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♦ Indian Coast Guard (ICG) conducted the second bilateral meeting with Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on 9 December 2024, at ICG HQs, New Delhi as part of the ongoing cooperation framework established under the MoU signed between the two Coast Guards. The meeting focused on enhancing collaboration in key areas such as Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR), Maritime Law Enforcement, Marine Pollution Response, and Capacity Building.
♦ The discussions were led by ICG Deputy Director General (Operations & Coastal Security) Inspector General Anupam Rai and PCG Deputy Commandant for Administration Rear Admiral Edgar L Ybanez.
♦ The MoU signed in August 2023 underscores the shared vision of the ICG and PCG in ensuring a secure and pollution-free maritime environment in the Indo-Pacific region. This bilateral meeting further solidifies the professional relationship between the two Coast Guards, contributing to regional stability and enhancing cooperation in addressing maritime challenges.
Posted Date: December 9, 2024Meetings
♦ The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification’s sixteenth Conference of Parties (COP16) started in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on 2 December 2024.
♦ This marks the first time West Asia has hosted this crucial environmental conference. India will join representatives from 197 nations at this milestone event, which coincides with UNCCD’s 30th anniversary.
♦ India’s delegation, led by Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini participated in the opening day.
♦ COP16 is conducted under the theme 'Our Land.. Our Future'. It will be concluded on December 13.
Posted Date: December 2, 2024Meetings
♦ India and Japan inaugurated their first-ever Dialogue on Economic Security in Tokyo on 27 November 2024, focusing on bolstering industrial and technological resilience.
♦ The dialogue included discussions on strategic trade and technology, with senior officials and experts from both nations in attendance.
♦ The meeting was co-chaired by India’s Foreign Secretary, Vikram Misri, and Japan’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Masataka Okano, along with representatives from key ministries and agencies.
♦ The dialogue was initially announced during the India-Japan 2+2 Ministerial meeting in New Delhi on August 20, 2024.
Posted Date: November 27, 2024Meetings
♦ External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar addressed the 8th India Ideas Conclave 2024 in Bengaluru on 23 November 2024.
♦ The event was organised by the India Foundation with the theme ‘building Brand Bharat'.
♦ Jaishankar said this last decade has seen a big shift and India is perceived as much easier to do business with now.
♦ He added that Make In India has moved from being an aspiration to an assertion.
♦ He highlighted that the world truly stands up and takes notice when India talks about the magnitude of its socio economic schemes, or the volumes of digital transactions.
Posted Date: November 23, 2024Meetings
♦ The 22nd meeting of the India-Russia Working Group on Military technical cooperation and defence industry was held in New Delhi on 22 November 2024.
♦ The meeting was co-chaired by Sanjeev Kumar, Secretary, Defence Production, Ministry of Defence and A Boytsov, First Deputy Director of the Federal Service for Military Technical Cooperation of Russia.
♦ Defence cooperation has been a cornerstone of the India-Russia strategic partnership, guided by the Agreement on the Programme for Military-Technical Cooperation.
♦ The Agreement for the period 2021-2031 was signed during the inaugural meeting of the India-Russia 2+2 Dialogue in Delhi on December 6, 2021.
♦ The two sides also have periodic exchanges of armed forces personnel and military exercises.
♦ The India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC), set up in 2000, is at the apex of this structure.
Posted Date: November 22, 2024Meetings
♦ Defence Minister Rajnath Singh participated in the 11th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) forum at Vientiane, Lao PDR on 21 November 2024.
♦ He said, India stands for freedom of navigation & overflight, unimpeded lawful commerce and adherence to international law for peace & prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.
♦ India has always advocated and practised dialogue for resolving complex international issues, said Rajnath Singh.
♦ The 11th ADMM-Plus forum consisted of 10 ASEAN countries, eight Plus countries, and Timor Leste. The meeting was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of Laos General Chansamone Chanyalath.
Posted Date: November 21, 2024Meetings
♦ Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Anil Chauhan chaired the 35th Triservices Commanders’ Conference (TSTCC) at Southern Naval Command, Kochi on 13 November 2024.
♦ TSTCC is conducted annually by the Training Commands of all the three Services in rotation with the aim of enhancing collaboration and training effectiveness while exchanging best practices in training.
♦ The conference also provides a forum to bring together Staff Officers of the Training Commands of the Services on a common platform based on jointmanship and cohesion while forging collaborative training efforts and strategies to achieve combat effectiveness and enhanced operational capabilities.
Posted Date: November 13, 2024Meetings
♦ The annual U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP29) kicked off in Baku, Azerbaijan on 11 November 2024.
♦ The annual summit, which is held in a different location every year, brings together world leaders and thousands of other representatives of nations that are party to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change.
♦ COP29 will be held until 22 November.
♦ The United States joined the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, an international treaty, in 1992 and has attended its conferences known as COP, for "Conference of Parties".
♦ The COP28 was held in Dubai in 2023.
Posted Date: November 11, 2024Meetings
♦ Indian Railways signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport and Communications of the Swiss Confederation to enhance technical cooperation between the two nations. The MoU renewed and formalized through video-conferencing, received approval from the Ministry of Railways and the Ministry of External Affairs.
♦ This MoU will provide comprehensive framework for collaboration to the Indian Railways in various areas, including technology sharing, track maintenance, management and construction. This MoU is also aligning with our government's commitment to modernizing Indian Railways.
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♦ Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Shillong has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) to foster entrepreneurship in the North-East on 25 October 2024.
♦ The partnership introduces the Skill to Enterprise Model (STEM) Programme, which will equip aspiring entrepreneurs with the necessary skills, knowledge, and mentorship to build sustainable businesses.
♦ The initiative will offer an 18-month entrepreneurship training programme for 30 selected participants, combining classroom learning, hands-on experience, and incubation support.
Posted Date: October 26, 2024Meetings
♦ Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was co-chair the seventh Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC) at Hyderabad House on 25 October 2024.
♦ Both leaders discussed expanding collaboration in key areas such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and clean energy.
♦ The two countries signed several treaties, agreements and documents including on Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) in Criminal Matters, Agreement on the Exchange and Mutual Protection of Classified Information, Indo-German Green Hydrogen Road Map, Road Map on Innovation and Technology, and Joint Declaration of Intent for Joint Cooperation in Research and Development on Advanced Materials.
♦ The IGC is a biannual exercise. The last IGC was held in Berlin in May 2022.
Posted Date: October 26, 2024Meetings
♦ The 16th BRICS Summit was held under the chairmanship of Russia in Kazan on 22 October 2024. "Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security" is the theme for the 2024 summit.
♦ The summit is scheduled from October 22 to 24, 2024.
♦ BRICS initially formed as BRIC the group was founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China. South Africa joined in 2010, leading to the current name, BRICS.
♦ In 2024, the group grew by adding five new members: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Posted Date: October 23, 2024Meetings
♦ Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan met with Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on 21 October 2024 to explore ways to enhance cooperation in school education, vocational training, and research.
♦ The talks focused on strengthening the partnership through three key pillars - "Talent, Resource and Market".
♦ Dharmendra Pradhan visit to Singapore, followed by a trip to Australia, from October 20 to 26, 2024, aims to foster collaboration, participation and synergy in critical areas of mutual interest in education.
Posted Date: October 22, 2024Meetings
♦ Bhutan’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister, Lyonpo Gem Tshering met with Power Minister Manohar Lal in New Delhi on 18 October 2024.
♦ The meeting focused on strengthening the longstanding cooperation between the two nations in the hydropower sector. Both sides discussed enhancing their collaboration to further boost energy production from the Puna-1 Hydroelectric Power (HEP) Project.
