Article 0

May 31, 2018, 4:13 am

≫ Next: Article 1

≪ Previous: Article 1

$

0

0

Min WCD GOI signs an MoU with Gov of UP

ON MAY 31, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India signs an MoU with Government of Uttar Pradesh

The Ministry of Women and Child and Development, Government of India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Department of Women and Child Development, Government of Uttar Pradesh, for management of Home of Widows at Sunrakh Bangar, Vrindavan. The Ministry of Women and Child Development has constructed this shelter home for widows with a capacity of 1000 inmates.

The MoU shall be in force for a period of 2 years which may be renewed for further period on satisfactory running of the Home. The Home shall be run by the Government of Uttar Pradesh themselves or by any state government institution or by any civil society or by any reputed non-government organization to be decided by the State Government.

According to the MoU, the Government of Uttar Pradesh shall be responsible for activities including setting up mechanism for identifying beneficiaries, providing residential care to the widows, deploying staff as per norms with prescribed qualification and experience. The MoU further states that senior officials of Government of Uttar Pradesh shall visit and check the security staff periodically and monitor their performance. The MoU also includes provisions for facilitating Aadhar Cards for all inmates and medical/geriatric care for inmates.

WHY WALMART FLIPKART DEAL REQUIRES AN INTERROGATION

ON MAY 31, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

WHY WALMART FLIPKART DEAL REQUIRES AN INTERROGATION

AMAZON & ALIBABA IN LINE TO FOLLOW THE PATH

PRAVEEN KHANDELWAL

Secretary General, Confederation of All India Traders​

​The Walmart-Flipkart Deal is under clouds of strong opposition from trading bodies and others as both are well known for flouting the policies, circumventing the law and indulging into deep discounting and predatory pricing. Being having the same mindset, they both agreed to enter into the deal with an urge to capture, control and monopolised not only e commerce market but even the offline retail trade of India. Interestingly, both e commerce and retail trade have no specific Government policy paving the easy way for both of them to manipulate things to their advantage. More than Flipkart, it is an opportunity for Walmart to fulfil its desire to enter the Indian market which it is trying desperately since years. For Flipkart, it is the best offer for making money and earning huge profit. The Venture capitalist and Private Equity people those who have funded Flipkart have all smiles since their part of share is earning them handsome margin. Only the poor retailer of the Country is at the receiving end.

​Flipkart has a leading market share across certain product categories (like smartphones and fashion) through a combination of predation (which they have admitted in a tax proceedings), exclusive tie ups and preferential sellers. The market presence would be further augmented once the said transaction takes place. This would lead to adverse effect on both offline market and online market​s.The offline retailers/ wholesalers would not be able to compete with the said conglomerate due to lack of funding​ and  d​ue to the prevalent market practices, small traders have to partner with e-commerce players like Flipkart but they have to face discriminatory conditions. This fact would be accentuated since Flipkart would, probably, give preference to inventory of Walmar​t.​Both Walmart and Flipkart have a demonstrated history of engaging in predation, which they would continue in India, resulting in foreclosure to other offline retailers/wholesalers.

Walmart,, would sell its inventory on the platform of flipkart.com either directly or through a web of associated preferred sellers with the result that their market share would rise exponentially and pure offline retailers / wholesalers would have two options: (i) exit the market or (ii) sell their goods on flipkart.com and face discriminatory terms and conditions fromflipkart.com in comparison to its preferred sellers.There is no level playing field on flipkart’s platform. There is a clear case of discrimination which is there between preferential sellers and other sellers in terms of commission, discounts etc. which would be further accentuated because of this transaction. There is a clear case of denial of market access for these non-preferential sellers on online platform coupled with complete annihilation of small time trader on offline platform.

Flipkart and Walmart have access to vast amounts of data, which they would use for targeted advertisements for consumers. They would create private labels (on the lines of Smart buy etc.) for products which are fast moving (based on data analytics) and sell the same via their preferred seller network. These preferred sellers, like WS Retail, Retailnet, Omnitech Retail, SupercomNet are only on the platform of Flipkart and not on any other platform.The present modus operandi is very clear: Flipkart purchases goods and sells at discounted prices, while incurring a loss, to few sellers like W.S. Retail, Retailnet, Omnitech Retail which are further sold on the platform of Flipkart. Flipkart purchases goods and sells at discounted prices, while incurring a loss, to few sellers like W.S. Retail, which are further sold on the its platform.

Furthermore, there are important competition concerns regarding Walmart’s role on Flipkart’s B2B platform. With Walmart, a global retail giant with its own range of multi-brand products, attempting to take another shot at the Indian market, there is a high likelihood of Flipkart and Walmart would affect other wholesalers on the platform and eliminating them in the long run. In several cases global search engines have been shown to use certain algorithms to favour their partners or services in searches and there is a possibility for Flipkart to increase listings for Walmart’s inventory or propagating a search bias for Walmart’ inventory in its platform. Similar to the entire modus operandi of preferential sellers, they may create preferential sellers with better commissions / discounts in order to augment the sale of Walmart’s inventory. This would have an adverse effect on competitors in both the online and offline market, both at the B2B level and B2C level.In addition, Flipkart (through its subsidiary, Myntra) has launched private labels which are Myntra Fashion Brands on which they are sold at high margins, and Flipkart also controls the sales, marketing and distribution of their products. The sellers of these private brands are also preferential sellers of Flipkart, thus eroding the very concept of level playing field​.

The combined entity would have affiliates in the entire supply chain. The Complainant apprehends that the deal is bound to circumvent established laws and FDI policy of the government since the ultimate object of Walmart is to enter the retail trade of the country and in the absence of any policy on e-commerce or retail trade, it would be easy for Walmart to reach out to retail market, which otherwise it cannot enter due to FDI policy​.​Capital is huge entry barrier (due to the manner in which the said market has evolved) and even established players would find it difficult to enter this market unless they are fine with burning cash.

Solidarity of Delhi Medical Association with resident doctors of SGMH

ON MAY 31, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Dr. Ashwani Goyal

President, DMA

9811113647

F.75/DMA/2018                                                   30th May 2018

The Health Secretary

Govt. of NCT Delhi

New Delhi

Sub: Solidarity of Delhi Medical Association with resident doctors  of SGMH

Sir,

Delhi Medical Association is seriously concerned about frequent episodes of assault on doctors in various government and private hospitals. In the last few days, many medical establishments and doctors have witnessed violence and damage to their properties by the attendants of the patients.

DMA condemns the brutal attack on Resident doctors in Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital on 28th May 2018. The medical fraternity is very much perturbed, outraged, appalled and anguished by increasing instances of attack on doctors and Authorities failing to provide security. Our main concern is the famothable degree of the ruthlessness of general population against doctors, vindictive and personal hatred for the fraternity and is propagating day by day.

Every doctor feels desolated in Delhi  over SGMH  issue even on 3rd day of peaceful protest, the government continues to derelict its responsibility of safeguarding interests of the medical fraternity. No efforts have been taken by authorities to encourage despondent fraternity, there is on the act of atonement from the government or the authorities which is disheartening.

The recent attack on the doctor in SGMH glaringly exposes lack of security in the hospital. Around 80 miscreants barged in the office of medical superintendent, well equipped with sharp knives and sticks and attacked doctors including senior residents and senior faculty gathered there for unbiased and fair analysis of the instance happened on 27th May in Paediatrics Emergency. The residents were beaten savagely and needed to be rescued.

On 27th May despite their best efforts doctors could not save a sick of 8 months old patient. Agitated attendants took doctors for hostage and could be rescued by intervention by police only. On 28th May, a committee was constituted and the members were attacked amid inquiry.

This reprobate behavior has left the whole fraternity and doctors in the state of shock and fear. Residents and President and President RDA  of SGMH are being threatened with dire consequences.

Doctors are deprived of every single basic need at workplace be it security of workplace, remunerations, job security or even our mental health. Despite putting most productive years of life in service of mankind and society and being denied our basic right, we are left with mere resentment observing such callous attitude towards us. Hard work done by the resident doctor is denounced by the public and they have to bear the wrath of anguished attendants on day to day basis.

While condemning the assault in strongest terms, Delhi Medical Association urges upon the government of Delhi to take immediate and strong action to apprehended the perpetrators of such heinous crime and ensure that expeditious justice is meted out to them as per law.

Delhi Medical Association will join the protest with SGMH by PEN DOWN and if demands are not met we will force to shut down the healthcare services in the state from 2nd June 2018

Thanking You,

Yours Sincerely,

Dr. Ashwani Goyal

President, DMA

---

Article 1

May 31, 2018, 11:37 pm

≫ Next: Article 0

≪ Previous: Article 0

$

0

0

Prime Minister Modi & Lee Hsien Loong in Singapore bilateral talks

ON JUNE 1, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held high level bilateral talks with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Singapore, on his second day of his tour.

A gamut of strategic, economic and technological issues figured during their talks. Several MoUs were signed. Prime Minister expressed gratitude to Singapore’s PM and said he has always made untiring efforts towards strengthening relations with India.

Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister was accorded ceremonial welcome at Istana, the official residence of Singapore President.

After the bilateral talks, India and Singapore will sign and exchange agreements and MoUs in areas of higher education, capacity building, defence, urban infrastructure, people to people contacts among other things followed by a joint statement.

He will call on Singapore President Halimah Yakub and visit Nanyang Technical University and interact with Students. Later, Mr Modi will deliver key-note address in the 18th Shangri La dialogue, a global platform that discusses security related issues in the Asia Pacific region .

Mr Modi who is the first Indian leader to deliver a key note address at this international forum, is likely to emphasis on India’s perspective on security concerns in this region.

He is expected to focus on geopolitical issues in the region, particularly highlight the role that India could play in stabilising the security of Asia and its waters

Prof. B.N. Goswamy lecture SOME ASPECTS OF TIME

ON JUNE 1, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

National Museum, New Delhi added an event.

The lecture will be delivered by Prof. B.N. Goswamy, a distinguished art historian. His talk titled ” SOME ASPECTS OF TIME: The Indian Painter and His Work” will reflect on the handling of time by Indian painters of the past. As noted by Prof. Goswamy, those painters work, reflects on thier being completely at home with the notion of time as manipulable and elusive.

WED, 6 JUNE AT 18:00

India & The world lecture series

National Museum, New Delhi · New Delhi

You like National Museum, New Delhi

Jug Cerovic is an architect and mapmaker on Delhi Metro

ON JUNE 1, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Jug Cerovic is an architect and mapmaker, his map is a pretty rendition of the Delhi Metro #DelhiMetro

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A BLACK HOLE GOBBLES UP A STAR

ON JUNE 1, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Article written: 31 May , 2018

by Matt Williams

At the center of our galaxy resides a Supermassive Black Hole (SMBH) known as Sagittarius A. Based on ongoing observations, astronomers have determined that this SMBH measures 44 million km (27.34 million mi) in diameter and has an estimated mass of 4.31 million Solar Masses. On occasion, a star will wander too close to Sag A and be torn apart in a violent process known as a tidal disruption event (TDE).

These events cause the release of bright flares of radiation, which let astronomers know that a star has been consumed. Unfortunately, for decades, astronomers have been unable to distinguish these events from other galactic phenomena. But thanks to a new study from by an international team of astrophysicists, astronomers now have a unified model that explains recent observations of these extreme events.

The study – which recently appeared in the Astrophysical Journal Letters under the title “A Unified Model for Tidal Disruption Events” – was led by Dr. Jane Lixin Dai, a physicist with the Niels Bohr Institute’s Dark Cosmology Center. She was joined by members from University of Maryland’s Joint Space-Science Institute and the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC).

As Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz – the professor and chair of astronomy and astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz, the Niels Bohr Professor at the University of Copenhagen, and a co-author on the paper – explained in a UCSC press release:

“Only in the last decade or so have we been able to distinguish TDEs from other galactic phenomena, and the new model will provide us with the basic framework for understanding these rare events.”

In most galaxies, SMBHs do not actively consume any material and therefore do not emit any light, which distinguishes them from galaxies that have Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs). Tidal disruption events are therefore rare, occurring only once about every 10,000 years in a typical galaxy. However, when a star does get torn apart, it results in the release of an intense amount of radiation. As Dr. Dai explained:

“It is interesting to see how materials get their way into the black hole under such extreme conditions. As the black hole is eating the stellar gas, a vast amount of radiation is emitted. The radiation is what we can observe, and using it we can understand the physics and calculate the black hole properties. This makes it extremely interesting to go hunting for tidal disruption events.”

In the past few years, a few dozen candidates for tidal disruption events (TDEs) have been detected using wide-field optical and UV transient surveys as well as X-ray telescopes. While the physics are expected to be the same for all TDEs, astronomers have noted that a few distinct classes of TDEs appear to exist. While some emit mostly x-rays, others emit mostly visible and ultraviolet light.

As a result, theorists have struggled to understand the diverse properties observed and create a coherent model that can explain them all. For the sake of their model, Dr. Dai and her colleagues combined elements from general relativity, magnetic fields, radiation, and gas hydrodynamics. The team also relied on state-of-the-art computational tools and some recently-acquired large computer clusters funded by the Villum Foundation for Jens Hjorth (head of DARK Cosmology Center), the U.S. National Science Foundation and NASA.

Using the model that resulted, the team concluded that it is the viewing angle of the observer that accounts for the differences in observation.  Essentially, different galaxies are oriented randomly with respect to observers on Earth, who see different aspects of TDEs depending on their orientation. As Ramirez-Ruiz explained:

“It is like there is a veil that covers part of a beast. From some angles we see an exposed beast, but from other angles we see a covered beast. The beast is the same, but our perceptions are different.”

In the coming years, a number of planned survey projects are expected to provide much more data on TDEs, which will help expand the field of research into this phenomena. These include the Young Supernova Experiment (YSE) transient survey, which will be led by the DARK Cosmology Center at the Niels Bohr Institute and UC Santa Cruz, and the Large Synoptic Survey Telescopes (LSST) being built in Chile.

According to Dr. Dai, this new model shows what astronomers can expect to see when viewing TDEs from different angles and will allow them to fit different events into a coherent framework. “We will observe hundreds to thousands of tidal disruption events in a few years,” she said. “This will give us a lot of ‘laboratories’ to test our model and use it to understand more about black holes.”

This improved understanding of how black holes occasionally consume stars will also provide additional tests for general relativity, gravitational wave research, and help astronomers to learn more about the evolution of galaxies.

Further Reading: UCSC, Astrophysical Journal Letters

Hillary: Naresh, it’s been a big month for Democrats

ON JUNE 1, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Naresh, it’s been a big month for Democrats.

Half of the women running in House primaries have won their races so far, thanks in no small part to the work of our friends at Emerge America. Young, diverse candidates endorsed by Run for Something have continued to win at nearly five times the usual rate for first-time candidates. At least six Swing Left candidates have come out on top, and two District Attorney candidates in North Carolina won after Color of Change mobilized tens of thousands of voters.

Meanwhile, Collective PAC, the Arena, and the rest of the groups that Onward Together partners with have worked tirelessly to get progressive voters inspired and engaged. And I’m just as thrilled as anyone that, thanks in part to our partner groups and thousands of passionate volunteers, Stacey Abrams won her primary earlier this month — and became the first black woman to be a major party nominee for governor in the history of our country.

Today, I’m asking you to become an official member of Onward Together by making a donation to help us find and support groups like these.

This month, Onward Together celebrated our first anniversary. I can’t believe how much we’ve accomplished together in just one year, and I’m looking forward to another year of fighting for our progressive values alongside you.

But we can only grow if this team continues to step up. Please make a contribution today to become an official member of Onward Together:

Thank you. I hope you’re as proud as I am.Hillary

Launch of guidelines for adventure Tourism

ON JUNE 1, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Naresh Kumar Sagar

@Nksagar

·

10h

Sagar Media Inc. – Launch of guidelines for the adventure Tourism.(link: https://youtu.be/xUfFBjusY1g) youtu.be/xUfFBjusY1g

Naresh Kumar Sagar

@Nksagar

·

14h

Sagar Media Inc: These days experiential is buzz for tourists and look for adventure . Secretary GOI Rashmi said was there traveling for Buddhist. Tourism the foreign asked us adventure Tourism.

Naresh Kumar Sagar

@Nksagar

·

14h

Sagar Media Inc : International year of Adventure Tourism is 2018- Launch of Indian Adventure Tourism Guidelines at Ashoka hotel New Delhi

Tourism Minister K J Alphons launched the Government guidelines on adventure tourism in India. with 50K adventure tourism provider in travel and tourist sectors, 8ks-Km of coastal lines, 70% of Himalayan range within Indian territory, ks of heritage destinations are all assets for the adventure tourist guidelines launch.India the oldest civilization with four main religions Hindu,Budhism, Jainism and Sikhism is best to visit the religious fervor.

Releasing the guidelines in New Delhi yesterday, Mr Alphons said, India has immense potential for adventure tourism ranging from the Himalayas to the coastal regions. He said, these guidelines are a beginning to building adventure tourism in India.

AIR correspondent reports that these guidelines on safety and quality norms have been formulated along with the Adventure Tour Operators Association of India in an effort to make adventure sports safer.

The aim of this initiative is to help adventure tour operators understand and execute safety guidelines in a better manner. These guidelines cover land, air and water-based activities which include mountaineering, trekking, bungee jumping, paragliding, kayaking, scuba diving, river rafting and many other sports. The guidelines codify the standard operating procedures and instructions for risk mitigation and emergencies as well as provide for details like safety precautions, training required and insurance. It covers the role of a guide, important equipment required, inspections and maintenance process, operating instructions and medical safety and others.

Denmark ban face veil

ON JUNE 1, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Naresh Kumar Sagar

@Nksagar

·

7m

Sagar Media Inc: Denmark ban face veil.#Denmark passes banon #Islamic full-face veil in public spaces, following Belgium, France, Netherlands, Bulgaria and parts of Switzerland.

Denmark voted to ban  burqa, thus the fifth European country to pass such a law.

Lawmakers voted 75-30 in favour of the legislation which had been put forward by the governing centre-right coalition.

Law bans any full-face garment, if  there is no ‘recognisable purpose’ for wearing it, such as cold weather or complying with laws such as wearing helmets on motorcycles.

Politicians insist the law does not target any religion, but it has become known colloquially as the ‘burqa ban’. Headscarves, turbans and Jewish skull caps will not be affected by the law.

Justice Minister Soeren Pape Poulsen said that it will be up to police to use their ‘common sense’ when enforcing the law, which will apply from August 1.

First-time offenders risk a fine of 1,000 kroner (£118). Repeat offenses could trigger fines of up to 10,000 kroner (£1,180) or a jail sentence of up to six months.

Amnesty International has called the ban “a discriminatory violation of women’s rights.

Englishmen fear to speak in (link: http://Britain.US) Britain.USEx Ambassadors call Trump’s tariff silly act. EU Mexico Canada to retaliate measured on steel Aluminum.S Secretary of state Pompedo still uncertain of US Trump Kim Summit.

Article 0

May 31, 2018, 11:37 pm

≫ Next: Article 1

≪ Previous: Article 1

$

0

0

Prime Minister Modi & Lee Hsien Loong in Singapore bilateral talks

ON JUNE 1, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held high level bilateral talks with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Singapore, on his second day of his tour.

A gamut of strategic, economic and technological issues figured during their talks. Several MoUs were signed. Prime Minister expressed gratitude to Singapore’s PM and said he has always made untiring efforts towards strengthening relations with India.

Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister was accorded ceremonial welcome at Istana, the official residence of Singapore President.

After the bilateral talks, India and Singapore will sign and exchange agreements and MoUs in areas of higher education, capacity building, defence, urban infrastructure, people to people contacts among other things followed by a joint statement.

He will call on Singapore President Halimah Yakub and visit Nanyang Technical University and interact with Students. Later, Mr Modi will deliver key-note address in the 18th Shangri La dialogue, a global platform that discusses security related issues in the Asia Pacific region .

Mr Modi who is the first Indian leader to deliver a key note address at this international forum, is likely to emphasis on India’s perspective on security concerns in this region.

He is expected to focus on geopolitical issues in the region, particularly highlight the role that India could play in stabilising the security of Asia and its waters

Prof. B.N. Goswamy lecture SOME ASPECTS OF TIME

ON JUNE 1, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

National Museum, New Delhi added an event.

The lecture will be delivered by Prof. B.N. Goswamy, a distinguished art historian. His talk titled ” SOME ASPECTS OF TIME: The Indian Painter and His Work” will reflect on the handling of time by Indian painters of the past. As noted by Prof. Goswamy, those painters work, reflects on thier being completely at home with the notion of time as manipulable and elusive.

WED, 6 JUNE AT 18:00

India & The world lecture series

National Museum, New Delhi · New Delhi

You like National Museum, New Delhi

Jug Cerovic is an architect and mapmaker on Delhi Metro

ON JUNE 1, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Jug Cerovic is an architect and mapmaker, his map is a pretty rendition of the Delhi Metro #DelhiMetro

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A BLACK HOLE GOBBLES UP A STAR

ON JUNE 1, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Article written: 31 May , 2018

by Matt Williams

At the center of our galaxy resides a Supermassive Black Hole (SMBH) known as Sagittarius A. Based on ongoing observations, astronomers have determined that this SMBH measures 44 million km (27.34 million mi) in diameter and has an estimated mass of 4.31 million Solar Masses. On occasion, a star will wander too close to Sag A and be torn apart in a violent process known as a tidal disruption event (TDE).

These events cause the release of bright flares of radiation, which let astronomers know that a star has been consumed. Unfortunately, for decades, astronomers have been unable to distinguish these events from other galactic phenomena. But thanks to a new study from by an international team of astrophysicists, astronomers now have a unified model that explains recent observations of these extreme events.

The study – which recently appeared in the Astrophysical Journal Letters under the title “A Unified Model for Tidal Disruption Events” – was led by Dr. Jane Lixin Dai, a physicist with the Niels Bohr Institute’s Dark Cosmology Center. She was joined by members from University of Maryland’s Joint Space-Science Institute and the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC).

As Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz – the professor and chair of astronomy and astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz, the Niels Bohr Professor at the University of Copenhagen, and a co-author on the paper – explained in a UCSC press release:

“Only in the last decade or so have we been able to distinguish TDEs from other galactic phenomena, and the new model will provide us with the basic framework for understanding these rare events.”

In most galaxies, SMBHs do not actively consume any material and therefore do not emit any light, which distinguishes them from galaxies that have Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs). Tidal disruption events are therefore rare, occurring only once about every 10,000 years in a typical galaxy. However, when a star does get torn apart, it results in the release of an intense amount of radiation. As Dr. Dai explained:

“It is interesting to see how materials get their way into the black hole under such extreme conditions. As the black hole is eating the stellar gas, a vast amount of radiation is emitted. The radiation is what we can observe, and using it we can understand the physics and calculate the black hole properties. This makes it extremely interesting to go hunting for tidal disruption events.”

In the past few years, a few dozen candidates for tidal disruption events (TDEs) have been detected using wide-field optical and UV transient surveys as well as X-ray telescopes. While the physics are expected to be the same for all TDEs, astronomers have noted that a few distinct classes of TDEs appear to exist. While some emit mostly x-rays, others emit mostly visible and ultraviolet light.

As a result, theorists have struggled to understand the diverse properties observed and create a coherent model that can explain them all. For the sake of their model, Dr. Dai and her colleagues combined elements from general relativity, magnetic fields, radiation, and gas hydrodynamics. The team also relied on state-of-the-art computational tools and some recently-acquired large computer clusters funded by the Villum Foundation for Jens Hjorth (head of DARK Cosmology Center), the U.S. National Science Foundation and NASA.

Using the model that resulted, the team concluded that it is the viewing angle of the observer that accounts for the differences in observation.  Essentially, different galaxies are oriented randomly with respect to observers on Earth, who see different aspects of TDEs depending on their orientation. As Ramirez-Ruiz explained:

“It is like there is a veil that covers part of a beast. From some angles we see an exposed beast, but from other angles we see a covered beast. The beast is the same, but our perceptions are different.”

In the coming years, a number of planned survey projects are expected to provide much more data on TDEs, which will help expand the field of research into this phenomena. These include the Young Supernova Experiment (YSE) transient survey, which will be led by the DARK Cosmology Center at the Niels Bohr Institute and UC Santa Cruz, and the Large Synoptic Survey Telescopes (LSST) being built in Chile.

According to Dr. Dai, this new model shows what astronomers can expect to see when viewing TDEs from different angles and will allow them to fit different events into a coherent framework. “We will observe hundreds to thousands of tidal disruption events in a few years,” she said. “This will give us a lot of ‘laboratories’ to test our model and use it to understand more about black holes.”

This improved understanding of how black holes occasionally consume stars will also provide additional tests for general relativity, gravitational wave research, and help astronomers to learn more about the evolution of galaxies.

Further Reading: UCSC, Astrophysical Journal Letters

Hillary: Naresh, it’s been a big month for Democrats

ON JUNE 1, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Naresh, it’s been a big month for Democrats.

Half of the women running in House primaries have won their races so far, thanks in no small part to the work of our friends at Emerge America. Young, diverse candidates endorsed by Run for Something have continued to win at nearly five times the usual rate for first-time candidates. At least six Swing Left candidates have come out on top, and two District Attorney candidates in North Carolina won after Color of Change mobilized tens of thousands of voters.

Meanwhile, Collective PAC, the Arena, and the rest of the groups that Onward Together partners with have worked tirelessly to get progressive voters inspired and engaged. And I’m just as thrilled as anyone that, thanks in part to our partner groups and thousands of passionate volunteers, Stacey Abrams won her primary earlier this month — and became the first black woman to be a major party nominee for governor in the history of our country.

Today, I’m asking you to become an official member of Onward Together by making a donation to help us find and support groups like these.

This month, Onward Together celebrated our first anniversary. I can’t believe how much we’ve accomplished together in just one year, and I’m looking forward to another year of fighting for our progressive values alongside you.

But we can only grow if this team continues to step up. Please make a contribution today to become an official member of Onward Together:

Thank you. I hope you’re as proud as I am.Hillary

Launch of guidelines for adventure Tourism

ON JUNE 1, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Naresh Kumar Sagar

@Nksagar

·

10h

Sagar Media Inc. – Launch of guidelines for the adventure Tourism.(link: https://youtu.be/xUfFBjusY1g) youtu.be/xUfFBjusY1g

Naresh Kumar Sagar

@Nksagar

·

14h

Sagar Media Inc: These days experiential is buzz for tourists and look for adventure . Secretary GOI Rashmi said was there traveling for Buddhist. Tourism the foreign asked us adventure Tourism.

Naresh Kumar Sagar

@Nksagar

·

14h

Sagar Media Inc : International year of Adventure Tourism is 2018- Launch of Indian Adventure Tourism Guidelines at Ashoka hotel New Delhi

Tourism Minister K J Alphons launched the Government guidelines on adventure tourism in India. with 50K adventure tourism provider in travel and tourist sectors, 8ks-Km of coastal lines, 70% of Himalayan range within Indian territory, ks of heritage destinations are all assets for the adventure tourist guidelines launch.India the oldest civilization with four main religions Hindu,Budhism, Jainism and Sikhism is best to visit the religious fervor.

Releasing the guidelines in New Delhi yesterday, Mr Alphons said, India has immense potential for adventure tourism ranging from the Himalayas to the coastal regions. He said, these guidelines are a beginning to building adventure tourism in India.

AIR correspondent reports that these guidelines on safety and quality norms have been formulated along with the Adventure Tour Operators Association of India in an effort to make adventure sports safer.

The aim of this initiative is to help adventure tour operators understand and execute safety guidelines in a better manner. These guidelines cover land, air and water-based activities which include mountaineering, trekking, bungee jumping, paragliding, kayaking, scuba diving, river rafting and many other sports. The guidelines codify the standard operating procedures and instructions for risk mitigation and emergencies as well as provide for details like safety precautions, training required and insurance. It covers the role of a guide, important equipment required, inspections and maintenance process, operating instructions and medical safety and others.

Denmark ban face veil

ON JUNE 1, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Naresh Kumar Sagar

@Nksagar

·

7m

Sagar Media Inc: Denmark ban face veil.#Denmark passes banon #Islamic full-face veil in public spaces, following Belgium, France, Netherlands, Bulgaria and parts of Switzerland.

Denmark voted to ban  burqa, thus the fifth European country to pass such a law.

Lawmakers voted 75-30 in favour of the legislation which had been put forward by the governing centre-right coalition.

Law bans any full-face garment, if  there is no ‘recognisable purpose’ for wearing it, such as cold weather or complying with laws such as wearing helmets on motorcycles.

Politicians insist the law does not target any religion, but it has become known colloquially as the ‘burqa ban’. Headscarves, turbans and Jewish skull caps will not be affected by the law.

Justice Minister Soeren Pape Poulsen said that it will be up to police to use their ‘common sense’ when enforcing the law, which will apply from August 1.

First-time offenders risk a fine of 1,000 kroner (£118). Repeat offenses could trigger fines of up to 10,000 kroner (£1,180) or a jail sentence of up to six months.

Amnesty International has called the ban “a discriminatory violation of women’s rights.

Englishmen fear to speak in (link: http://Britain.US) Britain.USEx Ambassadors call Trump’s tariff silly act. EU Mexico Canada to retaliate measured on steel Aluminum.S Secretary of state Pompedo still uncertain of US Trump Kim Summit.

Article 1

June 1, 2018, 3:02 am

≫ Next: Article 0

≪ Previous: Article 0

$

0

0

Prime Minister Modi & Lee Hsien Loong in Singapore bilateral talks

ON JUNE 1, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held high level bilateral talks with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Singapore, on his second day of his tour.

A gamut of strategic, economic and technological issues figured during their talks. Several MoUs were signed. Prime Minister expressed gratitude to Singapore’s PM and said he has always made untiring efforts towards strengthening relations with India.

Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister was accorded ceremonial welcome at Istana, the official residence of Singapore President.

After the bilateral talks, India and Singapore will sign and exchange agreements and MoUs in areas of higher education, capacity building, defence, urban infrastructure, people to people contacts among other things followed by a joint statement.

He will call on Singapore President Halimah Yakub and visit Nanyang Technical University and interact with Students. Later, Mr Modi will deliver key-note address in the 18th Shangri La dialogue, a global platform that discusses security related issues in the Asia Pacific region .

Mr Modi who is the first Indian leader to deliver a key note address at this international forum, is likely to emphasis on India’s perspective on security concerns in this region.

He is expected to focus on geopolitical issues in the region, particularly highlight the role that India could play in stabilising the security of Asia and its waters

Article 0

June 4, 2018, 2:31 am

≫ Next: Article 1

≪ Previous: Article 1

$

0

0

Modi, Mattis pledge to continue strong US-India strategic partnership  

ON JUNE 4, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

India and the United States have pledged to continue their strong bilateral strategic partnership, the Pentagon said after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis.

Mattis met the prime minister on the sidelines of the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ 17th Asia Security Summit — also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue — in Singapore on Saturday.

“The two discussed the importance of the US-India relationship, and the role of both nations in cooperating to uphold international laws and principles, and to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific,” defence spokesperson Captain Jeff Davis said here yesterday.

The two leaders “pledged to continue the strong US-India strategic partnership and affirmed their commitment to maintaining peace, stability and prosperity in the region,” Davis said in a readout of the meeting. — PTI  

RFID chips for keeping track of organoids

ON JUNE 4, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Researchers in the U.S. and Japan plan to use Radio frequency identification (RFID) chips for keeping track of organoids, samples of human tissue that mimic pieces of organs and are grown from stem cells. The organoids the researchers embedded with RFID chips functioned normally and withstood extreme conditions, suggesting that they could be a useful way to organize and identify the large quantities of organoids that are often needed in experimental situations.

Human organoids are a promising avenue for research into human development and disease because they replicate the structure, function, and phenotype of our organs in miniature in the lab. Grown from human induced pluripotent stem cells, they divide, differentiate, and self-assemble according to the growth programs of their corresponding organs. And particularly in medicine, they can illustrate the effects of certain drugs on our organs in ways that more traditional cell cultures cannot.

More work needs to be done to scale up the production of these hybrid organoids, and the research team is currently working to develop a system that could scan the radio frequency and fluorescence of an organoid at the same time. The team also hopes that other kinds of microchips could be integrated into organoids in the future and that RFID chips with sensing technologies could be used to record real-time data about the organoids.

biospectrumasia.com

13 Indian beaches will get the Blue Flag certification.

ON JUNE 4, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Environment-friendly, clean and equipped with amenities of international standards for tourists, 13 Indian beaches will soon get the Blue Flag certification. These beaches of Odisha, Maharashtra and other coastal states will be the first in not just India, but in Asia, to get the Blue Flag certification.

The Indian beaches are being developed by the Society for Integrated Coastal Management (SICOM), an environment ministry’s body working for the management of coastal areas.

Project Head of SCIOM Arvind Nautiyal said that to make the beaches environment and tourist-friendly in accordance with the Blue Flag standards, a beach has to be plastic-free and be equipped with a waste management system.

They also have to ensure availability of clean water for tourists, have amenities of international standards for tourists and be equipped with facilities for studying environmental impact around the beach, he said.

Mr Nautiyal was speaking at a five-day conference, which was organised to commemorate the World Environment Day, about making the beaches pollution free.

He said that according to the Blue Flag standards, a beach has to strictly comply with 33 environment and tourism related conditions. There is not a single Blue Flag beach in Asia so far, he added.

The Blue Flag beach standards were established by Copenhagen-based Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) in 1985. The Blue Flag programme, which requires 33 standards in four areas to be met to make beaches environment-friendly, first started from Paris.

Within the next two years, almost all beaches in Europe were accorded the Blue Flag certification. This campaign spread outside Europe, to South Africa, in 2001.

Asia remains untouched by it till date. The environment ministry started a pilot project to develop the Indian beaches according to the Blue Flag standards in December 2017.

A senior ministry official said that 13 beaches from the coastal states had been chosen for the Blue Flag certification under the project. For this, these beaches are being developed in accordance with the Blue Flag beach standards under a Unified Coastal Areas Management Programme.

This project has two main aims. Firstly, to improve the aquatic habitat by cleaning the growing pollution and garbage in the Indian beaches. Secondly, to develop ecological tourism with constant progress and development of tourist facilities.

