India Moves up 2 Points in Transparency Index 2016

India has moved up slightly in the graft watchdog Transparency International‘s corruption perception index for 2016 by two points with a score of 40 out of 100, compared to 38 last year.

“India s ongoing poor performance with a score of 40 reiterates the state s inability to effectively deal with petty corruption as well as large-scale corruption scandals. The impact of corruption on poverty, illiteracy and police brutality shows that not only the economy is growing but also inequality,” the Trasnparency International said on India.

New Zealand and Denmark have jointly topped the list, said the Berlin-based Transparency International using the World Bank data, the World Economic Forum and other institutions to rank 176 countries on the level of corruption in public sector.

The score 100 means no corruption and zero signifies highly corrupt. India, China and Brazil with a score of 40 each figured in the 10 key economies in the mid-range.

Somalia was ranked the most corrupt country while Syria, South Sudan, North Korea, Afghanistan, and Iraq also ranked in the bottom. However, no country scored a perfect 100 in the Corruption Perceptions Index 2016.

PM Welcomes UAE Crown Prince as Republic Day Chief Guest

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his welcoming address on the eve of the state visit of United arab Emirates Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said his participation as the Chief Guest in the Republic Day Celebrations on Thursday would herald new era in bilateral ties.

Recalling his visit in August 2015 to Dubai, Mr Modi said, “We have shaped an ambitious roadmap of engagement to make our comprehensive strategic partnership purposeful and action oriented. The agreement that was exchanged just now has institutionalized this understanding.”

He said UAE is one of India’s most valued partners and a close friend in an important region of the world. UAE has around 2.6 million Indians.

He welcomed UAE’s interest in investing in India’s infrastructure sector. “We are working to connect the institutional investors in UAE with our National Investment and Infrastructure Fund,” he noted.

“Security and defence cooperation have added growing new dimensions to our relationship. We have agreed to expand our useful cooperation in the field of defence to new areas including in the maritime domain. The MoU on Defence Cooperation, signed earlier today, will help steer our defence engagements in the right direction,” he said.

Here is a comprehyensive list of Agreements/MOUs exchanged during the State visit of Crown Prince to India:

 

S. No. Name of Agreement/MoU Details
1. Agreement on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the Republic of India and the UAE This is a general framework agreement which highlights the areas of bilateral cooperation identified under the comprehensive strategic partnership as agreed upon in the high level joint statements issued in the August 2015 and February 2016.
2.. MoU between the Ministry of Defence of the Government of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Defence of the Government of UAE on cooperation in the field of Defence Industry This MoU aims to establish cooperation in the identified fields of defence manufacturing and technology, including through studies, research, development, innovation and cooperation between public and private sector institutions of the two countries. The two sides will cooperate in areas of armaments, defence industries and transfer of technology.
3. MoU between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the UAE on Institutional Cooperation on Maritime Transport This MoU provides a framework for enhancing bilateral maritime trade ties through facilitating maritime transport, free transfer of monies between contracting parties and reciprocal recognition of ships’ documents.
4. MOU between the Directorate General of Shipping, Republic of India and the Federal Transport Authority- Land and Maritime in the UAE on Mutual Recognition of Certificates of Competency as per the provisions of the Standards of Training, Certification and Watch-keeping Convention (STCW78) and amendments thereof This MoU aims to deepen the maritime economic activities in general by establishing a framework for Mutual Recognition of Certificates of Competency of marine officers, engineers and crews.
5. MoU between the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways of the Republic of India and the Federal Transport Authority, Land and Maritime of the UAE on Bilateral Cooperation in the Road Transport and Highways Sector This MoU aims to establish cooperation in the sectors of Highways and Road transport through sharing of technologies, systems and best practices in freight logistics, warehousing and value added services.
6. MOU between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of UAE on cooperation in prevention and combating of human trafficking This MoU aims to enhance bilateral cooperation on the issue of prevention, rescue, recovery and repatriation related to human trafficking, especially of women and children expeditiously.
7. MoU for the cooperation in the field of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and innovation between the Ministry of Economy of United Arab Emirates and Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MoSMSME) of the Republic of India This MoU aims at promoting cooperation in MSMEs Sectors, including in joint projects, R & D and related activities.
8. MoU between the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Climate Change & Environment of UAE in agriculture and Allied sectors This MoU aims to develop a framework for cooperation in various agricultural fields of mutual interest, including through enhancement of cooperation in food processing and transfer of technology in cultivation methods.
9. MOU between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of UAE on mutual exemption of entry visa requirements to the holders of Diplomatic, special and Official Passports The agreement allows holders of diplomatic, special and official passports visa free travel between the two countries.
10. MoU between Prasar Bharati, India and Emirates News Agency (WAM), UAE for cooperation in programme exchange This MoU aims to strengthen ties between Prasar Bharati and Emirates News Agency (WAM), UAE through cooperation in the field of broadcasting, mutual exchange of programmes, news and best practices.
11. MoU between the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Economy of United Arab Emirates on trade remedial measures to promote cooperation in areas of mutual interest This MoU aims to enhance cooperation in the field of anti-dumping and allied duties through exchange of information, capacity-building, seminars and trainings in mutually indentified areas related to trade remedial measures.
12. Agreement on Oil Storage And Management
between Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company
This agreement aims to establish a framework for the storage of crude oil by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company in India and to further strengthen the strategic relationship between the two countries in the field of energy.
13. MOU between National Productivity Council and Al Etihad Energy Services Co. LLC This MOU is on Cooperation in Energy Efficiency Services.
14. MOU between National Security Council Secretariat of India & National Electronic Security Authority of the UAE This MoU is on technology development and cooperation in cyberspace.

