The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman (Overseas Indian Award) is the highest Indian award for Overseas Indians or an organisation or institution established and run by Overseas Indian diaspora, constituted by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, Government of India in conjunction with the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (Overseas Indian Day), to honour exceptional and meritorious contribution in their chosen field/profession.[1] The award is given by the President of India.[2] Since 2016, the Government of India has doubled the number of awardees each year to 30 after a decision to grant the award once every two years.[3]
Award criteria
Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award
Pravasi Bharatiya Samman (PBS) is conferred for outstanding contributions in any of the following areas:
"Better understanding of India"
"Support to India’s causes and concerns in a tangible way"
"Building closer links between India, the overseas Indian community and their country of residence;"
"Social and humanitarian causes in India or abroad"
"Welfare of the local Indian community"
"Philanthropic and charitable work"
"Eminence in one’s field or outstanding work, which has enhanced India’s prestige in the country of residence; or"
"Eminence in skills which has enhanced India’s prestige in
that country (for non-professional workers)."[4][5]
Business ventures and community welfare activities, he has been long considered the standard-bearer and the most recognizable symbol of the Indian Diaspora in Hong Kong.
He has used his resources to propagate Indian ethos and values. He helped set-up Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Academy Society and Gandhi Smarak Nidhi Fund in Kenya.
Lord Dholakia made significant contributions in the fields of community care and issues relating to ethnic unrest. He played an important role in addressing the sensitive issue of racial discontent.
Shri Gupta has embarked on work relating to community welfare and social and Philanthropic causes. He played a key-role in the establishment of the Indian School of Business at Hyderabad.
Sir Shridath Ramphal is a distinguished Jurist having been Solicitor General and Attorney General of Guyana and Member of International Commission of Jurists. Sir Shridath Ramphal also held positions of responsibility in international organizations such as Independent Commission on International Development Issues, Independent Commission on Disarmament and Security Issues, Independent Commission of International Humanitarian Issues and World Commission on Environment and Development, Chairman UN Committee for Development Planning and President, World. He is a former Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations.
Deputy Minister of Local Government and Housing (1978–79); Minister for Works (1979–85) and Minister of Energy, Tele communications & Posts, Malaysia (1989–95). He has been a Member of the House of Representatives of the Malaysian Parliament since 1974.
In 1991, Shri Dosanjh was elected as Member of the Legislative Assembly in the Vancouver Kensington constituency and then as Caucus Chair. He became the Minister for Human Rights, Multiculturalism, Sports and Immigration in 1995, and then was appointed the Attorney General of British Columbia. In a historic development, he was elected as the 33rd Premier and President of the Executive Council of British Columbia, which is first for a person of Indian origin in Canada.
One of the first persons of Indian origin to head a higher system and a research university in the United States. Chancellor of the University of Houston System and President of the University of Houston
Founder of Indo- Australian Bal Bharatiya Vidyalaya in Thornleigh suburb in Sydney. Since its establishment, she has been pursuing the growth of Hindi in Australia.
Mauritius
South Africa
Hong Kong
Oman
Kenya
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United States
Guyana
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Canada
Zimbabwe
Fiji
Kuwait
New Zealand
India
Tanzania
Germany
Trinidad and Tobago
Sri Lanka
United Arab Emirates
Thailand
Israel
Philippines
Saudi Arabia
Qatar
Seychelles
Singapore
Réunion
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Portugal
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Australia
Japan
Sweden
Malaysia
Madagascar
Netherlands
Suriname
Brunei Darussalam
USA
Palestine
Liberia
Cambodia
Côte d'Ivoire
Indonesia
Mozambique
Ukraine
Guinea
Mexico
Papua New Guinea
Uganda
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Belgium
Djibouti
Libya
Bhutan
People's Republic of China
Egypt
Italy
Myanmar
Norway
Poland
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Switzerland
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Botswana
Cameroon
Curaçao
Czech Republic
Ethiopia
Maldives
Nigeria
Sudan
Brazil
Croatia
Denmark
Republic of Congo
South Sudan
Uzbekistan
Austria
Barbados
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Malawi
Moldova
Romania
Russia
Spain