Author Archives: Arun Kumar N

About Arun Kumar N

Arun has been associated with India International Times since 2018 and he has been a key reporter in covering science and space related stories. He can be reached at arunKnn@indiainternationaltimes.com.

2017 Republic Day Parade: 17 States, 6 Ministries to Showcase Tableaux

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This year Republic Day Parade on Rajpath will witness tableaux from 17 States and Six Ministries of the Central Government, showcasing themes starting from country’s rich cultural heritage and socio-economic development to nation’s progress in IT, Women, Empowerment and Environment Protection.

The UAE Crown Prince is going to be the Chief Guest at 2017 Republic Day parade.

Arunachal Pradesh, in its tableau, seeks to depict the Yak Dance, one of the most famous pantomimes of the Mahayana sect of Buddhist Tribes of Arunachal Pradesh where a masked dancer represents the members of a family who are said to have discovered the Yak with the help of a magical bird hundreds of years ago. The Yak is the most useful animal of the northeastern tribes which believe that the discovery of the Yak resolved the family’s internal property disputes and provided a permanent source of prosperity to the entire community.

Other tableux include ODISHA’s Dola Jatra, MAHARASHTRA’s tableux depicting freedom fighter Lokmanya Balgangadhar Tilak, MANIPUR’s Lai Haraoba by the Meitei community.

Gujarat will showcase the Art and Lifestyle of Kutch with 16 different types of embroideryand the Rogan art, Mud work and the art of making Bhunga. LAKSHADWEEP will focus on Tourist Destination while Karnataka presents traditional folk dances of the Goravas, the worshippers of Lord Shiva engaged in the traditional ritualistic dance.

World’s 250 Top Business Schools List Released; IIM-A Tops From India

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The 2017 drive to assess the world’s best business schools has begun, with global higher education analysts QS Quacquarelli Symonds releasing the QS Global 250 Business Schools Report 2017.

The analysis, classifying business schools into four quadrants, recognizes the top institutions for both employability and academic standards across all major world regions. Key findings for India include:

The Indian Institute of Management at Ahmedabad is rated by QS as both being outstanding for both graduate employability and academic standards. It thus becomes the country’s only business school to enter the Global Elite quadrant, which contains 45 world-leading business schools;

Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore achieves a leading Employability score, and thus places in QS’s ‘Top-Tier Employability’ quadrant;

Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, the Indian School of Business, and Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow achieve strong but non-outstanding scores for both employability and academic performance, and thus place in the ‘Mid-Tier’, or ‘Superior’ quadrant.

The Graduate School of Business at the University of Cape Town leads the Middle East & Africa region in both categories;

In total, 107 of the 250 classified schools hail from North America. 82 operate in Europe, 42 in the Asia-Pacific region, 10 in Latin America, and 9 in the Middle East & Africa;

The expert analyses of 12,125 MBA employers and 8,376 academics specialising in Business & Management contributed to QS’s own analysis.

Asia-Pacific

42 business schools from the Asia-Pacific region are ranked: 17 from Australia, 6 from China, 5 from both Hong Kong and India, 4 from Singapore, 2 from Japan, and one each from South Korea, Taiwan, and New Zealand;
This region contains five Global Elite institutions: two from Singapore, two from Australia, and one from India;
INSEAD’s Singaporean satellite campus leads the region for employability;
A Singaporean business school is also the region’s best for academic performance: the NUS Business School at the National University of Singapore;

Europe

London Business School is Europe’s leading business school once again, achieving a perfect score for both employability and academic performance;
In total, sixteen European institutions feature in the Global Elite quadrant. This group is comprised of business schools from France (3), Germany (1), Italy (1), the Netherlands (1), Spain (2), Switzerland (2), and the United Kingdom (6).

North America

Harvard Business School remains North America’s best MBA provider based on both the employability of its graduates and its academic standards;
Eighteen Global Elite schools are from the USA, while four operate in Canada.

Latin America

Two Latin American business schools join the forty-five Global Elite schools: EGADE, a constituent school at Tecnológico de Monterrey; and Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

Sepoy Chandu Babulal Chavan Handed Over to India

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Sepoy Chandu Babulal Chavan, who crossed over to Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir from Jammau and Kashmir Krishna Ghati sector on 29 September, 2016 was finally handed over to Indian army on Saturday.

India has taken up his release with Pakistani Military authorities through the existing Hotline and scheduled DGMO level talks. His presence was acknowledged by Pakistan on Oct.7, 2016.

“The matter has been continuously raised in scheduled DGMO level talks since then and the issue was also taken up diplomatically through our High Commission in Pakistan and Ministry of External Affairs, said a statement by the Indian army.

