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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
·
16h
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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22h
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
·
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
geo.tv
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Naresh Kumar Sagar
Naresh Kumar Sagar
@Nksagar
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Jun 20
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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Erdogan again elected president

Sagar Media Inc : Tweet of Erdogan again is elected president and his AkParty, Ankara celebration mood with Ks dance on streets. Is it enforced. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan  Devam! 🇹🇷 Recep Tayyip Erdoğan  Balkondayız
Sagar Media Inc – Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is leading the polls with more than 90 percent of ballot boxes opened. But observers and opposition parties have warned of irregularities at polling stations across the country.
State media reported that Recep Tayyip Erdogan had picked up 52.8 percent of the vote with more than 95 percent of the ballot boxes opened. His nearest rival, Muharrem Ince, garnered 30.8 percent.
Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) picked up 42 percent of the vote with more than half of the ballots counted in the parliamentary elections. The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has so far garnered 23 percent.
The pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) has picked 11 percent, just making it to enter parliament. Voter turnout was 87.5 percent for the presidential and parliamentary elections.
But the CHP has accused state media of manipulating public perception by publishing figures, saying that only a fraction of ballots cast have even been entered into the electoral commission’s vote counting database.
“Don’t believe the figures you see on the TV screens, even if the number of boxes opened reached 100 percent,” said CHP lawmaker Mustafa Balbay. “It’s vital that we see the number of valid votes.”
Erdogan on way to be President of Turkey as 60 percent of votes counted. The recipients are following R Recep Tayyip Erdogan: 55.88 percent Muharrem Ince: 28.97 percent Meral Aksener: 7.45 percent. Selahattin Demirtas: 6.49 percent.
Turkey poll on 20 ℅ of count Erdogan leading as per media report. Three opposition leaders killed and monitor were absent irregularities are reported in today Turkey poll as per media report.
Erdogan, who has led the country over the past 15 years, has been reelected.
The victory gives him more power than ever under new constitutional provisions.
Vote counting in Sunday’s presidential election is almost complete, with Erdogan garnering more than 52 percent.
Erdogan said on Sunday night at a news conference that the Turkish people have shown the way the nation should take, and that he would move forward with them.
The constitution was amended in April last year to abolish the post of prime minister and concentrate power in the presidency. The new constitution will take effect now that the election is over.
Erdogan has been criticized in and out of the country for his increasingly heavy-handed style of governing.
He’s known to be a vocal critic of Western countries.
On Syrian issues, he leaned toward Russia and Iran which hold different views from Western countries.
With his enhanced power, Erdogan is expected to have a significant influence on the region.NHK
 @dwnews 
Shortly after polls opened, reports of voting irregularities emerged, including multiple instances in which election monitors were arrested or kept away from polling stations. #Secim2018
 Media agencies

WALMART FLIPKART DEAL- CAIT HOLD 1000 PROTEST SIT IN

To strongly oppose Walmart Flipkart Deal,  the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) will hold protest Dharna across the Country on 2nd July approximately at 1000 places in different cities in different States. Walmart Flipkart Deal will lead to retail slavery in the Country – said CAIT
The CAIT has demanded the Government to reject the deal and frame an e commerce policy and a Regulatory Authority for e Commerce to regulate & monitor
 CAIT National President Mr. B.C. Bhartia & Secretary General Mr. Praveen Khandelwal 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,
They 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.

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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

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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/
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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State Wise Analysis of Election Expenditure and Vote Share

ADR and NEW have analysed the election expenditure and vote share of 4087 out of 4120 sitting MLAs. Analysis of Election Expenditure for Meghalaya and Karnataka have not been included in the above analysis as their data was not available at the time of making this report.
In 2014, as per the instructions from the Govt. of India, the Election Commission of India revised the election expenditure limit for candidates contesting for Lok /Rajya Sabha and Assembly elections. For Larger states, the limit for assembly elections was revised from Rs. 16 lakhs to Rs. 28 Lakhs, whereas for the smaller states, it was increased from Rs. 8 Lakhs to Rs. 20 Lakhs. It is to be noted that this report has been generated keeping the assigned expenditure limit during the year when the particular State Assembly Elections were held.              
Summary and Highlights
Analysis on the basis of election expenditure
v  MLAs from 11 states namely Kerala, Tripura, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Mizoram, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Assam, and Bihar have spent more than 50 % of the expenditure limit.
v  Among the States, which have gone for elections in the last 5 years (2013-2018), it has been observed that the maximum amount of expenditure by the MLAs has been done for the vehicles used for the campaign. They have spent only 5% on the campaigning through print and electronic media.
Analysis on the basis of Vote Share
v  None of the political parties/ alliances of political parties forming the government have won with more than 55% of vote share.
v  Arunachal Pradesh has the highest vote share i.e. 53.1% while Jharkhand has the lowest i.e. 31.2 %.
v  Besides Arunachal Pradesh, there are 4 other states namely Gujarat, Tripura, Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh where the political parties/ alliances of political parties forming the government have won with more than 50 % of vote share.
Analysis on the basis of cases related to Electoral Malpractices
v  Out of 1356 MLAs with declared criminal cases, 128 have declared cases related to electoral malpractices such as bribery (171E), undue influence or personation at an election (171F and 171 C), illegal payments in connection with elections (171 H) etc.
v  Bihar has the highest number of MLAs i.e. 38 who have declared cases related to electoral malpractices, followed by 20 MLAs from Karnataka and 18 MLAs from Uttar Pradesh.
v  95(74%) out these 128 MLAs have won with more than 40 % of vote share.
Contact Details


National Election Watch/Association for Democratic Reforms

Media and Journalist Helpline

+91 80103 94248
Maj.Gen. Anil Verma (Retd)
Head
National Election Watch,
Association for Democratic Reforms
011 4165 4200,
+91 88264 79910
adr@adrIndia.org,
Prof Jagdeep Chhokar
IIM Ahmedabad (Retd.)
Founder Member,
National Election Watch, Association for Democratic
Reforms
+91 99996 20944

Prof Trilochan Sastry
IIM Bangalore
Founder Member,
National Election Watch,
Association for Democratic Reforms
+91 94483 53285


Association for Democratic Reforms
T-95, C.L. House, 2nd Floor,
(Near Gulmohar Commercial Complex)
Gautam Nagar
New Delhi-110 049

Jalalabad blast kills 20 people

ISIS takes responsibility for Jalalabad blast in Afghanistan that claimed the lives of 17 Sikhs. the latest updates.
 – ISIS takes responsibility for Jalalabad blast in Afghanistan that claimed the lives of 17 Sikhs. 
Saleha Soadat journalist tweets, Afghanistan: A suicide bomber blew himself in Jalalabad city killing at least 20 people. Most of the victims were members of the Sikh & Hindu minority groups. Awtar Singh Khalsa, Sikh candidate for the October parliamentary elections also dead. Suicide bomber targets vehicle carrying members of the Sikh community in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, killing at least 19 and wounding 20. First major attack on country’s Sikh minority, another tweets.
Suicide bomber made an explosion hit the center of the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad on Sunday, killing at least 20 people, including several members of the small Sikh minority, provincial government officials said.
The blast, hours after President Ashraf Ghani had opened a hospital in Jalalabad, damaged shops and buildings around Mukhaberat square in the city, said governor’s spokesman Attaullah Khogyani.
A politician representing the minority Sikh community was killed in the blast. Officials said Awtar Singh Khalsa, who had planned to stand in October’s parliamentary elections, was dead.
Ghulam Sanayi Stanekzai, police chief of Nangarhar said the explosion was caused by a suicide bomber who targeted a vehicle carrying members of the Sikh minority who were traveling to meet the president. Officials said at least 10 of the dead were Sikhs.
Officials said the casualty total might have been even higher had much of the city not been blocked off for Ghani’s visit. He was not in the area when the blast occurred.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, the latest in a series to have hit Jalalabad, the provincial capital of Nangarhar, where Daesh fighters have established a strong presence in recent years.
The attack underlined the fragile security situation in Afghanistan after last month’s brief ceasefire between government forces and the Taliban.
The three-day truce did not include Daesh, which fights both government forces and the Taliban and which has shown no sign of letting up its campaign of violence.

Accountability Court hearing Nawaz Sharif & family

The accountability court hearing the Avenfield properties reference against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family resumed the proceedings on Monday.
Nawaz and his family are facing three corruption cases in the accountability court after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed references against them in light of the Supreme Court’s verdict in the Panama Papers case last year.
As the hearing went under way, the defence counsel for Nawaz’s daughter Maryam and son-in-law Capt (Retd) Safdar, Amjad Pervez, resumed presenting final arguments in the case.
During the hearing, the defence counsel will submit another exemption request on behalf of Nawaz and Maryam as the two are in London tending to Begum Kulsoom Nawaz.
The counsel will also submit an updated medical report of Nawaz’s wife detailing reasons for the former premier’s delay in returning to the country.
Previously, Nawaz’s counsel Khawaja Haris had presented final arguments in the case. The court has also summoned Federal Investigation Agency Additional Director Wajid Zia, who headed the Panama case joint investigation team, on July 3 for the Al-Azizia Steel Mills reference.
The trial against the Sharif family had commenced on September 14, 2017.
The corruption references, filed against the Sharifs, pertain to the Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metal Establishment, offshore companies including Flagship Investment Limited, and Avenfield properties of London.
Nawaz and his sons, Hussain and Hasan, are accused in all three references whereas his daughter Maryam and son-in-law Safdar are accused in the Avenfield reference only.
The two brothers, based abroad, have been absconding since the proceedings began last year and were declared proclaimed offenders by the court.
The court originally had a deadline of six months which ended in mid-March but was extended for two months after the judge requested the apex court.
Later, the deadline was extended twice more, with the new date falling somewhere around July 10 now.

WHY TO BLAME TRADERS FOR NOT ISSUING BILLS

01st  July, 2018
WHY TO BLAME TRADERS FOR NOT ISSUING BILLS. IT’S CONSUMER WHO
AVOID BILL DUE TO HIGHER TAXES
TRADERS UPBEAT ON ONE YEAR COMPLETION OF GST
SOUGHT SIMPLIFICATION & RATIONALISATION OF GST
Traders across the Country today observed GST Day on one year completion of GST in India under the umbrella of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT).The one year completion of GST in the Country is having mixed reactions from traders who are the real carriers of GST. For initial six month the traders face several problems on account of glitches in GST portal as also repeated changes in the Rules but now the situation has improved but still traders feel that there is great scope for further simplification of tax structure-said CAIT.
CAIT National President Mr BC Bhartia & Secretary General Mr Praveen Khandelwal said strongly refuted the blame on traders that they do not issue Bills and avoid taxes. It’s an open fact that most of the times it is the consumer who avoid taking Bills as he don’t want to pay tax may be due to high rates. It’s necessary to educate consumers to pay taxes and tax rates should be brought down.
Both Mr Bhartia & Mr Khandelwal said that traders feel upbeat over availability of input credit, got rid from multiple taxes and multiple Authorities and virtually no interaction with the tax officials which has reduced corruption under GST. These features make GST a unique taxation system.
Mr Bhartia & Mr Khandelwal suggested that instead of monthly returns, quarterly returns be prescribed on Form 3B, refunds should be automatically processed to bank account of traders, e way Bill should be allowed only on inter-state sales and not intra-state transactions, only two slab of tax rates,  inter-state sales should be allowed in composition scheme, re-classification of goods, HSN code be made applicable only on manufacturers and not on traders are few of the steps which will make ease of doing business under GST. It will also be good if a GST Lokpal is constituted for disposal of grievances in a transparent & impartial manner. Items like Auto Parts, Cement, Paint , Marble should be taken out from slab of 28 % and be categorised under lower slab.

