Pravasi Bharatiya Divas — Amendments

Amendment	Year	Description	Impact
Citizenship Amendment Act	2003	Introduced the concept of Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI), allowing PIOs to obtain quasi-citizenship status with lifelong visa-free travel to India and other benefits, directly impacting PBD participation categories.	Expanded the scope of PBD by creating a new category of overseas Indians with enhanced rights, increasing diaspora engagement and participation in India's development activities.
OCI Cardholder Amendment	2015	Merged PIO and OCI schemes, streamlining overseas Indian categories and simplifying the regulatory framework for diaspora engagement through unified OCI status.	Simplified PBD participation categories and enhanced the effectiveness of diaspora engagement by reducing bureaucratic complexities and providing clearer pathways for overseas Indian involvement.