On Saturday, (21 Jan 17) at 1 PM, “we finally got confirmation by Pakistan Military Authorities that Sepoy Chandu Babulal Chavan would be handed over to Indian Authorities at Wagah border at 3 PM Indian time,” said Indian Army PRO Col. Rohan Anand.

Sepoy Chandu Babulal Chavan was finally handed over to Indian authorities at Wagah Crossing Point at 3:45 PM on Saturday, said the Indian army confirming the handover.

The border crossing has been a major issue in bilateral ties with Pakistan and Indian Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh chaired a meeting about the details of Madhukar Gupta Committee report on the issue of gaps and vulnerability in border fencing along Indo-Pakistan border, in New Delhi on September 22, 2016.

The National Security Advisor (NSA), Shri Ajit Doval, the Home Secretary,  Rajiv Mehrishi, the Deputy NSA, Dr. Arvind Gupta, the Secretary (Border Management),Susheel Kumar, the Home Secretary (Retd.), Madhukar Gupta and other senior officers of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Defence have been working on the committee recommendations to stem the border crossing issue by civilians and army personnel.

Trumpeting ‘America First’ Theory Far-Fetched But Feasible

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US President Donald Trump in his first Presidential address has put “America First”, setting the tone for an inward-looking diplomacy that might radically change the course of world events since the Pearl Harbor attack seven decades ago.

“We assembled here today are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every foreign capital, and in every hall of power. From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land. From this day forward, it’s going to be only America first, America first,” he said in his first Presidential speech.

In domestic politics, what President Trump proclaimed was feasible but in international politics, diplomacy varies from capital to capital and region to region. Depending on where he stands, it changes.

To begin with, going westward, America of Trump may seek more from Japan where it has stationed its war fleet round the clock for a sum. Now this has to be a ransom to sustain what Trump wanted. Will Tokyo, stuck in a stagnated economy, tax its citizens more to pay Uncle Sam?

Australia and New Zealand, who fall in line every time an emergency struck the US in the past, may not benefit from America First policy directly but certainly they can look inward for a domestically centred economic push, instead of looking at Washington DC for succour.

Asia is as divided as ever. China may tremble under the pressure of a constant panic button by an erstwhile businessman who may want more concessions or threaten to replete the markets for ever. China may retaliate in many ways including selling its US dollar reserves which are in plenty. This may be an uphill task but once mooted, even the US economy will shake.

India, being a late entrant into the US-dominated international politics after the Cold War, will have to safeguard its Information Technology companies and contracts whether H1B visa is there or not. The time is for Indian honchos to give room to their US counterparts in office space to thwart any direct attack from Trump. It is going to be a roller-coaster ride for Indian IT companies for the next four years.

Pakistan, whose Prime Minister woke up to a sudden phone call from President-elect Trump, may cosy up to the fact that they have to rein in on Islamic leaders either willingly or unwillingly for the next four years. US troops in Afghan border will remain a direct answer to every word that Trump speaks from now onwards. How Taliban in Kabul outskirts reacts to Trump will shape the drone war in the vicinity of Hindukush mountains.

Middle East will remain the major beneficiary from the Trump Administration as long as the Arabs keep their oil wells in tact and hand over the IS agents in return for business considerations. One pointer is that oil prices will be given a push to touch $100 if diplomacy by business is what Trump means.

More of Israel than Iran in Middle East policy will gain currency again. To achieve this, United Kingdom will have to be roped in and NATO alliance has to remain in its place to keep Russia’s Putin in place. US future with Europe is so intertwined that no President can just distance the siblings here.

Africa in the backyard, as usual, with focus on warlords and military mafia who will resurrect terror and attract Trump’s attention eventually tasting his iron-handed approach. Unlike the previous Bush administration, Trump may be forced to involve more in African affairs, for a change now.

Back to borders with other American nations like Mexico, he may build a wall but how much of the cost will be footed by the Mexican drug mafia, if not the Mexican government, will be the major question. Other Latin Americans may wait in the wings for the next administration to take over in 2021.

All said and done, Trump’s slogan remains the same – “Yes, together, we will make America great again.”

Raisina Dialogue 2017 Concludes

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The second annual Raisina Dialogue was held in New Delhi, this time in January with distinguished foreign and Indian intellectuals and academics addressing the seesions. Envisioned to be India’s flagship conference of geopolitics and geo-economics, the conference was designed on the lines of Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

This year’s conference was jointly held by the Ministry of External Affairs, India and the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), a think tank funded by the Ambani group in India. Held in New Delhi from 17-19 January, 2017 at the Taj Palace, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, the theme of the Dialogue, this year, was “The New Normal: Multilateralism with Multi-Polarity”.