Andres Iniesta, announced retirement

Andres Iniesta, announced his retirement from international football after Spain’s shock defeat has played  world cups,2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018
Andres Iniesta,  gave Spain their first World Cup ever. You are irreplaceable. Legend
FIFA World Cup, which it did at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, in South Africa, the first time the team had reached the final.

  India’s external debt stands at about USD 530 billion at end March 2018

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India’s external debt stands at about USD 530 billion at end March 2018, recording an increase of US$ 58.4 billion over its level at end-March 2017. At end-March 2018, India’s external debt witnessed an increase of 12.4 per cent over its level at end-March 2017, primarily on account of an increase in commercial borrowings, short-term debt and non-resident Indian (NRI) deposits. The increase in the magnitude of external debt was partly due to valuation loss resulting from the depreciation of the US dollar against major currencies. The external debt to GDP ratio stood at 20.5 per cent at end-March 2018, higher than its level of 20.0 per cent at end-March 2017.

Major highlights pertaining to India’s external debt at end-March 2018 are presented below:

Ø  At end-March 2018, India’s external debt was placed at US$ 529.7 billion, recording an increase of US$ 58.4 billion over its level at end-March 2017
Ø  Valuation loss due to the depreciation of the US dollar vis-à-vis major currencies (viz., euro, SDR, Japanese yen and pound sterling) was placed at US$ 5.2 billion. Excluding the valuation effect, the increase in external debt would have been US$ 53.1 billion instead of US$ 58.4 billion at end-March 2018 over end-March 2017
Ø  Commercial borrowings continued to be the largest component of external debt with a share of 38.2 per cent, followed by NRI deposits (23.8 per cent) and short-term trade credit (19.0 per cent).
Ø  At end-March 2018, long-term debt (with original maturity of above one year) was placed at US$ 427.5 billion, recording an increase of US$ 44.3 billion over its level at end-March 2017.
Ø  The share of long-term debt (original maturity) in total external debt at end-March 2018 was 80.7 per cent, lower than its level of 81.3 per cent at end-March 2017.
Ø  The share of short-term debt (with original maturity of up to one year) in total external debt increased to 19.3 per cent at end-March 2018 from 18.7 per cent at end-March 2017. The ratio of short-term debt (original maturity) to foreign exchange reserves increased to 24.1 per cent at end-March 2018 (23.8 per cent at end-March 2017).
Ø  Short-term debt on a residual maturity basis (i.e., debt obligations that include long-term debt by original maturity falling due over the next twelve months and short-term debt by original maturity) constituted 42.0 per cent of total external debt at end-March 2018 (41.6 per cent at end-March 2017) and stood at 52.3 per cent of foreign exchange reserves (53.0 per cent at end-March 2017)
Ø  US dollar denominated debt continued to be the largest component of India’s external debt with a share of 49.5 per cent at end-March 2018, followed by the Indian rupee (35.8 per cent), SDR (5.5 per cent), Japanese yen (4.8 per cent) and euro (3.4 per cent).
Ø  The borrower-wise classification shows that the outstanding debt of both government and non-government sectors increased at end-March 2018
Ø  Debt service payments declined to 7.5 per cent of current receipts at end-March 2018 

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50th Foundation Day celebrations of WAPCOS

50th Foundation Day celebrations of WAPCOS celebrated on 3-7-2018 at 10:30 AM at Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra,Chanakya puri.New Delhi transcending boundaries touch lives, presence in critical regions around the globe.DhKiHtlXcAUTh0o.jpg
Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenatio, Shri Nitin Gadkari is the  chief guest at the 50th Foundation Day Celebration of WAPCOS.
Minister said WAPCOS not has made me proud but the nation proud with its action and  its achievements to carry out such prestigious projects and its discipline character has helped nation transform many nations to is way to prosperity which was also visibly by the massive participation which supported their work carried out.
Those present included, the eminent minister dignitaries, Ambassadors, senates from the states were, DyMinister of Energy and water from Afghanistan, Senate member,Minister of Energy & Mines of Burundi, Minister of energy Burundi, Water Minister from Ghana and Congo, Minister of Justice and Minister of Mines & Energy of Liberia and many High commissioner and Ambassadors of various countries participated on the foundation day.
Union Ministers of State for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal said the MEA Sushma Swaraj has said the company workers and management team work like an army personnel.
Dr. Satya Pal Singh  graced the occasion and in his address said we want to see the company grow to its glory in years centuries to come.

Shri U.P. Singh, Secretary, Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation is also  present on the occasion.

WAPCOS was incorporated as a Public Sector Enterprise in 1969 by the Government of India with meager capital of million rupee now it is 310Cr Miniratana wiith profit touching Rs1100Cr It is a  techno-commercial organization under the aegis of Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.
 WAPCOS  in consultancy has done  Survey & Investigation/Pre-Feasibility/DPRs for more than 550 Projects in Irrigation, Water Resources and  Agricultural etc.
The company has successfully completed/on-going consultancy assignments in countries covering Asia, Africa, Middle East, and the Pacific Islands and is operating in more than 45 Countries, at present.
With changing technology each moment, Wapcos is emerging from its inception along with pace of technology at costing to its lowest is well equipped with viable projects for underdeveloped countries. Grown as an exclusive government run, Indian company, working at home and in nearly fifty countries around the world with dedicated team of professionals, tenacity,ductility,  a true Indian multinational with footprints across the globe in line with Government of India’s flagship programmers on “Skill India” and “Make in India”.
The company has successfully undertaken some of the most challenging projects in inhospitable circumstances around the world; e.g. Afghan-India Friendship (Salma) Dam Project, Afghanistan.  WAPCOS today has emerged as one of India’s best performing “Mini Ratna-I” CPSE.
WAPCO has to its credit   in development of over 15 Million Ha irrigation potential; more than 200 projects in ports and inland navigation; over 500 projects in water supply and sanitation, rural and urban development, roads and highway engineering amassing its value and potential in various sectors.
Hydro-Power sector; WAPCOS has completed almost 52 Hydro-Power Projects in 19 countries with an installed capacity of more than 20,500 MW; over 105 Hydro Power Projects in India with an installed capacity of more than 9,000 MW
Thermal Power project, the Company has successfully completed 12 overseas projects with installed capacity of more than 2,900 MW and 37 projects in India with an installed capacity of more than 12,000 MW.
While in Transmission & Distribution WAPCOS has accomplished more than 14 Projects in India and Abroad.

Former Prime Minister of Kenya calls on PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met H. E. Mr. Raila Odinga, Former Prime Minister and the Leader of Opposition in Kenya, in New Delhi today.
Prime Minister Modi fondly recalled their long association, going back over a decade when he had visited Kenya as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. Mr. Odinga also warmly recalled his earlier visits to India in 2009 and 2012.
The two leaders discussed the progress in India-Kenya relations in recent years, as well as regional and global issues of mutual interest.

Austria ‘to protect southern borders’

Vienna is prepared to take measures to protect its southern borders if an immigration deal within Germany’s coalition goes into effect, the Austrian government said on Tuesday. Austria was responding to a deal reached late on Monday between German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) and her partners in Bavaria’s Christian Social Union (CSU), settling a row over immigration that had threatened to topple the German government. Under the deal, migrants who have already applied for asylum in other EU countries will be held in transit centers on the border while Germany negotiates bilateral deals for their return. “Should this agreement become the German government’s position, we see that as prompting us to take action to prevent negative consequences for Austria and its population,” Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said in a joint statement with two far-right members of his cabinet.

Wild Boar Football team missing found deep-water cave Pattaya


FIFA World Cup yielded many apparent divine interventions, a real-world miracle has happened in Thailand, when all players in a children’s squad and their coach, who had spent nine days in a flooded cave, were found alive.
The sudden and almost trace-less disappearance of the Wild Boar football team in northern Thailand on June 23 had kept the whole island nation on its toes for nine days, with parents and those who were glued to TV updates fearing the worst.
Its more than a week of no news and fading hopes, two British divers, part of an international team of rescuers involved in the effort, reached the so-called Pattaya Beach deep-water cave, where the boys and their mentor were holing up, on Monday.
 Further Thai Navy SEALs,  leading the large-scale search and rescue operation, posted a heartwarming video on its FB page, showing the moment the British divers first saw the frail-looking boys, crammed on a narrow ledge in complete darkness.
“How many of you?” one of the rescuers said in English. As the cave’s prisoners respond that all 13 of them were there, the rescue is seen exclaiming: “Thirteen? Brilliant!” As the boys are thanking their finders, the divers had to upset them, revealing that their ordeal is not yet over.
“We are coming, it’s OK, many people are coming … we are the first,” the diver says.
With the whole country and especially the boys’ relatives breathing a sigh of relief after days of suspense, the most challenging work has now begun.
The rescuers will wait till the water goes down, which is difficult to predict as heavy rains –that are set to continue– are hampering efforts to pump out water from around the refuge. In case it proves impossible for the moment, the rescuers may try to teach the boys how to dive so they can leave the cave by themselves, according to Capt. Akanand Surawan from the Royal Navy.

When Should We Trust Artificial Intelligence?

 Seminar @ Brookings India: When Should We Trust Artificial Intelligence?

Development Seminar | When Should We Trust Artificial Intelligence?
Wednesday, July 4, 2018, 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
Brookings India, No. 6, Second Floor, Dr. Jose P. Rizal Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi
Dear Mr. Sagar,
I am delighted to invite you to our next Development Seminar on “When Should We Trust Artificial Intelligence?” with Dr. Vasant Dhar, Professor, Stern School of Business, NYU.
Abstract: Modern day AI machines learn and improve themselves based on ever-increasing amounts of data that humans and machines generate with each passing day. This happens largely through supervised learning which is a major branch of Artificial Intelligence. But such machines also make mistakes. In his talk, Dhar will walk us through various situations in our everyday lives – investing, playing sports, riding in driverless cars, using social media platforms – to encourage us to question the faith we put in technology. He proposes methods to inform executive and policy makers in evaluating the risks associated with data infrastructure initiatives, such as those proposed in his recent Hindustan Times editorial.
Discussant: Anna Roy, Adviser NITI Aayog, Government of India
Speaker Profile: Vasant Dhar is a professor at the Stern of School of Business and the Center for Data Science at New York University. He is Editor-in-Chief of the journal Big Data, and the founder of SCT Capital Management, a machine-learning-based hedge fund in New York City. His recent TEDx talk was on “When do we trust machines?”.

