine: Zelensky appealed to the world for the first time in English, said - to stop Russia, leave the homes and offices
The war between Russia and Ukraine continues for the 29th day. Meanwhile, President Zelensky's video message has been released in English for the first time. In this, he appealed to the people of the
Congress loses by Big Margins in Delhi
New Delhi, Feb 10 (IANS) The Congress fared badly in most of the 70 constituencies in Delhi Tuesday, with at least one of its candidates losing by over 95,000 votes.Congress' Kiran Walia who had
CBI arrested Kejriwal from the court, Delhi CM's health deteriorated; fed tea and biscuits when his sugar level dropped
In the excise policy scam case, the CBI presented Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the Rouse Avenue Court on Wednesday. From here, after the court's permission, the CBI arrested Arvind
Realme Narzo N55: realme's new phone launched in India, features are very special
Chinese smartphone company Realme has launched its new smartphone Realme Narzo N55 in India. This phone was launched today i.e. on 12th April. The company announced this today at 12 noon in a virtual
40 million people are struggling with anxiety: accept it instead of getting upset, it is beneficial to hold your breath for 6 seconds
In today's fast-paced life, people often face stress and anxiety. Some are worried about their work and some are worried about their family. In America alone, 40 million people are suffering from an
US: Hearing in the US Parliament regarding China, MPs told Dragon a threat to the existence of the country
Top US lawmakers have described China as a threat to America's existence in the Republican-majority House of Representatives. He also called for making every effort to coordinate with our allies to
Hockey players clashed in Commonwealth Games: Angered by a stick, one player grabbed another's throat, and pulled T-shirt; The referee kicked off the field
The men's hockey match was played between England and Canada at the Commonwealth Games on Thursday. During this, there was a fierce fight between the two players. Canada's Balraj Panesar and England's
