Trinidad and Tobago President Christine Carla Kangaloo will be the chief guest at the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) programme to be held in Bhubaneswar from January 8 to 10, officials said on Friday.
President Kangaloo is a descendent of Indian indentured workers who went to the Carribean islands in late 1800s. A lawyer by training, she joined the judiciary in the 1990s and politics in 2001. She has served as minister in the Cabinet and handled portfolios including legal affairs, science and technology, among others.
The Ministry of External Affairs announced on Friday that President Droupadi Murmu will confer the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman during the valedictory session of the PBD Convention, and announced the names of the awardees for this year.
The awardees, who “represent the excellence achieved” by the Indian diaspora in various fields, include Baroness Usha Kumari Prashar from the UK (in the field of politics), Dr Sharmila Ford from the US for community service. There are a couple of institutions in the list as well.
The names for the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (PBSA) 2025 were recommended by a Jury-cum-Awards Committee. The PBSA is the highest honour conferred on overseas Indians.
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