Media Invite

[7/3, 8:08 AM] Naresh Kumar Sagar: You are cordially invited to 50th Foundation Day celebrations of WAPCOS on 3-7-2018 at 10:30 AM at Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra,Chanakya puri.Union Minister for WR,RD &GR Shri Nitin Gadkari to be chief guest.MOS Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal and Dr. Satya pal singh will also grace the occasion.
Regards
[7/3, 8:09 AM] Naresh Kumar Sagar: You are cordially invited to cover
2nd Mithila Aam Mahotsav
at
Press Club of India
on 3rd July 2018, 12 pm noon
Guest names are shri Shahnawaj Hussain ji BJP, shri Prabhat Jha ji BJP ( confirmation awaited) , shri Kirti Azad ji, shri KC Tyagi ji JDU, shri Manoj Jha ji RJD, shri Shakeel Ahmed ji congress and shri Pranav Jha Ji congress, shri Sanjeev Jha Ji MLA Burari , shri Neeraj Pathak ji vice chairman Maithili Bhojpuri Academy, shri Vikas Sharma ji and Many more other is joining.
Event managed by: Credible media voices private limited.
Organised by : Maithil Patrakar Group and Press Club of India.
[7/3, 8:10 AM] Naresh Kumar Sagar: MEDIA INVITE
National Executive Meeting of Lok Janshakti Party
Date 3rd July 2018
Venue : Malwankar Hall, Constitution Club, Rafi Marg, New Delhi

12.30 – 12.45 Hrs – To light the lamp and Garlanding Baba Saheb’s
Photo by National President, LJP
13.00 – 13.30 Hrs. – Inauguration Speech of Shri Chirag Paswan,
Chairman, Central Parliamentary Board, LJP
13.30 – 14.30 Hrs. – Press Conference followed by Lunch
[7/3, 8:10 AM] Naresh Kumar Sagar: MEDIA INVITE
The National Students Union of India(NSUI), cordially invites all the members of the Press fraternity to kindly be present at the NSUI headquarters at5, Raisina Road on Tuesday, 3rd July 2018 from 12 pm onwards.
The press conference would be presided over by the Honorable National Incharge – NSUI & AICC Joint Secretary Ms. Ruchi Gupta along with NSUI National President Mr. Fairoz Khan. NSUI would be exposing the people in power in this briefing.
Lawlessness is taking over as thugs and criminals run riot across the country. The issue of concern involves abuse of power and undermining the basic tenants of democratic institutions of India for political opportunism and might. At this juncture of our nation’s history, it is important for an organization like the NSUI – representing the young and free- to speak out the truth against the people in power, on the ideals of Satyagraha.
We would be graced by your presence at the event tomorrow.

Thank You,
NSUI Secretariat
Contact: Reetam Singh
Phone Number: +91-7576026976
[7/3, 8:16 AM] Naresh Kumar Sagar: INVITATION

Dear Madam/Sir,

You are cordially invited to cover the following event:



Function
Inaugural Session of the National Consultation on “Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) in the Electoral Process,” to be inaugurated by Shri O.P.Rawat, Chief Election Commissioner, in presence of the Election Commissioners.
A dedicated Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) Portal with a section on PwDs will also be launched during the event.

Date
3rd July, 2018, Tuesday
Time
10 am onwards
Venue
Hotel Lalit, Barakhamba Road, New Delhi

Hillary: Naresh – When my friend Howard Dean and I

Naresh —
When my friend Howard Dean and I first talked about forming a new organization, it was because we were blown away by the energy and commitment shown by activists — new and old — in the aftermath of the 2016 election. We asked ourselves: What can we do to help them?
Onward Together was formed as a way to support and connect the groups that are doing the work that absolutely needs to be done right now — from mobilizing voters to encouraging and training new activists to recruiting people who are ready to run for office themselves. In 2017, we partnered with 11 organizations headed up by by smart, passionate leaders. We offer funding and strategic advice, and connect them with resources.
And this spring, we finally had a chance to bring those leaders together in one place, and it was really something special.
The leaders who joined us in New York come from every background. Some of them have been doing this work for years, while some were motivated by the 2016 election. They have different interests and approaches, but all share a belief that our country can be made better by the people who love it.
I really hope you’ll take a moment to watch this video, because I think you’ll find these activists as inspiring as I do — and I hope you’ll learn more about a group you’d like to support yourself.
Onward!
Hillary

Government agree on DMA on NMC Bill.

The government agrees to consider DMA demands on Ayushmaan Bharat and the NMC Bill  
On the occasion of Doctors Day celebrations by Delhi Medical Association on 1st July 2018 at MAMC Auditorium, in his address, the Chief Guest Mr. J.P. Nadda, Hon’ble , Health Minister Govt. of India assured the doctors that the packages given in the Ayushmaan Bharat by Government on which the doctors resented that they are very low and impractical, can be reconsidered and can be changed. On the issue of NMC bill for which President Dr. Ashwani Goyal raised the point in his welcome address that crosspathy should not be allowed and there should be the proper representation of doctors in the NMC be there. The Health Minister Sh. J.P. Naddaji promised that the govt will see to it that the modern medicine will not be prescribed by the doctors of other pathies.
On this occasion Delhi Medical Association honoured with Vashisht Chikitsa Ratan Award  to Senior members from medical field for their outstanding contribution towards the medical profession and in the service society includes, Dr. Randeep Guleria, Dr. Balram Bhargava, Dr. Ashok Seth, Dr. T.S. Kler, Dr. A.S. Soin,  besides other stalwarts of the medical profession. DMA also honoured Dr.J.S. Guleria, Dr G.P. Seth, Dr. M.G. Abbott and Dr. M.L. Dang with DMA Life Time Achievement Award.
Dr. Ashwani Goyal, President, DMA  said that our doctors are making the nation proud with their outstanding and dedicated medical services as  India is becoming the hub of medical excellence for the nation and whole world. He complimented the doctors for their academic achievements in the medical field alongwith their zeal to serve the humanity and in the various programmes of the government.
Dr. Mahesh SharmaHon’ble Minister for the state for Culture complimented the missionary services rendered by the medical profession to the society and inspired the medical fraternity present on the occasion to strive for compassionate healthcare especially to the poor public of the country. He congratulated the doctors on the occasion of Doctors Day. He highlighted the various public welfare programmes being run by the govt. of India to give better health care to the residents of the country
Dr. Harish Gupta, Chairman Doctors Day, said that on the call given by the Government, DMA is committed and will be working on the elimination of Tuberculosis from the country by 2025.
Dr. G.S. Grewal, Hony. State Secretary, DMA highlighted the various programme being done by the Delhi Medical Association like Aao School Chale, Beat Plastic Pollution on Environment Day, Programme on Menstrual Hygiene, Elderly abuse programme etc.

Book launch of ‘The Most Dangerous Place: A History of the United States in South Asia’

SRINATH RAGHAVAN, SHYAM SARAN, SUHASINI HAIDER, RUDRA CHAUDHURI
TUESDAY, 3 JULY 2018 ADD TO CALENDAR
7:00 PM
Multipurpose Hall, India International Centre, New Delhi
About the book:
South Asia looms large in American foreign policy. Over the past two decades, the United States has invested billions of dollars and thousands of human lives in the region, to seemingly little effect. As Srinath Raghavan reveals in The Most Dangerous Place, this should not surprise us. Although the region is often regarded as peripheral to America’s rise to global ascendancy, the United States has long been enmeshed in South Asia. For 230 years, America’s engagement with India, Afghanistan and Pakistan has been characterised by short-term thinking and unintended consequences. Beginning with American traders in India in the eighteenth century, the region has become a locus for American efforts-secular and religious-to remake the world in its image. Even as South Asia has undergone tumultuous and tremendous changes from colonialism to the world wars, the Cold War and globalisation, the United States has been a crucial player in regional affairs.
The definitive history of US involvement in South Asia, The Most Dangerous Place presents a gripping account of America’s political and strategic, economic and cultural presence in the region. By illuminating the patterns of the past, this sweeping history also throws light on the challenges of the future.
About the author:
Srinath Raghavan is a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research.
The book launch will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Shyam Saran, Senior Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research and former Foreign Secretary, Govt of India, Suhasini Haider, Diplomatic Editor, The Hindu and the author.
The discussion will be moderated by Rudra Chaudhuri, Sr Lecturer at South Asian Security and Strategic Studies, Kings College, London.
This talk has been organised by Penguin Random House.

Brazil beat Mexico

Naresh Kumar Sagar
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Sagar Media Inc: Brazil 2-0 Mexico: Neymar plays hero credit also when helps in scoring second goal and clinch deal remain unbeaten by Mexico in World Cup.Brazil sail into quarter final.
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Sagar Media Inc#BRAMEX 13 minutes left for match Brazil on lead of one Nymer in play after injury. Mexico in their play of aggression are unable to create chance into result.
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Sagar Media Inc: William Member at aggressive miss goal in direction gets corner Mexico now on aggressive effort. Nymer injured in pain first leg injury , then colloid on leg on his leg shiver.20 minutes Left.Mexico on attack
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Sagar Media Inc: #BRAMEX, AFTER Half time at the Samara Arena: Brazil 1 – 0 Mexico. Mexico get corner and is playing aggressive football. Brazil played aggressive to hunt goal still second attack.Brazil win get in QFs. Stadium continue roars.

 Over 200 Migrants Drown in Three Days in Mediterranean — Death Toll for 2018

So far this year, the Libyan Coast Guard has returned some 10,000 people to shore from small vessels.
“I am traveling to Tripoli once again this week and will see firsthand the conditions of migrants who have been rescued as well as those returned to shore by the Libya Coast Guard,” said William Lacy Swing, IOM Director General. “IOM is determined to ensure that the human rights of all migrants are respected as together we all make efforts to stop the people smuggling trade, which is so exploitative of migrants,” said Swing.
IOM staff were deployed to provide support and first aid to the the 41 migrants who survived the capsize of their small rubber vessel that capsized off AlKhums. This is the second major shipwreck in as many few days. On Friday, a rubber dinghy capsized north of Tripoli and the 16 survivors (young men from Gambia, Sudan, Yemen, Niger and Guinea) were rescued by the Libyan Cost Guard. However, an estimated 103 people lost their lives.
Adding to grim and tragic scene, the bodies of three babies were taken from the sea by the Libyan Coast Guard. IOM provided assistance at the disembarkation point, including provision of food and water and health assistance. IOM is also in the process of providing psychosocial aid at Tajoura detention centre where the survivors have been transferred. The need for physcosocial support is high as the survivors spent traumatizing time in the water as their engine broke only 30 minutes after departing Garaboli. The survivors have received psychosocial first aid at the detention centre and IOM continues to monitor their condition.
From Friday to Sunday, close to 1,000 migrants were returned to Libyan shore by the Libyan Coast Guard, who intercepted small crafts as they made their way towards the open sea. Upon disembarkation to shore, migrants have received emergency direct assistance, including food and water, health assistance and IOM protection staff has provided vulnerability interviews. Those rescued and returned by the Libyan Coast Guard are transferred by the Libyan authorities to the detention centres where IOM continues humanitarian assistance.
“There is an alarming increase in deaths at sea off Libya Coast,” said IOM Libya Chief of Mission Othman Belbeisi, adding: “Smugglers are exploiting the desperation of migrants to leave before there are further crackdowns on Mediterranean crossings by Europe.”
“Migrants returned by the coast guard should not automatically be transferred to detention and we are deeply concerned that the detention centres will yet again be overcrowded and that living conditions will deteriorate with the recent influx of migrants,” added Belbeisi.
Two other search and rescue operations by the Libyan Coast Guard are currently ongoing.
For more, information please contact:
Christine Petre IOM Libya, Email: chpetre@iom.int Tel + 216 577 9636
Leonard Doyle IOM Spokesperson, Email: ldoyle@iom.int, Tel: +41 792857123

Ramleela in fourteen different languages

This year Ramleela in fourteen different languages, focusing  on digital technology!
   Well, this year the world’s biggest Ramleela will be showcased in a grand manner in comparison with past years. As this time along with artists their performances, costumes Ramleela will be revealed in 14 different languages along with more digital technology. In the recent press conference held in Constitution Club of India, Delhi, many ideas and details were revealed by the Chairman of LuvKush Ramleela, Ashok Aggarwal.
   Along with him, the event was graced by Avtar Gill, Rupesh Kataria, Shankar Sahni, Ritu Shiv Puri, Payas Pandit, who will be performing this year in Ramleela. And as per the details by Chairman Ashok Aggarwal, “nowadays youngsters are more into social media and digitality, after studying these trends in depth, we decided to add more digital technology. According to him, last year more than nine hundred thousand viewers watched Live Ramleela on Youtube, the highest number of viewers was from European countries and the rating kept on increasing.”
   Talking about the characters this year, he told media, Avtar Gill will portray Vibhishan, Ritu Shiv Puri will be Sita’s mother Sunaina. Shankar Sahni will be Guru Vashisht. This year LuvKush Ramleela will be highlighted for the National and International audience through Television. Well, the 40-year-old LuvKush Ramleela will be showcased from 10th October till 21st October 2018.