According to ministry sources, Chandrabhaga beach of Odisha’s Konark coast was the first to complete the tag certification process. It will be awarded the honour on the World Environment Day tomorrow.

Maharashtra’s Chiwla and Bhogave beaches are also being made a part of this initiative. Apart from these, one beach from Puducherry, Goa, Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands each has been chosen as Blue Flag beach.

Met Dept advisory

ON JUNE 4, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Met department has issued a weather warning of thunderstorm, gusty winds and lightning at various places in the country today. According to the advisory, thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds and lightning are very likely at isolated places over Gangetic West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Vidarbha, Konkan and Goa, Madhya Maharashtra, Marathawada, Tamilnadu, Telangana, Rayalaseema and Interior Karnataka and Coastal Andhra Pradesh.

Heavy rain is also expected at isolated places over Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Assam and Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura, Telangana, Rayalaseema, Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.

The advisory further said, heat wave conditions are very likely to occur at one or two pockets over West Rajasthan.

Indian Navy evacuated stranded Indians from Socotra island

ON JUNE 4, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Indian Navy today evacuated 38 stranded Indians from Socotra island in Yemen where they got stuck after cyclone Mekunu hit the area 10 days ago, forcing India to launch an operation to rescue them.

Indian Navy Spokesperson Captain D K Sharma said, the Navy evacuated the Indians as part of operation ‘NISTAR’ carried out off the coast of Socotra early today and embarked them at Indian Naval ship INS Sunayna to bring them back to India.

He said, the evacuated Indians were immediately provided with medical care, food, water and telephone facilities to call and reassure their families and all have been reported to be safe. He said, post evacuation, the ship is proceeding towards Porbandar.

Myanmar: Ready take back 700K Rohingya Muslim refugees

ON JUNE 4, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Myanmar today said it will take back all 700,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees who have fled to Bangladesh if they volunteer to return.

Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Myanmar’s National Security Adviser Thaung Tun said, if you can send back 700,000 on a voluntary basis, we are willing to receive them.

Mr. Thaung Tun said Myanmar does not deny that what is unfolding in northern Rakhine is a humanitarian crisis. He said that while the military had the right to defend the country if investigations showed they had acted illegally, action would be taken.

Since August 2017, about 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled a military crackdown in the country.

Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed in January to complete the voluntary repatriation of the refugees within two years.

Myanmar signed an agreement with the United Nations on Thursday aimed at eventually allowing the Rohingya sheltering in Bangladesh to return safely and by choice.

Madrid’s direct rule ends with new Catalan regional government in place

ON JUNE 4, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

A new regional government has been formed in Spain’s Catalonia region, ending 7 months of direct rule by the central government in Madrid. After months of tension with the central government, a new cabinet led by separatist Quim Torra was sworn in yesterday.

It came as Spain’s new prime minister took office the same day. Socialist Pedro Sanchez replaced Mariano Rajoy, who had been ousted following a corruption scandal.

Last October, the Spanish government withheld Catalonia’s autonomy, after the region unilaterally declared independence from Spain. The Catalan parliament was dissolved and its leader, Carles Puigdemont, was dismissed.

In December, pro-independence parties won a majority in the regional parliamentary election. The new government was formed after several failed attempts.

Union Steel Minister interacts with stakeholders

ON JUNE 3, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

New Delhi, 1st June 2018

Minister of Steel interacting with stakeholders

Union Minister of Steel, Birender Singh interacted with a group of stakeholders in New Delhi. In the freewheeling and open deliberation session, the Minister shared with them various initiatives, schemes and achievements of the Ministry. The participants included people from diverse backgrounds and age-mix, with interests, experience or expertise in steel and related industries. There were professors, engineers, former CMDs, students, social workers, and entrepreneurs in the round-table discussions.

Shri Singh spoke briefly about India’s rapid rise in the world steel scenario, polices rolled out by the Ministry and various projects of national importance where steel has been used. He also pointed out how the Ministry is taking concrete actions to ensure that steel used in India is cleaner, safer and healthier for every Indian. The Minster highlighted the progress made by India in different spheres of economy.

The address by the Minister was followed by a lively interaction. The participants sought answers to their queries about future roadmap, resource management and linkage of steel with the economy. They also shared their ideas and innovative suggestions on what more could be done to further improve contribution of steel sector to the society and the nation.

Shri Singh thanked the participants for taking out time and contributing their best to enable the Government in enhancing citizen engagement and participation in its plans and policies. They expressed their happiness in being given this opportunity to be apprised of the Government’s initiatives and efforts.

The session was part of the ongoing series of interactions being coordinated by MyGov, (Citizen Engagement Platform of GoI) named “FridayAtMyGov”.

Article 1

June 5, 2018, 12:23 am

≫ Next: Article 0

≪ Previous: Article 0

$

0

0

“linguicide” of the Dutch language

ON JUNE 5, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Hague: Dutch education officials said Monday they aim to rein in the spread of courses taught in English in the country´s universities and slow the flood of foreign students.

The move comes amid a growing outcry at the infiltration of English language courses in Dutch higher education institutions, with many warning that Dutch students are being disadvantaged and the language is under threat.

Even if “the internationalisation of higher education brings added value… there must always be a place for Dutch students” at the country´s 14 universities, the education ministry insisted.

The report comes after the largest lecturers´ union, known as BON, warned of the looming “linguicide” of the Dutch language if the trend continues.

Even though about 65 percent of bachelor´s degrees are taught in Dutch, only about 15 percent of master´s degrees are. And almost a quarter of students obtaining a master´s are foreigners.

Britain´s exit from the European Union next year has only accelerated the phenomenon, with international students flocking to the Netherlands drawn by the large number of English-taught degree courses.

“The clauses in the law pertaining to the choice of language in higher and vocational education must be revised,” the ministry said.

Greater accent must be placed on “accessibility to education for Dutch students”.

BON has launched a lawsuit accusing Twente University and the University of Maastricht of killing the Dutch language through the “Anglicisation” of courses as they both offer two master´s degree courses in psychology exclusively in English.

They termed the offers by the two universities as an “impoverishment” and a “dangerous abandonment” of the Dutch language.

But Education Minister Ingrid van Engelshoven also cautioned against becoming too inward-looking.

“I represent an open Dutch society in which we dare to look beyond the borders,” she said, quoted in the statement.

“We must not let ourselves be scared by stories in which internationalism is something negative which is swamping us,” she added.

Media agencies

US & NK meet on June12, Singapore

ON JUNE 5, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

With hectic preparations are on for a summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un were going well, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Monday, and the two were tentatively scheduled to meet at 9 AM Singapore time (6 AM PST) on June 12.

After having cancelled the summit on Friday, Trump said the meeting was back on after he received the North Korean delegation bearing a letter from Kim.

Asked about the contents of Kim’s letter, Sanders declined to “get into the specifics” but added: “We feel like things are continuing to move forward and good progress has been made.”

“The president has been receiving daily briefings on North Korea from his national security team,” she added.

After meeting a senior official from Pyongyang at the White House on Friday, Trump said North Korea was being more cooperative and that although sanctions would remain in place, he would hold off on imposing new ones.

Trump said he didn’t want to use the term “maximum pressure” any more, because the two sides were “getting along”.

On consisting to the  question at a news briefing on Monday whether the “maximum pressure” campaign would continue, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters: “We have sanctions on, they are very powerful and we would not take those sanctions off unless North Korea denuclearized.”

The Trump administration has credited its “maximum pressure” campaign, supported by the United Nations and major world powers, for helping bring North Korea to the table to negotiate giving up its nuclear weapons.

Top Senate Democrats on Monday told Trump not to make a deal that leaves North Korea with nuclear weapons and threatened to maintain or toughen sanctions on Pyongyang if that condition is not met.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and ranking Democrats from national security committees released a letter to Trump laying out demands for any pact, which they said must be permanent.

They also urged him to lean hard on Kim’s ally China to ensure it “will do all it can to help secure an agreement and then insist on strict North Korean compliance with such an agreement”.

Easing sanctions under a deal would likely need approval from Congress which has passed sanctions on North Korea.

Since most legislation needs 60 votes to pass the 100-member Senate and Trump’s fellow Republicans hold only 51 seats, that would require Democratic support.

29th Anniversary of Tiananmen Square 115 Ks turnout

ON JUNE 5, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

People in Hong Kong have gathered for an annual memorial service for victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown in Beijing.Organizers say about 115,000 people turned out on Monday for this year’s gathering to mark the 29th anniversary of the incident. That’s 5,000 more than last year.

Participants lit candles in memory of the victims of the fatal crackdown on pro-democracy activists, many of whom were students.

The demonstrators demanded that the Chinese government re-evaluate the incident, which it says left 319 people dead.

Critics say the number was far larger.

The organizers displayed a bust of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo at the rally. Liu was a symbol of the pro-democracy movement in the country. He died last year.

The demonstrators protested against the Chinese authorities’ continued surveillance of his widow, Liu Xia, and called for her release from house arrest.

They also criticized what they see as an intensifying crackdown on human rights lawyers in mainland China, as President Xi Jinping moves to solidify his one-person rule.

A 61-year-old participant said that people in Hong Kong need to make their voices heard in the international community about the deterioration of human rights and democracy in China.

About 100 people also held a rally in the Taiwanese city of Taipei on Monday night to remember the victims of the incident.

Wu Renhua, a former university lecturer, told the crowd what he saw when he joined the student-led protest on June 4th 29 years ago. Wu now lives in exile in the United States.

Wu said more than 200,000 troops were mobilized against the protest. He said troops fired at crowds randomly and tanks charged into them. He said children and medical staff giving first aid were among those killed.

Wu emphasized that the impact of Tiananmen continues. He said Chinese authorities still threaten veterans of the protest at home and abroad. He called on people at the rally to stand up and continue saying “no” to the Chinese government and Communist Party.

A man in his 20s said people in Taiwan need to sustain interest in how Chinese authorities persecute dissidents. Otherwise, he said Taiwan could lose its democracy just like what is happening in Hong Kong.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen delivered a message to people in mainland China on her Facebook page, using simplified Chinese characters.

She wrote that China is haunted by the 1989 tragedy. But she said it can be turned into a foundation to move toward a society that embraces freedom and democracy if Beijing faces up to history and admits using state violence on its citizens.

Tsai said she hopes the universal values of freedom and democracy can be enjoyed by people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Hani Mulki has resigned

ON JUNE 5, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Jordan’s Prime Minister Hani Mulki has resigned following widespread protests against plans to raise income tax. King Abdullah accepted Mulki’s resignation on Monday.

Media reports say the King has asked Omar al-Razzaz, the education minister, to form a new government as prime minister.

Mulki’s government sparked protests with a reform plan, backed by the International Monetary Fund, which included a steep tax hike.

Thousands of protestors have taken to the streets in the capital Amman since last week, clashing with security forces.

It is unclear whether Mulki’s resignation will end demonstrations. Labor unions have vowed to continue protesting until the authorities give up the planned tax hike.

Jordan’s economy has been hit hard by regional insecurity in recent years, in particular due to conflicts in neighboring Syria and Iraq. Jordan has accepted nearly 700,000 refugees from Syria.

Merkel: Iran is a ‘concern’ for Israel’s security

ON JUNE 5, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday that she agreed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Iran’s activities in the Middle East are a concern, particularly for Israel’s security. She made the statement after a meeting in Berlin. “We agree that the question of Iran’s regional influence is worrying, especially for Israel’s security,” the chancellor said. Netanyahu’s European tour this week follows the US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal which France, Germany and Britain have said they will continue to respect. The Israeli leader is also expected to meet French President Emmanuel Macron and possibly British Prime Minister Theresa May to discuss ways to stop what Netanyahu called “Iran’s nuclear ambitions and regional expansionism,” Reuters said.

Groupe PSA begins suspending joint ventures in Iran

ON JUNE 5, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Groupe PSA has begun to suspend its joint venture activities in Iran, the French carmaker said on Monday, following the withdrawal of the US from a nuclear pact signed with the country, Reuters reports. European signatories are scrambling to save the accord, by protecting trade with Iran against the re-imposition of US sanctions to dissuade Tehran from quitting the deal. “The group has begun to suspend its joint venture activities, in order to comply with US law by August 6,” PSA said in a statement. “With the support of the French government, the Groupe PSA is engaging with the US authorities to consider a waiver.” The suspensions do not alter PSA’s current financial guidance, the group said, adding that its Iranian activities accounted for less than 1 percent of revenue.

 Putin is set to visit Austria on Tuesday

ON JUNE 5, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

 Putin is set to visit Austria on Tuesday – a country that traditionally has good relations with Moscow. His trip, however, might have wider implications for a Europe that seems to be at a crossroads.

Austria has had constructive and pragmatic –if not friendly– relations with Russia and its predecessor, the Soviet Union, since the establishment of the Second Republic back in 1955. Vienna has also strived to keep it that way through the recent turbulent years, marked by increased tensions between Russia and Europe.

Even though it had to join anti-Russian sanctions after Russia’s reunification with Crimea and the start of the Ukraine crisis, Austria repeatedly called for easing or even lifting the restrictions, pointing at their ineffectiveness and utter futility.

Austria was the first European country Putin visited in summer 2014, after the outbreak of the European conflict put a strain on Russia’s relations with the EU.

Now seems the right time to give these good relations a boost. Last month, the Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz praised Russia as a “superpower” as he expressed Vienna’s desire to “keep the channels of communication with Russia open.”

In his interview with the Russian media ahead of Putin’s visit this week, he said he sees a “positive dynamic” in the development of bilateral relations, adding that they have “enormous potential.” Kurz also chose Russia as a destination for his first visit to a non-EU country after he took up the chancellor’s post in what could also be described as a positive sign.

His Austrian People’s Party’s coalition partners, the right-wing Freedom Party (FPO), hold an even more favorable view of Moscow. The FPO called for the lifting of anti-Russian sanctions on numerous occasions throughout these years and even vowed to fight for it as part of the Austrian government.

The FPO members also visited Crimea in 2017. Austria maintains strong economic ties with Russia, even though bilateral trade between the two nations has been severely hit by a series of sanctions and counter-sanctions imposed by Moscow and Brussels against one another over the course of the Ukraine crisis.

Economic ties seem to be recovering: In 2017, the trade turnover between Russia and Austria grew by 40 percent, compared with the previous year. Some 60 percent of Austria’s gas supply also comes from Russia. Since the start of 2018, the Alpine nation has increased its gas imports by an impressive 77.2 per cent, compared to the same period of the already record-breaking previous year.

The Russian president’s visit also conveniently coincides with the 50th anniversary of the beginning of Soviet gas supplies to the Alpine nation. The Austrian OMV energy company became the first western enterprise to sign a gas supply agreement with the Soviet Union in 1968.

Against such a positive backdrop, Putin’s visit to Austria, his first foreign visit since re-election in March, is poised to be beneficial for both sides in terms of both political and economic relations. However, the two leaders might have some bigger plans in mind than just a bilateral agenda. Austria, which takes pride in its neutrality and geographical location “at the heart” of the European continent, apparently strives to fill a role as a ‘bridge’ in relations between Moscow and the EU, which Kurz says he wants to normalize.

One has to admit that a small Alpine nation could hardly be called a political heavyweight in the current European political landscape. Neither is Austria likely to single-handedly undo the damage done to Russian-European relations by the years-long bickering over the conflict in Ukraine, the Syrian war and some other issues.

Still, it might be able to influence the situation at a time when the future of European foreign policy seems to be left in a sort of limbo. Kurz has already said that his government would seek to “bridge” the rift between Brussels and some opportunist Eastern European governments, which has been plaguing the bloc for quite some time.

Kim invited to Russia

ON JUNE 4, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un to pay an official visit to Russia. The invitation came in a personal letter that was delivered earlier by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

One of the possible occasions for the visit could be the 4th Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia’s Far Eastern city near its border with North Korea. The forum will take place on September 11-13.

However, the visit depends on Pyongyang, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. “Time will show to what extent it is convenient for the North Korean side,” he told journalists on Monday. Peskov added that the issue is to be worked on via diplomatic channels and there are no specific details on the meeting so far.

The top Russian diplomat traveled to the North Korean capital last week to discuss the course of intra-Korean negotiations and de-escalation in the region with senior officials. After receiving Putin’s personal letter, Kim reaffirmed his commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

The meeting with Lavrov came less than two weeks before the highly anticipated summit between US President Donald Trump and the North Korean leader. Trump disapproved of Lavrov’s visit to the North, questioning its purpose, but then conversely noted that “it could be very positive too.”

US: Chinese items targeted for 25 percent tariffs

ON JUNE 4, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

China says it has made progress with the United States in weekend talks on bilateral trade in farm and other products. But it warns that any US trade sanctions on Chinese imports would nullify this progress.

Two countries held another two days of trade talks on Saturday and Sunday in Beijing. US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross met with Liu He, the Chinese Vice Premier in charge of economic affairs.

After the talks, Chinese officials said in a statement that, “the two sides had good communication in various areas such as agriculture and energy, and have made positive and concrete progress.”

But it added that, “all economic and trade outcomes of the talks will not take effect if the US side imposes any trade sanctions, including raising tariffs.”

They said the latest trade talks were based on a bilateral agreement to avoid a trade war and that the outcome of the talks would be nullified in the event of possible US economic sanctions.

During the previous round of talks in Washington, the two countries agreed to avoid a trade war. China also agreed to import more American farm products to reduce its trade surplus with the US.

The US announced on Tuesday of last week that it would release a final list of Chinese items targeted for 25 percent tariffs by mid-June and promptly impose the levies, citing alleged violations of intellectual property rights by China.

Grenade attack in Shopian

ON JUNE 4, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

16 people, including four policemen, were injured in a grenade attack in a busy market area in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian district, police said.

Terrorists hurled a grenade on security forces in Shopian town, resulting in injuries to at least 12 civilians and four cops, a police official said.

He said the area has been cordoned off and searches started to nab the attackers.

Terrorists have carried out a series of grenade attacks on security forces and politicians since last week.

Modi, Mattis pledge to continue strong US-India strategic partnership  

ON JUNE 4, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

India and the United States have pledged to continue their strong bilateral strategic partnership, the Pentagon said after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis.

Mattis met the prime minister on the sidelines of the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ 17th Asia Security Summit — also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue — in Singapore on Saturday.

“The two discussed the importance of the US-India relationship, and the role of both nations in cooperating to uphold international laws and principles, and to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific,” defence spokesperson Captain Jeff Davis said here yesterday.

The two leaders “pledged to continue the strong US-India strategic partnership and affirmed their commitment to maintaining peace, stability and prosperity in the region,” Davis said in a readout of the meeting. — PTI  

RFID chips for keeping track of organoids

ON JUNE 4, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Researchers in the U.S. and Japan plan to use Radio frequency identification (RFID) chips for keeping track of organoids, samples of human tissue that mimic pieces of organs and are grown from stem cells. The organoids the researchers embedded with RFID chips functioned normally and withstood extreme conditions, suggesting that they could be a useful way to organize and identify the large quantities of organoids that are often needed in experimental situations.

Human organoids are a promising avenue for research into human development and disease because they replicate the structure, function, and phenotype of our organs in miniature in the lab. Grown from human induced pluripotent stem cells, they divide, differentiate, and self-assemble according to the growth programs of their corresponding organs. And particularly in medicine, they can illustrate the effects of certain drugs on our organs in ways that more traditional cell cultures cannot.

More work needs to be done to scale up the production of these hybrid organoids, and the research team is currently working to develop a system that could scan the radio frequency and fluorescence of an organoid at the same time. The team also hopes that other kinds of microchips could be integrated into organoids in the future and that RFID chips with sensing technologies could be used to record real-time data about the organoids.

biospectrumasia.com

13 Indian beaches will get the Blue Flag certification.

ON JUNE 4, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Environment-friendly, clean and equipped with amenities of international standards for tourists, 13 Indian beaches will soon get the Blue Flag certification. These beaches of Odisha, Maharashtra and other coastal states will be the first in not just India, but in Asia, to get the Blue Flag certification.

The Indian beaches are being developed by the Society for Integrated Coastal Management (SICOM), an environment ministry’s body working for the management of coastal areas.

Project Head of SCIOM Arvind Nautiyal said that to make the beaches environment and tourist-friendly in accordance with the Blue Flag standards, a beach has to be plastic-free and be equipped with a waste management system.

They also have to ensure availability of clean water for tourists, have amenities of international standards for tourists and be equipped with facilities for studying environmental impact around the beach, he said.

Mr Nautiyal was speaking at a five-day conference, which was organised to commemorate the World Environment Day, about making the beaches pollution free.

He said that according to the Blue Flag standards, a beach has to strictly comply with 33 environment and tourism related conditions. There is not a single Blue Flag beach in Asia so far, he added.

The Blue Flag beach standards were established by Copenhagen-based Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) in 1985. The Blue Flag programme, which requires 33 standards in four areas to be met to make beaches environment-friendly, first started from Paris.

Within the next two years, almost all beaches in Europe were accorded the Blue Flag certification. This campaign spread outside Europe, to South Africa, in 2001.

Asia remains untouched by it till date. The environment ministry started a pilot project to develop the Indian beaches according to the Blue Flag standards in December 2017.

A senior ministry official said that 13 beaches from the coastal states had been chosen for the Blue Flag certification under the project. For this, these beaches are being developed in accordance with the Blue Flag beach standards under a Unified Coastal Areas Management Programme.

This project has two main aims. Firstly, to improve the aquatic habitat by cleaning the growing pollution and garbage in the Indian beaches. Secondly, to develop ecological tourism with constant progress and development of tourist facilities.

According to ministry sources, Chandrabhaga beach of Odisha’s Konark coast was the first to complete the tag certification process. It will be awarded the honour on the World Environment Day tomorrow.

Maharashtra’s Chiwla and Bhogave beaches are also being made a part of this initiative. Apart from these, one beach from Puducherry, Goa, Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands each has been chosen as Blue Flag beach.

Met Dept advisory

ON JUNE 4, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Met department has issued a weather warning of thunderstorm, gusty winds and lightning at various places in the country today. According to the advisory, thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds and lightning are very likely at isolated places over Gangetic West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Vidarbha, Konkan and Goa, Madhya Maharashtra, Marathawada, Tamilnadu, Telangana, Rayalaseema and Interior Karnataka and Coastal Andhra Pradesh.

Heavy rain is also expected at isolated places over Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Assam and Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura, Telangana, Rayalaseema, Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.

The advisory further said, heat wave conditions are very likely to occur at one or two pockets over West Rajasthan.

Article 0

June 5, 2018, 1:19 am

≫ Next: Article 1

≪ Previous: Article 1

$

0

0

Head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Salehi holds press

 

 

[facebook url="https://www.facebook.com/PRESSTV/videos/2064793020229141/" /]

Head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Salehi holds press conference

 

 

Salehi: Iran will not accept at all new JCPOA.AEOI had prepared itself for new scenarios in case JCPOA face problems.
Salehi : Iran Can return to nuclear activities before JCPOA.
Salehi: Iranian nation has stood strongly against enemies over past decades
Iran leaders: Limitation on country's Missile program a dream that will not come true

Article 1

June 6, 2018, 2:58 am

≫ Next: Article 0

≪ Previous: Article 0

$

0

0

Minister WCD Maneka, highlighting the achievements

ON JUNE 6, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Minister WCD ,Maneka Gandhi addresses Press conference highlighting Achievements in the past 4 year.

Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi has said that her Ministry has taken several initiatives to protect women from rising crimes against them.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi about the achievements of her Ministry in the last four years, Mrs Gandhi said, helpline number 181 to help women in distress is now available in almost every state. She said, for the first time, the government is providing coordinated support to women facing problems in their marriage to Non Resident Indians.

Mrs Gandhi said, her ministry is working towards effective implementation of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace ( Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013. She informed that provision of a panic button in cell phones is being worked out and work is in progress in this direction.

Need for making anti-rape laws gender neutral, Union Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi has urged all States and Union Territories to include male child victims of sexual abuse in their victim. Air India sexual harassment case: Complete probe this month, orders WCD Minister Maneka Gandh.

We have found that the weakest part of crime detection is by use of forensic tools, said the Union Minister while announcing a plan to strengthen the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL).

The Minister said, rape kits are being provided in every police station for immediate check-up of victims and results are sent to laboratories.

IFAD and Nepal invest US$68.1 million

ON JUNE 6, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

IFAD and Nepal invest US$68.1 million to improve incomes and food and nutrition security for rural smallholders

Rome, 6 June 2018 – The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Nepal have signed a financing agreement to significantly improve incomes and food and nutrition security for 35,000 rural farming households in 10 districts in State 6.

The agreement for the Agriculture Sector Development Programme was signed by correspondence by Gilbert F. Houngbo, President of IFAD, and,Shreekrishna Nepal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Nepal.

The total cost of the new programme is US$68.1 million, including a $38.2 million loan and a $1.8 million grant from IFAD. The project will be cofinanced by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation ($3 million), the Government of Nepal ($11.5 million) and others. It will be implemented over six years. 

In Nepal, two thirds of the labour force is engaged in agricultural production, but the majority are unskilled and lack knowledge of updated cultivation practices. Food insecurity remains a key concern in the country, with rates of stunting and wasting being the highest in the programme area.

“The programme will target smallholder producers and landless rural people interested in engaging in targeted value chain activities,” said Lakshmi Moola, IFAD Country Programme Manager.

“We aim to improve incomes and food security by supporting producers in developing high-value agricultural products that correspond to market needs and can generate a profit. The programme will also invest in market infrastructure and producers’ access to markets,” she added.

Technical training and financial services will be provided and women and disadvantaged households will be specifically targeted.

The programme will be implemented in Dailekh, Dolpa, Humla, Jajarkot, Jumla, Kalikot, Mugu, Rukum (Western), Salyan, and Surrket districts in State 6, located in the mid-western area of Nepal. 

Since 1978, IFAD has financed 17 rural development programmes and projects in Nepal, investing $301.8 million or $609.8 million when co-financing is included. These projects and programmes have benefitted almost 824,000 rural households. 

Susan Beccio

Communications Division
Tel: +39 06 5459 2479

Blast in iron mine in China

ON JUNE 6, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

China, twenty-three workers were rescued today from an iron mine in northeast Liaoning province, hours after they were trapped by a powerful explosion.

Authorities said, the explosion in the iron ore mine in Sishanling village, Benxi city killed 11 people and injured nine others who were above ground. It destroyed the hoisting system in the mine, trapping 25 miners underground.

The blast took place yesterday when miners were dropping explosives down the 1,000-metre-deep mine shaft. State-run Xinhua news agency reports that search is underway for the two others still remain missing.

RBI hikes repo rate to 6.25%

ON JUNE 6, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

RBI hikes Repo Rate for the 1st time in over 4 years by 25 bps to 6.25%

Reserve Bank of India hikes Repo Rate by 25 bps to 6.25%. Reverse Repo rate at 6.50%. The central bank announced its bimonthly monetary policy on Wednesday amid expanding economic growth and the recent increase in crude oil prices.

The RBI projects inflation for 2018-19 at 4.8- 4.9% in first half and 4.7% in the second half of the year, projection for GDP is 7.5-7.6 in first half and 7.3-7.4 in the second half.

The meeting of the monetary policy committee headed by RBI Governor Urjit Patel, began in Mumbai on Monday. The committee will meet today as well, before the policy will be announced. This is the first time the six-member committee is meeting for three days instead of the usual two, due to certain administrative exigencies.

All six members of the MPC including RBI Governor Urjit Patel voted for the 0.25 per cent rate hike.

Fashion designer Kate Spade found dead

ON JUNE 6, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Designer Kate Spade, one of the biggest names in American fashion, was found dead today in New York after committing suicide, police said. She was 55. Celebrity website TMZ said the designer — especially known for her sleek handbags — hanged herself in her Park Avenue apartment.

A police spokeswoman confirmed Spade committed suicide but told AFP the exact circumstances of her death were not yet clear.
Tributes to Spade poured in — from celebrities, the fashion world and everyday women who admired her quintessential American style.
The Council of Fashion Designers of America said it was “devastated” at the news.
Spade — a Missouri native who first worked as a journalist, launched her eponymous fashion label in 1993 with her husband Andy and the help of outside investors.

Media Invitations: 3×3 Pro Basketball League

ON JUNE 6, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Hi,

Greetings! 

3×3 Pro Basketball League

Cordially invites you

To announce the Kick-off of the Inaugural Season of the first ever FIBA 3×3 recognised Pro Basketball League

&

The fixtures along with players

In presence of

• Indian basketball superstars

o   Palpreet Singh Brar – the second NBA player from India

• International top FIBA 3×3 Basketball Players

o   Inderbir Gill – USA#2

o   Bikramjit Gill – Canada#4

• 3X3BL Management

o   Rohit Bakshi, 3BL League Commissioner

o   Sudhir Vashist – Chief of Marketing & Business Development

o   Vivek Krishna – Entertainment Director

• Eminent personalities

o   Member of the India Parliament for North East Delhi – Shri Manoj Tiwari

Venue: Hotel the Royal Plaza, Connaught Place

Date: June 6th, 2018 (Tomorrow)

Time: 11:00 am

RSVP: Laxmi Sharma | laxmi.sharma@mslgroup.com | +91 9654515243

            Deeksha Chowdry | deeksha.chowdry@mslgroup.com | +91 9654154505


Putin: Lifting Russia sanctions benefit all

ON JUNE 6, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Russian President Vladimir Putin says Western sanctions against Russia haven’t worked and both Moscow and the West would benefit from lifting them. Putin, speaking on a visit to Austria today, said the restrictions are “harmful for everyone – those who initiated them and those who are targeted by them.”

The United States, the European Union and other Western allies introduced a slew of sanctions against Moscow over its 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and for its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Coupled with a drop in oil prices, the sanctions contributed to Russia’s two-year recession.
The Russian economy has rebounded, however, and Putin emphasized that lifting the sanctions would answer common interests. He said both Russia and the EU would benefit from resuming full-scale cooperation.

DMA,  “World Environment Day”

ON JUNE 6, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

PRESS INVITATION

To all the Chief/Health Reporter

Press/Media

We are pleased to inform you that Delhi Medical Association is observing “World Environment Day” on 5th June every year. This year Delhi Medical Association is celebrating World Environment Day on Wednesday, the 6th June 2018.

On this occasion, DMA is organizing a seminar on Ill Effects of Pollutions on Wednesday, 6th June 2018 at  2.30pm preceded by lunch at DMA House. Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Hon’ble Minister for Environment and Science and Technology Govt. of India will grace the occasion as the Chief Guest.
Besides, that DMA is launching Save Environment Green Good Deeds Campaign along with therelease of the poster depicting green good deeds to save the environment.

You are requested to kindly depute your reporter and photographer to cover the event on 6th June 2018 at  2.00pm and oblige.

Copy of the invitation card is enclosed herewith for your ready reference

Regards,

Dr. Ashwani Goyal            Dr. Harish Gupta                        Dr. G.S. Grewal        

President,                          Chairman, Prog                 Hony. State Secretary, DMA

M: 9811113647                   M:9810219482                                    M: 9811078010
DR.G.S.GREWAL
HONY. STATE SECRETARY
DELHI MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
M:9811078010

Austria’s Kurz to Putin

ON JUNE 6, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Russia is crucial in bringing peace to Syria and Ukraine, Austrian leader Sebastian Kurz told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, adding he hopes Moscow helps secure peace in Donbass, paving the way to lifting EU sanctions.

“Russia, as a superpower, has an important role in Syria and eastern Ukraine, and Russia has great responsibility,” Chancellor Kurz said after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vienna on Tuesday. “We hope that Russia will contribute to people finally living to see what they wanted to see for a long time – peace.”

We have the highest hopes for progress in eastern Ukraine so that with gradual implementation of the Minsk agreements to step by step lift sanctions”against Russia, the chancellor said.

“This is the scenario that we want to achieve for our continent.”

After the talks, Putin told journalists that Austria has expressed readiness to join the humanitarian efforts in Syria.

“If Europe wants the flow of migrants from Syria and nearby countries to decrease, it’s necessary to help the people to return to their homes; to help them to put life back on track in their country,” the Russian president said.

Russian Air Force was first dispatched to Syria back in September 2015 on the request of country’s president, Bashar Assad. The successful bombing campaign against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) and other jihadist groups, backing the advances of government forces, and the establishment of de-escalation zone have led to most of the Syrian territory being liberated from terrorists.

Ukraine, on the other hand, Moscow does not consider itself part of the conflict. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied Western claims that it has been supporting the rebels in Donetsk and Lugansk regions with arms, money and manpower in their fight against Kiev. Despite not being a party to the war, Russia has been actively working to achieve peace in Donbass, brokering the Minsk-2 peace deal with France and Germany in February 2015, which led to a sharp decrease in violence in the conflict zone.

Farmers Right to Set Minimum Selling Price – Corrupt NGOs  

ON JUNE 6, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

June06, 2018 (C) Ravinder Singh progressindia2015@gmail.com

India is let down by ‘Three Generations of Jakhars’ who always worked in Self Interest – Balram Jakhar was Crying when his Kinnows were sold for Rs.25 per kg when Director of Punjab Agriculture from his smaller Kinnow Farm nearby was realizing just Rs.8 Per Kg.

A Street Vendor owning a 4 Wheel Rusty cart buys fruits and vegetables at say Rs.20 per kg in the morning and by evening sells about 100 kgs of fruits and Vegetables at Rs.40 per kg and makesRs.2,000/- daily income. This translates to Rs.7,30,000 Tax Free Annual Income. In cases where Four Brothers are in Business – a joint Family Earns Rs.29,20,000 Tax Free income. Capital Investment required is just say Rs.10,000 or Rs.20,000 only.

But a Family of 4 Brothers Producing Sugarcane are Not Paid for 2-3 Years from day of Sowing and Investment of Rs.10,00,000 Plus Rs.10 Cr Cost of Land Yield No Profit or Net Income. If we Consider Moneylenders Cost it is Negative.

This year TOP – Tomato, Onion & Potato Farmers were paid just Rs.1 per kg. Garlic farmers paid Rs.2 per kg this year joins TOP – its now TOPG.

Jakhars had let down India – a Street Vendor is Free to FIX his Selling Price –  

Why can’t 600m Farmers Coops ‘FIX MINIMUM SELLING PRICE’ for their produce?

