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NCC BOY CADETS MOUNTAINEERING EXPEDITION 2018 TO MT SAIFEE PEAK

FLAGGING OFF CEREMONY : NCC BOY CADETS MOUNTAINEERING
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EXPEDITION 2018 TO MT SAIFEE PEAK
Keeping in toe the NCC traditions the NCC Boy Cadets Mountaineering Expedition for the year 2018 was flagged off for Mt Saifee (6167). Mt Saifee is a magnificent, semi difficult and technical peak to climb and is situated in GarhwalHimalayas of Uttarakhand state.
Lt Gen PP Malhotra, VSM, DGNCC flagged off the expedition by handing over the flag to the expedition leader Col Dhirendra Singh and wished good luck to the entire team comprising of Maj Neeraj Maan, Dy leader, 17JCOs & NCOs & 20 NCC Boy cadets. The DGNCC in his speech said that he is confident that the team will cadets for their motivation & enthusiasm to become part of the Mountaineering Expedition.

A dramaturgical adaptation of Shrilal Shukla’s  “RAAG DARBARI” 

Invitation
Dear Friend, 
It gives me an immense pleasure in informing you that the 1st year students’ of National School of Drama is coming on the floor with their new production
A dramaturgical adaptation of Shrilal Shukla’s
“RAAG DARBARI” 
Adaptation: Sarah Mariam, Space Design: Asim Waqif
Set & Costume Design: Vidisha Purohit, Light Design: Rajesh Singh
Direction: Amitesh Grover
The performance are scheduled from 06th to 10th June, 2018 daily 06:30 p.m. with an additional show on 09th June, 2018 at 03:00 p.m. at Bahumukh auditorium, Bahawalpur House, Bhagwandas Road, New Delhi.
Director, NSD invites you to witness the above production. You may spare some time from your busy schedule to witness any of these shows and please inform us about your requirement so that necessary arrangement could be made accordingly.
Play contains adult language, children below 18 years will not be allowed. For more information please contact 23031120/21
We look forward to welcoming you to the performance.
With regards,
A.K. Barua
Public Relations Officer
National School of Drama
New Delhi
981329401
anoopbarua@gmail.com

Sonam Kapoor Ahuja witnessed in Delhi for ‘Veere Di Wedding’ special screening

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   The B-town diva Sonam Kapoor Ahuja visited a theatre in the capital for the special screening of her latest release flick ‘Veerey Di Wedding. She arrived at PVR, Chanakyapuri to gauge the public reaction. Where the crowd went wild. She interacted with the crowd and as well as media and grabbed positive response for her film ‘Veerey Di Wedding which also stars Kareena Kapoor Khan, Swara Bhaskar, Shikha Talsania in prominent roles.
   Along with crowd, Sonam herself witnessed highly enthusiastic for this special screening. While interacting with media peeps Sonam stated, “It’s a good commercial film, it doesn’t matter whether there is a man or a woman in the movie. I am very very happy! I am really happy for my sister Rhea Kapoor, who is a creative producer, even for the entire team. I am super happy and I am super excited.”
   Well, Veere Di Wedding is a female-centric comedy film, directed by Shashanka Ghosh. The film is co-produced by Rhea Kapoor, Ekta Kapoor, and Nikhil Dwivedi. Featuring under the banner of Balaji Motion Pictures, Anil Kapoor Films & Communication Network, the film also stars Sumeet Vyas, Vishwas Kini, Manoj Pahwa, Neena Gupta, Vivek Mushran, Edward Sonnenblick and more in prominent roles.

Raj Kundra grilled on trade, GainBitcoin

Businessman and actor Shilpa Shetty’s husband Raj Kundra have been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the Bitcoin scam. Kundra is presently being questioned in Mumbai. The ED is recording Kundra’s statement.
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The Enforcement Directorate today questioned Raj Kundra, husband of actor Shilpa Shetty, in connection with a money laundering probe related to a bitcoin transactions case, officials said. The businessman was summoned at the ED office in Mumbai and was asked questions about his involvement in the trade, termed as illegal by the government, they said. There are some instances of the case that are linked to Kundra and hence, he has been asked to record his statement, the officials said without elaborating. The Enforcement Directorate sometime back, had registered a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against bitcoin-based investment website GainBitcoin, its founder Amit Bhardwaj and eight others.
Fiscal irregularities are of the tune and is alleged that about 8,000 investors lost about Rs 2,000 crore by transacting in this scheme. The ED had filed its case based on an FIR of the Maharashtra Police in this case and the Pune Police arrested Bhardwaj and his brother Vivek from Delhi earlier. Bhardwaj reportedly was behind ventures like GainBitcoin, GBMiners, MCAP and GB21, and the investors were allegedly duped after transactions on these portals.
Last year, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had informed Parliament that there are no regulations governing virtual currencies in India and the RBI has not given any licence to any entity/company to operate such currencies. The government had also cautioned investors to be wary of virtual currencies such as bitcoin, saying they are like Ponzi schemes with no legal tender and protection. — PTI

Sitharaman no scandal in the Rafale deal

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today said, Indian forces will respond to any unprovoked attack to keep the borders safe.
Mrs Sitharaman was addressing a press conference in New Delhi about the achievements of her Ministry in the last four years. She said, it is the government’s duty to guard the border and India will not stop if it is provoked.
The Minister said, terror and talks cannot go hand in hand with Pakistan, adding that this is the government’s stand which has already been told by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
Replying to a question, Mrs Sitharaman said, there is no scandal in the Rafale deal and assured the nation that not a single paisa corruption was done. She also said, there is no shortage of Defence ammunition today. The Minister added that the Armed Forces faced funds shortage under the UPA government. However, there are no shortages now.
Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, “There is no shortage of defence ammunition today. Allegations of scam in the Rafael deal are baseless,” Sitharaman stated while addressing a press conference on the occasion of the completion of four years of the National Democratic Alliance government.
But on the other hand, Congress President Rahul Gandhi has long been criticising the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government, alleging that the government has signed an overpriced deal.
Gandhi had also said the United Progressive Alliance government had cracked a better deal, while the incumbent government’s deal will be causing a loss of over Rs 40,000 crore. In February, Gandhi posed eight questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the deal and alleged that the Prime Minister personally went to Paris and changed the deal. — ANI
Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman on the Ramzan ceasefire with Pakistan.  Addressing a press conference, Sitharaman says terror and talks cannot go together. She said the army was consulted before the ceasefire was announced. The defence minister said 50 terrorists were killed in 19 weeks before Ramzan, while seven terrorists were killed in two weeks during Ramzan. “We will keep our borders safe,” the minister said.
On the Ramzan ceasefire, the minister added, “When it is an unprovoked attack the Army was given the right to retaliate. We honour the ceasefire but of course, a margin was given to us when there is an unprovoked attack. The MoD’s role isn’t to asses whether it was successful or not. It’s our business to guard the border and we won’t stop if we’re provoked. We shall be alert that no unprovoked attack goes without us responding. It’s our duty to keep India safe.”
She said the defence ministry spending was its highest last year for over a decade. She said there was no real cash crunch in defence. She said when the government came in there was an ammunition shortage, but not any more.

Asad Durrani in fix on “The Spy Chronicles:

The Pakistan Army has said that former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt. Gen. Asad Durrani, will be punished as per the law and the country’s Army Act for controversially co-authoring the book “The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI And The Illusion Of Peace” with India’s former Research and Analysis Wing chief A.S. Dulat.
Interacting with the media on Monday afternoon, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor said an inquiry has been ordered against the former ISI chief and outcome of the inquiry will be shared with the media.
“He (Durrani) is retired as a three-star general and you know the circumstances of his retirement – it was premature. He’s involved in the Asghar Khan case as well,” said Major General Ghafoor, adding that the army is clearly unhappy with what the retired officer had done.
“As soon as the book was published, we took action. We all know why he [Asad Durrani] was kicked out from the Army. He remarked that no one can become an angel after wearing the army uniform. He also noted that Durrani’s book referred to incidents that took place after his tenure. It was not okay for the retired spy chief to use his experience to comment on matters that happened after his retirement,”said Major General Ghafoor.
“We are all human, we make mistakes. But when you make mistakes, you suffer the consequences. The Pakistan Army has never forgiven any mistake, whether made by a soldier or a general. What will happen to Durrani will be in front of you,” he said.
He added that the reason why the forces had reacted so sharply to Durrani’s book was because the army does not take violations of its code lightly.
“Had he taken an NOC (no objection certificate) for the book, all of this would not have happened,” he said. — ANI
Further tweets on AsadDurrani has been barred from leaving  after the release of his new book “The SpyChronicles: RAW,ISI & the Illusion of Peace,”which has been co-authored by A.S. Dulat his former counterpart in RAW.
Pakistan Army has ordered an inquiry into a former spymaster who has co-written a book that says Osama bin Laden was handed over to the United States.
The army has asked the government to block Lieutenant-General Asad Durrani, a retired spy chief who headed the ISI in the early 1990s, from leaving the country because of revelations in a book he co-wrote with Amarjit Singh Dulat, a former head of the Indian intelligence Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

Tharoor to face trial

Taking cognizance of the Delhi Police charge sheet, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal asked Shashi Tharoor to appear before him on July 7
A Delhi court today summoned Congress leader Shashi Tharoor as an accused in the Sunanda Pushkar death case and asked him to appear before it on July 7. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal said there were sufficient grounds to proceed against Tharoor for commission of offences in the case.
Tharoor has been charged with abetting the suicide of his wife Sunanda Pushkar, who was found dead in a five-star hotel in Delhi in 2014. Her last mails and messages on social media have been taken by the police as her dying declaration.
The parliamentarian from Kerala has also been accused of cruelty to his wife in the chargesheet submitted in court last month

Delhi Court extends interim protection to P Chidambaram

Delhi Court give interim protection from arrest to Chidambaram till July 10
Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram was summoned by ED today.The agency had issued a fresh summon to Mr Chidambaram yesterday to appear before the investigating officer of the case.
Former FM  appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Aircel-Maxis money laundering case, he arrived at the agency’s headquarters in New Delhi and was accompanied by a lawyer. The ED is expected to record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Mr Chidambaram’s role has come under the scanner in the 3,500 crore rupee Aircel-Maxis deal in which the ED has already questioned his son, Karti.
The former Finance Minister had last week approached the court of Special Judge OP Saini seeking relief from arrest by the ED in the case.
The same court today directed ED not to take any coercive action or arrest him till the 10th of next month. The court passed the order after ED sought more time to file a detailed reply to Mr Chidambaram’s plea.
The case pertains to grant of Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearance to firm M/S Global Communication Holding Services Ltd in 2006 for investment in Aircel.
The Supreme Court had, in March, directed ED and CBI to complete their probe into the 2G spectrum allocation cases, including the Aircel Maxis case, in six months.

Shubhankar Sharma earns US Open berth with tied fifth finish at Sectional Qualifier

Shubhankar Sharma earns US Open berth with tied fifth finish at Sectional Qualifier 
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Twenty-one-year-old set to become fifth Indian to appear at year’s second Major, also youngest Indian to achieve the feat 
Columbus, Ohio, USA, June 5, 2018: Indian golfing sensation Shubhankar Sharma added another feather to his cap by earning his ticket to the year’s second Major, the US Open, scheduled to be held at the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York, from June 14 to 17.
Two-time European Tour winner and world no. 77 Shubhankar qualified for his maiden US Open after finishing tied fifth at the Sectional Qualifier staged at Columbus, Ohio, on Monday. The top 14 players in the field of 120 made the grade. It was the Indian’s third attempt at qualifying for the US Open.
Twenty-one-year-old Sharma, the current Asian Tour money list leader, returned a three-under-69 at the Brookside Golf & Country Club and followed that up with a four-under-68 at the Lakes Golf & Country Club to finish with a seven-under-137 total at the 36-hole qualifying event.
Shubhankar, who made his Major debut at the Masters earlier this year after receiving an invite, is now set to become the fifth Indian to play the US Open when he tees it up at the 118th edition of the event next week.
The four Indians who have previously appeared at the US Open include Jeev Milkha Singh, Arjun Atwal, Shiv Kapur and Anirban Lahiri. Shiv Kapur’s tied 23rd at the 2014 US Open is the best finish by an Indian at the event.
After setting the record for becoming the youngest Indian to play the Masters, Sharma will now also have the distinction of being the youngest Indian to play the US Open at age 21. Anirban Lahiri held the previous record as he had appeared at the 2015 US Open at age 27.
Soon after his qualification for the 2018 US Open, Shubhankar tweeted, saying, “I am extremely excited to share that I have qualified for the @usopengolf. Third time lucky but worth every chance I took to get there. It also validates how competitive my primary home tours @PGTITOUR @asiantourgolf and, of course, @EuropeanTour are! Thank you, guys! @OWGRltd.”
Interestingly, Shubhankar will also be playing the 2018 British Open, having booked his place at the year’s third Major after claiming his breakthrough international win at the Joburg Open last December.
The Chandigarh-resident had reached a career-high world ranking of 64 in March this year largely thanks to his two European Tour triumphs at the Joburg Open and Maybank Championship and top-10 finishes at the WGC-Mexico Championship and the Hero Indian Open.
Sharma now has a good chance of emerging as only the third Indian to play all four Majors in the same year after Jeev Milkha Singh (2007) and Anirban Lahiri (2015).

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Minister WCD Maneka, highlighting the achievements


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.
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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


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


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%


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


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.
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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

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

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”


PRESS INVITATION
To all the Chief/Health Reporter
Press/Media
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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

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.
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“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  

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

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

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

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


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 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!
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

Show some love: thanks for sharing and caring.

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

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.

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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.

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THE GAME IS ABOUT TO GET REAL

L_to_R_Basketball_players__-_Gurvinder_Singh_gill__inderbir_singh__Palpreet_Singh_Brar__Cheif_Entert_2289024.JPG
3×3-basketball league to begin in Delhi/NCR
~The six-city multi tour league to begin from Delhi/NCR on 9th & 10th June 2018
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~The league to witness marquee players like Palpreet Singh Brar and international basketball sensations like Inderbir Singh Gill, Leandro Souza De Lima and more

Delhi, June 6, 2018: The fastest growing urban team sport in the world, 3×3 Basketball comes to India for the first time with 3BL – 3×3 Pro Basketball League. The six-city multi tour league to begin from Delhi on 9th & 10th June 2018. The first ever FIBA recognised basketball league in India will see basketball sensations like  players like Amjyot Singh, Palpreet Singh Brar and international basketball sensations like Inderbir Singh Gill, Leandro Sauza Lima and more.
The league also announced the fixtures and the teams for the season in the presence of Shri Manoj Tiwari, Member of the India Parliament for North East Delhi who were part of the monumental announcement. . The league is all set to kick-off from Delhi in The Great India Place – Noida on 9 & 10 June 2018.
The fastest growing urban team sport in the world, 3×3 Basketball is a shorter format, high-speed version of 5×5 Basketball. It has been recognised as an Olympic sport and will be introduced at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The inaugural season of 3BL in India will feature 12 teams – Delhi Hoopers, Chandigarh Beasts, Jaipur Regals, Aizawl Legends, Kolkata Warriors, Ahmedabad Wingers, Bangalore Machas, Goa Snipers, Kochi Knights, Hyderabad Ballers, Chennai Icons and Mumbai Hustlers.
The matches will be played over six rounds in Delhi/NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai and Aizawl from 9th June 2018 to 26th August 2018. The winners of the tournament(s) will get to represent India at the FIBA World Tour(s).
Rohit Bakshi, League Commissioner, 3BL – 3×3 Pro Basketball Leaguesaid, “Bringing 3×3 Basketball to India has been more of an opportunity than a challenge and I believe there is immense talent and potential in the country that is yet to be tapped. We are here to provide a platform and make it larger than life and I am glad to get support from various influencers on this journey and I am confident that India will witness even more basketball stars in the coming years.”

Sudhir Vashist, Chief of Marketing & Business Development, 3BL said, “Our aim is to create a new fan base for basketball in India by promoting the 3×3 Basketball across level and through wider outreach plans for viewers and players both. It is definitely going to be a very appealing sport for both brands and audiences.”
Vivek Krishna, Entertainment Director, 3BL said “Shorter yet engaging content is exactly what the audience desires. 3×3 Basketball is a highly engaging form of the beautiful game which will going to charm India, as it has 144 other countries”
Mr. Mahim Singh, Mall Head, The Great India Place, said, “Basketball has always been the love of the youth since their school & college days. The unavailability of proper guidance and exposure has restrained many from participating in this sports arena. With, 3×3 Pro Basketball League at The Great India Place, we aim to bring back the love and craze for basketball in the hearts of the sports enthusiast around the nation.”
The first time ever India will be hosting the World Tour, organised and marketed by YKBK Enterprise Private Limited.
About YKBK Enterprise:
YKBK Enterprise Pvt Ltd, has the exclusive rights from International Basketball Federation (FIBA) to create and implement an International 3×3 Professional Basketball League in the Indian Sub-Continent. As a socially conscious 3×3 Professional Basketball League, YKBK Enterprise Private Limited strives to create a platform for aspiring players from all walks of life.
About 3x3BL
3×3 Basketball is a 10-minute high speed basketball game and it officially became an Olympic sport in June 2017. It will be introduced in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and 2022 Birmingham Common Wealth Games. The inaugural season of 3BL in India, featuring 12 teams with international and Indian sensations. The winners of the tournament(s) will get to represent India at the FIBA World Tour(s).

Media Contacts 
MSL: Aziz Khan | +91 9869692946 aziz.khan@mslgroup.com
Laxmi Sharma/ + 91 9654515243 laxmi.sharma@mslgroup.com

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Carnival Cinemas to lead Maharashtra region with 47 properties
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, MaharashtraOne 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

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Leading Digital Transformation and Innovation

Jun
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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


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 FacebookTwitterInstagrambecause the #EarlyMomentsMatter. For more information on UNICEF India and its work visitwww.unicef.in.

SAM – Royal Philips open advance oncology imaging

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.

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Kim Jong-Un in Singapore, Trump on way


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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


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.

Putin: Me willing to meet Trump


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



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


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.

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Sensor act as Velcro to detect cancer cells

Chinese Academy of Sciences and Peking University Third Hospital has developed a new type of sensor that acts like Velcro for prostate cancer cells, sticking them to a modified frosted glass slide, like those used in science classes, so that they can be identified from blood samples. According to the researchers, the low-cost method could help doctors better diagnose and monitor the disease.
In men with prostate cancer, some tumor cells exit the prostate gland and circulate in the blood. Detecting these cells could enable diagnosis at an earlier stage or help doctors assess whether treatment is effective. However, because circulating tumor cells are present in very small numbers, finding them can be a challenge.
When the researchers tested blood samples from prostate cancer patients, the device detected as few as 10 tumor cells in 1 milliliter of blood.
Biospectrum

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 Modis bullet train project in fix

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

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

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.
12live-kejri.jpg
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”.

US President Donald Trump, is when asked if North Korea had agreed to denuclearize, Trump said they would be starting that process quickly.
12live-trumpkim2.JPG
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

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

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

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
Tel: 011-24653305

 Loudest.in & Exchange4Media,

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..
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
Regards,
Himani Saxena
BW BusinessWorld

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

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.
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

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

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

New Delhi, 11th June 2018:
Union Steel Minister dedicates to nation rebuilt Blast Furnace-1 of Rourkela Steel Plant 
union steel min.jpg
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


· 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

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

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Farmers block oil refineries and depots across France

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

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’

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

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

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

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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

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

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International Day of Family Remittances:

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

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

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.
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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

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

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.”