500 Million Dollar Venture Mall

500 Million Dollar Venture Mall.Global to Give Online Shopping a Facelift: True Hybrid the Future of Retail

DUBAI, July 2, 2018
Online shopping will become a lot more exciting with the launch of Mall.Global. The USD 500 Million debut venture of the Dubai based tech firm revealed the project outline that is all set to give traditional e-commerce a facelift by incorporating immersive technologies and operational practices.
The platform will offer a personalized experience to each user within a virtual world and employ innovative integrations and technologies to enhance the customer’s experience with; Brand Immersion, Virtual Reality, On-Ground AR Cues, Micro-Influencer Reviews, AI & Machine Learning, Cross-Platform Loyalty and multi Cryptocurrency acceptance; to offer what the developer refers to as a True Hybrid experience.
The platform is due to go live by 2020 with over 2500 brand stores and sequential launches across the GCC, India, North Africa, Europe, CIS and China. Mall.Global will undergo testing with live customer sets early next year.
Emerging markets are home to 90% of the world’s millennials, with an annual income expected to surpass 4 trillion dollars by 2030, Mall.Global’s True Hybrid experience is designed to match the lifestyle of these Digital Natives.
Mall.Global is designed to be the true definition of a digital mall, where brands can do much more than just sell products and in fact recreate the retail experience to deliver the perfect bridge between on-ground and online.
Mall.Global will enable brands to deliver their personality and communicate their campaigns in an online environment as well as they do them in traditional retail. Every brand on the platform will have its own VR Store Design Toolkit that will enable them to design, create and constantly update their online stores in sync with their campaigns, collections and seasons.
Aided by a tech team of global e-commerce and technology professionals, serial entrepreneur and CEO of Mall.Global Sofya Shamuzova said, “Some of the best innovations of our time have come as a result of need. The need, in this case, was to attain a higher level of value and convenience, maintain all aspects of online shopping that consumers are used to and retain the essence of brand personas as in traditional retail. The platform is designed to address the most common wishes of customers with features like ‘Try & Buy’ where shoppers have the option of receiving certain products like apparel and footwear in a size above and below their chosen order to ensure 100% satisfaction in every sense of the word. We often hear that e-commerce is the future of all retail; I say it is its present, at best. The future is a place where customers don’t just browse and buy products but actually experience the brand before they do so, and Mall.Global will offer just that.”
“Add to it the fact that Mall.Global will back all its products for originality and our Genuine Guaranteed & Global brand promise begins to make more sense,” she added.
Iris Nibbering, PR Consultant, N Factor, Phone: +971-50-462-4491 Email: iris@nfactor.global

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Poland’s SC chief to go to work


Poland’s Supreme Court chief Malgorzata Gersdorf plans to go to work as usual on Wednesday, a court spokesman said. The statement comes after President Andrzej Duda announced the judge would retire as of July 4, Reuters reports. “Plans have not changed here, Mrs Gersdorf intends to come to work tomorrow,” the spokesman said. Legislation enforcing the retirement of some Supreme Court judges, including the chief, is at the center of a conflict between Poland and the European Union. Duda confirmed earlier in the day that Gersdorf will retire on July 4, in line with legislation introduced by the ruling Law and Justice party, according to an aide to the president.

Turkey president get more powers


Turkey issued a decree on Wednesday transferring some powers to the president, in line with its move to an executive presidential system after last month’s presidential and parliamentary elections. The decree, published in the official gazette, makes changes to laws dating from 1924 to 2017, altering references to the prime minister and cabinet of ministers to the president and the president’s office, Reuters reports. The office of prime minister is to be abolished and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be able to form and regulate ministries and remove civil servants, all without parliamentary approval. The government has been issuing decrees, bypassing parliament, since a state of emergency imposed following an attempted military coup in July 2016. Erdogan has promised to lift emergency rule after the election. The changes in the latest decree will take effect when Erdogan takes the oath of office, expected in parliament on July 8 or 9.

Macron: ‘We need more Africans to succeed in Africa’


French President Emmanuel Macron called in Lagos on Wednesday for Africa and Europe to reach a “win-win” solution to migration.
During an address to 300 young entrepreneurs on the second day of his visit to Nigeria, he said that the continents share a “common destiny.” The sustainable answer is not just security, Macron said, adding that people were leaving peaceful countries including Senegal, Ivory Coast and Nigeria because of “a lack of hope, a lack of opportunities.” The president said that “these people, given the magnitude of this wave, cannot be accepted, at least, not all of them,”AFP reports. “We need more Africans to succeed in Africa,” Macron said.

Turn of Vietnam, Japan Edu Model




 Vietnam will adopt the methods used at Japan’s technical colleges.They held a symposium in Hanoi for about 200 people, including Vietnamese government officials and school operators.
The president of Japan’s National Institute of Technology, Isao Taniguchi, said technical schools helped Japan to achieve rapid economic growth.
He called for Japanese-style technical colleges to be established in Vietnam to further develop the country’s industries.
Vietnam’s economy has had an annual growth rate of more than 6 percent in recent years. More than 1,700 Japanese companies are operating there.
Improving the technical skills of Vietnam’s workers will be important for future economic growth.
Japanese officials plan to dispatch instructors to help Vietnamese technical colleges introduce a Japanese-style curriculum.
Students at technical colleges in Japan study engineering, information technology, electronics, biotechnology, and other practical fields for 5 years from the age of 15. After graduating, they can continue their studies or begin working as engineers.
Thailand and Mongolia have adopted similar systems for technical training.
Even in Indian state of  Gujarat has marked the end of a groundbreaking international training course.
Japan style of education in field of manufacturing  250 students attended a certification ceremony on Wednesday at a manufacturing school in Mehsana founded by the Indian unit of Japanese carmaker Suzuki.
The school offers the year-long course as part of the Japan-India Institute for Manufacturing, or JIM.
Under a 2016 agreement, major Japanese firms, including automaker Toyota, opened 5 manufacturing schools in India.
Since last year, students have been learning essential industrial techniques as well as the Japanese approach to manufacturing.
Maruti Suzuki India’s Managing Director & CEO, Kenichi Ayukawa, said the skills and training the participants received will allow them to join the manufacturing industry with confidence and contribute to growth.
A student said that the course gave him hope for the future. He says he wants to get a good job and use the skills he learned to become a leader in the workplace.
The system will train as many as 30,000 people over the next decade in a bid to secure the skilled workers needed as the Indian economy continues to grow.

US tariffs rolls weaken Yuan


US tariffs rolls pack weaken Yuan, China’s currency and stock markets have been jittery ahead of a deadline for US tariffs on 34 billion dollars’ worth of Chinese goods these tariffs are set to go into effect on Friday.
Chinese currency takes beating ahead of this, the yuan slipped to its lowest level in about 10 months.
China’s central bank chief attributed this to the strength of the US dollar and “external uncertainties.” He is likely to take up fiscal course to prop up the currency.
People’s Bank of China governor Yi Gang said in a statement that “recently, there have been some fluctuations in the foreign exchange market” and that the bank is paying close attention to this.
But he added that “international payments were stable, and cross-border capital flows were roughly balanced”.
Yi’s remarks come at a time when the Chinese currency is under considerable pressure. The yuan weakened past 6.7 to the dollar on Tuesday for the first time since August 2017.

Japan expects 1.5% growth in FY2019


Japan’s government sees GDP growing by about 1.5 percent in fiscal 2019. Officials expect the current recovery to continue even after the planned consumption tax hike to 10 percent in October 2019.
Officials expect personal spending to increase, and predict that investment in plant and equipment will also grow solidly. They are expecting about 1.5 percent growth in real terms, excluding price fluctuations, and nominal growth of about 2.8 percent.
Looking to the current fiscal year, officials plan to lower the real growth estimate to about 1.5 percent, down 0.3 points from the January forecast. That’s partly due to housing investment being weaker than anticipated.

Global GDP to dip in this quarter


Trade barriers erected by major economies could jeopardize the global economic recovery. Main cause of this economic interruption for the leaders to be populism and too much of global trade with no move to create opportunities for their nationals has brought the national and global economy at the combating crossroads where leaders shall speak eloquently on the subject.  Next comes the mechanism of global trade is under protectionism a for which the top economy wants to displace the other emerging economies. The tariff trade war surging each day and successive  levies between developed economies raise question of global business contracting this quarter and global economy growth to be below 2%.
Corporate with new utility products in artificial intelligence likely to remain in green.
With South Asian countries with its unique presence shall be able to sustain the growth which will give cushion to the emerging economy, it is expected that these economies could remain the fastest growing ones.  EU economy  shall play an important role in Eurasia with its new partners and  viable for its demand to remain intact.
Stock market the barometers of economy will find most of the global stock market find in bearish zone with slight profit making at lower levels, on going through the market blue chips are in southwards, Vedanta, ONGC, Tata Motors, Adani Ports, SBI, Yes Bank, Tata Steel, TCS, Bharti Airtel, Hero MotoCorp, Infosys, Asian Paints, ITC, L&T, ICICI Bank, Wipro and Coal India were among the top index losers, shedding up to 1.91 per cent. 
The decision to extend economic sanctions against Russia for six months will be taken on July 5 and will become effective next Monday
European diplomatic source said on Wednesday, the eve of the EU summit. “The decision to extend sanctions will be made on Thursday. It will be published in the Official Journal of the EU on Monday, July 9, and will be effective since then,” the source said. The political decision to extend sanctions was made at the EU summit on June 28-29 in Brussels. It was noted that extension of sanctions was related to a lack of progress in implementing the Minsk agreements in eastern Ukraine.
Corruption, unemployment, non-skill, terrorism, war and poverty shall add fuel to fire to but drugs trade policies for some  countries like Canada and others can bring  marginal relief along with demographic dividend on rise for the countries.Regional cooperation amount the developed states are adding growth dimensions to the Nordic, Baltic, SARC, Far East with Australia and new land to remain in balancing acts.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said the EU will make every effort to avoid a trade war with the US, but Washington needs to join in that effort. The US has imposed tariffs on EU steel and aluminum imports and is mulling whether to add tariffs on cars, trucks and auto parts. “It is worth every effort to try to defuse this conflict so that it doesn’t turn into a real war, but of course there are two sides to that,” Merkel told the German parliament Wednesday. She added that the good functioning of the world economy depends on countries working together as partners, AP reports. Merkel also said that“Germany is a reliable partner in NATO,” referring to the US pressure over what it considers Germany’s insufficient defense spending.
With Brexit England’s GDP is also shows sign of decline and more people are leaving citizenship of UK , opting for neighboring  and other states. India and China economy turning bleak could bring more stress to its business and corporate world in next two quarter and opportunities for employment will decline with self -employment may be the saviour for the two giants.
WTO Report: Trade barriers erected by major economies could jeopardize the global economic recovery and their effects are already starting to show, according to the World Trade Organization (WTO). In a report on trade restrictions among G20 nations, published on Wednesday, it said that “this continued escalation poses a serious threat to growth and recovery in all countries.” WTO Director General Roberto Azevedo said that “we are beginning to see this reflected in some forward-looking indicators.” In May, the WTO’s quarterly trade outlook indicator suggested trade would grow slower in the second quarter than in the first.