The three-day dialogue featured an Inaugural Panel with the participation of M.J. Akbar, Minister of State for External Affairs of India, Prakash Sharan Mahat, Foreign Minister of Nepal, Hamid Karzai, former President of Afghanistan, Kevin Rudd, former Prime Minister of Australia and Gowher Rizvi, International Affairs Advisor to Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

A video message from the United Nations Secretary General Mr. Antonio Guterres was also be played before the Inaugural Panel followed by several Ministerial and Keynote addresses.

Besides the Theme Address by Foreign Secretary Dr. S. Jaishankar, the foreign dignitaries who addressed the Dialogue included Boris Johnson, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, UK, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, Minister for Regional Development, Sri Lanka, Stephen Harper, former Prime Minister of Canada, Jacques Audibert, Diplomatic Advisor to the President of France, Shunsuke Takei, Parliamentary Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, Admiral Harry B. Harris Jr, Commander, Pacific Command and Admiral Michelle Howard, Commander, US Naval Forces, Europe and Africa.

While the first edition involved about 40 countries with 120 foreign participants, the 2nd edition featureed participation from about 65 countries and more than 250 foreign participants.
The name Raisina Dialogue comes from Raisina Hill, where the Rashtrapati Bhavan and the South and North Blocks of the Indian government’s head offices were located and the conference symbol has the design as its symbol.

The theme of the first dialogue was “Connecting Asia” which witnessed participation of more than 100 speakers from over 35 countries and the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj described the dialogue as a “new sense of purse to the country’s foreign policy”.

Obama Makes Last Official Call to Modi on Hotline

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who received a telephone call from US President, Mr Barack Obama on Wednesday evening, thanked him for his ooperation.

The two leaders reviewed with satisfaction the significant all round progress and cooperation in ties between India and the US in the past few years.

Prime Minister Modi also thanked President Obama for his strong support and contribution to strengthening the strategic partnership between India and the US.

President Obama visited India twice during his term and he was also the Chief Guest at 2015 Republic Day Parade.

Modi conveyed his best wishes to President Obama in his future endeavours. President Obama’s term ends on January 20, 2017.

There is a hotline or secure line of communication between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama and their national security advisors, a decision that was made after Obamas’s historic visit to New Delhi in January 2015.

“Hotline has connotation of some crisis management phone or system that was used during the cold war to defuse crisis. That’s not what we have,” Lavoy explained.

During Obama’s term, India became only the fourth country– after Russia, Great Britain and China – with which the US has a hotline.

For India this is the first hotline at the level of head of state. The hotline also signified efforts of Obama and Modi to increase the frequency of level of communication and frequent discussion between them on key bilateral, regional and global issues.

Indian Cabinet Approves MOUs with United Arab Emirates

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The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Memorandum of Understanding between India and United Arab Emirates for cooperation in the field of Small and Medium Enterprises and Innovation. The MoU will benefit Indian SMEs and lead to equitables and inclusive development, said a statement.

The exposure to best practices in SME sector abroad would provide an opportunity to Indian SMEs to improve upon them and innovate further. It would also provide to Indian SME sector an opportunity to have a mutually beneficial relation with SME sector of the United Arab Emirates and to explore their markets.

The Cabinet also approved an MoU with UAE on Institutional Cooperation in Maritime Transport that will pave way for facilitation and promotion of maritime transport, simplification of customs and other formalities, wherever possible, observed in Ports and facilitation of the use of existing installations for the disposal of waste.

The MoU entails Shipping Companies in both countries to enter into bilateral and multi-lateral arrangements for trade. In addition, a pact on bilateral Cooperation in the Road Transport and Highways Sector to be signed between the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, India and the Federal Transport Authority – Land and Maritime, U.A.E. was also approved.

The proposed MoU envisages increased cooperation, exchange and collaboration between India and the UAE, and will contribute to increased investment in infrastructure development and enhance logistics efficiency. This will help in promoting safe, economical, efficient and environmentally sound road transport in the country and will further help both the countries in creating an institutional mechanism for cooperation in the field.

Obama Pardons WikiLeaks Soldier Chelsea Manning

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US President Barack Obama has one commendable exception to his term when he commuted the sentence of soldier Chelsea Manning in Wikileaks Case, which may free her in 4 months instead of 2045 as she was sentenced to 35 years in prison.

