Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs

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Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs
Pravāsī Bhāratīya Kārya Mantrālaya
Emblem of India.svg
Ministry overview
FormedMay 2004 (2004-05)
Dissolved7 January 2016
Superseding Ministry
Jurisdiction Government of India
Headquarters Akbar Bhawan, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi [1]
Website www.mea.gov.in/overseas-indian-affairs.htm

The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) was a ministry of the Government of India. It was dedicated to all matters relating to the Indian diaspora around the world.

Contents

History

Ministry was established in May 2004 as the Ministry of Non-Resident Indians' Affairs. It was renamed as the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) in September 2004. [2]

Positioned as a ‘Services’ Ministry, it provided information, partnerships and facilitations for all matters related to Overseas Indians: Non-Resident Indian and Person of Indian Origin. [2]

The Ministry was merged with the Ministry of External Affairs on 7 January 2016. [3] The government said that the decision was taken in line with government's "overall objective of minimizing government and maximizing governance" and that it will help the government address duplication as well as unnecessary delays. [4]

Structure

The Ministry had four functional service divisions to handle its services: [2]

The first two divisions were headed by Joint Secretaries. The Protector General of Emigrants (PGoE) headed the Overseas Employment Services Division. The Social Services Unit and the Management Services Unit were staffed with officers of the rank of Deputy Secretary. The Information Services Unit was headed by Senior Technical Director (NIC). [5]

The ministry also sponsored the annual Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (Non-resident Indian Day) established in 2003, when it also instituted the annual Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award. [6]

Cabinet Ministers

PortraitMinister
(Birth-Death)
Constituency
Term of officePolitical partyMinistryPrime Minister
FromToPeriod
Minister of Non-Resident Indian Affairs
Jagdish Tytler in Mumbai on January 6, 2005.jpg Jagdish Tytler
(born 1944)
MP for Delhi Sadar

(Minister of State, I/C)
23 May 20049 September 2004109 days Indian National Congress Manmohan I Manmohan Singh
Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs
Jagdish Tytler in Mumbai on January 6, 2005.jpg Jagdish Tytler
(born 1944)
MP for Delhi Sadar

(Minister of State, I/C)
9 September 200410 August 2005335 days Indian National Congress Manmohan I Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh in 2009.jpg Manmohan Singh
(born 1932)
Rajya Sabha MP for Assam

(Prime Minister) [7]
10 August 200518 November 2005100 days
Oscar Fernandes at launch of the Pilot Project for Cashless Treatment of Road Accident Victims on Gurgaon-Jaipur Stretch of NH-8.jpg Oscar Fernandes
(1941–2021)
Rajya Sabha MP for Karnataka

(Minister of State, I/C)
18 November 200529 January 200672 days
Vayalar Ravi-crop.jpg Vayalar Ravi
(born 1937)
Rajya Sabha MP for Kerala
29 January 200622 May 20098 years, 117 days
28 May 200926 May 2014 Manmohan II
Sushma Swaraj in 2014.jpg Sushma Swaraj
(1952–2019)
MP for Vidisha
27 May 20147 January 20161 year, 226 days Bharatiya Janata Party Modi I Narendra Modi
Merged with the Ministry of External Affairs [8]

Ministers of State

PortraitMinister
(Birth-Death)
Constituency
Term of officePolitical partyMinistryPrime Minister
FromToPeriod
India's Minister of State for External Affairs Vijay Kumar Singh (15760995677) (cropped).jpg General
V. K. Singh (Retd.)
PVSM AVSM YSM ADC
(born 1950)
MP for Ghaziabad
26 May 20147 January 20161 year, 226 days Bharatiya Janata Party Modi I Narendra Modi
Merged with the Ministry of External Affairs

See also

Notes

    References

    1. "Important Contacts". Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
    2. 1 2 3 "An Overview". Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016.
    3. Sushma Swaraj [@SushmaSwaraj] (7 January 2016). "Hon'ble Prime Minister has kindly accepted my proposal. So MOIA will now be part of Ministry of External Affairs" (Tweet) via Twitter.
    4. "Government to merge overseas Indian affairs ministry with MEA - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
    5. "About Us". Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs. Archived from the original on 15 August 2007.
    6. "Pravasi Bharatiya Divas". Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs website. Archived from the original on 26 November 2010.
    7. "Council of Ministers" (PDF).
    8. Bureau, BW Online. "Ministry Of Overseas Indian Affairs Merged With External Affairs Ministry". BW Businessworld. Retrieved 21 April 2021.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)