What Is The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award?

Huynh NguyenJuly 23, 2022

What Is The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award

First started in 2003 by the Government of India, the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award is the highest award that is for Indians not living in the country of India. Additionally, the award may be given to organizations or companies that have been founded and led by non-resident Indians.

So, the award is given to Indians who don’t live in India — but why? What are the requirements to even be eligible to win this award? In this article, we’ll go over just that, starting with the exact criteria needed to achieve the Pravasi Bharatiya Award.

Following this, we’ll go over some notable winners of the award, like this businessman, so you can see what type of individuals have won the award.

So if you’re interested in learning about what it takes to receive the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award, and who has won it in the past, then keep reading!

Brief History

The award was originally given to 15 individuals or organizations every year, starting in 2003. In 2016, the government of India decided to change how they did the awards. From 2016 onward, there were to be double the number of awards given, but the awards would be given out every other year instead of every year. So there are no awards for 2016, 2018, 2020, 202,2 and onwards.

Criteria for the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award

For starters, in order to be eligible for the award, you will need to be of either Indian origin or hold citizenship in India. So, if one of your ancestors migrated out of India, then you are of Indian origin. If you are not of Indian origin, but hold dual-citizenship in India, then you will also be eligible for the award.

So, what do you have to actually do in order to be eligible to win this prestigious award? The Consulate General of India has outlined a list of achievements that will allow individuals to become eligible for this award. They have stated that any of these following achievements may satisfy the requirements to win this award:

A better understanding of India whilst abroad.
Provided support to India’s causes and concerns in a tangible manner.
Build closer ties between India and the country or community they reside in.
Contribution to social or humanitarian causes in India or elsewhere.
Provided welfare to a local Indian community.
Philanthropy and other charitable work.
Eminence in a field or outstanding work, which has enhanced the prestige of India in the country or community they reside in.
Eminence in a skill that has enhanced India’s prestige in the country or community.

In addition to those achievements, the Consulate General of India has also outlined a couple of achievements that can be completed within India to receive the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award:

Philanthropic investments and/or charitable work in India.
Contribution made toward the development of India.

Notable Winners of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award

For this final portion of the article, we’re going to go over some notable winners of the award, and what they did to achieve it.

Nisha Desai Biswal

Nisha Desai Biswal is an Indian-born American businesswoman and former public official for the United States Department of State. She served as the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs under President Barack Obama from January 24th, 2014 to January 20th 2017.

She was given the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award for her years of public service in the United States Department of State.

Kiran C Patel

Kiran Patel is originally from Zambia, having been born there in 1949. He would study medicine at Cambridge University before moving to the United States of America in Florida in 1982.

In America, he would start a successful physicians practice ownership and management company, which would kickstart his career of medical insurance, medical science, and most notably his charitable endeavors.

In 2019, he won the award for his contributions to medical science.

If you would like to nominate someone for the award, including yourself, then you should check out the Consulate General of India’s website.

The next awards will be given out in 2023, and you can nominate yourself or someone else by following this link to the Consulate General of India’s website.

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