Chelsea Manning was convicted of stealing secret diplomatic and military documents and disclosing them to WikiLeaks. Others who had been granted pardon included retired Marine General James Cartwright, a former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who had pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in Iran’s nuclear program.

Unlike Edward Snowden, who leaked classified documents in 2013 and then fled the country, the White House said Manning did not try to avoid facing the U.S. justice system. “Chelsea Manning is somebody who accepted responsibility for the crimes she committed,” a senior White House official told Washington Post on the condition of anonymity.

Besides Manning, Obama granted clemency to 209 individuals and pardoned an additional 64. He is expected to grant more commutations before January 20 when he leaves office. Obama has commuted 1,385 sentences since 2014, almost the same as all 12 previous US presidents did commute together. Of those, 540 low-level drug offenders had been serving life sentences.

The commutation of Manning’s sentence, the White House officials said, has nothing to do with a recent pledge by Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, that he would agree to be extradited to the US, if Manning’s sentence was commuted.

Manning was arrested in Iraq in May 2010 for transmitting documents to WikiLeaks pertaining to the Iraq and Afghanistan “War Logs”, videos, documents on Guantanamo Bay prisoners, besides 250,000 State Department cables. Chelsea Manning, a transgender by admission, said the motive to raise public awareness about the effect of war on innocent civilians. She tried to commit suicide twice in her prison.

NSG Membership Can’t be US Gift to India, Says China

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As China reacted adversely to the Obama administration’s reference to India’s membership bid to the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) saying it cannot be a parting gift to a country unless it signs NPT, the outgoing US envoy Richard Verma said eventually the Chinese hurdle would be overcome.

In his farewell address, Mr Verma said US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry had pushed for India’s membership to the NSG and he said the Trump administration would carry it forward, despite opposition from Bijing, which brushed it aside saying admission of non-NPT signatories in NSG cannot be a “farewell gift” for countries to give to each other.

Mr. Verma said, “This is something we will keep working on together. There is a lot of support for India’s membership as we said we strongly support India’s accession in the NSG. These things are complicated, they take time, they are multilateral. We will have to continue to work with those countries including China which may have some concerns. But I believe, at the end of the day, we we will get there.”

Mr. Verma, a political appointee by the Obama Administration, is returning home before Republican Donald Trump takes over as American President on January 20. He said the US has been strongly supporting India’s bid at the NSG, besides its membership at a reformed UN Security Council and other international institutions.

China has been blocking India’s bid for the NSG despite support from a majority of members saying that India is not a signatory to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT). “I just want to point out that NSG membership shall not be some kind of farewell gift for countries to give to each other,” said a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson in reaction to Obama’s statement.

China, an ally of Pakistan, wants a two-step approach for admission of countries who have not signed the NPT — Find a solution that is applicable to the admission of all non-NPT countries followed by discussions on admitting specific nations, which eventually allows Pakistan as well.

India, Mauritius Sign MoU on Fisheries, Cooperatives

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India signed an MoU with Mauritius on Monday to cooperate in fisheries and cooperatives in agro industry, fisheries and dairy sector.

India’s Union Minister of Agriculture Radha Mohan Singh and Minister of Business, Enterprise and Cooperatives, Govt. of Mauritius, Mr. Soomilduth Bholah signed on MoU for Cooperation in the field of Cooperatives, in New Delhi on Monday.

The MoU will enable the two countries to collaborate in this vital sector and can significantly benefit thousands in Mauritius. India has also offered to exchange its expertise and technology with Mauritius in agro industry, fisheries and dairy sector.

The two ministers expressed satisfaction at the historic, time-tested relationship between India and Mauritius which is anchored in linkages of culture and ancestry has grown from strength to strength over the years, adding that frequent high level visits have added significant momentum to the bilateral relationship between the two countries.

India is enhancing ties with Mauritius and alst year, INS Tabar, a stealth frigate visited Port Louis, Mauritius from 10-13 March. The primary aim of the visit was to participate in the Mauritius National Day celebrations and strengthen the existing bonds of friendship.

In May-June 2016, Indian Naval Sailing Vessel Mhadei (INSVMhadei) with an all-women crew undertook two voyages to Port Louis, Mauritius as part of the first two open-ocean voyages of the Navy’s all-women crew of Mhadei, who are currently training to undertake a circumnavigation of the globe in 2017.

Sale of Tickets for Republic Day Parade Begins

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The tickets for viewing the Republic Day Parade at Rajpath on 26th January and Full Dress Rehearsal of Beating the Retreat Ceremony at Vijay Chowk on 28th January will be available at seven Departmental Sale Counters, said a statement.