Padma Awards 2017 Announced, Virat Kohli, Sadhguru Figure in List

Padma Awards, India’s highest civilian Awards for 2017 have been conferred to singer K J Yesudas, spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev and cricket captain Virat Kohli among many others.

Given in three categories – Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri – the Awards covered art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc.

‘Padma Vibhushan’ is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service; ‘Padma Bhushan’ for distinguished service of high order and ‘Padma Shri’ for distinguished service in any field. The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year.

These awards will be conferred by the President of India later at Rashtrapati Bhawan around March/ April. This year the Padma Awards have gone to 89 persons in total, Padma Vibhushan to 7, and Padma Bhushan to 7 and Padma Shri to 75 Awardees.  Women are 19 and the list also includes 5 persons from the category of foreigners, NRIs, PIOs and 6 Posthumous awardees.

Here is the full list of Padma Awards 2017:

PADMA VIBHUSHAN

Sl. No Name Field State
1. Shri K J Yesudas Art-Music Kerala
2. Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev Others-Spiritualism Tamil Nadu
3. Shri Sharad Pawar Public Affairs Maharashtra
4. Shri Murli Manohar Joshi Public Affairs Uttar Pradesh
5. Prof. Udipi Ramachandra Rao Science & Engineering Karnataka
6. Late Shri Sunder Lal Patwa (Posthumous) Public Affairs Madhya Pradesh
7. Late Shri PA Sangma

(Posthumous)

Public Affairs Meghalaya

 

Padma Bhushan

Sl. No. Name Field State
8. Shri Vishwa Mohan Bhatt Art-Music Rajasthan
9. Prof. (Dr.) Devi Prasad Dwivedi Literature & Education Uttar Pradesh
10. Shri Tehemton Udwadia Medicine Maharashtra
11. Shri Ratna Sundar Maharaj Others-Spiritualism Gujarat
12. Swami Niranjana Nanda Saraswati Others-Yoga Bihar
13. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn (Foreigner) Literature & Education Thailand
14. Late Shri Cho Ramaswamy (Posthumous) Literature & Education –Journalism Tamil Nadu

           

