Monthly Archives: February 2017

India, Russia to Celebrate 2017 as Year to Mark 70-Years of Friendship, Ties

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India and Russia will celebrate 2017 is a special year of completion of 70 years of diplomatic relations with several programs and events scheduled throut the year.

On 13 April 1947, four months before India’s independence, diplomatic relations were established by India with Russia, then USSR. Over the last seven decades, bilateral relations have seen strong and special Strategic Partnership.

Pankaj Saran, Ambassador of India to the Russian Federation, said, “2017 will be a joint celebration of a long and successful journey together, in which India and Russia have stood side by side with each other as true partners and friends. The Jawaharlal Nehru Cultural Centre will be separately announcing details of individual events.”

During the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India in October 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Putin agreed to commemorate this important occasion and adopted a Roadmap for its celebrations, including series of events planned in Russia and in India during 2017.

The events include seminars, discussions, exhibitions, exchanges and many other activities and the Indian embassy in Russia has unveiled a special logo to mark the anniversary. India will also be the Guest Country at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum to held in June 2017.

India’s cultural program “Namaste Russia!” will be vrought to different cities of Russia to showcase the glimpses of India’s rich cultural heritage in the form of world famous musicians, artists and classical music and dance, said the embassy. It will host an ‘India Week’ in St. Petersburg in late May to bring the best of Indian culture, dance, yoga and cuisine.

The performances under Namaste Russia will include:

Sitar maestro Ustad Shujaat Hussain Khan;
The Shillong Chamber Choir;
The Sufi dance and music of the Nizami Brothers;
Shubhra Bhardwaj Bollywood Group;
Indian Fusion group ‘Indian Ocean’;

 

INSV Tarini, All Woman Crew, to Sail her Around the Globe From August 2017

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The Indian Navy’s second ocean going sailboat Tarini was inducted at INS Mandovi Boat Pool on Saturday with Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chief of Naval Staff present to wish the boat and her crew success in their endeavors.

INSV Tarini is a sloop built by Aquarius Shipyard Pvt Ltd at Divar, Goa and it is being inducted into the Navy and is slated to be the platform for First Indian All Women Circumnavigation of the Globe expedition of the Indian Navy.

Admiral Sunil Lanba announced that the extremely challenging expedition by the All Women Crew is slated to commence in August 2017 and said the team has logged over 10,000 Nautical Miles on INSV Mhadei, including a voyage from India to Mauritius and back and Goa to Cape Town braving through rough monsoon seas and heavy wind.

The visitors were briefed on its advanced features, including improvements, based on experience of operating INSV Mhadei, which have been incorporated.   On completion of the ceremony, the crew sailed the boat out of harbour displaying its agile handling capabilities.

Tarini the second of the Mhadei class ocean going sailboats. Its team of ‘Women in White’ are currently preparing themselves and their sailboat Mhadei participated in the Cape to Rio race in December 2016.

Tarini, First All Women Vessel, to be Inducted into Indian Navy

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The sail boat Tarini is being inducted into the Navy and is slated to be the platform for First Indian All Women Circumnavigation of the Globe expedition of the Indian Navy. Tarini will be inducted at a ceremony scheduled to be held at the INS Mandovi Boat Pool on evening of 18 February 2017.

Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chief of Naval Staff will also be present on the occasion. INSV Tarini is a sloop built by Aquarius Shipyard Pvt Ltd at Divar, Goa. The boat has been built to a stock design by Van de Stadt, Netherlands called Tonga 56. The hull is made of wooden core fiberglass sandwich construction for a better performance than aluminum and steel. INSV Tarini carries a suite of six sails including a Main sail, Head sails (Genoa and stay sails), Downwind sails and Storm sail.

Her mast is 25 meters tall and has been custom built by Southern Spars, Cape Town, for sailing in extreme conditions. She boasts a Raymarine navigation suite and an array of latest satellite communication systems through which she can be contacted anywhere in the world.

The trials of the newly built INSV Tarini were successfully completed on 30 January 17 and all the learning experience from INSV Mhadei has been incorporated in this vessel right from the start. The keel of the vessel was laid by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on 27 March 2016 at the Aquarius Shipyard.