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.
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“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

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.
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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

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.
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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

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

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
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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 

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

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.
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.
Fighting to protect the asylum system,

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Dy CM Manish Sisodia hospitalised

Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, on hunger strike at LG’s office since June 13, taken to hospital, tweets CM Arvind Kejriwal.
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Sisodia is being taken to the LNGP hospital after his ketone level reached 7.4. He has been on an indefinite hunger strike for the past seven days at the LG’s residence against the alleged strike by the IAS officers of Delhi government.
A day earlier, Health Minister Satyendar Jain was admitted after his sugar levels dipped. Both the ministers along side Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal have been holding a sit-in at the LG office demanding that Baijal direct IAS officers to end their “strike”. They also demand that the Lt Governor approve the proposal for doorstep delivery of ration.
Further about the AAP style of sit on dharna in office of LG of Delhi,  Delhi High Court today asked the AAP government,  who authorised the sit-in by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and some of his cabinet colleagues at the lieutenant governor’s office, and observed that strikes are usually held outside an establishment or office and not inside.
The observation by a bench of Justices A K Chawla and Navin Chawla came during the hearing of two petitions, one against the sit-in by Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal and the other against the alleged strike by the IAS officers of Delhi government.
“Who authorised the strike/dharna (sit-in by Kejriwal)? You are sitting inside the LG’s office. If it’s a strike, it has to be outside the office,” the court told lawyers appearing for the Delhi government in the two matters. Apart from the two petitions, a separate plea was moved by Leader of Opposition in the Delhi assembly Vijender Gupta against the sit-in by Kejriwal at Lt Governor Anil Baijal’s office.
The AAP says Delhi CM Kejriwal will continue his strike till IAS officers end their strike.
The matters are likely to be heard on June 22. The court said the association representing the IAS officers should also be made a party in the matter. — PTI

UK’s Ebola Task Force joins IFAD as Associate Vice-President


Development veteran and former head of UK’s Ebola Task Force joins IFAD as Associate Vice-President
Rome, 18 June 2018 – Donal Brown of the United Kingdom has joined the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) as Associate Vice-President of the Programme Management Department.

In his role at IFAD, Brown is responsible for developing and managing the operations that the Fund supports through its loans and grants. In addition, he oversees the programme of work of the department, which is undertaken by five regional divisions and the Operational Policy and Results Division.

Brown previously worked at the UK’s Department for International Development in a number of senior positions both at headquarters and in a range of countries. Most recently Brown was the Africa Director, managing 550 staff across the continent. In 2014-2015, he led UK’s Ebola Task Force in Sierra Leone and was awarded Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for his efforts to control the crisis.

Until the outbreak of Ebola in May 2014, Sierra Leone, a country of 7 million people on the West African seaboard, had one of the highest economic growth rates in the world. IFAD, a specialized agency of the United Nations, supported the government in its fight against the Ebola outbreak and during the aftermath. As the largest and most active donor in the country’s agricultural sector, IFAD continues to contribute to Sierra Leone’s recovery, in particular to establish food security which is vital to health.

Brown brings to IFAD more than 25 years of international experience from across Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America. He holds a Master’s degree in Tropical Animal Health and Production from the University of Edinburgh, a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Leadership and Management from the University of Warwick and a Bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Science from the University of Bristol, as well as an Honorary Doctorate in Social Justice from the University of Winchester.

 Crimes Terror & War Cost India Rs.15,00,000 Cr Annually

June17, 2018 (C) Ravinder Singh progressindia2015@gmail.com
Shri Rajiv Gauba,
Home Secretary,
Government of India.
Police Stations – Dens of Hard Core Criminals, Mastermind Crimes

Dear Sir, A study carried in TOI of June13, 2018 on page reports India suffer 9% GDP Loss due to Crimes, Wars and Terrors which is Rs.15,00,000 Cr Loss annually,Rs.60,00,000 Cr or $1 Trillion in last 4 years.
These Loss Realistic – 25m Court Cases are Pending means 20% Households are IMPACTED by Court Cases – Many times more cases are not reported. Even 50% to 90% RAPE Cases are either Not Reported to Police or Compromised.
80% of Crimes are Partnered by SHOs of Police Stations and in 95% of cases Police Write DEFECTIVE FIRs or DON’T PROTECT VICTIMS OF CRIME & BREED CRIMINALS.
Even matters of Crimes against State and Serial Crimes like Rape, Murder, Cheating, Kidnapping, Extortions, HAFTA cases, Honey Trap, Bootlegging, Smuggling, Drug Peddling, Matrimonial Fraud, Electronic Frauds, Thefts of All Kinds, Forgeries, Ponzy Schemes, Chit Funds, Gambling,  Illegal Occupation & Sale of Public Property, Land Grabs, Prostitution, Human Trafficking, Kidnappings, Contract Killers.
SHOs are Expected to CHECK THEM ALL but take Share of Illegal Activities write DEFECTIVE FIRs in case matters go beyond their control. In Delhi street DP is not seen at all – CCTV Cameras installed by Police are Disabled.
SLP 28441 of 2008 in the Supreme Court: – a Poor Farmer entered in to Agreement or Exchange Deal with a Businessman involving Exchange of 2.5 Acres of Farm Land in Gurdaspur Punjab for 5 Acres in Uttarkhand in 1998. While Businessman Took Over Farmers land but Farmer couldn’t get 5 Acres because the property documents were FAKE. SHO didn’t registered CHEATING Case and CIVIL case lingered on even as there were Seasonal Fights every year between the Parties – say 50 times in 12 years.
PALDI GUJARAT Case: – For a Loan of Rs.9 Lakh – a Person over 2-3 years was SERIALLY TORTURED BY MONEYLENDER – who took away Rs.58 Lakh to perhaps over Rs.1 Cr.
Smart SHO in above cases, 95% cases would have PROVIDED 100% Protection to the Victim within 10 minutes of Receiving Complaint – Write an FIR without delay.
‘VIGILANCE POLICE 10% OF FORCE’ BE INTRODUCED TO INDEPENDANTLY MONITOR SHOs, MEET COMPLAINANTS 9-11AM DAILY, PUNISH CORRUPT SHOs, WRITE FIRs ON Investigation Officers reporting in CONSULTATION WITH VICTIMS. SHOs should be WORKING in STREETS PREVENTING CRIMES.
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

Obama Foundation

Obama Foundation
Obama.org
Hi everyone —
I guess you could say it started with Iron Man.
Nearly ten years ago, my son Izaac’s preschool class was going on a field trip and my wife and I were packing him a lunch. She asked me if I wanted to write his name on his lunch bag.
It occurred to me that even though I was an artist, my kids never got to see their dad draw. If I wanted to encourage my kids to be proud of their own gifts and use them in their own lives, I needed to start setting an example for them. So, I sat down and put Izaac’s name on his bag — along with a quick sketch of Iron Man.
When he saw the bag, the beaming smile on his face alone affirmed the decision. But I knew I had more to give my kids than just a five-minute sketch.
I began to put a little more time into their lunch bags. The night before, I’d sit down with my color pencils for an hour or so — and I’d just draw:

The Parliamentary Tradition in Poland and Hungary

We are pleased to invite you to the inauguration of an exhibition titled “The Parliamentary Tradition in Poland and Hungary and Celebrating the End of the First World War” presented jointly by Polish Institute in New Delhi and Hungarian Information and Cultural Centre, New Delhi on Tuesday, 19th June, 2018 at 6:30 pm at the Art Gallery, IIC Annexe.
Image may contain: text

Alexis & Zoran sign agreement on N Macedonia

 Greece and Macedonia on Sunday signed a historic preliminary agreement to rename the country the Republic of North Macedonia, ending a row that has poisoned relations between the two neighbours since 1991.
“This is a brave, historic and necessary step for our peoples,” said Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.
“We are here to heal the wounds of time, to open a path for peace, fraternisation and growth for our countries, the Balkans, and Europe,” he said.
“Our two countries should step out of the past and look to the future,” said Macedonia Prime Minister Zoran Zaev.
“Our peoples want peace… we will be partners and allies,” he said.
The accord begins to unravel one of the world´s longest — and arguably most arcane — diplomatic disputes, which began 27 years ago with Macedonia´s declaration of independence but whose roots date back centuries.
“The time has come again to sing happy songs in the Balkans,” Tsipras said, moments before the document was signed by the two countries´ foreign ministers.
Zaev and several of his ministers arrived by speedboat at the picturesque fishing village of Psarades under a sunny sky, on the southern bank of Lake Prespa that is one of the natural boundaries between the two countries.
Tsipras and Zaev embraced on the village dock and entered the large tent where the deal was signed to a standing ovation from gathered dignataries and officials.
UN under-secretary-general for political affairs Rosemary DiCarlo, longterm UN negotiator Matthew Nimetz, EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini and EU enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn were at hand.
Nimetz, who turned 79 on Sunday and also signed Sunday´s agreement, had been trying to broker a solution since 1994, first as a US envoy and subsequently on behalf of the United Nations.
But it was the election of Zaev in 2017, replacing nationalist PM Nikola Gruevski, that proved crucial.
An economist and former mayor of Strumica, Zaev made rapprochement with Greece a priority to secure his country´s membership of the European Union and NATO, blocked by Athens for years.
After the signature, Tsipras will cross over to the Macedonian side of Lake Prespa for lunch, becoming the first Greek prime minister to visit the neighbouring state.
Since 1991, Athens has objected to its neighbour being called Macedonia because it has its own northern province of the same name, which in ancient times was the cradle of Alexander the Great´s empire — a source of intense pride for modern-day Greeks.
The two premiers, born just months apart in 1974, have bucked strong hostile reactions at home to push ahead with the agreement.
Apps to look at to stay connected with your favourite team during FIFA World Cup!
With the commencement of much awaited FIFA world cup 2018, fans all over the world are excited to stay connected with their favourite sport. There are various companies and start-ups that are bringing innovative apps to enhance the experience of the FIFA enthusiasts. Companies are offering unique services like live streaming of the match, live match prediction, social feed, chat forums, etc in order to engage fans during the live matches.
The following apps help fans to stay tuned with their favourite team during the series and in turn bringing fans and sports closer.

  1. Official FIFA App – This is the official app of FIFA which provides fans with all the information and updates of the live match. The app is available on both Android and iOS to allow users to share the complete schedule of the match with the details of participating teams, live scores, and minute to minute description of the match, etc.

  1. Rooter – Rooter is the world’s first sports social gaming platform that connects sports fans and engages them during live sports matches. Rooter offers unique Live match prediction game, Live Fantasy Game and Sports Social Feed across 8 sports and enables a live chat forum where fans interact during live matches with fastest live scores and commentary. The company has geared up for FIFA world cup as well in order to provide a seamless mix of gaming, conversations, and Live scores during the series.

  1. One Football – One football app keeps the fans updated with all the latest happenings around the world cup. It provides all the information to their fans to remain top of the game like live score, news, highlights, stats, etc. The app also helps users to make the personalised content based on their favourite team and player.

  1. Jio TV App – Jio TV by Reliance will live stream all FIFA World Cup 2018 matches starting from June 14 for free. You need to be on the Jio network, to be able to live stream FIFA World Cup 2018 matches as the JioTV app is exclusive to Jio users.

  1. Airtel TV App – Bharti Airtel has rolled out an updated Airtel TV app, to enable users to watch live broadcasts of the upcoming football tournament. The app will help users to stay tuned in regional languages in addition to Hindi and English. The app will also provide fans to with exclusive behind the scenes snippets and match reviews and previews, etc.

Young female footballers of AP’s Anantapur Football League train with Real Betis captain Irene Guerrero at a three-day camp 

Young female footballers of AP’s Anantapur Football League train with Real Betis captain Irene Guerrero at a three-day camp 
The LaLiga Foundation andRural Development Trust-Vicente Ferrer Foundation in India work for the upliftment of children in rural regions
Mumbai, Thursday, June 15, 2018: As part of LaLiga’s commitment to promote grassroot football in India, the LaLiga Foundation invited Real Betis women team captain Irene Guerrero to conduct a three-day interactive clinic for young female players and coaches of the region’s Rural Football League in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur district. The sessions were attended by close to 500 footballers and coaches from 20 mandals. This is the first time an international woman footballer has visited Anantapur.
On her three-day tour, Guerrero played with the female footballers at various grassroots centres and interacted with them in a fun, relaxed environment. Guerrero, along with officials from LaLiga also distributed training equipment to footballers from the 20 mandals in Anantapur.
Earlier this year through a series of videos, coaches from different football clubs in Spain  took the girls throughvarious training methods and shared invaluable tips, while promoting the virtues of playing sport, as well as empowering women to achieve and succeed.
The LaLiga Foundation and LaLiga’s women’s football department have signed an agreement with the  Rural Development Trust in India, known in Spain as Vicente Ferrer Foundation, with the aim of developing football in the most deprived communities of Anantapur. This will be achieved by establishing conditions in which both individual and collective talent will flourish in India. Through this joint initiative, nearly 2,000 girls and boys between the ages of 9 and 19 will get an opportunity to play sport. Apart from sport, the joint initiative will help instil discipline, self-belief and team spirit in the youngsters, qualities that will help them outside a football field as well.
Commenting on the occasion Mr. Jose Antonio Cachaza, Country Manager India, LaLiga said, “Our support to Rural Development Trust’s women’s football programme is about helping shape the lives of thousands of girls from 20 mandals in Anantapur through football. LaLiga is the best league in the world with some of the greatest players and teams, but we also take our responsibilities at grassroots level seriously, LaLiga is committed to the children of Anantapur. We have seen Jorge Lorenzo and Rafael Nadal extend their support to the Foundation in the past and we are extremely pleased to carry forward the legacy.”
“As professional player, I believe it is our responsibility to support the development of young talent,” said the Real Betis captain Irene Guerrero.  “The initiative by LaLiga Foundation will fuel the passion of young players in Anantapur and build skills that will help them become the stars of tomorrow. Having fun is the most important factor in their development, but meeting a professional reminds kids that we are just ordinary people and that with hard work and dedication they too can forge a career in the game.”
The Anantapur Football League (AFL) is a rural grassroots competition that was founded in 2014/15 season conducted by the Anantapur Sports Academy. The academy is a sport for development initiative by the Rural Development Trust. Since its formation, the AFL has grown in size, expanding both its number of divisions and youth teams.
“Through this partnership, we will be able to bring football closer to girls and boys, in the rural regions of Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh. Every child has the ‘Right to Play’ and we are committed to providing children with the opportunity to participate and enjoy the benefits of playing sports,” said Moncho Ferrer, Program Director of the Rural Development Trust.

About LaLiga
Founded in 1984, LaLiga (Liga de Fútbol Profesional) is a sports association comprising the 42 teams that make up the first and second divisions of professional football in Spain. LaLiga, based in Madrid, is responsible for the LaLiga Santander and LaLiga 123 leagues and the television production, which in the 2016/2017 season reached more than 2.5 billion people globally. The association also has an active foundation and is the only world’s only professional football league with a league for intellectually challenged footballers: LaLiga Genuine.

DMA ask Delhi Gov helpline Elder cell


DMA asks Delhi Govt to START HELPLINE TO REPORT ELDER ABUSE AND SET UP ELDER ABUSE CELL in Min of Welfare with a Nodal Officer
15-June is observed as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, this year the theme is “ MOVING FROM AWARENESS TO ACTION-Through a Human Rights Approach”.
According to the report published by HelpAge India Delhi figures amongst the top five cities in prevalence of elder abuse, though the incidence is as high as 32% of this 77% did not report the matter to anyone and only .5% took the support of the Mainatainence and Welfare of Parents and Sr. Citizens Act. All these figures are alarming and reflect lack of awareness of their rights by the elders and an absence of a supportive reporting mechanism.
Dr. Ashwani Goyal President, Delhi Medical Association, called a special meeting on this issue and said that DMA has taken up this issue very seriously amongst it membership, sensitizing them as possible ‘first responders’ against abuse by their patients. Presently the only possible platform for reporting of abuse is to friends/ neighbours or distant relatives. This fortnight edition of the news bulletin carries full information on this issue, compiled by Dr.G.S.Grewal, Hon State Secretary.
DMA calls upon the Govt of Delhi to

1.       Call for a meeting of the possible ‘FIRST RESPONDERS’-which may include representatives of the Medical Associations, Community leaders, Office bearers of RWA, MWA, Elder Organisations, this to create awareness, announce the seriousness and commitment of the Govt to address the issue of Elder Abuse

2.       Start a HELPLINE for reporting elder abuse

3.       Constitute assembly wise community and police teams under Chairmanship of the MLA to create awareness and encourage reporting of abuse

4.       Create a CELL in Min. of Welfare with a Nodal Officer for ELDER ABUSE CELL For Reporting & Prevention

Shripriya Lavish bash, “Altars Of Yearning: How India Prays”


Sagar Media Inc: EXHIBITION “Altars Of Yearning: How India Prays” photography show based on India’s incredible secular fabric, 11am-8pm on 15th to 19th June 2018 at Bikaner house New Delhi.
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Art Exhibition begins on prayers at Bikaner house New Delhi.
A Curtain Raiser for their two celebrated ships cruising restaurant floating on sea at Mumbai coastline in the Maritime Continental Shelf and International seas with scenic beauty to begin Oct 18 2018.
 The city’s largest restaurants and cruise ships are new experiential dinning initiated with two ships once the favourite of Europe’s top aristocracy have now arrived in Mumbai to take new roll, converted into Mumbai largest floating restaurant.
The two newly christened restaurant are,
Queensline Neverland,
Queensline Sea Yea will open for customers in October at two iconic points of Mumbai –
the Gateway of India
Girgaum Chowpatty.
First time people be able to cruise
along Mumbai’s coastline with natural stunning views.
Naresh Kumar Sagar
@Nksagar
Queensline Neverland, and  the Queenline Sea Yah, cruise floating and moving Restaurant from prestigious industrial family Shripriya Dalmia Thirani cruiser restaurant experience fornextgen multiple celebrations, Wedding, birthday, success, corporate bash. Curtain raiser, opened in style with Lavish bash at  Bikaner house, in New Delhi. Cruisers, Culinary, Celebration rocked with presences of models, artists, actors, authors, intellectuals, professors, writers, industrialist, socialites, media, politicians and Ambassadors of Bhutan, Czech, Hungary, France, Israel and officials of UN office in India marked their presence with Chief Guest Mr Ravi Shankar Prasad Minister of Law and Justice and electronics IT along with Guest of Honour,Usha Uthup, pop, filmi, jazz, and playback singer made live appearance.
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A Curtain Raiser for their two celebrated ships Cruising Restaurant floating on sea at Mumbai coastline in the Maritime Continental Shelf and International seas with scenic beauty.
@Nksagar
Sagar Media Inc Wishes Eid Mubarak to all tweeters intellectual May this Eid bring peace prosperity celebration and love for all.
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Naresh Kumar Sagar
Naresh Kumar Sagar

WPI inflation surge ahead

WPI inflation spikes to 14-month high of 4.43% in May on costlier fuel
Inflation based on wholesale prices shot up to a 14-month high of 4 points 43 per cent in May on increasing prices of petrol and diesel, prompting industry to demand action from policymakers to keep fuel prices under check.
The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) based inflation stood at 3.18 per cent in April and 2.26 per cent in May last year. According to government data released today, inflation in food articles was at 1.60 per cent in May 2018, as against 0.87 per cent in the preceding month.
Inflation in ‘fuel and power’ basket rose sharply to 11.22 per cent in May from 7.85 per cent in April as prices of domestic fuel increased in line with rising global crude oil rates.
Inflation in vegetables climbed to 2.51 per cent in May, with potato inflation at a peak of 81.93 per cent. Price rise in fruits was in double digits at 15.40 per cent, while pulses saw a deflation of 21.13 per cent.
May inflation at 4.43 per cent was a 14-month peak.
The previous high was in March 2017, when the WPI inflation stood at 5.11 per cent. The WPI inflation for March has been revised upwards to 2.74 per cent from the provisional estimate of 2.47 per cent.