The price of tickets for the Republic Day Parade on 26th January 2017 are Rs.500 for reserved seats and Rs.100 and Rs.20 for unreserved seats. The tickets for the Beating the Retreat Ceremony (Full Dress Rehearsal) on 28th January 2017 are in the category of Rs.50 and Rs.20 and does not have reserved seats.

Tickets are available at seven Departmental Sale Counters. These counters are located at North Block round about, Pragati Maidan (Gate No. 1), Jantar Mantar (Main Gate), Shastri Bhawan (near Gate No. 3), India Gate (near Jamnagar House), Red Fort (near police picket) and Sena Bhavan (Gate No. 2).

For Members of Parliament, a special counter has also been set up in Parliament House (Reception Office). The above sale counters are open till January 25, 2017 from 1000hrs to 1230 hrs and 1400hrs to 1630hrs. For the Full Dress Rehearsal of Beating the Retreat Ceremony the tickets will also be available on 27th and 28th January 2017 from 1000hrs to 1630hrs.

However, on 28 January 2017 the counters will close by 1500hrs due to commencement of Beating the Retreat (Rehearsals). From 23 to 25 January 2017, ticket counters of Sena Bhawan, Jantar Mantar, India Gate and Shastri Bhawan will remain open till 1900hrs. No ticket counters will remain open on 26 January 2017, the day being the Republic Day.

The tickets are sold on production of Aadhaar Card, Voter Card or Identity Cards issued by Government of India or State Governments only. Payment for tickets will also be accepted by Credit/Debit Cards.

PMO Distances from KVIC Calendar; Amazon Row on Gandhi Slippers Persists

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The country’s Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) which has issued a calendar and diary depicting PM Narendra Modi in front of a charkha replacing Mahatma Gandhi was asked for an explanation by the Prime MInister’s Office, which said no permission was sought from the PMO on the claendar.

The PMO said officials have sought explanation from the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises on the issue, which was vehemently criticised by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal among others for usurping the nation’s icon Mahatma Gandhi in branding row.

Meanwhile, on external misuse of Gandhi’s image by slipper vendors on Amazon, the economic affairs secretary has sent out an unofficial warning to Amazon to behave when it comes to Indian sentiments.

Amazon, which is emerging as the second largest e-commerce platform in India with the company pledging to invest about $5 billion in the next five years is caught in the row for the second time after last week’s warning by External affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on using triclour on doormats.

In his tweet, economic affairs secretary Shaktikanta Das said: “Amazon, better behave. Desist from being flippant about Indian symbols and icons. Indifference will be at your own peril.”

Later, he clarified that the tweet was in his personal comment as a citizen of India and said nothing more should be read into it. He later said, “Remain committed to economic reforms,ease of doing business and open trade. Sometimes get touchy when our icons are involved.”

Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said the Ambassador in Washington has been instructed “to convey to Amazon that while providing a platform for third party vendors, they should respect Indian sensitivities and sentiments.”

However, the Gandhi slippers which were on sale on Amazon US website have been replaced with slippers showing Gandhi’s vague quotes on life. Similarly, Dalai Lama slippers are also on display on Amazon.

Death of Delhi-Returned US Woman with High Resistant Bacterial Infection Evokes Concern

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An American woman who returned from New Delhi after she was allegedly infected by a superbug finally succumbed to the highly resistant bacterial infection called Klebsiella Pneumoniae that was found to have resisted 14 known anti-bacterial drugs on her during the treatment. Irony was that a treatment called fosfomycin, approved in Europe, was not approved in the US still.

The 70-year-olod woman was diagnosed with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), a fatal multidrug-resistant organism on her return from Delhi and was admitted to an acute care hospital. The CRE, identified as Klebsiella pneumoniae from her wound specimen was sent to the US Centres for Disease Control (CDC) where test confirmed the presence of New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM-1).

In antimicrobial testing, it was shown that the isolate was resistant to 26 different antibiotics, including all aminoglycosides and polymixins, which is given as a last-resort antibiotics. With no treatment options, the US woman died in September last year. Prior to her return, she lived in Delhi for two years and had been hospitalised at least three times for right femur fracture and once for hip fracture.

NDM-1 was originally identified in 2009 in a Swedish patient who had been hospitalised in India and research showed that the infection could spread in the hospital environment. It has been described by the World Health Organization as "an urgent threat to human health."

Prof. Laura Piddock from the University of Birmingham, said there is a need to be flexible to use antibiotics licensed for use in other countries to avoid repetition of the death of the Delhi-returned woman.