The construction was overseen by the Warship Overseeing Team, Goa and the vessel is being delivered before the scheduled date of delivery by the boat builder. The successful construction of both the Mhadei andTarini in Goa are a tribute to the Government’s ‘Make in India’ policy, said a statement.

INSV Tarini is almost identical to her illustrious predecessor, the iconic Mhadei which has sailed over 115000 nautical miles in the past eight years. This includes voyages like the first Indian solo circumnavigation undertaken by Capt Dilip Donde (Retd) in 2009 and first solo, non-stop and unassisted circumnavigation by Cdr Abhilash Tomy in 2013.

The boat draws her origin from the famous Tara-Tarini temple of Orissa’s Ganjam district. The word Tarini means a Boat and is also a Sanskrit word for Saviour. Tara-Tarini is a patron deity for sailors and merchants and is worshipped for safety and success at sea. Tara-Tarini of Orissa is known to have historical linkages with the river Goddess Mhadei- the exclusive boat deity of the Mhadei river of Goa. Both the deities Tariniand Mhadei have sculptural similarities.

In order to promote ocean sailing activities and to encourage women, the Indian Navy conceptualized the idea of the First Indian All Women Circumnavigation of the Globe. A team of six women Officers led by Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi was selected for this project. These officers have done basic sail training courses at INWTC Mumbai followed by Navigation, Seamanship, Communication and Meterology courses at various naval training schools at Kochi.

Following that, they sailed the boat on a grueling voyage to Cape Town in Dec 16.  The boat is skippered by Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi and crew members include Lieutenant Commander Pratibha Jamwal, Lieutenant Aishwarya Boddapati, Lieutenant Patarapalli Swathi, Lieutenant Sh Vijaya Devi and Lieutenant Payal Gupta.

WHO Gives Maximum Marks to India’s Vaccination System

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WHO, in its assessment of the status of the Indian vaccine regulatory system against WHO NRA Global Benchmarking Tool (GBT) for benchmarking found  Indian NRA as ‘functional’ with a maturity level of 4 or the highest level in respect of 5 functions, and maturity level 3 in respect of 4 functions.

While, maturity level 4 indicates good results and sustained improvement trends, maturity level 3 reflects systematic process based approach, early stage of systematic improvements, data availability regarding conformance to objectives and existence of improvement trends.

The assessment has been carried out by a WHO team comprising lead experts in different areas from WHO Headquarters Geneva, WHO India Country Office, experts drawn from the regulators of USA, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Indonesia, Thailand and Egypt. The assessment has been done in respect of nine different functionalities and

India, as a large vaccine producing country, is currently supplying several vaccines to the UN agencies (UNICEF, WHO and PAHO). A fully functional NRA is a pre-requisite for WHO prequalification of vaccines. One of the requirements to become eligible and retain prequalification status is to have the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) assessed as functional against the WHO published NRA indicators.

WHO Prequalification Programme, as such, facilitates access to vaccines that meet the unified standards of quality, safety and efficacy as well as programme needs. The vaccine manufacturers can only apply for WHO vaccine prequalification if the NRA meets the standards of the WHO NRA published indicators i.e. WHO Global benchmarking Tool on functional regulatory system for vaccines.

The Global Benchmarking Tool (GBT) so developed has 63 indicators and 288 sub-indicators, out of which 150 are critical . The result reflects the growing maturity of the Indian NRA emanating from a concerted effort by the Government in consultation WHO to build capacity and capability of the National Regulatory Authority over last several years.

4 New Envoys Present Credentials to President Mukherjee

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Envoys of Tunisia, Morocco, Yemen and Zambia presented their credentials to the President of India, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee at a ceremony held in RashtrapatiBhavan on Wednesday, February 15, 2017.

The envoys who presented their credentials were: –

1.Mr. Nejmeddine Lakhal, Ambassador of Tunisia
2.Mr. Mohamed Maliki, Ambassador of Morocco
3.Mr. Abdulmalik Abdullah Al-Eryrani, Ambassador of Yemen
4.Ms. Judith KangomaKapijimpanga, Ambassador of Zambia

The Ambassador-designate of Morocco, Mr. Mohamed Maliki presenting his credentials to the President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, at Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi on February 15, 2017.(PIB Photo)

The Ambassador-designate of Yemen, Mr. Abdulmalik Abdullah Al-Eryani presenting his credentials to the President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, at Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi on February 15, 2017.(PIB Photo)

The Ambassador-designate of Zambia, Ms. Judith Kangoma Kapijimpanga presenting her credentials to the President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, at Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi on February 15, 2017. (PIB Photo)

Sushma Swaraj Calls US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson

India’s External Affairs Minister Mrs. Sushma Swaraj and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had a customary telephone conversation on Wednesday, February 15, 2017.