India,US agree to trade talks

India and the US have agreed to hold comprehensive talks to address trade and economic issues. The decision in this regard was taken during a series of meetings, Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu had with US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.
At the conclusion of his two-day trip to the US, Mr. Prabhu told a group of Indian reporters in Washington, that New Delhi and Washington will now work together to expand bilateral trade.
The Minister said, India will send an official team within next few days to work out the details and initiate a comprehensive negotiation on all issues concerning trade and economic relationship between the two countries.
Acknowledging that both sides have trade and tariff issues with each other, Mr. Prabhu said officials will hold talks on all of them.
President Trump, in a press conference in Canada’s Quebec City during the G7 summit, took a swipe at India along with the world’s other top economies and accused New Delhi of charging 100 per cent tariff on some of the US’ goods.

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Rail Contact 2018

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Bullets trains has been long hawkish by various government but the work done in last four years are taken on special rail corridors and Mumbai -Ahmedabad is on priority and more train to taken on other A-B-C rail corridors. The average speed of passenger train is awfully low at 45 Km per hour and those of freight rails dismal low at 18 km per hr the government has geared by to transform railway with best available technology comapnies like Alstom India, BHEL, Siemens Ltd, Tata Projects KEC International Ltd, Titagarh Wagons Ltd, Toyota Kirloskar were making joint efforts and intervention with members Rail Board.”Fast speed and tracks are just around the corner. Speeds of 200kmph easily achievable”
Govt of India has already decided to move into a real high speed between Mumbai & Ahmedabad. Our aim is to upgrade the speed of trains up to 160 kmph & target to put more trains into this bracket~Mr. Ravindra Gupta, Member (Rolling Stock), Railway Board at #RailContact 2018.

Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of railways,Coal,finance and corporate affairs address the inaugural address  by the Chief guest, at Rail Contact 2018 – Driving Industry -Railway Partnerships, in New Delhi. Piyush Goyal said Great things in business are never done by one person. As Steve Jobs says- It is always a team working in partnership, with a collective effort working towards a common goal.

Minster Railways thanked, Mr Ghanshyam Singh, Member Traction, Railway board to have rope in CII in Rail Contact, where joint efforts can yield new ideas ,issue can help us to run the railway best in the world. Indian Railways, which used to struggle with lack of investments & capacity constraints, has witnessed a massive growth in investments in the last 4 years, with speedy race of projects and transformation work in progress.
This Govt. has had the decisive leadership to not only do away with the populist measure like Railway budget but also not announce populist projects, but focus on what is truly essential & what can give you the fastest payback for every rupee that you spend. Minister added at the Rail contact conference, It’s reassuring to know that the present govt. is thoroughly supporting private enterprise in the development India.
Mr Alain Spohr MD India & SAsia Alstom India, said, he is in India from last 15 years and there are three key takeaways in today’s development, Ease of business, Make in India and New Strategies for business. Further added  “Talking about the importance of sustainability, Alstom has set clear sustainability targets for all our services for 2020.” Alstom India MD Mr. Alain Spohr reiterates our global promise of sustainable development at the ‘RailContact – Driving Industry-Railway Partnership 2018.

Discussion on Protecting the Rights of Domestic Workers. 

22nd JUNE 2018: Discussion on Protecting the Rights of Domestic Workers.

Protecting and Promoting Rights of Domestic Workers in India
on 22 June 2018
from 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM
at Oxford Bookstore, N-81 Connaught Place,
New Delhi

As part of its ongoing campaign #DignityOfMyLabour, PRIA in collaboration with Apne Aap Women Worldwide is organising a discussion to build consensus on the rights of domestic workers.
For all those interested and want to commit to ensuring domestic workers are treated with respect and dignity, come to Oxford Bookstore on 22nd June between 4.30 p.m. and 6.00 p.m.
Listen to the experiences of domestic workers who are trying to raise awareness among their employers to respect the work being done by them. Our panelists will also share current policies and regulations available for the protection of domestic workers and the stand of the Indian government at an international level on the ILO conventions.
Panelists:
Ms. Khadija, a domestic worker and group leader of Ekta Collective, Harijan Basti, Gurgaon. She has been part of PRIA’s project for the past 18 months and is at the frontline from her community trying to get dignity and recognition for their work.
Mr. Subhash Bhatnagar, Chief Functionary, Nirmana and Convener, National Domestic Workers Platform. For over 30 years, Mr. Bhatnagar has promoted and supported the rights of construction workers and domestic workers.
Mr. Alok Kumar, Trade Union Activist, Independent Research scholar, Executive Committee Member, Ghaarelu Kaamgar Union, Gurgaon.

Mirra Upadaya’s book “You are in Q” launched

Mirra Upadaya’s book “You are in Q” launched by Shri Shri Ravi Shankar ji !!!
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   Mirra Upadaya, Swaraaj Kapoor Entrepreneur, Philanthropist and Social Activist with his family seeked blessings of Shri Shri Ravi Shankar ji during the book launch ceremony in his own Shri Shri Ravi Shankar Ashram.
   Inspirational writer Mirra Upadaya launched her book by the most revered & loved Shri Shri Ravi Shankar ji in front of 20 thousand people in his satsang on 7th June also which was telecasted live in 100 countries.
   On this auspicious occasion the well renowned entrepreneur, philanthropist, social activist  Swaraaj Kapoor said  “It was the most ecstatic moment of our life with the book talking about varied people from political ,social & varied fields the journey & experiences of meeting them & their influences in most candid way , it’s simple to read & heart touching You Are In Que & couldn’t have had a better person in this world to have launched it by Shri Shri Ravi Shankar himself”
    The opening book introduction was given by Shyam Sharma followed by  Swaraaj Kapoor himself carrying further by emotional Mirra Upadaya. The book consist of various aspects and experiences of Mirra Upadaya when she encountered, people from all walks of life such as Indira gandhi , Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee to a commoner Visha the house keeper and their influence on her.
  “You are in Q” will have its book reading in Delhi & Mumbai by some esteemed political people & artists. Mirra Upadaya’s book “You are in Q” launched by Shri Shri Ravi Shankar ji
   Mirra Upadaya, Swaraaj Kapoor well known Entrepreneur,  Philanthropist and Social Activist with his family seeked blessings of Shri Shri Ravi Shankar ji during the book launch ceremony in his own Shri Shri Ravi Shankar Ashram.
   Inspirational writer Mirra Upadaya launched her book by the most revered & loved Shri Shri Ravi Shankar ji in front of 20 thousand people in his satsang on 7th June also which was telecasted live in 100 countries.
     On this auspicious occasion the well renowned entrepreneur, philanthropist, social activist  Swaraaj Kapoor said  “It was the most ecstatic moment of our life with the book talking about varied people from political ,social & varied fields the journey & experiences of meeting them & their influences in most candid way , it’s simple to read & heart touching You Are In Que & couldn’t have had a better person in this world to have launched it by Shri Shri Ravi Shankar himself”
  The opening book introduction was given by Shyam Sharma followed by  Swaraaj Kapoor himself carrying further by emotional Mirra Upadaya. The book consist of various aspects and experiences of Mirra Upadaya when she encountered, people from all walks of life such as Indira gandhi , Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee to a commoner Visha the house keeper and their influence on her. “You are in Q” will have its book reading in Delhi & Mumbai by some esteemed political people & artists

Trump plans 10% tariffs on $ 200 bn of Chinese goods

US President Donald Trump has unveiled plans to impose 10 per cent tariffs on 200 billion dollars worth of Chinese goods on top of previous punitive measures over Beijing’s unacceptable move to raise its own tariffs.
Trump said in a statement that further action must be taken to encourage China to change its unfair practices, open its market to United States goods and accept a more balanced trade relationship with the United States.
The US leader warned that after the new measures are in place – on top of existing tariffs on 50 billion dollars in Chinese imports – punitive measures on another 200 billion dollars of Chinese goods would go forward, if China increases its tariffs yet again.

Mercedes-Benz too in emission cheating scandal

Mercedes-Benz dragged in to emission cheating scandal
German government forces recall of 700,000 diesel vehicle
Tripolone.
Mercedes-Benz and the German Transport Ministry has not revealed which model years are affected, but UK publication, Autocar, cites officials who believe that the latest Euro6 compliant vehicles are affected.

New tests have detected unauthorised software in several Mercedes-Benz models.
The German Transport Ministry has ordered the recall of 774,000 vehicles across Europe in response to the allegations.
Unauthorised software, also known as a cheat device, could be used to alter diesel emissions under test conditions.
The software was found in several popular Mercedes-Benz vehicles including the C220d, GLC220d SUV and Vito 111CDI van.
According to reports in the German media the software acts in a way that it reduces the amount of AdBlue – an additive for diesel engines to help reduce nitrogen oxides also known as NOx – over time which leads to higher emissions in real world conditions. 
— Greg Kable (@GregKable) June 11, 2018
Mercedes-Benz sells the C220d and the affected Vito van locally but no longer offers the diesel-powered GLC in question. It is not yet known whether Australian sold vehicles are affected and it would be unlikely that the vehicles would surpass Australia’s much more lax emissions standards.
News of Mercedes-Benz featuring software that could alter the vehicles emissions results follows on from the scandal that engulfed Volkswagen and Audi which had knowingly added defeat devices in diesel-powered vehicles, including popular cars like like the VW Golf sold in Australia, with the aim of circumventing strict emissions standards in the USA and Europe.
German car brands including Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes-Benz’s parent company Daimler where also found to have commissioned a study that forced monkeys to breath diesel fumes of old and new cars in 2014 in an attempt to prove new diesel vehicles were less harmful for the environment.
VW officially apologised for the US study undertaken on its behalf while Daimler issued a statement calling the methods “unnecessary and repulsive”.

Naresh — What’s happening to families

Onward Together!
Naresh —
What’s happening to families at the border right now is horrific: Nursing infants ripped away from their mothers. Parents told their toddlers are being taken to bathe or play, only to realize hours later that they aren’t coming back. Children incarcerated in warehouses and, according to more than one account, kept in cages. This is a moral and humanitarian crisis. Everyone of us who has ever held a child in their arms, and every human being with a sense of compassion and decency should be outraged.
Even as I warned this could happen on the campaign trail — that Trump’s immigration policies would result in families being separated, parents being sent away from their children, people rounded up on trains and buses — I hoped it would never come to be. But now, as we watch with broken hearts, that’s exactly what’s happening.
We can be heartbroken, but we shouldn’t be hopeless. There’s something you can do to help.
The test of any nation is how we treat the most vulnerable among us. First Lady Laura Bush made that case eloquently in the Washington Post this weekend, writing: “This zero-tolerance policy is cruel. It is immoral. And it breaks my heart.” She’s absolutely right. We should be a better country than one that tears families apart, turns a blind eye to women fleeing domestic violence, and treats frightened children as a means to a political end.
Meanwhile, Jeff Sessions is trying to use the Bible to justify this cruelty. Let me say this: I went to a lot of years of Sunday school and even taught it from time to time, and what is being done using the name of religion is contrary to everything I was ever taught.
I still believe in the vision we share for our country, and I won’t let scared children become victims of partisan politics. Alongside the organizations that Onward Together partners with, we can and will elect politicians and enact legislation to protect the most vulnerable among us — but first, we have to address the urgent needs of families at the center of this crisis.
Make a contribution today, and your donation will go directly to the groups doing this work right now:

NMML : MANDALA DIALOGUE

MANDALA DIALOGUE
Date: 20th June 2018
Time: 10:00 am-1:00 pm
Venue: Seminar Room, Nehru Memorial Museum Library, New Delhi
India-Indonesia Partnership @70
In the emerging geo-politics of the Indo-pacific and the presumed rivalry in the region amongst the Big Powers, it becomes significant to analyse the India-Indonesia relations @70 as it is one of the largest member state of ASEAN and one of the most significant in Asia to maintain the balance of power in the region. Recent visit of the Prime Minister Modi to Jakarta was long overdue and eagerly awaited and marks a major shift in the diplomatic history of the two countries. In the backdrop of the visit, ‘The Mandala Dialogue’ aims to focus on the age-old ties between the two countries, their diplomatic relations, strategic and comprehensive partnership along with the major highlights of the recent visit of the Prime Minister Modi and the way forward.
Mandala Dialogue is an initiative of the Nehru Memorial Museum Library to initiate a dialogue with experts and young scholars to actively engage on the emerging geo-political issues of contemporary relevance, particularly relating to India’s Neighbourhood Policy on different aspects of our relationships—trade, investment, security, culture, geo-strategy etc.
(Limited seats are available on first come first served basis only. RSVP to confirm your participation)
 

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Present THE AMBASSADOR SERIES 

Ambassadors of Nordic Countries on India – Nordic Partnership: An Idea Whose Time Has Come | 28th June | IIC


Present
THE AMBASSADOR SERIES 
with
Ambassadors of Nordic Countries to India 
On
“India – Nordic Partnership: An Idea Whose Time Has Come”
EVENT DETAILS

DATE Thursday, June 28, 2018TIME 5:30 PM  – 7:00 PM (Registration: 05:00 PM )LOCATION Seminar Rooms II & III, Kamaladevi Complex, India International Centre, New DelhiSPEAKERS H.E. Mr. Thorir Ibsen, Ambassador of Iceland to India
H.E. Mr.  Peter Taksoe-Jensen, Ambassador of Denmark to IndiaH.E. Ms. Nina Vaskunlahti, Ambassador of Finland to India
Mr. Gautam BhattacharyyaDeputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Sweden, New Delhi 
Ms Hanne Meldgaard, Minister Counsellor & Deputy Head of Mission, Royal Norwegian Embassy, New Delhi CHAIR Ambassador Ashok Sajjanhar, President, Institute of Global Studies & Former Ambassador of India to Kazakhstan, Sweden and Latvia

ABOUT THE EVENT 
The changing world order has opened multiple doors to exploring new strategic synergies between regions that may be divided by distance but are united by shared values, interests and aspirations.  India’s rapidly growing ties with the Nordic countries enjoy huge potential to evolve into strategic partnerships. While India offers diverse opportunities by virtue of its three ‘distinct and desirable D’s’ of Democracy, Demography and Demand, the Nordics stand out at the top of various human development indices and can, therefore, act as a model for India to emulate. In the background of the recent developments at the first ever India-Nordic Summit held in April 2018, the immense possibilities of this robust partnership surfaced indisputably and paved the path to a symbiotic relationship of complementarity and convergence. Together, through these healthy exchanges, India, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland can take a quantum leap into the future that unleashes the power of innovation, skill development, socio-economic growth and environmental solutions.
This session will focus on constructive deliberations on the scope and expanse of the emerging bilateral and multilateral partnerships between India and the Nordic countries and identify strategies for making the enhanced cooperation between them into a potential game changer.

Please respond by clicking one of the buttons below

YesNo SPEAKERSAmbassador Thorir Ibsen 2 (002)H.E. Mr. Thorir Ibsen, Ambassador of Iceland to India
Thórir Ibsen took up his duties as Ambassador of Iceland to India in September 2014. Previous positions include Ambassador of Iceland to the European Union and to Belgium with accreditation to Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland, Ambassador of Iceland to France with accreditation to Italy and Spain, Permanent Representative of Iceland to the OECD and UNESCO, Chief Negotiator and Ambassador for Climate Change, Director of the Defence Department, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Delegation of Iceland to NATO, Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs, and Head of the International Department of the Environment Ministry of Iceland.Thórir Ibsen holds a M.A. degree in International Relations from the Faculty of Political Science, York University, Canada, which he obtained in 1984. He is married to Dominique Ambroise Ibsen, visual artist. They have one grown up son.  H.E. Mr.  Peter Taksoe-JensenH.E. Mr.  Peter Taksoe-Jensen, Ambassador of Denmark to India
Peter Taksøe-Jensen is currently the ambassador of Denmark to India, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka. Before, he was the  Ambassador of Denmark to the United States from 2010 to 2015. He has also served as the Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs of the United Nations, New York from 2008 to 2010. He was the Under-Secretary for Legal Affairs and Head of the Legal Service, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark from 2003 to 2008,  Head of Section, Department for Legal Service, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark from 1999 to 2003. In the year 1999, he served as the Counsellor, Permanent Representation of Denmark to the European Union, Brussels. Additionally, he was the Head of Section, Permanent Representation of Denmark to the European Union, Brussels from 1995 to 1999.Furthermore, he has served as the Head of Section, Department for Security Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark from 1992 to 1995,  First Secretary, Royal Danish Embassy, Vienna, from 1989 to 1992 and the Head of Section, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, from 1988 to 1989 and the Head of Section, Danish Ministry of Justice, Denmark from 1986 to 1987. He was also the Chairman of the Danish Governments Commission on the Red Cross, 2007-2008, Vice Chairman 2000-2007 Member of the Commission on Jurisdiction, established by the Danish Minister for Justice, 2004-2008 Member of the Commission on the Law on Archives, established by the Danish Minister for Culture, 2002-2003 Lecturer at numerous courses on EU Law, EU Policies and negotiations, and on EU procedures and techniques, 1999-2008.  H.E. Ms. Nina Vaskunlahti, H.E. Ms. Nina Vaskunlahti, Ambassador of Finland to India
After graduating from the University of Turku in 1983 with a Master’s Degree in Political Sciences, Ms. Nina Vaskunlahti joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland in 1984. Her first posting was to Canberra, Australia, between 1985 and 1988. From January 1989 to August 1992, she served as First Secretary at the Representation of Finland to the European Communities and then as the first Finnish National Expert at the European Commission, Directorate General for External Relations, in Brussels. Ms. Vaskunlahti then held a Counsellor’s position at the Unit for Cooperation with Neighbouring Areas at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs for three years, before her secondment to the Office of the High Representative of the International Community in Sarajevo in 1996.Thereafter she served as Counsellor at the Permanent Representation of Finland to the European Union in Brussels and contributed to the first Finnish Presidency of the Council in 1999. Between September 2000 and May 2004, Ms. Vaskunlahti was posted as Deputy Head of Mission to the Finnish Embassy in Moscow. In September 2004 she moved back to Brussels and served as Ambassador, Deputy Permanent Representative (COREPER 1) at the Permanent Representation of Finland to the European Union until autumn 2008 including the second Finnish Presidency of the council. In September 2008 she assumed the position of Director General of the Department for Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Ms. Vaskunlahti served as Finnish Ambassador to Turkey between September 2012 – August 2016. As of September 2016 she is serving as Ambassador of Finland to India and Bangladesh. Ms. Vaskunlahti was born in 1959 in Huittinen, Finland and is married to Dr. Andreas Herdina.  Gautam Bhattacharyya
Mr. Gautam BhattacharyyaDeputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Sweden, New Delhi
Gautam S. Bhattacharyya is currently the Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Sweden in New Delhi. An economist by training, he has previously been posted at the Swedish embassies in Santiago de Chile and New Delhi (2004-2008), apart from serving at the departments for International Trade Policy, Asia and Oceania and Human Resources in Stockholm. During the years 2009-2010 he worked in the private sector with Public Affairs consultancy firm Springtime AB, setting up the India operations of that company. Between 2011-2013, he worked for Marivent Research, a consulting firm specializing in investigative due diligence in the Indian and other emerging markets.
In his free time, he has devoted his energy towards organizing and engaging with the Indian diaspora community in Sweden and globally. Apart from his native Swedish, English and Bengali, he also speaks Spanish, French and German and some Hindi. He has two children.  CHAIR Ambassador Ashok Sajjanhar,
Ambassador Ashok Sajjanhar, President, Institute of Global Studies & Former Ambassador of India to Kazakhstan, Sweden and Latvia
Ambassador Ashok Sajjanhar belongs to the Indian Foreign Service and has acquitted his responsibilities in the diplomatic service for 34 years. He was Ambassador of India to Kazakhstan, Sweden and Latvia and has worked in senior diplomatic positions in Indian Embassies/Missions in Washington DC, Brussels, Moscow, Geneva, Tehran, Dhaka and Bangkok and also at Headquarters in India. He negotiated for India in the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations and in negotiations for India-EU, India-ASEAN and India-Thailand Free Trade Agreements.
He contributed significantly to strengthening strategic ties and promoting cultural cooperation between India and USA, EU, Russia and other countries.Ambassador Sajjanhar worked as head of National Foundation for Communal Harmony to promote amity and understanding between different religions, faiths and beliefs.  Ambassador Sajjanhar has been decorated by Governments  of Kazakhstan and Latvia with their National Awards and by Universal Peace Federation with Title of ”Ambassador of Peace.” Currently Ambassador Sajjanhar is President of Institute of Global Studies, New Delhi. He writes, travels and speaks extensively on issues relating to international relations, foreign policy and themes of contemporary relevance and significance. He appears widely on TV panel discussions. Ambassador Sajjanhar is interested in reading, music and travelling. His wife Madhu is an economist and an educationist. They have a son and a daughter both of who are accomplished singers. Their son passed out of Yale University and their daughter is pursuing her PhD at University of Minnesota.

