Indian diaspora discuss higher education, FDI in retail

Updated on: Monday, January 09, 2012

The Global Advisory Council of Overseas Indians under the chairmanship of PM Manmohan Singh met here during which its members discussed matters concerning higher education, FDI in retail and other governance issues.

The third meeting of the council, which met at the Raj Bhawan here, also discussed ways and means on how India can take a more proactive role in the discourse on globalisation.
 
With slowdown in the USA and Europe, Singh said the growth centers may have to shift to the Asia-Pacific. 

"He (PM) was confident that despite many constraints India would return to a sustained high annual growth path of 9-10 per cent in the medium term.
 
"Prime Minister further assured that the government would reflect on all the suggestions made by the Council members, and engage proactively on all of them," a PMO release said.
 
Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed also attended the meeting.
 
Eminent Overseas Indians like industrialist L N Mittal, Sam Pitroda, Lord Karan F Bilimoria, Swadesh Chatterjee, Ela Gandhi, Lord Khalid Hameed, Renu Khator, Kishore Mahbubani and Lord Bhikhu Chotalal Parekh were among those who attended the meeting.
 
The members of the council unanimously thanked the Prime Minister for convening the third meeting of the council in Jaipur and for allowing free exchange of views on matters concerning overseas Indians, the release said.
 
The members appreciated that many of the suggestions made previously by them had been implemented, for example, merging of OCI (Overseas Citizenship of India) and PIO (Peoples of Indian Origin) cards and facilitating voting rights for Non-Resident Indians while certain other issues were under implementation.

The members spoke on issues concerning higher education particularly faculty development, engaging second and third generation overseas Indians, Foreign Direct Investment in retail, issues pertaining to governance, and how India can take a more proactive role in the discourse on globalisation, the release said.
 
"The members maintained that on balance, the tenor of reports about India in the international media showed that the global community maintained a healthy respect for India because of India's strong fundamentals," it added.
 
Ravi said the members also raised issues of delayed bureaucratic clearance for projects in the country.

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