Amazon Replaces Gandhi’s Face with His Quotes on Slippers Now

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As Indian PM Narendra Modi replaced Gandhi’s face on Khadi calendar of 2017, the US e-commerce giant Amazon has gone a step ahead to sell slippers with Gandhi face on them, ridiculing the face of India.

Called ‘Gandhi flip flops’, Amazon describes them as “foam rubber flip flops” with Gandhi face and priced $16.99 (Rs.1,200). This is the second time Amazon is trying to deface Indian icon after its earlier bid to sell doormats with the Indian flag Tricolour on them.

Gandhi slippers page replaced after media hue and cry on Amazon

 

After a stern warning from Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Amazon took down all products disrespecting the Tricolour from its Canadian website. But within a week Gandhi flip flops have appeared on its US website selling beach slippers with Gandhi’s face printed on them “professionally.”

When the Indian media flashed the news, the page was removed but the name of Gandhi flip flops remains and a quote by Gandhi was imprinted on them instead of his face. The new tagline reads: “Live as if you were going to die tomorrow” on the left slipper and on the right slipper, it reads: “Live as if you were to live forever”. The second message has Gandhi name next to it.

Gandhi slippers with his quotes replaced his image on Amazon now

The US Amazon also sports Dalai Lama slippers with his quotes:”If you want others happy, practice compassion” and “If you want to be happy, practice compassion” with Dalai Lama name on the right side slipper. The company Musewear may be getting free publicity from the idiotic disrespect given to Indians and Tibetans but Amazon gets the flak finally.

Even Dalai Lama is not spared on Amazon slippers’ sale pitch

In fact, Amazon, which is capturing the Indian market as second biggest e-commerce retailer in its apology to the External Affairs Ministry last week said, “After learning of the product’s listing, we immediately removed them from the Canadian website and implemented measures to ensure that these products could not be sold on any of our other marketplace or websites.”

The Indian government has asked its Ambassador in Washington to sensitize Amazon and Amazon is likely to come under flak in India too once the issue gets wider attention among its trusted buyers online.

 

Move Home to Change Habits, to Keep up New Year Resolution: Study

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Though 41% of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, only 9% said they were successful in keeping them.

According to research being presented at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) Annual Convention 20176, the time for successful habit change is not based on the calendar, but on big changes to our everyday lives like moving to a new home.

Since changing your habits is very difficult, you can change the factors around the habit such as location or context, creating a “discontinuity effect,” said Bas Verplanken, professor of social psychology at the University of Bath.

On Why New Year’s resolutions don’t work, they said, “Changing from December 31st to January 1st is not a dramatic discontinuity. Many resolutions are made on December 31st, and go down the drain on January 2nd.”

The New Year may be a nice moment to mark the start of a new phase, but the point of the discontinuity effect is that the change in behavior is embedded in other changes. “In the case of moving to a new home for instance, people may need to find new solutions for how to do things in the new house, where and how to shop, commute, and so on. All of these aspects are absent when talking about New Year resolutions,” said Verplanken.

Verplanken studied the behaviors of over 800 people, half of whom had recently moved and half of whom had been at the same home for several years. Participants responded to questions on 25 environment related behaviors including water and energy use, commuting choices, and waste.

According to his research, people who received an intervention and had recently relocated reported more change eight weeks later on these 25 questions’ score level compared to participants who had not recently relocated.

These results were consistent in spite of the strength of previous habits and views. Verplanken will present his talk on Friday, January 20, 2017 at the SPSP Annual Convention.

 

PM Greets as India Celebrates Sankranti, Pongal, Bihu, Uttarayan

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As different regions of India celebrate the first festival of the calendar year, PM Narendra Modi has greeted the people, on the occasion of various festivals across India.

“Today people across India are celebrating various festivals. My greetings to everyone celebrating these auspicious festivals!,” he said adding festival-wise greetings.

“Makar Sankranti greetings. May this day bring joy & prosperity in everyone’s lives,” goes to Telugu and Kannada speaking people in three southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka.

Then in Hindi, he added: “मकर संक्रांति की शुभकामनाएं। इस पावन पर्व पर सभी के जीवन में खुशहाली और संपन्नता आए।”

For Tamil Nadu people, he said, “Wishing my Tamil friends a happy & blessed Pongal,” and added the Tamil version as “என் தமிழ் நண்பர்கள் அனைவருக்கும் மகிழ்ச்சியான மற்றும் ஆசி நிறைந்த பொங்கல் வாழ்த்துகள்.”