Bogus Farm Leader ‘Krishan Bir Choudhary’ mislead Western UP Farmers –

KBC never Tells that UP Farmers also Produce 30 million tones of Milk, 50 million tones of Wheat & Rice – can make 2 million tones of Milk Cake or Burfi that retails for Rs.300/- to Rs.500/- per kg.

Why can’t Farmers own 1000 TPD Sugar Mills within 5 km radius that assures Cash Payment or Sugar For Sugarcane Delivered?

Why can’t Farmers produce ETHANOL Directly from Sugarcane?

In 2008 India imported 128.15 million metric tons of crude, constituting 75% of its total petroleum consumption for that year. By 2025 it will be importing 90% of its petroleum (UNESCAP 2009). In an effort to increase its energy security and independence, the Government of India in October of 2007 set a 20% ethanol blend target for gasoline fuel to be met by 2017. In India, the vast majority of ethanol is produced from sugarcane molasses, a byproduct of sugar. In the future it may also be produced directly from sugarcane juice.

Ethanol Policy 2007 was Sabotaged by Sugar Mills and RIL in 11 Years. India spent $2000b in these years on Import of Energy.

Why can’t FARMERS OWN SUGAR BUFFER STOCKS and Paid in ‘Sugar’ for Sugarcane Delivered – Farmer Delivering 10 T of Sugarcane – Returning with 1 T of Sugar?  

Why not invest in 100-500 KW Solar Farms, SME Food Processing?  

Ravinder Singh, Inventor & Consultant, INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES AND PROJECTS

Y-77, Hauz Khas, ND -110016, India. Ph: 091- 8826415770, 9871056471, 9650421857

Ravinder Singh* is a WIPO awarded inventor specializing in Power, Transportation,

Smart Cities, Water, Energy Saving, Agriculture, Manufacturing, Technologies and Projects

DATA SHARING WITH 60 COMPANIES BY FACEBOOK IS VULNERABLE

ON JUNE 6, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

05th  June, 2018

DATA SHARING WITH 60 COMPANIES BY FACEBOOK IS VULNERABLE

CAIT URGE RAVISHANKAR PRASAD TO TAKE PREVENTIVE STEPS

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has expressed deep shock over the reported news of Facebook giving access to several cell phone manufacturers and other device makers of its data on users & their friends including their personal information and for such an access Facebook has entered into agreements with such companies. So far it has reached data sharing partnership with about 60 device makers.

In a communication sent today to Mr Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister for IT &. Technology, the CAIT has urged him to take immediate cognisance of the news and take immediate steps to deal with this crucial issue of cyber security.

The news appeared in a prominent news Paper today sending alarming bells to data security which may not only breach privacy of the users but may also pose threat to economy & security of the Country since data of Indian citizens using Facebook must have also been compromised since agreements seems to of global level.

CAIT National President Mr B C Bhartia & Secretary General Mr Praveen Khandelwal while raising serious objections on the matter said that from the point of view of businesses, sharing of such a data may result into consolidation of business into few hands as data analytical could easily give information about the nature, preferences, capacity & capability , trends, purchase or sale bahaviour of person or persons or trade groups etc. It may also lead to leakage of confidential information about particular business or businesses. Based on such analyses of data the Companies will attack trade or businesses in a most strategical and organised manner to control the markets.

Both Mr. Bhartia & Mr. Khandelwal said that usage of smartphones have become ubiquitous, and are forcing us to re-imagine the contours of privacy and data protection.We carry our phones everywhere we go, we use them for accessing critical services including banking and payments, we use them to store personal and sensitive data, to access our social networks and emails, and many “apps” are connected to servers and facilities that consumers and governments, often have no line of sight to.

Unsurprisingly, reports of phone hacks, theft of personally identifiable information and user-tracking, misguidance of consumers and evasion of law, by stakeholders within the digital ecosystem, has become an everyday phenomenon. The Indian smartphone user is particularly vulnerable.

CAIT has decided to sought authoritative information about such partnerships from Facebook itself and based on such information, it will pursue the matter with the Govt.

PM addresses opening session of 49th Governors’ Conference

ON JUNE 6, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today addressed the opening session of the 49th Conference of Governors at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

The Prime Minister spoke at length about how Governors could leverage their experience in different walks of life, so that people derive maximum benefit of various central development schemes and initiatives. He said the institution of Governor has a pivotal role to play within the federal structure and Constitutional framework of our country.

He said Governors of States with significant tribal population can help in ensuring that the tribal communities benefit from Government initiatives in fields such as education, sports and financial inclusion. He said the tribal communities had played a key role in the freedom struggle, and this should be recognised and recorded for posterity through avenues such as digital museums.

The Prime Minister noted that Governors are also Chancellors of Universities. He said that International Yoga Day on June 21st can be utilized as an opportunity to generate greater awareness about Yoga among the youth. Similarly, he emphasized that Universities can also become the focal point of the celebrations for the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

The Prime Minister mentioned some key themes of development such as the National Nutrition Mission, electrification of villages and development parameters in aspirational districts. He suggested that Governors could also visit a few recently electrified villages to witness  first-hand the benefits of electrification.

He said that during the recent Gram Swaraj Abhiyan from 14th April, seven key schemes of the Government were implemented fully in over 16000 villages. He said that these villages have been freed from seven problems through Jan Bhagidaari. He said Gram Swaraj Abhiyan is now being extended to 65000 more villages, with a target date of 15th August.

The Prime Minister suggested that planning for the 50th Governors’ Conference next year should begin immediately. This effort should focus on making this annual event even more productive.

Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act (IRWA), 1986

ON JUNE 6, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

WCD proposes amendments to widen the scope of Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act (IRWA), 1986

Reformulated bill proposes new Centralised Authority under the aegis of National Commission of Women (NCW)

Based on the observations made by Parliamentary Standing Committee and recommendation made by the National Commission for Women on the basis of consultation with civil society groups and likeminded individuals, WCD has proposed amendments in IRWA keeping in mind the recent technological advancement in the field of communications such as social media platforms, over the top services etc.

The reformulated Bill proposes following amendments in the parent Act:

• Amendment in definition of term advertisement to include digital form or electronic form or hoardings, or through SMS, MMS etc
• Amendment in definition of distribution to include publication, license or uploading using computer resource, or communication device or in
• Insertion of a new definition to define the term publish
• Amendment in section 4 to include that No person shall publish or distribute or cause to be published or cause to be distributed by any means any material which contains indecent representation of women in any form:
• Penalty similar to that provided under the Information Technology Act, 2000
• Creation of a Centralised Authority under the aegis of National Commission of Women (NCW). This Authority will be headed by Member Secretary, NCW, having representatives from Advertising Standards Council of India, Press Council of India, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and one member having experience of working on women issues.
• This Centralised Authority will be authorized to receive complaints or grievances regarding any programme or advertisement broadcasted or publication and investigate/ examine all matters relating to the indecent representation of women.

The Government of India has enacted the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act (IRWA), 1986 to prohibit indecent representation of women through advertisements, publications, writings, paintings, figures or in any other manner. Since the enactment of the Act, technological revolution has resulted in the development of new forms of communication, such as internet, multi-media messaging, cable television, over-the-top (OTT) services and applications e.g. Skype, Viber, WhatsApp, Chat On, Snapchat, Instagram etc.

Keeping in mind these technological advancements, it has been decided to widen the scope of the law so as to cover such forms of media on one hand and to strengthen the existing safeguards to prevent indecent representation of women through any media form on the other. Hence, the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Amendment Bill, 2012 was introduced in Rajya Sabha December, 2012 which referred the Bill to Department related Parliament Standing Committee for consideration.

Hi Naresh, Plastic waste

ON JUNE 6, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Hi Naresh,

Plastic waste equivalent to the weight of roughly a billion elephants is poisoning our planet! It includes every plastic spoon, straw, packet of chips, and PET bottle you and I have used and thrown away.

This is what young volunteers decided to do to #breakfreefromplastic!

This Environment Day, the world is finally addressing the need to reduce our plastic production. Cleaning up and recycling is no more a sustainable solution to this uncontrollable crisis – hence we are urging the retailers, corporations, restaurants, and businesses to reduce their single-use plastic footprint urgently!

Volunteers visited single-use plastic harbours – and did this!

Besides taming our own consumption behavior to minimise the contribution of our choices to the world’s plastic woes, the retailers and manufacturers need to be held accountable for pumping out tonnes of plastic waste 24×7 – urge them to adopt sustainable alternatives!

There’s also a surprise in here for you – today we launched an updated version of our website. So please browse through the site, take action and share your web-experience!

Let’s break away from the chains of single-use plastic. There are five trillion pieces of plastic in our oceans – enough to circle the Earth over 400 times[1]. We can only imagine the magnitude of this growing problem – and today, we must do our part.

Towards a plastic-free future,

Nayan and the entire
Greenpeace India team

Source: [1] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/dec/10/full-scale-plastic-worlds-oceans-revealed-first-time-pollution

Show some love: thanks for sharing and caring.

Local fans train with Rahul Dev in Bishkek for “Torbaaz”

ON JUNE 6, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Actor Rahul Dev is currently busy shooting his next Torbaaz in Krgyzstan. An insider reveals that Rahul has totally got into the skin of the character & is very excited playing the antagonist in this Sanjay Dutt starrer film as his character is very different from the others that he’s essayed in numerous Hindi & South Indian films. The unit is reportedly shooting in tough locations & unpredictable weather conditions but despite a hectic shooting schedule, Rahul Dev, known to be a fitness freak never misses his workouts at the local gym in Bishkek, where his local fans make a beeline to train with their favourite actor.

Apart from Sanjay Dutt with whom Rahul Dev has worked in the past, the actor has also hit off very well with the film’s producer & co-actor Rahul Mittra as both are from Delhi & have similar backgrounds, Rahul Dev being a cop’s son & Rahul Mittra being a bureaucrat’ s son and are often spotted chatting between shots.

Directed by Girish Malik & presented by Raju Chadha, the film has been a lot in news for being shot on a massive scale across spectacular locations & also stars Nargis Fakhri.

---

Article 0

June 6, 2018, 3:04 am

≫ Next: Article 7

≪ Previous: Article 1

$

0

0

Harshvendra Soin appointed as the Chief People Officer of Tech Mahindra – Effective July 1, 2018

Rakesh Soni, the current Chief People Officer to assume an advisory role in the organization

New Delhi, June 6th, 2018: Tech Mahindra Ltd. a leading provider of digital transformation, consulting and business reengineering services and solutions, announced the appointment of Harshvendra Soin as Chief People Officer effective July 1, 2018. Harshvendra Soin will take over from the current Chief People Officer; Rakesh Soni, who will assume an advisory role in the organization.

Harshvendra Soin has been associated with Tech Mahindra since 2012. He brings with him a rich experience of more than 24 years in the industry. Prior to his current role, he was heading the Canada Enterprise Business as Senior Vice President and Country Head at Tech Mahindra (Canada). He was also the Global Leadership Acquisition & Development, and Head - Business HR for APAC & IMEA (Telecom & Enterprise) for Tech Mahindra.

Prior to joining Tech Mahindra, Harshvendra was the Chief People Officer at Fortis Healthcare Limited, looking after all areas of Human Resources. He also worked with Aditya Birla Retail Limited as a Chief People Officer before Fortis. Harshvendra has also worked towards creating innovative HR Processes and Policies in Bharti Enterprises where he was Senior Vice President – People Excellence before moving as the Head – HR for Bharti Retail Ltd. He has also worked with the Oberoi Group and Punwire Limited

He has been a recipient of many prestigious awards including HR Leadership Award – Asia Pacific HRM Congress, Ascent - Most Powerful HR Professionals of India Award – World HRD Congress. Other awards include Talent Magnet Award - Conscious Business Leader Award 2016 by LinkedIn.

About Tech Mahindra: 

Tech Mahindra represents the connected world, offering innovative and customer-centric information technology services and solutions, enabling Enterprises, Associates and the Society to Rise™. We are a USD 4.8 billion company with 112,900+ professionals across 90 countries, helping over 910 global customers including Fortune 500 companies. Our innovation platforms and reusable assets connect across a number of technologies to deliver tangible business value to our stakeholders. Tech Mahindra is also amongst the Fab 50 companies in Asia as per the Forbes 2016 List.

The Mahindra Group is a USD 20.7 billion federation of companies that enables people to rise through innovative mobility solutions, driving rural prosperity, enhancing urban living, nurturing new businesses and fostering communities. It enjoys a leadership position in utility vehicles, information technology, financial services and vacation ownership in India and is the world’s largest tractor company, by volume. It also enjoys a strong presence in agribusiness, aerospace, commercial vehicles, components, defense, logistics, real estate, renewable energy, speedboats and steel, amongst other businesses. Headquartered in India, Mahindra employs over 2,40,000 people across 100 countries.

Article 7

June 7, 2018, 1:51 am

≫ Next: Article 6

≪ Previous: Article 0

$

0

0

Leading Digital Transformation and Innovation

ON JUNE 7, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Jun 8

NITI Aayog, India International Centre and Centre for Policy Research are pleased to invite you to a special talk as part of the Metamorphoses: Talking Technology series on Leading Digital Transformation and Innovation Speaker: Prof Soumitra Dutta – Professor of Management, Cornell SC Johnson College of Business and Chair, Board of Directors Global Business School Network (GBSN), Washington DC Chair: Prof Ambuj Sagar – Vipula and Mahesh Chaturvedi Professor of Policy Studies, IIT Delhi

Friday, 8 June 2018, 6:00 p.m.

Seminar Room I to III, Kamla Devi Complex, India International Centre

Metamorphoses Website

The aim of this talk is to analyse how digital technology has enabled a more widespread start-up culture with reference to India and the US, their impact on public goods like health, education and micro-finance, the viable business models in this space and digital technology as an enabling and empowering instrument for women. Opening remarks by Air Marshal (Retd.) Naresh Verma – Director, IIC Speaker: Prof Soumitra Dutta – Professor of Management, Cornell SC Johnson College of Business and Chair, Board of Directors Global Business School Network (GBSN), Washington DC Chair: Prof. Ambuj Sagar – Vipula and Mahesh Chaturvedi Professor of Policy Studies, IIT Delhi The talk will be livestreamed on the IIC website; available on Facebook-live on the Metamorphoses Facebook page; and video recordings will be available on YouTube, as well as disseminated through social media channels hosted on the Metamorphoses website. The promotional video for Metamorphoses can be accessed here.​ Sign up for the event at this link. This is necessary given seating requirements. Questions will be taken on a special number through SMS, provided at the venue, and selected ones will be answered given time constraints. Soumitra Dutta is an authority on innovation in the knowledge economy, with a refreshing global perspective. Throughout his distinguished career, he has focused on how to drive business innovation and growth through the right combination of innovative people and technology. Soumitra Dutta is currently a Professor of Operations, Technology and Information Management at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University, New York.  Previously he was the founding Dean of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business (April ’16 till Jan ’18) and the 11th Anne and Elmer Lindseth Dean and Professor of Management of the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management (July ’12 till June ’16). Prior to July 2012, he was the Roland Berger Chaired Professor of Business and Technology at INSEAD and the founding director of eLab, a center of excellence in the digital economy. Professor Dutta obtained his Ph.D. in computer science and his M.Sc. in business administration from the University of California at Berkeley. His current research is on artificial intelligence, technology strategy and innovation policies at both corporate and national levels. He has won several awards for research and pedagogy and is actively involved in strategy and policy consulting.His research has been showcased in the global media and he has received several awards including the Light of India Award ‘12 (from Times of India media group), the Global Innovation Award ’13 (from INNOVEX in Israel) and the Distinguished Alumnus award from his alma mater IIT Delhi. He is one of the very few faculty members around the world and across all disciplines who has been invited to Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos for more than 14 years. He has been a member of the privileged “Davos Circle” group of participants. Ambuj Sagar is the Vipula and Mahesh Chaturvedi Professor of Policy Studies at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. Prof. Sagar’s interests broadly lie in science & technology policy, environmental policy, and development policy, with a particular focus on the interactions between technology and society. While his current research focuses mainly on energy innovation and climate policy, he also studies, more broadly, various facets of technology innovation, environmental politics and processes, and engineering education and research. His recent papers have dealt with energy innovation policy and strategies (in areas such as biofuels, clean cookstoves, coal-power, and automobiles and institutional mechanisms such as climate innovation centers), climate change policy, and capacity development for the environment. He currently is advising/interacting with various agencies of the Indian Government and several multilateral and bilateral organizations; while in the US, he worked with a range of private and public-sector organizations in the US (including as a staff researcher for a major study on energy R&D for the White House). He currently is a member of the Indian Government’s Expert Committee on Low-Carbon Strategies for Inclusive Growth, the US-India Track-II Dialogue on Climate Change, as well as other advisory groups in the Indian Government. Metamorphoses is a modest effort to try and bridge the gap between digital technologies, which are transforming our lives, and our understanding of their multiple dimensions. It will unfold in a series of nine interactions covering different aspects of the digital revolution. This series will examine the impacts of digital technologies on the human psyche and on societies – exploring ways in which some of the negative elements may be mitigated. There will be a peep into the future – of what machine learning and artificial intelligence may bring to human experience – and the moral and ethical dilemma associated with these. It will also delve into issues relating to data privacy and cyber security as well as the emerging legal regime to regulate this critical domain.

Fathers are one of the best – UN

ON JUNE 7, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Fathers are one of the best, yet most underutilized child development resources – UNICEF

In honor of June Father’s Day commemorations around the world, UNICEF launches parenting site to bring fathers together to share experiences of parenthood

NEW YORK, 7 June 2018 – As Father’s Day is celebrated across nearly 90 countries this month, UNICEF today launched a new parenting site as part of its ‘Super Dads’ campaign recognizing fathers’ role in their children’s early development. UNICEF is calling for more support for fathers globally, including for policies that give parents the time and resources they need to spend quality time with their children.

“More than just a second parent or an extra set of hands, fathers are one of the best child development resources we have, and if we are going to give children the best start in life, we all need to fully recognize and utilize this role,” said UNICEF Chief of Early Childhood Development Dr. Pia Britto.

The online site will bring together fathers from across the world to share their parenting tips, their struggles, their needs, and their successes. It will also feature ‘mini parenting master g nutrition for healthy brain development.

The ‘Super Dads’ campaign is intended to remind parents everywhere that when fathers nurture their young ones in their earliest years of life – by providing love and protection, playing with them, and supporting their nutrition – their children will learn better, have less behavioural issues, and become healthier, happier human beings.

UNICEF is also using Father’s Day to renew its call to break down cultural and financial barriers preventing fathers from spending quality time with their young children.

“There is no time more critical for brain development than the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, and there’s a growing body of evidence that fathers hold a huge stake in this process. Yet this evidence is not being matched with investment in the support that fathers urgently need to step-up and be the best they can be,” said Britto.

Advances in neuroscience have proven that when children spend their earliest years of life – particularly their first 1,000 days – in a nurturing and stimulating environment, their brains can develop at optimal speed. These neural connections determine a child’s cognitive ability, their health and happiness, how they learn and think, their ability to deal with stress, and their ability to form relationships. Good nutrition, protection, play and love in early childhood spark these neural connections in children’s brains.

Research suggests that when fathers are able to bond with their babies from the very beginning of life, they are more likely to play a more active role in their children’s development, and will have better psychological health, self-esteem and life-satisfaction in the long-term.

The Lancet’s Series, Advancing Early Childhood Development: from Science to Scale, launched in October 2016, revealed nearly 250 million children under 5 were at risk of poor development due to stunting and extreme poverty. The Series also revealed that programmes promoting nurturing care can cost as little as 50 cents per capita per year when combined with existing health services.

# # #

Multimedia content: As part of the campaign, world-renowned photographer Adriana Zehbrauskas travelled with UNICEF to capture fathers’ earliest moments with their newborns in delivery rooms across five diverse countries – Guinea Bissau, Mexico, Thailand, Turkmenistan and the United Kingdom. UNICEF hopes the series will encourage fathers across the world to play a more active role in their young children’s early years. The photos, released today, can be viewed here:https://uni.cf/2sJpRAv

About ‘Super Dads’

The ‘Super Dads’ initiative is part of UNICEF’s#EarlyMomentsMatter campaign, which aims to drive increased understanding of how children’s environments and experiences in early childhood can shape their future health, well-being, ability to learn, and even how much they will earn as adults.

Note for Editors

The #EarlyMomentsMatter Campaign in India

Building on the success of last year’s #BaapWaliBaat #EarlyMomentsMatter campaign around #FathersDay this year UNICEF India will celebrate the ABCs of good parenting for healthy brain development and highlight the importance of protection, nutrition and stimulation in the earliest years of life. This year’s focus in India will be on nutrition and will build a community of dads online and offline who can share their experiences of parenting especially around feeding their child and exchange parenting tips.

With the FIFA World Cup starting before Father’s Day and with the Indian National Football Team currently on the pitch in Mumbai, UNICEF will build on many dads’ passion for sports with a series ofexclusive videos from the Team captain, players and coach that will be released on UNICEF India’s social media channels from 14 June and will be available for download here.

A special awareness drive around enhancing awareness on what to feed children and at what age utilizing local foods, will also be initiated.

Please follow us on on Facebook, Twitter, Instagrambecause the #EarlyMomentsMatter. For more information on UNICEF India and its work visitwww.unicef.in.

SAM – Royal Philips open advance oncology imaging

ON JUNE 7, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Singapore-  Royal Philips, a global leader in health technology, and the Singapore Institute of Advanced Medicine Holdings (SAM) officially opened the Advanced Medicine Imaging (AMI) centre at Biopolis, an international biomedical research hub in Singapore. The new facility will provide specialized oncology care to the fast-growing number of people confronted with cancer in the Southeast Asia region. In addition, the centre will facilitate scientific research and development and provide medical training targeted at upskilling the region’s healthcare professionals in the newest cancer therapies.

The AMI centre is equipped with advanced imaging systems and clinical informatics aimed at helping clinicians deliver confident diagnosis of cancer with increased speed and efficiency. The facilities, which will open in phases, are scheduled for completion by the end of 2019.

“The 100 million Singapore Dollar investment in the regional oncology centre reaffirms our commitment to strengthen Singapore’s position as the ‘go-to’ destination for specialized cancer care,” said Dr. Djeng Shih Kien, Founder and Chairman, Singapore Institute of Advanced Medicine Holdings. “Together with partners, including Philips, Varian Medical Systems and IBA Worldwide, we have a shared goal to provide a one-stop patient-centric hub where patients across the region can access the latest and most sophisticated technologies for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.”

Cancer imposes an ever-increasing health burden in Asia, with the region accounting for half of the global burden of cancer. Due to the region’s ageing and growing populations, together with lifestyle and socioeconomic changes, the incidence of cancer cases in Asia is expected to increase from 6.1 million in 2008 to 10.6 million in 2030. This rising threat not only affects the population, it also has a dire economic impact as treatment costs spiral upwards. With healthcare systems already operating with limited resources and expertise, advanced technologies need to be leveraged to drive efficiency and deliver optimum patient outcomes.

Advanced imaging technologies realize accurate and timely diagnosis of cancer

With a comprehensive portfolio of advanced imaging systems and clinical informatics, the AMI centre will empower clinicians to deliver fast and robust oncology imaging. It will house two Philips Vereos PET/CTscanners, the world’s first and only fully digital PET/CT systems. Using proprietary Digital Photon Counting (DPC) technology, Philips’ Vereos PET/CT provides outstanding anatomical imaging and enhances lesion detectability with improved contrast and resolution.

Another world-first solution at AMI is Philips’ IQon Spectral CT, a new generation Computed Tomography (CT) solution that allows clinicians to characterize tumors with greater certainty than is possible with black and white images from conventional CT scans.  Philips’ IQon Spectral CT is also the world’s first spectral detector-based CT that allows clinicians to do both in-depth spectral information on demand and retrospective analysis at low-dose – a direct benefit to patients.

The AMI centre also has a Philips Ingenia 3T MRI equipped with Philips’ unique Ambient Experience, which uses dynamic lighting, video and sound to provide patients with a calming immersive environment.

These state-of-the-art imaging systems within the AMI will be complemented by a full suite of Philips clinically-rich healthcare informatics solutions, supporting confident diagnosis and personalized treatment. Philips provides IT solutions to integrate systems, aggregate data, accelerate workflows, and facilitate informed decisions, giving clinical teams the insights they need to work effectively and efficiently. One example is Philips’ IntelliSpace Portal, an advanced visualization analysis and quantification platform featuring a comprehensive suite of multi-modality applications, powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI). IntelliSpace Portal will also serve as a collaboration platform for clinical development and research for the Advanced Medicine Education centre within the AMI, which will be open to third parties in the future.

Beyond diagnostic imaging innovations, upcoming facilities at the regional oncology centre also promise more personalized and targeted cancer treatment pathways through the use of radioisotope therapies, such as Lu-PSMA (Lutetium Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen) therapy, and proton beam therapy for tumor treatment.

The regional oncology centre also aims to promote clinical research for breakthroughs in cancer diagnostics and treatment, and cross-border medical training to enhance the knowledge and expertise of the region’s healthcare professionals.

Article 6

June 9, 2018, 1:40 am

≫ Next: Article 5

≪ Previous: Article 7

$

0

0

Mitsubishi sets to grow South Asian

ON JUNE 10, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Mitsubishi Motors joined the Renault-Nissan alliance a year and a half ago in the aftermath of a scandal involving rigged fuel-economy data. If it is to play a prominent role in the alliance, the company needs to continue growing in the Southeast Asian market, where its French and Japanese partners have struggled to compete.

The company’s Thai unit, which was founded in 1987, on June 4 marked the cumulative production of 5 million vehicles. “Our Southeast Asian business is a weapon enabling us to contribute to the tripartite alliance,” said Osamu Masuko, CEO of the Japanese automaker. “We will take the initiative in expanding operations in this region.”

The Xpander minivan released in September has been a huge hit in Indonesia. Designed to look like a sport utility vehicle but with three rows of seats, the model is expected to help the automaker more than double its sales in the country to 137,000 units in fiscal 2018 from fiscal 2016.

Carnival Cinemas to lead Maharashtra region with 47 properties

ON JUNE 9, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Executed a strategic tie-up deal with Pune based cinema chain ‘E-Square’                             

35 new screens to come in next 3 months organically   

  

6th June, 2018, Maharashtra: One of India’s leading and fastest growing national multiplex chain, Carnival Cinemas led by Dr. Shrikant Bhasi has executed a strategic tie up with E-Square Cinemas. In a bid to provide the best-in-cinema experience coupled with state-of-the-art technology, Carnival Cinemas will acquire 37 operational screens of E Square Cinema chain in June 2018. Previously Carnival had 106 screens in 35 properties in Maharashtra. E-Square Cinemas operates in Maharashtra: Pune, Pimpri, Aurangabad, Beed, Ahmednagar, Solapur, Latur, Parbhani, Yavatmal, Nanded under – Owned, Leased and Franchised Models.

Dr Shrikant Bhasi, Chairman and Founder, Carnival Group said, “Carnival Cinemas will be strengthening its presence in Maharashtra with these added locations. Now Carnival will have the maximum number of properties i.e. 47 in Maharashtra with 143 screens with this deal and 4 more screens shall be opened in Pune at Spine Mall by the end of this month. For Maharashtra we have some aggressive expansion plans in pipeline. We have recently opened new properties in Beed, Baramati and completely renovated and upgraded the properties in Mumbai, Nashik, Pune and outside Maharashtra also. Carnival now has a larger audience and a bigger stage to adopt new technologies and initiatives including plush power-recliner seats, enhanced food and beverage choices and premium large format screens.”

Mr Hemant Panchamia, Managing Director, E-SQUARE said “Carnival Cinemas is a fast growing multiplex chain, with a well-established presence pan India. We found a perfect synergy by associating with Carnival Group and look forward to closely working with them for further expansion of their Multiplex Business.”

About Carnival Cinemas:

With its rapid expansion across India, Carnival Cinemas continues to be India’s fastest growing multiplex chain and have now the distinct honour of becoming the first ever cinema group to reach a remarkable milestone of being present in 120 cities across India. Carnival Cinemas is now spread across 20 states with over 162 properties and a total of 470 screens in the country with lavish interiors, luxurious seating arrangements, a wide selection of F&B and the best-in-class services at affordable prices. Carnival Cinemas entertains over 50 million patrons annually and has a total seating capacity of over 1,50,000. Carnival Cinemas has recently forayed into the overseas market with the commencement of operations in Singapore and has 8 screens there.

In India, its footprints are present in prominent states like Maharashtra, Delhi NCR, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Bihar, Goa and Himachal Pradesh.

In sync with the current growth plans, Carnival Cinemas has signed MoUs with Governments of Jharkhand and Odisha in order to set up 75 theatres-cum-recreation zones and 150 screens in the respective states. This will enable the Group’s vision of holding 1000 screens by 2018 in India, each one providing a state-of-the-art movie experience and premium service standard.

Kindly let me know if you require any further information.

Warm Regards,

Drishti Bhatnagar
Senior Executive– Brand Communications

Madison Public Relations

Germany urges ‘European unity’

ON JUNE 9, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier on Friday urged Europe to remain unified in the face of rising trade tensions with the US, saying it was unclear how a summit of the Group of Seven rich nations would end. “We have a serious situation, not just since last night or this morning, but rather the entire last few weeks,” Altmaier told broadcaster ZDF. The minister underlined the importance of European unity on free trade and economic interests. Altmaier said the EU had long resisted imposing tariffs of its own but had shown it would do so if left with no other choice, Reuters reports. European leaders remained committed to continuing the dialogue with the United States if both sides were willing to make concessions, he added, although there was no sign of that at the moment

UNGA, Elects members for two-year term

ON JUNE 9, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

United Nations General Assembly voted on Friday to elect Germany, Belgium, South Africa, the Dominican Republic and Indonesia for a two-year term in the Security Council starting on January 1, 2019.

The council is the only UN body that can make legally binding decisions and has the power to impose sanctions and authorize the use of force.

Indonesia drew more votes than the Maldives in the contested election for one Asia-Pacific seat by 144 to 46, while the other four candidates ran unopposed. Uncontested candidates still need to win more than two-thirds of the overall General Assembly vote to be elected. There were 190 ballots in Friday’s vote.

Indonesia, the world’s biggest Muslim-majority country, will pursue a global comprehensive approach to combat terrorism, radicalism and extremism during its term, the foreign affairs ministry said in a statement.

Indonesia suffered its worst bombing attacks since 2005 last month that left around 30 people dead, including 13 suspected perpetrators.

“Palestinian issues will also be Indonesia’s concern during its non-permanent membership,” the ministry said.

Germany received 184 votes, Belgium had 181, South Africa got 183, and the Dominican Republic had 184 after one round of voting. Regional groups generally agree upon the candidates to put forward and competitive races are increasingly rare.

In a typical year the General Assembly elects five new members, which join the five elected the previous year and the five permanent, veto-power seats: the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia.

The five members giving up their seat at the end of this year are the Netherlands, Sweden, Ethiopia, Bolivia and Kazakhstan.

The five seats not up for election this year are currently held by Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Kuwait, Peru and Poland.

Russian, US military chiefs meet in Finland

ON JUNE 9, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Russia’s chief of the military’s General Staff and First Deputy Defense Minister Gen. Valery Gerasimov met on Friday in Finland with chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford. They discussed the settlement of the Syrian crisis, including bilateral relations there and issues of preventing incidents, the Russian Defense Ministry said. The military chiefs noted the importance of a speedy stabilization of the situation in Syria, according to the statement. It said that during a constructive discussion, they touched upon the issues of reducing tension and ensuring security in Europe. Gerasimov also met separately on Friday with Finland’s military chief, Gen. Jarmo Lindberg, to discuss European security. In November of last year, Moscow and Helsinki established a direct telephone line between the militaries to strengthen mutual trust and increase transparency amid increased military activity in the Baltic Sea region.

May won’t accept customs border between Northern Ireland and Britain

ON JUNE 9, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Britain will never accept a customs border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom, a government spokesman said on Friday, referring to a plan for the Irish border. The European Union’s chief Brexit negotiator said earlier that an economic arrangement to avoid a hard border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland could not be extended to the whole of Britain, as London proposes, Reuters reported. “The Prime Minister has been clear that we will never accept a customs border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. We are also committed to maintaining the integrity of our own internal market,” the spokesman said, adding that this position will not change.

World News Tweet

ON JUNE 9, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Sagar Media Inc :China Medal to Putin Russia in SCO Qingdao Summit of Asian giants for unity and peace.Russia invited by US to G7 to make G 8 http://meet.US  Canada trade ease talks.Pakistan ud WB debt. US Kimin Singapore June 12 speaks of tranquil. Asia civilisation imp

0 replies0 retweets0 likes

Reply

Retweet

Like

View Tweet activity

Article 5

June 9, 2018, 1:43 am

≫ Next: Article 4

≪ Previous: Article 6

$

0

0

UN agency President at EAT Stockholm Food Forum:

ON JUNE 8, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

UN agency President at EAT Stockholm Food Forum: striking the right balance to feed the world 

Rome, 7 June 2018 – Ending poverty and hunger top the list of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, but achieving this shared ambition by 2030 will only happen if the world finds the right balance between meeting rising food demands while simultaneously preserving the environment and building community resilience, according to Gilbert F. Houngbo, the President of the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development.

Already more than 800 million people go to bed hungry each night, a man-made travesty that will only worsen as agriculture is increasingly affected by climate change. It is estimated that by 2050, 22 per cent of cultivated areas will suffer impacts, agricultural production will shrink and rising ocean temperatures and acid levels will lead to declines in fish stocks. At the same time, demand for food will more than double as the urban population grows. As a keynote speaker at the EAT Stockholm Food Forum on Monday, Houngbo will explain the tenuous balance between feeding the world, protecting the environment and the role of the poorest most marginalized families.

“How we switch food from being a driver of many of our greatest global health and environmental challenges to instead becoming a powerful tool for tackling them, is one of the most critical questions of our time,” says Alessandro Demaio, CEO of EAT. “Just as these challenges are intimately intertwined, our actions to address them must be integrated across sectors, disciplines and continents. As such, the work of international organizations such as IFAD is critical, and our hope is that the leaders and experts converging in Stockholm this week will make decisive contributions toward the urgent food transformation that is needed to meet the 2030 Agenda.”

