Standing Committee on External Affairs Report on Indian Diaspora Overseas

03-04-2025

The Indian Diaspora refers to people of Indian origin who have migrated to foreign countries, either several generations ago or more recently, often on long-term visas issued by those countries.
This group includes Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs), Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs), and Non-Resident Indians (NRIs).
As of January 2024, the Indian Diaspora population stands at approximately 35.42 million, with 15.85 million NRIs and 19.57 million PIOs and OCIs.

Issues and Recommendations:

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The Standing Committee on External Affairs highlighted several key concerns regarding the Indian Diaspora and provided the following recommendations:

Area	Concern	Recommendation
Conversion of PIO Cards to OCI Cards	Slow response to the OCI Card Scheme, leading to an inadequate number of OCI cards issued.	Undertake concerted efforts through social media and Diaspora organizations to complete the conversion of all PIO cards to OCI cards by December 2025.
Voting Rights for NRIs	NRIs who are enrolled in the voter list must be physically present to cast their votes.	Consider implementing the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) to extend voting rights to NRIs.
Transfer of Sentenced Persons from Foreign Jails	Only 8 Indian prisoners were transferred from foreign jails to India in the past three years.	Enhance diplomatic efforts to streamline the prisoner transfer process and ensure fair treatment for Indian nationals in foreign jails.
Status of the Emigration Bill	Delay in finalizing the Emigration Bill, despite issues with illegal emigration.	Prioritize a comprehensive legislative overhaul, replacing the Emigration Act of 1983 with the Overseas Mobility (Facilitation and Welfare) Bill, 2024.
Working Group on Welfare Schemes/Programmes for Diaspora	No meetings have been held since 2021 to review the progress of various welfare schemes.	Ensure biannual meetings of the Working Group to assess the objectives, progress, and challenges of various diaspora-related schemes and initiatives.

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