For the northeastern state of Assam, he greeted: “On the special occasion of Magh Bihu, my greetings to the people of Assam and the Assamaese version read:”মাঘ বিহুৰ এই পৱিত্ৰক্ষণত, অসমবাসীলৈ মোৰ আন্তৰিক শুভেচ্ছা জনাইছো৷”

For his own state people or Gujaratis, he has sent out greetings as “Uttarayan greetings to the people of Gujarat” with the Gujarati versin reading, “આપ સૌને ઉતરાયણ પર્વ ની હાર્દિક શુભકામનાઓ!”

“These and many other festivals celebrated across India add great colour and happiness in our lives. This diversity is India’s greatest strength.

May these festivals bring abundance of happiness and prosperity in the lives of our hardworking farmers”, the Prime Minister said.

PM Greets on Sankranti, Pongal, Bihu, Uttarayan

As different regions of India celebrate the first festival of the calendar year, PM Narendra Modi has greeted the people, on the occasion of various festivals across India.

“Today people across India are celebrating various festivals. My greetings to everyone celebrating these auspicious festivals!,” he said adding festival-wise greetings.

“Makar Sankranti greetings. May this day bring joy & prosperity in everyone’s lives,” goes to Telugu and Kannada speaking people in three southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka.

Then in Hindi, he added: “मकर संक्रांति की शुभकामनाएं। इस पावन पर्व पर सभी के जीवन में खुशहाली और संपन्नता आए।”

For Tamil Nadu people, he said, “Wishing my Tamil friends a happy & blessed Pongal,” and added the Tamil version as “என் தமிழ் நண்பர்கள் அனைவருக்கும் மகிழ்ச்சியான மற்றும் ஆசி நிறைந்த பொங்கல் வாழ்த்துகள்.”

For the northeastern state of Assam, he greeted: “On the special occasion of Magh Bihu, my greetings to the people of Assam and the Assamaese version read:”মাঘ বিহুৰ এই পৱিত্ৰক্ষণত, অসমবাসীলৈ মোৰ আন্তৰিক শুভেচ্ছা জনাইছো৷”

For his own state people or Gujaratis, he has sent out greetings as “Uttarayan greetings to the people of Gujarat” with the Gujarati versin reading, “આપ સૌને ઉતરાયણ પર્વ ની હાર્દિક શુભકામનાઓ!”

“These and many other festivals celebrated across India add great colour and happiness in our lives. This diversity is India’s greatest strength.

May these festivals bring abundance of happiness and prosperity in the lives of our hardworking farmers”, the Prime Minister said.

President Pranab Mukherjee lighted the fire on the occasion of Lohri at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

In his message, Vice President of India, Mr. M. Hamid Ansari has greeted the people that the auspicious festivals are associated with the harvest season and reflect the underlying unity of our country.

“I extend my warm greetings and best wishes to all our citizens on the auspicious occasion of Makar Sankranti and Pongal.

Makar Sankranti symbolizes ‘Uttarayan’ or the beginning of the northward journey of the Sun. Celebrated with different names in all over the country, the festivals of Makar Sankranti and Pongal are associated with harvest season and reflect the underlying unity of our country. May the festivals bring prosperity, peace and harmony in everyone’s life,” he said.

 

Festival of India to be Held in Ghana

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Indian mission in Ghana will hold a Festival of India in four cities of Ghana from January 25 to March 16, 2017 as part of bilateral knowledge share initiative.

The activities of the Festival include amalgamation of Indian classical dances, Sufi & Folk Music, and Saptarang – confluence of seven classical dance forms culminating in Vande Matram.

To complete the experience, a Food Festival, Yoga and Meditation, Film Festival will also be organised during the Festival.

The Festival events will be held in four cities of Accra, Kumasi, Cape Coast, Takoradi in Ghana. Earlier, similar festival was held in February in South Africa last year with several classical dancers performing on February 18, 2016.

In Cambodia too, a similar Festival of India was held this month to commemorate the relations between the two Asian countries reflecting both the ancient Buddhist period and present era.

These festivals are organised by the MInistry of Culture in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian missions abroad.

India, Kenya to Renew Ties as President Kenyatta Visits New Delhi

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Welcoming Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta’s visit to India, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had visited Kenya 6 months ago, said common belief in democratic values, shared developmental priorities and the warm currents of the Indian Ocean bind both the countries.

“In our discussions today, President and I reviewed the full range of our relationship. During my visit to Kenya last year, we had identified deepening of economic cooperation as one of the key focus areas of our efforts. In this context, expansion of bilateral trade, greater flow of capital between two economies, and stronger developmental partnership are a priority,” said Mr. Modi welcoming the Kenyan President’s delegation to New Delhi on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, President Kenyatta led a strong and high level delegation to the eighth Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, where he was able to connect with the Indian businesses over investment opportunities in Kenya. “We want, and will encourage, industry and business in both countries to take lead in exploiting opportunities in healthcare, tourism, information technology, agriculture, blue economy and energy,” said Mr Modi.

