Monthly Archives: March 2017

India ‘Reactivates’ Its Association Status with IEA

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India has reactivated its association status with the world energy body International Energy Association and said both will work in the areas of mutual interests, including capacity building to meet supply side disruptions.

Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan met Dr Fatih Birol, Executive Director of IEA on Thursday jointly with Minister of State for Power, Coal & New and Renewable Energy and Mines Piyush Goyal. Dr Birol is visiting India to jointly announce the Activation of ‘Association Status’ of India with IEA.

During the meeting, Pradhan welcomed the elevation of India’s relationship with IEA from Partnership Status (2013) to Association Status and vowed to work towards balancing the global Energy Dynamics reflecting today’s global realities.

India and IEA have an MoU since 2011 under which both are working on capacity building to respond to an oil emergency situation. With the Association Status in place, both India and IEA will work in the areas of mutual interests pertaining to Oil and Gas sector, including capacity building to meet supply side disruptions.

IEA is a Paris based autonomous organisation established in 1974 to ensure reliable, affordable and clean energy for its 29 member countries by coordinating collective response to major disruptions in oil supply through release of oil stocks into the global markets.

Indian Army Chief Visits Nepal and Bangladesh

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Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat is visiting Nepal and Bangladesh from 28 March to 02 April 2017 on his first foreign visit after assuming office.

Gen Rawat will be visiting important military installations and meeting high ranking dignitaries including the Prime Minister, Defence Minister and the Chief of Army Staff. The delegation will also visit Nepalese Army Mountain Warfare School at Jomsom and the Pension Paying office at Pokhra where the COAS will address the Indian Army ex-servicemen of Nepalese origin.

The visit to Nepal assumes importance as the President of Nepal will confer the title of “Honorary General of the Nepalese Army” to the COAS at a special investiture ceremony on 29 March 2017. This historic tradition is a reciprocal arrangement that is continuing uninterrupted since its inception in 1969 and has been a hallmark of the special relationship between the Indian and the Nepalese Army. General Rajendra Chettri, the Chief of Army Staff of Nepalese Army was conferred the title of “Honorary General of the Indian Army” on 03 February 2016, during his first visit to India after assuming office.

Nepal visit will be followed by a visit to Bangladesh, where COAS will be meeting the President, the Prime Minister and the Chief of Army Staff of Bangladesh Army. The delegation will also visit Headquarters of an Infantry Division and Armoured Corps Centre at Bogra. This visit will help strengthen mutual trust with immediate neighbourhood particularly in the field of defence cooperation.

First Time India Becomes Net Exporter of Electricity

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India’s Central Electricity Authority for the first time has turned around from a net importer of electricity to Net Exporter of electricity in 2016-17.

During the current financial year 2016-17, as of February, India has exported around 5,798 Million Units to Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar which is 213 Million units more than the import of around 5,585 Million units from Bhutan, said a statement. Export to Nepal and Bangladesh increased 2.5 and 2.8 times respectively in last three years, it noted.

Ever since the cross border trade of electricity started in mid-80s, India has been importing power from Bhutan and marginally exporting to Nepal in radial mode at 33 kV and 132 kV from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. On an average Bhutan has been supplying around 5,000- 5500 Million units to India.

India had also been exporting around 190 MW power to Nepal over 12 cross border interconnections at 11kV, 33kV and 132 kV level and export to Nepal increased by around 145 MW with the commissioning of Muzaffarpur (India)– Dhalkhebar(Nepal) 400kV line (being operated at 132 kV) in 2016, said the government.

Export of power to Bangladesh from India got further boost with the commissioning of 1st cross border Interconnection between Baharampur in India and Bheramara in Bangladesh at 400kV in September 2013, which was augmented by commissioning of 2nd cross border Interconnection between Surjyamaninagar (Tripura) in India and South Comilla in Bangladesh. Currently, around 600 MW power is being exported to Bangladesh.

Export of power to Nepal is expected to increase by around 145 MW shortly over 132 kV Katiya (Bihar)– Kusaha (Nepal) and 132 kV Raxaul (Bihar)– Parwanipur (Nepal) and a few more cross border links with neighbouring countries are in pipe line, said the government agency.

