NEW DELHI — The
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday announced the names of 27 awardees
selected for the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (PBSA) 2025 for their vital
role in shaping the global landscape.
Celebrating the achievements of the Indian diaspora, the
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is scheduled to take place in Odisha's
Bhubaneswar from January 8–10.
The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award, conferred by the
President of India, Droupadi Murmu will be presented during the valedictory session
of the momentous event.
The prestigious award recognises the exceptional
contributions of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs),
or organisations run by them, acknowledging their extraordinary achievements
both in India and abroad.
The awardees, selected by the esteemed jury-cum-awards
committee, represent the finest accomplishments of the Indian diaspora in
various fields.
"The committee, chaired by the Vice-President of India,
with the External Affairs Minister as Vice-Chair and other distinguished
members, carefully reviewed nominations before announcing their unanimous
selections," the MEA stated on Friday.
The awards highlight the significant impact of Indians
living abroad and their vital role in shaping the global landscape.
"The 2025 awardees exemplify excellence and dedication
across a wide range of sectors, underscoring the strength of India's global
influence and the outstanding contributions of its people worldwide," the
ministry stated.
This year's awardees include Ajay Rane (Australia) for his
community service, Marialena Joan Fernandes (Austria, education), Philomena Ann
Mohini Harris (Barbados, medical science), Swami Sanyuktanand (Fiji, community
service), Saraswati Vidya Niketan (Guyana, community service), Lekh Raj Juneja
(Japan, science and technology), Prem Kumar (Kyrgyz Republic, medical science),
Soukthavy Chowdhury (Laos, business), Krishna Savjani (Malawi, business), 'Tan
Sri' Subramaniam K.V. Sathasivam (Malaysia, politics), Sarita Boodhoo (Mauritius,
community service), Abhaya Kumar (Moldova, business), Ram Niwas (Myanmar,
education), Jaggannath Shekhar Asthana (Romania, business), Hindustani Samaj
(Russia, community service), Sudha Rani Gupta (Russia, education), Syed Anwar
Khursheed (Saudi Arabia, medical science), Atul Arvind Temurnikar (Singapore,
education), Robert Masih Nahar (Spain, community service), Kaushik Laxmidas
Ramaiya (Tanzania, medicine), Christine Carla Kangaloo (Trinidad and Tobago,
public affairs), Ramakrishnan Sivaswamy Iyer (UAE, business), Bonthala Subbaiah
Setty Ramesh Babu (Uganda, community service), Usha Kumari Prashar (UK,
politics), Sharad Lakhanpal (USA, medicine), Sharmila Ford (USA, community
service) and Ravi Kumar S (USA, business, IT and consulting).