India takes steps to safeguard expats` interest

New Delhi, Dec 27 (PTI) In the backdrop of several
incidents of exploitation of Indian workers abroad, the Union
government signed a string of labour and social security
agreements with other nations to safeguard the interests of
expatriates who remitted USD 27 billion to the country this
year.

The agreements were especially for the benefit of the
44 lakh unskilled and semi-skilled Indians who contributed 40
per cent of the money remitted back to the country.

The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) inked
labour agreements with Jordan and Qatar where there is a large
population of Indian workforce.

Labour MOUs have been signed with UAE, Kuwait and
Oman, while negotiations have been completed with Bahrain and
Malaysia.

The Ministry is working towards signing Labour
Mobility Partnership Agreements with central and eastern
European countries and many Asian nations which would help
expanding employment market for Indian workers, particularly
in the skilled category.

India also signed bilateral social security agreement
with Belgium, France and Germany this year.

Transfer of pension in case of relocation to the home
country or any third country was one of the major highlights
of these agreements.

The Government is in the final stages of negotiations
with Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Luxembourg for the
social security agreements. Talks are also underway with
Sweden, Norway, Hungary and Switzerland. Discussions on this
matter were also held with USA and Australia as well.

For more than five lakh Indian workers based in Gulf
countries, the ministry established Overseas Workers Resource
Centre to disseminate information about migration rules.

A council for Promotion of Overseas Employment - a
think-tank for overseas employment - was also established by
the ministry to facilitate training for expats in language,
culture and laws of the countries they are migrating to.

The ministry also provided relief to distraught women
who are deserted by NRI grooms by launching a scheme for
providing legal assistance to such women. The financial aid to
the, was recently increased from USD 1,000 to USD 2,000.

There were talks with countries like UK, US, Australia
and New Zealand to impress on them the need to be sensitive to
Indian ethos and culture during hearing of a divorce suite.

However, the ministry failed to evoke interest among
Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) to invest in the country. More
than 3.5 lakh PIO responded to the dual citizenship scheme of
the government but they showed little initiative in investing
in India.

The Overseas Indian Facilitation Centre, established
in collaboration with Confederation of Indian Industries, also
could not convince PIO to invest in India during the Pravasi
Bharatiya Divas held in New Delhi and Singapore.

The ministry also initiated education schemes for
children of Indians based in Gulf. For the 100 scholarships to
study in India, the ministry received a record 400
applications.

The MOIA is considering a proposal of the Manipal
University trust to establish an university for the PIO and
NRIs.

The university to be established by the Manipal Trust
on behalf of the government will have the status of a deemed
University. It will have 50 per cent seats earmarked for
PIO/NRIs and the remaining 50 percent for resident Indians.

The ministry has also set up an Indian Community
Welfare Fund for diaspora settled abroad.

While the results of these initiatives will take some
time, the ministry is hoping of more budget allotments from
the government in 2009, from its current share of just Rs four
crores a year. PTI