Iran & Syria inks MoU on academic

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Syria and Iran have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for increasing cooperation in the field of higher education and scientific research. for enhancing cooperation in medical fields, rehabilitating delegates and excelled students and training in various medical and pharmaceutical specialties.
The Memo was signed in Tehran by Syrian Minister of Higher Education Dr. Atef Nadaf and Iranian Deputy Minister of Health, and Iranian Deputy Health Minister for Education Bagher Larijani, in the presence of Syria’s Ambassador to Iran Adnan Mahmoud.
The MoU includes cooperation in the field of supporting twinship agreements in accordance with the regulations in force in both countries and the exchange of university students, researchers and professors to participate in scientific and medical activities in both countries.
It also provides for enhancing cooperation in medical fields and training in various medical and pharmaceutical specializations such as, neurosurgery, orthopedic and cardiology and women surgery, liver transplantation, biomedical sciences, stem cells and laser technology.
Contribution in rebuilding Syrian educational institutions, hospitals and universities and granting scholarships which would meet the needs of the Syrian Ministry of Higher Education in the Masters and PhD were also included in the MoU.

PGTI Feeder Tour at Lucknow GC

Ashbeer Saini, Vishal Singh, Nur Hossain Sardar share opening day honours at Feeder Tour event in Lucknow
Rajiv Kumar Jatiwal fires a rare albatross 
Lucknow, July 4, 2018: Kapurthala’s Ashbeer Saini, Jaipur’s Vishal Singh and Nur Hossain Sardar of Kolkata produced the opening day’s best efforts of two-under-68 to take the early lead at the PGTI Feeder Tour event being played at the Lucknow Golf Club.
Delhi-based Bhanu Pratap Singh shot a one-under-69 to occupy fourth place in round one of the season’s fifth and penultimate event.
Ashbeer Saini, who won his maiden title at the Feeder Tour event in Karnal last month, continued his top form as he sank five birdies in exchange for three bogeys.
The 24-year-old Saini, currently third on the Feeder Tour Order of Merit, thanks to his top-10s in all four events this season, was one-over through the first seven holes. However, two conversions from 15 to 25 feet on the eighth and 10th got his game up and running.
Thereafter, some quality iron-play ensured two more birdies for Ashbeer on the 12th and 13th. He dropped his third shot of the day on the 15th to close with a 68.
Saini said, “I’m playing at the Lucknow Golf Club for the first time so I’m quite happy with this start. I feel there is much more consistency in my game now and that gives me the opportunity to contend every week.
“Reading the greens will be the key at this course. The faster I adjust to the green speed the more chances I’ll have of picking up strokes.”
Nur Hossain Sardar has had a forgettable Feeder Tour season so far having posted just one top-20 in four starts. Sardar, however, looks set to turn it around as he submitted the only bogey-free card of the opening day. Nur Hossain made pars till the 13th and then enjoyed a late surge with birdies on the 14th and 16th.
Vishal Singh, a former winner on the PGTI, mixed four birdies with two bogeys to be part of the three-way tie at the top along with Saini and Sardar.
Bhanu Pratap Singh added two late birdies on the 16th and 18th to end the day just a shot behind the leaders.
Lucknow’s Vijay Kumar made three birdies and three bogeys during his round of even-par-70 that placed him tied fifth along with four others.
One of the highlights of the day was Chandigarh lad Rajiv Kumar Jatiwal’s spectacular albatross on the par-5 third where he holed his second shot, a five-iron, from a distance of 195 yards. Jatiwal’s round of 74 placed him tied 35th.

CAIT SEEK CLARIFICATION IN MPD AMENDMENTS FROM PURI

CAIT SEEK CLARIFICATION IN MPD AMENDMENTS FROM PURI
In the wake of recent amendments in Master Plan of Delhi, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) in a communication sent to Mr. Hardeep Puri, Union Urban Development Minister has sought several clarifications for want of which the people of Delhi are in a confusing state to avail the benefits of amendments in Master Plan.
CAIT Secretary General Mr. Praveen Khandelwal in the communication has said that for LSC, FAR is provided as 350 but it is yet to be clarified as to what will be the exact ground coverage on each floor. LSCs are free hold properties because when the plans were sanctioned, it was owned by one person. The property has changed hands several times and as of now, there are co owners also in the properties.The co owners should also be allowed to file their applications separately to get it regularized.
Mr. Khandelwal further said that it is yet to be made clear whether conversion charges are applicable on special area comprising of walled city, Karol Bagh, Sadar Bazar, Paharganj etc. The status of special area is also yet to be defined to protect the same from sealing. Clarity is required for protection for Building and markets prior to 1962. Status of markets of L&DO also needs to be clarified from protection point of view. Since 2007 to till date much has been changed in Delhi and as such re-survey of roads is necessary for further notification of roads.
He also said that since the business paradigm in Delhi has changed, the 24 categories in small shops should be abolished and size of small shop should be enhanced to 50sqm instead of current 20sqm. Colonies like Greater Kailash, Green Park, South Extension which were built by DLF should be considered as Rehabilitation Colony at par with other colonies of DLF. In proportion of growing need, ample parking space should be developed in consultation with Trade Associations. Facility of Bar should be allowed in only Restaurants working in residential areas as one of the basic fundamentals of fine dining.
He has also drawn the attention of Mr. Puri towards early notification of 351 Roads and urge him to defend the same strongly in the Supreme Court.

Happening Moments in New Delhi

CPR is pleased to invite you to a talk on
Compulsory Development: The Ideal Model of Land Acquisition in India and China
Huang Yinghong

Tuesday, 10 July 2018, 12:30 p.m.
Conference Hall, Centre for Policy Research
Image may contain: fruit and food
Delhi Tourism .Delhi Tourism’s much awaited Mango Festival celebrating the king of fruits is back this summer season. The three day festival is being organized from 6th to 8th July 2018 at Dilli Haat, Janakpuri from 11:00 AM to 9:00 P.M. Delhiites can look forward to another fascinating display of mangoes as more participants are bringing varieties of mangoes this year.
Mango with all its benefits will be the highlight of the event with more than 500 varieties at display. Be ready for fun activities like Mango Eating Competitions, Cultural Programmes and Regional Food at one of the most awaited events in the city.
Centre for Policy Research & Trivedi Centre for Political Data (Ashoka University) invite you to a panel discussion on
Interpreting the 2019 elections: Settling a research agenda
Friday, 6 July 2018, 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. Conference room, Centre for Policy Research
Skill Enhancement in Logistics
‘Creating Future skilled logistics professionals’
13 July 2018
Silver Oak Hall, India Habitat Centre, Delhi
Advancing Trade Facilitation in Asia Pacific Region
0915 -1315 Hrs, Monday, 16 July 2018, Hotel Le Meridien, New Delhi
INDIA TODAY GROUP request the pleasure of your company at ” INDIA TODAY MAKE IN INDIA EMERGING ENTREPRENEURS AWARDS” on Friday, July 06, 2018 in New Delhi.Event Time : 10:30 AM to 5:30 PM
Venue : Taj Mansigh Hotel, Mansingh Road, New Delhi
Interactive Session with Dr. Bibek Debroy, Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister and Member, NITI Aayog, Government of India, 13th July 2018 , 4:00 pm at PHD Chamber, New Delhi
NITI Aayog, India International Centre and Centre for Policy Research are pleased to invite you to the third panel discussion on
Vocabulary of the Digital, Thursday, 5 July 2018, 6:30 p.m.
Seminar Rooms I to III, Kamla Devi Complex, India International Centre
CPR Invite
CPR Land Rights Initiative is pleased to invite you to a talk on
‘Gau’ Raksha: The “Cow-Life Controversy” & the Bengali Muslim Public Sphere (1889-90),Dr Mou Banerjee Wednesday, 11 July 2018, 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.at Conference room, Centre for Policy Research..
Ananta Aspen Centre
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
TIME5:30 PM – 7:00 PM (Registration: 05:00 PM )
LOCATIONWWF Auditorium, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi
SPEAKERMr. Anshu Gupta – Founder, Goonj
CHAIRMr. Tarun Das, Founding Trustee, Ananta Aspen Centre & Chairman, Institute of Economic Growth

UNITY IN DIVERSITY 

Invitation to be our Guest
UNITY IN DIVERSITY 
PHD ART & CULTURE APPRECIATION AWARDS & CULTURAL EVENING 
JULY 06, 2018; 3.00 p.m. onwards; PHD HOUSE 
“Art & Culture has the power to change the world”
(PRE REGISTRATION IS MANDATORY)
Dear Sir/ Ma’am,

Greetings from PHD!!

Thank you for being an eminent part of our previous endeavours.

It is our pleasure to cordially invite you as our Guest  for the PHD Arts & Culture Appreciation Awards & Cultural Evening ( with a Special Performance By Padmashri Smt. Geeta Chandran ) being organised on July 06, 2018 from 3.00 p.m onwards at PHD House, New Delhi.

Art and Culture play a vital role in the liveability of any country with cultural diversity being a driving force for development. The Indian subcontinent has always been a deep reservoir of talent. Indian artists with their timeless appeal and elegance have been admired across time and space. Thus via the PHD Art and Culture Appreciation Awards– we aim to acknowledge and honour the Game Changers-Individuals and Institutionsthat have made a significant contribution in the field of arts, music, dance, theatre and whose talented work has had a significantly positive impact on the cultural legacy of mankind.

Dr. Mahesh Sharma , Hon’ble Minister of State for Culture & Environment, Forest and Climate Change has been invited to grace the occasion as the Chief Guest.

The programme shall also be graced by eminent stalwarts of the Performing Arts industry, Hon’ble Ambassadors, National & International Cultural Organization representatives, Professionals with varied skills and interests, Artists of all genres and interested stakeholders. Please find enclosed the concept brochure for your kind perusal.
We would be pleased if you join us with your friends and family members. Please register on the link mentioned below:


Sonali Bendre Behl has been diagnosed with cancer. 

Bollywood actress Sonali Bendre releases statement, says has been diagnosed with high-grade cancer that has metastised. Bendre is currently undergoing treatment for the same in New York.
Sonali Bendre Behl, was last seen in a cameo appearance in the 2013 film, Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Doobara, posted a statement on her Instagram and Twitter accounts saying she was under treatment in the US for high-grade cancer.
“Sometimes, when you least expect it, life throws you a curveball. I have recently been diagnosed with a high grade cancer that has metastised, which we frankly did not see coming. A niggling pain led to some tests, which led to this unexpected diagnosis.  My family and close friends have rallied around me, providing the best support system that anyone can ask for.  I am very blessed and thankful for each of them.
“There is no better way to tackle this, than to take swift and immediate action. And so, as advised by my doctors, I am currently undergoing a course of treatment in New York. We remain optimistic and I am determined to fight every step of the way. What has helped has been the immense outpouring of love and support I’ve received over the past few days, for which I am very grateful.
“I’m taking this battle head on, knowing I have the strength of my family and friends behind me.”

