Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee announced on Friday that Indian workers in the Gulf and South East Asian regions, who have had to leave their children behind, would now enjoy the facility of one-third reservation out of the 15 per cent supernumerary seats across different disciplines in educational institutions.

Children of Non-Resident Indians in the Gulf would not be required to pay NRI fees and would be treated at par with resident citizens, he said, amidst loud cheers from the overseas Indian community.

This was the prime minister's gift for the Gulf NRIs at the inaugural function of the second Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in New Delhi.

• The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2004

Noting that one of the main themes of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was youth, he said that the government has decided to invite each year a group of 50 second- or third-generation Indian youth from different countries to visit India for two weeks.

Urging the NRIs and Persons of India Origin to play the role of ambassadors, he said, "Given your links with India and your stature in your home countries, you are in a unique position to explain what India is and what India can be, to the audience in your countries."