Both of them resolved to work together closely to further expand and deepen the multi-faceted strategic partnership between India and the US. They emphasized that close and strong relations between India and the US were not only in mutual interest but also had regional and global significance. In this context, they agreed to intensify cooperation in various sectors, including defence and security, energy, and economy.

They also agreed to follow-up the firm resolve expressed by Prime Minister Modi and President Trump to cooperate closely in the global fight against terrorism.

Pre-loaded Sim Card for Foreign Tourists Arriving in India on E-Visa

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India’s Ministry of Tourism launched pre-loaded Sim Cards to foreign tourists arriving in India on e-Visa on Wednesday and minister Mahesh Sharma inaugurated the scheme to facilitate the foreign tourists in communicating with their acquaintances immediately after their arrival in India.

Earlier, the Ministry of Tourism had also launched a 24 x 7 Tourist Helpline 1800111363 in 12 foreign languages so that the foreign tourists can get the required information in their own language. The Minister presented the First Kit containing Sim to a representative of Travel and Tourism sector.

This initiative has been launched in association with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd., (BSNL), wherein BSNL would distribute pre-loaded SIM Cards to foreign tourists arriving in India on e-Visa.  It will be initially available in the Indira Gandhi International Airport (T3 Terminal), New Delhi and later cover remaining 15 international airports, where e-Visa facility is currently available.

To avail pre-loaded Sim Card, BSNL will collect e-Visa copy and the first page of passport from foreign tourists on arrival at the airport and the facility is not available for tourists arriving in India on traditional Visa.  Sim cards will be pre-loaded with a value of Rs. 50 talk time and 50 MB data and will be activated on immediate basis so as to enable them use this facility instantly.

This initiative is also aimed at providing connectivity to foreign touriststo enable them to stay in touch with their near and dear ones and also help them to contact with the 24×7 Multi lingual toll free helpline of Ministry of Tourism for any assistance and guidance during times of distress / medical emergency, etc.

PSLV-C37 Launches 104 Satellites in One Flight, Sets New Record

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In its 39th flight PSLV-C37, ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle successfully launched the 714 kg Cartosat-2 Series Satellite and 103 other satellites on Wednesday morning, February 15, 2017, at 9:28 am from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota.

This is the 38th consecutively successful mission of PSLV, which weighed 1,378 kg, that lifted off from the First Launch Pad.

Within 16 minutes 48 seconds, the satellites achieved a polar Sun Synchronous Orbit of 506 km inclined at an angle of 97.46 degree to the equator and in the succeeding 12 minutes, all the 104 satellites successfully separated from the PSLV.

In a predetermined sequence Cartosat-2 followed by INS-1 and INS-2 separated, making the total number of Indian satellites launched by PSLV to 46.

The two arrays of Cartosat-2 series satellite were deployed and ISRO’s Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) at Bangalore took over the control of it. Next, the satellite will be brought to its final operational configuration following which it will begin to provide remote sensing services using its panchromatic (black and white) and multispectral (colour) cameras.

The imagery from the Cartosat-2 series satellite will be useful for cartographic applications, urban and rural applications, coastal land use and regulation, utility management like road network monitoring, water distribution, creation of land use maps, Land Information System (LIS) and Geographical Information System (GIS) applications.

The data sets will be useful for urban planning of 500 cities under the Amrut Planning Scheme. The government initiative of 100 smart city programme in which these data sets could be used for master plan preparation.

Of the 103 co-passenger satellites carried by PSLV-C37, two – ISRO Nano Satellite-1 (INS-1) weighing 8.4 kg and INS-2 weighing 9.7 kg – are technology demonstration satellites from India.

The remaining 101 co-passenger satellites carried were international customer satellites from USA (96), The Netherlands (1), Switzerland (1), Israel (1), Kazakhstan (1) and UAE (1).