♦ India and Bhutan share a robust partnership in the hydropower sector, with several key projects contributing significantly to Bhutan’s economy and providing renewable energy to India.
Posted Date: October 19, 2024Meetings
♦ President Droupadi Murmu held bilateral meeting with Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera in Lilongwe on 18 October 2024. India and Malawi had signed 4 important MoUs for cooperation in the fields of sports, youth matters, pharmaceuticals, and art and culture.
♦ As a goodwill gesture, India is giving 1000 metric tonnes of rice and Bhabhatron cancer treatment machines to Malawi. President Droupadi Murmu had also announced to open a permanent artificial limb replacement centre in Malawi.
Posted Date: October 19, 2024Meetings
♦ The Indian Navy has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Company to provide a diverse range of insurance products, including term insurance, to Naval Civilians at competitive premiums. This initiative is part of the Indian Navy’s “Year of Naval Civilians,” aimed at promoting welfare and inclusivity.
♦ The insurance can be availed by Naval Civilians on a voluntary basis. This will help in providing instant financial relief in case of the death of the incumbent or any other eventuality as covered under insurance policy.
Posted Date: October 10, 2024Meetings
♦ Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the 21st ASEAN-India Summit in Laos on 10 October 2024. There he announced a 10-point plan to strengthen India-ASEAN comprehensive partnership and asserted that ties with the regional grouping were critical to guiding Asia’s future.
♦ Modi noted that India-ASEAN trade had doubled to over USD 130 billion in the past decade and announced a review of the trade in goods agreement to harness the greater economic potential of the partnership.
♦ The Prime Minister said India was commemorating the 10th anniversary of its Act East Policy, which has given new energy, direction and momentum to the historic relationship between India and the ASEAN nations.
♦ The 10 member countries of ASEAN are Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia.
Posted Date: October 10, 2024Meetings
♦ The 12th Meeting of the India-UAE High Level Joint Task Force on Investments (HLJTFI) took place in Mumbai. The HLJTFI was established in 2013 to promote trade, investment and economic ties between India and the UAE.
♦ On this occation, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has informed that the Indian and UAE governments are working on interlinking of UPI of India and the AANI of UAE. It will facilitate seamless cross-border transactions between two countries. This will benefit over 3 million Indians residing in the UAE enabling them to use the power of UPI and AANI. He also informed that UAE has agreed to set up food parks in India and around 2 billion dollar investment is expected in these food parks in 2-2.5 years.
♦ On trade relations following the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), Goyal said that total trade between India and the UAE had reached $84 billion in the 2023-24 period. Significantly, the trade deficit had been reduced from $22 billion to $12 billion. In the first half of 2024, non-oil trade between the two nations grew by 9.8%, amounting to $28.2 billion.
♦ The UAE became India’s fourth-largest foreign investor in 2023, with $3.35 billion committed across various sectors, marking a threefold increase from 2022. Indian FDI in the UAE also saw a significant rise, totaling $2.05 billion in 2023—more than the combined total of 2021 and 2022.
Posted Date: October 8, 2024Meetings
♦ Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House on 7 October 2024 to discuss deepening the bilateral relationship between the two nations.
♦ India signed a major currency swap agreement with the Maldives for $750 million to help the island nation tide over its current foreign currency crunch.
♦ The swap arrangement for $400 million and an additional Rs.3,000 crore ($357 million), signed between the Reserve Bank of India and the Maldives Monetary Authority under the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Currency Swap Framework, will be available until 2027. It enables payments between the two countries to be made in different currencies.
♦ Among the agreements signed are for the launch of the RuPay card in the Maldives and handover of 700 houses built with assistance by India.
♦ Memorandums of understanding were inked between the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Anti-Corruption Commission of the Maldives and between policing institutes and judicial training institutes; and also for cooperation in sports and youth affairs.
Posted Date: October 7, 2024Meetings
♦ India and Jamaica exchanged four Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the fields of Digital Public Infrastructure, Cultural Exchange and Sports. These MoUs were exchanged after delegation-level talks held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his visiting Jamaican counterpart Dr Andrew Holness in New Delhi on 1 October 2024.
♦ Holness is the first Jamaican premier to visit India.
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♦ The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) signed an MoU with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA) of Brazil on the sidelines of Global Food Regulators Summit, 2024, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi on 21 September 2024. The MoU aimed at improving food safety through joint projects and technical collaboration. It was signed by Mr. Carlos Henrique Baqueta Fávaro, Agriculture and Livestock Minister, Brazil and counter signed by Shri G. Kamala Vardhana Rao, CEO of FSSAI.
Posted Date: September 21, 2024Meetings
♦ The Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD) and the Food Corporation of India (FCI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for FY 2024-25, to enhance the efficiency and accountability of food grain procurement and distribution on 13 September 2024.
♦ The MoU is an initiative which reflects Centre Government's commitment to refine the Public Distribution System (PDS) and to ensure that food subsidy funds are managed with the highest level of efficiency by way of overall enhancement in the performance of FCI operations and its depots.
♦ FCI was set up in 1965 under an Act of Parliament called the Food Corporations Act, 1964 with the primary duty to undertake the purchase, storage, movement/ transport, distribution and sale of foodgrains.
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♦ The Indian Air Force and Army signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV) on 9 September 2024. The agreement, inked in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, aims to improve the logistics expertise of military personnel.
♦ Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, India’s first university dedicated to transportation and logistics, offers a unique educational model combining applied education, training, and research through experiential learning and close industry collaboration.
Posted Date: September 9, 2024Meetings
♦ Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, HH Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in New Delhi on 9 September 2024. On this occasion, India and the United Arab Emirates on Monday inked four major pacts that will facilitate crude oil storage, long-term supply of LNG and cooperation in the civil nuclear energy sector.
The MoUs are..
♦ An agreement for the long-term supply of one million metric tonnes of LNG (liquefied natural gas) per annum to the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and another between ADNOC and India Strategic Petroleum Reserve Ltd (ISPRL).
♦ Emirates Nuclear Energy Company (ENEC) and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) also inked a pact that is expected to enhance cooperation in the operation and maintenance of nuclear power plants, the sourcing of nuclear goods and services from India.
♦ The production concession agreement for Abu Dhabi onshore block-one between Urja Bharat and ADNOC.
♦ A separate pact was inked between the Gujarat government and the Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company PJSC on setting up food parks in India.
Posted Date: September 9, 2024Meetings
♦ The 5th Defence Cooperation Dialogue between India and the Maldives took place in New Delhi. The Indian delegation was led by Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane, while the Maldivian delegation was headed by Chief of Defence Force, Maldives National Defence Force General lbrahim Hilmy. The meeting provided both sides with an opportunity to discuss the matters related to bilateral defence cooperation.
Posted Date: September 7, 2024Meetings
♦ India and Saudi Arabia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Riyadh on 3 September 2024. The agreement was signed by Girish Chandra Murmu, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, and Dr. Hussam Al-Angari, President of the Saudi General Court of Audit.
♦ The MoU aims to foster collaboration and facilitate the exchange of expertise between the two nations in the realm of public sector auditing. Key areas of cooperation include conducting joint training programs on financial, performance, and compliance audits, as well as exchanging audit manuals and methodologies.
Posted Date: September 3, 2024Meetings
♦ The Second Meeting of the Joint Russian - Indian Commission on the Cooperation in the Field of Emergency Management was held in Moscow, Russia on 28 August 2024. The working plan of the Joint Russian- Indian Commission on the Cooperation in the Field of Emergency Management for 2025-2026 was signed by Shri Nityanand Rai, Minister of State for Home Affairs, India and Mr. Kurenkov Aleksandr Vyacheslavovich, Minister of the Russian Federation for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters (EMERCOM of Russia).