UNICEF condemns Yemen ‘carnage

UN slammed today the devastating impact of Yemen’s three-year conflict on children, with some 2,200 minors killed, and many more going hungry, forced to fight or dying from preventable diseases.
Nearly 10,000 people have died since a Saudi-led military coalition began fighting in Yemen in 2015 to restore the internationally recognised government to power after Iran-linked Huthi rebels took over Sanaa the year before.
UNICEF said today that at least 2,200 children had been killed and 3,400 others injured.  Henrietta Fore, the executive director, of the UN children’s agency said, Children make up half of some 22 million people in Yemen who rely on humanitarian aid to survive.
Fore pointed out to journalists in Geneva that millions of children were out of school and many were being forced to fight with different sides in the conflict.
Others were being married off, going hungry and dying from preventable diseases like cholera.
She called for all parties to the conflict and those with influence to rally behind efforts by the UN envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths to negotiate an end to the fighting in Hodeida and to relaunch peace talks for all of Yemen.
Ambassador Talmiz AhmadAdviser, West Asia & North Africa, Ananta Centre
Former Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Oman & UAE
3rd July 2018 | VOL 03 ISSUE 07 | MONTHLY
H I G H L I G H T S
• Political Developments

• Oil-related Developments

I) Political Developments1) Iran: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has sent a list of demands to France, Germany and Britain as its price for staying in the nuclear accord, while vowing not to give in to growing U.S. pressure to curb its oil sales. Iran has said if it cannot reap any economic benefits from remaining in the deal, which traded sanctions relief for curbing the Iranian nuclear program, then it would have little incentive to comply with its terms and would significantly ramp up uranium enrichment.
The EU has pledged to defend the agreement, protect European companies hurt by the U.S. decision and offer alternative financing for Iranian investments. However, finding practical ways around U.S. sanctions has proved difficult.
Again, in a speech to senior officials broadcast live by state television, Rouhani prepared the Iranian people for difficult times ahead, while affirming they could cope with such problems. He said: “We will not surrender before America, we will protect our historic dignity. We have to show the world that we will tolerate tough times, we will tolerate difficulties, but we will not trade in our independence, our freedom or our faith.”
In comments largely addressing his domestic critics, Rouhani promised his government would cut spending, reduce international travel and fly economy class to ease the burden on the public. He also said his government would import raw materials at affordable prices to help domestic manufacturers and ensure supply for Iranians. Additionally, he urged ministries to issue government bonds to give people alternatives to the dollar and the euro for investing their assets.
One of the few tangible financial gains Iran has seen from the nuclear deal has been an increase in its oil exports. A dramatic reduction could hurt economic growth and deepen a foreign currency shortage that has seen the Rial plunge against the dollar.
There are indications that the Iranian people are already facing difficulties: the central bank of Iran reported on 26 June that consumer prices in June grew at their fastest in three years, to 13.7 percent from a year earlier. Last week, Iran banned import of 1,400 non-essential and luxury goods to reduce the amount of foreign currency leaving the country.
On 27 June, the Trump administration began dismantling the sanctions relief that was granted to Iran under the 2015 nuclear deal. The Treasury Department announced it had revoked licenses that allowed U.S.-controlled foreign firms to export commercial aircraft parts to Iran as well as permitted Americans to trade in Iranian carpets, pistachios and caviar. It said businesses engaged in any such transactions would have to wind down those operations by 6 August or face penalties under U.S. sanctions. Another set of licenses covering other types of commerce, including oil purchases, will be revoked in coming weeks, with firms given until 4 November to end those activities.
Protests in Tehran: On 27 June, hundreds of merchants in the streets of Tehran’s Grand Bazaar shut down their shops, protesting against the sliding currency that, the supporters of President Rouhani believe, are being whipped up by hardliners to push him out of office. When a few dozen protesters chanted anti-government slogans — “The enemy is here. They [the regime] lie that it is the US” — the riot police stood by. Hard-line media outlets have given prominent coverage to the strike.
The government’s emergency measures — allocating hard currency largely to importers of basic commodities and imposing a ban on hundreds of imported goods, including cars — have pushed up prices of many products. Shopping malls, for instance, which are dependent on imported consumer goods including clothes and shoes, were surprised when the import ban was imposed. Many people are also withdrawing savings and buying gold, hard currency, property and cars in an attempt to protect their assets.
The Trump administration used this occasion to express sympathy for the plight of the Iranian people due to the policies of their government; Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement: “The Iranian government is squandering its citizens’ resources, whether its adventurism in Syria, its support for Hizbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis, or its ambitions for wastefully expanding its nuclear program, it will only add to the suffering of the people of Iran…We condemn the government’s same futile tactics of suppression, imprisonment of protestors, and the denial of Iranians’ frustrations. The people of Iran are tired of the corruption, injustice, and incompetence from their leaders”
2) Yemen (attack on Hodeidah): From 12 June, the Saudi-led military alliance launched its assault on the heavily defended Yemeni Red Sea port city of Hodeidah to weaken the Houthis by cutting off a key supply line for the group, which controls the Yemeni capital Sanaa and most populated areas.
Coalition forces seized the airport on 27 June and have been consolidating their hold in the area as UN efforts continued to reach a political deal that would avert an assault on the port, a lifeline for millions of Yemenis. The United Nations fears the escalation in fighting could exacerbate what is already the world’s most urgent humanitarian crisis, with 22 million Yemenis dependent on aid and an estimated 8.4 million believed to be on the verge of starvation.
Hodeidah is the main port servicing the Houthi-controlled capital, Sanaa, and in successive waves of war that swept across Yemen over the last eight years, the city has been a strategic prize, the gateway to the country’s north. Saudi Arabia and the UAE hope the battle for Hodeidah can break a deadlock in the three-year war.
The World Food Programme said the fighting could result in up to 1.1 million people being either displaced or trapped within the city and in need of emergency food assistance. The International Crisis Group said the battle for Hodeidah was reaching “the point of no return”.
The coalition has pledged a swift military operation to take over the airport and seaport without entering the city centre, to minimize civilian casualties and maintain the flow of goods.
The humanitarian dimension of the Yemen conflict has become politicized. Critics of the Saudi and UAE intervention highlight the dire consequences of the war on areas of the country controlled by Houthi-backed rebels. The Saudi-UAE coalition has been accused of attempting to exploit the outpouring of global concern for Yemen’s starving, disease-ravaged civilians to cloak territorial grabs while downplaying its own sea blockade that has restricted or delayed imports and airstrikes that have caused civilian casualties.
The Houthis have been accused of abusing aid to maintain a tight grip on power over the areas they control by selecting who gives and gets aid. The heads of the relief groups that operate out of Hodeidah have privately acknowledged that the Houthis control the import, storage, transport, and distribution of international aid, using it as a political tool, and when opportune, exploiting the suffering of Yemeni civilians to put pressure on the Saudi-UAE coalition.
Afrah Nasser, a Yemeni journalist, has said she is alarmed by the politicians’ dismissal of civilian concerns. An official in Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi’s UN-backed government acknowledged the great human price being paid but told Nasser it was all for the greater good of ridding the country of the Houthis. An official of Ansarullah, the organization representing the Houthis, told Nasser of the great honour of dying in battle and the pride they took in making sacrifices in their quest to resist the hegemonic ambitions of the United States and its allies.
UN peace plan: On 9 June, Reuters published details of a draft UN peace plan for Yemen prepared by the UN special envoy, Mark Griffiths. The peace plan calls on the Houthi movement to give up its ballistic missiles in return for an end to a bombing campaign against it by a Saudi-led coalition, and a transitional governance agreement. The document also cites plans to create a transitional government, in which “political components shall be adequately represented,” in an apparent nod to the Houthis, who would be unlikely to cede Sanaa without participation in a future government.
A Houthi official cautiously welcomed the UN effort, describing a ceasefire as the first building block in the political process. “Our optimism will be determined by how serious and respectful the other parties are of the U.N. role,” the official told Reuters, noting that previous truces had failed.
Anwar Gargash, the UAE’s minister of state for foreign affairs, signalled Abu Dhabi’s desire to support Griffith’s efforts. “Politically, there is a necessity to back the U.N. effort. It will ultimately mean a transition, to a new political order in Yemen. Clearly with the U.N. effort, the military and political process will see the Houthis pull out of urban centres,” he said.
3) Turkey (Erdogan wins national elections): In May, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for snap elections on 24 June, nearly a year and a half before they were due in November 2019. The proposed elections would take place in a state of emergency, declared in the wake of the attempted coup in July 2016.
Last year, Erdogan had already obtained popular support for major changes in the country’s constitutional set-up which will now be implemented with these elections: the country would now have a presidential rather than a parliamentary system; the strength of the national assembly would increase from 550 to 600, and the voting age would now be 18 years instead of 25 years earlier. Not surprisingly, Erdogan’s critics at home and abroad saw in these changes an attempt by the president to consolidate his authoritarian rule in the country.
Opposition parties made a major effort to present a united front: though there were six presidential candidates, Erdogan’s principal opponent was Muharrem Ince who headed the Republican People’s Party (CHP, in its Turkish acronym) and campaigned on a secular platform. The other candidates were Meral Aksener of the newly setup IYI (Good) party and Selahattin Demirtas of the Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP), who has been in prison since 2016 for backing the Kurdish insurgency.
The opposition campaign consisted of severe criticisms of the president’s dictatorial approach and the promise to return the country to parliamentary rule, end the state of emergency and, in the case of the Kurdish candidate, establish local democracy in place of strong central rule.
In the event, opposition hopes were dashed: in a voter turnout of 87 percent, Erdogan obtained 53 percent of the vote, while Ince got 31 percent. In parliament, Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) got 295 seats, just short of a majority. However, his electoral ally, the rightwing Nationalist Action Party (MHP) got 48 seats, giving Erdogan a comfortable majority in parliament. The CHP and Meral’s IYI party got 146 and 43 seats, respectively. The Kurdish party did well to get 67 seats.
Erdogan’s success has been ascribed to his ardent nationalism and his military forays in Syria to confront the expanding territorial gains of the Kurds, while standing up to the Americans who were backing them.
The results have exposed the hostility that sections of the western political establishment and media have for Erdogan personally, projecting him as a hardline Islamist, largely on account of his tough posture towards the European Union (EU), his criticisms of US support for the Kurds in Syria, his overt shift towards Russia and his participation in the Russia-led peace process in Syria with Iran.
Despite dire warnings from some observers, Erdogan is unlikely to be either capricious or dictatorial: his authoritarian instincts will be restrained by his dependence on an ally for majority support, the strong presence of the opposition in parliament, and the clearly asserted democratic values of the Turkish people.
But, there are formidable challenges before the newly elected president. Erdogan, with five years in power ahead of him, will need to urgently address the economy, where the currency has lost its value and inflation and unemployment have dealt serious blows to the very people who see him as “our father” and depend on him for salvation. Turkey is also facing the impact of hosting over three million Syrian refugees.
Erdogan will also need to heal the divisions in his country – mainly between his government and the Kurds. He has for long seen their aspirations for political, economic and cultural space in their country as a security threat, without accepting that perhaps his own highhanded policies could have added to their sense of alienation.
Erdogan enjoys certain advantages as well. Large numbers of Turkish people accept Erdogan’s narrative relating to the “Gulenist conspiracy” that had tried to overthrow him in 2016, with the help of foreign powers. Most Turks are also comfortable with his vision in which Turkey is neither European or Asian but is in the vanguard of shaping a new “Eurasian” identity which would place Turkey more deeply anchored in ties with Russia and China, while maintaining close political and economic ties with the EU.
4) Iraq’s electoral scene in disarray: Developments since the election results were announced in Iraq in May have seriously complicated the political scenario, with government formation still a distant prospect. The electoral triumph of the Sadrist- Iraqi Communist Party (ICP) alliance, which had won the most votes, seems to be breaking up as Muqtada al-Sadr has entered into an alliance with pro-Iran Badr Brigades militia commander Hadi al-Amiri, head of the Fatih bloc. This coming together of two Shia blocs that had till recently been far apart suggests that Iraq’s politics could continue to be defined by sectarian considerations and that Iran’s influence will remain undiluted.
Al-Sadr stressed nationalist considerations as motivating his new alliance and called others to join. The ICP put on a brave face: ICP Secretary Raid Fahmi told broadcaster Al Iraqiya that an al-Sadr-Amiri merger “does not come as a surprise” and welcomed the inclusion of Iran’s strongest militant outfit in the new government. Fahmi advised observers to look beyond the “shape, composition and seat allocations of the new government,” which he promised would bring forward “a political reform programme,” and to focus on “the foundations that the government is built on” as what counts.
Iraqi commentator Ahmad Mahmoud said the militia alliance is a reassertion of the status quo of an Iran-controlled Baghdad-seated government. Ali Khedery, a former adviser to US ambassadors to Baghdad, described on Twitter this outcome as “another strategic victory for Iran’s [Qassem] Soleimani” — commander of al-Quds Force, the overseas wing of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. His prediction is that “[America’s] troops will soon be evicted, our embassy crippled. Iran is consolidating its grip across its crescent.”
To further complicate matters and delay government formation, Iraq’s Supreme Court has ruled in favour of a manual recount of May 12 parliamentary elections that had resulted in a shock victory for Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr. The court found on 21 June that the decision by parliament to order a manual recount in response to allegations of electoral fraud does not violate the constitution.
5) New regional grouping in the Gulf: On June 6, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced the formation of the “Saudi-Emirati Coordination Council”, the brainchild of the two countries’ powerful crown princes, Muhammad bin Salman and Mohammed bin Zayed. The Saudi Arab News has said: “The aim of the council is to promote Saudi-Emirati stature on the global stage in a number of areas including the economy, political affairs, human development and security as well as ensuring citizen welfare and happiness.”
The two princes’ vision is known as the “Determination Strategy”, the official Saudi Press Agency stated, giving a five-year deadline to implement the program of no fewer than 44 areas of cooperation, including arms manufacture and military coordination. The last reference has generated concerns in Qatar and the US that the two countries might be planning a military assault on Qatar.
US commentator Simon Henderson believes that the council is “probably the death knell of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)”. He points out that despite several internal differences the GCC members had been able to successfully meet the challenge posed by the Iranian revolution and protect Kuwait’s interests after the Iraqi occupation of 1990. But, the GCC has been under strain because of the year-long Gulf confrontation between Qatar and its neighbours, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain, along with Egypt.