Third Protocol of Amended India-Singapore DTAA Comes into Effect

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The Third Protocol amending India-Singapore Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) which was signed on 30th December, 2016, has come into force on 27th February 2017, said a statement.

The India-Singapore DTAA currently provides for residence based taxation of Capital Gains of shares in a company. The Third Protocol amends the DTAA with effect from 1st April, 2017 to provide for source based taxation of capital gains arising on sale of shares in a company.

This will curb revenue loss, prevent double non-taxation and streamline the flow of investments and to provide certainty to investors, investments in shares made before 1st April, 2017 have been clubbed subject to fulfillment of conditions in Limitation of Benefits clause as per 2005 Protocol, said the statement.

Further, a two-year transition period from 1st April, 2017 to 31st March, 2019 has been provided during which capital gains on shares will be taxed in source country at half of normal tax rate, subject to fulfillment of conditions in Limitation of Benefits clause.

The Third Protocol also inserts Article 9(2) in the DTAA which would facilitate relieving of economic double taxation in transfer pricing cases. The taxpayer friendly measure is in line with India’s commitments under Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Action Plan to meet the minimum standard of providing Mutual Agreement Procedure (MAP) access in transfer pricing cases, it said.

The Third Protocol also enables application of domestic law and measures concerning prevention of tax avoidance or tax evasion.

Delegates for Commonwealth Auditors General Conference Meet President

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The delegates participating in the Commonwealth Auditors General Conference called on the President of India, Mr Pranab Mukherjee today (March 23, 2017) at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Speaking on the occasion, the President expressed happiness that the multilateral forum of Auditors General of Commonwealth countries has met in India this year to discuss contemporary issues of relevance to the member Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs). He said that audit being a knowledge based activity, such interactions, sharing of knowledge, experiences, best practices would be mutually beneficial to all members of SAI.

The President said that in India, the office of the CAG has been established by the Constitution of India. Government Audit plays an important role in the scheme of parliamentary financial control.

The President said that it is praiseworthy that the delegates are engaging in fruitful deliberations on two very relevant contemporary themes, chosen for this Conference i.e. leveraging technology and environment audit. On global and national level – technology and environment have become the key drivers for formulating strategies to address a host of issues.

Technology has enabled faster communication, easy access to knowledge and information and facilitated efficient delivery of public services to citizens. Environment degradation and climate change along with their debilitating impact on our well being and of future generations are global concerns.

Such concerns have led to positive action in the nature of Paris Agreement and other global treaties. Environment not only affects our well-being, its degradation threatens the very existence of several small island nations.

Given the importance of technology and environment in today’s world, the SAIs will have to remain in the forefront in these fields. They have an important role to play in ensuring that the nations meet their commitments on environment treaties and leverage technology to provide high quality services to the citizens.

The President hoped that the exchange of views and sharing of experiences at the Conference would help in providing future guidance not just to Commonwealth Countries but many other countries of the world.

India Still Ranks 131 in Human Development Index: UN Report

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The UN ‘Human Development Report 2016′, released on Tuesday by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), placed India at 131 rank out of 188 countries in the global index.

The low rank for India shows how our liberalization has failed to uplift the condition of one third of the population. On health front, the overall life expectancy at birth grew by more than 10 years from the 1990 level, but on women’s empowerment, it remains the most basic challenge to deal with.

Since development is a multidimensional achievement, merely creating wealth in the country will not trickle down to a widespread wealth among the poeple. Basic conditions of housing, water, education, health and justice should be focused equaly to gain a better rank in the Human development Index and India is far away from achieving it.

As Selim Jahan, lead author of the report, said, “In order to advance, we need to examine more closely not just what has been achieved, but also who has been excluded and why.”

The index takes into account the period under both BJP, Congress and again BJP rule at the Centre from 1990 to 2015, in fact one-and-a-half year Modi’s rule as well. So, no political party can pass the buck on the other but retrospect the implications of such a low ranking, which has the potential to unleash both social unrest and political uprising in the future unless addressed immediately.

“Leaving no one behind needs to become the way we operate as a global community. In order to overcome the barriers that hamper both human development and progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, inclusiveness must guide policy choices,” said Swedish PM Stefan Löfven.