♦ Both the countries agreed to implement this Plan during 2025-2026 and also decided to continue exchange of the best practices and lesson learnt in the field of Disaster Management.
♦ The first meeting of the Indo-Russian Joint Commission on the Cooperation in the Field of Emergency Management was held in New Delhi in 2016.
Meetings
♦ Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ramnath Thakur met Chile’s Agriculture Minister Esteban Valenzuela and his delegation for a high-level bilateral meeting in New Delhi on 27 August 2024. The meeting concentrated on key areas of mutual interest and collaboration, including the implementation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Agricultural Cooperation, the Horticulture Action Plan, and the e-certification of phytosanitary certificates.
♦ The discussions also addressed agricultural challenges in both Chile and India and explored opportunities to boost agricultural trade between the two countries.
Meetings
♦ The second India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) was held in Singapore on 26 August 2024. During the meeting, the leaders of India and Singapore deliberated upon six pillars identified under ISMR, which include digitalisation, skill development, sustainability, healthcare and medicine, and advanced manufacturing and connectivity.
♦ Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, Railways, Information and Broadcasting, Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal attended the meeting. The delegation from Singapore was led by Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore Gan Kim Yong.
♦ The India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) was established to chart a roadmap to take bilateral relations to a new level. The inaugural meeting of ISMR took place in September 2022 in New Delhi. The focus areas include digital connectivity, Fintech, Green Economy, Green Hydrogen, Skill Development and Food Security.
Meetings
♦ Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have formalized several agreements during Modi’s visit to Kyiv on 23 August 2024. This agreements focusing on agriculture, medical products regulation, and cultural cooperation.
♦ The agreements include a cooperation framework in agriculture and the food industry. This agreement aims to foster collaboration in information exchange, joint scientific research, and agricultural research, alongside the formation of joint working groups.
♦ In the field of medical products regulation, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation of India and the State Service of Ukraine on Medicines and Drugs Control signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This MoU outlines plans for collaboration on improving the safety and quality of medical products through information exchange, capacity building, workshops, training, and mutual visits.
♦ Another MoU establishes the framework for Indian humanitarian grant assistance to support high-impact community development projects in Ukraine. These projects will be carried out in partnership with the Ukrainian government, aimed at benefiting the local population.
Meetings
♦ The 14th meeting of the India-Australia Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism was held in New Delhi on 13 August 2024. Joint Secretary for Counter-Terrorism at the Ministry of External Affairs K.D. Dewal and Ambassador for Counter-Terrorism at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia Richard Feakes led their respective delegations.
♦ During the meeting, discussions were held about global counter-terrorism challenges and the ongoing counter-terrorism cooperation between the two countries.
♦ The two sides agreed to hold the 15th Meeting of JWG on counterterrorism in Canberra.
Posted Date: August 13, 2024Meetings
♦ India and the Maldives have renewed their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to bolster the training of Maldivian civil servants. External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer finalized the renewed agreement in Malé.
♦ The renewed MoU, spanning from 2024 to 2029, will facilitate the training of an additional 1,000 civil service officers from the Maldives. This initiative builds on a previous agreement established on June 8, 2019, under which the National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) of India trained 1,000 Maldivian civil servants, including high-level officials, across 32 capacity-building programs.
Posted Date: August 12, 2024Meetings
♦ Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh in New Delhi on 1 August 2024. On this occasion, India and Vietnam signed nine agreements to deepen comprehensive strategic partnership and enhance cooperation in the fields of customs, agriculture, legal, radio and television broadcast, culture and tourism.
♦ Also, they agreed to intensify and strengthen the bilateral dialogue in various domains, including the Joint Commission for Economic, Trade, Scientific and Technological Cooperation for mutual benefit.
♦ Pham Minh Chinh was on a three-day state visit to India from July 30 to August 1.
Posted Date: August 2, 2024Meetings
♦ UK Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs David Lammy met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 24 July 2024. The leaders affirmed their commitment to elevating ties, with particular emphasis on the bilateral Technology Security Initiative and the desire to conclude a mutually beneficial Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
♦ Earlier, Lammy also met with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, further underlining the importance of this diplomatic mission. This diplomatic engagement comes at a crucial time as both countries seek to strengthen economic ties and cooperation on global issues. The push for an FTA is seen as a key component of this renewed partnership, with both sides expressing optimism about its potential to drive growth and mutual prosperity.
Posted Date: July 25, 2024Meetings
♦ Azerbaijan, the host of 2024 UN climate talks has announced the creation of a Climate Finance Action Fund (CFAF). This fund will be raised from fossil fuel producing countries and companies in order to support green projects in developing countries as well as to help member nations keep within reach the 1.5 degree C temperature target.
♦ COP29 is set to be held in Baku between November 11 and 22 this year (2024).
Posted Date: July 24, 2024Meetings
♦ Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 46th Session of the World Heritage Committee at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on 21 July 2024. India is hosting the World Heritage Committee Meeting for the first time. The World Heritage Committee meets annually and is responsible for managing all matters on World Heritage and deciding on sites to be inscribed on the World Heritage list. This session is scheduled from 21st to 31st July 2024.
♦ During this session, they discussed nominations for new World Heritage sites, conservation reports for 124 existing sites, international assistance, and the use of World Heritage Funds.
Posted Date: July 22, 2024Meetings
♦ Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has entered into a tie-up with IDFC First Bank Ltd under corporate agency arrangement.
♦This tie-up will facilitate more than 1 crore customers of IDFC First Bank to buy LIC policies online by visiting the bank’s website.
Posted Date: July 19, 2024Meetings
♦ Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen in Vienna on 10 July 2024. Modi's visit to Austria came after 40 long years when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi visited the nation in 1983.
♦ The two leaders discussed bilateral and global issues of mutual interest. They shared thoughts on environmental sustainability and combating global warming. In this regard, the two leaders discussed mutually beneficial collaboration opportunities in renewable energy, especially solar, hydro and biofuels.
Posted Date: July 10, 2024Meetings
♦ The 8th Deputy National Security Adviser (DNSA) level meeting of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) was hosted virtually by Mauritius on 10 July 2024. The existing members - India, Mauritius, Maldives and Sri Lanka welcomed Bangladesh as the fifth Member State of the CSC. Seychelles participated as an Observer State.
♦ The Colombo Security Conclave was established in 2020.
Posted Date: July 10, 2024Meetings
♦ Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin met for a formal dialogue and the 22nd Annual Bilateral Summit on 9 July 2024.
♦ During the summit, India and Russia inked nine MoUs/Agreements.
1. Program of India-Russia cooperation in trade, economic and investment spheres in the Russian Far East for the period from 2024 to 2029, as well as of cooperation principles in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation.
2. MoU between the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India and Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation on the issues of Climate change and low-carbon development.
3. MoU between Survey of India and the Federal Service for State Registration, Cadastre and Cartography, Russian Federation.
4. MoU between National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, India, and the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute on Cooperation in Research and Logistics in polar regions.
5. MoU on Cooperation and Collaboration on broadcasting between Prasar Bharati, India, and ANO "TV-Novosti” (Russia Today TV Channel), Russia.
6. MoU between Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India, and Federal State Budgetary Institution "Scientific Centre for Expert Evaluation of Medicinal Products” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation.
7. Cooperation Agreement between the Indian International Arbitration Centre and International Commercial Arbitration Court at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation.
8. Joint Investment Promotion Framework Agreement between Invest India and JSC "Management Company of Russian Direct Investment Fund”.
9. MoU between Trade Promotion Council of India and All Russia Public Organization "Business Russia”.
Posted Date: July 9, 2024Meetings
♦ The 12th edition of the Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC) meeting between India and UAE was held in Abu Dhabi on July 09, 2024. During the meeting, the two sides discussed a wide range of opportunities for collaboration to further strengthen defence and security cooperation between the two countries.
