Thaindian News

New Delhi, Jan 6 (IANS) The government Tuesday constituted the Prime Minister’s Global Advisory Council to facilitate a dynamic two-way engagement between stakeholders in India and the overseas Indian community.The composition of this team is in keeping with the announcement made by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the occasion of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in January last year in New Delhi.

The council is based on the idea that the highly skilled overseas Indian community represents a vast untapped resource that can be harnessed as an input in national development processes in the country.

The council that will be chaired by the prime minister will also include External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vyalar Ravi and other senior designated officials from the government.

Among the eminent overseas Indians who have accepted the prime minister’s invitation to be members are Jagdish Bhagwati, Karan F. Bilmoria, Swadesh Chatterjee, Ela Gandhi, Rajat Gupta, Renu Khator, Lord Khalid Hameed, Kishore Mahbubani, L.N. Mittal, P.N.C. Menon, Indra K. Nooyi, Bhikhu Chotalal Parekh, C.K. Prahlad, Tan Sri Dato, Ajit Singh, Amartya Sen, Vikram Pandit, Sam Pitroda, Shashi Tharoor, Srinivasa S.R. Varadhan and Yusuf Ali.

“The GAC will serve as an institutionalized dialogue mechanism between the diaspora community and the highest levels of government,” said a release from the prime minister’s office.

It will specifically focus on the promotion of business-to-business partnerships, creating appropriate institutional mechanisms that can leverage knowledge, skills and expertise possessed by the overseas Indian community for socio-economic development processes in the country.

In addition, the council will also channelise the substantial overseas Indian philanthropic efforts in India into priority areas of development like poverty alleviation, education and health care.