Later on Wednesday, the Kenyan President met Indian President Pranab Mukherjee.

The Joint Business Council meeting today (Thursday) is likely to work out further commercial engagement through specific projects, cooperation on trade facilitation measures, including standardization and related areas. A Line of Credit Agreement of $100 million signed for agricultural mechanisation was signed on Wednesday, besides exploring a long term arrangement with Kenya for production and import of pulses.

“In the health sector, Bhabhatron machine has been delivered to the Kenyatta National Hospital for cancer treatment. Related capacity building of the Kenyan doctors is being undertaken under our India Africa Forum Summit initiative. Partnership in Education is creating new connections between our people. We have a strong relationship with the University of Nairobi, where a Chair for Indian Studies has been established by ICCR, and renovation of its library is also being undertaken with Indian assistance. On energy, we value Kenya’s support to the International Solar Alliance, and our joint efforts to harness the energy of the sun to power our economic growth,” said Mr Modi.

E-Tourists Double in Dec. 2016 Despite Demonetisation

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The number of foreign tourists who arrived in India using e-visa doubled to 1,62,250 in December 2016 compared to 1,03,617 during the month of December 2015, registering a growth of 56.6 percent, though expectations were that the demonetisation would have affected the overall tourism sector in November and December 2016.

Britain (22.4%) continues to occupy top slot followed by USA (16.4%) and Russia (7.7%) in the order of foreign tourists who availed e-tourist visa facility last month, said the latest figures released by the government, without pondering on the demonetisation issue that rocked the whole nation. The facility of e-Visa has been made available to the citizens of 161 countries, arriving at 16 International Airports in India.

Some of the figures speak for themselves for the increase in tourists in December 2016:

In the month of December 2016, a total of 1,62,250 foreign tourists arrived on e-Tourist Visa as compared to 1,03,617 during the month of December, 2015 registering a growth of 56.6%.

In the calendar year from January to December 2016, a total of 10,79,696 tourists arrived on e-Tourist Visa as compared to 4,45,300 during January-December 2015, registering a growth of 142.5%.

The high growth may be attributed to introduction of e-Tourist Visa for 161 countries as against the earlier coverage of 113 countries, said a government statement.

The percentage shares of top 10 source countries availing e-Tourist Visa facilities during December, 2016 were:

UK (22.4%),
USA (16.4%),
Russia (7.7%),
China (5.3%),
Australia (4.6%),
France (4.1%),
Germany (4.0%),
South Africa (3.7%),
Canada (3.7%) and
Republic of Korea (2.0%).

The percentage shares of top 10 ports in tourist arrivals on e-Tourist Visa during December, 2016 show that the national capital still leads in attracting the tourists or being the first point of visit to the country, followed by Mumbai and Goa. All other destination airports still attract tourists in sigle digit percentage points.

New Delhi Airport (36.6%), Mumbai Airport (23.1%), Dabolim (Goa) Airport (13.6%), Chennai Airport (6.0%), Bengaluru Airport (5.1%),Kochi Airport (4.7%), Kolkata Airport (2.5%), Hyderabad Airport (2.4%), Trivandrum Airport (1.9%) and Ahmadabad Airport (1.7%).

India, Portugal to Work Out Pact on Co-Production in Films Sector

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India and Portugal have agreed to work out modalities for a co-production agreement in the Film Sector and an agreement would be framed in a time-bound manner keeping in mind the legal aspects, said a statement.

The possibility of an MoU between the Public Broadcasters of both the Countries to share best practices and seek cooperation in Technical and Content related matters was discussed during the talks between Indian Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore and Portugal Minister of Culture, Mr. Luis Filipe Castro Mendes on Tuesday in New Delhi.

During the deliberations, Col. Rathore apprised the Portuguese Minister on the initiatives taken by India to provide Single Window clearances for Foreign Film Producers in the country through the Film Facilitation Office. He also highlighted the prestigious National Film Heritage Mission of the Government to Digitise, Restore, Preserve the rich filmic heritage of the Country.

Rathore also apprised the Portuguese Minister about the IIMC and FTII as the premier educational institutes in the field of Journalism and Film Production respectively in the country. Both Ministers also discussed the possibility of Student Exchange programmes between educational institutions of both the countries.

Ministers also expressed interest for possible co-operation in the areas of Renewable energy, information and communication technology and Start-ups.