♦ The India-UAE JDCC was established in 2006. Since then, 11 rounds have been held. The 12th meeting provided an opportunity to further augment India’s defence and security relations with the UAE, strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.
Posted Date: July 9, 2024Meetings
♦ The 13th edition of India-Thailand joint military Exercise MAITREE was started on 1 July 2024 at Fort Vachiraprakan in Tak Province of Thailand. This will conclude on 15 July.
♦ The last edition of the MAITREE exercise was conducted at Umroi, Meghalaya in September 2019.
♦ MAITREE aims to foster Military Cooperation between India and Thailand. The Exercise will enhance combined capabilities in executing Joint Counter Insurgency and Terrorist Operations in Jungle and Urban Environments under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter. The Exercise will focus on a high degree of physical fitness, joint planning and joint tactical drills.
Posted Date: July 1, 2024Meetings
♦ Military College of Telecommunication Engineering (MCTE), Indian Army and Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering & Research (SAMEER), an autonomous R&D laboratory under the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance collaboration in ‘Next Generation Wireless Technologies for Indian Army’. The initiative is aligned with the Indian Army’s declared vision for 2024 as the ‘Year of Technological Absorption’. The collaboration aims to enhance national security and technological infrastructure.
Posted Date: June 24, 2024Meetings
♦ Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) and Mastercard India have signed MoU for collaboration in cyber security to enhance India’s cyber-resilience in the financial sector. Mastercard and CERT-In will hold training programs and workshops for cyber capacity building, latest market trends and best practices to enhance cyber security of financial sector organizations. The two entities will also share relevant cyber threat trends, technical information, threat intelligence, and vulnerability reports to strengthen the financial sector information security of India.
Posted Date: June 20, 2024Meetings
♦National Security Advisor Ajit Doval chaired the second meeting of the U.S.-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) with his United States counterpart Jake Sullivan in New Delhi on 17 June 2024.
♦They agreed on the next steps in their strategic technology partnership and pledged to remove long-standing barriers to strategic trade, while moving forward with key initiatives in defence, space and critical technologies.
♦The two countries also underscored the importance of adapting technology protection toolkits and resolved to prevent the leakage of sensitive and dual-use technologies to countries of concern.
Posted Date: June 17, 2024Meetings
♦ The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the State Bank of India (SBI) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to provide a digital payment service that can be used by Indian migrant workers to pay emigration-related fees without transaction charges.
♦ The SBI’s digital payment service will be available through a payment gateway called SBIePay to migrant workers, recruiting agents and other users of the eMigrate portal.
Posted Date: June 16, 2024Meetings
♦ India, South Korea, Japan, the US, and the European Union launched an alliance to put joint efforts to build a resilient supply chain in the biopharmaceutical sector. The announcement was made at the inaugural meeting of the Biopharmaceutical Alliance, held in San Diego, California, during the Bio International Convention 2024, the world’s largest biopharmaceutical exhibition.
♦The participants emphasised the importance of a reliable and sustainable supply chain and agreed to coordinate the respective countries’ bio policies, regulations, and research and development support measures.
Posted Date: June 8, 2024Meetings
♦ A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to facilitate collaboration between the two Ministries in operating a special cell of Tele MANAS. This is the National Telemental Health Helpline of MoHFW, as a pilot project for a period of two years at the Armed Forces Medical College in Pune. The special Tele-MANAS Cell was inaugurated on 1st December, 2023, at the Armed Forces Medical College in Pune by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan.
♦ Tele MANAS is the digital extension of the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP), offering comprehensive, integrated, and inclusive 24/7 tele-mental health services. The initiative provides a toll-free number, 14416, in each State and Union Territory (UT) for easy access to mental health support.
Posted Date: June 5, 2024Meetings
♦ The 12th Joint Working Group meeting between the Defence Ministries of India and Mongolia concluded in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on 17 May 2024.
♦ The meeting was co-chaired by the Ministry of Defence, Joint Secretary, Amitabh Prasad and his Mongolian counterpart Brigadier General Gankhuyag Davagdorj.
♦ India’s Ambassador to Mongolia Atul Malhari Gotsurve also attended the meeting. During the two day meet, both sides expressed satisfaction at the ongoing defence cooperation between the two countries.
Posted Date: May 17, 2024Meetings
The Tri-service Conference, ‘Parivartan Chintan’ was held in New Delhi on 08 April 2024. The conference takes place on the backdrop of the three services combining to set up integrated theatre commands, containing elements of the army, navy, and air force. The ‘Chintan’ was curated as a brainstorming and idea incubation discussion to generate new and fresh ideas, initiatives and reforms to further propel Jointness and Integration in the Armed Forces.
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National Security Advisor Ajit Doval led the Indian delegation at the Secretaries of the Security Councils of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member countries in Kazakhstan. There he highlighted the threat of terrorism and spoke on various ways to improve the security situation of the nations.
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Army Commanders’ Conference 2024 started in hybrid mode in New Delhi. This conference will be held in virtual mode on 28 March 2024 and in physical mode in New Delhi on April 1-2, 2024. The Army Commanders’ Conference serves as a pivotal forum for apex leadership of the Indian Army to brainstorm conceptual issues, review and assess the overall security situation. It also aimed at ensuring that Indian Army remains progressive, forward-looking, adaptive and future-ready.
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The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Dhanuka Agritech Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The objective of this agreement is to utilize the efficiency of both institutions to deliver new technology to the farmers. Under this, Dhanuka Agritech will provide training related to agricultural production to small farmers by associating with the central institutes, ATARIs and KVKs.
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♦ India and Singapore have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation between the two countries in the sphere of Law & Dispute Resolution. The MoU is on further cooperation between the two countries in the areas of common interest such as international commercial dispute resolution; matters relating to promotion of robust alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in respective countries and establishment of Joint Consultative Committee to oversee the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding.
♦ This collaboration therefore marks a key milestone in strengthening cooperation between India and Singapore with focus on exchange of best practices in the sphere of law and dispute resolution, which will eventually enable adoption of efficacious mechanisms for resolution of disputes through alternate dispute resolution mechanisms.
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♦ The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), South Asia, at IFMR on 15 March 2024. The partnership aims to leverage J-PAL’s expertise as a knowledge partner to empower rural poor women towards self-sufficiency. The MoU was signed by Additional Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development Shri Charanjit Singh and Executive Director, J-PAL South Asia Ms. Shobhini Mukerji.
♦ The inclusive development strategy will adapt BRAC’s Graduation Approach, a comprehensive livelihoods programme that randomised evaluations by researchers affiliated with J-PAL and Innovations for Poverty Action have found to be effective in lifting the vulnerable households out of poverty.
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National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) announced a long term agreement with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, for conducting joint research on blockchain and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology. The partnership will also propel further innovation through the establishment of the "NPCI-IISc Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Deep Tech Research and Development".
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♦ India and Nicaragua signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Pharmacopoeia on cooperation in the field of the regulation of medicines. With this MoU, Nicaragua has become the first nation in Spanish speaking world to recognise Indian Pharmacopeia. India's Ambassador to India Sumit Seth and Nicaragua's Minister of Health Martha Reyes signed the MoU between two nations.
♦ The major Pharmacopoeias in the world are United States Pharmacopoeia (USP), British Pharmacopoeia (BP), European Pharmacopoeia (Ph Eur), Japanese Pharmacopoeia (JP) etc.
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♦ The National Institute of Ayurveda in Jaipur signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Traditional and Alternative Medicine Department of Thailand for academic collaboration in Ayurveda and Thai traditional medicine. The MoU was inked at the 10th India-Thailand Joint Commission meeting held at Hyderabad House in Delhi. The National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur is under the Ministry of Ayush of the Government of India.