Each year the EAT Stockholm Food Forum attracts more than 500 top global leaders from  science,  politics,  business  and  civil  society to share knowledge and  best  practices, and coordinate action across sectors and disciplines  to tackle the intertwined challenges of the global food system. Other speakers alongside Houngbo will include Sweden’s Minister for International Development Cooperation and Climate and Deputy Prime Minister Isabella Lövin and Norway’s Minister of International Development Nikolai Astrup.

While in Stockholm, Houngbo will join IFAD’s Recipes for Change chefs Ska Mirriam, a Lesotho born chef and media personality, and Ali Said Mandhry from Kenya, popularly known as Chef Ali L’artiste, a media personality, culinary instructor and food stylist. The Recipes for Change campaign exposes the threats rural communities face as climatic changes impact the essential ingredients used in their traditional foods and daily meals. It demonstrates how IFAD, through the Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme, is working with farming families to adapt to the very real impacts of climate change in their communities. The chefs will join others in the community to launch at the EAT Stockholm Food Forum a Chefs’ Manifesto – a thematic framework that identifies food issues that matter most to chefs and grounded in the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Contact:Katie TaftMobile: +39 334 6083657Email: k.taft@ifad.org

Article 4

June 10, 2018, 1:34 am

≫ Next: Article 3

≪ Previous: Article 5

$

0

0

Kim Jong-Un in Singapore, Trump on way

ON JUNE 10, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un touched down in Singapore today, ahead of a planned summit with US President Donald Trump. The two leaders are to meet on Tuesday on Sentosa island where talks on denuclearisation of North Korea in exchange for economic help will be on the table.

Kim Jong Un on Sunday landed in Singapore two days ahead of the much-awaited summit with United States President Donald Trump.

The two leaders are scheduled to meet on Tuesday at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa Island, where the process regarding denuclearisation of North Korea may kick-start in exchange for economic aid.

Several media reports stated that Kim, who arrived in an Air China 747 that touched down at Changi Airport today, is due to meet Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in the city-state later in the day.

The North Korean delegation to the talks includes Kim’s close aide, Kim Chang Son, who is already in Singapore to prepare for the summit. Mr Trump is expected to reach Singapore later today for the meeting.

The US delegation, which is route from the G7 meeting in Canada, will arrive in the evening, and Mr Trump is set to meet with Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong tomorrow.

The delegation includes Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Adviser John Bolton and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly.

Trump withdraws endorsement of G7 joint statement

ON JUNE 10, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

US President Donald Trump withdrew his endorsement of a joint statement at the end of a G7 summit in Canada today in a row over trade. In a tweet, Trump accused the summit chairman and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of dishonesty and making false statements at his news conference.

The US President who is on his way to Singapore for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un also reiterated warnings that his administration was mulling tariffs on automobiles flooding the US market.

Trump’s remarks came after Mr Trudeau in a press conference said, Canada will move forward with retaliatory measures on 1st of next month against US decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from Canada, the European Union and Mexico.

Earlier, all the G7 nations agreed on the importance of a rules-based trading system. The eight-page statement also included joint commitments to ensure that Iran will “never seek, develop or acquire a nuclear weapon” as well as demands for Russia to stop undermining Western democracies.

Invite: Srijan Talk – Marijuana Myths on June 23 at INTACH

ON JUNE 10, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Putin: Me willing to meet Trump

ON JUNE 10, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Russian President Vladimir Putin today said, he will be happy to meet US President Donald Trump if Washington is ready to hold such a summit. Mr Putin was talking to reporters in the Chinese city of Qingdao, where he attended the Shanghai Co-operation Organization summit.

The Russian President said, some nations, including Austria, have offered to host his summit with Mr Trump. Mr Putin’s remarks follow a report that White House officials were working toward setting up a meeting.

The US President had said, he was open to having a summit with Mr Putin, who US intelligence officials have said directed Russian meddling in the 2016 elections. Mr Trump has repeatedly said he wants to improve relationships with Moscow.

India-United Nations Development Partnership Fund Demonstrates Further Deepening of South-South Cooperation

ON JUNE 10, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Secretary-General:  India-United Nations Development Partnership Fund Demonstrates Further Deepening of South-South Cooperation

Following are UN Secretary‑General António Guterres’ remarks on the first anniversary of the India‑United Nations Development Partnership Fund, in New York on 8 June 2018:

It is for me an enormous pleasure to join you to celebrate the first anniversary of the India-United Nations Development Partnership Fund.  India played a very important role in shaping the Sustainable Development Goals.  And even before the Goals were crystallized, India’s own development efforts and vision reflected many of the same priorities and aspirations.  India is, for all of us, a very important inspiration.

Today, in the third year of implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, I thank India for its strong commitment to multilateralism and to partnership with the United Nations, which is expressed in many ways across the global agenda and which we see again through the activities of this important Fund.  The Fund that shows the further deepening of South‑South cooperation, an increasingly valuable dimension of our work for development.

But this is also the moment to remind that South‑South cooperation is not an instrument aiming at replacing North‑South cooperation.  South‑South cooperation is not an instrument for the commitments that were made by developed countries now to be put aside.  South‑South cooperation must be a stimulus for an intensified North‑South cooperation, for the Addis Ababa [Action] Agenda to be fully implemented and for everybody to assume their responsibilities in the context of a world in which we want a fair globalization, in which justice prevails in international relations.

And the Fund’s support for Southern‑owned and Southern‑led projects throughout the developing world rightly emphasizes solidarity, mutual benefits, as well as national ownership.  And these are values that are also central when we recently approved in the General Assembly a resolution on the United Nations development system.  And the Fund’s focus on supporting people in least developed countries, small island developing States and landlocked developing States reflects our ambition to reach those that are left furthest behind and to reach them first.

Let me commend India once again for its leadership and solidarity.  And I look forward to further engagement on this timely initiative.  And I will have the opportunity soon in Delhi to congratulate the Indian Government on this very, very important initiative.

***

Antaram   A meaningful Pause for Solutions in Education

ON JUNE 10, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Education is the bedrock of a strong nation and a prosperous world. Without it, an individual, a family, society, nation and the world cannot function and grew. But what do we really mean when we say education ? Does it only mean the capacity to read, write and pass examinations ? Or is it the ability to lead a happy and fulfilling life ? Is it something which should be similar for all or can it be personal ? Does India today need an education which is relevant to her ethos and history or do we need an education which homogenises the experiences of a few ? Do we need to seriously ponder on the need of establishing new orders and solutions for education in India and the world ? if yes, what are those solutions ?

India has a huge network of contemporary schools. While the extent of this network is admirable, it also invites deep and damaging criticisms for its inability i) train students in basic creative and analytical aptitude, ii) prepare them for life’s challenges, and iii) instill the depth of character and human values required for them to be good citizens, and caring members of the society it sometimes seems that all the three aspects above simply can’t be done at scale.

To address these multifarious challenges, a serious and thorough brainstorming and debate on these issues is needed on one hand, and glimpses of some actions and possible solutions on the other. India has millennia of accumulated wisdom and experience in the domain of education and even today there are several large and small scale, private / civil society and governmental efforts that harmonize conflicting requirements, and find solutions to the complex challenges.

The Vrindavan cluster of Unnat  Bharat Abhiyan (IIT Delhi) has been working on holistic interventions in government schools in the cluster villages.  This work is being done in collaboration with several other organizations such as Government of Uttar Pradesh (through the Brij Teerth Vikas Board), Akshyapatra Foundation (local resource persons), Vision India Foundation (VIF, providing on-the-ground fellows), Bharat Vikas Nyas (funding and other support for events), Parmeshvari Devi Dhanuka Vidyalaya (reputed school  in Vrindavan town, part of the Vidya Bharti network), and individuals including relevant government officials such as the SDM, and Basic Shiksha Adhikari of Mathura district. The interventions were also preceded by visits to several schools all over the country known to deliver education differently and catering to the holistic needs of the child, such as the Muni international School (Delhi), Gyan Prabodhini (Pune), Riverside School, Rishi Valley School, Sri Aurobindo Ashram school (Delhi), Gyan Prabodhini (Pune), Riverside School, Rishi Valley School, Sri Aurobindo Ashram school and more, incorporating all these experiences, this team team has put together the concept of a conference on education titled Antaram – A Meaningful Pause for Solutions in Education.

The conference aims to understand, contemplate and reflect holistically on education, share innovative interventions and models of both the successes and failures of individuals and institutions kindling change in education in India, and subsequently find simple and implementable solutions for meaningful education in India and the world through active youth engagement. To achieve this, the conference will feature leading educationists, thinkers, practitioners of various education thoughts, leaders and representatives of visionary schools across India, grass-root leaders including government teachers, principals, civil society representatives, education-entrepreneurs, change-makers from Central and State Governments including bureaucrats and ministers. The subsequent pages provides more details of the conference, including the proposed two day schedule.

Article 3

June 10, 2018, 1:38 am

≫ Next: Article 2

≪ Previous: Article 4

$

0

0

Putin: Me willing to meet Trump

ON JUNE 10, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Russian President Vladimir Putin today said, he will be happy to meet US President Donald Trump if Washington is ready to hold such a summit. Mr Putin was talking to reporters in the Chinese city of Qingdao, where he attended the Shanghai Co-operation Organization summit.

The Russian President said, some nations, including Austria, have offered to host his summit with Mr Trump. Mr Putin’s remarks follow a report that White House officials were working toward setting up a meeting.

The US President had said, he was open to having a summit with Mr Putin, who US intelligence officials have said directed Russian meddling in the 2016 elections. Mr Trump has repeatedly said he wants to improve relationships with Moscow.

India-United Nations Development Partnership Fund Demonstrates Further Deepening of South-South Cooperation

ON JUNE 10, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Secretary-General:  India-United Nations Development Partnership Fund Demonstrates Further Deepening of South-South Cooperation

Following are UN Secretary‑General António Guterres’ remarks on the first anniversary of the India‑United Nations Development Partnership Fund, in New York on 8 June 2018:

It is for me an enormous pleasure to join you to celebrate the first anniversary of the India-United Nations Development Partnership Fund.  India played a very important role in shaping the Sustainable Development Goals.  And even before the Goals were crystallized, India’s own development efforts and vision reflected many of the same priorities and aspirations.  India is, for all of us, a very important inspiration.

Today, in the third year of implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, I thank India for its strong commitment to multilateralism and to partnership with the United Nations, which is expressed in many ways across the global agenda and which we see again through the activities of this important Fund.  The Fund that shows the further deepening of South‑South cooperation, an increasingly valuable dimension of our work for development.

But this is also the moment to remind that South‑South cooperation is not an instrument aiming at replacing North‑South cooperation.  South‑South cooperation is not an instrument for the commitments that were made by developed countries now to be put aside.  South‑South cooperation must be a stimulus for an intensified North‑South cooperation, for the Addis Ababa [Action] Agenda to be fully implemented and for everybody to assume their responsibilities in the context of a world in which we want a fair globalization, in which justice prevails in international relations.

And the Fund’s support for Southern‑owned and Southern‑led projects throughout the developing world rightly emphasizes solidarity, mutual benefits, as well as national ownership.  And these are values that are also central when we recently approved in the General Assembly a resolution on the United Nations development system.  And the Fund’s focus on supporting people in least developed countries, small island developing States and landlocked developing States reflects our ambition to reach those that are left furthest behind and to reach them first.

Let me commend India once again for its leadership and solidarity.  And I look forward to further engagement on this timely initiative.  And I will have the opportunity soon in Delhi to congratulate the Indian Government on this very, very important initiative.

***

Antaram   A meaningful Pause for Solutions in Education

ON JUNE 10, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Education is the bedrock of a strong nation and a prosperous world. Without it, an individual, a family, society, nation and the world cannot function and grew. But what do we really mean when we say education ? Does it only mean the capacity to read, write and pass examinations ? Or is it the ability to lead a happy and fulfilling life ? Is it something which should be similar for all or can it be personal ? Does India today need an education which is relevant to her ethos and history or do we need an education which homogenises the experiences of a few ? Do we need to seriously ponder on the need of establishing new orders and solutions for education in India and the world ? if yes, what are those solutions ?

India has a huge network of contemporary schools. While the extent of this network is admirable, it also invites deep and damaging criticisms for its inability i) train students in basic creative and analytical aptitude, ii) prepare them for life’s challenges, and iii) instill the depth of character and human values required for them to be good citizens, and caring members of the society it sometimes seems that all the three aspects above simply can’t be done at scale.

To address these multifarious challenges, a serious and thorough brainstorming and debate on these issues is needed on one hand, and glimpses of some actions and possible solutions on the other. India has millennia of accumulated wisdom and experience in the domain of education and even today there are several large and small scale, private / civil society and governmental efforts that harmonize conflicting requirements, and find solutions to the complex challenges.

The Vrindavan cluster of Unnat  Bharat Abhiyan (IIT Delhi) has been working on holistic interventions in government schools in the cluster villages.  This work is being done in collaboration with several other organizations such as Government of Uttar Pradesh (through the Brij Teerth Vikas Board), Akshyapatra Foundation (local resource persons), Vision India Foundation (VIF, providing on-the-ground fellows), Bharat Vikas Nyas (funding and other support for events), Parmeshvari Devi Dhanuka Vidyalaya (reputed school  in Vrindavan town, part of the Vidya Bharti network), and individuals including relevant government officials such as the SDM, and Basic Shiksha Adhikari of Mathura district. The interventions were also preceded by visits to several schools all over the country known to deliver education differently and catering to the holistic needs of the child, such as the Muni international School (Delhi), Gyan Prabodhini (Pune), Riverside School, Rishi Valley School, Sri Aurobindo Ashram school (Delhi), Gyan Prabodhini (Pune), Riverside School, Rishi Valley School, Sri Aurobindo Ashram school and more, incorporating all these experiences, this team team has put together the concept of a conference on education titled Antaram – A Meaningful Pause for Solutions in Education.

The conference aims to understand, contemplate and reflect holistically on education, share innovative interventions and models of both the successes and failures of individuals and institutions kindling change in education in India, and subsequently find simple and implementable solutions for meaningful education in India and the world through active youth engagement. To achieve this, the conference will feature leading educationists, thinkers, practitioners of various education thoughts, leaders and representatives of visionary schools across India, grass-root leaders including government teachers, principals, civil society representatives, education-entrepreneurs, change-makers from Central and State Governments including bureaucrats and ministers. The subsequent pages provides more details of the conference, including the proposed two day schedule.

Article 2

June 12, 2018, 1:14 am

≫ Next: Article 1

≪ Previous: Article 3

$

0

0

 Modis bullet train project in fix

ON JUNE 12, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

India is set to miss a December deadline to acquire land for a Japan-backed $17 billion bullet train project following protests by fruit growers, government officials said, likely delaying one of Prime Minister Narendra Modis most ambitious projects.

Modis office is now monitoring the project week-to-week, as officials seek to reassure Tokyo that the hurdles can be overcome through intense negotiations with sapota and mango growers in Maharashtra.

Protests, backed by local politicians, have flared up in recent months against attempts to secure sections of a 108-km stretch, which is around one-fifth of the entire bullet train corridor connecting Mumbai with Ahmedabad, the largest commercial city in Modis home state Gujarat.

Ive worked hard for three decades to develop this plantation, and they are asking me to hand over this land, sapota farmer Dashrat Purav, 62, said as he showed his orchard in the town of Palghar, a three-hour-drive north of Mumbai.

I havent worked hard to surrender land for the project. I did that for my children.

Purav said he would sell his land only if at least one of his two unemployed sons was promised a government job.

Failure to procure the bullet train land by the deadline would delay disbursal of soft-loans by Japan International Cooperation Agency, a government development body, which is reviewing the project next month, said two senior officials with the state-run Indian Railways, declining to be named.

To assuage Japans concerns, Indian officials have sought a meeting this month with transport ministry officials in Tokyo, one of the Indian officials said. India wants the projects completion target to be advanced by a year to 2022, the 75th year of Indias independence. Rediff.com

Former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee health is stable

ON JUNE 12, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, yesterday, has been diagnosed with a urinary tract infection. His condition is believed to be stable, but it is uncertain when the former prime minister, who has been ailing for years now, will be discharged.
A team of doctors is closely monitoring his condition.
Yesterday, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi visited AIIMS, followed by BJP chief Amit Shah and Union minister JP Nadda. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visted Vajpayee an hour later. Several Union ministers and senior BJP leader LK Advani were seen at the hospital.

A statement issued by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi last night said that appropriate treatment was being administered to him by a team of doctors under the supervision of AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria.

The statement added that Mr Vajpayee was admitted to the hospital following complaints of a lower respiratory tract infection and kidney issues and he was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited AIIMS yesterday evening to know the condition of Mr. Vajpayee. Mr Modi interacted with family members of Mr Vajpayee and also spoke to Doctors and inquired about his health.

BJP President Amit Shah, Senior BJP leader LK Advani, Health Minister JP Nadda and Congress President Rahul Gandhi also visited the hospital.

Delhi CM spends night at LG’s office

ON JUNE 12, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues spent the night at the Lt Governor’s office after their demands including a direction to IAS officers to end their “strike” and action against officers who have struck work for “four months”, were not met.

Kejriwal along with his deputy Manish Sisodia and two other ministers – Gopal Rai and Satyendar Jain — met Lt Governor (L-G) Anil Baijal at 5.30 pm yesterday and since then stayed put at the L-G office.

Last night, the chief minister, who is a diabetic, had to take insulin during the sit-in and got “specific food” from his home, sources said.

It is the first time in the history of Delhi that the chief minister and his cabinet colleagues spent the night at the L-G office to press for their demands.

Kejriwal tweeted at 6.27 am from the L-G office, saying “My dear Delhiites, good morning. Struggle continues”.

A number of AAP MLAs, party’s leaders and workers have also camped near the L-G office, and the police have barricaded the area.

The L-G office slammed Kejriwal’s sit-in, saying it is another protest in the sequence of “dharna without reason”. A statement, issued by Baijal’s office last evening, stated that the L-G was “threatened” to summon officers and issue directions to them to end their “strike” immediately.
In the morning, a letter, signed by Kejriwal, Sisodia, Rai and Jain, was sent to Baijal, asking him to take all necessary steps to end the “strike” by IAS officers including issuing written orders that all those officers who do not return to work will be proceeded against and “if necessary, ESMA may be invoked”.

According to the government, IAS officers have been on strike since the alleged assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash and are boycotting meetings with AAP ministers due to which public works are getting affected. — PTI Media agencies

Kim Trump meet as the “talks of the century”.

ON JUNE 12, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

US President Donald Trump, is when asked if North Korea had agreed to denuclearize, Trump said they would be starting that process quickly.

Kim said they had a historic meeting and decided to leave the past behind and that the world will see a major change.

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sign the ‘comprehensive ‘ document, Kim says the world will see a major change. “We have decided to let go the past and now the world will see a major change,” Kim says. “The relationship with the Korean peninsula will be different,” the US president added. Trump, who pumped Kim’s hand several times and gave him a pat on the back, said he would “absolutely” invite Kim to the White House. “We’ll meet again and we’ll meet many times,” the US President said.

President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed an unspecified document that Trump described as “important” and “comprehensive,” to conclude their meetings in Singapore, CBS News reports.

Trump said he “absolutely” will invite Kim to the White House. Trump said he thinks the summit went “better than anybody could have expected.”
“We are very proud of what took place today. Our relationship with North Korea and the Korean peninsula has changed today. We’ve spent a lot of time together, a very intensive time. The letter we are signing is very comprehensive,” Trump said.

But it’s unclear yet exactly what that means. A press conference is scheduled for 2:30 pm local time, noon IST, where more details will come forward.

Trump said he thinks he and Kim will have a “terrific relationship,” and Kim, through a translator, said North Korea had to overcome a number of “obstacles” to get to this moment.

Kim Jong-un is believed to have already left Sentosa Island for Changi airport, heading directly home to Pyongyang.  President Trump will be holding the press conference at noon.

US President Donald Trump said he had forged a “good relationship” with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the start of a historic summit in Singapore on Tuesday, as the two men sought ways to end a nuclear standoff on the Korean peninsula.

Should they succeed in making a diplomatic breakthrough, it could bring lasting change to the security landscape of Northeast Asia, like the visit of former US President Richard Nixon to China in 1972 led to the transformation of China.

“There will be challenges ahead,” Kim said, but he vowed to work with Trump. Both men sat alongside each other against a backdrop of North Korean and US flags, with Kim beaming broadly as the US president gave him a thumbs up.

As the historic first meeting between a South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday said  Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un met for what local media billed as the “talks of the century”.

US president and North Korean leader began in Singapore, images of Trump and Kim exchanging handshakes and warm words drew jubilant reactions in Seoul and hopes for a new beginning with Pyongyang.

“We hope the summit will be a success and bring us a complete denuclearisation, peace and a new era” in relations between the two Koreas and the United States, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said.

Moon, whose earlier meetings with Kim had paved the way for the Singapore summit, smiled and applauded alongside his cabinet ministers as they watched live-streamed scenes from the summit at the presidential Blue House.

He has spent “a sleepless night” with excitement ahead of the meeting, his office said.

The English language Korea Times welcomed the meeting as a step towards ending tensions on the Korean peninsula, which has been divided between the communist North and democratic South for nearly 70 years.

Since the 1950-53 Korean War, South Korea has grown into one of the most prosperous countries in Asia, while the isolationist North has suffered a stagnant economy and alarmed its neighbours with its increasingly sophisticated nuclear weapons programme.

“The two leaders are certainly under great pressure to make the talks of the century a success,” the editorial said.

“We hope today’s summit will make a breakthrough to open a new era of peace and prosperity.”

Many watched live footage of the summit on their phones.

“A great shift in world history is in the making,” one Internet user said in a comment response to a news story.

But others were sceptical of Pyongyang´s intentions, citing earlier attempts to improve relations that later foundered.

“Kim Jong Un’s agreement to meet Trump means he´s having a hard time (from sanctions). But we´re giving him a chance to survive again after we did so with Kim Jong-il,” wrote another, referring to previous peace overtures to the North Korean leader´s father.

Media agencies

The IBC (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018

ON JUNE 12, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018 has amended the IBC, 2016 which provides for insolvency resolution of corporate persons in a time bound manner for maximization of value of assets of such persons, and whereas, a need has been felt, inter alia, to balance the interests of various stakeholders in the code, especially interest of home buyers and MSMEs, promoting resolution over liquidation of corporate debtor by lowering the voting threshold of committee of creditors and streamlining provisions relating to eligibility of resolution applicants.

The Hon’ble President has promulgated the IBC (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018. Under this code, in section 5 of the principal Act,

(i)                 in clause (8), in sub clause (f),  the following explanation shall be inserted namely

a)                  any amount raised from an allottee under a real estate project shall be deemed to be an amount having the commercial effect of a borrowing; and

b)                  the expression, “allottee” and “real estate project”  shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in clauses (d) and (zn) of section 2 of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016.

Hence, the new ordinance equates an “allottee” of a “real estate project” to be a person having a commercial effect of borrowing.   He is now treated as financial creditor.  He can initiate a corporate insolvency for a resolution against the errant developer.  He acquires the right to be on the committee of creditors.  He gets voting right and can influence the resolution process.  In the unlikely eventuality of liquidation, he stands at par with other financial creditors.

Please find enclosed detailed The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment)  Ordinance, 2018 for your kind reference.

CAIT WILL HOLD NATIONWIDE PROTEST DHARNA on July 02,2018

ON JUNE 12, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

11th  June, 2018

CAIT WILL HOLD NATIONWIDE PROTEST DHARNA

AGAINST WALMART DEAL ON 2ND JULY

Walmart-Flipkart deal have to face a new attack as the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has declared to hold protest Dharna across the Country on 2nd July against Walmart-Flipkart Deal. Approximately at 1000 places in different cities in different States, the protest will be held. The CAIT took this decision today at its two days meeting of National Governing Council began today at Ahemadabad.

The CAIT in a unanimous resolution passed at the Conference demanded the Government to reject the deal and an e commerce policy is framed and a Regulatory Authority is formed for e Commerce.

CAIT National President Mr. B.C.Bhartia & Secretary General Mr. Praveen Khandelwal said that this time we shall be pursuing the matter with both ED & RBI so that e commerce companies including Flipkart and its newly owner Walmart should not escape from the liability of malpractices, predatory pricing and deep discounting.

The CAIT has said that the e-commerce market in India which remains very critical since its inception in the Country due to ill designed business practices adopted by various leading E Commerce players with a single motto of controlling and dominating retail trade by offering deep discounts and predatory pricing has vitiated the basic fundamentals of e-commerce and in the absence of any policy both in e-commerce and retail trade and easily circumventing the law,

It further said that e-commerce platforms are grossly and openly flouting Press No.3 of FDI Policy issued on 29th March,2016 which restrains e commerce companies for influencing the prices and make responsible for creating an even level playing filed but despite several complaints Government choose to  remain a mute spectator giving them an open play ground to play the game with their own rules.

In the wake of current situation, the CAIT has demanded that till the time the e commerce policy is formulated, strict directions should be issued to adhere to Press Note No.3 and implement the same in toto. To monitor the same a Special Task Force should be constituted with Officials and representative of trade & e commerce platforms. Further, we should be made part of the formulation of e commerce policy.

Driving Industry-Railway Partnerships

ON JUNE 12, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Rail Contact 2018

Driving Industry-Railway Partnerships

19 June 2018| Kamal Mahal, Hotel ITC Maurya, Sardar Patel Marg, New Delhi

Ministry of Railways has set itself a vision to transform Indian Railways (IR) to a truly world class, safe and modern transporter. The key plans to achieve the vision include speedy electrification, increasing speed of trains and a complete overhaul of the signaling and telecom network.

With the objective of working closely with IR to achieve its vision through industry partnerships, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), under the aegis of Railway Transportation Equipment Division, in association with Ministry of Railways is organizing National Conference- ‘Rail Contact’– Driving Industry-Railway Partnership on 19 June 2018 at ITC Maurya, New Delhi. The initiative aims to understand renewed vision of the IR, discuss and understand the emerging opportunities for industry members as well as provide a platform to Industry to showcase their readiness to cater to the emerging requirements.

Shri Piyush Goyal, Hon’ble Minister of Railways, Coal and Finance has kindly agreed to join as the Chief Guest and address at the Inaugural Session of the event. Shri Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog has also agreed to join us during the Valedictory Session.

I am writing to cordially invite you to join and participate in the Conference. To register kindly click here. For further details kindly get in touch with Ms Vasundhra Chopra, +91-11-2465 3305(Dir)/24682230-35, vasundhra.chopra@cii.in / vicechairman.rail@cii.in

I look forward to your kind confirmation and participation.

With regards,

Vasundhra Chopra

Executive

Confederation of Indian Industry

4th Floor, Core 4A, India Habitat Centre,

Lodhi Road, New Delhi 110003

E: vasundhra.chopra@cii.in

Tel: 011-24653305

 Loudest.in & Exchange4Media,

ON JUNE 12, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

JUNE 12-13, 2018 | JW MARRIOTT, JUHU | MUMBAI

Hi, Greetings from Loudest.in ! On the bahalf of Loudest (An Exchange4Media Venture), it’s our pleasure to invite you to be part of Music Inc. scheduled for June 12th & 13th 2018, JW Marriott, Juhu, Mumbai, India. Music Inc. is a two-day eventbeing curated by Loudest.in & Exchange4Media, with an audience of about 500+ in Mumbai. Our theme for the conference this year is to bring together Brands X Music X Technology. Forming an alliance between three industries, technology, media, advertising & marketing, and music business. The idea is to inspire, inform, connect and celebrate the music business in India. This event presents a great opportunity for you to connect with the key representatives of the music industry. Meet with Our Esteemed Speakers Anupama Chopra – Author, Film Companion Ashish Bhasin – Chairman & CEO South Asia Dentsu Aegis Network Atul Churamani – Turnkey Publishing Badshah – Musician Bhushan Kumar – Chairman & MD, Super Cassettes Industries Limited (T-Series) Blaise Fernandes – President IMI Clinton Cerejo – Musician Ellis Rich OBE Hon DMus – CEO, Supreme Songs and Former-Chairman, PRS(UK) Llyod Mathias – Former Senior Director of Marketing, Hewlett Packet (APAC & Japan) Raj Nayak – COO, Viacom Sabbas Joseph – Founder-Director, ‎Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt Ltd Salim Merchant – Musician Shailendra Singh – Former MD Percept, Incept and many more.. The Program Agenda : http://loudest.in/musicinc-india/index.php/event-schedule/ Time: 10:00 am onwards (Registration will start from 8:00 AM onwards) Venue: JW Marriott Juhu Mumbai Date: 12 & 13th June 2018 I sincerely hope that you will be able to take out time from your schedule to join us , and be part of our endeavor. Request you to kindly save the date on your calendar & drop a line of confirmation to reserve your seat/seats and confirm your name on the guest list. Look forward to see you at the event . Note: RSVP is Compulsory RSVP : chandrakant@exchange4media.com or anjana.yadav@exchange4media.com

Regards, Himani Saxena BW BusinessWorld

CSIR – Gangotri of Indian R&D & Progress Dry, Corrupted, Polluted

ON JUNE 12, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

June11, 2018 (C) Ravinder Singh progressindia2015@gmail.com

Mercifully this time Industry-Academia interface was not dominated by CSIR-NRDC. Way back in 1978 I reported to PM Morarji Desai that NRDC is Corrupted and Incompetent when Honorable President sh. Ram Nath Kovind was his Special Assistant and in 1978 PM also visited the Pushp Vihar site which had very substandard water supply installation. I temporarily fixed problems on ‘Eve Of Morarji Desai’s Visit’ but nothing improved.

Gangotri of Indian R&D and Development DST-CSIR-NRDC is Dry, Corrupted and Polluted nothing works – Industry, Energy, Exports, Rivers, Drains, Floods, Water Supply, Healthcare, Agriculture, Environment, Transport, Education, Foods are worst managed.

In 1980-81 reported ‘Brief Report on Blunders in Water Supply Installations’ was actually detailed for a Complaint and in Detail how‘CSIR & NRDC had failed to create or award a single Commercial Technology.’

India is let down by CSIR-NRDC Scammed R&D over 70 years – it has Laboratories in all sectors of Industries but had TOTALLY Failed to serve India. 2005 I was asked by Starnews for Story on FAST METERS – though the 30m Program was ready in two days but CEO Starnews wanted expert opinion of CPRI [CSIR] which had R&D facility in the Baghpat Constituency of HRD Minister sh Satya Pal Singh. NO ONE RESPONSIBLE WAS PRESENT IN CPRI TEST CENTER. CPRI was Corrupted and didn’t report anything wrong with Tata & Ambani DISCOM meters – (I reported SOFTWARE Run Fast Meters – similar to VW Tweaking Emissions by cars recently).

China Residents File 300-1700 Times More Patents/Utility Patents

In 2008 I was asked by AAJTAK for BRT in Delhi – in 30m I pin pointed all the BLUNDERS in BRT Delhi design – CRRI [CSIR] operates from OKHLA in Delhi itself.

I warned Rajiv Gandhi instinctively SAM PITRODA is MISLEADING India when he sought huge INVESTMENT to improve TELECOM – 1000 Line Exchanges made in 8 Years were SUBSTANDARD – India had to import DIGITAL TELEPHONE EXCHAGES.

2005 warned GOI Sam Pitroda files ALL BOGUS Patents – but was made ‘Knowledge Commission Chair’ since then India didn’t make any S&T Progress – current S&T Secretary Prof Ashutosh Sharma too files BOGUS Patents. Nothing is progressing.

It is more than 40 years since my reports to PM – India has gone Bad to worse – in 1978 water quality was generally good – most contaminated presently, until 2005 China in R&D achievement was about 3 times ahead of India, in 2016 is 302 times ahead of India in Patent Grants to Residents – 1700 times ahead when Utility Models are included.

http://www.wipo.int/ipstats/en/statistics/country_profile/profile.jsp?code=IN – http://www.wipo.int/ipstats/en/statistics/country_profile/profile.jsp?code=CN

Country	Patents Filed	Resident P. Grants	Patents Enforce	Utility M. Applications
India	25,795	1,115	49,575	0000
China	1,257,202	302,136	1,774,402	1,468,295

Top 10 PCT Patent Filings Are By China 2017 [Latest Figures]

PCT Applicant	2015	2016	2017
HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.	3,898		4,024
ZTE CORPORATION	2,155	4,123	2,965
BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO.,LTD	1,227	3,692	1,818
LE HOLDINGS (BEIJING) CO., LTD.		9	1,397
SHENZHEN CHINA STAR OE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD	710	1,163	972
ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING LIMITED	16	452	707
TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) Co., Ltd.	981	172	560
YULONG COMPUTER TELECOM TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.	71	256	517
GUANG DONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOM CORP., LTD	27	80	474
XIAOMI INC.	126	298	354

Ravinder Singh, Inventor & Consultant, INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES AND PROJECTS

Y-77, Hauz Khas, ND -110016, India. Ph: 091- 8826415770, 9871056471, 9650421857

Ravinder Singh* is a WIPO awarded inventor specializing in Power, Transportation,

Smart Cities, Water, Energy Saving, Agriculture, Manufacturing, Technologies and Projects

Talented Tabla player Mehul Sharma

ON JUNE 12, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

MEHUL SHARMA a young tabla player is build up by his father MR. Rajesh Kumar Sharma. He shared the musical environment, since his childhood days with his musician parents. Brought and build up in musical family, he started learning different classical forms of music at age of 5. He initially learned classical tabla by his father shree  rajesh kumar Sharma and later by shree rohit poddar ji .At age of 18, to refine his art, he started learning tabla under guidance of famous tabla exponent of farukhabad gharana – GURU Devashish adhikari ji . Guru Devashish adhikari ji is a living Tabla legend who gained his knowledge of pure traditional Tabla by his guru ustad sabir khan .

