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Annual Report Contents Expanding the economic engagement of the Indian diaspora with India For details contact: Ms. Sujata Sudarshan CEO, OIFC, and Director – CII 249-F, sector 18, Udyog Vihar, Phase IV, Gurgaon —122015, Haryana, INDIA Tel: +91-124-4014055/6 | Fax: +91-124-4309446 Website: www.oifc.in lR;eso t;rs Government of India Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs The government and people of India recognise and greatly value the important role being played by In- dian communities living abroad. We believe that the Indian diaspora has much more to contribute to the building of modern India. We propose to facilitate, encourage and promote this engagement 4 izoklh Hkkjrh; dk;Z ea=ky; Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs www.overseasindian.in | www.moia.gov.in his year’s Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Jaipur. I am told that the Government of Ra- marks the tenth anniversary of the jasthan proposes to build a Pravasi Bharatiya event which was first held in the year Bhawan in Jaipur. This Bhawan will house the 2003. This decade has been marked offices of not only the Protector of Emigrants but by a visible accretion in the influence also a Migrant Resource Centre to provide on- Tand impact of the global Indian across the site help to overseas Indians and emigrating world. We have witnessed a steady growth in workers. their numbers, levels of prosperity and their The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs is skills. implementing the e-migrate project that will The government and people of India recog- provide end-to-end computerized solutions for nise and greatly value the important role being all processes in the emigration system. The sys- played by Indian communities living abroad. tem will link all key stakeholders on a common We believe that the Indian diaspora has much platform which will be used by workers, offices more to contribute to the building of modern of the protector of emigrants, recruitment agen- India. We propose to facilitate, encourage and cies, immigration officials, employers and the promote this engagement. Over the past year Indian missions abroad. we have taken a number of steps towards this The scope of our Labour Mobility Partner- end. ship Agreements is being expanded to cover not Pursuant to the law that was enacted to en- only skilled workers but also students, academ- able non-resident Indians to vote in our national ics and professionals. Such Human Resource elections, the Government has issued notifica- Mobility Partnership agreements are being ne- tions for registration of overseas Indians under gotiated with The Netherlands, France, Aus- the Representation of People Act, 1950. This tralia and the European Union. constitutes the first major step to enable Indians I am happy to inform you that the govern- resident abroad to participate in our election ment has decided to introduce and sponsor a processes. new Pension and Life Insurance Fund for over- In the last session of our Parliament we have seas Indian workers. The scheme will encour- introduced a Bill intended to merge and stream- age, enable and assist overseas workers to line the People of Indian Origin and Overseas voluntarily save for their return and resettlement Citizen of India schemes by amending the Citi- and old age. It will also provide a low-cost life zenship Act. This will rectify some of the anom- insurance cover against natural death. This alies in the schemes and provide for an scheme fulfills a long pending demand of our Overseas Indian Card which will be given to workers abroad. foreign spouses of such card holders as well. A From the Inaugural Address of large number of workers from Rajasthan are Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh at the emigrating abroad. We have accordingly es- Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2012, Jaipur, tablished an office of the Protector of Emigrants January 8, 2012 5 izoklh Hkkjrh; dk;Z ea=ky; Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs www.overseasindian.in | www.moia.gov.in ANNUAL REPORT CONTENTS India, Diaspora and Migration: An Overview ....................................8 The Ministry and its Mandate ........................................................12 Diaspora Services ..........................................................................19 Migration Management ................................................................24 Protector General of Emigrants........................................................34 Financial Services ..........................................................................38 Economic Division ..........................................................................44 Budget and Financial Review ..........................................................46 Management Services ....................................................................47 Contents of Annexures, Tables & Figures ........................................49 Annexures .................................................................................... 50 Tables ............................................................................................58 Figures ..........................................................................................65 Abbreviations ................................................................................70 7 INDIA, DIASPORA AND MIGRATION: AN OVERVIEW ndia is one of the pioneers in recognising the im- sation, and guest work programmes post colonial- portance of its overseas population and establish- ism. This transnational engagement of people, riding ing an institutional framework for a sustainable on the processes of globalisation has been reinforced and mutually beneficial engagement with its through global networks of families, friends and IDiaspora. By creating an independent and effective businesses, which are symbiotic and which enable Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, India has given the exchange of shared ideas of cultural, social and mainstream attention to its estimated 25 million- economic interests. strong Overseas Indian community. This experience In retrospect, the formation of the Indian Dias- too has helped us develop appropriate and well-cal- pora makes up an engaging saga of trials, tribula- ibrated institutional responses, through bilateral and tions and the eventual triumph of determination and multilateral engagements, to meet the challenges of hard work. It pleases all Indians when the Overseas capacity-building for better migration management. Indian community is respected for its work culture, discipline, and successful integration with the local INDIA AND ITS DIASPORA community as much as being counted for its out- standing contributions in their countries of residence. The Indian Diaspora, as India itself, constitutes a This community having overcome considerable diverse, heterogeneous and eclectic global commu- adversity represents an eminently successful Dias- nity, representing diversity of forms, types, geogra- pora in the host countries with several of its repre- phies and times of formation. It, therefore, requires sentatives occupying leadership positions there. diverse and distinct approaches to engage them and We look at them as a significant strategic resource connect with India. The common thread that binds for India. them together is the idea of India and its intrinsic Contemporary flows from India are of two kinds. values. Overseas Indians — comprising People of The first is the emigration of the highly skilled pro- Indian Origin and Non-Resident Indians, stretching fessionals, workers and students with tertiary and across all oceans and continents — have consider- higher educational qualifications migrating to the ably added to knowledge, innovation and develop- most advanced OECD countries, particularly to the ment across the globe by making significant USA, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. contributions to their countries of residence. This flow started after Indian independence in pursuit Historically, the dispersion of people from India of better career prospects and living and gathered and the formation of Indian Diaspora communities momentum with the emigration of IT professional in is the result of different waves of migration over hun- the 1990s. The second was the flow of unskilled and dreds of years driven by a variety of reasons: slavery semi-skilled workers going mostly to the Gulf coun- under mercantilism, indentured labour under coloni- tries and Malaysia—following the oil boom in the 8 izoklh Hkkjrh; dk;Z ea=ky; Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs www.overseasindian.in | www.moia.gov.in Gulf countries, mainly from Kerala and other south The Diasporas provide important links and Indian states. Of late, northern states in India like contact points between home and host societies by Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have emerged as the lead- building transnational networks which transact not ing states of origin. only emotional and familial bonds, but also cultural, Put together, these migratory flows have resulted social and economic interests. With advances in in- in diverse communities of people of Indian origin in formation technology and cheaper transport services, various parts of the world: East Asia, the Middle-East the Diasporas, as compared to situations prevailing Asia, South and Eastern Africa, Europe, North earlier, are able to maintain connections with people America, Australia, the northern part of South Amer- and networks back home more effectively. ica and the Caribbean Islands. These distinct com- Such Diaspora associations in host countries im- munities of people of Indian origin as well as Indian pact and
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