UNDP Administrator Helen Clark said, “The world has come a long way in rolling back extreme poverty, in improving access to education, health and sanitation, and in expanding possibilities for women and girls. But those gains are a prelude to the next, possibly tougher challenge, to ensure the benefits of global progress reach everyone.”

Selim Jahan said there is a systemic discrimination against women, indigenous peoples and ethnic minorities, among others. The report notes that disadvantages disproportionately affect some groups.

India Unhappy? So is it, Says UN Report

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Money is not the sole reason to be happy but India cannot bask upon its social cohesiveness and
political leadership as the World Happiness Report 2017 has put it in 122nd rank, behind
Pakistan and Nepal. It has also jumped from 118 last year to 122 this year.

The report, released on Monday at the United Nations, ranked 155 countries and Pakistan was
surprsingly at 80th position, Bhutan at 97, Nepal at 99, Bangladesh at 110 and sri Lanka at
120th position.

The top ten nations are of course the Scandinavian countries followed by Canada, New Zealand and
Australia. Here is the list of top 10 Happiness Nations:

HAPPIEST COUNTRIES
1. Norway 7.54
2. Denmark 7.42
3. Iceland 7.5
4. Switzerland 7.49
5. Finland 7.47
6. Netherlands 7.38
7. Canada 7.32
8. New Zealand 7.321
9. Australia 7.28
10. Sweden 7.28

Here is the list of least happiness countries:

146. Yemen 3.59
147. South Sudan 3.59
148. Liberia 3.53
149. Guinea 3.51
150. Togo 3.49
151. Rwanda 3.47
152. Syria 3.46
153. Tanzania 3.35
154. Burundi 2.91
155. Central African Republic 2.69

Norway is the top most this year surpassing Denmark that topped it last year. The trend to study
happiness began in 2013 when the US National Academy of Sciences issued a report recommended
questions on happiness. The United States is ranked 14.

However, the report has brought to light the misery of people behind mental illness which has a
lot to do with happiness and not merely money. “Differences in mental health, physical health
and personal relationships (is) the biggest single source of misery is mental illness,” the
report said.“Income differences matter more in poorer countries, but even their mental illness
is a major source of misery,” it said.

“What works in the Nordic countries is a sense of community and understanding in the common
good,” said Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, who wasn’t part
of the global scientific study that came out with the rankings.

The rankings are based on GDP per person, healthy life expectancy, social support, their freedom to make their own life choices, their sense of corruption in society and generosity.

French Former President Sarkozy Meets Modi

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Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy, former President of France, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday and congratulated him for the success of “demonetization”.

The Prime Minister congratulated Mr. Sarkozy on the publication of his latest book, “Tout pour la France”. The two leaders discussed regional and global issues of mutual interest.

India’s relations with France have seen a spur in recent period with the Union Cabinet approving the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of Cooperation between Technology Development Board (TDB), Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India and Bpifrance, a Public Investment Bank, France.

The agreement will ensure exchange of best practices and setting up of coordinated measures to foster technological exchanges in the field of Science, Technology and Innovation through collaboration between companies, organizations and institutions of France and India.

The agreement aims to carry out activities related to exchange of best practices in the field of Science & Technology through the Technology Development Board and Bpifrance.

Last year, France designated its French public utility Electricite de France (EDF) to take control of AREVA NP and would be the single entry point for Indian side on all matters related to nuclear power projects to be setup at Jaitapur, Maharashtra.

Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) has entered into an MoU with EDF for implementation of six Evolutionary Pressurised Reactor (EPR) units at Jaitapur, Maharashtra together with associated fuel, fuel services and other services.

India Signed Air Services Agreements or Drafts with 114 Countries So Far

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India has so far signed and initiated Air Services Agreement with 114 countries and latest one was with Rwanda, signed on 20th February 2017 at Kigali, informed Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

The Air Services Agreements between India and other countries have the potential to spur greater trade, investment, tourism and cultural exchange and help rejunevate the civil aviation sector, he said.

The agreements enable an environment for enhanced and seamless connectivity, while providing commercial opportunities to the carriers of both the sides ensuring greater safety and security.

The same was discussed when the Deputy Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Mr. Hikmat Karzai visited India on Wednesday on the sidelines of the International Counter Terrorism Conference. Both sides discussed among others Air corridor for trade between Afghanistan and India.