Padma Shri 

Sl. No Name Field State
15. Smt. Basanti Bisht Art-Music Uttarakhand
16. Shri Chemanchery Kunhiraman Nair Art-Dance Kerala
17. Smt. Aruna Mohanty Art-Dance Odisha
18. Smt. Bharathi Vishnuvardhan Art-Cinema Karnataka
19. Shri Sadhu Meher Art-Cinema Odisha
20. Shri T K Murthy Art-Music Tamil Nadu
21. Shri Laishram Birendrakumar Singh Art-Music Manipur
22. Shri Krishna Ram Chaudhary Art-Music Uttar Pradesh
23. Smt. Baoa Devi Art-Painting Bihar
24. Shri Tilak Gitai Art-Painting Rajasthan
25. Dr. Prof. Aekka Yadagiri Rao Art-Sculpture Telangana
26. Shri Jitendra Haripal Art-Music Odisha
27. Shri Kailash Kher Art-Music Maharashtra
28. Smt. Parassala B Ponnammal Art-Music Kerala
29. Smt. Sukri Bommagowda Art-Music Karnataka
30. Shri Mukund Nayak Art-Music Jharkhand
31. Shri Purushottam Upadhyay Art-Music Gujarat
32. Smt. Anuradha Paudwal Art-Music Maharashtra
33. Shri Wareppa Naba Nil Art-Theatre Manipur
34. Shri Tripuraneni Hanuman Chowdary Civil Service Telangana
35. Shri T.K. Viswanathan Civil Service Haryana
36. Shri Kanwal Sibal Civil Service Delhi
37. Shri Birkha Bahadur Limboo Muringla Literature & Education Sikkim
38. Smt. Eli Ahmed Literature & Education Assam
39. Dr. Narendra Kohli Literature & Education Delhi
40. Prof. G. Venkatasubbiah Literature & Education Karnataka
41. Shri Akkitham Achyuthan Namboothiri Literature & Education Kerala
42. Shri Kashi Nath Pandita Literature & Education Jammu & Kashmir
43. Shri Chamu Krishna Shastry Literature & Education Delhi
44. Shri Harihar Kripalu Tripathi Literature & Education Uttar Pradesh
45. Shri Michel Danino Literature & Education Tamil Nadu
46. Shri Punam Suri Literature & Education Delhi
47. Shri VG Patel Literature & Education Gujarat
48. Smt. V Koteswaramma Literature & Education Andhra Pradesh
49. Shri Balbir Dutt Literature & Education-Journalism Jharkhand
50. Smt. Bhawana Somaaya Literature & Education-Journalism Maharashtra
51. Shri Vishnu Pandya Literature & Education-Journalism Gujarat
52. Dr. Subroto Das Medicine Gujarat
53. Dr. (Smt.) Bhakti Yadav Medicine Madhya Pradesh
54. Dr. Mohammed Abdul Waheed Medicine Telangana
55. Dr. Madan Madhav Godbole Medicine Uttar Pradesh
56. Dr. Devendra Dayabhai Patel Medicine Gujarat
57. Prof. Harkishan Singh Medicine Chandigarh
58. Dr. Mukut Minz Medicine Chandigarh
59. Shri Arun Kumar Sharma Others-Archaeology Chhattisgarh
60. Shri Sanjeev Kapoor Others-Culinary Maharashtra
61. Smt. Meenakshi Amma Others-Martial Art Kerala
62. Shri Genabhai Dargabhai Patel Others-Agriculture Gujarat
63. Shri Chandrakant Pithawa Science & Engineering Telangana
64. Prof. Ajoy Kumar Ray Science & Engineering West Bengal
65. Shri Chintakindi Mallesham Science & Engineering Andhra Pradesh
66. Shri Jitendra Nath Goswami Science & Engineering Assam
67. Shri Daripalli Ramaiah Social Work Telangana
68. Shri Girish Bhardwaj Social Work Karnataka
69. Shri Karimul Hak Social Work West Bengal
70. Shri Bipin Ganatra Social Work West Bengal
71. Smt. Nivedita Raghunath Bhide Social work Tamil Nadu
72. Shri Appasaheb Dharmadhikari Social Work Maharashtra
73. Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal Social Work Punjab
74. Shri Virat Kohli Sports-Cricket Delhi
75. Shri Shekar Naik Sports-Cricket Karnataka
76. Shri Vikasa Gowda Sports-Discus Throw Karnataka
77. Smt. Deepa Malik Sports-Athletics Haryana
78. Shri Mariyappan Thangavelu Sports-Athletics Tamil Nadu
79. Smt. Dipa Karmakar Sports-Gymnastics Tripura
80. Shri P R Shreejesh Sports-Hockey Kerala
81. Smt. Sakshi Malik Sports-Wrestling Haryana
82. Shri Mohan Reddy Venkatrama Bodanapu Trade & Industry Telangana
83. Shri Imrat Khan

(NRI/PIO)

Art-Music USA
84. Shri Anant Agarwal

(NRI/PIO)

Literature & Education USA
85. Shri H.R. Shah

(NRI/PIO)