♦ The initiative has been taken to promote, facilitate, and develop academic collaboration in the field of Ayurveda and Thai Traditional Medicine based on equality and mutual benefit of the Participants. This MoU will facilitate the exchange of experts for research and training programs, academic and technical activities, and conducting research, exchange of information, technologies, and best practices of Traditional Medicine.
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♦ NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL) has signed an agreement with the government of Andhra Pradesh to establish India's largest green hydrogen production facility 'Integrated Green Hydrogen Hub' near Visakhapatnam.
The hub will come up on 1,200 acres of land near Pudimadaka village of Atchutapuram mandal in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
♦ The Pudimadaka Green Hydrogen Hub aims to create a world-class ecosystem for technologies in the new energy paradigm, such as electrolyser and fuel cell manufacturing, related ancillary industries, and start-up, incubation, testing facilities, production and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives such as green ammonia and green methanol.
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♦ Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Greece Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis held bilateral and delegation level talks in New Delhi on 21 February 2024. India and Greece have agreed to double their bilateral trade by the year 2030.
♦ During the meeting, both the countries deliberated on range of issues and expressed their commitment to enhance cooperation in the field of space, pharma, shipping, communication, defence, agriculture and maritime, and air connectivity.
♦ This is the first bilateral Head of State or Government level visit from Greece to India after 15 years. The last Prime Ministerial visit from Greece to India took place in 2008.
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♦ Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA) and Punjab National Bank (PNB) have signed an MoU to jointly finance renewable energy projects across India. The agreement allows both organizations to collaborate on co-lending and loan syndication for a wide range of renewable energy initiatives.
♦ The MoU aims to provide substantial financial support to various renewable energy projects, promoting sustainability and environmental awareness.
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External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar attended the 60th Munich Security Conference in Germany. As part of the conference, he addressed a panel discussion on 'Growing the Pie: Seizing Shared Opportunities. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, and US Secretary of State Blinken were also take part in the panel discussion along with the External Affairs Minister.
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♦ Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) for setting up a green hydrogen plant in the premises of Cochin Airport. This collaborative effort will result in the world's first green hydrogen plant and fueling station located within an airport setting.
♦ Green hydrogen, produced from water using renewable energy sources, is recognized as a future fuel and aligns with zero-carbon energy strategies.
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♦ India and Colombia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation in the field of Sharing Successful Digital Solutions Implemented at Population Scale for Digital Transformation on 16 February 2024. It was signed between the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Information Technologies and Communications of Colombia.
♦ The MoU intends to promote digital transformation (viz INDIA STACK) through capacity-building programs, the exchange of best practices, the exchange of public officials and experts, the development of pilot or demo solutions and the facilitation of private sector contacts to mutually benefit the digital ecosystems of both countries.
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Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur inaugurated the BSE EXPO-2024 at 28th International Conference and Exhibition on Broadcast and Media Technology in New Delhi. This was organised by Broadcast Engineering Society (India).
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♦ Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar inaugurated the Digital India FutureSkills Summit 2024 in Guwahati on 15 February 2024. this summit was hosted by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in collaboration with the National Institute of Electronics and IT (NIELIT).
♦ It aims to bring together young Indians, thought leaders, industry experts, policymakers, educators, and technology enthusiasts to discuss strategies for catalyzing future-ready talent for India and the world.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Abu Dhabi on 13 February 2024. PM Modi is on a two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Prime Minister Modi engaged in fruitful discussions with President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, encompassing a wide array of topics aimed at enhancing cooperation and partnership.
♦ A series of agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) were exchanged to cement the foundation of cooperation between India and the UAE.
♦ These included agreements on Bilateral Investment, Electrical Interconnection and Trade, the India-Middle East Economic Corridor, Digital Infrastructure Projects, cooperation between National Archives, heritage and museums, interlinking of payment platforms, and interlinking of domestic debit/credit cards. These agreements aim to facilitate seamless collaboration in various domains and foster greater connectivity between the two nations.
♦ This is PM Modi's seventh visit to the UAE since 2015.
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Tech giant Google signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Maharashtra to provide artificial intelligence (AI)-led solutions across key sectors in the state. As a part of the collaboration, Google will leverage its AI capabilities to provide solutions in sectors like agriculture, healthcare, sustainability, education, and startups. The company also announced launching a state-of-the-art AI Centre of Excellence at the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Nagpur.
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NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Government of Maharashtra for development of Green Hydrogen and derivatives (Green Ammonia, Green Methanol) of up to 1 million Ton capacity per annum. This including Pumped Storage Projects of 2 GW and development of renewable energy projects with or without storage up to 5 GW in the state.
♦ The MoU has been signed as a part of Government of Maharashtra’s Green Investment Plan for the next five years. The agreement envisages a potential investment of approximately Rs.80,000 crores.
♦ NTPC is in the path of building renewable energy capacity of 60 GW by 2032.
♦ NGEL is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NTPC and aims to be the flag bearer of NTPC’s Renewable Energy journey with an operational capacity of over 3.4 GW and 26 GW in pipeline including 7 GW under implementation.
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The 84th All India Presiding Officers' Conference (AIPOC) was inaugurated by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on 27 January 2024. This conference was held at the premises of the Maharashtra legislature. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed this conference via video message. PM Modi said that simplification of the judicial system has eased the challenges faced by the common man and enhanced the ease of living. Modi also called upon the presiding officers to pay attention to unnecessary laws and their impact on citizens’ lives, stressing that their removal would have a significant positive impact.
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The Defence Ministry signed a contract with Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) for the procurement of 14 fast patrol vessels for the Indian Coast Guard on 24 January 2024. The value of the agreement is Rs.1,070.47 crore. The multi-role fast patrol vessels will be indigenously designed, developed and manufactured by MDL and will be delivered in 63 months.
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The President of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly Dennis Francis arrived in New Delhi on 22 January 2024 for a five-day visit to India. The visit aims to strengthen India-UN relations and facilitate discussions on India's priorities and global challenges.
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External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar co-chaired the 6th India-Nigeria Joint Commission Meeting with Nigerian External Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar on 21 January 2024. On ties with Nigeria, Jaishankar said that the two sides have business of about USD 12-15 billion and invited Nigerian investors to invest in India.
Posted Date: January 21, 2024Meetings
♦ Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurated the 12th General Assembly of the Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace (ABCP) in New Delhi on 17 January 2024. The ABCP is a voluntary mass movement of Buddhists in Asia. ABCP was established in 1969 at the request of Khambo Lama Samaagiin Gombojov.
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♦ The Inland Waterways Authority of India hosted the first-ever meeting of the 'Inland Waterways Development Council' (IWDC) in Kolkata on 8 January 2024. Inland Waterways Authority of India is operating under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways (MoPSW). This meet was chaired by the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal.
♦ The objective of this meet was to enable inland waterways as conduits of economic growth and commerce in the country, committed an investment Rs.45,000 crore for development of river cruise tourism in the country.
♦ Sonowal also launched ‘Harit Nauka’ guidelines and ‘River Cruise Tourism Roadmap, 2047’ at the inaugural session of IWDC in Kollkata.
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♦ Indian Railways (IR) signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to reduce energy and water consumption lowering GHG emissions. IR and CII have renewed their MoU for third consecutive term. CII has been actively partnering with IR since July 2016 to promote and facilitate green initiatives over Indian Railways. First MoU was signed in year 2016 for 03 years and upon its expiry another MoU was signed in year 2019 for further 03 years.