Usually the Air Services agreements provide for both countries to designate one or more airlines with the right to establish offices in the territory of the other country for the promotion end sale of air services.

The designated airlines will have fair and equal opportunity to operate the agreed services on specified routes and they can enter into cooperative marketing arrangements with the designated carriers of same party, other party and third country.

Indian Railways Increasing Foreign Collaborations for High Speed Trains, Travel

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Ministry of Railways have signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC), Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI), and Protocol with the following foreign Ministries and Railways for Technical Cooperation in Railway Sector, said Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on 17.03.2017 (Friday).

The agreements include cooperation areas such as High Speed Railway, Station Development, Speed Raising, Modernization of rolling stock, modernization of infrastructure, development of logistic parks and freight terminals, safety in train operations among others, said the minister. Here is a full list of agreements with foreign countries:

•    National Railway Administration of the Government of the People’s Republic of China.
•    RENFE-OPERADORA and ADIF of the Kingdom of Spain.
•    Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of the Government of the Republic of Korea.
•    French National Railways (SNCF).
•    Department of Transport of Canada.
•    Kazakhstan TemirZholy.
•    Ministry of Transport, Construction and Regional Development of the Slovak Republic.
•    Department for Transport of the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
•    Research Design and Standards Organization (RDSO), India and Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI), Japan.
•    Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan.
•    Government of Japan.
•    Czech Railway (CESKE DRAHY) of the Czech Republic and Association of Czech Railway Industry (ACRI).
•    Joint Stock Company “Russian Railways” .
•    Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation of the Kingdom of Sweden.
•    Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure of the Federal Republic of Germany.
•    DB Engineering & Consulting GMBH of Germany for Technological Cooperation.
•    Ferrovie Dello Stato Italialiane S.P.A. of the Republic of Italy.

Sports Minister Vijay Goel addresses Global Millennium Summit at Dubai

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Indfia’s current youth policy, launched in 2014, proposes a holistic ‘vision’ for the youth of India, to empower youth of the country to achieve their full potential, and through them enable India to find its rightful place in the community of nations, said Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Vijay Goel at the Global Millennium Summit, Dubai on 18 March 2017.

Speaking at the Global Millennium Summit 2017 organised by the students of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) in Dubai, the minister said Dubai is fast emerging as the hub of business, trade and innovation and the pivot of the different cultures of the world.

“Today’s youth is full of spark. They have the courage which is inexplicable, they are dynamic, they have written their fate themselves. They have the key to the lock and they are the only ones who can set the caged bird free… They are everywhere; every corner of the world, their reach is phenomenal,” he said.

He said India’s Youth Organizations — Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) and National Service Scheme (NSS), besides the Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD) have played vital role in promoting Youth affairs and activities, he noted.

This Year a number of schemes will be initiated under an umbrella scheme of Rashtriya Yuva Sashaktikaran Karyakram with the objective of developing leadership qualities among the youth, and another Central Sector Scheme, National Young Leaders Programme (NYLP), introduced in 2014-15, is being run by the Ministry, he said.

First Airbus Training Centre in Asia to be Set up in India

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European aviation firm Airbus is setting up a greenfield training facility at Aerocity, New Delhi, to support India’s growing need for Airbus aircraft pilots and maintenance engineers and the ground-breaking for it was performed by Aviation Minister P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju on Thursday.

Speaking on the occasion, Tom Enders, CEO, Airbus said the training centre will be the first such facility fully owned by us in Asia. India is the fastest growing domestic aviation market in the world and is expected to continue to grow at an annualised 9.3% over the next 20 years, outpacing the world average of 4.6%.

The number of trips per capita in India is expected to quadruple by 2035 due to a combination of economic and demographic factors, and Airbus forecasts a requirement for at least 1,600 new passenger and freighter aircraft by 2035. The consequent increase in Indian in-service aircraft fleet will lead to an accompanying need for over 24,000 new pilots and maintenance engineers.

The almost 7000 m2 Airbus India Training Centre will be built in a modular concept in order to become operational by end-2018 with two A320 full flight simulators, increasing to four and potentially to six simulators in due course, he informed.

It will start with an initial capacity to train over 800 pilots and 200 maintenance engineers annually. The centre will cater primarily to Airbus operators in India and the region. Airbus has more than 250 aircraft in service in India and over 570 are on order by Indian airlines.