Literature & Education-Journalism USA
86. Late (Smt.) Suniti Solomon

(Posthumous)

Medicine Tamil Nadu
87. Shri Asoke Kumar Bhattacharyya

(Posthumous)

Others-Archaeology West Bengal
88. Dr. Mapuskar

(Posthumous)

Social Work Maharashtra
89. Smt. Anuradha Koirala (Foreigner) Social Work Nepal

 

TeamIndus Among 5 Finalists for Google XPRIZE to Land Rover on Moon

XPRIZE and Google have announced that five finalists including India’s TeamIndus will be launching their verified moon vehicles to vie for $30 million lunar prize in the competition to land an unmanned spacecraft on the surface of the Moon.

The duo have also announced that a $1 million Diversity Prize will be split among 16 Google Lunar XPRIZE teams, to recognize each of their unique approaches and initiatives over the years.

Chanda Gonzales-Mowrer, senior director, Google Lunar XPRIZE said, “Each of these teams has pushed the boundaries to demonstrate that you don’t have to be a government superpower to send a mission to the Moon, while inspiring audiences to pursue the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.”

The five finalists in the final phase of the competition:

TeamIndus from India has entered into a commercial launch contract with ISRO to send its spacecraft aboard its PSLV. TeamIndus’ spacecraft is designed to nestle inside the nosecone of the PSLV and will launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, said the statement.

HAKUTO from Japan has already signed for a rideshare with TeamIndus to carry its four-wheeled rover to the Moon. Hakuto seeks to explore holes that are thought to be caves into underlying lava tubes, which could lead to identifying long-term habitats to shield humans from the Moon’s hostile environment.

SpaceIL from Israel has secured a position on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and their vehicle will be designed to make an educational impact and to create an “Apollo Effect” for the next generation.

Moon Express from the US also signed a multi-mission launch contract with Rocket Lab USA for three lunar missions by 2020, to open up the Moon’s vast resources for humanity and establish new avenues for commercial space activities.

Synergy Moon, an international team, signed with InterOrbital Systems to launch its vehicle to moon aboard the rocket NEPTUNE 8. Synergy Moon consists of individuals from 15 countries, with a mission to make manned orbital travel, personal satellite launches and Solar System exploration cost effective for all.

Recognising their efforts, XPRIZE made an update that the launch be initiated by the December 31, 2017 deadline, instead of completed.

The $30M Google Lunar XPRIZE is meant for a privately funded team which should successfully place a robot on the Moon’s surface that explores at least 500 meters and transmits high-definition video and images back to Earth.

Test Firing of Guided PINAKA Successful Again

India’s missile manufacturing facility DRDO successfully test fired the Guided PINAKA from Launch Complex-III, ITR, Chandipur today (Jan 21, 2017) at 12:45 PM for further enhanced range, making it useful with more accuracy now.
PINAKA Rocket Mark-II, equipped with navigation, guidance and control kit, is transformed to a Guided PINAKA to enhance the range and improve the accuracy. The Radars, Electro Optical and Telemetry Systems at ITR Chandipur tracked and monitored the vehicle all through the flight path, said a statement by DRDO.

The guided PINAKA is developed jointly by ARDE Pune, RCI and DRDL, Hyderabad, while ITR, Chandipur provided the range and launch support.

DRDO chief Dr G Satheesh Reddy who was present during the launch operations said that the success of Guided PINAKA has reinforced the technological strength of the country in converting unguided systems into weapons of high precision.

Director ARDE, Pune Dr KM Rajan, Director, RCI, Hyderabad Mr. BHVS Narayana Murthy, Director, ITR, Chandipur Dr BK Das, Director HEMRL, Pune Mr. KPS Murthy and, Director PXE, Chandipur Mr. R Appavuraj monitored the Launch operations.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar congratulated both the Army and the DRDO for developing the Guided PINAKA in a very short span of time. Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr S Christopher applauded this shining example of the synergy between the Armed Forces.

The Deputy Chief of Army Staff (P&S) Lt Gen Subrata Saha, DG Artillery Lt Gen PK Srivastava and other Senior Army Officers witnessed the successful launch.

