18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention 2025
In News
What Happened
Why It Matters
Background
History & Context
What Changed
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Frequency of Convention: BEFORE 2015, the PBD convention was held annually. NOW, it is held biennially (once every two years) with theme-based conferences organized in the intervening year.
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PIO vs OCI Status: BEFORE 2015, Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) were separate schemes with different visa benefits. NOW, the PIO scheme has been merged into the OCI scheme to provide a single, comprehensive residency and visa status for the diaspora.
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Venue Selection: BEFORE 2006, the event was exclusively held in New Delhi. NOW, it is consistently rotated across different Indian states (like Indore in 2023, Bhubaneswar in 2025) to showcase regional diversity and state-level investment opportunities.
Prelims Angle
NCERT Connection
Practice Questions
Q1
Correct Statement(s)Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) and overseas citizenship? 1. PBD is celebrated on January 9 to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi's return to India from South Africa in 1915. 2. The Constitution of India permits dual citizenship for individuals holding the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card.