Indian Minister for Civil Aviation Ashok Gajapathi Raju said that India’s rapidly growing passenger aircraft fleet must be matched by adequate availability of skilled pilots and maintenance engineers.

Airbus’ pilot and maintenance engineering training center is the type of facility which will help augment the talent pool of such personnel and thus be a force multiplier for the Indian aviation sector, he said. He has asked Airbus to think of creating MRO facility in India to.

ISRO Earned $4.5 Million, 76.5 Million Euros in Last 2 Years

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Indian Space Research Organisation’s commercial arm Antrix Corporation Limited (Antrix) has earned a foreign exchange of 76.5 Million Euros and $4.5 Million from foreign countries through launching of their satellites on-board PSLV.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Space Jitendra Singh in written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, March 15, 2017, informed the House that the spare capacity available onboard PSLV, after meeting the national requirements, is provided for commercial launch services.

He said ISRO will continue to make available the spare capacity available on its launch vehicles for commercial launch services through Anrix.

Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on February 15, 2017, successfully launched 104 satellites, in a single launch, onboard India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle “PSLV-C37’ on February 15, 2017 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota.

These satellites include- (i) India’s Cartosat-2 Series Satellite (weighting 714kg) as primary payload, (ii) two Indian Nano-Satellites viz. INS-IA&IB(together weighing 18.1 kg) and (iii) 101 foreign nano-satellites together weighing 645.9 kg) from six counties as co-passengers.

This was the 38th successful PSLV mission in a row, which has once again demonstrated the versatility and reliability of the PSLV vehicle. While PSLV has already established itself as a preferred launch vehicle, in its class, in the global satellite market.

“This mission is expected to further strengthen the commercial footprint of PSLV in the global market for launch services, especially for smaller satellites,” said the minister.

Payza India Launches App for Online Bills Payment

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London-based Payza, an online payment platform, has launched an online Utility Bill Payments service for Indian customers after teaming up with India’s household utility and telecommunications service providers such as Airtel, Tata Sky, Tata Docomo, Vodafone, Reliance, DishTV, MTNL, BSNL, and others.

The Payza Utility Bill Payments option is available through the Payza Android App that enables users to securely link their television, internet, mobile, and landline phone accounts within their Payza account, to pay bills and track their payment history.

Along with telecom services, Payza India customers can also pay gas and electricity bills directly from their Payza account. The service is tied in with the major gas and electric providers for each state, including BSES in Delhi, BEST Undertaking in Mumbai, and India Power. Insurance providers, such as Bharti Axa, ICICI Prudential, IndiaFirst and Tata AIA, can also be paid through this new feature.

“Up until demonetization, where 500 and 1,000-rupee notes were scrapped by the government, more than 90% of all transactions in India were made in cash,” explained Firoz Patel, Global Executive VP for Payza.

“While this was a much needed move in the fight against money laundering, counterfeiting and the black market, the average Indian consumer was left scrambling for ways to pay for everyday items like their gas and internet bills. With the launch of Payza’s online bills payment app, we’ve given our Indian customers a complete digital payments experience. The Payza App and e-Wallet are perfect companions to the new reality in India.”

In 2016, Payza announced Indian Rupee (INR) support on its platform, allowing members to add and withdraw funds in Rupees, and make online transactions using the local currency. Indian Payza members can also receive foreign currency in their Payza e-Wallet accounts and withdraw those funds as Rupees to their bank account.

Indonesian Security Minister Visits Delhi

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An Indonesian delegation led by the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, General (Retd.) Wiranto held talks with Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju in New Delhi on Wednesday, March 15, 2017.

Since both India and Indonesia have world’s largest Muslim populations, in a democratic set-up and common cultural and social ties, Rijiju said India is keen to consolidate its partnership with the largest nation in South East Asia and also strengthen its ties with the ASEAN bloc.

Both leaders shared concerns on tackling fundamentalism, extremism and the threat posed by radicalization and the ISIS. Recalling his visit to Bali for the International Meeting on Counter-Terrorism in August 2016, Rijiju said he was impressed by Indonesia’s handling of the threat of the ISIS.