Cabinet Approves Ratification of 2nd Period of Kyoto Protocol

The government of India has officially approved to ratify the Second Commitment Period of the Kyoto Protocol on containing the emission of Green House Gases (GHGs), becoming the 65th country to ratify the second commitment period of the Protocol that was adopted in 2012.

Ratification of the Kyoto Protocol by India is believed to encourage other developing countries also to undertake this exercise as India’s implementation of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects under this commitment period in accordance with Suslainable Development priorities have attracted some major investments in India as well.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) seeks to stabilise Green House Gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would minimize interference with the climate system and India is one of the original nations to participate in the negotiations on Kyoto Protocol in Japan way back in 1996.

Recognizing that developed countries are principally responsible for the current high levels of Greenhouse Gas (GHGs) in the atmosphere, the Kyoto Protocol places commitments on developed nations to mitigate targets and to provide financial aid and transfer of technology to the developing nations. Developing countries like India have no mandatory mitigation obligations or targets under the Kyoto Protocol but have voluntarily set targets.

The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in 1997 and the first commitment period from 2008-2012 was renewed again after the talks at Doha in 2012, where the amendments to Kyoto Protocol for the second commitment period (the Doha Amendment) were successfully adopted. The second commitment period is from 2013 to 2020. Developed countries have already started implementing their commitments under the ‘opt-in’ provisions of the Doha Amendment.

India, which has emphasized the importance of climate actions by developed country Parties in the pre-2020 period, kept its commitment to advocate climate actions based on the principles of the Convention, such as the principle of Equity and Common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR & RC).

Trump to Call Modi Today

Following the telephonic call from the outgoing US President Barack Obama, today Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will get a call officially from the new US President Donald Trump at 11:30 PM in the night which is expected to go well beyond the midnight in India.

Mr Modi will be the fifth world leader to receive Trump’s call since his take over on January 20. Otherwise, Modi was quick to congratulate Trump after his election. About India, Trump has mixed feelings unlike Obama.

In a New Jersey address during the campaign, he tried to please majority Indian community there promising, “Under a Trump Administration, we are going to become even better friends, in fact I would take the term better out and we would be best friend… We are going to have a phenomenal future together.”

Otherwise, Indian community in the US was strongly behind Trump during his campaign and in return the top posts went to Nikki Haley among others. The conversation tonight will throw some light into the priority of the White House towards India in the next four years.

UAE Crown Prince to Visit as Chief Guest for Republic Day 2017

UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of United Arab Emirates is visiting India as the Chief Guest for the 2017-Republic Day celebrations from 24-26 January 2017.

This is the second visit of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi to India since February 2016. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to UAE in August 2015, the two countries have agreed to elevate the mutually beneficial relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

India and UAE enjoy close and multi-faceted relations underpinned by cultural, religious and economic linkages. The two countries have been amongst each other’s top trading partners with a well-balanced bilateral trade of about US$ 50 billion in 2015-16.

UAE is among the top investors in India in terms of foreign direct investments. It contributes significantly to India’s energy security and is the fifth largest supplier of crude oil to India in 2015-16.

About 2.6 million strong and vibrant Indian community forms the largest expatriate group in UAE and their contribution in the development of their host country has been an important factor in bilateral relations.

Budget Panel Submits Report on Expenditure Management

The Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Committee headed by Mr. N.K. Singh presented its Report on Monday to Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

Mr. N.K. Singh, former Revenue and Expenditure Secretary and former Member of Parliament presented the Report to Mr Jaitley in his office in North Block in New Delhi.

The panel was constituted in May 2016 to review the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act under Mr. N.K. Singh and it consisted of Dr. Urjit R. Patel, Governor, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Mr Sumit Bose, former Finance Secretary, Dr. Arvind Subramanian, Chief Economic Adviser and Dr. Rathin Roy, Director, National Institute of Public Finance & Policy (NIPFP) as members.

The Committee had wide ranging Terms of Reference (ToR) to comprehensively review the existing FRBM Act in the light of contemporary changes, past outcomes, global economic developments, best international practices and to recommend the future fiscal framework and roadmap for the country.

Subsequently, the Terms of Reference were enlarged to seek the Committee’s views on certain recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission and the Expenditure Management Commission, related to strengthening the institutional framework on fiscal matters as well as certain issues connected with new capital expenditures in the budget.

