Mauritius President Rajkeswur Purryag is among the 15 persons and organisations selected for the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awards for this year.
Giving a platform to Keralites in the Gulf to air their grievances, an exclusive session on Non-Resident Indians in that region was held as the 11th Pravasi Divas began in Kochi on Monday.
All those in the Union council of ministers with two portfolios are likely to lose at least one and major administrative changes are expected in a Cabinet reshuffle due on October 28 or 29 on the return of President Pranab Mukherjee from Durga Puja celebrations in West Bengal.
Ravi said that a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs had been fixed with the agenda of proroguing them, to have a fresh session in February with the Presidential address on the first day.
Union Minister and Kerala Congress leader, Vayalar Ravi has reacted with shock at the death of former Kerala Chief Minister K Karunkaran. Ravi told rediff.com on phone from New Delhi that this is a great loss not only for Kerala but for the Congress as a whole.
India and Kuwait have signed a landmark labour agreement, incorporating steps for job protection, checking exploitation of Indian workers and ensuring payment of salaries and other benefits promised at the time of recruitment.
Several Congress ministers have reportedly said that they want to be relieved of their ministerial berths. These include Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh, Law Minister Salman Khurshid, Overseas Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi and Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.
Despite Union Minister for Overseas Indians Vayalar Ravi's intervention, the fate of 29 Indian fishermen, who have been languishing in Iran since October 10 last year, remains uncertain.
Ravi, who attended the Ministerial Consultations on Overseas Employment and Contractual Labour for Countries of Origin in Asia in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, said the (wage) figure should be 'realistic' and needs to reflect the conditions in each of the countries where the workers are employed.
After the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, Priyanka asks Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vyalar Ravi the tough questions about voting rights, investments, and other issues faced by Non-resident Indians.
As the tragic death of Indian dentist Savita Halappanavar in Ireland continues to evoke outrage world wide, Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi Sunday said the inquiry ordered by the Irish government should be 'transparent and fair'.
The Telangana Joint Action Committee which was to complete their protest march at 7 pm on Sunday decided to stay put on Necklace Road in Hyderabad until there was a decision on separate statehood.
The negotiations will be held in Mumbai on Tueday at the International Civil Aviation Negotiations Conference which will be inaugurated by President Pratibha Patil.
Ravi, who inaugurated the 15th national biennial convention of the National Federation of Indian Americans in Seattle, Washington, told rediff.com that the Government of India and his Ministry are committed to the safety and protection of Indian students in the US and anywhere in the world, and that during his visit he would meet with the relevant authorities in the US to make sure that the welfare of the Indian students is ensured.
Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi said the diaspora community has been contributing significantly to India's economy by sending billion of dollars in remittances and government is launching the scheme to support them on their return to the country.
Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi said in New York on Friday that New Delhi is trying to negotiate for an agreement with the Bush Administration under which temporary Indian workers in the US would not have to pay social security taxes.
Congress on Friday said consultation process with regard to separate Telangana demand is on at various levels, but refused to set any time-frame for arriving at a decision.
When Mammootty -- one of the superstars of the Malayalam film industry -- took to the dais to talk about how India could use its soft power to its advantage, a sell-out crowd was a certainty.
A section of Air India pilots, who threatened to go on strike from Wednesday demanding pay parity and better working conditions, on Tuesday night deferred their agitation till March 15 following tripartite talks with the carrier's management and chief labour commissioner in New Delhi.
India has strongly "objected" to the remark on the Golden Temple by popular American television host Jay Leno, terming it "quite unfortunate".
Holding the 'nexus' between agents responsible for the 'exploitation' of Indian workers in Gulf countries, New Delhi on Friday said it would tighten rules for their recruitment.
Overseas Indian affairs minister Vayalar Ravi said Government was in the final stage of establishing a 'Return and Resettlement Fund' that will provide 'reasonable level of financial security' to the overseas returnees.
In his inaugural speech, Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi invited the 25-million strong diaspora to be part of the 'India growth story' and take the country forward in diverse sectors.
Millions of NRIs wishing to get voting rights may have to wait a little longer to see their names in electoral rolls as differences between the government and the Election Commission have resulted in a delay in finalising the modalities for enrolment.Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi on Tuesday said two rounds of discussions have already been held between the Election Commission, the external affairs ministry and his ministry to finalise the modalities.
Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi stated that the focus areas of the PBD in Mauritius would be to deliberate ways and means of further strengthening economic engagement, role of youth in maintaining the vital PIO links and cultural heritage as well as look at mutual areas of exploration where Mauritius could serve as a gateway for doing business with Africa.
Pilots's association says the ministry is not serious about its assurance.
Amid protests in Hyderabad, a high-level meeting is likely to be convened in New Delhi to lay out a road map for the formation of Telangana.
Facing serious financial turbulence, Kingfisher Airlines has sought government help for a bailout even as it continued its flight curtailment spree for the fifth consecutive day on Friday and its stocks plummeted by over 19 per cent to an all-time low but recovered slightly later.
The return of former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president K.Muraleedharan into the Congress party is almost clear with the state Congress president Ramesh Chennithala and Union Minister Vayalar Ravi supporting his return.
Noting that it was responsibility of the state governments to prosecute unscrupulous recruiting agents, he said proper enforcement of the relevant law will help in controlling illegal migration from the country.
The matter could have been resolved with little fuss except for what some devotees, and representatives of Hindu organisations, claim is inspired fishing in troubled waters by the "atheistic" Communist government now in power in Kerala
The government has identified 355 foreign employers who were found to be harassing Indian workers abroad, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.
The returnees included all Indians like overseas Indians, students, tourists, and businessmen.
Rubbishing the Congress' accusation that Team Anna was involved with foreign elements, one of its members and former Supreme Court Judge N Santosh Hegde on Tuesday said blaming a foreign hand was a 'famous statement' of the 1970s. "This was a famous statement of the 1970s. Every time a fault was pointed out, (an allegation was made saying) it is the international phenomenon or a foreign hand is involved," said Justice Hegde.
The government on Tuesday said it is aware of the plight of the 1,200 Indian workers stranded in Angola and will take all necessary steps for their return. "The government is taking steps for their return," Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi said in the Rajya Sabha.
Taking serious view of a 29-year old Kerala woman landing in a prostitution racket in Oman after being lured with a housemaid job, India has asked its mission in Muscat to take up the case with the Omanese Government and seek action against her sponsors. Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi on Monday said that stringent action would also be taken if any agent was involved in the racket.
State of Air India reveals one of the sorriest aspects of Indian public life.
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