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♦ Russia and India signed agreements for future units of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project in Tamil Nadu. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said this on 26 December 2023. Jaishankar is on a five-day visit to Russia to hold meetings with Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov on the bilateral economic cooperation during which they witnessed the signing of agreements on nuclear power and in areas of medicines, pharmaceutical substances, and medical devices.
♦ The Kudankulam nuclear power plant was built in Tamil Nadu with the technical assistance of Russia.
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Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Reliance Retail’s JioMart towards its efforts to help enhance the outreach of the products of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) thereby empowering the rural SHG artisans.
♦ This alliance will bring SHGs under MoRD’s SARAS collection brand onto JioMart offering a range of handlooms and handicrafts products from traditional textiles to pantry, home décor and beauty products.
♦ DAY-NRLM is a flagship poverty alleviation program of the Government of India and is the world's largest initiatives to improve the livelihoods of the rural poor. The Mission seeks to achieve its objective through investing in four core components viz., (a) social mobilization and promotion and strengthening of self-managed and financially sustainable community institutions of the rural poor; (b) financial inclusion of the rural poor; (c) sustainable livelihoods; and (d) social inclusion, social development and convergence.
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♦ Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral and delegation-level talks with Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tarik at the Hyderabad House in Delhi on 16 December 2023.
♦ During this meeting, they signed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) in around 10 key areas.
♦ This is the first State visit by an Omani ruler in 26 years.
♦ Prime Minister Modi visited Oman in February 2018.
Posted Date: December 16, 2023Meetings
♦ Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Summit at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi on 12 December 2023. GPAI is a multi-stakeholder initiative with 29 member countries aiming to bridge the gap between theory and practice on AI by supporting cutting-edge research and applied activities on AI-related priorities. India is the lead chair of GPAI in 2024.
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♦ Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘Viksit Bharat@2047 - Voice of Youth’ via video-conferencing on 11 December 2023. PM Modi addressed university vice-chancellors, heads of institutes and faculty members in a workshop organised at the Raj Bhawans across the country symbolising the start of the initiative. The initiative aims to provide a platform for youngsters of India to contribute their part to the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.
♦ Viksit Bharat@2047 is the vision to make India a developed nation by 2047, the 100th year of its independence.
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♦ Indian Oil Corp. Ltd and EKI Energy Services have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote “Surya Nutan”. Surya Nutan is the IndianOil's innovative indoor solar cooking system. Under the MOU, IndianOil will share the technology of Surya Nutan with EKI Energy to enhance its production and distribution, supported by carbon finance while contributing towards the betterment of society and environment. EKI Energy will oversee the end-to-end management of Surya Nutan encompassing manufacturing, marketing, installation, and the provision of after-sales services.
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♦ The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Bank of England (BoE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the exchange of information related to the Clearing Corporation of India Ltd (CCIL). The MoU was signed by RBI Deputy Governor T Rabi Sankar and BoE Deputy Governor for Financial Stability Sarah Breeden in London.
♦ This framework allows the Bank of England to rely on the regulatory and supervisory activities of the RBI, thereby ensuring the stability of the UK financial landscape.
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♦ The annual UN climate meeting, COP28 (Conference of Parties-28) was inaugurated in Dubai. Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in this Summit and said that climate change has had an immense impact on countries in the Global South. COP28 is being held from November 30 to December 12 under the Presidency of the UAE in Dubai.
♦ The World Climate Action Summit is the high-level segment of the 28th Conference of Parties (COP-28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
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♦ India and the European Union (EU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on semiconductors on 24 November 2023. It aims to allow the EU and India to collaborate on semiconductor supply and innovation.
♦ The initial agreement was signed by Thierry Breton, European Internal Market Commissioner, and Ashwini Vaishnaw, India's Minister of Railways, Communications, Electronics, and Information Technology.
♦ Both partners will continue to meet on a regular basis and report to the Trade and Technology Council (TTC). The next TTC Ministerial Meeting will be held in India in early 2024.
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♦ Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the 8th Edition of the India Water Impact Summit (IWIS) on November 22, 2023, at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi. The summit was organized by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and the Center for Ganga River Basin Management and Studies (cGanga), spans three days from November 22 to 24, 2023.
♦ The theme of IWIS 2023 is 'Development vis-à-vis Land, Water and Rivers,' aimed at uniting scientific experts, stakeholders, and government representatives to address dynamic challenges and opportunities in India's water sector.
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♦ The second edition of the CII India Nordic Baltic Business Conclave was held at Sushma Swaraj Bhavan, New Delhi on 22-23 November 2023. CII in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India organized this event.
♦ This aims to foster collaboration between India and the Nordic Baltic Eight (NB8) countries, known for their prowess in innovation and technology. The NB8 countries are - Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden.
♦ The NB8 is an innovation and technological powerhouse, while India, with its increasingly strong focus on technology, offers immense opportunities for partnerships.
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♦ Union Minister Parshottam Rupala inaugurated the Global Fisheries Conference India 2023 at Gujarat Science City in Ahmedabad on 21 November 2023. This was organised by the Dept. of Fisheries, GoI on the occasion of World Fisheries Day.
♦ On this occasion Rupala said, India is the third-largest Fish producing country in the world.
♦ 10 foreign missions from different countries along with various International organizations attend the conference.
♦ The World Fisheries Awards were also distributed on the occasion. During the programme, the Inland Reservoir Leasing portal was launched at the hands of CM Bhupendra Patel. Also, the Dhol fish was declared as State fish of Gujarat.
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♦ The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) under NITI Aayog launched a new accelerator program called Rapid Innovation and Startup Expansion (RISE) in New Delhi on 21 November 2023 to support Australian and Indian circular economy startups.
♦ The program will support startups and small to mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) working on circular economy technologies and solutions in India and Australia.
♦ The India Australia RISE Accelerator is delivered in partnership between CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, and Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), the Government of India’s flagship initiative to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.
♦ There is no charge for startups to participate in the program, which will be delivered virtually, with a number of opportunities to travel between Australia and India. Participating startups may also be eligible for up to Rs.40,00,000 in non-equity grants.
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♦ The International Conference on Plant Health Management (ICPHM) 2023 was inaugurated at Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU) Hyderabad on 15 November 2023. This was concluded on 18 November 2023.
♦ This event is organized by the Plant Protection Association of India (PPAI), an organization with a rich heritage of 50 years in advancing plant protection at the national and international level.
♦ The primary objective of ICPHM 2023 is to explore and capitalize on global opportunities in innovation and sustainability in the field of research and entrepreneurship related to plant health management.
♦ On this occasion, PPAI President D Sarath Babu said that plant health management holds the key to assuring good yields. Crop protection is considered crucial to the production of a safe and sufficient supply of agricultural commodities across the globe.
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♦ India and the US signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on enhancing innovation ecosystems through an innovation handshake under the framework of the India-US Commercial Dialogue on November 14 in San Francisco.
♦ The aim of this agreement is to promote innovation through increasing cooperation among startups, address regulatory hurdles, and share best practices on fundraising by entrepreneurs.
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♦ The 33rd Conference of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) Regional Commission for Asia and Pacific was kick-started in New Delhi on 13 November 2023. Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan chaired the inaugural session of the WOAH. This 4-day event is scheduled from November 13 to 16, 2023.
♦ The delegates from 36 member countries including India, senior officers from regional and international organizations and representatives from the private sector and private veterinary organizations are participating in this conference.
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♦ REC Limited signed an MoU with RailTel on 9th November 2023 to extend financial financial assistance up to Rs 30,000 crore for infrastructure projects to be executed by RailTel in next 5 years.
♦ These projects include telecom, IT services, railway signaling systems, and the KAVACH train collision prevention system.
♦ The MoU was inked by T.S.C Bosh, REC's executive director for Infrastructure and Logistics, and RailTel's company secretary, Jasmeet Singh Marwah.