The Committee held extensive consultations with a wide range of stakeholders. It also received inputs from eminent national and international organisations and domain experts. The Committee also held interactions with various Ministries of Government of India as well as with the State Governments.

The Government will examine the Report and take appropriate action, which may form part of the budget this year or the next.

PM Presents National Bravery Awards to 25 Children

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday presented the National Bravery Awards to 25 children saying their deeds of bravery show their decisiveness as much as their courage.

He encouraged the children to ensure that this award does not become the end of their life’s purpose, and added that this award should only mark the beginning for them.

Reminding the children about the significance of the day – 23rd January, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary – the Prime Minister urged the children to read as much as possible, and especially read biographies of leaders, sportspersons and other people who have done great deeds in their lives.

He said that bravery is a state of mind; a healthy body helps, but the prime moving force is the mind. Therefore, he added, we need to make the mind strong. He urged the children to ensure that the adulation and fame that they are getting, should not become an obstacle to their future progress.

The Minister for Women and Child Development, Mrs Maneka Gandhi, was present on the occasion.

The National Bravery Award Scheme was initiated by the ICCW – Indian Council for Child Welfare – to give due recognition to the children who distinguish themselves by performing outstanding deeds of bravery and meritorious service and to inspire other children to emulate their examples.

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

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

 

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

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

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.”

Sushma Swaraj Twitter Seva to Help Abducted Indian in Malaysia

Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, known for her Twitter-based interaction with Indians abroad who require help, has responded to a Twitter message from an NRI in Malaysia who had sought help.

Yogendra singh, an Indian national had asked for her help through twitter saying that his father was abducted in Malaysia for ransom on January 17.

Soon Sushma Swaraj responded saying the Malaysian mission is following it up with the local police authorities: “I have received a report from our Commissioner in Malaysia. He is following this with Malaysian authorities/ police.”

She said, “I share your concern. Our High Commissioner in Malaysia is in touch with the Police. He will keep you informed.”

She also said, “We are taking this abduction very seriously. I have asked Indian High Commissioner in Malaysia to keep me informed on daily basis.”

Earlier, Sushma Swaraj helped a couple on honeymoon when the groom was facing delay in getting a passport and visa to the Gulf. Last month, the Ministry of External Affairs kickstarted Twitter seva to help people who are in distress when abroad.

In another response to twitter-based queries, she has asked the citizens stranded abroad to register on MADA and then tweet to respoective Indian missions.

“In case you are stranded abroad, pl register on and give MADAD ID no.and details of agent to  .”

IORA Special Fund for Indian Ocean Rim Countries Set up

Indian ministry for MSME finalised MoU on MSME Cooperation with Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) member countries that will be effective once signed by 5 countries. The MoU finalized would be signed soon at an appropriate forum, said a statement.

The focus areas of the Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) include finalising linkages and alliances amongst MSMEs organizations, associations and various institutions engaged in MSME development in their countries, exchange best practices, policies and programs for MSME development, exchange greater involvement of MSMEs in the global supply chain, increase their market access, promote youth and women’s economic empowerment and encourage synergies with the IORA forum.

IORA Secretariat at Mauritius will be the coordinating agency for the implementation of the MoU and the IORA special fund created for the member countries will be used for it.

A Workshop on MSME Cooperation amongst IORA member countries was organized by India in the Economic Business Conference – II (EBC- II) held in Dubai in April, 2016, where 29 representatives from 14 member countries — Mozambique, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Comoros, Kenya, Seychelles, Malaysia, Mauritius, Singapore, Australia, UAE and Yemen participated.

The MoU for MSME Cooperation amongst Indian Ocean Rim Association member countries will provide an appropriate platform to IORA MSMEs to explore trade and investment opportunities, enhance market access, promote access to finance, promote innovation as a key competitive advantage for MSME, build capacity in management and entrepreneurship.

MSMEs constitute more than 90% of all business enterprises in the world and provide nearly 70% of global employment. The overwhelming majority of MSMEs in the developing world are micro-enterprises with fewer than 10 employees. India has more than 48 million MSMEs, which contribute more than 45% of India’s industrial output, 40% of the country’s total exports and create 1.3 million jobs every year.

India has already signed Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) with 18 countries for cooperation in MSME sector. The National Small Industries Corporation of India, Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of MSME has 34 MoUs with its counterpart organizations of foreign countries for cooperation in MSME sector.

