New Delhi, Apr 3 (IANS): A parliamentary panel on External Affairs has asked the government to create an authentic data on Indian diaspora, which would help to effectively implement welfare schemes for Indians living abroad.

In its report presented in Parliament on Monday, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on external affairs expressed surprise that authentic data of the Indian diaspora is not available in the External Affairs Ministry, as the government has said that registration by diaspora being voluntary, the entire community does not register with Indian embassies and missions abroad, and also the data varies due to their mobility.

The panel headed by BJP MP P.P. Chaudhary felt that the government may not be able to implement welfare schemes for the overseas community and address its challenges in the absence of a comprehensive and up-to-date database.

Therefore the committee has recommended in its report that embassies and missions abroad should play a more proactive role, and encourage the diaspora to register themselves with the embassies and missions in coordination with the various diaspora associations, cultural organisations and student bodies, so that authentic database is maintained.

The panel further recommended to the government that as the composition of the Indian diaspora is diverse, consisting of labourers, workers, traders, professionals as well as students, therefore it should develop a module for migrant workers and overseas students within a specified time-frame.