Both the Ministers expressed hope that they can deepen their cooperation on counter terrorism and share intelligence and coordinate in cyber security issues. Rijiju also noted Indonesia’s key role in the ASEAN and appreciated its strong commitment to regional peace and security.

Ambassador Venkatesh Varma Accredited to Andorra in Spain

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IFS Officer of 1988 batch Mr. D. Bala Venkatesh Varma, currently Indian ambassador to Spain has been accredited as the next Ambassador of lndia to the Principality of Andorra, with residence in Madrid.

“He is expected to take up his assignment shortly,” said a press release of the External affairs Ministry. Mr. Varma earlier served in several capacities, including the assignments at the United Nations. He became Indian ambassador to Spain on January 19, 2017 officially.

Active in academic and business meetings around Madrid, Mr. Varma met with the Vice-president of CEOE and chairman of the International Relations Committee, Joaquim Gay de Montellà, on 7th March 2017 at the headquarters of the Business Confederation.

Among the areas he discussed include sectors of potential collaboration such as infrastructure, renewable energy, tourism, digital banking, Smart cities, railways, food processing, machinery, water management, information technologies or the pharmaceutical sector, among others, and to strengthen the overall trade and business relations between India and Spain.

Preet Bharara, US Attorney in Devyani Khobragade Row, Fired

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Twitter Account Photo of Preet Bharara now reads:@PreetBharara Personal account of Preet Bharara. Patriotic American & proud immigrant. Movie buff. @Springsteen fan. Former U.S. Attorney | Southern District of NY. New York, NY. Joined February 2017

US attorney Preet Bharara, whose office arrested Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade and subjected her to strip search before filing prosecution charges ignoring her diplomatic immunity in December 2013, has been shown the exit door unceremoniously by the Trump administration. He is one among the 46 attorneys appointed by Obama administration and fired.

Defiant as usual, Preet Bharara has created another controversy before he was asked to resign by the Trump administration. Refusing to resign, he said he did not take a call from the White House as protocol prohibits it. He went to town in November after meeting then elect Donald Trump who, he told the media, had asked him to continue.

But his fate was otherwise as he was chosen among the 46 to be fired and his close association with Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York has also apparently came in the way. Bharara was the US attorney in Manhattan since 2009. He came under limelight for probing fund-raising by Bill de Blasio, the mayor of New York, the then governor of New York, Andrew M. Cuomo, who are both Democrats.

In a Twitter account he opened a week ago, Bharara said: “I did not resign. Moments ago I was fired… Being the US Attorney in SDNY will forever be the greatest honor of my professional life.”Now his Twitter account depicts him as “@PreetBharara
Personal account of Preet Bharara. Patriotic American & proud immigrant. Movie buff. @Springsteen fan. Former U.S. Attorney | Southern District of NY. New York, NY. Joined February 2017.”

India born Bharara arrested Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade in December 2013, triggering a major row between India and US that led to diplomatic showdown in New Delhi. She was released later from the case when her credentials as UN diplomat were provided.

However, Bharare pressed the case against Khobragade and Bharara’s office filed a new indictment but by then she had left the US. Bharara later speaking at Harvard Law School blamed the U.S. Department of State which had begun the probe and asked him to prosecute her.

Devyani Khobragade, an IFS 1999 batch officer, now a director in the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi, authored a book “The White Sari” in December 2016.

Jordan Royal Official Meets PM

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Mr. Fayez Tarawneh, Chief of The Royal Hashemite Court of Jordan call called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, March 10, 2017.

They discussed the shared commitment to strengthen bilateral engagement and the many opportunities in this regard. Mr. Fayez Tarawneh also exchanged views with Prime Minister on the situation in West Asia and the scourge of terrorism that calls for a comprehensive international response.

Dr. Fayez Tarawneh conveyed the greetings of Jordan King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein to Prime Minister.

Earlier, Mr. Tarawneh called on the President on Thursday. The President said India attaches great value to its ties with Jordan.
India appreciates Jordan’s proactive role, especially towards resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and addressing the scourge of terrorism that has affected our regions and the world.

The President said India lauds Jordan’s exceptional humanitarian assistance in hosting refugees from its war torn neighbourhood despite the tremendous strain on its socio-economic resources. He was happy that India could make a contribution to help mitigate the crisis.