UN chief condemns suicide attack on Sikhs & Hindus

UN chief said in a statement issued by his spokesperson that any attack targeting civilians is unjustifiable and in clear violation of international law.
The UN Secretary-General expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and urged all parties to uphold their obligation to protect civilians, including minority communities.
The majority of victims belong to Afghanistan’s small Sikh and Hindu community. The Secretary-General extends his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured.
An ISIS suicide bomber targeted a convoy of Sikhs and Hindus on their way to meet the Afghan president Ashraf Ghani in the eastern city of Jalalabad on Sunday.

L-G’s role cannot be obstructionist.

Reports ANI : Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra, who was reading out the judgment in the Delhi government – Lieutenant Governor power tussle case on Wednesday said that the L-G’s role cannot be obstructionist.
CJI Misra said that the L-G must work harmoniously with the state and the council of ministers have to be constantly aligned.
“L-G cannot act independently unless where the Constitution allows. L-G cannot be an obstructionist, he must take advice from the Council of Ministers. The Council has to inform the L-G of its decisions. The L-G must work harmoniously with the state, the L-G and council of ministers have to be constantly aligned. There is no space for anarchy,” the CJI said.
The CJI further said that the relationship between the Centre and the State Government should be healthy.
He added, “Obeying the constitution is everybody’s duty and responsibility. The relationship between the Centre and the State Government should be healthy.”
Meanwhile, another judge said, “Lt Governor cannot refer all matters to the President.” It also added, “Delhi cannot have full statehood in view of an earlier nine-judge judgment.”
On December 6 last year, the top court had reserved its judgment on the plea of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government challenging the DelhiHigh Court’s August 4, 2016 ruling, which stated that Delhi is a Union Territory and the Lieutenant Governor is its administrative head. The judgment further said that the L-G is not bound by the aid and advice of the council of ministers.
In November last year, a five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court observed that the AAP government in Delhi needs the Lieutenant Governor’s nod to govern the national capital, but the L-G cannot sit on files beyond a reasonable period.
The bench, comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices A K Sikri, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan had reserved the verdict in the case after a 15-day long hearing.
However, the Centre told the apex court that the AAP cannot claim privileges of a state government, as Delhi is a Union Territory.
The Centre also refuted allegations of the Arvind Kejriwal-led government that the Lieutenant Governor sat on files sent by the government for their execution.
The power tussle between the Delhi government and the Lieutenant Governor has been on since the formation of the AAP government in the state.
Recently, Kejriwal, along with Delhi‘s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and others, sat on a nine-day sit-in strike against DelhiLieutenant Governor Anil Baijal at the latter’s office-cum-residence.
Kejriwal and other ministers urged Baijal to direct the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers working under the Delhiadministration to end their “undeclared strike.” (ANI)

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Self and Other in the Internet Public Realm

Jul
7
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
Beyond Techno-Narcissism: Self and Other in the Internet Public Realm
Chair: Ambassador Vijay K. Nambiar- former UN Secretary General’s Special Advisor on Myanmar
Speaker:
Prof. Langdon Winner-  Thomas Phelan Chair of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Science and Technology Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York.
Saturday, 7 July 2018, 6:00 p.m.
Seminar Rooms I to III, Kamla Devi Complex, India International Centre

SC notice to Sports Ministry, Kabaddi Federation & IOA

Supreme Court issues notice to Sports Ministry, Kabaddi Federation & Indian Olympic Assn 
SC hearing a petition alleging unfair selection of players for Jakarta Asian Games, & International Kabaddi Tournament. 
Petition accuses Janardan Singh Gehlot & family of misusing position and asking for money to allow players participate in international / national tournaments 
Petition filed by MR C Hoonappa Arjun Awardee and Former Indian Kabaddi Player and Mr Rajanathnam, Former Indian Kabaddi Team Captain and Arjun Awardee 
Background 
Janardan Singh Gehlot was the president of AKFI since 1984 to 2013 and resigned after Sports  Development Code, 2011 provided 12 years restriction on tenure and 70 years restriction on retirement according to International Olympic Charter  which  was also upheld by SC and various High Courts. 
The petition prays for appointment of independent committee to supervise selection of players for Asiad Games and to investigate into the illegalities as regards siphoning of funds, selling fake certificates making people eligible for govt jobs and special grants and getting his wife Mridula Bhadauria appointee as President of AKFI, himself as Life President and his son as President of Rajasthan Kabaddi Assn. the Supreme Court has ordered to take immediate Dasti/by hand notice to Govt of India, Sports Ministry, Indian Olympic Assn and Kabaddi Federation and list the matter after two weeks on urgent basis. 
For more information
Plz call –    9953948687  /   9810838346
We can organize one on one discussion with Adv. Bharat Nagar, who is representing the players in this case in the Supreme Court

14th Roundtable Japan, Tokyo, 19-20 July 2018

Dear Mr. Sagar,

We are happy to share with you the latest program (attached) with confirmed speakers. As seats are filling up fast I recommend you secure your seat by registering online here: http://www.roundtablejapan.com/register-usd/

Please note that we limit the number of participants to 150 people due to the interactive nature of the sessions.

I am, of course, available to discuss by phone or through email exchange any point regarding your participation in the 14th Roundtable Japan. 

All best,
Julia Mason
Project Manager
Smadja & Smadja USA
404 East 76th street
New York, NY 10021

Tel. +1 212 759 6000

Hanuman vs Mahiravana, Animation

Hanuman vs Mahiravana, a new family entertainer release from the house of Green Gold Animation releases on July 6th
   Green Gold Animation, the creators of India’s favorite animation character Chhota Bheem, unveiled its family entertainer “Hanuman vs Mahiravana” in stereoscopic 3D which is all set for its release on July 6th. A mythological animation movie, it’s based on an untold story from the epic Ramayana. As the producer of the film, Rajiv Chilaka was present at PVR Plaza, Connaught Place, Delhi for the promotions of his film. He revealed several details for the same.
   The movie showcases the race against time for Hanuman to save Rama and Laxmana from the clutches of Mahiravana the king of the underworld, an evil sorcerer and the brother of Ravana. The movie is been distributed by Yashraj Films and is targeted to be screened in overall 350 screens across India in Hindi and 25+ screens across Tamil Nadu in Tamil. Audiences can catch the trailer of Hanuman vs Mahiravana before they head to the theater with their family – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llXo_d0UKZw
  Says Rajiv Chilaka Founder and CEO of Green Gold Animation, “Green Gold Animation has always tried to push the boundaries, we created India’s first animated fictional character movies for kids. We now want to bring stories for older audiences. Hanuman Vs Mahiravana the movie is visually stunning and will appeal to everyone, right from kids to the grandparents and this movie will be a perfect way for families and friends to spend quality time together.”
  Dr. Ezhil Vendan, director of Hanuman vs Mahiravana adds, “This movie has been made with cutting-edge technology, high-end animation, and VFX. We made this in Stereoscopic 3D so the audience can get immersed in this adventure alongside Hanuman. We want this movie to inspire the next generation to feel proud of our heritage and enjoy this as much as they enjoy Harry Potter, Superman or The Avengers! The stories on Egyptian, Roman, Greek and Norse gods are hugely popular across the world; we are hoping that Indian mythology will generate similar interests.”
  “Hanuman vs Mahiravana” is produced by Green Gold Animation and directed by Dr. Ezhil Vendan in Stereoscopic 3D, releases in Hindi and Tamil across India on July 6th, 2018.