PERFORMANCE:

Mehul has given numerous solo performances and accompanied in different cities of India and has received affection appreciation and blessings by audience. He started his performing career from age of 10, initially in cultural programs of school and different institutions like Sanskriti Kala Kendra for dance and music , Baal Bhavan of Delhi and in music seminars conducted by Vidya Bharti organization. At the age of 18 He went for Rajasthan tour for lecture demonstrations in educational institutes of different cities i.e. Dhaulpu, Alwar , Jaipur ,Bharatpur.

SOME MAZAR PERFORMANCE:

He performed annually for 4 continuous years in workshop conducted by sahitya kal parishad in Delhi.He also performed in youth festival , Delhi by sahitya kala parishad.He gave his marvelous performances in nadotsava organized by CICM (council of Indian classical music)He performed at kala sang am organized by income tax department (chennai) 30TH  all india cultural meet (2010).performed at sopan festival organized by delhi govt . performed at kalasamvad at doordarshan. He has performed with many renowned artists of our Indian classical music.

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:

An outstanding student academically , Mehul has proved his excellence in his educational field.his qualifications are as follow: He is persuing his graduation from music faculty, of delhi university where he explored the music Hons. Course. He has completed his diploma PRABHAKAR in tabla, which is equevalent to B.A degree ,from prayag sangeet samiti , Allahabad.

He also did his senior diploma in classical vocal from prayag sangeet samiti. He also has done his diploma course(5 yrs) in bhav sangeet from prayag sangeet samiti.

He believes in improving our self every new day because He is a believer that, the competition should not be with the world outside…..but with the world existing inside.

Best:

Mahendr K Awasthi

+91-9990630535

An experience, Modi in Singapore

ON JUNE 11, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Yesterday, for the first time I was physically present to hear Prime Minister Modi live at an event. I passed an opportunity to be standing right where he would walk in and shake hands with people simply because I did not want to be that fan who screams like a besotted dumbo. The brain, the brain – use your brain said my brain. Go sedately and listen to his speech said the brain. And so I focussed on reaching on time for the registration, security check and finding the best seats in the gigantic hall at the iconic Marina Bay Sands which can seat over 2,000 people (though I hear some 4,500 people were present). My husband joined later after finishing his office meetings.

Some cultural programmes were staged while we waited for the PM. We texted friends to find out where they were sitting, we waved to people we recognized. Suddenly the screens in front began to show the place where Modi was greeting people after reaching Fullerton Hotel. Live! And there stood some of my friends. The audience in the hall erupted at the sight and went “Modi, Modi, Modi…”

Still later when the PM arrived at Marina Bay Sands and began to come closer to our hall along with Singapore’s Prime Minister, even as every movement of his was telecast on our screens, the excitement began mounting all around me. We saw him going to different booths in an exhibition in the building and people cheered loudly. And then he finally entered our hall. OMGs it was like a movie star making an entry. I do not know if any Indian political leader including anyone from Gandhi or Nehru family has commanded this kind of euphoria, mania or whatever you call it even in a foreign country. [Subhash Chandra Bose is an exception going by the archival photos of the crowds he attracted in Singapore.]

The compere requested everyone to sit and we watched a beautiful dance cum yoga programme by Apsaras Arts Dance Company. It was an excellent audio-visual experience to watch Bharata Natyam and yoga asanas with the screens being used to convey some profound shlokas from the Gita and Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. Singapore’s got talent!

Next, Singapore’s Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations S. Iswaran came on stage to update us about all the business collaborations going on between Singapore and India. He told us that India has the world’s 3rd largest ecosystem for startups. A Singapore-India Incubation Programme will soon help Singapore start-ups break into the Indian market.

Three digital payment platforms RuPay, Bhim and SBI were launched by PM Modi in the presence of Dr Iswaran to a thunderous reception. 3 platforms which I wish had been launched right in those days when I struggled to send money to India. With these 3 Apps it will be a breeze to spend in India using Singapore dollar accounts or to send remittances.

Finally, the most awaited moment came when Dr Iswaran invited PM Modi to speak on the stage. It was a moment of total delirium all around me. Perfectly normal people in office-wear were chanting Modi, Modi or “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and even “Vande Mataram”. I looked all around to understand what this phenomenon was and then turned to my husband to see if he could decode it for me. But he was busy looking at his iphone to check on the results of the Kairana bypoll. “See how they have all ganged up against him,” he whispered. “BJP has lost to the combined might of the opposition there! 2019 will not be easy.”

The PM spoke.

But, he spoke in English which was a bit of a dampener because we all know his superb oratory in Hindi. But really, you have to give it to this man for being able to speak fluently without tripping, without getting confused in a language he must have learned so late in life. One might laugh at his pronunciation (after a while I felt as if I would start saying “nayver”, “praysence”, institusun, phreedom, breej, naytural, naval sheeps) but it is so much more appealing than a London educated colonized PM speaking in perfect English. How the hell does he reel off data like they are engraved in his mind? He spoke of the staggering pace of infrastructure development going on in India right now. Roads, railways airports, freight corridors, train station modernization, ports, manufacturing, energy generation, banking, social welfare. Hard data which cannot be faked. Here is a man whose every utterance somehow infuses Indians (even Indian-origin foreign citizens) with a little more energy, a little more confidence and makes them walk a little taller than before. I thought of the time when there was no Modi in the horizon. The hopelessness. The helplessness. When it seemed like termites were eating up India.

We’ve got a Prime Minister who motivates like no PM did before! I am remembering the speeches of Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi but none of them made one feel like getting up immediately and doing something, anything for India! The hope and inspiration that Modi has given to millions of Indians worldwide cannot be quantified. We will not know how many industrialists decided to invest in India, how many people began to raise funds for India, how many decided to volunteer in India because of the hope that Modi represented – these are things which cannot be measured. Before Modi, Indians abroad did not feel this connected with India as they do today.

Yes, we need Modi to be elected back in 2019. I know the man focusses too much on development to the exclusion of everything else. I know there have been gaps in the implementation of promises. I know there are many who are upset with his silence and inaction on important matters. All it means to me is that we need to push him more, shake him hard and force him to hear us. We need him to appoint more ministers who are as good as Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goel, Sushma Swaraj, Suresh Prabhu and others. But it has to be him. Him and no one else for PM for another term. Inspiration matters.

Sahana Singh

Union Steel Minister dedicates to nation rebuilt Blast Furnace-1 of Rourkela Steel Plant

ON JUNE 11, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

New Delhi, 11th June 2018:

Union Steel Minister dedicates to nation rebuilt Blast Furnace-1 of Rourkela Steel Plant 

The Union Minister of Steel, Chaudhary Birender Singh dedicated the rebuilt Blast Furnace-1 ‘Parvati’ of SAIL, Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) to the Nation today. Union Minister of Tribal Affairs, Jual Oram, Dr. Aruna Sharma, Secretary, Ministry of Steel, Binoy Kumar, Officer on Special Duty, Ministry of Steel along, senior officers of SAIL and a large number of employees were present on this occasion.  Parvati is the first Blast Furnace of SAIL that was dedicated to the nation on 3rd February 1959 by the first President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad. The Blast Furnace was put down on 6th August 2013 for total rebuilding. Although erected on the old foundation, the rebuilt furnace equipped with superior technology has a higher production capacity. With the rebuilding, the annual production capacity, of the furnace has increased from 0.438 Million tonnes (MT) to 1.015 MT.

The Steel Minister also laid the foundation stone of the Burns and Plastic Surgery Department of Super Specialty block at Ispat General Hospital. This unit is the only burns and plastic surgery in the region and will fulfil the requirements of not only Rourkela but also of the people of neighboring districts and states.

The Minister also visited the state-of-the-art New Plate Mill of RSP and planted   saplings in the Pragati Udyan situated in front of the Mill.

Decisions taken by the Union Cabinet

ON JUNE 11, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Naresh Kumar Sagar

Admin · Just now

· Cabinet approves the joint issue of postage stamp between India and Russia

The Union Cabinet chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi was apprised of the agreement signed in connection with release of Joint Stamps between Department of Posts, India and Russia Post (Joint-Stock Company “MARKA” of Russian Federation) to establish postal cooperation and strive towards mutually beneficial operational excellence in the field of issuance of stamps. Bilateral relations between India and Russia are marked by broad understanding on issues of mutual interest. India and Russia enjoy enhanced levels of cooperation in almost all areas of the bilateral relationship.

· Cabinet approves the extension of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Netherlands on technical cooperation in the field of Spatial Planning, Water Management and Mobility Management

The Union Cabinet chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi was apprised of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between India and Netherlands on technical cooperation in the field of Spatial Planning, Water Management and Mobility Management in April, 2018.

Details

The objectives of this MoU are to promote and strengthen the collaboration between the signatories in the areas of Spatial Planning, Water Management and Mobility Management on the basis of equivalence, affordable housing, smart city development, geographical information system (GIS) for water supply & sewerage system, waste water reuse and recycle, conservation of fresh water by artificial recharge of aquifer, integrated solid waste management and heritage conservation and mutual benefit, taking into account the practical needs of both the countries.

Implementation strategy

Under this MoU, a Joint Working Group (JWG) will be set up to strategize and implement programmes on cooperation under the framework of the MoU. The Joint Working Group will meet once in a year, alternately in the Netherlands and in India.

Major Impact

The MoU will promote bilateral cooperation in the field of Spatial Planning, Water Management and Mobility Management between the two countries.

Beneficiaries

The MoU is expected to create employment in the areas of Spatial Planning, Water Management and Mobility Management, smart cities development, affordable housing, waste management, urban environment and heritage preservation.

· Cabinet approves Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Denmark on technical cooperation in the field of Sustainable and Smart Urban Development

The Union Cabinet chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi was apprised of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between India and Denmark on technical cooperation in the field of Sustainable and Smart Urban Development in April, 2018.

Details

The objective of this MoU is to promote bilateral cooperation in the field of sustainable and smart urban development on the basis of reciprocity and mutual benefit through exchange of knowledge, institutional cooperation, research & development and commercial relations on related issues. Areas of cooperation include smart urban solutions, liveability, sustainable and integrated urban planning, re-development and land use, integrated solid waste management including waste to energy, sustainable transport systems, water and sanitation management, energy efficiency, resource mobilization and other related areas mutually agreed upon.

Implementation strategy

Under this MoU, a Joint Working Group (JWG) will be set up to strategize and implement programmes on cooperation under the framework of the MoU. The Joint Working Group will meet at intervals agreed upon by the Participants, alternately in Denmark and in India.

Major Impact

The MoU will promote bilateral cooperation in the field of Sustainable and Smart Urban Development between the two countries.

Beneficiaries

The MoU is expected to create employment in the areas of integrated solid waste management including waste to energy, sustainable transport systems, water and sanitation management, energy efficiency, resource mobilization.

· Cabinet approves Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark-III Continuation Programme – Phase 6: Thirty Operational Flights of PSLV

The Union Cabinet chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) Continuation Programme (Phase 6) and funding of thirty PSLV operational flights under the Programme. The Programme will also meet the launch requirement of satellites for Earth observation, Navigation and Space Sciences. This will also ensure the continuity of production in Indian industry. The total fund requirement is Rs. 6131.00 Crores and includes the cost of thirty PSLV vehicles, essential facility augmentation, Programme Management and Launch Campaign.

Major Impact:

The operationalisation of PSLV has made the country self-reliant in the launching capability of satellites for earth observation, disaster management, navigation and space sciences. The PSLV Continuation programme will sustain this capability and self-reliance in the launching of similar satellites for national requirements. The PSLV Continuation Programme – Phase 6 will meet the demand for the launch of satellites at a frequency up to eight launches per year, with maximal participation by the Indian industry. All the operational flights would be completed during the period 2019-2024.

The Programme will also meet the launch requirement of satellites for Earth observation, Navigation and Space Sciences. This will also ensure the continuity of production in Indian industry. PSLV Continuation Programme was initially sanctioned in 2008, and four phases have been completed and the fifth phase is expected to be completed by Q2 of 2019-20. The Phase 6 approval will cater to the launch of satellite missions during the period Q3 of 2019-20 to Q1 of 2023-24.

· Status-cum-Progress Report of “Special Committee for Inter-Linking of Rivers”

The Union Cabinet chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has been apprised of the progress report of Special Committee for Inter-Linking of Rivers during 1.7.2016 to 31.3.2018. The progress report on interlinking of rivers has been submitted to the Cabinet in compliance of the Hon’ble Supreme Court judgement dated 27.02.2012 in the matter of Writ Petition (Civil) – 512 of 2002: “Networking of Rivers” along with Writ Petition No.668 of 2002 which directs the Union Government of India to constitute a Special Committee for Interlinking of Rivers. A periodical report is required to be submitted to the Cabinet on the progress made by the Special Committee for Interlinking of Rivers.

The Status Report of Special Committee on ILR consists of substantial progress made in three priority links namely Ken-Betwa Link, Damanganga-Pinjal Link and Para-Tapi-Narmada Link alongwith status of other Himalayan and Peninsular links identified as per National Perspective Plan of 1980.

· Cabinet approves Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and United Kingdom on technical cooperation in the field of Sustainable Urban Development

The Union Cabinet chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi was apprised of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between India and United Kingdom on technical cooperation in the field of Sustainable Urban Development in April, 2018.

Details

The objective of this MoU is to facilitate and strengthen India-UK institutional cooperation in the field of sustainable urban development. The areas of cooperation include smart cities development, solid waste management, green affordable housing, waste water management, capacity building of urban institutions, skill development in urban areas, urban mobility, intelligent transport system and transit-oriented development, innovative access to finance and other related areas as mutually agreed upon by the Contracting Parties.

Implementation strategy

Under this MoU, an Indo-UK Joint Working Group (JWG) will be set up to strategize and implement programmes on cooperation under the framework of the MoU. The Joint Working Group on Urban Development is expected to meet once in a year, alternately in UK and in India.

Major Impact

The MoU will promote strong, deep and long term bilateral cooperation in the field of Sustainable Urban Development between the two countries.

Beneficiaries

The MoU is expected to create employment in the areas of smart cities development, solid waste management, green affordable housing, waste water management, skill development in urban areas, urban mobility, intelligent transport system and transit-oriented development.

· Cabinet approves Continuation Programme for Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark-III

The Union Cabinet chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved funding for the for Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark-III (GSLV Mk-III) continuation programme (Phase-I) consisting of ten (10) GSLV (Mk-III) flights, at a total estimated cost of Rs. 4338.20 crores. This includes Rs. 4338.20 Crores and includes the cost of ten GSLV Mk-III vehicles, essential facility augmentation, Programme Management and Launch Campaign.

The GSLV Mk-III continuation Programme – Phase 1 is the first phase of operational flights that will enable the launch of 4 tonne class of communication satellites to meet the country’s satellite communication requirements. The operationalisation of GSLV Mk-III will make the country self-reliant in the launching capability of 4 tonne class of communication satellites, and sustain & strengthen the space infrastructure and reduce the dependence on procured launches from foreign countries.

The operationalisation of GSLV Mk-III will make the country self-reliant in the launching capability of 4 tonne class of communication satellites and sustain & strengthen the space infrastructure and reduce the dependence on procured launches from foreign countries. The GSLV Mk-III Continuation Programme – Phase 1 will meet the launch requirement of communication satellites to meet the national demand for High Throughput Satellites for rural broadband connectivity, increase and sustain the availability of transponders for DTH, VSAT and Television broadcasters. GSLV Mk-III Continuation Programme – Phase 1 will be the first phase of operational flights of the GSLV Mk-III launch vehicle and the approval will cater to the launch of satellite missions during the period 2019-2024.

· Cabinet approves Revision in the wage structure and allowances of Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS) of the Department of Posts

The Union Cabinet chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today has approved the revision in the wage structure and allowances of Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS) of the Department of Posts. The revision in the wage structure would entail an estimated expenditure of Rs 1257.75 crore (Non-recurring expenditure – Rs 860.95 crore and Recurring expenditure of Rs.396.80 crore) during 2018-19. 3.07 lakh Gramin Dak Sevaks will be benefitted by this wage revision.

Details:

i. Time Related Continuity allowance (TRCA) structure and slabs have been rationalised. The total GDSs have been brought under two categories viz. Branch Postmasters (BPMs) and other than Branch Postmasters namely Assistant Branch Postmaster (ABPMs).

ii. The present 11 TRCA slabs will be merged into only three TRCA Slabs with two levels each for BPMs and other than BPMs.

iii. Introduction of new Time Related Continuity Allowance (TRCA) will be as below:

Minimum TRCA of two types of proposed categories of GDSs as per working hours / levels

S.No.

Category

Minimum TRCA for 4 Hours / Level 1

Minimum TRCA for 5 Hours / Level 2

1

BPM

Rs. 12000/-

Rs. 14500/-

2

ABPM/Dak Sevaks

Rs. 10000/-

Rs. 12000/-

iv. Dearness Allowance will continue to be paid as a separate component, and also revised from time to time whenever it is revised for Central Government Servants.

v. It is decided to continue the calculation of the ex-gratia bonus by applying the calculation ceiling of Rs.7000 as basic TRCA + DA till such time a new scheme is devised.

vi. Arrears for the period 1.1.2016 to the date of implementation will be paid by increasing the basic TRCA drawn during the period by a factor of 2.57. The arrears will be paid in one instalment.

· vii. Annual increase at the rate of 3% and the same may be given on 1st January or 1st July of every year as the case may be based on the one time written request of GDSs.

viii. A new Risk and hardship Allowance has been introduced. Other allowances Viz. Office maintenance allowance, Combined duty allowance, Cash conveyance charges, Cycle maintenance allowance, Boat allowance and Fixed Stationery Charges have been revised.

Implementation strategy and targets:

The revision would result in improving the wages, allowances and discharge benefits of Gramin Dak Sevaks resulting in providing efficient & cost-effective basic postal facilities in the rural area. The proposed increased emoluments will enable him to improve his socio-economic standing.

Impact:

The Branch Post Offices are the fulcrum for provision of Communications and financial services in the village and are located in remote areas. The Post Master has to deal with large sums while making payments to customers; hence accountability is already built into his work. The enhanced remuneration will increase the sense of responsibility. Moreover, with the roll out of the India Post Payment Bank (IPPB), the CDS network is expected to play a key role in the process of financial inclusion of the rural population.

· Cabinet approves Revised guidelines on time bound closure of sick/ loss making Central Public Sector Enterprises and disposal of movable and immovable assets

The Union Cabinet chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today has approved the revised guidelines of the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) on time bound closure of sick/ loss making Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) and disposal of movable and immovable assets. The revised guidelines would reduce delays in implementation of closure plans of sick/loss making CPSEs. These guidelines will replace the guidelines issued by DPE in September, 2016.

These guidelines provide a broad framework for expeditious completion of various processes and procedures for closure of CPSEs by laying down important milestones in the closure process along with timelines, outlining the responsibilities of the concerned Ministries/ Departments/ CPSE, etc., in the process. The guidelines provide for advance preparatory action to be taken by administrative Ministry/ Department and CPSEs, preparation of closure proposal, settlement of statutory and other liabilities of the CPSE under closure and modalities for disposal of movable and immovable assets of such CPSEs in a time bound manner.

The guidelines give first priority for utilization of land of CPSEs under closure for Affordable Housing as per the relevant guidelines of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). Since there are employees working in these CPSEs, Government decided that closure should not cause hardship to them and has now laid down a uniform policy to give workers VRS at 2007 notional pay scale irrespective of the pay scale in which they are working.

These guidelines shall apply to all sick/ loss making CPSEs, where –

i. Approval/ in principle approval for closure has been obtained by administrative Ministry/ Department from the CCEA/ Cabinet; or

ii. the process for obtaining the approval of the competent authority is underway after the administrative Ministry/ Department has decided for the closure of the CPSE.

By assigning priority to Affordable Housing it would make available land parcels of sick/loss making CPSEs under closure for the Government flagship programme of Affordable Housing being managed by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

· Cabinet approves Continuation of Off-grid and Decentralised Solar PV Applications Programme – Phase III

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for implementation of Phase-Ill of Off-grid and Decentralised Solar PV (Photo Voltaic) Application Programme to achieve additional 118 MWp(Mega Watt peak) off-grid solar PV capacity by 2020. Phase-Ill of Off-grid and Decentralised Solar PV Application Programme covers following components:

i) Solar Street Lights: 3,00,000 numbers of solar street lights will be installed throughout the country with special emphasis on areas where there is no facility for street lighting systems through grid power, North Eastern States and Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected districts.

ii) Stand-alone Solar Power Plants: Solar power plants of individual size up to 25 kWp(kilo Watt peak) will be promoted in areas where grid power has not reached or is not reliable. This component is mainly aimed at providing electricity to schools, hostels, panchayats, police stations and other public service institutions. The aggregated capacity of solar power plants would be 100 MWp.

iii) Solar Study Lamps: 25,00,000 numbers of solar study lamps will be provided in North Eastern States and LWE affected districts.

For solar street lights and solar power plants, financial support up to 30% of the benchmark cost of the system will be provided except for NE States, Hill States and Island UTs where up to 90% of the benchmark cost will be provided. For solar study lamps only 15% of the lamp cost to be borne by beneficiary student and balance will be provided as financial support as such systems will be provided to school going children in backward and remote areas. The total project of the three components included under the phase-Ill is Rs. 1895 crore of which Rs. 637 crore will be provided as central financial assistance.

The off-grid solar systems will also open better livelihood opportunities for beneficiaries in rural and remote areas thereby increasing self-employment in such areas. It is estimated that, besides increasing self-employment, the implementation of Phase-Ill is likely to generate employment opportunity equivalent to 8.67 lakh man-days for skilled and unskilled workers.

Off-grid and Decentralized Solar PV Applications Programme has high impact in the rural and remote areas of the country where grid power has either not reached or is not reliable. During the Phase-Ill, the programme is likely to benefit 40 lakh rural households. In addition, the off-grid solar power plants proposed in the programme to provide electricity to schools, hostels, panchayats, police stations and other public service institutions will help communities at large and also help in increasing participation of women in education, social and livelihood activities.

· Cabinet approves construction of a new 6 – Lane bridge with its approaches across River Ganga at Phaphamau, Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, approved the project for construction of 9.9 km long new 6 – lane bridge across river Ganga on NH – 96 at Phaphamau in Allahabad with total capital cost of Rs. 1948.25 crore. The construction period for the project is three years and likely to be completed by December, 2021. The new bridge will resolve the traffic congestion on existing old 2 – lane Phaphamau bridge on NH-96 at Allahabad.

The new bridge will also facilitate to the large congregation of people at Holy City Allahabad during Kumbh, Ardh-Kumbh and other yearly ritual baths at SANGAM in Prayag. This will give a boost to pilgrimage tourism and local economy of Holy city of Prayag. This new 6 – lane bridge will also be beneficial for the Lucknow / Faizabad bound traffic coming from Madhya Pradesh via National Highway – 27 and National Highway – 76 through Naini Bridge.

In addition, this project of new bridge will generate direct employment during construction for about 9.20 lakh mandays. At present all the Allahabad bound traffic coming from National Highway – 96, National Highway – 24 B, Asian Highway -1 and other local highways are using the existing old 2 – lane bridge at Phaphamau for crossing the River Ganga. There is no entry for goods vehicles on this bridge from 06 am to 11 pm. The present traffic on the old bridge is about 40,000 PCUs (Passenger Car Units) which is manifold greater than its designed capacity of 15,000 PCUs (Passenger Car Units), resulting in severe jam over bridge all around the day and night. This new 6 – lane bridge will decongest the old bridge and will also ensure fast and safe movement for traffic.

· Cabinet approves interventions to deal with the current crisis in the sugar sector

In order to improve the problem of liquidity of sugar mills resulting in accumulation of huge cane price arrears of farmers, the Union Cabinet chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the following measures involving total amount of about Rs. 7000 crore :Creation of buffer stock of 30 LMT of sugar for one year and to incur estimated expenditure of Rs.1175 crore for this purpose. However, based on the market price and availability of sugar, this may be reviewed by Department of Food & Public Distribution(DFPD) any time. The reimbursement under the scheme would be made on quarterly basis which would be directly credited into farmers’ account on behalf of mills against their cane price dues.

To notify Sugar Price (Control) Order, 2018 under Essential Commodities Act, 1955 to fix minimum selling price of white/refined sugar at the mill gate below which no white/refined sugar can be sold and delivered by a sugar mill in the domestic market. Fixation of minimum selling price of white sugar would be based on Fair Remunerative Price (FRP) of cane and minimum conversion cost of white/refined sugar. The minimum selling price of white/refined sugar shall be initially fixed at Rs.29/kg which can be revised by DFPD subsequently based on revision of FRP etc. This will not affect availability of sugar to consumers at reasonable price and Government will put in place a mechanism to ensure that the retail prices of sugar are kept fully under control. At present, this would be done along with imposition of stock holding limits on sugar mills. The stock limit on mills will be initially imposed for the current sugar season (up to September 2018), which may be reviewed by DFPD at any time.

To augment capacity through up-gradation of existing distilleries attached to sugar mills by installing incineration boilers and setting up new distilleries in sugar mills; government will bear interest subvention of maximum Rs.1332 crore over a period of five years including moratorium period of one year on estimated bank loan amounting to Rs.4440 crore to be sanctioned to the sugar mills by the banks over a period of three years for which DFPD would formulate a detailed scheme in this regard. This would help diversion of sugar during surplus phase to reduce excess inventories.

Commissioner of Police, Gurugram inaugurates Eastman Premier League

ON JUNE 11, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

The Commissioner of Police played the first over of the tournament which soaked the teams in cricket fever

Gurugram: In an endeavor to promote the spirit of camaraderie and common purpose amongst employees, Eastman Auto and Power Limited (EAPL), one of the leading companies in energy storage and solar solutions today launched a unique cricket tournament on the lines of the much-celebrated IPL series. It will be called EPL – Eastman Premier League. This glorious event comprising 8 teams was attended and inaugurated by Mr. Sandeep Khirwar, Commissioner of Police, Gurugram. He played the first over of the tournament and kick-started the tournament.

 The tournament comprising 15 matches will take place across the month of June 2018 at Sports Maidan, Sector 58, Gurugram.

On the occasion, Mr. Sandeep Khirwar, Commissioner of Police, Gurugram, said, “This is a unique and a noble initiative that will encourage team-building among employees and also drive work-life balance. Cricket as a sport also promotes discipline among players”

The names of 8 teams have been conceptualized after the names of the company’s popular products. Group A comprises RayBar Riders, Solar Charge Controllers, TTC Mavericks, T-Gel Champions and Group B includes Grid Tie Solar Risers, Hybrid Sunrisers, MPPT Supernovas and On-Grid Strikers.

“We, at Eastman Auto and Power Limited, have always strived to provide a perfect work-life balance to all our employees. Cricket is a popular sport and religion in India that cuts across age, gender, and any other demographic construct. This is a unique employee engagement initiative that will thoroughly rejuvenate employees and develop strong bonds amongst them, make them understand the power of team efforts, and strategy,” said Mr. Saurabh Srivastava, President – Marketing & Product Strategy, Eastman Auto and Power Limited.

Meanwhile, employees have welcomed the initiative.

“The initiative is a testimony to the company’s commitment to providing novel experiences of life beyond work. Cricket is my passion and I look forward to leading my team in the tournament,” said Prashant Pillai, Captain of Grid Tie Solar Risers, an employee of Eastman Auto and Power Limited.

This is one of the many recent initiatives that EAPL has taken in this space. Last month it had announced a unique ESOP policy for employees where employees get a chance to co-create growth and value for the organization and themselves. It makes them partners in the quest to achieve professional excellence.

Another unique initiative where Eastman decided to give back to the community was the idea of Solarizing far-flung government schools in India which are mostly off the grid and get very scanty electricity supply. Called the ‘Yellow Umbrella Campaign’ in its first year the aim is to solarize 100 such schools

About Eastman Auto and Power Limited

Eastman Auto & Power Limited is acknowledged globally for its innovative approach, quality, and excellent services. Established in 2002, EAPL is the leading manufacturer, supplier, and exporter of all kinds of energy storage and solar solutions with manufacturing and research units in India. The range of products offered by Eastman is known for its quality, durability, and performance. The company provides batteries for vehicles, Inverters &UPS systems applications as well as E-rickshaw and solar solutions. EAPL also provides the most comprehensive portfolio of customized packages, solutions and services along the solar PV product line for SOHO, Rooftop, Residential and CSR applications. The company support and maintenance services across the world help to ensure efficient solar and energy storage installations.

Thanks & Regards,

 

Pallavi Joshi

9873624951

---

Article 1

June 12, 2018, 11:34 pm

≫ Next: Article 0

≪ Previous: Article 2

$

0

0

Farmers block oil refineries and depots across France

ON JUNE 13, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

French farmers began a blockade of at least 14 oil refineries and depots belonging to energy company Total on Sunday evening.

The demonstrators positioned their tractors and straw bales at the sites to protest against what they see as unfair standards in the importation of palm oil for use in fuel.

President of the National Federation of Agricultural Holders’ Unions Christiane Lambert insisted that the imports can undermine French agriculture, according to local media.

The blockage was described as “illegal” by French Agriculture Minister Stephane Travert. He said that the government is not going to backtrack on its decision to allow Total to use imported palm oil, and warned that the protest could not lead to any “adequate solutions.”

Putin’s visit ‘strong impetus’ to Sino-Russian relations

ON JUNE 13, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s state visit to China was successful, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang. The spokesman told reporters on Monday, that the visit gave a new “strong impetus” to the bilateral relations and said that the friendship medal given to the Russian leader reflects the “deep friendship” between the two states. He became the first foreign leader to receive one of the highest awards of China, officially called Order of Friendship. Putin came to China on June 8, where his met his counterpart Xi Jingping and later took part in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation SCO summit.

Erdogan vows to ‘drain terrorist swamp’

ON JUNE 13, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Erdogan vows to ‘drain terrorist swamp’ after strikes in Iraq’s Qandil Mountains.
Turkey has destroyed 14 Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) targets in northern Iraq’s Qandil Mountains. The region is considered to be the headquarters of the PKK, which is designated as a terrorist organization by Ankara. Some 20 Turkish jets were involved in the attack on Monday. Speaking at a rally in the central Turkish city of Nigde, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to “drain the biggest of the swamps” in reference to the region, which he said was a “source of terrorism” affecting Turkey, according to Daily Sabah.

Netanyahu questioned in probe

ON JUNE 13, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Israeli PM Netanyahu questioned in probe for corruption.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been quizzed by the police on Tuesday in his official residence in Jerusalem, in a criminal investigation into his involvement in a telecom corruption case. New testimony, presented by his former confidant Nir Hefetz in the so-called Case 4000, reveals that from 2014 to 2017 Netanyahu had allegedly used his former position of communications minister to have Walla!, a news site run by Bezeq communications giant, provide favorable coverage of him and his wife Sara.

Is South China Sea, in crucible treat

ON JUNE 13, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Modi  echoed American rhetoric about a “shared vision of an open, stable, secure and prosperous” Indo-Pacific, which he described as “a natural region” — countering those who wonder if an area stretching from Bollywood to Hollywood might too vast and disparate to be cast into a geopolitical fact on the ground.

Modi also heaped praise on China, despite its border dispute with India and increasingly close economic ties with Pakistan, India’s neighbor and nuclear rival.

“Our cooperation is expanding. Trade is growing. And, we have displayed maturity and wisdom in managing issues and ensuring a peaceful border,” Modi said.

Ending the “provocative actions” is an essential step towards easing tensions around the Korean Peninsula and creating the “atmosphere of trust” in the region, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. This was in response to US President Donald Trump’s statement that it was now “inappropriate” to stage war games in light of the negotiation process. Trump made the remark after the historic summit with the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Stopping the US-South Korea war games was one of the conditions Pyongyang proposed for denuclearization.

China’s foreign ministry described Modi’s speech as “positive,” while one of its military delegation at the Singapore conference gloated that India and the U.S. “have different understandings, different interpretations, of this Indo-Pacific.”

The Trump and Kim summit has its new fulcrums, US denuclearisation means North Korea dismantling its nuclear arsenal, for Pyongyang it means scaling down of US forces from both South Korea and Japan, besides ending the annual military drill between the US and South Korea.

Further, there was no mention of missiles, an issue that was brought to the fore in 2017.

Also, the text on MIA remains implies US military figures will visit North Korea. As contained in the joint text, the US and North Korea commit to recovering PoW/MIA remains including the immediate repatriation of those already identified. However, commitment to ‘expeditious’ implementation is good.

The most important of those four key points in the joint text is the third point in which both Trump and Kim ‘commit to work towards the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula’.

Indeed, there is plenty of wriggle room in committing to work toward denuclearisation.

The joint text clearly mentions thus: ‘President Trump committed to provide security guarantees to the DPRK, and Chairman Kim Jong Un reaffirmed his form and unwavering commitment to complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.’

According to Jonathan Cheng of The Wall Street Journal, there are four key points in the Trump-Kim Declaration.

First: The US and North Korea commit to establish new US-North Korea relations in accordance with the desire of the peoples of the two countries for peace and prosperity.

Second: Both would make efforts to build a lasting and stable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.

Third: Reaffirming the April 27 Panmunjom Declaration, North Korea commits to work towards the complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.

And fourth: Both sides commit to recover PoW/MIA remains including the immediate repatriation of those already identified.

China welcomed the summit as ‘historic’. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi observed the fact that the two leaders ‘can sit together and have equal talks has important and positive meaning, and is creating new history.’

Wang also spoke of the need for a peace mechanism for the peninsula. While calling for ‘full denuclearisation’ to resolve tensions on the Korean Peninsula, Wang observed: ‘Resolving the nuclear issue, on the one hand, of course, is denuclearisation, full denuclearisation.’

‘At the same time, there needs to be a peace mechanism for the peninsula, to resolve North Korea’s reasonable security concerns.’

It needs to be remembered that Beijing is Pyongyang’s sole major ally and main trading partner. However, it supported others in implementing a slew of UN sanctions to punish the North over its nuclear and missile tests.

Yet, Beijing welcomed Kim twice in quick succession prior to the latter’s summit with Trump. That China continues to remain relevant in any peace process in the Korean Peninsula remains unquestioned.

Despite tensions, the Cold War-era allies sought to mend ties recently, and Kim even borrowed an Air China plane to travel to the landmark summit with Trump in Singapore.

Take others view, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s account of a conversation he had with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, was startling.