The complex mission involved many technical challenges like realising the launch of a large number of satellites during a single mission within the time frame sought by the customers from abroad. With today’s successful launch, the total number of foreign satellites on PSLV has reached 180.

China, India Behind 50% of Global Deaths Due to Air Pollution: Study

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China and India together contributed for more than half of the total global deaths due to air pollution in 2015, said a study by the U.S.-based Health Effects Institute (HEI).

The report showed that air pollution caused more than 4.2 million deaths in 2015, making it the fifth highest cause of death. But just two countries – India and China alone reported 2.2 million deaths, or half of the global deaths.

The institute on its website – www.stateofglobalair.org – said 92% of the world’s population lives in areas which are filled with polluted or unhealthy air. In turn, air pollution causes cancer, stroke and heart disease, as well as chronic respiratory problems such as asthma.

However, China is trying to bring down the deaths but India has a long time to go, it said. In January, a ministry spokesman told domestic media, “It is currently too early to draw conclusions about the extent of the impact of smog on health, especially its long-term impact on the body.”

The report said most of the world’s population lives in areas where air quality is unhealthy and an estimated 92% of people live in areas where fine particulate matter concentrations (small dust or soot in the air) exceed the World Health Organization’s Air Quality Guideline of 10 µg/m3.

Air pollution is a complex mixture of particles and gases and the composition varies from place to place, depending on what sources are present, including power plants, heavy industry, traffic, weather conditions, and how they mix in the atmosphere, said the organisation in it study.

British MPs’ Delegation Meets PM Modi

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An eight-member delegation of British Parliamentarians on Tuesday, Feb.14, 2017 called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who said the relations between India and UK have strong bipartisan support in both countries, and hoped for enhanced interactions between the Parliamentarians of both countries.

The Prime Minister recalled his own visit to UK in November 2015, and the visit of Prime Minister Theresa May to India in November 2016. The year 2017 is being celebrated as the India-UK Year of Culture.

The Prime Minister also said that India and UK are natural partners in the global fight against terrorism, and urged the Parliamentarians to continue to raise their collective voice against terrorism, extremism and radicalization.

Last time in January 2015, the British MP Priti Patel attended the Bharatiya Pravasi Day celebration held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat when David Cameron was the British Prime Minister. Cameron government also honoured Mahatma Gandhi with a statue in London recently.

Veronika Yadav, Indian Origin Ukraine Girl, Wins Global Trophies in Gymnastics

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Ms. Veronika Yadav, daughter of Mr. Sanjay Prasad Yadav, living in Kharkiv, Ukraine, who has won several international championships and trophies in gymnastics, met met with Ambassador of India to Ukraine Mr. Manoj K. Bharti on February 7th, 2017 and expressed her desire to represent India.

A promising rhythmic gymnast, Veronika is sure to win many medals in international competitions for India in the coming years, said the embassy in a statement.

Kyiv Conference on agribusiness 2017 Held

On 25 January 2017 a conference titled “Agribusiness-2017: financing instruments, innovative technologies, evaluation and risk management” was organized by International Financial Club “Banker” in Kyiv.

Held in two parts focusing on “Effective financial decisions” and “Evaluation and Risk Management”, the conference has become a platform for exchange of experience between representatives of state government, agricultural companies, insurance companies, banks and investment institutions as well as legal, leasing, auditing and IT-companies.

Addressing the conference, Indian Ambassador Manoj Kumar Bhartisaid this year marks 25 years since the day of establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

India is the largest consumer of oil from Ukraine and in 2016 Ukraine supplied to India 100,000 tons of pulses, but this figure can be increased at least 10 times, he said.

 

Indian Embassy Participates in Hala Festival in Kuwait

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Indian Embassy took part in the Opening Ceremony of Hala Festival in Kuwait on February 10, 2017 and the Indian stall was exquisitely decorated with “Incredible India” posters and tourism material for the occasion.

India’s Bohra Band (Burhani Guards) held the audience spellbound with their performances and children from the Bohra community spread the message of importance of cleanliness in our daily lives by cleaning the surroundings during the event.

