Dr Philomena Ann Mohini Harris to be conferred with one of India’s highest honours

Dr Philomena Ann Mohini Harris will this month be conferred with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (PBSA), the highest honour conferred on overseas Indians.

Dr Harris will receive the award during the 18th edition of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention, scheduled to be held from January 8–10 at Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. 

PBSA is conferred by the President of India, as part of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention, on Non-Resident Indians, Persons of Indian Origin or an organization/institution established and run by the Non-Resident Indians or Persons of Indian Origin in recognition of their outstanding achievements both in India and abroad.

A jury, made up of members from various walks of life, considered the nominations for the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards 2025 and unanimously selected the awardees, who represent the excellence achieved by India’s diaspora in various fields.

The 2025 awardees also include Christine Carla Kangaloo, President of Trinidad and Tobago; and Saraswati Vidya Niketan, a non-governmental organisation in Guyana.

In 2022 Dr. Harris was awarded Barbados’ Order of the Republic for her sterling contribution to medicine and distinguished service to the Indian community as Honourary Consul for India. (DLB)