Maniesh Paul Wins The SAAF’s Best Host In Asia Award In Hong Kong

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Maniesh Paul Scoops The Best Host Award In Asia At SAAF 2018 In Hong Kong
Versatile anchor-turned-Bollywood actor – Maniesh Paul is a dynamite when he takes over as a host and his flair as an emcee for any event is simply unprecedented. The man can effortlessly charm the audience with his affable and witty on-stage presence. And now the super talented host has proved that he is not only the Sultan of stage in India but also Asia.
Maniesh Paul, who has impressed every time he has set foot on-stage, has been recently honoured by the SAAF Awards at the 12th Sarjan Annual Award Function, in the presence of top officials from the Hongkong government.
The multifaceted anchor and actor walked away with the Best Host in Asia award at the SAAF Awards 2018.
Speaking about bagging the award, an excited Maniesh said, “It’s been wonderful winning the award, especially on the international grounds. It feels amazing that your work is appreciated all across Asia and I am grateful to SAAF for honouring me with this award. I feel amazing getting the award for the Best Host in Asia.”
Sarjan Group is a Community Organization in Kowloon, Hong Kong which organises SAAF Awards in collaboration with Hong Kong government annually. This year they were celebrating their 12th year of honouring talents across Asia.

Screenwriter Association conference to have Aamir Khan as Chief Guest!

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Screenwriter association is organizing its 5th annual conference in which director, producer and actor Aamir Khan will be chief guest.  “yes we are honoured to have Mr. Aamir Khan as our chief guest” confirms Zama Habib, the association’s General Secretary. Zama further elaborated that the key note speaker will be well known journalist Vinod Dua at this three day conference starting from August 1 to 3rd.
The theme of SWA (screenwriter association) conference is “where the mind is without fear”, challenges facing the Indian Screeenwriter today. There will be panel discussions on various aspects and challenges of TV, Films and Digital medium for which well known writer, director, studio and channel heads have been invited. In every conference SWA honors stalwarts from TV, Film and lyrics and this conference is no difference.       “In other way we are honored to give honor to Mr. Khwaza Ahemad Abbas for film, Shailendra for lyrics and Rahi Masoom Raza for tv writing” adds award winning writer Sanjay Chouhan, the conference convenor.

Fête de la Musique / World Music Day 2018 | Alliance Française de Delhi

Alliance française de Delhi is pleased to present
FÊTE DE LA MUSIQUE

World Music Day 2018

21 JUNE 2018 | 5PM Onwards
Alliance Française de Delhi, 72, Lodi Estate, New Delhi – 110003
Nearest Metro Station: Jorbagh, Khan Market

In the month of June, the entire world celebrates music in its different forms and manifestations through the “Fête de la Musique”, a day dedicated to the promotion of music, created by the French Ministry of Culture, which first took place in 1982 in Paris. Since this first edition, this event has known a growing success, and has become an international highlight of amateur and professional practice and of musical diversity. This is also a very special occasion for many people in many different countries to attend free live performances, in all kinds of places, even the most unusual ones. 
Taking part in the worldwide festivities, Alliance Française de Delhi will be celebrating #FDLM2018 in its own premises.

 Growthnet.6, Lessons for India

Researcher Report: Not ours,  Sagar Media inc:
Growthnet.6, Lessons for India for $10T Economy by 2030
June20, 2018 (C) Ravinder Singh ravindersinvent@gmail.com
Two things came up repeatedly at two days of 22 hours of intense deliberations were‘India to be $10T Economy by 2030’ and ‘Productivity growth of Indian Economy’ and there was no convincing reply. At the same venue in 1990 this inventor observed –‘India Contributes 2% to World GDP and 98% of GDP is generated outside India – India Should Serve this 98%’. India is presently contributing 3% to world GDP but population too has grown 60% in the meanwhile’.
Two most weird things repeated were ‘India may neglect Manufacturing & Focus on Services’ and ‘FIN-TECH’ facilitating financial transactions. India can’t serve $80 Trillion World GDP presently to $200T by 2030 by services which are basically BACK OFFICES.
YES India can be $10T Economy by 2030 But has to FOCUS on R&D, Manufacturing and Get Rid of Middlemen – Indian Economy is hurt in Three  Ways When India imports $60b worth of Goods from China; First Indians pay $200b in retail, Second Creates huge BLACK MONEY and Third No Servicing of Imported Hardware.  
Power Capacity Addition Growth 38% – Generation Growth 26%
Opening session was presentation by Piyush Goyal holding three portfolios Finance, Railways and Coal – till recently was Power minister also. Reliable data of Power sector is available. Growth in power generation in Apri-May14 – 176.814 BU and Apri-May18 – 214.494 BU was 37.680 BU. This is 21.31% Growth in 4 Years – accounting for Renewable would be 46 BU growth or 26%. Y-O-Y Growth rate Apr-May18 is 1.92% only which for Apr-May14 was 9%.
All India installed capacity in May14 was 248,509 MW which includes 31,692 MW of Renewables – four years later in May18 is 343,898 MW including 69,022 MW Renewables – 38.38%.
There was huge Increase in Railways CAPEX – but Railway throughput is negative or zero practically, average Speed of Trains has reduced – punctuality rate is down to 66% mainly because of no replacement of old Diesel Locos and Junked Coaches & Wagons.
JUNKED Diesel Locos serve 100% of the Railway Lines – including Electrified Lines.
There was no reason for ‘Cursing & Blaming Other Party’ when since 1998 two parties Led Government for 10 years each. Performance of Ruling Party is Going Down every day. NPAs had gone up 300%.
There was 44% Growth in Aggregate Deposits from Rs.78884 billion in May2014 toRs.113,922 billion May2018 but Credit growth was 41% from Rs.60,674 billion toRs.85,511 billion. But deployment Bank Credit was DISRUPTIVE –
Credit Growth Sector Wise April2018 from April2014
Gross Credit Growth 34.2% – Rs.76,130 b from Rs.56,724 = Rs.19,406 b
Ø Agriculture 48.7% – Rs.10,268 billion from Rs.6,901 billion = Rs.3,367 b
Ø Industry 5.4% – Rs.26,511 billion from Rs.25,140 billion =  Rs.1,371 b
Ø Services 48.5% – Rs.19,813 billion from Rs.13,341 = Rs.6,472 b
Ø Personal Loans 84.8% – Rs.19,211 billion from Rs.10,394 billion = Rs.8,817 b
Credit Growth was marginally above INFLATION say 20% and Exchange Rate 12% or 13%. There was NEGLIGIBLE Credit flow to Private Sector – NEGATIVE TO INDUSTRY.
Trade Deficit at is all-time high of $160b – Economy is STRUGGLING.
NPAs have already exceed Rs.10,000 billion but ‘When A Company Defaults in Clearing Bank Dues, it Already had Defaulted in payment to Supplies of Products & Services and Own Employees.’
India must Accurately Release PUBLIC DATA – Flows of Water, Deposit & Credit Growth, Revenue Earned by PSUs and Private Sector, Jobs and Salary Paid to Employees, Price and Supply of Fruits and Vegetables in real time basis.
Majority of Indians from Birth to Age 30 prepare for EXAMS and very few Qualify for Civil Service – There is no time for LEARNING & Skilling. 1.5m Appear for UPSC but only 1100 are selected for appointment.
Manipal University – Oldest and one the Biggest in terms of intake in six decades has not created a Single Useful Patent – files Bogus Patents.
TV Mohandas Pai when asked ‘Why can’t you Clean BANGALURU and Prevent Flooding?’
He blamed it on REGULATORY issues.
It was repeatedly pointed out ‘China has 15 Global Icons India None’ Mohandas Pai blamed legacy issue – Not on Failure of Education System which are MILKING MONEY than providing world class education.
Hair Cut ‘Service’ Economy

Just before Demonetization I was paying Rs.80 for Hair Cut – soon after Demonetization Rs.100 – last time Rs.150 – So Services contribution Could Go Up 100% without new investment or job creation.
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

The Crisis of Funds and the Woe of Wage Payment Delays in MGNREGA

June
22
CPR is pleased to invite you to a talk on
The Crisis of Funds and the Woe of Wage Payment Delays in MGNREGA
Dr Rajendran Narayanan, Assistant Professor, School of Liberal Studies, Azim Premji University
Friday, 22 June 2018, 11:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Conference Hall, Centre for Policy Research
Image Source: Daniel LofredoRota
About the Session
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 is a landmark law which guarantees 100 days of livelihood to rural households. Yet even after a decade of its implementation the Act faces serious challenges to its implementation. While Budget 2017 seemed to have significantly increased allocations to MGNREGA, the Act continues to face a crisis of funds resulting in low wage rates and consistent delay in the payment of wages to beneficiaries. Over the past few years, a team of researchers, including Rajendran, have been measuring the extent of this fund crisis and its impact on wage payments in 10 states. This discussion will share some of their main findings and highlight the reasons behind the delay of funds (including the dynamics between centre-state in determining wage rates), and the impact this will have on livelihood security in rural India.

About the Speaker
Dr Rajendran Narayanan is an Assistant Professor in the School of Liberal Studies at Azim Premji University, Bangalore. He completed his Ph.D in mathematical statistics from Cornell University. He has held academic positions in Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, Cornell University, and Ashoka University. Since his Ph.D, he has been an intrinsic member of LibTech India, an informal group of researchers and activists that work on questions of transparency and accountability in MGNREGA and the Public Distribution System. The group works with several civil society organisations in Jharkhand, Bihar, Telangana, and Andhra. As a group, LibTech India tries to understand rural citizen experience in times of technology mediated policy initiatives and aim to create bottom-up, people-driven, “Janata Information Systems (JIS)”. The group hopes that this will lead to continuous monitoring of government programmes, leading to more empowerment and better participatory democracy.
About the Policy In-Depth Series
The Policy In-Depth Series hosted by Accountability Initiative at the Centre for Policy Research deliberates on the implementation of key welfare programmes in India, the policy decisions that direct their course and the impact this has on citizens.
Kindly click here to register or RSVP at ashrivastava@accountabilityindia.org.
The full discussion will be live streamed through Facebook on Accountability Initiative’s Facebook page.

 Three new Tibet airports near border pose threat


Claude Arpi | June 20, 2018
On June 9, the Civil Aviation Administration of China and the Tibetan Autonomous Region’s (TAR) government announced that Tibet will soon have three new airports. A communiqué said: “Construction of three airports, all above the altitude of 3,900 metres, should begin in 2019.”
Xinhua, the Chinese official news agency, gave the rationale: “Tourist travel will be more convenient and economic development in Tibet’s agricultural and pastoral areas will also be assisted.” The announcement came during a conference on Civil Aviation System Supporting Tibet Airport Construction Development held in Lhasa a day earlier.
The Chinese language press gave more information about the location of the three airports — one will be located in Lhuntse in Lhoka (called Shannan by the Chinese) area, north of the Upper Subansiri and Tawang districts of Arunachal Pradesh; the second will be between Tingri and Lhatse counties of Shigatse City, north of Zangmu, the border post with Nepal; and the last in Purang near the trijunction Nepal-Tibet-India, north of Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand (on the yatris’ route to Mount Kailash). While Tingri airport is near the Nepali border, the other two (Lhuntse and Purang) are at a short distance from the Indian border.
Xinhua said that Capital Airport Holding Company will be the contractor of the Lhoka, while the Shanghai Airport Authority will be responsible for the airport in Shigatse. The West Airport Group will take care of Purang. It reported: “The three companies are scheduled to transfer the airports to local operators after one or two years’ operation.” The airports should be completed in 2021, by which time there will be eight airports in the TAR region (plus three close to the Indian border in Xinjiang — Kashgar, Hotan and Yarkand).
“At present, the preparatory work for the three airports is underway. The preferred sites have been determined, and the construction of temporary weather stations at each site is completed,” added the news agency.
The three airports will be high-altitude airports; they will be operated by companies, including Air China, China Eastern Airlines or Sichuan Airlines, which are already involved in Tibet.
Let us not forget an important element; by law, these new airports will be for “dual use” — meaning they will have to be built to suit both the civilian and military standards. The People’s Liberation Army may use them when required.
The conference was a high-level affair. Apart from TAR’s party secretary Wu Yingjie, China’s civil aviation administration’s secretary Feng Zhenglin, TAR governor (who is also the director of the TAR Border Defence Committee) Che Dalha, deputy secretaries Ding Yexian and Zhuang Yan and the commander of the Tibet Military District Lt. Gen. Xu Yong attended it. Three other PLA officers were also on the dais. The level of the participants shows the importance of these three new airports for Beijing, particularly after the post-Doklam “reset” of bilateral relations with India.
One has to understand Chinese President Xi Jinping’s plans for Tibet. The “core” leader had declared: “Govern the nation by governing the borders; govern the borders by first stabilising Tibet; ensure social harmony and stability in Tibet and strengthen the development of border regions.”
For a few months, the authorities in Tibet have started implementing the boss’ theory while the party’s propagandawing  is doing its best to entice the local Tibetan population to side with it. This  serious development is unfortunately largely being ignored in India.
A new formula is mentioned in every speech of the local satraps — the inhabitants of China’s borders (with India) should be “the protectors of the sacred homeland and the builders of happy homes”.
It has taken a concrete shape with the mushrooming of new “model” villages and towns on the Tibetan side of the Indian border, mainly north of Arunachal Pradesh, officially linked with “poverty alleviation” and the “defence of the borders”. The development of China’s borders with India is indeed going on in full swing; the construction of three new airports has to be seen in this context.
Several senior Communist leaders have visited the new villages, either north of Kibithu in the Lohit valley; in Metok, north of Upper Siang district; in Yume (also written Yumai), north of Takshing in Upper Subansari or in Lepo, Marmang and Tsona, north of Khenzimane and Tawang. The Lhuntse airport will serve the Tsona and Yume areas.
Mr Wu recently gave an interview to the People’s Daily on the happenings in the border areas; he spoke of the significance of implementing the new strategy of “rejuvenating villages under the banner of the protectors of sacred homeland and the builders of happy homes”.
The new scheme started soon after the conclusion of the 19th party congress, when Mr Xi sent a reply to two young Tibetan herders who had written to him introducing their village, Yume. According to Xinhua, Mr Xi “encouraged a herding family in Lhuntse County to set down roots in the border area, safeguard Chinese territory and develop their hometown”. He acknowledged “the family’s efforts to safeguard China’s territory, and thanked them for the loyalty and contributions they have made in the border area. Without the peace in the territory, there will be no peaceful lives for the millions of families,” he wrote.
The two Tibetan girls, Choekar and Yangzom, had told the CCP secretary-general about their “experiences in safeguarding the border area and the development of their township over the years”.
The girls’ village, Yume, is located in Lhuntse county, not far from the remote Indian village of Takshing, which incidentally got its first motorable road earlier this month. Mr Xi further hoped that the girls’ family could “motivate more herders to set down roots in the border area like kalsang flowers”, blooming in hard conditions.
China is ready to invest 110 million yuan in the Yume Well-Off Rural Construction Project. To start with, 56 sets of light-steel prefabricated residential houses are being built, linked by two new municipal roads, a central park and six squares. Electricity and water have already reached the border village.
The rationale of the these post-Doklam measures is “to consolidate the border and to promote the deep integration of the military and the people”. Tourism and “cultural” industries remain the pillars of the scheme; it is supposed to help the population to get rid of poverty through participation in tourism while promoting “ethnic exchanges” — with Han tourists. Yume is the model for the entire scheme.
Another pet project of Mr Xi is the Military-Civilian Integration (or “Fusion”); this too applies to the border. Consider Zhayul County located north of Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh in the Lohit valley.
According to China Tibet News, the villages of the county have started implementing the “double-support model city”, which translates into full military and civilian integration.
India should not fall back into a “Hindi-Chini bhai-bhai” mood, even if a “reset” of bilateral relations is necessary. New Delhi should realise that Beijing is working hard to prepare itself for a “new Doklam” — if such an eventuality arises anywhere along the 4,000-km-long border.
It is definitely not the time for complacency.

UN SDG Report 2018


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21 JUNE 2018
UN SDG Report: Countries embrace efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goals amid mounting global challenges 
A fast-changing climate, conflict, inequality, persistent pockets of poverty and hunger and rapid urbanization are challenging countries’ efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to a UN report launched in New York on 20 June 2018.  
The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2018 found that conflict and climate change were major contributing factors leading to growing numbers of people facing hunger and forced displacement, as well as curtailing progress towards universal access to basic water and sanitation services. 
For the first time in more than a decade, there are now approximately 38 million more hungry people in the world, rising from 777 million in 2015 to 815 million in 2016. According to the report, conflict is now one of the main drivers of food insecurity in 18 countries. In 2017, the world experienced the costliest North Atlantic hurricane season on record, driving the global economic losses attributed to the disasters to over $300 billion. 
At the same time, the Report found that more people are leading better lives than they were just a decade ago. The proportion of the world’s workers living with their families on less than 1.90 per person a day declined significantly over the past two decades, falling from 26.9 per cent in 2000 to 9.2 per cent in 2017. 
The under-five mortality rate dropped by almost 50 per cent and in the least developed countries, the proportion of population with access to electricity has more than doubled between 2000 and 2016. However, in 2015, 2.3 billion people still lacked even a basic level of sanitation service and 892 million people continued to practice open defecation. In 2016, there were 216 million cases of malaria compared to 210 million cases in 2013 and close to 4 billion people were left without social protection in 2016. 
The SDG Report presents an overview of progress toward achieving the Goals, which were unanimously adopted by countries in 2015.  
UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Liu Zhenmin said “Transitioning towards more sustainable and resilient societies also requires an integrated approach that recognizes that these challenges–and their solutions–are interrelated.” 
As the global community moves forward to achieve the SDGs and address existing challenges, reliable, timely, accessible and disaggregated data is critically needed. This requires technology and innovation, increased resources and political commitment to build strong data and statistical systems in all countries. 
Other findings of the Report include: 
  • Rates of child marriage have continued to decline around the world. In Southern Asia, a girl’s risk of marrying in childhood has dropped by over 40 per cent between 2000 and 2017.
  • Nine out of 10 people living in cities breathe polluted air.
  • In 2016, the absolute number of people living without electricity dropped below the symbolic threshold of one billion.
  • Land degradation threatens the livelihoods of over one billion people.

