| Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs | |
| Native Name R: | Pravāsī Bhāratīya Kārya Mantrālaya |
| Type: | Ministry |
| Seal: | Emblem_of_India.svg |
| Preceding6: | --> |
| Dissolved: | 7 January 2016 |
| Superseding1: | Ministry of External Affairs |
| Jurisdiction: | Government of India |
| Headquarters: | Akbar Bhawan, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi[1] |
| Minister7 Name: | --> |
| Deputyminister7 Name: | --> |
| Chief9 Name: | --> |
| Child25 Agency: | --> |
| Keydocument6: | --> |
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.
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.
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]
The Ministry had four functional service divisions to handle its services:
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]
| Portrait | Minister | Term of office | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | To | Period | ||||||||
| Minister of Non-Resident Indian Affairs | ||||||||||
| 1 | Jagdish Tytler (MoS, I/C) | 23 May 2004 | 9 September 2004 | Indian National Congress | Manmohan I | Manmohan Singh | ||||
| Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs | ||||||||||
| (1) | Jagdish Tytler (MoS, I/C) | 9 September 2004 | 10 August 2005 | Indian National Congress | Manmohan I | Manmohan Singh | ||||
| Manmohan Singh (Prime Minister)[7] | 10 August 2005 | 18 November 2005 | ||||||||
| 2 | Oscar Fernandes (MoS, I/C) | 18 November 2005 | 29 January 2006 | |||||||
| 3 | Vayalar Ravi | 29 January 2006 | 22 May 2009 | |||||||
| 28 May 2009 | 26 May 2014 | Manmohan II | ||||||||
| 4 | Sushma Swaraj | 26 May 2014 | 7 January 2016 | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi I | Narendra Modi | ||||