The Jindal India Institute (JII) of JGU hosted 39 Indian diaspora youth achievers for a one-day learning visit to the campus on July 12 as part of the 75th Know India Programme (KIP), an initiative of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India.

The youth came from Fiji, Guyana, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, New Zealand, South Africa, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. Their day-long engagement on the JGU campus featured two expert lectures and a guided tour, embodying the concept of ‘knowledge tourism’ as promoted by the MEA’s KIP.

In one expert lecture, Professor Sreeram Chaulia, Director General of JII, spoke about the vision and interests driving India’s diaspora diplomacy. He highlighted the strategic and economic aspects of India’s diaspora engagement policy and emphasised the role of overseas Indians in shaping the nation’s future during the ‘Amrit Kaal’. He described the Indian diaspora as ‘carriers of India’s greatness’ and ‘strategic assets’ that contribute to building India’s ‘leading power’ goal. He urged the attending diaspora youth achievers to play a positive role as vectors of India’s soft power worldwide.

The second lecture was an interactive session delivered jointly by Professors Naresh Singh and Haseeb Mohammed. They discussed the idea of India in the eyes of the Indian diaspora. Professor Singh, a Senior Fellow at JII, and a long-time employee of the United Nations, is of Guyanese origin. He explained how the world looks at India as the land of spirituality. Professor Mohammed, an Associate Professor at Jindal School of International Affairs, hails from Trinidad and Tobago and has served as a diplomat in India. He discussed some specific cultural and religious practices in the Caribbean relevant to preservation of the Indian identity and the idea of ‘Indian-ness’ globally. Both speakers celebrated India as a profound teacher of humility and as a reservoir of wisdom that can solve global problems.

The Founding Vice Chancellor of JGU and President of JII, Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, said, “JII’s mission and mandate is to enhance India’s image and soft power in front of international audiences. The partnership between JII and MEA under the KIP is meant to advance these strategic goals. Our world-class infrastructure and knowledge resources are available for further collaborations with MEA to advance India’s national interests.”

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