India Ka DNA 2019

Naresh Kumar Sagar
Naresh Kumar Sagar
@Nksagar
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Sagar Media Inc India ka DNA 2019: BJP President Amit Shah. My Gov scan free and that Congress flush Crs of scams, BJP dev work in series for poor and dev stricken village.Child women Shaheed and last man’s on last line welfare is our model.
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Naresh Kumar Sagar
Naresh Kumar Sagar
@Nksagar
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Sagar Media Inc: Tejaasvee former Bihar CM mob lynching in rise if no peace and unity nation will not develope. Youth shall got jobs farmers remain distress and we largest nos of legislature allowed NiteshCM BJP Ed,CBI is partner in their acts.
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Naresh Kumar Sagar
Naresh Kumar Sagar
@Nksagar
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Sagar Media Inc: Tejaasvee Yadav now in talk with Zee Business at India ka DNA 2019 see bye election results so Our unity not to defeat Modi but to strengthen the nation and opposition leader to be egoless contest the Election in 2019 put BJP to 116 seats level.AY silent strategy.
Naresh Kumar Sagar
Naresh Kumar Sagar
@Nksagar
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Jun 20
Sagar Media Inc : India ka DNA 2019 : Akhliesh Yadav Former CM UP talks Zee Business on Election 2019 about no work in UP as BJP is busy inaugurating and putting Foundation Stone for projects in UP, No smart (link: http://cities.no) cities.no infra,no bullet (link: http://train.No) train.No AIIMS.
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Geo English
Geo English
@geonews_english
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Jun 20
Pakistan’s capital is drying up, faster than you think
Pakistan’s capital is drying up, faster than you think | Pakistan – Geo.tv
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Naresh Kumar Sagar
Naresh Kumar Sagar
@Nksagar
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Sagar Media Inc: Akhliesh Yadav Former CM UP at India ka DNA 2019, with Subheer in deliberation Election 2019 is people want to live in unity.Any one come this land absorbed so let our youth not unemployed famers in (link: http://distress.No) distress.No infra projects in UP. Yogi inauguratonl
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Naresh Kumar Sagar
Naresh Kumar Sagar
@Nksagar
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Jun 20
Sagar Media Inc : With Nepal Quake and Japan the musical chairs jerks to various tectonic plates in this fissured geological zone may hit Quake in PoK,Uttrakhand, Philippines, South Asian plates next to hit devastatingly sooner as Nepal central Asia another Geological retainers.
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PM perform Yoga

Yoga unites, body, mind, and soul, says PM Modi.
 Be healthy on International Day of Yoga : PM Modi participated on yoga day with 50K yoga practitioners and said on this day,From Tokyo to Toronto, from Stockholm to Sao Paulo, yoga has become a positive influence in the lives of millions: PM @narendramodi
PM Modi is leading an estimated 50, 000 volunteers to mark the fourth anniversary of International Yoga Day.
The event in Dehradun is being held at the Forest Research Institute, which has been spruced up and security across Dehradun tightened.
In a message ahead of the Yoga Day celebrations, PM Modi wrote on Twitter, “Yoga is beautiful because it is ancient yet modern, it is constant yet evolving.
It has the best of our past and presents and a ray of hope for our future.
In Yoga, we have the perfect solution to the problems we face, either as individuals or in our society.
Praising the ancient art, the PM further wrote, “The way to lead a calm, creative & content life is Yoga. It can show the way in defeating tensions and mindless anxiety. Instead of dividing, Yoga unites. Instead of further animosity, Yoga assimilates. Instead of increasing suffering, Yoga heals.
Rediff
Many eminent personalities from Vice President, Governors Ministers, Indian Embassies abroad, army navy air forces and numerous institution are all celebrating International Yoga day with performance.

Ashbeer Saini sizzles with opening round seven-under-63 at Karnal

Karnal, Haryana, June 20, 2018: Twenty-four-year-old Ashbeer Saini of Kapurthala sizzled with a seven-under-63 on the opening day of the PGTI Feeder Tour event at the Madhuban Meadows Golf Club in Karnal, Haryana. Saini enjoyed a healthy four-shot lead over the rest of the field.
Vashista S Pawar of Coimbatore was in second place with a score of three-under-67.
Ashbeer Saini, a 10th tee starter, had a whirlwind start as he picked up five birdies on his first 11 holes thanks to some quality chip-putts and a 20-feet conversion from off the green on the 17th.
Ashbeer’s only blemish came on the third where he three-putted for bogey but he followed that up with birdies on the next three holes to set up the tournament for himself.
Saini, who turned professional in 2013 at the age of 19, said, “This round is a big confidence-booster as I’ve been out of form for quite some time now due to a wrist injury I suffered couple of years back. I’m now back to full fitness and slowly regaining my rhythm.
“I drove it well today and converted everything on the greens. The four birdies on the back-nine provided the spark to my round. It’s great to start the week in this manner. The focus will now be on capitalizing on this strong start.”
Vashista S Pawar struck four birdies and a bogey during his round of 67 to be placed second.
Karnal’s Maniram Sharma returned a three-over-73 to be tied 31st.

Indian Wheelchair Cricket Premier League-2018 Inaugurated on 20thJune, 2018

Indian Wheelchair Cricket Premier League-2018 Inaugurated on 20thJune, 2018 
                IWPL will be held on 21st to 24th June, 2018 in Dwarka, New Delhi-78 
League of 15 overs matches among six teams
June 20, 2018, Wheelchair Cricket Premier League, a super completion for persons with disabilities started today in Bal Bhavan International School, Cricket Ground, Sector-12, Dwarka in New Delhi. The amazing event was inaugurated by the Delhi Police Commissioner Mr. Amulya Patnaik, along with Mr. Sibesh Singh, DCP, Dwarka and Mr. Madhup Tewari, Joint Commissioner of Police – South West Delhi. The League has also launched “PRAHARI” program in Dwarka and celibated the success of the special initiative to involve personnel such as Chowkidars and Security Guards for prevention of crime by Delhi Police. There was a special friendly match between Delhi Police and wheelchair players on 20th June, 2018 to rejoice the spirit of the event.India’s leading persons with*persons with special-abilitiessupport organization Wheelchair Talent Foundation is organizing this prestigious event in alliance with Disabled Supporting Society – Agra.
On this occasion, a road show was held with lot of fan fare where the participating 100 players, lots of people from Delhi- NCR and Dwarka, joined to make it a mega event; along with Delhi Police, from Ashirvad KM chowk to venue Bal Bhavan International School, Sector 12, Dwarka.

This is the IWPL – Indian Wheelchair Premier League! Modelled on the immensely popular IPL, this too, promises to attractspecial abilities cricket enthusiasts from Dwarka and people from Delhi – NCR . This will be a four day para-sports event- from 20th to 24th June. Six teams will compete in this tournament. The league matches will be held at the Bal Bhavan International School, Sector-12.This will comprise of 15-overs each side matches. The finals, of course, will be more exciting and gripping with teams battling with each other in a 20-20 over match.
The 4- day tournament will witness the match of the six teams which are Gujarat Fighters, Delhi Superstars, Maharashtra Tigers, Uttar Pradesh Heroes, Uttarakhand Warriors and Chennai Super strong. The event in Delhi has been conceptualized on the lines of Indian Premier League and is aimed at providing a sports opportunity to people with disabilities.

According to Mukesh Sinha, the Convenor of the league, “This tournament will provide a platform to para- athletes to showcase their talent. We hope that Dwarka and Delhi people will come forward and support this noble cause”. Mukesh Sinha further informs that the teams has already been franchised by corporates activities. Given the important message that this initiative is sending out, this tournament and its organisation has leading names as its patrons. This includes Kunal Gupta, Director- Bal Bhavan International School, V. P. Tandon, Director- Vandana International School, O P Khanduja- Business Head, DS Spiceco Pvt. Ltd., Surendra Kumar, Director- Kasturi Jewellers, Suresh Anand, Director- Pratham Group, Sanjay and SurajBhasin, Director Guruji Developers Pvt. Ltd.

Among the leading names taking part are Vinod Thakur, Niraj Yadav, Laxman Birhade are some of the noted players, who will participate in the league. Vinod Thakur is a renowned TV celebrity, a winner of India’s Got Talent and a finalist in Nach Baliye.

Wheelchair Talent Foundation is a non-profit organisation that is working towards the social welfare of persons with disabilities. It has been actively involved in organizing various tournaments and championships for para-athletes. This tournament was the dream of Disabled Sporting Society, Agra (UP) India was set up on 9th May, 2007 which set up an Indian Cricket team for the physically challenged youth of India. The Six captains of the teams include Laxman Birhade of Gujarat Fighters, Ramesh Sartape of Maharashtra Tigers, Atul Srivastava of Uttar Pradesh Heroes, Rajendra Singh Dhami of Uttarakand Warriors, Farooq Ahmad of Chennai Team and Vinod Thakur of Delhi Superstars. The captains are quite ecstatic and full of enthusiasm.

Time to end Terror

Governor N N Vohra asked the security forces to ‘end terror’ without worrying about any political hindrance in the state.
As per sources, Vohra said that now, the time is to work for the people of the state, as the country has high hopes.
“End terror, there is no political hindrance,” Vohra said.In the meeting, which took place at Raj Bhavan (residence of the Governor) in Srinagar, there were representatives from the Indian Army, Central Reserve Police Force, Jammu and Kashmir Police, Intelligence Bureau, Special Bureau and Crime Investigation Department, along with top Administrative officials.
The top officials concurred that the focus from now will be to conduct anti-terror operations, which will have specific intelligence, with an aim to minimise collateral damage.  — ANI

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Arun Jaitley: KPs,Sikhs banished, No human rights

Arun Jaitley @arunjaitley on the escalating terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
“In the State of J&K, who is threatening the human rights of the citizens? The entire Kashmiri Pandit community has been banished from the State. Initially spared but after the Chittissinghpura Massacre in the year 2000, most of the Sikh community has moved out,” Jaitley tweeted.
The BJP government has maintained that a tough stance or as former J-K CM Mehbooba Mufti said, a muscular approach, was necessary to fight terrorism.
The elite National Security Guards, popularly known as ‘Black Cats’, are likely to be deployed soon in counter-militancy operations in Jammu and Kashmir which was placed under governor’s rule on Wednesday, officials said.
Today, Congress leader Saifuddin Soz said that former Pakistani dictator Pervez Musharraf was right when he said Kashmiris prefer independence to joining Pakistan, reported ANI news agency.
“Musharraf said Kashmiris don’t want to merge with Pakistan, their first choice is independence. The statement was true then and remains true now also. I say the same, but I know that it is not possible,” said Soz to ANI.
Army  latest encounters,  total of 4 terrorists were gunned down by security forces in Anantnag’s Srigufwara area, says DGP SP Vaid.  Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Khiram in Srigufwara area of the south Kashmir district this morning after receiving specific intelligence input about the presence of militants in the area, a police official said. He said the search operation turned into a gunfight after the militants fired upon the forces, who retaliated. He said clashes broke out near the encounter site as a group of youth started pelting stones on the forces who are engaged in the operation. Security forces used force on the protestors and several civilians have suffered injuries, the official said.
Mobile Internet services were today snapped in three districts of Kashmir Valley, including the summer capital, as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order. The services have been barred in Srinagar, Anantnag and Pulwama districts of the valley, a police official said.
He said the decision to suspend the services has been taken as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order. An encounter is going on in Anantnag district in south Kashmir in which two militants, reportedly affiliated to Islamic State Jammu and Kashmir, have been killed. One of the militants is believed to be from Srinagar. — PTI

Japan’s carmaker plan $27bn in R&D

Japanese automakers plan a record 2.95 trillion yen ($26.8 billion) in research and development spending for fiscal 2018 amid global competition and the encroachment of information technology companies onto their traditional turf.
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The auto industry accounts for nearly a quarter of all R&D spending in Japan’s manufacturing sector
Much of this money will go into connected cars, automated driving, sharing and electrified vehicles — challenges so big that automakers are embracing cooperation to compete with bigger-spending companies like Google.
Car producing giants Toyota Motor, Nissan Motor, Honda Motor, Suzuki Motor and Mazda Motor are each putting forward their biggest R&D budgets ever. Mitsubishi Motors’ tally, its highest since a 2003 spin-off of truck and bus operations. Suzuki and Subaru have also joined the initiative. Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi launches $1 bln venture capital fund to invest in “new mobility”-technology
Subaru, will mark a roughly $1.3 billion increase on the year and a second straight annual rise.
Toyota has also set up with Mazda and Denso a separate business to develop core technologies for electric vehicles.Toyota works with Panasonic on batteries as well.
Toyota, which has earmarked $9.8 billion in R&D spending this fiscal year, is working with many partners. It announced in March the creation of a joint venture with group suppliers Denso and Aisin Seiki to focus on commercializing automated-driving software. The trio plans more than $2.7 billion in spending over the next few years.
Volkswagen’s figure reached 11.6 billion euros ($13.4 billion) in fiscal 2017.
Nissan has been developing a new electric model with a longer range by building on its experience with the mass-market Leaf. It is also collaborating with Japanese internet company DeNA on self-driving taxis. “Electrification and autonomous driving are highly compatible with each other,” Nissan President Hiroto Saikawa has said.
General Motors, which spent about $7.3 billion on R&D in fiscal 2017, revealed in late May that an autonomous driving unit would take $2.25 billion in investment from SoftBank Group’s Vision Fund.
asia.nikkei.com

Rs.12,000 Cr Ruchi Soya NPA Takeover By Adani 100% Scam

This researcher view cause two private entities doing business deal is not a scam unless some irregularities are found and government agencies take up the case.Not our views i.e of Sagar Media Inc
June22, 2018 (C) Ravinder Singh progressindia2015@gmail.com
Media for some time was reporting Rs.12,000 Cr NPA of Ruchi Soya registered in Mumbai but as per the latest reports – Adani Wilmar has 50% foreign equity was successful bidder.
But the Scam is that Lender Banks to Ruchi Soya shall get Rs.4,300 Cr and Adani Wilmar shall get credit of Rs.4,000 Cr – Net Gain to the Banks shall be only Rs.300 Cr when dues submitted to the Resolution Professionals were Rs.10,493 Cr but this doesn’t include Priority Unpaid Dues to Farmers and Suppliers.
Obviously actual dues to Banks at penal rates could be much more than 10,493 Cr. So Banks had Written Off or Foregone Rs.6,193 Cr and two private Banks shall Contribute Rs.4,000 Cr and much more future therefore is 100% Scam.
Banks had not removed Tumor in Ruchi Soya Cancer Merely taken out 4300 Units of Blood and injected 4000 Units of Blood. This takeover means Huge Excess Capacity & Low Capacity Utilization.
Ruch Soya mainly depended on Soybean Processing which was impacted by three factors – MSP was increased sharply in recent years, not even 1% of Soybean Cultivated area is irrigated and as per Agriculture Stats of India Index of Soybean Production base year 2007-08 = 100 was 156.6 in 2012-13 declined to 91.8% in 2015-16. In year 2012-13 it reported record PAT of Rs.236 Cr – less than 1% of Revenue which in three years turned in to Rs.879 Cr loss in 2015-16.
This year too Soybean Region of India West Madhya Pradesh has received (-) 15% of normal rainfall so far and last year was (-) 16% for entire season – All India Rainfall as on June21, 2018 is (-) 9%. Rajasthan & Saurashtra important Oilseeds area has not received pre monsoon rains. And monsoon is not progressing since June10.
Adani Group itself is highly indebted and in loss. Adani-Wilmar is already into Oil Business similarly IMPACTED by decline in Oilseed Production.
I don’t think Adani-Wilmar will ‘Repay Bank Loans of Rs.4,000 Cr’when it has surplus capacity in similar locations.
Banks should have taken over Ruchi Soya assets and Stripped it into 15 Regional Companies and should have sold them to Local companies who are more likely to Pay Best Price and promote local cultivation in Irrigated Farms.
Ramdev’s Patanjali bid was Far Superior to Adani-Wilmar – it is already has WIDER Exposure in Food Sector and Expanding Rapidly compared to Adani-Wilmar and is more competitive.
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

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Demystifies Yoga For The European Parliament, Calls It The Need Of The Hour

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Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Demystifies Yoga For The European Parliament, Calls It The Need Of The Hour
Prisons, schools, police academies, naval bases, shopping malls…millions of yoga enthusiasts gather in 150 countries to celebrate yoga with The Art of Living
New Delhi, 21st June, 2018, Even as Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Founder of The Art of Living raised the happiness quotient with a powerful, insightful yet witty address on Yoga at the European Parliament, Yoga fervour took over millions from over 150 countries as part of The Art of Living’s #promisetoyoga campaign, from prisons to shopping malls, from naval bases to police academies, from schools to heritage sites.
The European Parliament in partnership with the Indian Embassy Belgium and The Art of Living Foundation invited Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to lead a special yoga session on the International Day of Yoga,  at the Yehudi Menuhin Space inside the Parliament. Along with the Indian Minister for External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj, MPs, officials from the European Commission, the European External Action Service and other dignitaries attended the event. The session was a blend of various Yogic techniques comprising of Asanas, breathing exercises and meditation for inner peace and wellbeing.

Addressing 250 parliamentarians and embassy officials, Gurudev highlighted the critical role of Yoga in alleviating depression and aggression from Society, “The two ills of our society aggression and depression need to be tackled and there is no better way to tackle it than through yoga.”
“Though born in India it belongs to the whole world,” Gurudev said earlier in an Amsterdam event, “Let’s knock on every door – in Europe, depression is a significant problem and yoga can help people come out of depression and heal this – let’s wish for the world to be a better place for future generations to come.”
Gurudev also launched the Yoga Day celebrations in Finland at the House of Nobility in Helsinki on the 18th of June. IDY celebrations will continue through the week, with Gurudev leading Munich through a Yoga and Meditation session on the 23rd.
Marking the 4th International Day of Yoga with gusto, the Art of Living organised multiple events across the country and the world to celebrate the spirit of Yoga. Shri D V Sadananda Gowda, Union minister and Shri P C Mohan, MP were the Honourable Chief Guests for the International Day of Yoga celebrations at the Art of Living International Centre in Bangalore, Karnataka.

Thousands of police professionals, prisoners, navy officials, government officers, participated in Art of Living’s International Day of Yoga celebrations around the world. Amongst the many programs was a special program conducted by Art of Living teacher Sarita Bajpai for Special task force of the Indian Air Force, deputed for anti-Naxal operations in Raipur, Chattisgarh.

In Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad, over 2000 police officers participated in the Yoga program at the Police Academy; while down-south Bangalore saw about 3500 Army officers and Jawans rolling out their Yoga mats. The International Day of Yoga, also saw celebrations atop INS Garuda in Kerala.

Not just the security forces, but prisoners too formed a significant part of the celebrations with Yoga programs being conducted across 23 prisons in Jharkhand. In Jharkhand, over 1000 inmates underwent Art of Living’s Prison Smart Program in the run up to International Day of Yoga, besides multiple yoga and meditation sessions being conducted in jails across the country.