During a meeting between the two leaders in Beijing in May 2017, the subject turned to whether the Philippines would seek to drill for oil in a part of the South China Sea claimed by both countries. Duterte said he was given a blunt warning by China’s president.

“[Xi’s] response to me [was], ‘We’re friends, we don’t want to quarrel with you, we want to maintain the presence of warm relationship, but if you force the issue, we’ll go to war,” Duterte recounted.

A year later, Duterte was asked for a response to news that China had landed long-range bombers on one of the South China Sea’s Paracel Islands — a milestone that suggests the People’s Liberation Army Air Force can easily make the short hop to most of Southeast Asia from its new airstrips. “What’s the point of questioning whether the planes there land or not?” Duterte responded.

His refusal to condemn China’s military buildup underlines China’s success in subduing its rivals in the South China Sea. Since 2013 China has expanded artificial islands and reefs in the sea and subsequently installed a network of runways, missile launchers, barracks and communications facilities.

These military advances have led many to wonder if Beijing has already established unassailable control over the disputed waters. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have overlapping claims to parts of the South China Sea and its islands – claims that are looking increasingly forlorn in the wake of China’s military buildup.

“What China is winning is de facto control of nearly the entire South China Sea, including all activities and resources in it, despite the other surrounding Southeast Asian states’ respective legal rights and entitlements under international law,” said Jay Batongbacal, director of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea.

At stake is the huge commercial and military leverage that comes with controlling one of the world’s most important shipping lanes, through which up to $5 trillion worth of trade passes each year.

U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis insists that China faces “consequences” for the “militarization” of South China Sea, which he says is being done for “the purposes of intimidation and coercion.”

“There are consequences that will continue to come home to roost, so to speak, with China, if they do not find the way to work more collaboratively with all of the nations,” Mattis said on June 2 at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, a security conference organized by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Mac Thornberry, chairman of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, added that the U.S. naval presence means China does not have a free hand in the South China Sea.

“I think you will see more and more nations working together to affirm freedom of navigation through the South China Sea and other international waters,” Thornberry told the Nikkei Asian Review.

But what those consequences might be was left unsaid by Mattis, who suggested that there was little prospect of forcing China to give up its growing network of military facilities dotting the sea.

“We all know nobody is ready to invade,” he said.

Gregory Poling, director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the U.S.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, said, “There is no reasonable basis for the U.S. to use military force to push China off its outposts, nor would any country in the region support such an effort.”

The U.S. pushback so far has included disinviting China from a major Pacific naval exercise. It also continues to carry out so-called freedom of navigation operations, or FONOPs, the most recent of which took place on May 27. This was followed by U.S. military aircraft flying over the Paracel Islands in early June, a move that prompted a countercharge of “militarization’” against the U.S. by China’s Foreign Ministry.

China regards the FONOPs as sabre-rattling and “a challenge to [our] sovereignty,” according to Lt. Gen. He Lei, Beijing’s lead representative at the Singapore conference.

He restated the government position on troops and weapons on islands in the South China Sea, describing the deployments as an assertion of sovereignty and said that allegations of militarization were “hyped up” by the U.S.

Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana stopped short of endorsing the FONOPs but told the Nikkei Asian Review that “it is our belief that those sea lanes should be left open and free.”

In contrast to Duterte’s reluctance to confront China, his predecessor as president, Benigno Aquino, was frequently outspoken about China’s increasing control of the sea. He pressed a case against Beijing to an arbitration tribunal in 2013 after a protracted naval stand-off the year before around Scarborough Shoal, a rock claimed by both countries and lying about 120 nautical miles off the Luzon coast.

In mid-2016 the tribunal dismissed China’s expansive “nine-dash line” claim to much of the South China Sea and its artificial island-building and expansion, all of which the tribunal said contravened the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS.

Duterte said he would not “flaunt” the tribunal outcome, in contrast with his campaign pledge to assert the country’s sovereignty — he even vowed to ride a jet ski to one of China’s artificial islands and plant the Philippine flag there. Manila hopes for significant Chinese investment in roads, rail and ports, as part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, a multicontinent plan outlining China-backed infrastructure upgrades.

Defense Secretary Lorenzana emphasized in remarks to the media in Singapore that good relations with China remain a priority, regardless of bilateral disputes. “It is just natural for us to befriend our neighbor. We cannot avoid dealing with China, they are near, [and] many Filipinos, including me, have Chinese blood.”

For the Philippines, a U.S. treaty ally, there are growing doubts about whether the American navy would protect them in a conflict with China, something Duterte, a brusque critic of the U.S., has questioned publicly.

Mattis, like former President Barack Obama and his Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, sidestepped a question on that issue in Singapore, saying, “The reason why public figures do not want to give specific answers is that these are complex issues.”

American evasiveness is a reminder to the Philippines that the U.S. might not risk war with China over its old ally. “It is debatable whether Filipinos believe that the U.S. will have its back in a conflict with China,” Batongbacal of the University of the Philippines said. “Duterte’s repeated statements against the reliability of the U.S. as an ally tends to undermine this further.”

Duterte’s reticence has left Vietnam as the sole claimant willing to speak up. Discussing recent developments in the South China Sea, Vietnamese Defense Minister Gen. Ngo Xuan Lich told the Singapore conference, “Under no circumstances could we excuse militarization by deploying weapons and military hardware over disputed areas against regional commitments.”

Lich did not name-check China in his speech, but described “a serious breach to the sovereignty” of another country that “violates international laws, complicates the situation and negatively affects regional peace, stability and security.”

As well as hindering oil and gas projects in waters close to Vietnam, China’s navy has for several years harassed Vietnamese fishing boats — as it does around the Philippines — and continues to occupy islands seized from Vietnam nearly five decades ago.

In 2014, anti-China riots kicked off across Vietnam after China placed an oil rig in South China Sea waters claimed by Hanoi. In early June there were demonstrations against proposals that protesters claimed will give Chinese businesses favored access in so-called Special Economic Zones in Vietnam.

Vietnam’s response to potential isolation has been a cautious dalliance with the U.S. In late 2016, shortly before the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president, American warships docked in Vietnam’s Cam Ranh Bay naval base, the first such visit since the former antagonists normalized ties in 1995. That landmark was followed in March this year by the arrival of a U.S. aircraft carrier to the central Vietnam city of Danang.

Hanoi recently called for greater Japanese involvement in the region’s maritime disputes, perhaps signalling an interest in a wider effort to counter China. But unlike the Philippines, Vietnam, which like China is a single party communist-run state, is not a U.S. treaty ally. Historical and ideological differences mean that there are limits to how closely Vietnam will align with the U.S.

“I think there is a good momentum with defense cooperation with the U.S. But I don’t think that it would immediately mean jumping into the ‘American camp,’ whatever it means,” said Huong Le Thu, senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

U.S. has sought to widen the array of countries it hopes will join it in countering China’s rising influence. During his 12-day swing through Asia in late 2017, Trump peppered his speeches with references to the “Indo-Pacific,” dispensing with the long established “Asia-Pacific” label in favor of a more expansive term first used by Japan.

The “Indo-Pacific” was then mentioned throughout the U.S. National Security Strategy published soon after Trump’s Asia trip — a document that alleged China aims to “challenge American power” and “is using economic inducements and penalties, influence operations, and implied military threats to persuade other states to heed its political and security agenda.”

Three days before his Singapore speech, Mattis announced in Hawaii that the U.S. Pacific Command would be renamed the Indo-Pacific Command, describing the expanded theater as stretching “from Bollywood to Hollywood.”

Mattis later added some gravitas to the cinematic catchphrase, saying in Singapore that “standing shoulder to shoulder with India, ASEAN and our treaty allies and other partners, America seeks to build an Indo-Pacific where sovereignty and territorial integrity are safeguarded — the promise of freedom fulfilled and prosperity prevails for all.”

The Trump administration clearly hopes for greater Indian involvement in its efforts to counter China’s growing influence. Kori Schake, deputy director-general of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said that while “Indo-Pacific isn’t yet an established part of the lexicon,” the implications of the term are clear.

“India is an Asian power. The countries adopting the term are encouraging India into greater cooperation in maintaining the maritime commons in the Indian and Pacific oceans,” said Schake, a former U.S. State Department official.

South Korean media were sharply divided in their assessments of Tuesday’s historic summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, with conservative news outlets blasting the meeting and one liberal paper lauding it.

North Korean media regard Tuesday’s summit with the United States as an epoch-making event to create “a radical switchover” in hostile bilateral relations.

State-run media reported on Wednesday for the first time that the nation’s leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump had held an “epoch-making meeting” in Singapore and signed a joint statement.

The report says the leaders shared the recognition of the principle of step-by-step and simultaneous action in achieving peace, stability and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. It suggests that Trump showed his understanding of a North Korean demand for the phased denuclearization of the peninsula.

The media report quotes Kim as saying that “it is urgent to make a bold decision on halting irritating and hostile military actions against each other.”

It says Trump expressed his intention to halt US-South Korea joint military exercises over a period of goodwill dialogue between North Korea and the United States.

The report says Trump suggested the US would offer security guarantees to North Korea and lift sanctions against it, if mutual relations improve through dialogue.

It says the summit was an “event of great significance in making a radical switchover in the most hostile North Korea-US relations, as required by the developing times.”

The media made no mention of Trump’s remarks to reporters that the leaders had discussed the abduction of Japanese nationals by North Korea, or that Kim had agreed to destroy a major testing site for ballistic missile engines.

Trump told reporters on Tuesday that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Advisor John Bolton will hold follow-up talks with North Korean officials next week.

But some observers say the upcoming talks are likely to face twists and turns because the leaders did not agree on any details of the denuclearization process

media agencies

Bangladesh’s Rohingya Refugee Camps need HR

ON JUNE 13, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

This is beginning of the monsoon and the sojourn camps dwelling are of conflicting Rohingya with their colleague in old settlement for and on trivial matter, putting the life of each other in disarray are finding themselves in natural catastrophe, where safety is first priority. Myanmar  government needs to send some spiritual and best motivators to teach to live in peace and harmony for the betterment of the the inhabitants are their native place with brotherhood among,  the Buddhist, the Hindu and the Muslims and the Christians. Lesson of ethics is also responsibility of the democratic government of land.

Cox’s Bazar – Heavy monsoon rains that began on Saturday (9/6) have caused severe structural damage to Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar Rohingya refugee camps. Over 31,000 of the camps’ one million refugees, who fled Myanmar, are still living in areas considered to be at high risk of deadly flooding and landslides.

Within 24 hours of the rains starting, humanitarian agencies reported some 59 incidents, including landslides, water logging, extreme wind and lightning strikes. The incidents are being mapped and shared on an interagency communal incident overview platform. Over the same period aid agencies reported that over 9,000 people were affected and that this number will increase as the rains continue.

IOM, the UN Migration Agency, is working against the clock to secure infrastructure, including road access and drainage, and to improve preparedness. Working with partners, it is ensuring that refugees continue to receive lifesaving assistance, including water, sanitation and hygiene, health, protection and shelter support during the monsoon.

The risks remains huge, given the vast size and nature of the congested, makeshift camps. The hilly terrain is now largely bare of vegetation and the rains have made the soil extremely unstable, increasing the risk of large scale flooding and landslides.

IOM and its partners have responded by relocating thousands of vulnerable households to safer ground ahead of the rains. Since January, 5,196 households (about 25,000 individuals) vulnerable to landslides and floods or in areas of communal infrastructure construction have been moved to safer areas. Before the end of June, IOM and its partners plan to move another 1,602 vulnerable households  (7,248 individuals) to safer ground.

In Unchiprang, a camp in Teknaf sub-district, IOM moved 787 households ahead of the heavy rains. But another 65 households remain at risk of landslides and floods.  “Yesterday 19 households were identified as at risk of landslides and moved to learning centers and child friendly spaces of the camp. They’ll be relocated to a new land once the rain stops. Relocation of these families is not possible as their shelters can’t be properly constructed amid continuous heavy rains,” said IOM site manager Mohammed Manun.

“The situation in the camps is growing more desperate with every drop of rain that falls,” said Manuel Pereira, IOM’s Emergency Coordinator in Cox’s Bazar. “You have close to one million people living on hilly, muddy terrain with no trees or shrubs left to hold the ground in place. People and their makeshift shelters are being washed away in the rains. We are racing to save lives, but we urgently need more funding to maintain and expand key humanitarian support during these rains. Without this, our operations, which are currently only 22 percent funded, will run out of money by the end of this month,” he added.

IOM, WFP and UNHCR have also strategically positioned heavy machinery in key camp locations for disaster response operations in a joint project called the Site Maintenance Engineering Project (SMEP.) Teams are also continuously working to increase available land for relocations. IOM has already prepared 186.8 acres of new land to relocate at least 7,000 people.

Existing refugee shelters have also been upgraded to better withstand heavy rain and high winds, and refugees have been advised on measures they can take to reduce their vulnerability to any upcoming disaster.

Key shelter and non-food items have been stockpiled to ensure sufficient provision during times of high demand. Mobile medical teams will also ensure that displaced and hard to reach populations have uninterrupted access to healthcare.

Access to clean water also poses a huge challenge during the monsoon and IOM and its partners have worked to improve water and hygiene infrastructure, as well as pre-positioning acute watery diarrhea kits and aquatabs in remote areas to meet basic needs.

For more information, please contact IOM Cox’s Bazar:

Manuel Pereira, Tel: +8801885946996, Email: mpereira@iom.int

Shirin Akhter, Tel: +88034152195 or +8801711187499, Email: sakhter@iom.int

CII Business Delegation to Belarus : 4-6   June , 2018

ON JUNE 13, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)   organized a business delegation  to Belarus  on 04 to 6th  June 2018. The visit aimed to promote Indian industry’s commitment to strengthen investment and trade between India and Belarus. The 14-member delegation met with diverse stakeholders – including government, industry and media in a bid to strengthen the economic relationship  between the two countries.

CII business delegation comprised of 14  members from 8 companies  interested in setting up business in Belarus   in sector such as Textile,Machinery, Agro Chemicals, Automative, Tractor and Farm Equipments, Financial Technology (Fintech) , Power Transmission. Members of the delegation included Industry Representatives from Bajaj Industries Limited,  Expotech International Pvt Ltd, KEC International Limited, Maruti Suzuki India Limited ,Tafe Limited, Iris Business Services Limited and  Uniphos International Ltd and Durofibretex.

India- Belarus Business forum   

India-Belarus  Business Forum was organized in Minsk  (Belarus  ) on June 4th, 2018. Indian Ambassador to Belarus  H.E  Saangeeta Bahadur  and Leader of Indian Delegation Mr Pankaj Bajaj spoke from Indian side during the forum. Ambassador stressed the need to  reimagine the existing pattern of economic relations between the two countries and open news ways of economic cooperation for private sectors of both the countries.  For example Joint Manufacturing for EAEU market, parternering the reform process of Belarus by  sharing IT and regulatory support  and increasing the current level of trade between the two countries were the main topic of discussion among Forum members. Vladimir Ulakhovich   Chairman of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) adressed the forum and  led the Belarussian Delegtaion during the forum. A presentation on Business and investment climate of the Republic of Belarus was done by Mr. Mikhail Dashuk. The deputy director of the National Agency of the Investments and   Privatization

More than 50 representatives from various industries of Belarus participated in the Forum.Many Belarussian companies participated in   the B2B meetings organized by the BCCI.

Delegation met with Deputy Minister of Economy, Deputy Minister of  Anti-Monopoly  and Regulation, Chairman of Belarussian Stock Exchange, Head of Settlement Registry of Belarus Central Banks and Mr Myasnovich Speaker of Belarus National Assembly.

Visit  to Special Economic Zone – Orsha 

Some of the delegation members visited the special economic zone located in Orsha region of Belarus . Chairman of the Orsha  District Executive Committee hosted a business lunch and participated in business negotiation with the interested members of Indian Delegation.

Orsha region is located near the border of Russia and has very well developed infrastructure for  setting up industries, logistics  hub and can be an  important business hub/transit point  for  Indian Businesses interested in EAEU market

Manish Kumar

Deputy Director, International

Confederation of Indian Industry

The Mantosh Sondhi Centre

23, Institutional Area

Lodi Road, New Delhi 110 003

Tel: +91 11 4577 1000

Ext:463

Email: manish.kumar@cii.in

Mobile:8860030312

Website: www.cii.in

Article 0

June 12, 2018, 11:35 pm

≫ Next: Article 0

≪ Previous: Article 1

$

0

0

Odisha can produce 100 million tonnes of steel: Steel Minister

ON JUNE 13, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Union Minister of Steel interacting with MDs/CEOs of major steel producing units in Kalinganagar, Odisha

Union Minister of Steel Chaudhary Birender Singh visited Kalinganagar on 12th June, 2018 and interacted with MDs/CEOs of major steel producing units located in the State of Odisha.  In his remarks the Minister stated that India has become the second largest steel producing country. In the financial year 2017-18, India produced more than 100 million tonnes of steel.  Indian Steel Industry has come out of the difficulties faced during 2014-15 and 2015-16 due to various policy interventions by the Government of India.  National Steel Policy and DMI&SP Policy were notified during 2017 giving direction and fillip to the domestic industry.

Odisha is a major steel producing State contributing more than half of steel production in the country.  It is rich in minerals and mines and has a potential to produce 100 million tonnes of steel out of 300 million tonnes envisaged in National Steel Policy by the year 2030-31.  Kalinganagar is a major industrial hub.  Around 15 steel plants are located in this region which include public sector plants like NINL and private sector plants like TATA Steel, Jindal Stainless Limited, Visa Steel and MESCO.  To achieve the common objective of producing 300 million tonnes by 2030, enhanced production from Kalinganagar and Odisha State is important.  The Minister expressed the hope that Kalinganagar will develop potential for downstream facilities which include ferro alloy plants, duct iron pipes, steel furniture, power component manufacturing as well as stainless steel units.

Industry representatives spoke about increased need for utilizing iron ore fines for pellet manufacturing so that precious iron ore can be preserved.  The Minister discussed in detail the challenges to the growth of Indian Steel Industry, such as logistics in terms of development of ports and increasing capacity of Indian railways, creating dedicated freight corridors to move raw materials as well as finished goods. The Steel Minister expressed confidence that both Central Government and State government together find solutions at policy and operational level to achieve higher level of production in Odisha.

Officers from the Central Government and the State Government were also

present in the meeting.

Procter & Gamble:First ‘Women Business Empowerment Program’ in India

ON JUNE 13, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

P&G India recently concluded it’s first ‘Women Business Empowerment Program’ in India with its partner WEConnect International.

20 women entrepreneurs, who were selected via an application process graduated from the four-week program aimed at developing capability of women entrepreneurs. As part of the program, P&G conducted training and workshops with real-time case studies covering various aspects of building a sustainable business including professional skills like consumer engagement, digital marketing, legal and tax system, effective communication etc. Taking this a step further, the holistic program also provided women entrepreneurs access to business opportunities with P&G and its partners. Through the holistic Women Business Empowerment program, 25% of participants secured business opportunities with P&G and its partners.

The training sessions and workshops were mentored by senior leaders from P&G and prominent women leaders and entrepreneurs from across industries. P&G India has committed itself to sourcing US$30 million from women-owned businesses across India over the next three years. This initiative to support women entrepreneurs is built on P&G’s global commitment to promote greater gender equality in line with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Procter & Gamble (P&G) India along with its partner WeConnect International recently concluded the Women Business Empowerment Program in India. 20 women entrepreneurs, who were selected via an application process, graduated from the four-week programme aimed at developing capability of women entrepreneurs.

As part of the programme, P&G conducted training and workshops with real-time case studies covering various aspects of building a sustainable business, including professional skills like consumer engagement, digital marketing, legal and tax system, effective communication and others. Taking this a step further, the holistic programme also provided women entrepreneurs access to business opportunities with P&G and its partners. Through the holistic Women Business Empowerment programme, 25% of participants secured business opportunities with P&G and its partners.

The training sessions and workshops were mentored by senior leaders from P&G and prominent women leaders and entrepreneurs from across industries, including Richa Arora, COO, Consumer Business, Tata Chemicals; Simran Hoon, Executive Vice-President, Viacom18; Poorvi Chothani, Founding and Managing Partner, LawQuest; Vineeta Dwivedi from SP Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR); Richa Pai, FMCG Merchandising head, Aditya Birla Retail; Aarti Bindra, Managing Director, ACPL Systems, Kalpana Anantraman, CEO, Avion Systems and Gauri Sawant, transgender activist and Managing Trustee, Sai Savli Foundation and Founder ‘Aaji Cha Ghar’.

P&G India has committed itself to sourcing S$30 million from women-owned businesses across India over the next three years. This initiative to support women entrepreneurs is built on P&G’s global commitment to promote greater gender equality in line with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Madhusudan Gopalan, CEO, P&G, India Subcontinent, said, “We are delighted to conclude the first edition of the Women Business Empowerment program (WBEP). Through this initiative, we conceived a holistic capability platform which will help women entrepreneurs build their businesses sustainably. This initiative is in line with our global commitment to empower women-owned businesses which is an important aspect of our citizenship efforts. We are committed to source $30 million from women-owned businesses across India over the next three years. Through this commitment, we believe, we will not only be able to stimulate economic growth but also bring about a social change via empowering women entrepreneurs.”

Gender Equality is a priority focus area of P&G’s Citizenship efforts. P&G has been steadily working to improve gender equality by leveraging its unique strengths in partnership and collaboration with industry stakeholders. P&G has also announced a series of measures designed to support a push towards gender equality across the Indian Subcontinent, Middle East and Africa region and the recent initiative in India is another strong statement in that direction.

Media Invitation 13 June 2018

ON JUNE 13, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Nitin Gadkari will preside over the signing of the Concession Agreement for the development of sewage treatment plant through Hybrid Annuity based Public-Private Partnership for India’s first city-wide integrated sewerage infrastructure for Mathura and signing of agreement with IOCL for the re-use of treated waste water for Mathura refinery.

Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas & Skill Development and Entrepreneurship along with Union Ministers of State for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Dr. Satya Pal Singh and Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal will also grace the occasion.

Date:

June 13, 2018 (Wednesday)

Time:

12.30 PM

Venue:

Convention Hall, The Ashok, Diplomatic Enclave, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi-110021

Dated: 12th June, 2018

INVITATION

Dear Sir/Madam,

You are cordially invited to cover the following event:

EVENT

:

Union Minister of State, (I/C) for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME), Giriraj Singh will interact with media on 4 years achievement of Government.

DATE

:

13.06.2018 (Wednesday)

TIME

:

11:15 AM

VENUE

:

Room No. 172, “Kaustubham”, 1st Floor, Udyog Bhawan, New Delhi

Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot, Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment will preside over the “3rd Meeting of National Council for Senior Citizens” Shri Vijay Sampla, Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment and Secretary, Department of Social Justice & Empowerment, Ms. Nilam Sawhney will also be present.

13th June, 2018 (Wednesday)

Time

2.00 PM

Venue

Committee Room -A, Vigyan Bhawan, Annexe, Maulana Azad Road, New Delhi-110001

OPENING RECEPTION: JUNE 16, 6 PM – 8 PM 2632 S. La Cienega Blvd. 

ON JUNE 13, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

B.A.D. SUMMER Jonathan Casella Mark Cooper Kim Eull JUNE 16 – SEPT. 8 OPENING RECEPTION: JUNE 16, 6 PM – 8 PM 2632 S. La Cienega Blvd.  Baik Art is pleased to present B.A.D. Summer, a multidisciplinary collaboration including works by Jonathan Casella, Mark Cooper, and Kim Eull. This exhibition highlights the nature of each artist’s practice as they navigate commercial signifiers, art historical tropes, and contemporary kitsch aesthetics. This exhibition will be on display from June 16, 2018, through September 8, 2018. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, June 16, 2018, from 6 pm – 8 pm. As the lines between globalized spectacle and institutional preservation become increasingly blurred, it is imperative to approach such endeavors in ways that prove adaptive and experiential. This exhibition reflects on the ability of creative practice to traverse both informed viewership and mass accessibility by blending a multitude of cultural signifiers. The vibrant and encompassing installation looks to challenge notions of taste and connoisseurship as well as the role of craft objects within the canon of fine art. The show’s emphasis on traditionally industrialized motifs such as clocks, shelving units, and books examine the commercialized exchanges around art and the resulting cultural homogenization that occurs within domestic and institutional spaces. Distinctions between academic austerity and marketability are then renegotiated through the artist’s contrasting use of fine art objects, stylized furnishings, and omnipresent barcodes. A point further highlighted by the storefront’s eccentric retail-esque display. Akin to other artist groups such as Danish collective, Superflux, B.A.D. Summer’s collaborators look to develop experimental and participatory experiences that challenge socio-economic status, art historical tradition, and cultural representation. This grouping of internationally based visual artists aims to build on Baik Art’s continued focus on global collaboration, experimentation, and ideological exchange. B.A.D. Summer marks the launch of Baik Art’s online design store, which will act as an extension of our fine art exhibitions. Baik Art Design [BAD] will provide global offerings of art editions, hand-made goods, and gallery publications in an effort to make our programming more accessible to our viewers and future patrons.

Article 0

June 14, 2018, 3:54 am

≫ Next: Article 1

≪ Previous: Article 0

$

0

0

International Day of Family Remittances:

ON JUNE 14, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

International Day of Family Remittances: Working to build prosperity at home

Rome, 14 June 2018 – Ahead of the International Day of Family Remittances to be observed on 16 June, Gilbert F. Houngbo, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) called for continued efforts to help remittance-receiving families build a sustainable future for themselves and their communities.

Houngbo’s message comes as the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on Tuesday which endorses the International Day originally created by IFAD’s Governing Council. The resolution highlights that remittances play a key role in sustainable development.

In 2017, 200 million migrants sent USD481 billion to remittances-reliant countries of which $466 billion went to developing countries, helping sustain about 800 million people across the world. This amounts to more than three times the annual official development assistance that countries give in aid.

According to IFAD estimates, $6.5 trillion in remittances will be sent to developing countries between 2015 and 2030, involving over 1 billion senders and receivers. Close to half of remittances will go to rural areas where poverty and hunger are the highest.

“Remittances are vital for millions of families, helping them to address their own development goals, but we can help them do more and build their longer-term future,” Houngbo said.

According to IFAD analysis, families spend about 75 per cent of their remittances on basic needs such as food, housing, education and health. Remittances help reduce hunger and malnutrition, improve education and health levels, and lift people out of poverty. By doing so, remittances contribute directly to the Sustainable Development Goals set by the international community three years ago.

According to IFAD, the remaining 25 per cent, over $100 billion, can be invested in financial and tangible assets such as savings or small business development that help families build their future. These productive activities can also create jobs and transform economies, in particular in rural areas.

“Given appropriate investment options, customized to their circumstances and goals, remittance families will invest more and become agents of change in their communities,” Houngbo said.

To this end, more than 400 decision-makers, representing the public and private sectors, civil society and IFAD, attending the Global Forum on Remittances, Investments and Development in Kuala Lumpur in May endorsed a set of recommendations to make remittances a full engine for development.

In particular, the recommendations propose ways to develop access to basic financial services, such as saving and credit, which are fundamental for families to make productive use of their money. Today, most remittances are still received in cash and consumed immediately.

Recommendations were also made to develop investment mechanisms and opportunities tailored to the needs of diasporas keen to invest back home.

In recognition of the high cost of sending remittances, on the international day IFAD is calling for a further reduction in transfer fees. While the cost of sending money has been reduced by half over the last five years, it still represents, on average, 7.13 per cent of the amount sent. In many places, costs are much higher, for example in Sub-Saharan Africa senders can spend as much as 9.3 per cent.

It is estimated an additional $20 billion would be available to families in developing countries if the 3 per cent fee target set by the international community in Sustainable Development Goal 10, reducing inequalities,  was reached.

According to Pedro De Vasconcelos, senior remittance expert at IFAD, mobile technologies and digital money could potentially transform markets radically, reduce costs and time for sending remittances, in particular to rural areas but their development is still hampered by a lack of harmonization of regulations between countries.

“The promise of digital technologies still has to be delivered, it is imperative that regulatory environments enable the implementation of safe, cheap and rapid transfer solutions for the benefits of families,” De Vasconcelos said.

For more than a decade IFAD has worked to increase the development impact of remittances. Its dedicated programme has a portfolio of over 60 innovative projects in more than 45 countries. Completed projects resulted in increased competition, reducing transaction costs through mobile technology, and promoted financial inclusion and literacy.

Contact:

Caroline Chaumont

International Fund for Agricultural Development

Communication Division

Thematic Workshops Parallel to AIIB’s Third AGM in Mumbai

ON JUNE 14, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Around 90 CSOs and Social Movements to Organize Thematic Workshops Parallel to AIIB’s Third AGM in Mumbai 

Raising the serious issues of social and environmental costs in infrastructure projects, its economic burden on public and financial non-viability, Civil Society Organisations and social movements are set to organize a three day convention on Infrastructure Financing from June 21 – 23rd in Mumbai parallel to the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank’s third Annual Governors Meeting slated for June 25-26 in the same city.  

During the Convention, almost 90 regional, national, and international grassroots and research organisations have come together to organise 20 workshops related to Infrastructure Financing; Development Financial Institutions; Policies and Safeguards; Urban Development; Transport; Port and Coastal Infrastructure; Energy and Energy Finance; Trade and International Financing; Water and Water Sector Reforms; Privatisation and PPPs, Gender; Social Marginalisation among other areas.

“The participants of these workshops would include activists, researchers, projected affected people among others. So far, over 200 people from across the country have registered for these workshops. The Convention will be attended by Prof. Arun Kumar, Medha Patkar, Prof. Anil Sadgopal, Ulka Mahajan among others. The registrations for the workshops are still open for the individuals and media,” said Himshi Singh, one of the coordinators of the Convention.

Speaking about the Peoples Convention on Infrastructure Financing, Maju Varghese, another coordinator of the Convention, said, “the Convention is a resistance to International Finance Institutions, which are pushing massive infrastructures like industrial corridors, smart cities, sagarmala, bullet trains over peoples land and livelihood. The massive physical infrastructure will not improve peoples lives, livelihood, and social infrastructure like schools, hospitals will be left behind.”

Deliberating on this, Ulka Mahajan of Sarvahara Jan Andolan says, “The infrastructure that is being developed is not what people demand, but it is what global capital demands. The international financial institutions are promoting corporate interests over that of people and also pushing the states to the financial debt. On the one hand, the Maharashtra government does not have money to allocate 26,000 crores for the social sector, on the other hand, it has 42,000 crores for the Mumbai-Nagpur expressway, which will reduce the present distance only by 24 km.”

The Peoples Convention intends to demand accountability from the development financial institutions, particularly AIIB which lacks robust policies on environmental-social safeguards, transparent public disclosure and a complaint handling mechanism.  

Meera Sanghamitra from the National Alliance of People’s Movements stated that The push for massive infrastructure projects has become a legalised way of grabbing land. Andhra Pradesh has a history of justifying land grabbing and resource appropriation in the name of multilateral donor-funded development aid and the WB-AIIB funded Amaravati Capital City Project joins this bandwagon by further legalizing the loot, leading to livelihood loss for thousands of families and a shared debt on all people of the state. Projects like Sagarmala, industrial corridors that are being pushed and promoted without considering the irreversible impact on the people’s traditional livelihoods and the environment are disasters-in-the-making.

The movements and CSOs will hold the Convention under the aegis of  Working Group on International Financial Institutions (WGonIFIs), which include around 90 people’s movements and other CSOs, including National Alliance of People’s Movements, National Hawkers Federation, National Fishworkers Forum, Narmada Bachao Andolan, Ghar Bachao Ghar Bano Andolan, Soshit Jan Andolan, Samajwadi Jan Parishad, Bhumi Adhikar Andolan; Environment Support Group; North East Peoples Alliance, and others.

Kim invites Trump to visit Pyongyang

ON JUNE 14, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Kim Jong Un invited Donald Trump to visit North Korea during their historic summit and the US President accepted, Pyongyang state media reported Wednesday, calling it the start of a “radical switchover” in the nuclear-armed Cold War foes’ fraught relations.

The unprecedented encounter in Singapore Tuesday saw the leader of the world’s most powerful democracy shake hands with the third generation scion of a dynastic dictatorship, standing as equals in front of their nations’ flags.

Kim agreed to the “complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula”, a stock phrase favoured by Pyongyang that stopped short of long-standing US demands for North Korea to give up its atomic arsenal in a “verifiable” and “irreversible” way.

In its first report on the landmark summit, the official KCNA news agency ran a glowing dispatch on the talks, describing them as an “epoch-making meeting” that would help foster “a radical switchover in the most hostile (North Korea)-US relations”.

The report said the two men each asked the other to visit their country.

“The two top leaders gladly accepted each other’s invitation,” KCNA said.

Pyongyang has reason to feel confident after the meeting which was a major coup for an isolated and heavily sanctioned regime that has long craved international legitimacy.

In a blockbusting press conference after the summit, Trump said the US would halt military exercises with Seoul — something long sought by Pyongyang, which claims the drills are a rehearsal for invasion.

The US stations around 30,000 troops in security ally South Korea to protect it from its neighbour, which invaded in 1950 in an attempt to reunify the peninsula by force.

“We will be stopping the war games which will save us a tremendous amount of money,” Trump told reporters, adding that “at some point” he wanted to withdraw US troops from the South.

Both Seoul and US military commanders in the South indicated they had no idea the announcement was coming, and analysts expressed immediate concern.

Ending the drills “is in excess of all expert consensus, South Korean requests, and even a close reading of North Korean demands”, said Adam Mount of the Federation of American Scientists.

The KCNA report said Trump committed to ending the drills during his meeting with Kim.

It added that denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula would be dependent on the two sides “refraining from antagonising… each other out of mutual understanding”.

US approves sale of Apache attack choppers

ON JUNE 14, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

US Govt has approved a deal to sell the Indian military six AH-64E Apache attack helicopters for $930 million,the contract also includes night vision sensors, GPS guidance &hundreds of Hellfire anti-armor &Stinger air-to-air missiles.

 United States government has approved a deal to sell the Indian military six AH-64E Apache attack helicopters for $930 million, the State Department said Tuesday.

