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Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on Tuesday addressing Indians living abroad said his government is making efforts to ease the processes accompanying their social security, passport, visa and Person of Indian Origin (PIO), and Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) cards and that work is on to issue chip-based e-passports.
Inaugurating 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD or Indian Diaspora Conclave on Tuesday, he said that the government's effort was that overseas Indians should stay "happy and safe wherever they are".
"The government is trying to ease the entire processes concerning your social security, passport, visa, Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Cards. We have taken a new step a few months back concerning overseas Indians. Our embassies and consulates are being connected to the Passport Seva Project worldwide," he said.
This, he said, will prepare a centralized system connected to the passport service for all of them. "Going one step ahead, work is on for issuing of the chip-based e-passport."
The Prime Minister said that along with the passport, the rules related to visa were being simplified.
"With the convenience of e-visa, you are also saving time and problems are also getting reduced.
"Many of you will also be familiar with the fact that our government has made the process of converting PIO cards into OCI cards."
Modi further urged Indians or Indians living abroad to contribute to the building of a new India and said that the changes that were coming in India were becoming new opportunities.
He called on Indians living abroad to motivate at least five families around them to come to India. "Your efforts will play an important role in enhancing tourism in the country."
"In this changing India, you can play a big role in research and development and innovation.
"The government is also trying to bring Indian start-ups and NRI mentors together on one platform. Defense manufacturing can also be an important sector for you."
He said that in the past four years, India had taken a major step towards achieving its natural position in the world.
"People used to say that India cannot change," he said. "We have changed this thinking. We have made changes."
Stating that today India led the world in many fields, he said the International Solar Alliance was one such instance.
"It is also part of our goal of preparing solutions to India's problems, that can also solve the problems of other countries. We are working with the application of the local solution, global application."
Modi added: "In the last four-and-a-half years, more than two lakh Indians stranded in crisis situations abroad have been helped by the government and its efforts."
Ahead of this year's general elections, Modi also launched an attack on the Congress over the issue of corruption citing a quote by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
"He said that only 15 percent of the money that the central government sends from Delhi reach the people."
Modi said no attempt was made by the Congress to stop this loot. "The country's middle class continued to pay taxes honestly, and 85 percent of this loot Continued."
But his government was using technology to get rid of this loot.
Modi's Mauritius counterpart Pravind Jugnauth, the chief guest at the event, commended India's endeavors in reaching out.
Modi called this year's PBD the "most successful" event saying the people of Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency, have taken ownership of the three-day jamboree.
-Sowmya Sangam