In India, Art of Living also organised Sri Sri Yoga programs in collaboration with French Sports goods retail giant, ‘Decathlon’, across their stores in Delhi.
Globally, the International Day of Yoga witnessed an astounding participation across the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Asia, South America and more. In Amsterdam alone more than 3000 people, one of their largest gatherings ever, attended Gurudev’s event on 17thJune.

PURI SOUGHT COOPERATION OF TRADERS IN MAKING DELHI BETTER

In the wake of DDA approving amendments in Master Plan, a delegation of prominent trade leaders of Delhi under the umbrella of the Confederation of All India India Traders (CAIT) today met Union Urban Development Minister Shri Hardeep Puri and complimented him for taking pro-active steps in bring much desired amendments which will be beneficial for about 5 lakh Traders in Delhi.
The CAIT urged Mr Puri to augment the process of notifying the amendments and as a result of which all those properties sealed but cover under the amendments should be de-sealed.
CAIT Secretary General Mr Praveen Khandelwal who led the delegation expressed all praise for Mr Puri and Delhi LG Mr Anil Baijal for doing their best in bringing relief to traders. It is for the first time that Government has strongly supported traders for protecting them against sealing & demolition. Although many other core issues pertaining to sealing are pending but it is hoped that with active consideration of the Govt, issues will be resolved.
While talking to the delegation, Mr Puri emphasised the need of an active role of trade association in making Delhi a better living city free from encroachment . Mr Puri sought voluntary coooeration & support of Trade Associations in cleaning operations of Delhi. However, he assured the delegation that Govt is alive to their problems and employment & earning of every person will be protected at all cost. He also said that no sealing will be conducted in Delhi without giving a proper notice. At all cost course of law will be followed. Suitable instructions have already given to MCD & other Agencies. Not even a single case of harassment or victimisation will be tolerated.
Mr. Khandelwal reminded Mr Puri that few burning issues  still needs attention of the Govt included removal of confusion in special area and as such till Re-Development Plan of special area is made, there should not be any penal action. The LSCs declared in 1998 should be charged the rate prevailing in 1998. The colonies like Greater Kailash, South Extension and Green Park which were developed by DLF should be enlisted in Rehabilitation Colony since all colonies developed by DLF have been categorised as Rehabilitation Colony. The usage of basement should be allowed on Mixed land and Pedestrian Street.

Ashbeer Saini extends lead to five shots

 Karnal, Haryana, June 21, 2018: Kapurthala’s Ashbeer Saini fired a three-under-67 in round two of the PGTI Feeder Tour event at the Madhuban Meadows Golf Club in Karnal, Haryana, to extend his lead to five shots as his total read 10-under-130.
Noida’s Dipankar Kaushal shot the day’s best score of seven-under-63 to move up from tied 16th to second place at five-under-135.
Ashbeer Saini (63-67), the overnight leader by four shots, began the second day on a positive note with two birdies on the first three holes. He chipped-in for birdie on the third.
The 24-year-old Saini dropped a stroke on the fifth but soon came roaring back with three chip-putt birdies on the sixth, ninth and 10th. Ashbeer conceded his second bogey of the day on the 14th to end up with a solid 67.
Saini said, “It was a mixed round if I compare it to round one. I made quite a few chip-putts but missed some close putts as well. I also had some terrific par saves today.
“I have a comfortable lead at the moment but I’ll look to play my own game in the final round rather than thinking too much about the scores. The process of getting back to my best is as important to me as the result.”
Dipankar Kaushal’s (72-63) excellent tee shots and driving saw him rise into contention as he mixed eight birdies with a bogey on Thursday. Dipankar found the edge of the green with his drives on as many as four occasions.
Dipankar said, “I putted really well as compared to round one. I’ve had some good scores this season but just need more consistency. Good performances on the Feeder Tour will help me get in the groove for the main tour later this year.”
Lucknow’s Amardeep Rawat made two eagles during his round of 66 that lifted him from tied eighth to third at four-under-136.
Karnal’s Maniram occupied tied 30th place at six-over-146.
The cut was declared at seven-over-147. Thirty-six golfers made it to the last round.
Gurugram-based Dhruv Sheoran (72-76), the winner of the first two events of the Feeder Tour season and the Feeder Tour Order of Merit leader, missed the cut by one shot.

MFA Sri Lanka : Kindly share with the Office on Missing Persons:

MEDIA RELEASE 
The attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been drawn to a list of names published online by the ITJP (International Truth and Justice Project). According to the ITJP, this list, which presently consists of 351 names and can be accessed athttp://www.disappearance.itjpsl.com/#lang=english is of persons who are alleged to have disappeared while in the custody of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces in May 2009.
The Office on Missing Persons (OMP) which has been established by an Act of Parliament (Act No. 14 of 2016 as amended by Act No. 09 of 2017)[1] is the permanent and independent entity in Sri Lanka that is vested with the tasks of, inter alia, searching and tracing of missing persons and clarifying the circumstances in which such persons went missing, and their fate; making recommendations to the relevant authorities towards reducing the incidents of missing persons; protecting the rights and interests of missing persons and their relatives; and identifying proper avenues of redress to which such missing persons or their relatives may have recourse.
Therefore, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs urges and encourages anyone in Sri Lanka or overseas to kindly share with the Office on Missing Persons:
-any further/additional/detailed information pertaining to persons whose names have been listed by the ITJP and the circumstances under which they went missing;
-any other lists/information that may be available with anyone/ entity pertaining to any individuals including lists of security forces and police personnel, who may be considered to be missing, as defined by Section 27 of the Act.
Kindly direct any information available to:
Chairperson,
Office on Missing Persons,
Address: 34, Narahenpita Road, Nawala, Sri Lanka
E-mail:
 Following are the URLs for the English and Tamil translations
For Tamil Language:           http://www.parliament.lk/uploads/acts/gbills/tamil/6016.pdf

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka
Colombo 1
20 June 2018
Nirmala Paranavitana
Minister 
Sri Lanka High Commission 
Kautilya Marg
New Delhi 1100021

Naresh –Since I reached out to ask

Onward Together! 
Naresh –Since I reached out to ask this community to step up and support the groups working to protect and reunite families that have been separated at the border, you’ve raised more than $1 million dollars that will be split between the teams at the American Civil Liberties Union, the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project, the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project, Human Rights First, Kids in Need of Defense, La Union del Pueblo Entero, the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services, United We Dream Action, We Belong Together, and the Women’s Refugee Commission.To each and every person who made a donation, no matter how big or small: Thank you.You may have heard about the White House’s just-announced executive order. It will mean more families and children are kept in detention centers and jails for longer — and it doesn’t offer a plan to reunite families already separated. This is not a solution.Right now, protests, marches, and other events are being organized across the country for Saturday, June 30th to demand our government stop treating these children and their parents like criminals — take a moment to find one near you, then say you’ll join millions of Americans in standing against this cruel practice.One mother unable to find their infant or one child being kept in a cage would be unacceptable. What’s happening right now is a crisis so overwhelming that it can be difficult to know how best to help, but your voice is needed now more than ever.Please sign up for a rally in your community — or to host an event of your own — and take a stand on behalf of immigrant families:Thank you,Hillary
Find an event

 Housing and Land Rights Network (HLRN)!

 
Please find below (and also attached) an invitation for the launch of our report: 
India’s Smart Cities Mission: Smart for Whom? Cities for Whom? [Update 2018]
 
Date: Friday, 22 June 2018
Time: 3:30 – 4:30 p.m
Venue: Press Club of India
 
Justice A.P. Shah, former Chief Justice of the High Court of Delhi, will release the report.
 
On the occasion of the third anniversary of the Smart Cities Mission, HLRN has published this updated report to assess the Mission’s contributions, implementation status, and impacts on the most marginalized.
 
Given the importance of this topic, we hope that you will attend the report launch and cover this issue.
 
We look forward to your presence.

Maniesh Paul Wins The SAAF’s Best Host In Asia Award In Hong Kong

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Maniesh Paul Scoops The Best Host Award In Asia At SAAF 2018 In Hong Kong
Versatile anchor-turned-Bollywood actor – Maniesh Paul is a dynamite when he takes over as a host and his flair as an emcee for any event is simply unprecedented. The man can effortlessly charm the audience with his affable and witty on-stage presence. And now the super talented host has proved that he is not only the Sultan of stage in India but also Asia.
Maniesh Paul, who has impressed every time he has set foot on-stage, has been recently honoured by the SAAF Awards at the 12th Sarjan Annual Award Function, in the presence of top officials from the Hongkong government.
The multifaceted anchor and actor walked away with the Best Host in Asia award at the SAAF Awards 2018.
Speaking about bagging the award, an excited Maniesh said, “It’s been wonderful winning the award, especially on the international grounds. It feels amazing that your work is appreciated all across Asia and I am grateful to SAAF for honouring me with this award. I feel amazing getting the award for the Best Host in Asia.”
Sarjan Group is a Community Organization in Kowloon, Hong Kong which organises SAAF Awards in collaboration with Hong Kong government annually. This year they were celebrating their 12th year of honouring talents across Asia.

Screenwriter Association conference to have Aamir Khan as Chief Guest!

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Screenwriter association is organizing its 5th annual conference in which director, producer and actor Aamir Khan will be chief guest.  “yes we are honoured to have Mr. Aamir Khan as our chief guest” confirms Zama Habib, the association’s General Secretary. Zama further elaborated that the key note speaker will be well known journalist Vinod Dua at this three day conference starting from August 1 to 3rd.
The theme of SWA (screenwriter association) conference is “where the mind is without fear”, challenges facing the Indian Screeenwriter today. There will be panel discussions on various aspects and challenges of TV, Films and Digital medium for which well known writer, director, studio and channel heads have been invited. In every conference SWA honors stalwarts from TV, Film and lyrics and this conference is no difference.       “In other way we are honored to give honor to Mr. Khwaza Ahemad Abbas for film, Shailendra for lyrics and Rahi Masoom Raza for tv writing” adds award winning writer Sanjay Chouhan, the conference convenor.

Fête de la Musique / World Music Day 2018 | Alliance Française de Delhi

Alliance française de Delhi is pleased to present
FÊTE DE LA MUSIQUE

World Music Day 2018

21 JUNE 2018 | 5PM Onwards
Alliance Française de Delhi, 72, Lodi Estate, New Delhi – 110003
Nearest Metro Station: Jorbagh, Khan Market

In the month of June, the entire world celebrates music in its different forms and manifestations through the “Fête de la Musique”, a day dedicated to the promotion of music, created by the French Ministry of Culture, which first took place in 1982 in Paris. Since this first edition, this event has known a growing success, and has become an international highlight of amateur and professional practice and of musical diversity. This is also a very special occasion for many people in many different countries to attend free live performances, in all kinds of places, even the most unusual ones. 
Taking part in the worldwide festivities, Alliance Française de Delhi will be celebrating #FDLM2018 in its own premises.

Ashbeer Saini sizzles with opening round seven-under-63 at Karnal

Karnal, Haryana, June 20, 2018: Twenty-four-year-old Ashbeer Saini of Kapurthala sizzled with a seven-under-63 on the opening day of the PGTI Feeder Tour event at the Madhuban Meadows Golf Club in Karnal, Haryana. Saini enjoyed a healthy four-shot lead over the rest of the field.
Vashista S Pawar of Coimbatore was in second place with a score of three-under-67.
Ashbeer Saini, a 10th tee starter, had a whirlwind start as he picked up five birdies on his first 11 holes thanks to some quality chip-putts and a 20-feet conversion from off the green on the 17th.
Ashbeer’s only blemish came on the third where he three-putted for bogey but he followed that up with birdies on the next three holes to set up the tournament for himself.
Saini, who turned professional in 2013 at the age of 19, said, “This round is a big confidence-booster as I’ve been out of form for quite some time now due to a wrist injury I suffered couple of years back. I’m now back to full fitness and slowly regaining my rhythm.
“I drove it well today and converted everything on the greens. The four birdies on the back-nine provided the spark to my round. It’s great to start the week in this manner. The focus will now be on capitalizing on this strong start.”
Vashista S Pawar struck four birdies and a bogey during his round of 67 to be placed second.
Karnal’s Maniram Sharma returned a three-over-73 to be tied 31st.

Indian Wheelchair Cricket Premier League-2018 Inaugurated on 20thJune, 2018

Indian Wheelchair Cricket Premier League-2018 Inaugurated on 20thJune, 2018 
                IWPL will be held on 21st to 24th June, 2018 in Dwarka, New Delhi-78 
League of 15 overs matches among six teams
June 20, 2018, Wheelchair Cricket Premier League, a super completion for persons with disabilities started today in Bal Bhavan International School, Cricket Ground, Sector-12, Dwarka in New Delhi. The amazing event was inaugurated by the Delhi Police Commissioner Mr. Amulya Patnaik, along with Mr. Sibesh Singh, DCP, Dwarka and Mr. Madhup Tewari, Joint Commissioner of Police – South West Delhi. The League has also launched “PRAHARI” program in Dwarka and celibated the success of the special initiative to involve personnel such as Chowkidars and Security Guards for prevention of crime by Delhi Police. There was a special friendly match between Delhi Police and wheelchair players on 20th June, 2018 to rejoice the spirit of the event.India’s leading persons with*persons with special-abilitiessupport organization Wheelchair Talent Foundation is organizing this prestigious event in alliance with Disabled Supporting Society – Agra.
On this occasion, a road show was held with lot of fan fare where the participating 100 players, lots of people from Delhi- NCR and Dwarka, joined to make it a mega event; along with Delhi Police, from Ashirvad KM chowk to venue Bal Bhavan International School, Sector 12, Dwarka.

This is the IWPL – Indian Wheelchair Premier League! Modelled on the immensely popular IPL, this too, promises to attractspecial abilities cricket enthusiasts from Dwarka and people from Delhi – NCR . This will be a four day para-sports event- from 20th to 24th June. Six teams will compete in this tournament. The league matches will be held at the Bal Bhavan International School, Sector-12.This will comprise of 15-overs each side matches. The finals, of course, will be more exciting and gripping with teams battling with each other in a 20-20 over match.
The 4- day tournament will witness the match of the six teams which are Gujarat Fighters, Delhi Superstars, Maharashtra Tigers, Uttar Pradesh Heroes, Uttarakhand Warriors and Chennai Super strong. The event in Delhi has been conceptualized on the lines of Indian Premier League and is aimed at providing a sports opportunity to people with disabilities.

According to Mukesh Sinha, the Convenor of the league, “This tournament will provide a platform to para- athletes to showcase their talent. We hope that Dwarka and Delhi people will come forward and support this noble cause”. Mukesh Sinha further informs that the teams has already been franchised by corporates activities. Given the important message that this initiative is sending out, this tournament and its organisation has leading names as its patrons. This includes Kunal Gupta, Director- Bal Bhavan International School, V. P. Tandon, Director- Vandana International School, O P Khanduja- Business Head, DS Spiceco Pvt. Ltd., Surendra Kumar, Director- Kasturi Jewellers, Suresh Anand, Director- Pratham Group, Sanjay and SurajBhasin, Director Guruji Developers Pvt. Ltd.

Among the leading names taking part are Vinod Thakur, Niraj Yadav, Laxman Birhade are some of the noted players, who will participate in the league. Vinod Thakur is a renowned TV celebrity, a winner of India’s Got Talent and a finalist in Nach Baliye.

Wheelchair Talent Foundation is a non-profit organisation that is working towards the social welfare of persons with disabilities. It has been actively involved in organizing various tournaments and championships for para-athletes. This tournament was the dream of Disabled Sporting Society, Agra (UP) India was set up on 9th May, 2007 which set up an Indian Cricket team for the physically challenged youth of India. The Six captains of the teams include Laxman Birhade of Gujarat Fighters, Ramesh Sartape of Maharashtra Tigers, Atul Srivastava of Uttar Pradesh Heroes, Rajendra Singh Dhami of Uttarakand Warriors, Farooq Ahmad of Chennai Team and Vinod Thakur of Delhi Superstars. The captains are quite ecstatic and full of enthusiasm.

Time to end Terror

Governor N N Vohra asked the security forces to ‘end terror’ without worrying about any political hindrance in the state.
As per sources, Vohra said that now, the time is to work for the people of the state, as the country has high hopes.
“End terror, there is no political hindrance,” Vohra said.In the meeting, which took place at Raj Bhavan (residence of the Governor) in Srinagar, there were representatives from the Indian Army, Central Reserve Police Force, Jammu and Kashmir Police, Intelligence Bureau, Special Bureau and Crime Investigation Department, along with top Administrative officials.
The top officials concurred that the focus from now will be to conduct anti-terror operations, which will have specific intelligence, with an aim to minimise collateral damage.  — ANI

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 Latest track of Meet Bros ‘Nachdi Firaangi’ labelled under ‘MB Music’

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   The power-packed music directors & singer of Bollywood Industry, the Meet Bros are again all set to keep stage on fire by their latest peppy track ‘Nachdi Firaangi’. As recently, the duos Manmeet & Harmeet Singh were witnessed in New Delhi for the launch of their song. The event took place at Lounge the Lord of the Drinks in Connaught Place. Along with them the talented singer Kanika Kapoor and beautiful Elli EvrRam were also present to grace the event.
   While launching the brand new music label ‘MB Music’ with their latest track ‘Nachdi Firaangi’, the Meet Bros also interacted with media peeps and shared the uniqueness of their party number. As the first ever single track is featured under the label of ‘MB Music’, sung by Meet Bros & Kanika Kapoor and it’s the very first time they are together for a single apart from a Bollywood song. The song is packed with clubbing elements and video also featuring the moves of gorgeous Elli EvrRam.
  Well, talking about the same, Manmeet stated, “this song is special and unique for us because it’s not for a film, this song is for everyone. It holds dependent music.” Talking about the idea of the song, he said, “One day Kanika came to our studio, she scold us like an elder sister and charged us to make this single, our first single apart from film, she motivated and charged us, then on the same night within one hour we prepared ‘Nachdi Firaangi’. We called Kanika and shared our song and we started working together for the same.” On the other hand Harmeet added, “All the girls who wanna dance, and groove on our latest single can make their videos and forward it to us, we will select one of the best video and when it will get viral, its earning will also be shared with them. So guys keep pouring your videos of ‘Nachdi Firaangi’, this song is just for you all.”
   Whereas, Kanika said, “Me and meet Bros are family, we have different equation, I feel highly comfortable and confident while working with them as in studio I can sing openly without any fear in front of them, and we have a great bond.” And, talking about her experience, working in the song Elli EvrRam in Punjabi said ‘Menu Bohot Maza aya.’ Further she added, “It was a wonderful experience, definitely I would love to work again with them. When I got this offer I was so happy and I was happier when I got to know that Kanika Kapoor is also a part of this project, it was really a great time with them all.”

Police Expo 2018:

Police Expo 2018: Predictive Policing & Contemporary Challenges for Indian Police Forces
July 26-27, 2018; BPR&D Hqrs, Mahipalpur, New Delhi 
Greetings from FICCI ! 
I am pleased to inform you that FICCI in partnership with Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D), Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India is organising a two-day Police Expo 2018, with the theme ‘Predictive Policing & Contemporary Challenges for Indian Police Forces’ on July 26-27, 2018 at BPR&D Hqrs, Mahipalpur, New Delhi. The objective of this exposition is not limited to showcasing of technologies & solutions, but to go beyond that, and helpindustry in getting their products & technologies evaluated from an expert Screening Committee for subsequent trails / pilot project.

We are in process of setting-up Bureau’s Expert Screening Committee which will evaluate products and technologiesof the exhibiting companies and facilitate meetings between Industry/ Solution Providers and user organisations(CAPFs & State Police Forces) to undertake field trials and pilot projects for better customisation and adoption.