Kuwait’s HALA FESTIVAL was being held at Salem Al-Mubarak Street, Salmiya. The annual event being held in Kuwait since February 1999, is mainly to promote tourism and culture and it also offers arts, sports, live carnival shows, entertainment events and display of vintage vehicles and motorbikes. The event goes on for a month.

Kuwaiti Ministries, Government institutions and some Embassies had put up their stalls during the event and Indian Embassy focused on tourism with the theme “Incredible India”.

The Opening Ceremony also held a parade of children from various Kuwaiti schools, some Kuwaiti Ministries and government agencies, Embassies. India’s Bohra Band (Burhani Guards) also took part in the parade. “Many visitors, especially children took the opportunity to take photographs posing in front of the Embassy stall and highly enjoyed the event,” said the embassy in a statement.

Indian Embassy took part in the Opening Ceremony of Hala Festival in Kuwait on February 10, 2017 and the Indian stall was exquisitely decorated with “Incredible India” posters and tourism material for the occasion.India’s Bohra Band (Burhani Guards) also took part in the parade.(Indian Embassy, Kuwait)

MEA Opens First Batch of New Post Office Passport Seva Kendras

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The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Department of Posts (DOP), following the 24th January announcement, has opened the first batch of the Head Post Offices (HPO) in the various States as Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSK) for delivering passport related services to the citizens.

The move makes post offices escape the prospect of extinction and yet extend passport services on a larger scale and to ensure wider area coverage.

The pilot projects for this joint venture between MEA and DOP was inaugurated on 25 January, 2017 at the HPO at Mysuru in Karnataka and at Dahod in Gujarat. One hundred appointments are being released every day for each of these POPSK. Appointments for Mysuru are now available in 10 days while at Dahod it is available the next day.

With the successful pilot, the Government has now decided to scale up this programme by opening 56 POPSKs at the following places in the first batch of expansion:

Now applicants can apply online for their passports through the Passport Portal and get an appointment at the above POPSK to complete the remaining formalities for the passport. Ever since relaxation of rules of passport on 23 December, 2016, nearly 30% surge was seen in demand for passports.

A record number of 53,400 applications were processed on February 7th amd 49,259 of them were fresh applications, the highest since the commencement of the Passport Seva Project. Here is the full list of first batch of post offices which will serve as POPS Kendra:

Locations State Passport Office
1. Kurnool
2. Kadappa		 Andhra Pradesh Vishakhapatnam
3. Silchar Assam Guwahati
4. Purnia,
5. Gopalganj
6. Muzaffarpur
7. Bhagalpur
8. Siwan		 Bihar Patna
9. Surguja Chhattisgarh Raipur
10.Daman Daman Mumbai
11. Diu Diu Ahmedabad
12. Silvasa Dadra & Nagar Haveli Mumbai
13. East Delhi,
14. Noth East Delhi,
15. North West Delhi
16. South Delhi
17. West Delhi		 Delhi Delhi
18. Bhuj
19. Palanpur		 Gujarat Ahmedabad
20. Hisar
21. Karnal		 Haryana Chandigarh
22. Faridabad Delhi
23. Palampur
24. Hamirpur		 Himachal Pradesh Shimla
25. Leh
26. Udhampur		 J&K Srinagar
27. Jamshedpur Jharkhand Ranchi
28. Dhanbad
29. Deoghar
30. Belgaum
31. Devangere
32. Hassan
33. Gulbarga		 Karnataka Bengaluru
34. Pathanamthitta Kerala Trivandrum
35. Kasargod Kozhikode
36. Kavaratti Lakshadweep Cochin
37. Gwalior
38. Satna
39. Jabalpur
40. Vidisha		 Madhya Pradesh Bhopal
41. Rourkela
42. Sambalpur
43. Koraput		 Odisha Bhubaneshwar
44. Kota
45. Jaisalmer
46. Jhunjhunu
47. Bikaner
48. Jhalawar		 Rajasthan Jaipur
49. Salem Tamil Nadu Coimbatore
50. Vellore Chennai
51. Mehbubnagar
52. Warangal		 Telangana Hyderabad
53. Asansol
54. Nadia
55. North Dinajpur
56. North Kolkata		 West Bengal Kolkata

Challakere in Karnataka: No Secret City But Hub of Nuclear Power, Says Report

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Challakere in Karnataka is not only a hub for buses travelling to and fro Bangalaore and Bellary but also a hub for the Defence ministry, purported to be the nuclear city of future to generate the country’s nuclear power for submarines and weapons.

