Reforms are like cricket scores, once they are scored, you just cannot erase them from the scoreboard," Finance Minister P Chidambaram said.
Ramesh Chandra, a retired design engineer who has been in the US since 1980, is in New Delhi to attend the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. His main interest in coming to India has been to point out this flaw, which he says is evident at several important places.
'If any Pravasi attends the event he will not be disappointed,' says Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi.
Persons of Indian Origin in certain countries will be given dual citizenship and a legislation to facilitate it will be introduced in the Budget session of Parliament beginning next month.
Interestingly, the full service carrier's launch coincides with the concluding day of the the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas celebrations scheduled to be held in Gujarat's capital city Gandhinagar, near Ahmedabad, from January 7 to January 9.
Pursuant to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's announcement in January, a insurance scheme for Non-Resident Indians -- 'Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana' -- will be launched on December 25 this year.
'Across the globe, Indians have been treated as coolies. Here when we are in India, I do not want to be treated as a coolie.'
Two of the awardees -- Billy Nair from South Africa and Sibabrata Roy from Germany -- were unable to make it for the presentation.
He also thanked the non-resident Indians in West Asia and other parts of the world for the handsome contribution their remittances make to the strengthening of our economy.
"Moreover, PBD has a lot to do with government and each government takes advantage of it and utilises it for its vested interest."
When people belonging to the Indian Diaspora come to participate in the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas to be held from January 7 to 9, they can avail of a special programme to retrace their roots.
'Whenever you say India is inflicted with corruption, Indians turn around and say other countries have corruption as well,' says Canadian politician Ujjal Dosanjh.
Right now there are five Hindus occupying the top job in the world. Rishi Sunak will be the sixth.
A cultural delegation will serenade Indians with 'chutney' and 'calypso' during the event.
'This is because earlier we didn't have any ministry. People came, spoke and went away. There was no follow-up. But the two PBDs have focussed on the problems,' says Jagdish Tytler.
'It has been an ongoing process, talking to the relevant ministries about eliminating leakages and curbing non-core expenditure in various schemes.'
The government is talking to certain countries on the issue of extending dual citizenship to non-resident Indians and People of Indian Origin, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.\n\n
'India has no shortage of money. It's people with certain types of expertise, commitment -- we have a shortage of,' says Devesh Kapur, associate professor at Harvard.
Nav Ratan and Hind Ratan awards were given to delegates from over 52 countries at the 22nd International Congress of NRIs in New Delhi.
The text of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's speech at the inaugural session of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, January 9, 2003
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