Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India]: British citizen of Indian origin and artist Prafulla Mohanti recently claimed he was denied entry to the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) event due to his inability to provide a PAN card. However, official sources clarified that a PAN card is not required for registration.
“PAN card is not required for registration in Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. Prafulla Mohanti, a British citizen of Indian origin, did not register for the event,” a source stated.
Born in Nanpur, Odisha, Prafulla Mohanti is a renowned artist who held his first exhibition at Leeds University. A diploma holder in Town Planning, he worked for the Greater London Council (GLC) as an Architect Planner for five years and was elected a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute. Later, Mohanti left his profession to fully dedicate himself to painting and writing.
The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention is a flagship initiative by the Government of India to connect with the Indian diaspora, enabling meaningful engagement and networking. The 18th edition of this convention is being held in partnership with the Odisha state government from January 8 to 10 in Bhubaneswar.
This year’s theme is “Diaspora’s Contribution to a Viksit Bharat”, with participation from members of the Indian diaspora across more than 50 countries.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Bhubaneswar on Monday for the event, where he was welcomed by Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan at the Bhubaneswar airport.
As part of the convention, PM Modi will inaugurate the event and virtually flag off the Pravasi Bharatiya Express, a special tourist train for the Indian diaspora. Departing from Nizamuddin Railway Station in Delhi, the train will take passengers on a three-week journey to multiple destinations of cultural, tourism, and religious significance in India.
This initiative is being conducted under the Pravasi Teertha Darshan Yojana, designed to showcase India’s rich heritage to the diaspora.