The President said India-Jordan bilateral trade which was US $1.35 billion in 2015-16 is expected to touch new heights. India is happy that Jordan is interested in cooperation in security and defence cooperation, space, fertilizers etc.

Lok Sabha Passes the Admiralty Bill 2016 to Claim Maritime Jurisdiction

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In view of the Kerala coastline incident which led Italian ship staff killing Indian fishermen, the new Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Bill, 2016 was passed by the Lok Sabha on Friday, March 10, 2017 to claim jurisdiction on all such cases legally.

The Bill aims to establish a legal framework to consolidate the existing laws relating to admiralty jurisdiction of courts, admiralty proceedings on maritime claims, arrest of vessels and related issues. It also aims to replace archaic laws which are hindering efficient governance. The Bill confers admiralty jurisdiction on High Courts located in coastal states of India and this jurisdiction extends upto territorial waters.

Introduced during the winter session of Parliament, the Bill came up for discussion in the Lok Sabha yesterday. The Minister of State ( RT&H, S, C&F), Shri Mansukh Mandaviya, presented an overview of the Bill in the House, highlighting the need for repealing five obsolete British statutes on admiralty jurisdiction in civil matters, which are 126 to 177 years old.

The Bill provides for prioritization of maritime claims and maritime liens while providing protection to owners, charterers, operators, crew members and seafarers at the same time. During the course of discussion, thirteen members presented their views and raised various questions which were replied to by Shri Mandaviya. The Bill was then passed by the House.

Women’s Day Special: Hungary, Bahrain Top Safe Places to Work for Women

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Hungary and Bahrain prove great locations for expat women who want to work abroad, but Luxembourg, Taiwan, and Germany top the chart. Based on a survey of about 6,000 women, the annual Expat Insider survey by InterNations, a network for people who live and work abroad, compiled a so-far unpublished ranking of the top countries for women working abroad, which varies quite a bit from male expats’ picks. Here are some of the findings:

Luxembourg, Taiwan, and Germany top the chart, and they all do particularly well for women’s job security. More surprisingly, Hungary and Bahrain follow just behind in the top five, performing extremely well for job satisfaction and career opportunities for women — as opposed to the more negative perception of men working in these countries.

Top 10 Countries for Women Working Abroad

1.Luxembourg

Luxembourg tops the Working Abroad Index not only for women, but for all survey respondents. For female expats, it does best in the Job Security subcategory, coming in first with 86 percent of women saying that they feel positive about this factor. The high ranking in job security is partly due to the 93 percent of female expats that feel positive about the state of Luxembourg’s economy. The country also ranks first among women when it comes to the Safety & Security subcategory: 96 percent rate the peacefulness positively, and not one expat women says that they feel negatively about the country’s political stability.

2.Taiwan

Taiwan takes second place overall for women working abroad, coming in first place for the Job & Career subcategory. In fact, six in ten female expats (62 percent) say that they feel positive about their career prospects in Taiwan, as opposed to slightly more than half of the women around the world agreeing to this (53 percent). A vast majority (86 percent) are also satisfied with their current position in comparison to a global average of 62 percent.

3.Germany

Germany places third for the Job Security subcategory with 90 percent of female expats saying that they are positive about the state of the economy. Nearly half of female expats in Germany (46 percent in comparison to 36 percent globally) are employees or managers and the 11 percent of women in Germany currently searching for work are facing good career prospects, as 65 percentage of female respondents in Germany are overall satisfied with them in comparison to 53 percent worldwide. Germany also performs well among expat women for safety and political stability: 89 percent for example feel positive about their personal safety compared to a global average of 77 percent.

4.Hungary

Hungary proves that money does not mean everything: despite 43 percent of women in Hungary earning less than they would back home (compared to 31percent of women globally), the country does exceptionally well when it comes to the Job & Career and Work-Life Balance subcategories, ranking second in both. An impressive 40 percent — as opposed to a global average of only 17 percent — are even completely satisfied with their work-life balance. Hungary also shows some of the biggest differences between expat men and women overall: expat women rank Hungary as the world’s 7th best country to live in, whereas expat men feel very differently, ranking it at 36th out of 62 countries.