The agreement has been passed to the US Congress for approval, but if no US lawmaker raises an objection the contract is expected to go ahead.

Boeing and Indian partner Tata have begun to produce Apache fuselages at a plant in India, but Tuesday´s approval concerns a direct sale of finished products from US manufacturers.

The lead contractors are US arms, aviations and engineering giants Lockheed Martin, General Electric and Raytheon.

In addition to aircraft, the contract includes night vision sensors, GPS guidance and hundreds of Hellfire anti-armor and Stinger air-to-air missiles.

“This support for the AH-64E will provide an increase in India´s defensive capability to counter ground-armored threats and modernize its armed forces,” the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said, in a statement.

“India will have no difficulty absorbing the helicopters and support equipment into its armed forces. The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.”

Media poll: Trump’s handling of North Korea

ON JUNE 14, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Nearly over half of all Americans say they approve of how President Donald Trump has handled North Korea, but only a quarter think that his summit this week with Kim Jong Un will lead to the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Wednesday.

In a joint declaration following their meeting in Singapore on Tuesday, the North Korean leader pledged to move toward complete denuclearization of the peninsula and Trump vowed to guarantee the security of the United States’ old foe. Forty percent of those polled said they did not believe the countries would stick to their commitments.

Another 26 percent said they believed the United States and North Korea would meet their commitments, while 34 percent said they did not know whether they would follow through.

Thirty-nine percent believe the summit has lowered the threat of nuclear war between the United States and nuclear-armed North Korea, slightly more than the 37 percent who said they did not believe it changed anything.

Trump has pursued what he calls a “maximum pressure” campaign” against Pyongyang to force it to give up its nuclear weapons. He toughened up international sanctions to further isolate North Korea and then agreed to meet directly with Kim after South Korea’s president convinced him that the North was committed to giving up its nuclear weapons.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll suggests the Republican president has broad support for one of his biggest foreign policy efforts, despite criticism from non-proliferation experts that Trump had exacted few concrete commitments from Kim on Tuesday on dismantling his nuclear arsenal.

Republicans appear much more enthusiastic than Democrats about the potential benefits of the summit. The poll found that Republicans were twice as likely as Democrats to say that the meeting lowered the threat of nuclear war, and they were three times as likely to say that both sides would follow through on their commitments.

Democrats typically give Trump low approval ratings – only 12 percent approve of his overall job performance. But about 30 percent said they approved of his handling of North Korea.

Trump, who returned to Washington early on Wednesday, hailed the meeting with Kim, the first between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader, as a success that had removed the North Korean nuclear threat. Their seemingly friendly meeting was in sharp contrast to their tit-for-tat insults and bellicose rhetoric late last year while Pyongyang carried out its biggest nuclear and missile tests.

In the poll, Trump received a 51 percent approval rating for his handling of North Korea and also led the list of leaders who should take the most credit for the summit and the joint pledge. Forty percent say the former real estate developer should take the most credit, followed by South Korean President Moon Jae-in

Trump has repeatedly touted his role in bringing the reclusive North Korea to the negotiating table, a feat that he says his predecessors were unable to pull off.

It may be too soon though to know whether Trump’s diplomatic breakthrough will help Republican candidates in congressional elections in November, when Democrats will attempt to retake control of both houses. Typically foreign policy is not a major concern for mid-term voters.

“It’s too early to say if there is a net positive out of that,” said Republican strategist Alice Stewart. “It’s a good step to have the conversation but that doesn’t yet mean that it’s a success.”

Ron Bonjean, also a Republican strategist, said voters were more likely to be influenced if there was serious and measurable progress closer to the election.

Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll was conducted online in English, between June 12-13 in the United States. It gathered responses from more than 1,000 adults, including more than 400 Democrats and 400 Republicans.

It has a credibility interval, a measure of the poll’s precision, of 4 percentage points for the full sample and 6 percentage points for the Democrats and Republicans, meaning that the results could vary in either direction by that amount.

Media agencies

Trump: Oil prices high the cartel “at it again.”

ON JUNE 14, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Iran and Donald trump exchange barbs over higher oil pricesand sanctions. ‘This is business Mr Trump, we though you knew it,’ Iran‘s representative said. In Iran media rteports, Iran blames Trump policies for high oil prices.

Hossein Kazempour Ardebili, Iran’s OPEC governor, emphasized that the sanctions that Trump had devised against Iran and Venezuela were largely to blame for high oil prices.

“You cannot place sanctions on two OPEC founder members and still blame OPEC for oil price volatility,” he said in a statement to Reuters.

Kazempour Ardebili’s comments came in response to a Trump message in which he had accused OPEC of working to push up the prices.

“Oil prices are too high, OPEC is at it again. Not good!” he wrote in a post on Twitter.

Oil prices have risen by around 60 percent over the last year after OPEC and some non-OPEC producers including Russia arrived at an agreement in 2017 to reduce supplies, Reuters wrote in its report.

The price of Brent crude peaked in May at $80.50 a barrel, then pulled back, trading on Wednesday near $76 at barrel, partly in anticipation that the agreement may end.

OPEC will meet next week in Vienna, and producers are seen as likely to raise production, perhaps before the limits are due to sunset at year-end.

The oil supply agreement is set to continue through the end of 2018, but plans for its continuation were unclear. The calculus changed after Trump announced in May that the United States was pulling out of the 2015 deal that restricted Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the removal of sanctions.

Trump also said he would launch mechanisms to re-impose what he described as the “highest level of sanctions” against Iran.

US President Donald Trump and Iran exchanged sharp words over oil prices on Wednesday, with Trump blaming OPEC for high oil prices and Tehran accusing him of stoking volatility after he withdrew last month from a global nuclear arms deal with Iran.

Trump sparked the latest back-and-forth when he renewed his attack on OPEC in a tweet that said oil prices are too high and that the cartel was “at it again.”

Oil prices have risen around 60 percent over the last year after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and some non-OPEC producers, including Russia, started reducing supplies in 2017. The cartel meets June 22-23 in Vienna, and producers are seen as likely to raise production, perhaps before the limits are due to sunset at year-end.

Iran’s OPEC governor, Hossein Kazempour Ardebili, fired back at Trump in a statement to Reuters. “You cannot place sanctions on two OPEC founder members and still blame OPEC for oil price volatility,” he said, referring to his country and Venezuela.

“This is business, Mr. President — we thought you knew it.”

The oil supply deal is set to continue through the end of 2018, but plans for its continuation were unclear. The calculus changed after Trump announced in May that Washington was pulling out of the 2015 deal that restricted Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the removal of sanctions.

The US move has pressured European and Asian clients to stop importing Iranian oil or doing business with the country. Saudi Arabia, Iran’s rival and OPEC’s largest producer, and Russia, the world’s largest producer and a party to the deal, have already increased supply. Saudi Arabia supported Trump’s decision to exit the Iran nuclear agreement.

“I think the Trump tweet makes the Saudis’ job of getting compromise at the OPEC meeting tougher,” said Joe McMonigle, senior energy policy analyst at Hedgeye Potomac Research in Washington.

Saudi production rose to 10.03 million barrels per day (bpd in May, in line with deal quotas, according to OPEC data. Russia’s production was 11.1 million barrels a day at the beginning of June, exceeding its quota, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The price of Brent crude peaked in May at $80.50 a barrel, then pulled back, trading on Wednesday near $77 a barrel, partly in anticipation that the deal may end. US crude traded Wednesday near $67 a barrel.

“Oil prices are too high, OPEC is at it again. Not good!” Trump wrote in his post on Twitter after last raising the issue in April.

The potential for OPEC to boost production has raised concerns about the cartel’s limited spare capacity, which could fall to as low as 2 million bpd. This would make it harder to respond to a supply shock, such as in Venezuela, where output has declined to a 33-year-low due to an economic crisis.

“OPEC has the lowest spare capacity ever right now,” said fund manager Pierre Andurand, in a tweeted response to Trump. “There is going to be a real issue,” he wrote, predicting prices above $150 per barrel within two years.

In the United States, gasoline pump prices nationwide have risen to near $3 a gallon during the peak summer travel season, still less than the $4 a gallon during the 2007-2009 Great Recession. Gasoline demand has remained strong, rising to an estimated 9.9 million bpd as of last week, according to US Energy Department data.

Trump sent his tweet hours after returning to Washington from a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore.

Separately, a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the US House of Representatives was pushing legislation that would subject OPEC to US antitrust law and fight what the group called artificial production controls.

The measure would have to pass the full House and the US Senate before Trump could sign it into law. Past presidents have not supported similar bills when they have been proposed.

Moon meets Pompeo

ON JUNE 14, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Moon meeting Pompeo raises many eyebrows on the global scale and the leaders of Russian and Chinese  group has welcome the move but with the vast amass of interest of Chinese the fulcrum which has shifted to US is likely to be on the condition of the US and its allied forces or the other polar are to make their interventions in time of development to have their influence too embedded in the region so the best is the route of follow of International laws or conventions to bring durable peace to the regions and the influence by way of trade and economical development is shared in its proportion.

South Korean President Moon Jae-In said on Thursday the world had escaped the threat of war after this week’s Singapore summit, echoing US President Donald Trump’s upbeat assessment of his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Trump and Kim issued a joint statement after their historic meeting that reaffirmed the North’s commitment to “work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula”, an end to joint US-South Korean military exercises and gave US guarantees of security to North Korea.

“There have been many analyses on the outcome of the summit but I think what’s most important was that the people of the world, including those in the United States, Japan and Koreans, have all been able to escape the threat of war, nuclear weapons and missiles,” Moon told US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ahead of a meeting between the two in Seoul.

The summit statement provided no details on when Pyongyang would give up its nuclear weapons program or how the dismantling might be verified.

Skeptics of how much the meeting achieved pointed to the North Korean leadership’s long-held view that nuclear weapons are a bulwark against what it fears are US plans to overthrow it and unite the Korean peninsula.

“I am confident that we took a very good, significant step in Singapore,” Pompeo told Moon on Thursday ahead of a trilateral meeting including Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono.

Pompeo insisted after the meeting that Pyongyang was committed to giving up its nuclear arsenal but said it would “be a process, not an easy one”.

Pompeo asked the South Korean president to play a leading role in the process of denuclearizing North Korea, using his close personal relationship with the North Korean leader, according to the Cheong Wa Dae spokesman.

Moon and Kim have held bilateral summits on April 27 and May 26, while they are also set to meet again in Pyongyang before the end of the year.

Pompeo said there remained many tasks to be discussed and done but insisted the ongoing U.S. efforts to rid the North of its nuclear weapons and long-range missiles will prove to be successful and eventually bring peace to the Korean Peninsula, according to the pool reports.

The top U.S. diplomat arrived here Wednesday to directly explain the outcome of the historic U.S.-North Korea summit to his South Korean counterparts.

President Moon stressed the importance of close discussions and cooperation between the allies to swiftly and thoroughly implement the outcome of the U.S.-North Korea summit.

Kim Jong Un understood getting rid of his nuclear arsenal needed to be done quickly and there would only be relief from stringent UN sanctions on North Korea after its “complete denuclearization”, Pompeo said.

United States has long insisted on complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization by North Korea but, in the summit statement, North Korea committed only to the “complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula”, phrasing it has used in the past.

Pompeo said a day earlier he would like to accomplish major nuclear disarmament in North Korea within Trump’s current term.

“Absolutely … you used the term major, major disarmament, something like that? We’re hopeful that we can achieve that in the 2-1/2 years,” he said.

Pompeo, who is charged by Trump with leading follow-on negotiations, bristled at a question about why the words “verifiable” and “irreversible” were not used in the summit joint statement in the context of denuclearization.

“It’s in the statement. You’re just wrong about that … Because complete encompasses verifiable and irreversible. I suppose you could argue semantics, but let me assure you that it’s in the document,” Pompeo said on Wednesday.

Trump returned to the United States on Wednesday and took to Twitter to hail the meeting, the first between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader, as a major win for American security.

“Everybody can now feel much safer than the day I took office,” Trump tweeted. “There is no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea. Meeting with Kim Jong Un was an interesting and very positive experience. North Korea has great potential for the future!”

Democratic critics in the United States said the agreement was short on detail and the Republican president had made too many concessions to Kim, whose country is under UN sanctions for its nuclear and weapons programs and is widely condemned for human rights abuses.

Tokyo has reacted with concern at Trump’s plans to cancel military exercises with South Korea, saying such drills are vital for East Asian security.

Two North Korean missiles flew over Japan last year as Pyongyang made rapid advances in its program to develop a missile capable of striking the U.S. mainland with a nuclear warhead.

Tokyo is working on arranging a meeting between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Kim Jong Un, with one possibility including the premier’s visit to Pyongyang around August, the Yomiuri newspaper reported.

A government source familiar with the matter told Reuters that Japanese officials planned to discuss the summit meeting with North Korean officials at an international conference on Northeast Asian security to be held in Mongolia on Thursday and Friday.

Despite Trump and Moon’s assertions about the North Korean nuclear threat being over, a senior US official responsible for studying the North Korean military said the US intelligence assessment of the nuclear and other military threat posed by North Korea to US and allied forces in Asia and the northwest Pacific remained unchanged.

U.S. officials said it was unclear what types of training involving US and South Korean troops might cross into Trump’s now forbidden zone of “war games”. But big, joint US-South Korean exercises appeared off-limits under the new guidance.

“Make no mistake, we are going to maintain the readiness of our forces in South Korea,” said one US official, speaking on condition of anonymity. The official acknowledged, however, it was still not certain how that was going to happen.

The United States maintains about 28,500 soldiers in South Korea, which remains in a technical state of war with the North after the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce rather than a peace treaty.

Media agencies

Nissan alliance to launch midsize electric vehicles by 2020

ON JUNE 14, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Nissan Motors alliance with Renault of France and Mitsubishi is trying to boost its  lagging sales in Southeast Asia, various fiscal,marketing and technical cooperation are being sorted out to give big leap inits sales of cars in region of South Asia. Electric car innovation work is in progress and as per media reports the midsize electric vehicles will be launched by 2020.

Renault-Nissan Alliance stands as number three among, top 10 biggest car manufacturers in the world in 2018, Chairman of Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi signals focus on lowering prices and Electric car range issue has been solved, says Ghosn.

Nissan Motor will deepen ties with Mitsubishi Motors through such steps as rolling out each other’s vehicles.

Mitsubishi Motors on Tuesday held an opening ceremony for a plant in Indonesia that is expected to supply multipurpose vehicles to Nissan starting as early as 2019. MPVs, commonly known as minivans, are widely popular in Indonesia.

The 65 billion yen ($585 million) plant, located in Bekasi regency in the province of West Java, is operated by a joint venture of Mitsubishi Motors, trading house Mitsubishi Corp. and a local partner and has an annual output capacity of 160,000 units.

The factory will initially churn out 30,000 units of Mitsubishi Motors’ Pajero Sport sport utility vehicle. It will also produce 80,000 units of an MPV to be released as early as this fall. The Colt L300 commercial vehicle will also be made.

The plant’s output is expected to reach 140,000 units a year. With the remaining capacity, Mitsubishi Motors will be able to supply Nissan, President Osamu Masuko said.

Nissan, for its part, may produce Mitsubishi Motors vehicles, said Carlos Ghosn, chairman of both automakers. Nissan became the largest shareholder of Mitsubishi Motors last year by taking a 34% stake.

Nissan has been struggling in Southeast Asia. Its Asian sales, including the Oceania region, accounted for just 6% of its global total of 3.99 million vehicles in the April-December period.

Family-oriented MPVs make up 70% of the new-car market in Indonesia, while low-cost green cars represent just shy of 30%. Lacking an attractive MPV offering, Nissan holds a mere 4.2% market share in the country, trailing Mitsubishi Motors’ 6.6%.

Top 10 biggest car manufacturers in the world in 2018:

1. Volkswagen Group

2. Toyota

3. Renault-Nissan Alliance

4. General Motors

5. Hyundai-Kai

6. Ford

7. Honda

8. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

9. Suzuki

10. PSA Group

Nissan Motor’s alliance with France’s Renault and new partner Mitsubishi Motors generated 5.7 billion euros ($6.71 billion) in synergies in 2017, as the automakers combined procurement and development operations.

The alliance’s impact grew 14% from the 5 billion euros seen in 2016. Nissan alone gained 3.1 billion euros in cost savings and increased revenues. Renault reaped 2.3 billion euros in benefits. And Mitsubishi enjoyed 300 million euros in savings and revenues during its first full year in the alliance. Nissan acquired a 34% stake in its smaller peer in October 2016.

The trio is aiming for more than 10 billion euros in synergies by the end of 2022.\

Collaboration on procurement and the integration of the automakers’ research and development operations reduced costs across the board. The companies have also begun sharing warehouses for repair parts in Europe, Japan and Australia. Nissan and Renault’s sales financing operations now offer auto loans and other financial services for Mitsubishi.

Nissan and Renault have adopted common vehicle platforms, slashing development and production costs. The Japanese partner makes Renault vehicles at its plants in Mexico and elsewhere, raising efficiency in production. In Thailand, Nissan has teamed up with Mitsubishi to more cheaply transport cars from the factory to dealerships.

All three companies plan to jointly develop a platform for midsize electric vehicles by 2020, and to launch a $1 billion venture capital firm.

IFAD attracts business to climate smart investments

ON JUNE 14, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Rome, 13 June 2018– Agriculture is stepping up in the fight against climate change with help from the private sector. A new report from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) shows that investing in climate-resilient agriculture can attract sizeable contributions from the private sector.

The Business Advantage – Mobilizing Private Sector Led Climate Actions in Agriculture, a study of IFAD investments through its Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP), shows that for every dollar of ASAP investment, between US$0.77–2.85 was leveraged in private-sector investments – helping countries reach climate finance commitments scheduled under the Paris climate agreement.

“IFAD works with the private sector on adaptation investments that are both financially profitable and socially and environmentally sound,” said IFAD President Gilbert F. Houngbo. “Many of these adaptation investments were deemed high risk by the private sector, but ASAP operates as a de-risking or insurance instrument to encourage business to invest in them.”

Previously, in Bhutan the private sector was wary of investing in small scale dairy farms due to product quality concerns. With IFAD investment leading the way, however, local farmers improved the quality of their milk and then partnered with a local dairy company to create an assured market. In the first year, the investment ($77,429) was close to 2.5 times the amount invested by IFAD. The company’s supply of milk was greatly improved while farmers reported their income from dairy sales increased by 54 to 170 per cent.

In Vietnam, a grant scheme was established by IFAD’s partners to finance company business plans that helped to develop climate resilience among smallholder farmers. With this approach, the development of the companies was bound to the development of the rural communities.

With upfront payments and revolving funds paid to farmers by the project, farmers were encouraged to invest in good cropping practices and select high-quality seeds, which eventually ensured high-quality supply of agricultural products to business. The total investment was close to $1.5 million, of which IFAD contributed $0.4 million and the remaining $1.1 million was from private companies.

“This report is ground-breaking work that links the private sector into climate change adaptation by finding opportunities for partnership that benefit both businesses and smallholder farmers,” said Bruce Campbell, Program Director of the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security, which led the research for the report. “Public-private partnerships are an essential ingredient of the agricultural transformation we need to address climate change.”

According to Margarita Astralaga, Director of IFAD’s Environment, Climate, Gender and Social Inclusion Division, the private sector is becoming an increasingly important partner in IFAD’s work. “While the fundamental goals underpinning IFAD’s purpose have remained constant over the years, the way by which IFAD is achieving these goals has undergone changes, with business taking a more central role in the agenda,” she said. “IFAD wants to include producers in these new partnerships with business. Valuable lessons are being drawn from IFAD’s experience in partnering with the private sector, via mechanisms such as public-private-producer partnerships (4Ps), where business is increasingly recognized as a main force in development.”

For a copy of the Business Advantage Report click on to this link

Ten new Swachh Iconic Places launched under Swachh Bharat Mission

ON JUNE 14, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Swachh Bharat Mission, India

सन २०१४ में हुआ स्वच्छ भारत अभियान का प्रक्षेपण, आज तेज़ी से अपने आखिरी पड़ाव की ओर बढ़ रहा है यह जन आंदोलन। आइये हम सब मिलकर इसका हिस्सा बनें और देश को स्वच्छता की ओर ले चलें । #SBM

See Translation

Naresh Kumar Sagar

Ten new iconic sites, namely, Raghavendra Swamy Temple (Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh); Hazardwari Palace (Murshidabad, West Bengal); Brahma Sarovar Temple (Kurukshetra, Haryana); VidurKuti (Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh); Mana village (Chamoli, Uttarakhand); Pangong Lake (Leh-Ladakh, J&K); Nagvasuki Temple (Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh); ImaKeithal/market (Imphal, Manipur); Sabarimala Temple (Kerala); and Kanvashram (Uttarakhand) have been taken up under Phase III of the flagship project Swachh Iconic Places (SIP) of the Swachh Bharat Mission.

The project envisioned by the Prime Minister is being coordinated by Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation with the support of State governments and local administration. The consultation is in process for finalizing the PSUs/corporates for extending support to new sites as CSR partners. These new sites have joined the 20 iconic places under Phase I & II where special Sanitation work is already underway.

Launched in 2016, the Phase I iconic places were: Ajmer Sharif Dargah, CST Mumbai ,Golden Temple, Kamakhya Temple, Maikarnika Ghat, Meenakshi Temple, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, Shree Jagannath Temple, The Taj Mahal and Tirupati Temple.

Phase II of Swachh Iconic Places was launched in Nov 2017, included Gangotri, Yamunotri, Mahakaleshwar Temple, Charminar, Convent and Church of St. Francis of Assissi, Kalady, Gommateswara, Baidyanath Dham, Gaya Tirth and Somnath temple.

SIP is a collaborative project with three other central Ministries: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, M/o Culture, and M/o Tourism. It also involves local administrations in the concerned States and Public Sector and Private Companies as sponsoring partners.

The third phase of SIP was launched at Mana village which is situated close to the Badrinath temple in Uttarakhand. The village, which now becomes a Swachh Iconic Place, is visited by tourists and pilgrims as it houses places of mythological interest.

The Phase I iconic sites have witnessed initiatives taken up such as improvement in sewage infrastructure, drainage facilities, installation of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP), sanitation facilities, water vending machines (Water ATMs), Solid and Liquid Waste Management (SLWM) set-up, structure restoration, roads maintenance, lighting arrangements, beautification of parks, better transport facilities in approach and access areas besides at the main sites. The annual review of Phase I & II iconic sites for assessing the progress is scheduled at iconic site, Charminar, Hyderabad later this month. Further, four major SLWM activities in Mana village, including community soak pits, compost pits, separation centre for organic and inorganic waste, and naalis for liquid waste with a sanctioned amount of Rs. 26.87 lakhs were also launched recently.

RBI Blind, Incompetent – Creating Loss Making Monopolies 

ON JUNE 14, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

June13, 2018 (C) Ravinder Singh progressindia2015@gmail.com

It is two years since Urjit Patel took over as RBI Governor ahead of more experienced Banking Professionals. Ever since he took over entire Banking in India is subjected to all kinds of stresses likeDemonetization, Schemes to Write of Corporate Loans at 50% to 70% Price, Loss Making Companies taking over Loss making Companies.

Banking NPAs as per his own admission are Rs.8.99 Lakh Crores as on Dec.2017. It could go beyond Rs.12,00,000 Cr this time 2019.

RUCHI SOYA’s NPA of Rs.12,000 Cr Shall Be CHARGED 66% or Rs.8,000 Cr as ‘HAIR CUT’ for lending banks – ADANI FAMILY who already owe Rs.1,10,122 Cr to lenders shall Contribute Just Rs.4000 Cr that too from BANK LOANS – already taken or to be taken.

It is scandalous ADANI GROUP which has a group turnover ofRs.77,060 Cr, reports Operating Profits of 15,182 Cr but Net Profit is NEGATIVE Rs.815 Cr and Borrowings of Rs.1,10,122 Cr. [Fortune India 500]

Adani Group itself is NPA Case NOT EARNING PROFITS For Shareholders.

Adani-Wilmar already has 55% Branded Vegetable Oil Market Share – 4 million tones of Annual Capacity by adding nearly 5 million tones capacity of RUCHI SOYA – it shall more than Double Vegetable Oil Processing Capacity.

Why RBI do wants to Create Monopolies?

Adani-Wilmar is 50%-50% partnership – 50% owned by Singapore Company.

So WILMAR is acquiring RUCHI SOYA EQUITY at 66% Discount.

Ø RUCH-SOYA operates Processing Plants in 16 Locations – Can be SPLIT and Sold to 16 different HEALTHY PROMOTER COMPANIES through AUCTION. Perhaps Banks could recover even 100% of their dues.

Ø It is better to SPLIT a Company which has MULTI-LOCATION Plants.

Ø Urjit Patel was Blind as Director of GSPC – almost Rs.25,000 Cr SCAM – not producing a drop of Oil or Gas.

Ø New Consortium Banks with EXPERTS in Engineering & Technologies located close to the Industrial Centers like NOIDA or JAMNAGAR to ensure regular monitoring of Companies NEEDS or BUNGLING.

Ravinder Singh, Inventor & Consultant, INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES AND PROJECTS

Y-77, Hauz Khas, ND -110016, India. Ph: 091- 8826415770, 9871056471, 9650421857

Ravinder Singh* is a WIPO awarded inventor specializing in Power, Transportation,

Smart Cities, Water, Energy Saving, Agriculture, Manufacturing, Technologies and Projects

Dear Naresh, Ask Congress: Stop Jeff Session

ON JUNE 14, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Dear Naresh, Attorney General Jeff Sessions’s calculated dismantling of the asylum system may well turn out to be one of the most lasting and damaging legacies of the Trump Administration. This week he made a sweeping ruling that aims to block women and children fleeing domestic violence from protection in the United States, sending them back to danger. TELL CONGRESS: STOP JEFF SESSIONS At a time when thousands of women and children are fleeing unspeakable violence at home, his effort to bar most survivors of domestic abuse and gang violence from protection may be a death sentence. Without refuge in the United States, these individuals will be left in the direst of circumstances. Tell Congress to stand up to Jeff Sessions’s cruel attacks and disdain for the human rights of women. And make no mistake, seeking refuge is a human right. CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES Fighting to protect the asylum system,

Article 1

June 15, 2018, 1:42 am

≫ Next: Article 0

≪ Previous: Article 0

$

0

0

ch-,l-ih- }kjk tkjh izsl foKfIr&fnukad 15-06-2018

¼1½lhekorhZ tEew&d'ehj jkT; esa tokuksa dh yxkrkj gks jgh 'kgknr ds chpd'ehjesaofj"BlEikndlqtkrcq[+kkjhdhgR;k ij xgjk nq%[k O;DrA

¼2½vc le; vk x;k gS fd iz/kkuea=h Jh ujsUnz eksnh dh ljdkj viuh vfM+;y uhfr dks R;kx dj vfoyEc ns'kfgr esa viuh d'ehj uhfr ij iqufoZpkj djssA

¼3½tEew&d'ehj esa ih-Mh-ih- o chtsih dh xBca/ku ljdkj gksus ds ckotwn ogk¡ lhek o ogk¡ ds vkUrkfjd gkykr yxHkx csdkcw gSa] D;ksa\

¼4½blds lkFk gh mÙkj izns'k chtsih dh ljdkj }kjk tufgr o tudY;k.k dh yxkrkj ?kksj mis{kk fd;s tkus dh rh[kh vkykspukA ek- eq[;ea=h o ea=hx.k loZKkuh cudj bfrgkl dks pSysUt djus ds ctk; de ls de mu es/kkoh Nk=ksa dh lqf/k ysuh pkfg;s tks muds gkFk ls fy;s x;s bukeh jde dh psd ckmUl gks tkus ls nq%[kh gh ugha cfYd dkQh T;knk vkgr Hkh gSaA

¼5½lkFk gh chtsih 'kkflr vle esa Hkh nks uo;qod gksugkj fgUnw ;qodksa dks ihV&ihV dj ekj Mkyus o egkjk"Vª ds tyxk¡o ds tkeusj esa dq,a esa ugkus ij fiNM+s leqnk; ds nks ukcfyxksa dks ihVus o fuoZL= djds xk¡o esa ?kqekus dh ?kVuk dh rhoz fuUnk % ch-,l-ih- dh jk"Vªh; v/;{k] mÙkj izns'k dh iwoZ eq[;ea=h o iwoZ lkaln lqJh ek;korh thA

ubZ fnYyh] 15 twu 2018 % lhekorhZ tEew&d'ehj jkT; esa tokuksa dh yxkrkj gks jgh 'kgknr ds chp d'ehj esa ofj"B lEiknd lqtkr cq[+kkjh dh gR;k ij xgjk nq%[k O;Dr djrs gq;s ch-,l-ih- dh jk"Vªh; v/;{k] mÙkj izns'k dh iwoZ eq[;ea=h o iwoZ lkaln lqJh ek;korh th us dgk fd vc le; vk x;k gS fd iz/kkuea=h Jh ujsUnz eksnh dh ljdkj viuh vfM+;y uhfr dks R;kx dj fcuk dksbZ vkSj foyEc fd;s gq;s ns'kfgr esa viuh d'ehj uhfr ij iqufoZpkj djssA

lqJh ek;korh th us dgk fd d'ehj dh {ks=h; ikVhZ ih-Mh-ih- o chtsih dh xBca/ku ljdkj dh tEew&d'ehj esa gksus ds ckotwn ogk¡ ds gkykr yxHkx csdkcw gSa rFkk ikfdLrku lhek ds lkFk&lkFk vkUrfjd jkT; esa Hkh fgalk o gR;kvksa dk nq%[kn nkSj yxkrkj tkjh gSA gekjs lSfudksa dh yxkrkj 'kgknr gks jgh gSaA oSls Hkh 'kkfUr o dkuwu&O;oLFkk fdl vkoke dks ilUn ugha gksrh gS] bldks /;ku esa j[kdj gh dsUnz ljdkj dks [+kkldj d'ehj uhfr esa ifjorZu ykuk pkfg;s rFkk jktuhfrd Lrj ij Hkh lq/kkj ds iz;kl rst+ djuh pkfg;sA

mUgksaus dgk fd chtsih dh d'ehj uhfr iw.kZr% tufgr o ns'kfgr ij vk/kkfjr ugha gksdj ikVhZ dh ladh.kZ jktuhfrd lksp ls T+;knk izHkkfor yxrh gS vkSj 'kk;n ;gh dkj.k gS fd chtsih dk tEew usr`Ro Hkh dkQh T;knk LokFkZ esa fyIr ik;k tkrk gS ;g dkj.k tEew {ks= Hkh ruko o fgalk dk f'kdkj gS rFkk vketurk dk thou ogk¡ Hkh =Lr gSA blfy, chtsih dks O;kid tufgr o ns'kfgr dks loksZifj j[kdj viuh tEew&d'ehj uhfr esa O;kid lq/kkj ykus dh t:jr gSA lkFk gh tEew&d'ehj dh turk ds lkFk oSlk rY[+k ¼dM+ok½ ljdkjh O;ogkj drbZ ugha gksuk pkfg;s tSlkfd ikfdLrku dh ljdkj mlds vukf/kd`r dCts okys d'ehj ds yksxksa ds lkFk yxkrkj djrh pyh vk jgh gSA ;g lgh gS fd d'ehjh tuer Hkkjr ds lkFk jgk gS vkSj vkt Hkh gS] blesa fdlh dks dksbZ lansg ugha gksus pkfg;sA

blds lkFk gh mÙkj izns'k chtsih dh leLr ljdkj }kjk tufgr o tudY;k.k dh yxkrkj ?kksj mis{kk fd;s tkus dh rh[kh vkykspuk djrs gq;s lqJh ek;korh th us dgk fd eq[;ea=h ds rkSj ij loZKkuh cudj bfrgkl dks pSysUt djus ds ctk;s de ls de mu es/kkoh Nk=ksa dh lqf/k ysuh pkfg;s tks muds gkFk ls fy;s x;s bukeh jde dh psd ckmUl gks tkus ls nq%[kh gh ugha cfYd dkQh T;knk vkgr Hkh gSaA chtsih de ls de vc ljdkj esa vk tkus ds ckn ladh.kZ o lLrh yksdfiz;rk okys dke cUn djs rks csgrj gS D;ksafd vius yxHkx lok lky ds dk;Zdky esa gh chtsih us mÙkj izns'k esa lekt ds gj oxZ ds yksxksa dk thou dkQh T;knk nq%[knk;h cuk fn;k gS rFkk vijk/k&fu;a=.k o dkuwu&O;oLFkk rFkk fodkl o tufgr dk dkQh T;knk cqjk gky gSA

bruk gh ugha cfYd [+kkldj chtsih ljdkjksa esa loZlekt ds x+jhcksa] etnwjksa] misf{krksa] 'kksf"krksa] nfyrksa] fiNM+ksa o /kkfeZd vYila[;dksa ds izfr HksnHkko o tkfrxr O;ogkj pje ij gS D;ksafd budh ljdkjsa ,sls vlekftd o vkijkf/kd rRoksa ds f[kykQ l[r dkuwuh dkjZokbZ djus dks laoS/kkfud ftEesnkjh ugha le>rh gaSA blh dk izHkko gS fd chtsih 'kkflr vle jkT; esa Hkh nks uo;qod gksugkj fgUnw ;qodksa dks Hkh ihV&ihV dj ekj Mkyk x;kA

bl lEca/k esa egkjk"Vª ds tyxk¡o ft+ys ds tkeusj esa dq,a esa ugkus ij fiNM+s leqnk; ds nks ukcfyxksa dks ihVus o fuoZL= djds xk¡o esa ?kqekus dh ?kVuk dh rhoz fuUnk djrs gq;s lqJh ek;korh th us dgk fd chtsih ljdkjsa vxj ,sls ekeyksa esa l[+r dkjZokbZ djrh jgh gksrh rks bl izdkj dh tkfroknh ?kVukvksa ij dkQh vadq'k yxk;k tk ldrk FkkA xqtjkr] gfj;k.kk] e/; izns'k o >kj[k.M vkfn chtsih&'kkflr jkT;ksa esa ,slh tkfroknh o lkEiznkf;d ?kVuk;sa vke ckr gks x;h gSa D;ksafd ogk¡ dh ljdkjksa dk joS;k ,sls t?kU; ekeyksa esa Hkh ges'kk dkQh T;knk ypj o x+Sj&ftEesnkjkuk gh jgk gS tks dkQh fpUrk dh ckr gSA

tkjhdrkZ %

ch-,l-ih- dsUnzh; dk;kZy;

4] xq:}kjk jdkcxat jksM]

ubZ fnYyh & 110001

Article 0

June 15, 2018, 2:39 am

≫ Next: Article 1

≪ Previous: Article 1

$

0

0

Shujaat Bukhari laid to rest

ON JUNE 15, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Rising Kashmir editor Shujaat Bukhari was on Friday laid to rest , at his ancestral graveyard in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district. The veteran journalist, who had championed peace in times of conflict and may have been killed for it, the reports of thousands of people from cross section of society attended funeral prayers of Bukhari, held at Idd Gah Ground at Kreeri area of Baramulla.