Last year, the US magazine Foreign Policy, quoting a former PMO official, said it may trigger competition from neighbouring nuclear powers China and Pakistan. Not China but Pakistan has recently complained that the hub is a “secret nuclear city.”

India has denied the allegations and stood to its ground it is a safer bet to hold on to its nuclear weapons unlike Pakistan, which was involved in smuggling nuclear secrets to North Korea and other threshold countries, violating all the norms of being a nuclear power.

The not-so-secret nuclear underground factory was set up in 2012 when the Congress government was in power at the Centre and the BJP was in power in the state of Karnataka, 203-km northeast of Bangalore on 4,290 acres of land in Challakere for scientific and nuclear use, said reports.

In its 14-page report. Foreign Policy claimed that the Challakere project will be the “subcontinent’s largest military-run complex of nuclear centrifuges, atomic-research laboratories, weapons and aircraft-testing facilities” when it is scheduled to be completed this year. It was expected to produce fuel for nuclear reactors and the navy’s fleet of new submarines, said the article.

“But another, more controversial ambition, according to retired Indian government officials and independent experts in London and Washington, is to give India an extra stockpile of enriched uranium fuel that could be used in new hydrogen bombs,” the report said.

As of 2015, India had 110 nuclear war heads compared to 120 in Pakistan and 260 in China, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). It quoted former White House official Gary Samore who said, “I believe that India intends to build thermonuclear weapons as part of its strategic deterrent against China.”

Other reports said the test center in the cordoned area may have a 3-mile long runway for a new generation of drones and long distance unmanned vehicles. The report also said Mysore district nearby is known for plutonium resources. The Center for Public Integrity has undertaken a field report on environmental fall out of the so-called secret city recently.

‘Secret Nuclear city’ is Pakistan’s Imagination: India

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India has refuted Pakistan’s allegations about a secret nuclear city with weapons calling it an imagination of Islamabad, which is a “diversionary tactic” to cover its own failure to stop state-sponsored terrorism that has come under global radar now.

Reacting to Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria’s reamrks on Thursday saying, “India is building a secret nuclear city,” and it has potential to threaten the strategic balance of power in the region.

On Friday, Indian external affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, “These are completely baseless allegations. The so-called secret city appears to be a figment of the Pakistan imagination. India has always been in compliance with all its international obligations.”

He said it was a very strange statement coming from a country that does not have a separation plan for nucelar weapons and has a strong record of nuclear “proliferation which is well known to the world.”

On the contrary, India has very different credentials. He said these remarks are clearly “a diversionary tactic by Pakistan which aims to deflect attention from the real issue at hand – the continued state-sponsored terrorism by Pakistan and its harbouring of internationally designated terrorists.”

Earlier, zakaria in a press conference alleged saying, “It (India) has been building Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles and an Anti-Ballistic Missile System. It has a stockpile of fissile material for producing nuclear weapons outside the IAEA safeguards… It is also building a secret nuclear city in south India which, according to Foreign Policy investigative report, is to produce thermonuclear weapons.”

However, he did not name the city nor give any details. To another question, Zakaria said the Donald Trump administration’s travel ban on seven Muslim-majority countries, would not be extended to Pakistan and that the White House had assured Islamabad about it. He responded positvely on questions about Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz’s visit to Washington soon.

Haj Committee Formed to Review India’s HAJ Policy

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Indian Ministry of Minority Affairs has constituted a Committee on January 31, 2017 under a retired IAS officer Afzal Amanullah to review the Haj Policy 2013-17 and to suggest framework for Haj Policy for five years from 2018 to 2022.

This Committee comprises of Mr. Amanullah, former Secretary to Government of India and former Consul General, Consulate General of India, Jeddah, Justice S.S. Parkar, Retired Judge of Bombay High Court, Mr. Qaiser Shamim, IRS (Retd), former Chairman, Haj Committee of India, Mr. Kamal Faruqui, Chartered Accountant & Muslim Scholar, Mr. Michael Mascarenhas, former CMD, Air India and Mr. J. Alam, Joint Secretary, in-charge of Haj, Ministry of Minority Affairs.