Haj 2017: Meningitis Vaccination Made Compulsory for All

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health has announced that vaccination against meningitis is mandatory for all Haj pilgrims in 2017 and it said a flu shot was also recommended, besides the usual quarantine requirements based on the country of origin.

“Meningitis vaccination should be taken at least 10 days before pilgrims arrive into the holy cities,” Health Ministry spokesman Khaled Mirghalani told Arab News and added that it is valid for a period of three years.

Meningitis, a serious condition affecting the neck may spread during Haj because of pilgrims coming from endemic countries and the vaccination is fiven to adults and children aged two and above but not pregnant women.

The ministry’s national scientific committee will act as the command center for the pilgrims to monitor their vaccinations and health condition during the pilgrimage. Apart from meningitis, other diseases, such as Ebola, coronavirus, yellow fever, polio and vaccination against seasonal influenza virus would be implemented strictly this year, he said.

Yellow fever-endemic countries are identified as Angola, Benin, Sudan, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic (CAR), Cameroon, Burundi, Chad, Uganda, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Togo, Kenya, Liberia, Sao Tomé and Principe, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Mali, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Brazil, Bolivia, Suriname, Peru, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina and Paraguay. Visa application for Haj will have to be accompanied by a vaccination form against fever in these countries.

An oral dose of polio is also compulsory for pilgrims coming from Uganda, Kenya, Benin, Angola, Togo, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, CAR, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ethiopia for all ages.

In addition, the flu vaccine is strongly advised though it is not made mandatory. Those with chronic ailments, such as diabetes, hypertension and renal diseases, have been advised to take the flu vaccine, which will help them to perform Haj and Umrah rituals more efficiently. The minister also advised pilgrims to pack food items in tightly sealed containers.

Raisina Dialogue 2017 Concludes

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”.

India, Vietnam Sign MoU for Cyber Security Cooperation

The Indian Cabinet has given ex-post facto approval to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Vietnam in the field of Cyber Security that was signed between Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) and the Cyber Security Department, Ministry of Public Security, Vietnam on 3rd September 2016 at Hanoi.

The MoU intends to promote closer cooperation for exchange of knowledge and experience in detection, resolution and prevention of cyber security-related incidents between India and Vietnam.

“Implementation of the MoU will result in significant mutual benefits in the cyber security sector, through institutional and capacity-building in the field of cyber security in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,” said a statement.

India and Vietnam, both neighbours to China, have been facing several issues related to hacking of the websites and compromising with the loss of crucial intelligence data for over a decade. A cooperation between the two will entail building a safety network between the two countries which are making headway in terms of information technology.

Earlier, both India and Vietnma had signed an MoU on Cooperation in the field of IT, through institutional and capacity-building in the field of IT and Human Resource Development for a period of five years to be renewed with mutual written consent. A Joint Working Group on IT with representatives from both the countries was also set up.

ISRO to Explore Space With Japan Agency JAXA

The Indian Cabinet has been apprised of the MoU signed between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) for cooperation in the field of outer space exploration, which was signed on November 11, 2016 during PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Tokyo.

The MoU seeks to pursue future cooperation in outer space exploration activities and in pursuing space research activities in space science technology and applications including earth observation, satellite communication and navigation; exploration and space sciences; Research and development of space systems and space technology; and Space industry promotion.

ISRO and JAXA will bear the costs of their respective activities under this Memorandum, unless they decide otherwise in writing. Ability to fulfil their respective roles and activities under this Memorandum and its relevant separate Implementation Arrangement is subject to their respective funding procedures, the availability of appropriated funds and their respective national laws.

India and Japan have been cooperating in the field of space research for over 5 decades and carried out several studies in the field of atmospheric study, observation of universe and scientific investigation in remote sensing.

The formation of JAXA by Japan in 2003 opened up gates for joint studies and potential future cooperation in the field of outer space under a pact signed in October 2005 between ISRO and JAXA. Subsequent pacts addressing lunar exploration, satellite navigation, X-ray astronomy and Asia Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF) were also signed.

During the ISRO-JAXA bilateral meeting held at New Delhi on April 05, 2016, both sides prepared the draft of a new ‘Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ISRO and JAXA concerning cooperation in the field of outer space that was signed on November 11, 2016 at Tokyo during the visit of Prime Minister of India to Japan.