Bukhari was killed yesterday by unidentified gunmen outside his office near Press Enclave in Srinagar. State government ministers, legislators, officials, leaders of political parties, media fraternity besides people from local and adjacent areas attended the funeral prayers and the last rites. National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, Congress leader Prof Saif ud Din Soz, top separatist leader Yasin Malik were among the prominent people who attended the funeral.

The killing of Bukhari and his personal security officers has been widely condemned. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, I & B Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore, Governor NN Vohra, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, Separatist Leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq & Yasin Malik, strongly condemned the killing and expressed shock and grief over the brutal assassination. So far, no terrorist outfit has taken responsibility for the attack.

President Radev: “Bulgaria Backs NATO’s Efforts to Build Modern Defence Capabilities,”

ON JUNE 15, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev  taking part in a Bucharest Format (B9) Summit here on Friday. At the international forum, the leaders of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia are exchanging views and are coordinating their positions on matters on NATO agenda, ahead of the Alliance’s Summit due in Brussels in July, the President’s Press Secretariat said. “Bulgaria backs NATO’s efforts to build modern defence capacities, and the modernization of the Bulgarian Armed Forces is part of this process,” Radev said at the B9 Summit in Warsaw.

“Meeting the security challenges that we confront is beyond the limited capacities of the separate countries and requires a joint response,” the head of State stressed in his statement at the forum.

The heads of State and government confirmed the common commitment from Wales to a gradual increase of defence budget resources to 2 per cent of GDP for development of national and joint defence capabilities.

As the President put it, NATO should keep its “open door policy”, and Bulgaria will continue to support the aspirants to full membership in fulfilling the eligibility requirements. Radev singed out strengthening stability, continued reforms, building good-neighbourly relations and promoting the Western Balkans’ Euro-Atlantic perspective as key priorities for Bulgaria. “Without guaranteed security, we cannot possibly achieve sustained stability in the Balkans,” the speaker emphasized. He confirmed Bulgaria’s support, within the framework of NATO’s policy, to assist the countries engaged in the fight against international terrorism and countering the Islamic State in the Middle East in building their defence capacity.

“In its relations with Russia, the Alliance must be guided by realism and pragmatism, in line with NATO’s approach to strengthening defence capabilities while remaining open to dialogue,” the head of State said further on. At the discussion, the President stressed the need to assess the changed conditions, to seek opportunities for easing tensions and normalizing relations while avoiding an aggressive tone. In his words, this will help keep communication channels open and pursue important national economic interests, the way this is done by the leading NATO and EU Member States.

Later in the day, President Radev will attend observances in Warsaw of the 100th anniversary of the restoration of Poland’s regained independence.

Bulgaria’s parliament approved a plan to spend about $2 billion (1.6 billion euros) to purchase 150 combat vehicles and 16 new or used fighter jets to replace its aging Soviet-designed MiG-29s.

Bulgaria’s fleet of 15 Soviet aircraft have raised safety concerns among the country’s military pilots, who refused to fly in a training operation last October in a bid to speed up the new acquisitions. The air force has said just seven of the MiGs are in good flying order.

Bulgaria joined NATO in 2004, in order to get consensus on buy of  warplanes  to replace the MiGs has perplexed  successive governments for more than a decade.

In matter of defense equipment, NATO has inspired its eastern members to develop or buy new equipment from Western alliance members that is compatible with their older Soviet-era systems.

European NATO members that were once Soviet satellites still rely on Russian-made military jets. Two-thirds of Poland’s military equipment dates from the pre-1991 Soviet era, for example.

Government ,under the plan approved by 151 to 7 in the 240-seat parliament, Sofia would acquire the jets in two stages to improve its compliance with NATO standards.

Billing, $1 billion to for the cost of the first eight aircraft, as well as team training and initial logistics support.

Bulgarian, Balkan country meditating to  spend about $1 billion on armored vehicles for three infantry battalion groups, including equipment and training.

Sofia has said it will call for bids to replace its MiGs with aircraft from the United States, Portugal, Italy, France, Sweden, and Israel.

Armored vehicles, the Western outfits lists ,  French state-owned group Nexter Systems, Finland’s Patria, Germany’s Rheinmetall Defense AG , U.S.-based Textron, and the Swiss firm Mowag have expressed interest in supplying armored vehicles, Bulgarian officials said.

http://www.bta.bg – Media agencies

.

“Renew Britain” Dear Naresh Sagar  Keep in touch!

ON JUNE 15, 2018 BY NARESH SAGAREDIT

“Renew Britain”

Dear Naresh Sagar 

Keep in touch!

We have recently been updating our systems, and in accordance with the Data Comissioner’s rules regarding GDPR 2018 we have updated our privacy policy. There’s nothing you need to do, however please do take a few a moments to read through the policy at your convenience.The privacy policy can be found on our website under the privacy policy heading. Please also feel free to update your details here so that we have your up to data information. We value the protection of your data very seriously, and should you wish tounsubscribe and be removed from our database please follow the link here.

Best regards,DavidDavid Britten

Director of Operations

0203 239 1692

david@renewbritain.org  

https://renewbritain.org/

Jordan’s king approves new govt

ON JUNE 15, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Jordan’s King Abdullah issued a decree on Thursday forming a new government led by a former World Bank economist. The king appointed Omar al-Razzaz, a Harvard-educated economist outside the ranks of the traditional political elite, last week to replace Hani Mulki, who was dismissed to defuse public anger that led to some of the largest protests in years. Thousands took to the streets in Amman and in provincial towns against a series of IMF-driven tax rises since the start of the year. Razzaz’s 28-member cabinet is dominated by a mix of conservative politicians and Western-leaning techocrats who held sway in previous administrations, including seven women,

Abdel Fatah el-Sisi swore in a new cabinet

ON JUNE 15, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Egypt’s President Abdel Fatah el-Sisi swore in a new cabinet on Thursday after replacing his defense and interior ministers. The high-level security shake-up comes as the country is struggling to combat an Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) affiliate in the Sinai Peninsula. Lt. Gen. Mohamed Ahmed Zaki, the head of the Presidential Guard, was tipped to be the new defense minister, replacing Gen. Sedki Sobhi, who had served in the post since Sisi was first elected in 2014. Mahmoud Tawfik, the head of the National Security Department, was chosen to succeed Magdy Abdel-Ghaffar at the Interior Ministry, which supervises the police, AP reports. The new 33-member cabinet is led by Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly, who also serves as housing minister. The government includes eight women and 12 new members.

Nawaz Sharif’s wife suffers cardiac arrest in UK

ON JUNE 15, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

 Begum Kulsoom Nawaz, the wife of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, was shifted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of a London hospital late Thursday after her condition deteriorated further, her family said on social media. Begum Kulsoom collapsed in the ICU after a cardiac arrest and has not regained consciousness since then as per reports in Pakistan media suggests.

Maryam Nawaz, her daughter, and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif, both confirmed the development on Twitter, with the former making an “earnest request for duas [prayers]”.

Former president Asif Ali Zardari, in a statement issued earlier today (Friday), expressed good wishes for Begum Kulsoom’s recovery. He said the Bhutto family and Pakistan Peoples Party is praying for Begum Kulsoom’s health.

Pakistan’s ousted prime minister Nazwaz Sharif’s ailing wife Kulsoom Nawaz’s health has further deteriorated following a cardiac arrest in the UK where she was undergoing treatment following throat cancer surgery.
Kulsoom, 68, was shifted to the intensive care unit of the London hospital late last night after her condition deteriorated further, Maryam Nawaz, her daughter said.
“Ami had a sudden cardiac arrest when we were on the flight and is in ICU and on the ventilator since,” Maryam tweeted.

Maryam, who flew to London along with her father, requested well-wishers to pray for her mother’s health. Kulsoom was readmitted to the hospital on Wednesday, where her health deteriorated and she was immediately taken to the emergency unit in the night and has not regained consciousness since, The Express Tribune reported.

She was rushed to the ICU as she collapsed after suffering a cardiac arrest yesterday and has ever since been kept under intensive care. Hussain Nawaz, son of Nawaz Sharif, also appealed to the nation to pray for his mother’s wellness. Shehbaz Sharif, Nawaz’s brother, requested the nation to join him in prayers for speedy recovery

Putin invites to Kim Jong Un,

ON JUNE 15, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Russian President Putin has issued an invitation to Kim Jong Un, suggesting that they meet at an economic forum in the far eastern port of Vladivostok in September, Senior North Korean official Kim Yong-nam to meet Putin in Moscow. 

Kim Yong Nam, meanwhile, handed the Russian leader a handwritten note from Kim Jong Un, the contents of which have not been made public.

At a meeting in the Kremlin before the World Cup opening ceremony on Thursday, the Russian leader said the recent US-North Korean summit had reduced the threat of conflict.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday met with President of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly (legislature) of North Korea Kim Yong-nam. The parliament’s head gave Putin a personal written message from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un could visit Russia to participate in the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok in September, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday. However, a separate visit could also be organized, the president said at a meeting with Kim Yong-nam, the head of the Presidium of North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly in Moscow on Thursday. Russia intends to promote a resolution of the North Korea situation using peaceful means, Putin said. He added that Moscow welcomes the recent meeting of North Korean and US leaders.

Putin confirmed that he invited the North Korean leader to visit Russia. According to the president, it could be a separate meeting or a meeting timed to coincide with the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok in September. Moscow welcomed a recent meeting between Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump, Putin said.

Missing French tourist learning organic farm

ON JUNE 15, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

A 20-year- old French woman who reportedly went missing was found safe in Saarkela village of Alwar district. The woman was missing since June 1.

Gaelle Chouteau was traced by the Rajasthan Police in Saarkela village where she was learning organic farming.

The French national had reached Pushkar on May 30 and stayed in a hotel there, before leaving for Jaipur on June 1.

She was not in touch with her family members and friends, as a result of which they started worrying and were trying to locate her by posting messages on social media.

Earlier on Wednesday, French Ambassador in India Alexandre Ziegler tweeted about the disappearance of Chouteau and asked for information on her whereabouts.

Alexandre Ziegler‏Verified account @FranceinIndia Jun 13

Ms Gaëlle CHOUTEAU, 20 years, 5’3”, has been missing since 1st June 2018. When last in touch, she was leaving Pushkar to go to Jaipur. If you have any information about her, please write to us at: admin-francais․new-delhi-amba@diplomatie.gouv.fr

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj also took cognizance of the matter, following which the Rajasthan police started the investigation.

Chouteau said she went there on her own and intends to stay for a week more. — ANI

Cabinet apprised of health pact

ON JUNE 15, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Union Cabinet was apprised about a pact signed between two health bodies of India and France, which aims at cooperation in medical, life sciences and health research sectors including diabetes and metabolic disorders.

The pact also aims at cooperation in bio-ethics with focus on ethics and regulatory issues of gene editing techniques and rare diseases.

“The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been apprised of an MoU which was signed in March, 2018 between the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Institut National de la Santeet de la RechercheMedicale (INSERM), France,” an official statement said.

The MoU will further strengthen relations between ICMR and INSERM within the framework of international scientific and technological cooperation in fields of mutual interest, it said.

“The MoU aims at cooperation in areas of common interest within the medical, life sciences and health research fields. Based on scientific excellence on both sides, the parties have agreed to have a specific focus upon: Diabetes and metabolic disorders, bio-ethics with focus on ethics and regulatory issues of gene editing techniques, rare diseases and any other areas of mutual interest can be considered after discussions between the two sides,” it said.

The scientific excellence on two sides will help to successfully work on health research in specified areas, it added.

Abe to meet Kim Jong Un

ON JUNE 15, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Abe is considering meeting with Kim Jong Un this fall, responding to the North Korean leader’s openness to dialogue expressed during a summit with President Donald Trump this week.

“We see the U.S.-North Korea summit as an opening,” Abe said Thursday in a meeting with family members of Japanese nationals abducted by the rogue state decades ago. “Japan should squarely face North Korea to resolve the issue,” he added. Trump has said he raised the issue with Kim.

Japanese government sources confirm the two sides are discussing times and places for a meeting. The first opportunity seems to be Russia’s Eastern Economic Forum, held in Vladivostok in mid-September, that Abe is expected to attend. President Vladimir Putin repeated his invitation for Kim Jong Un to visit Russia in a meeting Thursday with Kim Yong Nam, leader of North Korea’s rubber-stamp legislature. Mediating a Tokyo-Pyongyang summit would let Putin tout influence over North Korea.

U.N. General Assembly, which convenes in late September in New York, provides another option.

Though Pyongyang has also been suggested as a possible venue, Abe and his aides are leery of having the prime minister visit North Korea before progress is made on the abduction issue. Abe’s political standing would suffer if he returned from the rogue state without concrete results, making a third country a more acceptable choice.

Fumio Shimizu, deputy director general at the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, met Thursday with the head of a research institute affiliated with North Korea’s Foreign Ministry, the Japanese side said. The meeting came during a conference in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar.

Tokyo is prepared to pay the initial costs for restarting International Atomic Energy Agency inspections in North Korea, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Wednesday. Japan, which contributed $500,000 when the IAEA sent inspectors to North Korea’s Yongbyon nuclear facility in 2007, considers such inspections crucial to the ultimate goal of complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization.

Japan also could provide rice and medicine via international organizations. During bilateral consultations in Stockholm four years ago, Tokyo promised to consider such humanitarian aid at an “appropriate time.” North Korea agreed to look into the fates of Japanese abductees, but later disbanded the investigative committee. Suga said Japan “will continue asking North Korea to abide by the Stockholm agreement.”

Economic aid for developing North Korean infrastructure is on the table as well. The bilateral Pyongyang Declaration of 2002 named grant aid and low interest loans as examples of Japanese help after normalizing diplomatic relations in the future. When Japan and South Korea established ties in 1965, Tokyo handed over $500 million in economic aid — equivalent to $10 billion in today’s dollars.

Yet Abe cannot commit so much without public support back home.

Journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were arrested in Rangoon

ON JUNE 15, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Dear friend Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were arrested in Rangoon in December last year after investigating the killing of 10 Rohingya men buried in a mass grave. They have now spent six months in prison while their trial continues. This travesty of justice must end. Please email the President of Burma and call for their immediate release. They were arrested after being invited to meet police officials over dinner on 12th December 2017. The Ministry of Information said that they were “arrested for possessing important and secret government documents related to Rakhine State and security forces”. Burma’s ambassador to the UN, Hau Do Suan, said that the journalists were not arrested for reporting a story, but were accused of “illegally possessing confidential government documents”. The journalists were working on a report which describes how security forces and local Rakhine Buddhists were involved in the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men buried in a mass grave in Rakhine state. After their arrest, they were detained for two weeks at an undisclosed location and were not allowed to meet relatives or lawyers. They were charged under the Official Secrets Act and are currently on trial while they remain in detention. Please write to President Win Myint urging him to immediately and unconditionally release Wa Lone, Kyaw Soe Oo and repeal all repressive laws.   The Official Secrets Act was introduced in 1923, during the colonial era, and carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years. In the past, the government used the law against journalists for reporting on current affairs. Please take action and call for the immediate release of Wa Lone, Kyaw Soe Oo and the repeal of all repressive laws. Thank you. Anna Roberts Burma Campaign UK Help support the campaign – donate today!

Macedonia’s name changed to the Republic of North Macedonia

ON JUNE 15, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Greece and Macedonia managed to achieve a breakthrough on Tuesday, after both the country’s agreed to rename the Balkan country “North Macedonia.”

The decision, which could end a bitter 27-year-old dispute between both the nations, was also made after Greece vowed to lift its veto on its northern neighbour joining the European Union and and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

On Tuesday, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and his Macedonian counterpart Zoran Zaev reportedly held a telephonic conversation, after which the decision was made.

The decision puts an end to a bitter dispute that both the countries have been locked in for 27 years now, that has led to years of protests and endless diplomacy.

As part of the agreement, Macedonia’s name would be changed to the Republic of North Macedonia, or Severna Makedonija in Macedonian and the English name could be used as well as the Slavic term.

The name was chosen to reflect the existence of the Greek region of Macedonia on the other side of the border and the cultural claim by Greeks.

The countries announced that the new name would be used both internally by the government and externally when conducting foreign affairs and in return, Greece would lift its vetoes on the country joining the EU and NATO.

Announcing the agreement in a television press conference after giving details of the deal to the Greek president, Tsipras said, “The name change will be implemented not only in the country’s international relations but also domestically.”

Tsipras added that the 140 countries which had recognized the Balkan state simply as Macedonia would now recognize it as Republic of Northern Macedonia.

He said, “This achieves a clear distinction between Greek Macedonia and our northern neighbors and puts an end to the irredentism which their current constitutional name implies,” adding that Macedonia “cannot and will not be able in the future to claim any connection with the ancient Greek civilization of Macedonia.”

Meanwhile, describing the deal as a “historic agreement of the century,” the Macedonian Prime Minister called on the opposition to back the name change.

He said, “We have been solving a two-and-a-half decade dispute … that has been drowning the country,” adding that the deal “will strengthen the Macedonian identity.”  He urged for support by pointing out that the agreement would guarantee access to the EU and NATO.

Balkan state would be able to call itself the “Republic of Northern Macedonia” (formerly “Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”). This title would allow for Skopje’s eventual entry into NATO and the European Union, previously blocked by Greece because it says the use of the name “Macedonia” implies a territorial claim on a northern Greek province of the same name. Greece agreed to recognise its northern neighbour as ‘Republic of North Macedonia’ on Tuesday, ending a decades-long dispute over the name of the former Yugoslav republic.

However, the deal struck on Tuesday still has a few hurdles to cross as nationalists in both countries are opposed to compromise, which could still derail the accord.

The agreement would now have to be ratified by the parliaments in both the countries.

Macedonia however, insisted that the statue is of a “warrior on a horse” rather than the ancient Greek hero.

Over the years, a number of alternatives have been suggested by both sides, which have included Gorna Makedonija (Upper Macedonia), Nova Makedonija (New Macedonia) and Ilinden Macedonia.

CM of Punjab announces Rs.209 crore debt relief for 38000 farmers

ON JUNE 15, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Chief Minister of Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh announced the disbursement of Rs. 209 crore to 38,000 marginal farmers, who are members of the Cooperative Societies, within the next ten days to complete the first phase of his government’s debt relief scheme.

The Chief Minister pointed out that so far 2,77,633 marginal farmers had been provided relief to the tune of Rs. 1525.61 crores in the first phase and this amount has been transferred directly into their accounts. He further said that out of 3.43 lacs marginal farmers, who are members of the Cooperative Societies, 27,179 were found ineligible as they were either serving as Government/Semi Government employees or did not meet the eligibility criteria of the scheme.
The remaining 38,000 will be provided debt relief within the next 10 days. In the second phase, the small farmers linked with cooperative societies would be taken up for disbursement of relief. The commercial banks had already started uploading the data of their loanee farmers on the specially designed portal for this purpose. The Agriculture and Finance departments have been directed to follow up with the commercial banks in the State to ensure expeditious uploading of the data so that the process of verification and disbursing the relief amount to eligible beneficiaries could be completed at the earliest in a transparent manner.
Subsequently, the marginal farmers belonging to the cooperative societies who had not yet received the full eligible amount upto Rs. 2 lacs, and are otherwise eligible to receive relief amount due to them for the loans secured from the commercial banks would also be covered.

Decisions taken by the Union Cabinet

ON JUNE 15, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Cabinet approves the extension of tenure of the Commission constituted to examine the issue of Sub-categorization within Other Backward Classes in the Central List

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the final extension of the term of the Other Backward Classes in the Central List currently mandated up to 20th June 2018, till 31st July, 2018. The Commission held extensive meetings with the stake holders including the State Governments, the State Backward Classes Commissions, various community associations and general public belonging to various Backward Classes and Communities. The Commission also obtained records, caste-wise of OBCs admitted in higher educational institution as well as similar caste-wise data of recruits in Central Departments, Central Public Sector Undertakings, Public Sector Banks & Financial Institutions.

·         Cabinet approves Agreement between India and Peru

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved an Agreement between India and Peru which was signed in May, 2018 at Lima, Peru. The agreement aims to establish the basis for a cooperative institutional relationship to encourage and promote technical bilateral cooperation on new and renewable issues on the basis of mutual benefit equality and reciprocity. The Agreement envisages establishing a Joint Committee to develop Work Plans in order to implement the Agreement. The Agreement will help in strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

·         Cabinet approves MoU between India and Viet Nam on Joint issue of postage stamp 

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has been apprised of the joint issue of a postage stamp between Department of Posts and Viet Nam Post. Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications and Viet Nara Post mutually agreed to jointly issue Postage Stamps on India-Viet Nam: Joint Issue on the theme “Ancient Architecture”. The joint stamps were released on 25-01-2018. The Commemorative Postage Stamps on India-Viet Nam: Joint Issue depicts Sanchi Stupa of India and Pho Minh Pagoda of Viet Nam. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between postal administrations of India and Viet Nam for this joint issue on 18-12-2017.

·         Cabinet approves Repositioning of North Eastern Council

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the proposal of Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) for the nomination of the Union Home Minister as ex-officio Chairman of North Eastern Council (NEC) – a statutory body with Governors and Chief Ministers of all the eight North Eastern States as its Member. The Cabinet also approved that Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of DoNER would serve as Vice Chairman of the Council.

Impact:

NEC implements various projects through the State and Central agencies. Under the new arrangement with Home Minister as Chairman and Minister of DoNER as Vice Chairman, NEC and all the Governors and Chief Ministers of North Eastern States asMember would provide a forum for discussing inter-state matters more comprehensively and also consider common approaches to be taken in future. NEC can now also perform the tasks undertaken by the various Zonal Councils to discuss such inter-State issues as drug trafficking, smuggling of arms and ammunition, boundary disputes etc. This repositioning of NEC will help it to become a more effective body for the North Eastern Region. The Council shall, from time to time, review the implementation of the projects/schemes included in the project; recommend effective measures for coordination among the state Governments for these projects etc. The Council shall have such powers as may be delegated to it by the Central Government.

·         Cabinet approves proposal for enactment of Dam Safety Bill, 2018

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the proposal for introduction of Dam Safety Bill, 2018 in the Parliament.

Benefits:

It will help all the States and Union Territories of India to adopt uniform dam safety procedures which shall ensure safety of dams and safeguard benefits from such dams. This shall also help in safeguarding human life, livestock and property. The draft Bill has been finalised after wide consultation with leading Indian experts and international experts.

Details:

·         The Bill provides for proper surveillance, inspection, operation and maintenance of all specified dams in the country to ensure their safe functioning.

·         The Bill provides for constitution of a National Committee on Dam Safety which shall evolve dam safety policies and recommend necessary regulations as may be required for the purpose.

·         The Bill provides for establishment of National Dam Safety Authority as a regulatory body which shall discharge functions to implement the policy, guidelines and standards for dam safety in the country.

·         The Bill provides for constitution of a State Committee on Dam Safety by State Government.

National Dam Safety Authority

·         It shall maintain liaison with the State Dam Safety Organisations and the owners of dams for standardisation of dam safety related data and practices;

·         It shall provide the technical and managerial assistance to the States and State Dam Safety Organisations;

·         It shall maintain a national level data-base of all dams in the country and the records of major dam failures;

·         It shall examine the cause of any major dam failure;

·         It shall publish and update the standard guidelines and check-lists for the routine inspection and detailed investigations of dams and appurtenances;

·         It shall accord recognition or accreditations to the organisations that can be entrusted with the works of investigation, design or construction of new dams;

·         It will also look into unresolved points of issue between the State Dam Safety Organisation of two states, or between the State Dam Safety Organisation of a State and the owner of a dam in that State, for proper solution;

·         Further, in certain cases, such as dams of one State falling under the territory of another State, the National Authority shall also perform the role of State Dam Safety Organization thereby eliminating potential causes for inter-state conflicts.

State Committee on Dam Safety

It will ensure proper surveillance, inspection, operation and maintenance of all specified dams in that State and ensure their safe functioning. It further provides that every State shall establish a “State Dam Safety Organisation”, which will be manned by officers from the field dam safety preferably from the areas of dam-designs, hydro-mechanical engineering, hydrology, geo-technical investigation, instrumentation and dam-rehabilitation.

·         Cabinet approves MoU between the ICMR and INSERM, France

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has been apprised of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which was signed in March, 2018 between the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Institut National de la Santeet de la RechercheMedicale (INSERM), France.

Salient Features:

The MoU aims at cooperation in areas of common interest within the medical, life sciences and health research fields. Based on scientific excellence on both sides, the parties have agreed to have a specific focus upon:

1.       Diabetes and Metabolic disorders;

2.       Bio-ethics with focus on Ethics and regulatory issues of Gene editing techniques;

3.       Rare diseases; and

4.       Any other areas of mutual interest can be considered after discussions between the two sides.

The MoU will further strengthen relations between ICMR and INSERM within the framework of international scientific and technological cooperation in fields of mutual interest.  The scientific excellence on two sides will help to successfully work on health research in specified areas.

·         Cabinet approves monetization of 3.70 acres of land at Pragati Maidan for construction and running of a Hotel by a third party including private sector, waiver of charges levied by L&DO and waiver of land charges raised by the Ministry of Railways

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the monetization of 3.70 acres of land at Pragati Maidan by India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITJPO) on long-term leasehold basis for 99 years for construction and running of a Hotel by a third party including private sector through a transparent competitive bidding process. This measure is part of the Phase – I of redevelopment project of Pragati Maidan i.e. Integrated Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre (IECC) Project. It was was approved by the CCEA in January 2017 at an estimated cost of Rs. 2254 crore. IECC project envisages construction of a world class state-of-the-art Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre with a seating capacity for 7,000 pax, exhibition, space of over 1,00,000sq.mtr. and a basement parking for 4,800 vehicles. Traffic decongestion measures in and around the Pragati Maidan will also lead to decongestion of the area.

Funds raised through monetization of land will be one of the means of financing the IECC project which is essential for Central Government and State Governments to hold Summit Level Meetings and Exhibitions/Events for trade promotion. The work for IECC project as well as the traffic decongestion solutions is in full swing. ITPO has stated that the entire project is expected to be completed by September 2019. IECC project will benefit Indian trade and industry, and help increase India’s foreign trade.

·         Cabinet approves proposal for withdrawal of Nalanda University (Amendment) Bill, 2013 pending in Rajya Sabha

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the proposal for withdrawal of Nalanda University (Amendment) Bill, 2013 pending in the Rajya Sabha. The Nalanda University was established on the basis of a Joint Press Statement at the 4th East Asia Summit held in Thailand in October, 2009, which supported its establishment as a non-state, non-profit, secular and self-governing international institution. Subsequently, the Nalanda University Act, 2010 was passed by the Parliament and came into effect from 25thNovember 2010.  The present proposal is for moving a motion in Rajya Sabha withdrawing the Nalanda University (Amendment) Bill, 2013 introduced in Rajya Sabha on August 26, 2013 to amend certain existing provisions of the Nalanda University Act, 2010 and add some new provisions.

The Governing Board of Nalanda University has since been constituted as per section 7 of Nalanda University Act, 2010 with effect from 21.11.2016 with, the approval of Hon’ble President of India. The Amendment Bill will need to be discussed with the current Governing Board of Nalanda University before a final decision could be taken on going ahead with the proposed amendments. Further, the current Governing Board may also look into the entire Nalanda University Act, 2010 afresh and suggest amendments/additions wherever necessary. Teaching in the University was inaugurated by Smt.SushmaSwaraj, External Affairs Minister in September 2014. Hon’ble President of India is the Visitor of the University, Dr. Vijay Bhatkar, the Chancellor and Professor Sunaina Singh, is the Vice Chancellor. At present, the University has 116 students in three schools of studies namely School of Historical Studies, School of Ecology and Environment Studies and School of Buddhist Studies. This includes 35 international students from 21 foreign countries.

·         Cabinet approves ‘Three Year Action Plan of Agricultural Education Division & ICAR Institutes

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the continuation of the Three Year Action Plan (2017-2020) of the scheme for Agricultural Education Division and ICAR Institutes with an outlay of Rs.2225.46 crore[Rs. 2197.51 crore + Rs. 27.95 crore (State share) as salary component for AICRP-HS]for strengthening and developing higher agricultural education in India.  It comprises of:

1.       “Strengthening and Development of Higher Agricultural Education in India – Rs. Rs.2050.00 crore;

2.       ICAR-National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM) – Rs. 24.25 crore and

3.       ICAR – Central Institute of Women in Agriculture (CIWA) including All India Coordinated Research Project on Home Science (AICRP-HS) – Rs.151.21 crore.

The scheme is aimed to generate quality human resources from the institutions of higher agricultural education.It encompasses several new initiatives including, steps to attract talented students, reducing academic inbreeding and addressing faculty shortage.  It will also take care ofgreen initiatives, mitigating faculty shortage, international ranking, alumni involvement, promoting innovations, inspired teacher network, reducing inbreeding, academia interface, technology enabled learning, Post-doctoral Fellowships, Agriculture Education Portal, Scientific Social responsibility etc. for quality assurance ranking of the agricultural universities has been linked to the financial support under the scheme along with accreditation. Support for strengthening and modernization of infrastructure related to student and faculty amenities and capacity building of both faculty and students in cutting edge areas through Niche Area of Excellence programme will improve teaching and encouraging holistic development of the students.

This will lead to generation of competitive and confident human resource. In addition, research on gender issues in agriculture and allied fields, formulating gender-equitable agricultural, policies/programmes and gender-sensitive agricultural-sector responses will be undertaken by ICAR-CIWA and capacity building needs of the human resources and stakeholders of the entire National Agricultural Research & Education System (NARES) will be catered leading to enhancing of competencies and capacities of the stakeholders including farmers, young scientists, students and agri-industry in NARES by ICAR-NAARM.

·         Cabinet approves raising of additional share capital of M/s. HDFC Bankup to a maximum of Rs. 24,000 crore

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the proposal for grant of permission to M/s. HDFC Bank Ltd. to raise additional share capital of up to a maximum of Rs. 24,000 crore, including premium, over and above the previous approved limit of Rs. 10,000 crore, such that the composite foreign shareholding in the Bank shall not exceed 74% of the enhanced paid-up equity share capital of the bank.

The decision would ensure that the composite foreign shareholding in the bank inclusive of all types of foreign investments, both direct and indirect, will not exceed 74% of the enhanced paid-up equity share capital of the bank. It will be subject to Foreign Direct Investment Policy conditionalities and other sectoral regulations / guidelines. The proposed investment is expected to strengthen the capital adequacy ratio of the bank.

CAIT HAILS DECISION OF SUPREME COURT ON SEALING ISSUE

ON JUNE 15, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

 The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has expressed satisfaction over the decision of the Supreme Court Bench for not interfering in sealing matter of certain areas despite strong pleas of the Monitoring Committee to direct MCD to conduct sealing in Rajouri Garden and other areas

CAIT Secretary General Mr. Praveen Khandelwal while welcoming the decision said that since the matter of notifying 351 Roads as commercial or mix land use street is pending before the Supreme Court and matter being sub-juice, insistence of the  Monitoring Committee for repeatedly directing the MCD to conduct sealing operations on these roads is a case of exceeding the jurisdiction of the Monitoring Committee.

He further said that it has been seen that Monitoring Committee is more interested in sealing comfortably running business establishments established since decades on one pretext or the other without serving any notice or giving opportunity of hearing which is against the principle of natural justice. We are sure that Supreme Court has never intended like this.

Mr. Khandelwal hoped that Monitoring Committee will now be justified in its action and instead of adopting a coercive approach, it will seek cooperation from the trading community in larger interest of Delhi and its economy

Sitaram Yechury on Banks write of details

ON JUNE 15, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

Sitaram Yechury‏Verified account @SitaramYechury 

More

The record wrote-off of bank loans is linked not just to Modis and Choksis who escaped India easily and roam freely but also to opaque means of election funding introduced by Modi govt, big spending on his PR campaigns.

he further tweets, Modi govt writes off bank loans worth ₹ 1.44 lakh crore, yes ₹ 1.44 lakh crore, in just one year. None of those will be for the farmers or the salaried workers, they would all be for friendly corporates

Israel medical startup chains

ON JUNE 15, 2018 BY NARESH SAGARLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT

LR Group is investing NIS 50 million in building and operating three shared workspaces for biotechnology and medical startups near three hospitals in Israel – Hadassah Medical Centre Ein Kerem in Jerusalem, Rabin Medical Centre (Beilinson Hospital) in Petah Tikva and Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa. The new chain will be called LR Biohouse and offers a unique combination of technological incubator, shared workspace and synergy with the hospital.

LR Group operates worldwide in developing, financing, building, and managing medium and large scale projects in high growth economies including agriculture, water, energy and power, telecom, health, and construction.

The first of the three shared workspaces has been built in cooperation with Hadassah Medical Centre Ein Kerem and the Jerusalem Development Authority’s BioJerusalem venture and will be launched next week on June 19.

The Jerusalem LR Biohouse will have space for 40-50 early stage and more mature biotech and medical startups as well as a startup accelerator, which will be operated by Hadassah.

The startups in LR Biohouse will enjoy shared equipment and facilities and data processing systems and most importantly access to the hospital’s infrastructure including laboratories, and amenities for animal and clinical trials including access to patients for the trials. LR Biohouse will also help in introducing potential investors, partners and customers.