♦ Union Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav inaugurated the World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) 2025 in New Delhi on 5 March 2025.
♦ The summit themed Partnerships for Accelerating Sustainable Development and Climate Solutions was Organised by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).
♦ The event was attended by distinguished dignitaries, including Prime Minister of Guyana, Brigadier Mark Phillip, and Brazil’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva, were present at the event.
♦ Union Minister Yadav noted that in 2020, India successfully reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 7.93%, demonstrating its unwavering commitment to combating climate change. He also outlined India’s long-term vision of becoming a Viksit Bharat (developed nation) by 2047, with a target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070.
♦ India has already made significant progress, reducing its emission intensity of GDP by 36% between 2005 and 2020.
Posted Date: March 5, 2025Meetings
♦ The 33rd meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) took place in Beijing.
♦ The Indian delegation was led by Gourangalal Das, Joint Secretary for East Asia, while the Chinese delegation was headed by Hong Liang, Director General of the Boundary & Oceanic Affairs Department at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
♦ sides focused on reviewing the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the India-China border areas.
♦ The delegations also discussed the resumption of cross-border cooperation, particularly regarding trans-border rivers and the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra, underlining the importance of strengthening people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.
Posted Date: March 26, 2025♦ The Indian government and IBM are exploring opportunities to collaborate on quantum computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and geospatial AI solutions, the Ministry of Science and Technology announced on 25 March 2025.
♦ IBM’s Global Head, Arvind Krishna, met Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh to discuss how the two sides can work together in these advanced technology fields.
♦ The meeting took place as India pushes forward with its National Quantum Mission, an initiative aimed at making the country a global leader in quantum technology.
♦ Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Jitin Prasada, held a bilateral meeting with Malaysian Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry, Liew Chin Tong in Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi on 18 March 2025.
♦ It aims to explore ways to strengthen trade relations and review progress on the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA).
♦ Both leaders agreed to accelerate the review of AITIGA, aiming for a substantial conclusion by 2025. Malaysia is one of the ten-member countries of ASEAN and will chair the group in 2025.
♦ Discussions also covered bilateral trade issues, enhancing market access, boosting collaboration in the semiconductor industry, and expanding cooperation in the services sector.
♦ Malaysia is India’s third-largest trading partner in ASEAN, with total trade valued at USD 20.02 billion in 2023-24, accounting for approximately 17% of India’s total trade with ASEAN.
Posted Date: March 18, 2025♦ Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a meeting with his Netherlands counterpart, Ruben Brekelmans, in Delhi on 18 March 2025.
♦ The two leaders discussed enhancing bilateral cooperation in areas such as defence, security, information exchange, the Indo-Pacific, and new and emerging technologies.
♦ Brekelmans is visiting India to attend the Raisina Dialogue, which is currently underway in New Delhi from March 17.
♦ The Raisina Dialogue 2025 is being hosted by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Observer Research Foundation (ORF). It is India’s premier conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics, aimed at addressing the most challenging issues facing the global community.
♦ Nearly 3,700 attendees, including over 800 speakers and delegates from around 130 countries worldwide, are attending the Raisina Dialogue.
♦ The theme of this year’s (2025) Raisina Dialogue is “Kalachakra: People, Peace, Planet.”
Posted Date: March 18, 2025♦ Prime Minister of New Zealand, Christopher Luxon met PM Narendra Modi at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi on 17 March 2025.
♦ India and New Zealand have signed five agreements in the fields of Defence, Education, Sports, Horticulture, and Forestry.
♦ Both sides also exchanged the Authorized Economic Operator Mutual Recognition Agreement.
♦ Two countries announced the launch of negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement and negotiations on an arrangement facilitating the mobility of professionals and skilled workers.
♦ New Zealand has joined the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative and has become a member of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.
♦ The bilateral trade between India and New Zealand stood at $873.4 million in 2023-24 financial year compared to $1.02 billion in 2022-23.
♦ Luxon arrived in New Delhi on March 16 for a five-day official visit to India.
Posted Date: March 17, 2025♦ The fourth conference of global intelligence and security chiefs was held in New Delhi on 16 March 2025.
♦ This was hosted by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. Around 20 countries were represented at the conference, including the U.S., Canada, Australia, and Russia.
♦ U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard attended the meeting and also held talks with Doval.
♦ The chiefs of the Five Eyes countries, comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the U.S., were all present, though it was not clear if a separate meeting of the Five Eyes chiefs with Mr. Doval was in the offing.