The main issues to be examined by the Haj Committee will include review the existing Haj policy pertaining to HCoI and PTOs, examine implications of various directions of the Supreme Court to reduce Haj subsidy by 2022, review arrangements made by HCoI for Haj pilgrims’ accommodation and air travel including issues related with Haj subsidy.

The committee will also examine coordination in the functioning of Haj Committee of India and CGI, examine transparency, consumer satisfaction and disclosure requirements for PTOs to protect interest of the Haj Pilgrims.

The Committe will suggest measure for ensuring fair competition among PTOs and enhanced value for services and suggest the framework for new Haj policy for HCoI and PTOs.

The Committee has been given three months to submit its report, said Mr. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, the Minister of State for Minority Affairs, in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

Haj Subsidy Halved by India in 4 years: Minister

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After the Supreme Court directive in 2012 to progressively decrease Haj subsidy and completely eliminate it in 10 years, Haj subsidy has been gradually reduced from Rs.836.56 crore in 2012-13 to Rs. 405 crore in the year 2016-17, said Mr. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, the Minister of State (IC) for Minority Affairs, in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

Over the period, it has been progressively reduced to Rs.680.03 crore in the year 2013-14, Rs.577.07 crore in 2014-15 and Rs. 529.51 crore in 2015-16, informed the minister to the House.

Following representations made to the Ministry from time to time on Haj subsidy, the government has been making changes to the policy, he said. However, the responsibility for making air travel arrangements for Haj pilgrims identified by the Haj Committee of India (HCoI) is with Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), he noted.

The pilgrims make deposit as decided by the ministry towards airfare to HCoI and the balance fare payable to the Airlines is paid by MoCA as subsidy to facilitate the Haj pilgrims. The subsidy given by the Government during last three years and current year and the amount deposited to HCoI by each pilgrim towards airfare is as under:

The total amount charged from each Pilgrim varies depending on the category of accommodation and the amount of airport charges plus the fixed amount deposited towards airfare. For Haj 2016, the total amount for Azizia category was Rs.1,85,000 and for Green Category it was Rs.2,19,000, said the minister.

Every year a Haj Air Travel Committee (HATC) is constituted by the Ministry of Civil Aviation to make air travel arrangements for Haj and in 2017, the HATC has been constituted on January 2, 2017 under the Chairmanship of Joint Secretary, MoCA and other officials.

Under the bilateral pact with Saudi Arabia for Haj 2017, a quota of 1,70,025 pilgrims (1,25,025 seats for Haj Committee of India and 45,000 seats for Private Tour Operators) has been allocated compared to 1,36,020 pilgrims during previous year.

The quota allotted to to all States/ Union Territories Haj Committees including the States of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Telangana, in proportion with their Muslim population as per Census 2011, informed the minister.

FDI Rules Relaxed to Push SME Sector: Nirmala Sitharaman

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Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday said separate data regarding investment made by foreign companies in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) is not maintained but remittance-wise data is available in public domain at the website of Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion at www.dipp.nic.

Foreign Investments bring international best practices and latest technologies leading to economic growth in the country and providing much needed impetus to manufacturing sector and job creation in India, said the minister.

To boost the manufacturing sector and give impetus to the ‘Make in India’ initiative, the Government of India has permitted a manufacturer to sell its product through wholesale and or retail, including through e-commerce under automatic route, she noted.

For the benefit of SME sector, provisions have been provided for FDI in retail trading sector. For retail trading of single brand products, in respect of proposals involving foreign investment beyond 51%, sourcing within India of 30% of the value of goods purchased has been mandatory, preferably from MSMEs, village and cottage industries, artisans and craftsmen, in all sectors, she said.

With a view to benefit farmers and to push the food processing industry, 100% FDI under Government route for trading, including through e-commerce, has been permitted in respect of food products manufactured and or produced in India, she informed the House.

India Seeks Belgium Cooperation in Sagarmala Project

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India’s Minister of Shipping and Road Transport & Highways Mr. Nitin Gadkari on Monday 7th Feb, 2017, met the Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium Mr. Alexander De Croo, in Mumbai to seek greater participation of Belgian companies in Sagarmala projects, inland waterways and development of industrial clusters.