The programme also aims at creating awareness among young Superintendents of Police from States and Commandants from CAPFs, regarding latest technologies in areas such as Artificial Intelligence; Predictive Policing / Crime Analytics / Big data Analytics; Geospatial Technologies; Cyber Crime; Surveillance Tracking & UAVs; CCTV Equipmentfor effective delivery of Police Services to citizens. Some of the focus areas of the conference are as follows :

·         Technologies for Predicting Offenders, Predicting Perpetrator Identities & Predicting Crime Victims
·         Public Procurement in Internal Security – Way Ahead
·         Innovations in Homeland Security – Presentations by Young Minds
·         Next Generation Technologies for Homeland Security
·         Safe cities V/s Smart Cities
·         Talk by visionary Superintendent of Police officers
·         Predicting Cyber Crime Against Women

Enclosed are the following files for your reference:

  • Brochure of the Police Expo
  • Exhibition Form (In case you would like to exhibit during the Expo)
  • Product Form (To be shared with the Screening Committee and to be filled by the Exhibiting Companies)
  • Delegate Form (In case you would like to participate as a delegate)

There are limited partnership opportunities available; your office may contact us for further information / queries.

Look forward to your kind participation.

Best,

Sumeet Gupta
Senior Director  

World Cup fans visiting Qatar will never miss a moment of the excitement

A taste of what to expect when Qatar hosts the world’s biggest sporting event in 2022
Interactive fan zones await visitors at airport, temperature-controlled open air stadium, sports venues & cultural hotspots
Indian visitors to Qatar will never have to miss a moment of the World Cup. With a host of immersive and interactive fan zones across the country, the host for the 2022 tournament is showing off its passion for the sport while giving all a peek of what to expect at the 22nd edition of the most-watched sporting event.
Starting from their arrival at the airport and throughout their stay, the country’s variety of fan zones promise visitors an immersive football experience at different venues across Qatar. To celebrate the world’s biggest sporting event, Hamad International Airport (HIA), Khalifa International Stadium, Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena, Katara Cultural Village, as well as malls and hotels have been transformed into fan zones to transfer the atmosphere of the tournament in Russia to people in Qatar.
Right up to the final day of the FIFA World Cup™, Qatar will be abuzz with activities to accompany the live screenings such as football freestylers, football jugglers and impromptu football matches. For a more interactive take on the football frenzy, dies hard fans can take a shot at Robot Goalie, foosball games, virtual football and much more.
Rashed AlQuerese, Chief Marketing & Promotion Officer at Qatar Tourism Authority, commented: “We are very pleased to have so many organisations across Qatar host fan zones for this tournament; it is truly an example of the cross-sector collaboration required for delivering impactful tourism products and events.” He added: “The World Cup’s overlap with the annual Qatar Summer Festival this year gives us the perfect opportunity to build our joint capabilities ahead of Qatar’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup in 2022.”

Airport Fan Zone
In addition to restyling the iconic Lamp Bear area of Hamad International Airport (HIA) to resemble a football pitch, all matches will be broadcast live at three areas close to the boarding gates. Qatar’s award-winning airport and transit hub, fan zone areas are designed to resemble a living room, a stadium and a majlis (a traditional Qatari seating area for receiving guests) to ensure that passengers feel fully immersed in the viewing experience and get a taste of what to expect when Qatar hosts the world’s biggest sporting event in 2022.
Official 2018 FIFA World Cup™ memorabilia will also be on sale at QDF’s stores throughout the airport and shoppers will have the opportunity to take selfies alongside the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ mascot.
This initiative marks HIA’s latest steps on the country’s journey towards the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™. To help prepare Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, HIA is set to increase its passenger capacity from 30 million passengers per year to a target of more than 50 million per year. During the 2022 FIFA World Cup™, HIA is expected to receive approximately 96,000 passengers per day.
Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena
Once in Doha, visitors can check out the fan zone at Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena which most famously played host to the World Men’s Handball Championship in 2015. In addition to its enticing free entry, the zone will feature live entertainment and concerts between games, a designated zone for children and families and more than 40 food carts offering distinctly local flavours.

Khalifa International Stadium
Fans can also check out the iconic 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar venue Khalifa International Stadium.
Following extensive redevelopment, the 40,000-seat stadium reopened in May last year when it hosted the 2017 Emir Cup final. The stadium now features innovative cooling technology for the benefit of players and fans and a world-class LED lighting system, amongst other innovations. Khalifa International Stadium has a rich hosting history, having previously welcomed events including the Asian Games, Gulf Cup and AFC Asian Cup, among other events. In 2019, the stadium will host the 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships.
Katara Cultural Village
For a more local take on football fandom, visitors can head to Katara where they can enjoy a drive-in viewing experience. The Katara Fan Zone offers fans an opportunity to watch the matches from the comfort of a personal vehicle and with plenty of street food options delivered straight to your window.

Hotels, Malls & Summer Entertainment City
whether at malls or hotels visitors are sure to find a place to kick back and watch a game. Families with young tots can head to Summer Entertainment City which boasts 1,000 mof games dedicated to celebrating football.
– Ends –

FIBA Asia Quest 3×3 – India Qualifiers

The Basketball Federation of India is pleased to invite you for the FIBA Asia Quest 3×3 – India Qualifiers to be held at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium (Outdoor) at Bengaluru on June 23-24, 2018.
The FIBA Asia Quest 3×3 – India Qualifiers is a  first of its kind FIBA 3×3 event organised under the aegis of the Basketball Federation of India featuring 12 city-based teams in two categories (men and women) representing BFI’s affiliated units.
The winners and runners-up of the FIBA Asia Quest 3×3 – India Qualifiers will represent India at the South Asian Basketball Association (FIBA Sub-Zone) Quest stop. The SABA Quest stop carries a prize money of USD 10,000 with the top teams going on to the Quest Final.
Speaking on the occasion, Basketball Federation of India president Mr. K Govindaraj, MLC said that the FIBA Asia Quest 3×3 – India Qualifiers was the ideal opportunity that the BFI was looking to tip off the FIBA 3×3 movement in India.
“FIBA 3×3 is a great concept is a boon for Indian basketball on many counts. It not only helps us widen the base for basketball thus increasing the popularity of basketball in India, but also is a fantastic opportunity to increase the number of the organisers for basketball events in India,” he said.
“The ultimate aim for BFI is to take the Indian team to the Olympic 3×3 competition.”
Explaining the process further Basketball Federation of India Secretary General Mr. Chander Mukhi Sharma said that the FIBA Asia Quest 3×3 – India Qualifiers is only tipping off of BFI’s long-term FIBA 3×3 project that ultimately targets making basketball a popular sport along with aiming for a place in the Olympics.
“BFI has chalked out a long-term FIBA 3×3 program with a competition structure that will involve more than 500 games across India every year. We do believe that the FIBA 3×3 is certainly the way forward and are certain that it will act as a catalyst in improving the standard of basketball along with increasing the popularity of the sport,” he said.
Games at the FIBA Asia Quest 3×3 – India Qualifiers are scheduled to tip off at 4 pm on Saturday June 23, 2018 and through the whole of Sunday at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium outdoor courts.
Members of the media are cordially invited to witness the proceedings and provide the necessary wide coverage to boost the BFI’s efforts in making basketball a household name.

Naresh — There is a catastrophe happening

Naresh —
There is a catastrophe happening at our southern border right now — and Trump’s executive order doesn’t end this humanitarian crisis.
Thousands of children have been torn from their parents and there is currently no clear plan to reunite the families that have been separated.
It is up to all of us to fight back against the Trump administration’s shameful treatment of children and families. Add your name to say you oppose their cruel separation of families at the border.
I’M IN
Thank you,
Senator Jeff Merkley

Italian Movie, Taranta On The Road

Istituto Italiano di Cultura New Delhi's photo.
JUN23

European Union Film Festival – Screening of Taranta On The Road

Details
Putting a spotlight on the latest European cinema, the European Union Film Festival (EUFF) will screen Italian Movie – Taranta On The Road in New Delhi on 23rd June 2018 @4:30 PM at the Siri Fort Auditorium.
As a special attraction this year, audience, students and filmmakers will get an opportunity to interact with Katarína Krnáčová (Slovakian producer), Paula Ortiz (Spanish Director), Salvatore Alloca (Italian Director), Yannis Korris (Greek Director), Douglas Boswell (Belgium Director) and Ádám Fekete (Hungarian Actor) who are travelling to India for the festival.
Film will be with English subtitles. Entry will be allowed for 18+ and will be on a first come, first served basis.
For more info, please visit: https://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/india/46492/summer-have-european-adventure_en

Talk on ‘The Crisis of Funds and the Woe of Wage Payment Delays in MGNREGA’

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 is a landmark law which guarantees 100 days of livelihood to rural households. Yet even after a decade of its implementation the Act faces serious challenges to its implementation. While Budget 2017 seemed to have significantly increased allocations to MGNREGA, the Act continues to face a crisis of funds resulting in low wage rates and consistent delay in the payment of wages to beneficiaries. Over the past few years, a team of researchers, including Rajendran, have been measuring the extent of this fund crisis and its impact on wage payments in 10 states. This discussion will share some of their main findings and highlight the reasons behind the delay of funds (including the dynamics between centre-state in determining wage rates), and the impact this will have on livelihood security in rural India.  ​
Dr Rajendran Narayanan is an Assistant Professor in the School of Liberal Studies at Azim Premji University, Bangalore. He completed his Ph.D in mathematical statistics from Cornell University. He has held academic positions in Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, Cornell University, and Ashoka University. Since his Ph.D, he has been an intrinsic member of LibTech India, an informal group of researchers and activists that work on questions of transparency and accountability in MGNREGA and the Public Distribution System. The group works with several civil society organisations in Jharkhand, Bihar, Telangana, and Andhra. As a group, LibTech India tries to understand rural citizen experience in times of technology mediated policy initiatives and aim to create bottom-up, people-driven, “Janata Information Systems (JIS)”. The group hopes that this will lead to continuous monitoring of government programmes, leading to more empowerment and better participatory democracy.

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UNMA, to Select Next Director General on Friday

Geneva – On Friday, 29 June 2018, the Council of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Migration Agency, will convene in Geneva to hold a vote for the election of its next Director General.
IOM’s current Director General, William Lacy Swing, will be stepping down after completing the second of two five-year terms.
Voting member states – of which there will be 171 – will select from among three candidates, each nominated by their home governments. The three candidates are Mr. Ken Isaacs, nominated by the United States, Ms. Laura Thompson, nominated by Costa Rica, and Mr. Antonio Vitorino, nominated by Portugal.
Voting is by secret ballot and will begin Friday morning. Under the rules of procedure, the winning candidate must receive at least two-thirds of all voting states’ ballots.
If no single candidate receives at least a two-thirds majority after the first round of ballots cast, new rounds will follow, with the candidate with the lowest of the three totals being eliminated after the third session. Member states will vote as many times as necessary to declare a winner – that is, when one of the two remaining candidates secures a two-thirds majority.
Established in 1951, IOM has over 10,000 staff and over 400 offices in more than 150 countries. IOM is the UN Migration Agency and is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration. It is committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society.
IOM works with its partners in the international community to assist in meeting operational challenges of migration, advance understanding of migration issues, to encourage social and economic development through migration and to uphold the well-being and human rights of all migrants.
IOM provides services and advice to governments and migrants to help ensure the orderly and humane management of migration, to promote international cooperation on migration issues, to assist in the search for practical solutions to migration problems and to provide humanitarian assistance to migrants in need, including refugees and internally displaced people.
IOM was granted permanent observer status to the UN General Assembly in 1992. A cooperation agreement between IOM and the UN was signed in 1996. IOM joined the UN system as a related organization in September 2016, when the agreement outlined in GA res.70/296 (2016) was signed during the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants.
For further information please contact Leonard Doyle at IOM HQ, Tel: +41 792857123, Email: ldoyle@iom.int 

New immunotherapy technology to India

India-Based APAC Biotech and US-Based Diakonos Research sign a first-of-its-kind technology transfer and licensing agreement to bring new immunotherapy technology to India as an advancement of immuno-oncology therapeutics for solid tumors.
This new path breaking technology effectively targets and activates the tumor antigen specific CTL-response and is differentiated from peer technologies in its ability to generate durable immunological memory.
On the basis of pre-clinical animal data shared by Dr. William Decker and his research team at Baylor College of Medicine, APAC Biotech plans to launch phase II clinical trials in India for advanced brain and pancreatic cancers that have limited treatment options.
“We are committed to accelerating the availability of novel immuno-oncology treatments to patients with high unmet medical needs in India and around the globe,” said Mr. Arun K. Mehra, CEO, APAC Biotech Pvt. Ltd, the new long-term memory potentiation technology is a highly promising, best-in-class cancer immunotherapy anticipated to improve outcomes even further.
APAC management is in talks with large investors for production scale-up of currently approved products and future clinical development trials.

Tour event at the Rambagh Golf Club day one

Bikramjit_Singh_Sandhu.JPG
Arjun Sharma, Bikramjit Singh Sandhu and Gulfam among leading quintet on day one in Jaipur 
Jaipur, June 26, 2018: The first round of the PGTI Feeder Tour event at the Rambagh Golf Club in Jaipur turned out to be a highly competitive one as the lead was shared between five golfers at four-under-66.
The leading quintet consisted of Greater Noida’s Arjun Sharma, Delhi golfers Bikramjit Singh Sandhu and Gulfam, Lucknow’s Amardeep Rawat and Victor Hans of Jalandhar.
Arjun Sharma produced one of the best rounds of his career as he sank an eagle and six birdies at the cost of four bogeys. The highlights of his round were the 20-feet eagle conversion on the 17th and the hat-trick of birdies on the fifth, sixth and seventh which also featured some long putts.
Sharma said, “I haven’t had a great season on the main tour this year but I drew confidence from my top-10 finish at the Feeder Tour event in Karnal last week. My putting was outstanding today.”
Bikramjit Singh Sandhu, the runner-up at the second event of the Feeder Tour season in Faridabad, recovered well after his bogey on the fifth. Sandhu picked up strokes on the sixth and eighth to make the turn at one-under. He then drained three birdie putts from a range of 10 to 30 feet on the back-nine.
Sandhu said, “I created a lot of chances for myself by hitting 15 greens in regulation and landing it close on several occasions. I felt I was rushing through my rounds last week but today I planned it much better and as a result improved on my ball-striking.”
Gulfam, the 2014 Feeder Tour Order of Merit champion, was also in the mix thanks to a round which featured five birdies and a bogey.
Victor Hans produced the only bogey-free round among the leaders while Amardeep Rawat had six birdies and two bogeys.
Sandeep Singh, Chandarjeet Yadav and Hemendra Choudhary were joint sixth with scores of three-under-67.
Gurugram-based Dhruv Sheoran, the Feeder Tour Order of Merit leader, came up with a two-under-68 to be tied ninth.

Annual pilgrimage, ‘Largest-ever security cover’ for Amarnath Yatra’

When the Amarnath pilgrimage  begin, the  vehicles are tagged with electromagnetic chips, bike and bullet-proof SUV police convoys and scores of bullet-proof bunkers have been deployed as part of the “biggest-ever” security blanket thrown to secure pilgrims undertaking the Amarnath Yatra that begins in Jammu and Kashmir from tomorrow.
Over two lakh pilgrims have registered for the annual pilgrimage to the 3,880 metre high cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas till now.
A posse of over 40,000 armed CRPF and state police personnel have virtually dotted the yatra routes from Jammu — via Pahalgam and Baltal — with their overwhelming presence in armoured vehicles.
Forces have deployed a huge assortment of CCTV cameras and drones, assisted by mounted Army columns, to ensure that the yatra route is not breached by terrorists and in case of a possible attack reinforcements reach as fast as possible.
“Each vehicle that has pilgrims and is part of the yatra is being tagged using RFID (radio frequency identification) tags and they will be monitored at a control room made operational here.
“Security forces have been given specific responsibility to sanitise routes and secure a select number of pilgrim vehicles by sandwiching them between bullet proof troop carriers,” a senior security official told PTI.
The CRPF road clearing parties will keep sweeping yatra roads against possible improvised explosive device threats to yatra convoys from early morning till late evening, he said.
The top official added that these arrangements are the “biggest-ever deployment of the security paraphernalia to ensure protection to the annual yatra that comes in the backdrop of a long and turbulent time of violence in the Kashmir Valley.”
The RFID tagging of vehicles concept has been introduced for the first time after taking a lesson from last year’s militant attack on a civil vehicle in Anantnag district that left eight pilgrims dead and several injured.
“Thousands of such tags have been purchased and are being stuck on vehicles. They cost about Rs 72 a piece and they will help give a clear picture to security forces in case a yatra vehicle is lost in the way or takes a wrong route. QRTs will immediately be scarmbled to track such a four-wheeler,” a CRPF officer said. P P Pauly, Commandant of the 73rd battalion of the force, said a control room has been created at his camp in Bemina to track all the RFID-bearing vehicles even as a 100 personnel strong squad has been kept on standby to respond to any untoward incident.
A special desk has been set up at the Srinagar International Airport by the CRPF to register pilgrims and to tag their vehicles from there, in an extension to the exercise that is taking place at the land borders that leads to Jammu and Kashmir. S K Todkar, a devotee from Maharashtra who arrived in the state yesterday, said he and his 10 other family members are “undettered by the fact that a pilgrims’ bus was attacked last year.”
“We are here for the yatra for the third time and we are sure we will finish it successfully. Risk to life by possible terror threats is just one part of the entire Amarnath journey,” Todkar’s father Rambhau said.  — PT

Hostility to religion rising globally

Hostility to religion rising globally, Christians targeted in 144 nations: Pew study

June 26, 2018 by 
U.S., June 22, 2018: New research reveals that religious hostility is on the rise globally, as government-sponsored restrictions and non-state actor assaults on religious practice have grown for the second year in a row.
The Pew Research Center’s ninth annual study, which was released Thursday, on restrictions on religion around the world charted the direction of religious freedom in 198 countries in 2016, and found a notable overall increase from 2015. Whether from government decrees hostile to religious faith or terror groups committing atrocities against religious minorities in their societies, antagonism toward people because of their religion is trending upward.
“More than a quarter (28%) of countries had ‘high’ or ‘very high’ levels of government restrictions on religion in 2016, an increase from 25% the year before. This is the largest share of countries in these categories since 2013,” the report reads.
Nations in these categories scored at least a 4.5 on the Government Restrictions Index, a 10-point scale based on 20 indicators of state policies against religious expression ranging from everything like bans on evangelism to outright physical assaults on religious communities. The landlocked Southeast Asian nation of Laos moved into the “very high” ranking in 2016, for example, because of a new policy that allows the government to halt any religious activity it deems as a threat to its customs or laws.
The percentage of nations who had “high” or “very high” social hostilities involving religion stayed about the same at 27 percent, according to the study. Like the Government Restrictions Index, the Social Hostilities Index the researchers used is a 10-point scale measuring over a dozen social hostilities like inter-religious tension and religion-related terrorism. Countries who scored at least a 3.6 on this scale were classified as “high” or “very high” depending on how they ranked in the other categories measured.
In approximately 10 percent of countries where growing religious hostility and restrictions could be found, the sponsors of it employed overtly nationalist rhetoric, where one’s religion was regarded as somehow detrimental to the nation as a whole.
“[Sixteen percent] of countries in the report had organized social groups that used nationalist rhetoric against religious minorities in the country, an increase from 14% in 2015,” Pew’s Katayoung Kishi noted.
The most targeted religious groups for harassment by government or social groups were Christians and Muslims, the two largest religious groups in the world. Christians faced an uptick in overall social hostility and governemt restrictions in 144 nations in 2016, Muslims in 142 countries.
Egypt, Russia, India, Indonesia and Turkey had the highest overall levels of religious restrictions among the 25 most populous nations on earth. China, which as of 2016 is home to approximately 1.38 billion people, had the highest levels of government restrictions on religion. India, which has a population of 1.32 billion, had the highest levels of social hostilities involving religion.
“Both countries had the highest levels of restrictions in these respective categories, not only among the 25 most populous countries but also in the world at large.”
– christian post