♦ The conference was held for the first time in April 2022 a day before the start of the Raisina Dialogue, India’s flagship conference on “geopolitics and geo-strategy”, organised by the Ministry of External Affairs in collaboration with the Observer Research Foundation (ORF).
Posted Date: March 16, 2025♦ India and New Zealand have announced the launch of negotiations for a comprehensive and mutually beneficial Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations.
♦ This significant step was marked by a meeting between Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and Minister for Trade and Investment of New Zealand Todd McClay in New Delhi on 16 March 2025.
♦ The FTA negotiations aim to unlock new avenues for businesses and consumers, fostering mutual growth and prosperity of India and New Zealand.
♦ The negotiations are aimed at achieving balanced outcomes that enhance supply chain integration and improve market access.
Posted Date: March 16, 2025♦ The 43rd All India Police Equestrian Championship (AIPEC) and Mounted Police Duty Meet 2024-25 was commenced at the Basic Training Centre, Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) campus, Bhanu, Haryana.
♦ The event was inaugurated by Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav as the Chief Guest.
♦ The event brought together elite riders from 19 states and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).
♦ A total of 588 male and female riders competing in ranking, individual, team, and mixed events. The finale is scheduled to be held on March 23.
♦ With a 74-year legacy, the All India Police Games, organised under the All India Police Sports Control Board (AIPSCB), were first held in 1951.
Posted Date: March 15, 2025♦ The 27th ASEAN-India Senior Officials’ Meeting (AISOM) took place in Manila, co-chaired by Jaideep Mazumdar, Secretary (East), Government of India, and H.E. MA.
♦ Theresa P. Lazaro, Philippine SOM Leader from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
♦ The Philippines currently serves as the Country Coordinator for ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations.
♦ Senior officials from all ASEAN Member States, Timor Leste as an Observer, and the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN were in attendance.
♦ The meeting reviewed the progress on key decisions from recent ASEAN-India Summits and the ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (PMC+1), focusing on the three main pillars of ASEAN-India engagement: political-security, economic, and socio-cultural cooperation.
Posted Date: March 13, 2025♦ Prime Minister Narendra Modi held discussions with Princess Astrid of Belgium in New Delhi on 4 March 2025.
♦ The discussions covered a broad spectrum of areas, including trade, investment, technology, defence, innovation, clean energy, infrastructure, agriculture, skilling, academic exchanges, and cultural cooperation.
♦ Both sides explored opportunities for expanding collaboration in emerging sectors, aiming to enhance economic resilience and foster innovation-driven growth.
♦ Princess Astrid is leading a high-level Belgian Economic Mission during her visit to India, which runs from March 1 to 8.
Posted Date: March 4, 2025♦ The fourth India-Vietnam Policy Planning Dialogue took place in New Delhi on 4 March 2025.
♦ The meeting was co-chaired by Raghuram S, Joint Secretary (Policy Planning and Research), MEA, and Le Dinh Tinh, Director General of the Policy Planning Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Vietnam. Discussions covered a broad range of geopolitical issues.
♦ The dialogue provided an opportunity for both sides to exchange views on regional and global matters, including developments in the Indo-Pacific region, the functioning of multilateral institutions, and priorities of the Global South.
Posted Date: March 4, 2025♦ India and Nepal signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in New Delhi to enhance cooperation in the Water Sanitation, Hygiene sector, and waste management on 3 March 2025. The primary agenda of the agreement is to promote collaboration between the two nations and strengthen intergovernmental cooperation in the WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) sector, ensuring better access to clean drinking water and sanitation for their populations.
♦ Speaking at the event, Minister of Jal Shakti, C.R. Patil, emphasized that the MoU reflects the shared commitment of both countries towards public health, sustainability, and regional cooperation.
Posted Date: March 3, 2025♦ Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a meeting with Princess Astrid of Belgium and the Defence Minister Theo Francken in New Delhi on 3 MArch 2025. They discussed the possibility of defence engagements in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in maritime domain. They also discussed ways and means to enhance defence industrial cooperation between the two countries.
♦ Both countries agreed to explore an institutionalised defence cooperation mechanism.
♦ Princess Astrid is leading the Belgian delegation to India from March 1-8 to strengthen trade and diplomatic ties. The delegation includes representatives from 36 Brussels-based companies, with a focus on key industries like pharmaceuticals, logistics, aerospace, and renewable energy.