The minister explained the immense opportunities in India in coastal shipping, inland water transport, cruise, new port development, smart-port industrial city and development of green ports and urged the Belgian delegation to strengthen the cooperation that already exists between the two countries in the maritime sector.

Earlier, Belgium helped India in setting up the JNPT Antwerp Port Training Centre, which is now functioning well. The Belgium Deputy PM assured that Belgium would extend full cooperation for the development of the maritime sector in India. He said that these issues can be discussed in detail in the forthcoming Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union (BLEU) meeting to be held in May 2017. Another Belgian delegation is scheduled to visit India in November 2017.

The Mumbai meeting was attended by Mr. Ravindra Agrawal, Joint Secretary for Sagarmala in the Ministry of Shipping, Mr. Neeraj Bansal, Chairman In-charge of Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust.

India Ropes in Czech, Russia for Heavy Industry Tech Transfer

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Indian Government is taking various measures for bringing investment from Central Eastern Europe such as opening up Foreign Direct Investment in many sectors, carrying out FDI related reforms and liberalization and improving ease of doing business in the Country, said minister of State in the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Mr. Babul Supriyo in reply to a written question in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, February

India has engaged Czech Republic in heavy engineering and has been interacting with Russian Federation in heavy engineering since its formation for technological cooperation, said the minister. Czech Republic and Russian Federation remain major partners of India in heavy engineering industry and several major achievements have been recorded due to continued support from these countries, he said.

Both the Ministry of Industry, Czech Republic have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 24th November 2015 for technology transfer in heavy engineering that includes modernization of Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC), which was set up with Russian collaboration.

Also, an MoU has been signed between HEC and CNIITMASH, a Russian Government Company, for transfer of latest technology to HEC and setting up a training infrastructure for highly specialized metallurgy like electro slag re-melting, welding, gearbox manufacturing and non-destructive testing, informed the minister.

BHEL has signed an MoU on 15th April 2015 with the Russian Joint Stock Company INTMA to set up a Gas-based Power Project in Kazakhstan. Andrew Yule & Co. Limited has signed an MoU with Togliatti Transformator of Russia on 10th January 2014 for technical knowhow and design in the field of manufacturing of transformer, noted the minister in his reply.

Kailash Manasarovar Yatra 2017: MEA Begins Registration Process

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The registration for Kailash Manasarovar Yatra being organized by Ministry of External Affairs has started with the Yatra scheduled from 12th June to 8th September, 2017. The Yatra will be conducted in two routes, said a statement.

Eligible applicants should be 18 years or above and not more than 70 years as on 1st January 2017 and the last date for registration is 15th March 2017.

The first route is via Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand, which involves some trekking and is estimated to cost about Rs.1.6 lakh per person. There will be 18 batches of 60 pilgrims each and the duration of the Yatra is 24 days for each batch including 3 days in Delhi for preparatory work.

The Lipulekh Pass will be conducted through Narayan Ashram, Patal Bhuvaneshwar, the scenic Chialekh Valley, or the ‘Om Parvat’, which has the natural occurrence of snow in the shape of ‘Om’ on this mountain.

The second route through Nathu La Pass in Sikkim is motorable and suitable for senior citizens as it involves no trekking. From Gangtok the Nathu La route passes through Hangu Lake, the Tibetan plateau and it is estimated to cost about Rs.2 lakhs person. The duration is 21 days including 3 days in Delhi and there will be 8 batches of 50 pilgrims each for this route.

Preference will be given first time applicants, medical doctors, and married couples and senior citizens will be given preference for the Nathu La route. Four persons may apply and undertake the Yatra together, and Yatris can select both routes indicating priority or select only one. The allottment will be done through computerized draw of lots.

To apply, click HERE or open the link given here: http://kmy.gov.in

Registration can be done online on the website given above. Applicants should fill in details and upload scanned passport pages with personal details, photo, address or last page of the passport. Besides, they should also upload a photo to complete the application. The online form is available both in Hindi and English.

Applicants will be informed about selection after the computerized draw via email or SMS. After selection, applicants should confirm and pay the fee. Applicants can get more information and track the status by calling helpline No: 011-24300655, said the ministry in a statement.