♦ RailTel, a central public sector enterprise under the Ministry of Railways and a leading provider of telecom infrastructure and ICT services, operates an extensive optic fiber network across India.
Meetings
♦ The Indian delegation led by Bhagwant Khuba, Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers participated in the Second World Local Production Forum (WLPF) held in Hague, Netherlands on 7 November 2023.
♦ The WLPF is a platform created at the initiative of WHO with the aim of increasing access to medicines and other health technologies. The meeting was held from November 6 to 8, 2023. The first World Local Production Forum was organized in 2021.
Meetings
♦ On 18th October 2023, IBM has signed three Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in areas of semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing.
♦ This MoUs aim to collaborate to advance and accelerate AI, semiconductor and quantum innovation in India.
♦ IBM will collaborate with three distinct entities within the ministry: Digital India, India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), and the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC).
Meetings
♦ The 21st National Maritime Search and Rescue (NMSAR) Board meeting was held at Kolkata. The meeting was chaired by Director General Rakesh Pal, Indian Coast Guard (ICG) in his capacity as Chairman, NMSAR Board. ICG is the coordinating and executing agency for Maritime Search and Rescue in Indian Search and Rescue Region (ISRR).
♦ During the meeting National Search and Rescue (SAR) awards for the year 2022-23 were also presented.
♦ The United Kingdom Flag vessel MV Furious was awarded in the merchant vessel category, Indian Fishing Boat New Aparajita from West Bengal was awarded in fishing boat category, ICG Ship Sujeet & ICG Air Squardon 835 Sqn(CG) in Govt owned SAR unit category while Gujrat Maritime Board and INMCC received the award in the ashore unit category.
♦ The NMSAR Board was formed in 2002 and since the Board meeting is being held annually to discuss policy issues, formulate guidelines/ procedures and consider recommendations for reviewing the National Search and Rescue plan. Speaking on the occasion, the Chairman emphasised on synergy amongst the stakeholders to ensure safer sea for all seafarers.
Meetings
♦ The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) was renewed and revamped its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) to enhance their academic collaboration. The MoU was formally signed by CA Jai Kumar Batra, Secretary of ICAI, and Dr. Alok Chaube, Registrar of IGNOU.
♦ IGNOU was established in 1985. This is the world’s largest university in terms of enrollment, currently has 3.5 million students on its rolls, with 3.8 million alumni.
♦ The ICAI is a statutory institution established through the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949 by the Parliament of India.
Meetings
♦ India and Italy signed an agreement on defence cooperation on 11th October 2023 during Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s official visit to the country. Rajnath Singh is on a visit to Italy and France from October 9 to 12.
♦ The agreement will promote bilateral cooperation in areas such as security and defence policy, research and development, education in military field, maritime domain awareness, sharing of defence information, and industrial cooperation including co-development, co-production and setting up of joint ventures.
♦ The relationship between India and Italy was elevated to strategic partnership in March 2023 during the visit of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to India.
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♦ The Supreme Court (SC) and IIT Madras signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate digital transformation of Indian judiciary and improve access to justice.
♦ The SC and IIT Madras will be collaborating on using artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies for transcription tools, summarization of page transcript, translation tool, exclusive streaming platform for court trials, process automation and large languages models for the legal domain.
♦ The apex court, under the leadership of CJI Chandrachud, is driving technological enhancement in making its process automated, user friendly and citizen centric to enhance access to justice.
Meetings
♦ President of Tanzania Samia Sulubu Hassan met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House, New Delhi on October 9. During the meeting, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) will be exchanged in various areas between the two sides. President Hassan arrived here on October 8 on a four-day visit.
♦ India and Tanzania elevated their ties to strategic partnership and agreed on a five-year roadmap to significantly expand defence cooperation.
♦ The two leaders commended the existing close, cordial and cooperative relations and noted that India and Tanzania are time-tested partners bound by a long history of shared values and ideals spanning many years.
Posted Date: October 9, 2023Meetings
♦ India and Saudi Arabia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in electrical interconnections, green/clean hydrogen and supply chains on 9th October 2023.
♦ The MoU was signed between the visiting Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy, Government of India, Shri R.K. Singh and the Minister of Energy, Government of Saudi Arabia, Mr. Abdulaziz bin Salman Al-Saud on the sidelines of the MENA Climate Week in Riyadh.
♦ This MoU aims to establish a general framework for cooperation between the two countries in the field of electrical interconnection; exchange of electricity during peak times and emergencies.
♦ The MENA Climate Week 2023 is being held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from October 8-12.
Meetings
♦ The India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Christ University (CU), Pune signed an MoU for working in the field of weather and climate sciences.
♦ The five-year MoU was inked between Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director general, IMD, and Fr Lijo Thomas, director, Christ University, Lavasa, during the Stakeholder Consultation Workshop on the National Framework for Climate Services (NFCS) in India.
♦ In 2018, the IMD had installed an Automatic Weather Station (AWS) on the campus. Since then, rainfall, temperature and other vital weather parameters of the neighbouring areas covering more than 18 villages are being recorded.
Meetings
♦ The foreign ministers of Quad group - which includes India, Australia, Japan and the United States met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session in New York.
♦ The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Japan’s new Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa.
♦ The Quad ministers reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring a “free and open” Indo-Pacific region, emphasizing the resolution of disputes in accordance with international law.
♦The focus of the meeting was to reiterate common ground and take stock of the Quad’s existing initiatives.
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♦ The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), operating under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) signed three separate Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Prasar Bharati, NBCC (India), and Digital India Corporation.
♦ The objective of these MoUs is to prepare a roadmap to modernize the Khadi and Village Industries Commission and popularize its products among the youth.
♦ According to the MoU signed with Prasar Bharati, very soon the anchors of DD News and DD International channels will be seen in Khadi apparels.
♦ Along with this, NBCC (India) Limited will build new modern infrastructure for Khadi and Village Industries Commission across the country and to focus on keeping KVIC up-to-date with the latest technology, KVIC has joined hands with Digital India Corporation.
♦ Digital India Corporation to offer IT-related solutions for Khadi.
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♦ Geological Survey of India Training Institute (GSITI), Hyderabad was signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for five years with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Bengaluru under the National Natural Resources Management System (NNRMS) programme.
♦ The main aim of the project is capacity building through generation of skilled human resources in Application of Digital Image Processing and GIS in Mineral Exploration, Advanced Remote Sensing Techniques in Mineral Exploration and Applications of Geo-informatics for Disaster Management.
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♦ Amazon Web Services (AWS) was signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) to support space-tech innovations through cloud computing.
♦ This collaboration will give space start-ups, research institutes and students access to cutting edge cloud technologies that accelerate the development of new solutions in the space sector.
Meetings
♦ Indian Coast Guard participated in the 19th Heads of Asian Coast Guard Agencies Meeting (HACGAM) at Istanbul, Türkiye.
♦ Heads of Coast Guards of all member nations participated in this meeting and a series of vital issues including maritime law enforcement, safety and security of life at sea, marine environment protection, illicit trafficking of drugs, weapons, and humans at sea etc.
♦ were discussed.
♦ From India, DG Rakesh Pal, Director General Indian Coast Guard took part in the annual event.
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♦ India and Saudi Arabia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of energy.
♦ Union Minister for New & Renewable Energy and Power RK Singh and Minister of Energy for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Abdulaaziz bin Salman Al-Saud inked the MOU.
♦ The MoU will support India’s efforts for energy transition and transformation of global energy system towards combating climate change.
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♦ Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) and Kenya Shipyards Limited (KSL) signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to Foster Shipbuilding Collaboration, Bolstering Maritime Security Cooperation Between the Two Nations.