5.Bahrain

Bahrain friendly atmosphere seems to help women working abroad to settle in and the country makes it to sixth place in the Ease of Settling In Index. Over a quarter of female expats (27 percent) agree completely that making local friends is easy, a number far higher than the 11 percent global average. Bahrain also does very well when it comes to the Job & Career and Work-Life Balance subcategories, coming in at third place and sixth place respectively: nearly three-quarters of female expats (73 percent) are overall satisfied with their jobs in Bahrain compared to a global average of 62 percent.

6.Australia

Australia is a great destination for women working abroad who want to enjoy their free time to the fullest. Female expats in Australia have plenty to do in their spare time: 93 percent of respondents feel positive about the available leisure activities. Compared to a global average of just 17 percent of women saying they are completely satisfied with their work-life balance, three in ten expat women in Australia feel this way. The great weather down under is another plus to moving to Australia, with 85 percent of female expats saying that the climate and weather is good compared to a 61 percent global average.

7.Ecuador

Despite three in ten women (29 percent) saying they earn significantly less than at home, well above the worldwide average of just 14 percent, Ecuador still makes a great destination for working abroad, coming first in the Work-Life Balance subcategory: an impressive 84 percent of female expats in Ecuador indeed say they feel satisfied with their work-life balance compared to the global average of 60 percent. However, Ecuador does not do so well for the state of its economy with 43 percent of women feeling negatively about it, compared to a global average of just 24 percent.

8.New Zealand

Expat women find it easy to settle in and feel welcome in New Zealand. For instance, over four in five (83 percent) say that they feel that it is easy to get used to the local culture. Over three in five (61 percent) even say that they would possibly stay forever in New Zealand, an impressive 30 percentage points more than women around the world. Perhaps the work-life balance contributes to women wanting to stay — as 77 percent of them are overall satisfied with this aspect of their life.

9.Norway

Expat women in Norway can expect to be earning more than they would at home with 74 percent of respondents saying this is the case compared to only half of respondents worldwide. Although nearly eight in ten expat women worldwide consider themselves happy with their life (78 percent), this unfortunately is not the case in Norway: despite the positive working abroad results, only 66 percent of female expats feel overall happy with their life.

10.Denmark

Of all three subcategories of the Working Abroad Index, Denmark performs best in the Work-Life Balance subcategory coming in at fourth for women. Across all survey respondents, men included, Denmark even has the shortest full-time work week out of all the countries surveyed, with an average of 39 hours per week. Just like Norway, Denmark does not do as well in the Job & Career subcategory, placing 34th out of 57 countries for women. When it comes to the Job Security subcategory, Denmark comes 15th, six places below Norway, which still makes the top 10 ranking on ninth position.

Worst Countries to Work Abroad for Women
While some of the best countries for women working abroad are in Europe, so are the worst. For example, Greece even comes in last place for working abroad for both expat men and women. The state of the economy may have something to do with this: nine in ten female expats in Greece rate this factor negatively, compared to one quarter globally (24 percent). Meanwhile, career prospects even seem to be worrisome for expat women in several Southern European countries: 63 percent of women in Greece rate this negatively, followed by 54 percent in Cyprus, and 52 percent in Italy.

The economies of South American countries Argentina and Brazil also seem to be troubling for women working there, with 76 percent and 87 percent respectively rating them negatively. Brazil, however, seems to be a popular spot for being sent abroad by an employer: 18 percent of female expats there say this was their primary reason for relocating, notably higher than the 10 percent global average. Job security in Brazil is something that female expats are not overly satisfied with, though: 36 percent rate it negatively, 14 percentage points higher than the global average.

While foreign women seem to be in high demand when it comes to working in the Gulf Countries — 14 percent in Saudi Arabia say they were recruited by a local company and 12 percent in Qatar say the same, four times the global average of 3 percent — they seem to struggle with work-life balance: only 40 percent rank this factor positively in Saudi Arabia and 44 percent in Qatar, compared to the global average of 60 percent. Female expats in Saudi Arabia and Qatar have an average work week of 42.6 and 44.8 hours, respectively, which is notably higher than the global average of 39.0 hours.

It comes as no surprise that 34 percent of women working in Qatar say that they are unsatisfied with their working hours, nearly double the global average of 19 percent. While Saudi Arabia does better in this regard, it is still above the global average at 23 percent.