Dalit Question and Understanding Communalism in Uttar Pradesh

June
27
CPR is pleased to invite you to a talk on
Dalit Question and Understanding Communalism in Uttar Pradesh
Prof Sudha Pai, Former Professor of Political Science, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
Wednesday, 27 June 2018, 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Conference Hall, Centre for Policy Research
Image Source
About the Topic
Uttar Pradesh is the state where the most important social and political developments during the past three decades have taken place; the cumulative impact of mobilisation over the implementation of Mandal Commission recommendations, the Ram Janma Bhoomi Babri Masjid (RJBBM) dispute and the Dalit assertion has had all-India implications. Social Change in the state is not only rapid, destabilising power relations, but salient to our understanding of communalism. The importance of Caste and particularly the Dalit Question cannot be overestimated for politics in the State as well as the nation. Prof Pai will anchor her talk in her latest book, Everyday Communalism (2018).
About the Speaker
Prof Sudha Pai is a well-known political scientist, author and columnist. She retired as Professor of Political Science and as Rector (Pro-Vice Chancellor) of the Jawaharlal Nehru University in 2016. Pai has over 35 years of teaching and research experience at Gargi College, Delhi University and at the Jawaharlal Nehru University. At JNU she has taught courses and guided research in the field of Indian Politics and Comparative Politics. Her research interests include Dalit Politics, State Politics in India, Agrarian Politics, Globalisation and Legislative Governance. Pai has students who hold faculty positions in many reputed Universities, the Civil Services, Journalism and NGOs. Everyday Communalism: Riots in Contemporary Uttar Pradesh, OUP, 2018 (co-authored with Sajjan Kumar) is the latest of her many influential books. Her website can be accessed at http://www.sudhapai.com/

SCOTUS upholds Trump’s Muslim ban

Join us.
Earlier today, the Supreme Court upheld Donald Trump’s Muslim ban in a 5-4 decision decided by the Court’s conservative majority.
First, let’s call this ban what it is, Naresh: It is an outright attack on the Muslim community that violates our nation’s commitment to liberty and justice. Not only does the ban violate our values — it also makes us less safe and threatens our position as a beacon of freedom for the world.
This isn’t the only terrible Supreme Court ruling that has come down recently. In June alone, this conservative court allowed Ohio to suppress votes by purging its voter rolls, upheld gerrymandering in Texas, and allowed anti-choice “crisis pregnancy centers” to continue lying to women in California.
Let’s not forget: All of these 5-4 decisions are happening because, in 2016, Republicans used their Senate majority to block President Obama from appointing Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court. They stole a Supreme Court seat from President Obama — and if we let them win this November, Republicans could seal a conservative majority on the Supreme Court for decades. We need to do everything we can to regain a Democratic majority in the Senate, and we need to do it NOW. So I’m asking:
Will you fight back now and chip in $3 to elect Democrats nationwide? Taking back the Senate in 2018 and the White House in 2020 is the only way to take back our judiciary from conservative extremists.

MEDIA INVITATION PICTURE N KRAFT

MEDIA INVITATION
PICTURE N KRAFT
On behalf of
Dr. K N Raghavan, Commissioner Mumbai Central CGST Commissionerate
Cordially seek your gracious presence
At the book launch of
“DIVIDING LINES”
Contours of the India- China Discord
Author- Dr. K N Raghavan, Commissioner Mumbai Central CGST Commissionerate
Chief Guest- Sh. S M Krishna – Ex. Minister of External Affairs and a Bollywood A lister
On the panel would be – Jabin Jacob – Senior China Analyst, Uday Bhaskar – Retd. Comodore, Indian Navy, Srikanth Kondapalli – Prof. Chinese Studies, JNU, Swarup Nanda – CEO Leadstart Publishing 
We seek the pleasure of your presence
Date & Time- 27th June, 2018 on Wednesday from  6:00- 8:30 pm.
Venue- The Leela, Andheri Kurla Road, Sahar, Andheri East, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400059

Khoj International Artists’

Join us this Friday for Voice from the Margins + ongoing open calls

IN THIS EMAIL:

  • Friday, 29 June: Voices from the Margins
  • Open call: the first Artists for Artists Grant, supported by Subodh Gupta and Bharti Kher
  • Call for Applications: Khoj Fellow 2018

VOICES FROM THE MARGINS

Friday 29 June 2018, 6:00 pm at Khoj Studios
Khoj is pleased to present the display of Voices from the Margins. Voices from the Margins is a community arts initiative by Khoj and Global One to One (USA), supported by World Learning (USA) as a part of their ongoing global project Communities Connecting Heritage. The project aims to foster learning through mutual appreciation of cultural heritage by creating a network of youth representatives from diverse communities.
Join us for performances, videos, food and artwork created collaboratively by the groups from Khirkee and New Mexico over four months of virtual exchanges and two weeks of in-person exchanges.
This programme is made possible by the support of World Learning and the US Department of State.

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: ARTISTS FOR ARTISTS GRANT

Application deadline: 31 July 2018Khoj is pleased to announce the open call for the inaugural edition of the Artists for Artists grant, to be awarded to a young artist working with material practice. This edition of the grant will be supported by Subodh Gupta and Bharti Kher, founding and current board members of Khoj.
For more details and to apply

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS:  KHOJ FELLOW 2018

Application deadline: 31 July 2018Khoj International Artists’ Association invites applications for a Fellow working in the Programme & Curatorial team for a period of 6 months, beginning in August 2018. The Fellowship at Khoj is a full – time position (5 days a week) and is a serious opportunity for aspiring art managers and curators to work with the Khoj programme team.
For more details and to apply

ABOUT KHOJ

Khoj International Artists’ Association is a not- for-profit, contemporary art organisation based in New Delhi, which provides physical, intellectual and financial support for artists and creative practitioners

Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan “I Pledge for 9” Achievers Award”

Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan “I Pledge for 9” Achievers Award
Friday 29 July The Oval, Hyatt Regency,New Delhi  4.30 pm
India has made impressive progress in reducing maternal deaths, achieving the targets of MDG 5. The government’s efforts at improving access to maternal health services leading to increase in institutional births has significantly contributed to groundbreaking reduction in Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) by 22 percent from 2013 levels. Furthering the gain, Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) launched in 2016 with the highest level of political commitment is a mission in advancing India’s course of achieving Sustainable Development Goals for MMR below 70 by 2030.
In this context, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India is organizing PMSMA “I Pledge for 9”Achievers Award to felicitate the exemplary services of individuals & teams, outstanding support of institutions and highest commitment from partners in achieving the mission’s objectives of safe motherhood to every woman in the country in the presence of Hon’ble Minster of Healhhth and Family Welfare, Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda and other senior Government representatives.
You are cordially invited to attend the awards function and interact with the awardees

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PMSMA ‘IPledgefor9’ ACHIEVERS AWARDS

Greetings,
Please find attached the agenda for the the MMR Decline Awards and PMSMA ‘IPledgefor9’ Achievers awards ceremony scheduled on 29th June 2018  from 4:00 pm onwards at Hotel Hyatt Regency in New Delhi.

PMSMA ‘IPledgefor9’ ACHIEVERS AWARDS
Hotel Hyatt, New Delhi, 29th June, 2018
Agenda
4:00 – 5:00 pmRegistration and seating in Oval Hall
5:00 – 5:05 pmWelcoming dignitaries on dais 
5:05- 5:10 pmWelcome AddressMs. Vandana Gurnani
JS (RCH)
5:10 – 5:15 pmVideo on Good Practices of PMSMA
5:15- 5:20 pmOverview of the PMSMAMs. Preeti Sudan
Secretary (HFW)
5:20 -5:25 pmCommitment to PMSMA – FOGSIDr. Jaideep Malhotra
President, FOGSI
5:25 – 5:30 pmCommitment to PMSMA – IMADr. Ravi Wankhedkar
National President, IMA
5:30 – 5:35 pmAddressDr. Vinod Paul
Member, NITI Aayog
5:35 – 5:40 pmAddressSmt. Anupriya Patel
Hon’ble Minister of State (HFW)
5:40 – 5:45 pmAddressShri. Ashwini Kumar Choubey
Hon’ble Minister of State (HFW)
5:45 – 5:55 pmRelease of
·         PMSMA achievers: Hall of Fame
·         ‘Find your nearest PMSMA facility’ – mobile app
·         JSSK Film (5 minutes)
Shri J. P. Nadda
Hon’ble Union Minister for
Health & Family Welfare
5:55 –6:05 pmAwards to States for Reduction in MMR (8 Awards)
6:05 – 6:40 pmPMSMA Awards
1.      18 Awards to States/ UTs
2.      Felicitation of IMA & FOGSI (2)
3.      36 Awards to private practitioners
6:40 – 6:55 pmAddress – Hon’ble Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare – Shri. J.P. Nadda
6:55 -7:00 pmVote of ThanksJS (P)
7: 00 pm onwards – Dinner

ECP extends polling time

 Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) extended on Friday the time for polling in the July 25 general election in order to ensure the maximum participation of voters, according to a statement by the commission.
As per the revised timings, polling will now be held from 8am to 6pm, for a total of 10 hours without any recess.
Sources said this is the first time the polling duration has been extended across the board in the country’s electoral history.
Interestingly, the ECP rejected on Wednesday Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) request to extend polling time for the upcoming election.

Melorra set to accelerate its reach across 25,000+ pin codes


~ Strong demand for fashion inspired fine jewellery coupled with a strong distribution line ensures that sales clock from across the country ~ 
New Delhi, 28.06.2018: Melorra, India’s first fashion inspired fine jewellery brand has branched out to 25,000+ pin codes and is ready to expand its presence in the country to bridge the gap between jewellery and fashion. Modern day consumers demand contemporary looks which allow them to stand out from the crowd. This increasing demand to appear fashion conscious has paved the way for Melorra to expand their realms across the country catering to a wider audience. Melorra is one of the fastest growing fashion inspired fine and lightweight gold jewellery brand that styles jewellery for the contemporary wardrobe inspired by fashion trends.
Melorra has a strong presence in Tier 1 cities and has recently enhanced its accessibility across smaller pockets of the country. Banking upon its strong distribution line the brand allows consumers to enjoy the luxury of home delivery in the fine jewellery space. From Itanagar to Kanyakumari, Melorra offers Cash on Delivery to all pin codes in India and aims to reach more pin codes in the coming year. Melorra has rapidly expanded and made a mark in the Indian jewellery segment with a high net promoter score (NPS) of 50+. One of its key success factors are global runway trends that its makes a debut in India with the brand’s fine jewellery creations. Melorra aims for customer satisfaction in all aspects from quality to style and closely works with fashion stylists and jewellery designers to meet the changing wardrobe needs of a modern woman.
Commenting on the brand’s growth Ms. Saroja Yeramili CEO & Founder ofMelorra.com, “Melorra was conceptualized to disrupt the Indian jewellery segment. Traditionally the Indian jewellery market is heavily dominated by traditional jewellery pieces which cannot be adapted to suit modern day casual or workwear restricting the option to wear fine jewellery. Melorra aims to redefine the dynamics of everyday gold jewellery by creating fashion inspired/ forward master pieces that endeavours to amplify the country’s fashion quotient.” 
The brand enjoys immense consumer satisfaction due to their superior quality products, promptness and service levels. Melorra is the only jewellery brand to have invested in the latest CAD (Computer Aided Design) technology, enabling high precision and accuracy to execute & convert computer sketches into virtual 3D models. The models are then rendered with real material input. Equipped with the latest technology, Melorra leads the modern gold jewellery space with marque collections for any outfit. It is also one of the leading jewellery brands that showcases 12 different collections in a year to excite the consumers with their edgy and fashionable fine jewellery to keep up with the changing wardrobe. 
About Melorra:
Established in 2016, Melorra is a fashion forward fine and lightweight jewellery brand that styles for the contemporary wardrobe. The brand caters to the changing wardrobe needs of today’s women. Global runway trends make their debut in Melorra’s creations, as the brand’s global fashionistas spot the styles that will make the cut for contemporary fashion scene across global runways, like Paris and Milan. The designs are curated from the fashion trends which inspire modern women. Melorra is one of the first to introduce CAD (Computer Aided Design) technology; a digital equivalent of making masterpiece jewellery in the physical world. The brand uses 100% 3D printing to provide an accurate and elegant finish.  Melorra crafts jewellery designs in line with the global fashion trends week on week and ships to over 25,000+ pin codes across the country. The gold jewellery is hallmarked and diamonds have passed the SGL, IGI and DGLA certification. The designs are created with precision and are available at its portal melorra.com with a 30 day money back guarantee and life time exchanges. 

Thanks & Regards
Shradha Nischal
Executive- Brand Communications
Madison Public Relations
38 | Okhla Industrial Estate | Phase-III | New Delhi – 110020
M: 9953557322 | O: 011 40551634 | Fax: 011 41002566
E: Shradha.nischal@madisonpr.in



Quick reply to Shradha Nischal

DTF 3 days Study Class on Esoteric

Dear Brothers & Sisters,
Delhi Theosophical Federation is conducting 3 days Study Class on  “Esoteric teachings in the Bhagavad Gita” from 6 to 8 July,2018, in which three books will be covered as per following Program:
PROGRAMME:
DAY 1 JULY 06,2018 FRIDAY
 9.30 AM – 10.30 AM: Registration & Tea
10.30 AM – 11.30 AM SESSION 1- Universal Prayer, Welcome Address & Inauguration by President followed by  Introduction & Chapter I of the book  “Hints on the Study of the Bhagavad Gita” by Annie Besant – Speaker: Br.U.S. Pandey
11.30 AM – 12.30 PM  SESSION 2: Chapter II of yhe book- Speaker: Br. S.K.Pandey
12.30 PM –  2 PM LUNCH
 2 PM – 3 PM SESSION 3:  Chapter III of the book- Speaker: Br U.S. Pandey
 3 PM – 4 PM  SESSION 4: Chapter IV of the book- Speaker: Br. S.K.Pandey
 4 PM:    TEA
DAY 2. JULY 07, 2018, SATURDAY
9.30 AM – 10.30 AM: Tea
10.30 AM – 11.30 AM SESSION 1-  Chapter I of the book  “Philosophy of the Bahagavad Gita” by T. Subba Row” – Speaker: Br.S.K. Pandey
11.30 AM – 12.30 PM  SESSION 2: Chapter II- Speaker: Br.U.S. Pandey
12.30 PM –  2 PM LUNCH
 2 PM – 3 PM SESSION 3:  Chapter III of the book- Speaker: Br S.K. Pandey
 3 PM – 4 PM  SESSION 4: Chapter IV- Speaker: Br.U.S.Pandey
 4 PM-  TEA
DAY 3 JULY 08, 2018, SUNDAY
9.30 AM – 10.00 AM: Tea
10.00 AM – 11.30 AM SESSION 1-  Chapter 1 to 9 of the book  “Notes on the Bhagavad Gita” by W.Q. Judge – Speaker: Br.U.S.Pandey
11.30 AM –  1.00 PM SESSION 2: Chapter 10 to 18 – Speaker: Br.S.K. Pandey
1.00 PM –    Closing followed by LUNCH
THE SESSIONS WILL INCLUDE TALK FOR FIRST 45 MINUTES AND LAST 15 MINUTES WILL BE RESERVED FOR INTERACTIVE SESSION
Contributory Lunch @ Rs 100 per day per person will be provided.
All are requested to attend with family & friends.
With fraternal greetings,

Roundtable Japan, in Tokyo on July 19-20, 2018

Dear Naresh Sagar:
We are thrilled to share the latest about the upcoming edition of  Roundtable Japan, which will take place in Tokyo on July 19-20, 2018 (Roundtable Japan).
 
Latest speakers confirmations include: Seiko Noda, Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications, Teru Sato, Founder and Managing Partner, BeeNext, Tomohiko Taniguchi, Special Adviser, Prime Minister’s Cabinet, Kazumasa Iwata, President, Japan Center for Economic Research, Shoei Yamana, President and CEO, Konica Minolta, Inc., Oki Matsumoto, Chairman & CEO, Monex Group, Inc., Akihiko Tamura, Commissioner, Japan Tourism Agency, Alicia Garcia Herrero, Chief Economist, Natixis Asia Pacific. You can also find the latest program and list of confirmed speakers at the link above. 
Over the last 13 years, Roundtable Japan  – an initiative of Forma Corporation and Smadja & Smadja – has gathered a group of reform-minded individuals in Japan. The number of participants is limited to 150 to ensure critical mass of relevant business and political interlocutors, but small enough to allow for genuine discussion in a very interactive, brainstorming format. Roundtable Japan is a unique platform allowing companies to understand the challenges and opportunities facing the country and the businesses operating in or with the country.
 
Your participation in the 14th Roundtable Japan on 19-20 July 2018 in Tokyo will bring you valuable insights on what is currently affecting the heartbeat of Japan’s economy feeding your business strategy and the opportunity to be part of a productive dialogue on Japan’s future. The Roundtable will bring together Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament and top business leaders from Japanese corporations as well as foreign companies operating in Japan, thus offering numerous possibilities to create new business relationships, and affect the course of discussions.
 
This year’s theme is, “Changing mindsets in a world of disruptions”
We hope you will find this of interest and that you will be able to join us in Tokyo. 
 

I am obviously at your disposal to answer any question you may have.
Best Regards,
Yael Smadja
CEO
Smadja & Smadja
404 East 76th street
New York, NY 10021
T. +1 212 759 6000       

‘Regional Consultation on Electoral and Political reforms – Southern Region’

Dear Friends,
It gives us immense pleasure to invite you for the ‘Regional Consultation on Electoral and Political reforms – Southern Region’, being organised by Tamil Nadu Election Watch in association with Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), on 30th June, 2018, Saturday, at 09:30 AM at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) – Madras. 
We are holding the consultation to discuss feasibility of simultaneous elections, increasing concerns of electoral malpracticesopacity in political financing and its effect on governance, accelerating cost of elections, among other challenges.
 Through this discussion, we aim to deliberate on issues related to electoral and political reforms in the country, specific to the Southern Regions of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry. Kindly find attached the Agenda for your ready reference.
You are cordially invited to participate in the discussion.  
Yours sincerely,
Prof. Sudarsan Padmanabhan
Trustee – NEW & ADR
Coordinator – Tamil Nadu Election Watch,
044-2257 426
+91 94447 82884
Maj. Gen. Anil Verma (Retd.),
Head – NEW & ADR
011-4165 4200,
+91 88264 79910
Prof. Jagdeep Chhokar
IIM Ahmedabad (Retd.)
Founder Member – NEW & ADR
+91 99996 20944;jchhokar@gmail.com
Prof. Trilochan Sastry
IIM Bangalore
Founder Member NEW & ADR
+91 94483 53285;trilochan@iimb.ac.in
  RSVP:  Lakshmi Sriram – 99108 07423adr@adrindia.org
Association for Democratic Reforms
T-95, C.L. House, 2nd Floor,
(Near Gulmohar Commercial Complex)
Gautam Nagar
New Delhi-110 049
M: +91 8010394248 
T: +91 11 41654200
F: 011 4609 4248
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