♦ The MoU was formalized in the presence of India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Defence Aden Bare Duale during their talks in New Delhi.
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♦ 20th ASEAN-India Economic Ministers’ meeting was held on August 21, 2023, in Semarang, Indonesia.
♦ Rajesh Agrawal, Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce represented India in this meeting and co-chaired the meeting with Dr. Zulkifli Hasan, Minister of Trade, Indonesia.
♦ The Economic Ministers or their representatives from all the 10 ASEAN countries viz. Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam participated in the meeting. Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste also joined the Meeting as an observer.
Meetings
♦ Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha inaugurated the 9th India International MSME Expo and Summit 2023 in New Delhi.
♦ This was organized by the MSME Development Forum. More than 40 exhibitors, supported by JKTPO (Jammu and Kashmir Trade Promotion Organization), participated in the 9th India International MSME Expo & Summit 2023.
♦ These exhibitors showcased a diverse array of innovative products, services, and solutions across various sectors.
Posted Date: August 11, 2023Meetings
♦ The Indian School of Business’ (ISB’s) Bharti Institute of Public Policy signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Goa government to commence a knowledge partnership with a focus on evidence-based policy formulation and its impact in the State.
♦ According to the MoU, Bharti Institute will facilitate furthering the State government’s objectives to improve the social and economic prosperity indicators through evidence-based public policy interventions, capacity-building workshops, and citizen-centric governance-based initiatives as a knowledge partner.
♦ It will collaborate with the Goa Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development (GIPARD) to conduct workshops for officials of State services.
Posted Date: August 10, 2023Meetings
♦ The Ministry of Railways and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish the India 5G testbed at the Indian Railway Institute of Signal Engineering and Telecommunications (IRISET) in Secunderabad.
♦ The MoU aims to accelerate the indigenisation efforts of Indian Railways in the field of communications and create a testing facility for Indian Railways.
Posted Date: August 2, 2023Meetings
♦ Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish the mechanism of technical and institutional cooperation in telecommunications.
♦ This MOU marks a significant step towards cooperation and knowledge sharing, fostering an environment that promotes research on regulatory practices, regulatory gap studies, and the dissemination of vital insights.
Posted Date: August 2, 2023Meetings
♦ The 8th India-Australia Defence Policy Talks (DPT) was held at Canberra in Australia on 24-25 July 2023.
♦ The Defence policy talks were co-chaired by Special Secretary in Ministry of Defence Nivedita Shukla Verma, and Acting Deputy Secretary in Department of Defence, Australia Steven Moore.
♦ During the Defence Policy talks, both sides reviewed the bilateral defence cooperation between the two countries and explored new initiatives to further strengthen and deepen bilateral defence engagements.
♦ India – Australia share a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership since June 2020 and defence is a key pillar of this partnership.
Posted Date: July 26, 2023Meetings
♦ The SEACEN-FSI 25th Conference of Asia-Pacific Supervision Directors was held in Mumbai.
♦ It was Organized by the South East Asian Central Banks (SEACEN) Research and Training Centre and the Financial Stability Institute (FSI) of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS).
♦ The primary objective of the conference was to facilitate dialogue and enhance cooperation among supervision directors from the Asia-Pacific region.
Meetings
♦ The meeting of the foreign ministers of BRICS started in Cape Town, South Africa. The foreign ministers of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) attended.
♦ It concludes on June 2. The meeting, hosted by South Africa, will pave the way for the 15th BRICS Summit scheduled to take place in August.
Posted Date: June 1, 2023Meetings
♦ Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi chaired the 8th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog.
♦ The Meeting was held at the New Convention Centre, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
♦ It was attended by Chief Ministers/Lt.Governors representing 19 States and 6 UTs.
♦ In this Modi said that the Centre, States and UTs should work as team India and fulfil the dreams and aspirations of people for a Viksit Bharat @ 2047.
Posted Date: May 28, 2023Meetings
♦ The third G20 tourism working group meeting began in Srinagar.
♦ This will conclude on May 24.
♦ This is the first such international event in the region after the Centre revoked Jammu and Kashmir's special status and stripped it of its statehood in August 2019.
♦ Around 60 delegates from the member countries of G20 are attending the meeting.
Meetings
♦ The 49th G7 summit is held from 19 to 21 May 2023 in Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.
♦ Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in Japan to attend the Summit.
♦ The G7 Summit has chosen several key priorities for the current Presidency.
♦ The broad terms of the G7 Summit preferences include nuclear disarmament, economic resilience and security, regional issues, climate and energy, food, and health and development.
Meetings
♦ The foreign ministers of eight member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) arrived in Goa to attend its Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) meeting.
♦ The two-day CFM meeting concludes on May 5.
♦ India took over the chairmanship of the SCO grouping in September 2022.
♦ SCO member countries: Russia, India, China, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
Posted Date: May 4, 2023Meetings
♦ India and the United Kingdom held the second meeting of the India-UK Financial Markets Dialogue in London.
♦ Both sides welcomed holding the first in-person financial dialogue since 2017.
♦ FMD is an important bilateral mechanism to discuss and expand opportunities for financial sector cooperation.
♦ During the meeting, the participants discussed issues pertaining to the recent developments in their respective banking sectors.
Posted Date: April 21, 2023Meetings
♦ India and Thailand held the 8th Defence Dialogue in Bangkok. During the dialogue, both Asian countries expressed their satisfaction with the ongoing defence cooperation.
♦ Special Secretary, Ministry of Defence, India Nivedita Shukla Verma from India organised this meeting long with Thailand, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Defence of the Ministry of Defence, General Nuchit Sribunsong.
♦ During the dialogue, the co-chairs will review the defence cooperation between the two countries and explore new initiatives to further strengthen bilateral engagements.
Posted Date: April 20, 2023Meetings
♦ A meeting of the National Security Advisors of the member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was held in New Delhi.
♦ National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval organized the meeting.
♦ Pakistan and China attended the meeting virtually.
♦ SCO is an intergovernmental organization established in 2001.
♦ Currently, it has eight member states - India, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
Posted Date: March 29, 2023Meetings
♦ The first India Stack Developer Conference was held in New Delhi. It focussed on ways and means to ensure wider adoption of India’s digital goods all over the world.
♦ Over 100 digital leaders from the Industry, Government, start-ups and unicorns, and academia were atteded in this conference.
Posted Date: January 25, 2023Meetings
♦ The 53rd edition of the World Economic Forum (WEF) began at Davos in Switzerland.
♦ The meeting will continue till 20th January.
♦ The theme for the 2023 WEF meeting is "Cooperation in a Fragmented World".
♦ According to the WEF's annual Global Risks Report, recession threat, cost-of-living crisis, and debt distress are likely to dominate the outlook for at least two years.
Posted Date: January 19, 2023Meetings
India and the European Union held their second maritime security dialogue in a virtual format. The meeting was co-chaired by Joint Secretary for Disarmament and International Security Affairs at Ministry of External Affairs Sandeep Arya and Director for Security and Defence Policy at the European External Action Service Ms Joanneke Balfoort.
The consultations included developments in the maritime security environment, policy developments covering the EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans’ Initiative, India-EU maritime cooperation and regional initiatives to address international maritime security issues.
India and the European Union discussed cooperation, including in the field of maritime domain awareness, capacity-building and joint naval activities, following their successful joint naval exercise in the Gulf of Aden in June last year.
Ministry of External Affairs said, India and the EU are committed to a free, open, inclusive and rules-based maritime order in the Indo-Pacific region, underpinned by respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, democracy, rule of law, freedom of navigation and overflight, unimpeded lawful commerce, and peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law, notably the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea UNCLOS.
Posted Date: December 16, 2022