Chandarjeet Yadav bags Lucknow title

Local lad Amardeep Rawat finishes runner-up 
Pawan Verma takes the lead in the Feeder Tour Order of Merit 
Lucknow, July 6, 2018: Chandarjeet Yadav of Chandimandir, Haryana, produced a timely five-under-65 in the third and final round of the PGTI Feeder Tour event at the Lucknow Golf Club to bag his maiden title.
Yadav’s (71-65-65) second straight 65 enabled him to maintain his overnight one-shot lead and took his total to nine-under-201.
Lucknow’s Amardeep Rawat (72-65-65), who was overnight second and one off the lead, also delivered a 65 on day three to end up in the runner-up position at eight-under-202.
The 23-year-old Chandarjeet Yadav was rock-solid on the front-nine as he made three birdies which included two conversions from a range of 10 to 25 feet. Chandarjeet then hit his lob wedge to perfection to earn tap-in birdies on the 10th and 12th that strengthened his claims to the title.
Yadav’s bogey on the 13th was his only blemish of the day. The man with two previous top-10s in the season, finally worked his way to his first title with a 15-feet birdie putt on the 16th and steady pars on the last two holes.
Chandarjeet, who has now moved up from ninth to fifth place on the Feeder Tour Order of Merit, said, “I was just aiming to hit maximum fairways and greens today. I was focusing more on playing to my plan rather than worrying about the result.
“I wasn’t sure of my win even after the birdie on the 16th. I knew I had to make pars on the last two holes since they are among the toughest holes on the course. I knew negotiating the last two holes without dropping a shot would force my nearest rival Amarjeet to go for a birdie which wasn’t an easy task.
“I’m really proud of this effort and it has given me the confidence to raise my game further and also make a mark on the main tour. All aspects of my game were sharp this week especially my putting average which saw a huge improvement.
“I’ve now set my sights on the top position in the Order of Merit as that would ensure me a card on the main tour for 2019. I once again take this opportunity to thank Lt. Gen. Baljeet Singh from Panchkula who has given me all the support possible since 2015, be it in terms of financial assistance or providing golfing equipment. His encouragement is the reason that I’m being able to play as a professional today.”
Amardeep Rawat, like Yadav, also mixed six birdies with a bogey on Friday. Playing at his home course, Rawat couldn’t force a playoff in the final stages as he made pars on the last two holes to finish one shot behind Yadav.
The 30-year-old Rawat, who recorded his second top-10 of the season, thus moved up from 10th to sixth in the Feeder Tour money list.
Rajesh Kumar Rawat, another Lucknow-based professional, registered the tournament’s best round of six-under-64 to finish third at five-under-205.
Former Indian Open champion Vijay Kumar of Lucknow secured tied seventh place at even-par-210.
Delhi’s Pawan Verma, who claimed tied 18th place at six-over-216 at the Lucknow Golf Club, has now climbed from second to first position in the Feeder Tour Order of Merit with season’s earnings of Rs. 2,42,067.
Kapurthala’s Ashbeer Saini, who finished tied fifth in Lucknow at one-under-209, has gained one place and moved into second position in the Feeder Tour rankings with season’s earnings of Rs. 2,34,600.
The sixth and last event of the season will be played at the Palms Golf Club & Resort in Lucknow from July 10 – 12, 2018.

Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3 fever spreads to Singapore!

   After a stupendous response to the trailer of one of the most awaited films of this year-Saheb Biwi aur Gangster 3 in India, Singapore saw the Gangster -Sanjay Dutt along with producer Rahul Mittra unveil the film’s trailer at a packed function in Singapore city with hundreds of Indian & local fans in attendance.    The trailer launch function was followed by question & answer session between the actor-produced duo and the highly interactive crowd. While Dutt was at his usual charming self, Mittra took the audience through the journey of his popular franchise Saheb Biwi aur Gangster from its inception in 2010/11 till present.
   With millions of views of the trailer on YouTube and with a rousing reception from fans worldwide, the film is slated to do very well at the Boxoffice when it releases worldwide on the eve of Sanjay Dutt’s birthday on July 27th later this month. Apart from Sanjay Dutt as the stylish gangster, the film stars Jimmy Sheirgill as Saheb, Mahie Gill as Biwi apart from Chitrangda Singh, Deepak Tijori, Kabir Bedi, Nafisa Ali, Zakir Hussain & Deepraj Rana. Directed by national award winner Tigmanshu Dhulia and produced by imminent filmmaker Rahul Mittra, Saheb Biwi aur Gangster 3 is being presented by entertainment giant Raju Chadha.

Dr. T.K Chand receives Knowledge Excellence Award

Dr. T.K Chand receives Knowledge Excellence Award from Secretary, Mines, Govt. of India for Outstanding Contribution in Aluminium Knowledge
06.07.18: Dr. Tapan Kumar Chand, CMD, NALCO, called upon industry leaders, policy makers and stakeholders in the Aluminium value chain to scale up production of the ‘wonder metal’ to meet the rising demand as consumption of Aluminium is poised to reach 10 million tons in the next decade.

Addressing the 22nd International Conference on Non-Ferrous Minerals and Metals 2018 at Ranchi, Dr. Tapan Kumar Chand, CMD, NALCO, said, ‘’We need to start thinking ahead and take steps to protect the interests of the Aluminium sector. The consumption of Aluminium will reach 10 million tons in the next 10 years. The country needs to scale up production of Aluminium to meet the demand.’’

The Conference was inaugurated by Secretary, Ministry of Mines, Shri Anil Gopishankar Mukim and was attended by an impressive gathering of industry leaders and policy makers, including from major Non Ferrous producers like NALCO, Aditya Birla, Vedanta and HCL. Shri Anil Gopishankar Mukim spoke about the proactive role of Govt. in making minerals available to producers & easing auction of mining blocks.

Dr. Chand received Knowledge Excellence Award from Secretary, Mines, Govt. of India for Outstanding Contribution in Aluminium Knowledge domain.

Dr. Chand also cautioned, ‘’Unless we are prepared to scale our production to reach the rising demand, our country will have to import about 50 % of the requirement, which will drain our economy through rising import bills.’’ Dr. Chand also focused on the role of non-ferrous metals in economy and briefed the gathering about the future prospect of Aluminium in India. He appealed to the Government to explore more mineable reserves of bauxite as the current rate is barely 17% of the deposit.

A special NALCO booklet on Sustainable Mining titled ‘Mine with Mind’ was released at the International Conference at Ranchi, which was organized by Corporate Monitor.

Decisions taken by the Union Cabinet


· Cabinet approves accession to WIPO Copyright Treaty, 1996 and WIPO Performance and Phonograms Treaty, 1996
The Union Cabinet chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the proposal submitted by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and Industry regarding accession to the WIPO Copyright Treaty and WIPO Performers and Phonograms Treaty which extends coverage of copyright to the internet and digital environment. The approval is a step towards the objective laid in the National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy adopted by the Government on 12-05-2016 which aims to get value for IPRs through commercialization by providing guidance and support to EPR owners about commercial opportunities of e-commerce through Internet and mobile platforms.
Benefits: Meeting the demand of the copyright industries, these treaties will help India:
1. To enable creative right-holders enjoy the fruit of their labour, through international copyright system that can be used to secure a return on the investment made in producing and distributing creative works;
2. To facilitate international protection of domestic rights holder by providing them level-playing field in other countries as India already extends protection to foreign works through the International Copyright order and these treaties will enable Indian right holders to get reciprocal protection abroad;
3. To instil confidence and distribute creative works in digital environment with return on investment; and
4. To spur business growth and contribute to the development of a vibrant creative economy and cultural landscape.
· Cabinet approves extension of Scheme of Recapitalization of Regional Rural Banks upto 2019-20
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the extension of the scheme of recapitalization of Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) for the next three years i.e. upto 2019-20. This will enable the RRBs to maintain the minimum prescribed Capital to Risk Weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR) of 9 percent. A strong capital structure and minimum required level of CRAR will ensure financial stability of RRBs which will enable them to play a greater role in financial inclusion and meeting the credit requirements of rural areas. There are 56 RRBs functioning in the country. As on 31-03-2017 (Prov.), the total credit given by RRBs was Rs.2,28,599 crore. The scheme of Recapitalization of RRBs started in FY 2010-11 and was extended twice in the year 2012-13 and 2015-16. The last extension was upto 31-03-2017. A total amount of Rs. 1107.20 crore, as Gol share, out of Rs.1450 crore, has been released to RRBs upto 31-03-2017. The remaining amount of Rs.342.80 crore will be utilized to provide recapitalization support to RRBs whose CRAR is below 9%, during the years 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20. The identification of RRBs requiring recapitalization and the amount of capital to be provided, will be decided in consultation with NABARD.
· Cabinet approves renewal of MoU between the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India & Saudi Organisation for Certified Public Accountants
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its ex-post facto approval for the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2014 and approval for renewal of MoU between the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) & Saudi Organisation for Certified Public Accountants (SOCPA) in Saudi Arabia to promote mutual co-operation framework. The aim is to work together to develop a mutually beneficial relationship in the best interest of ICAI members, students and their organizations. The MoU will provide an opportunity to the ICAI members to expand their professional horizons and simultaneously ICAI will become an entity to aid and strengthen capacity building of local nationals. The MoU will further enable ICAI to promote the Accounting and Auditing profession and all matters that might lead to the development of the profession and improve its status. The MoU will foster strong working relations between the ICAI & SOCPA thus giving strong professional opportunities to Indian Chartered Accountants in India and more confidence to employers in Eastern Province, thus creating significant employment opportunities for Indian Chartered Accountants.
· Cabinet approves MoU between India and United Kingdom on cooperation in the sphere of Law & Justice and establishing a Joint Consultative Committee
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and United Kingdom regarding cooperation between both countries in the sphere of Law & Justice and to set up a Joint Consultative Committee. The MoU takes care of concerns and requirements in the field of exchange of experience by legal professionals, government functionaries and their training and effective legal aid mechanism for resolution of disputes before various Courts, Tribunals, etc. and proposes establishment of Joint Consultative Committees.
· Cabinet approves transfer of 4 acres of Defence land on lease basis to KendriyaVidyalayaSangathan for the construction of KendriyaVidyalaya No. 4 at Kandhar Lines, Delhi Cantt.
The Union Cabinet chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the transfer of 4 acres of Defence land in perpetuity basis to Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) for the construction of Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 4 at Kandhar Lines, Delhi Cantt. at a nominal rent of one rupee per annum. At present, Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 4 at Delhi Cantt has been functioning from a temporary re-appropriated building in Survey No. 14, Delhi Cantt., since its establishment in 1994. Presently, 956 children are studying in the school. Construction of own permanent school building by KVS will provide proper and comfortable academic environment with all required amenities for the school going children of serving personnel families, ex-servicemen families and children of civilians in and around Delhi Cantt.
· Cabinet approves transfer of 7.5 acres of Defence land to Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan for the construction of Kendriya Vidvalaya in Survey No. 408, Jalandhar Cantt
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, on 04-07-2018, approved the transfer of 7.5 acres of A-1 Defence land on lease in perpetuity basis at a nominal rent of Re 1/- per annum to Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan for the construction of Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 4 in Survey No. 408, Jalandhar Cantt. At present, Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 4 at Jalandhar Cantt. has been functioning since 1987 in a temporary re-appropriated MES building opposite Kalwant Hall in Survey No. 408, Jalandhar Cantt. It is spread over 26 acres of A-1 Defence land. Presently, a total of 1346 children are studying in Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 4, Jalandhar Cantt. Construction of own permanent school building by KVS will enable the school authorities to build optimal infrastructure to meet the educational requirements of the serving personnel. The remaining 18.5 acres of land will be handed over to the Army on completion of construction of the school building.
· Cabinet approves Transfer of Sashastra Seema Bal’s land measuring 5.99 acres at Tawang to the State Government of Arunachal Pradesh
The Union Cabinet chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the Transfer of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB)’s land measuring 5.99 acres at Tawang to the State Government of Arunachal Pradesh for construction of a Mega-Festival-Cum-Multipurpose Ground. Arunachal Pradesh Government had identified a suitable portion of land measuring 5.99 acres within the campus of SSB at Tawang for construction of Mega Festival-cum-multipurpose ground with parking facilities (4,73 acres) and construction of ring road (1.26 acres) and accordingly, requested the transfer of the 5.99 acres land. Government of India, (Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region) has already sanctioned the project titled “Construction of Mega-Festival-Cum-Multipurpose Ground with parking facilities and approach road at Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh” in March, 2016. The multipurpose ground will be used for holding various tourism festivals, etc.
· Cabinet approves transfer of 7.118 acres of Defence land to Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan for construction of Kendriya Vidyalaya Number 2 Dhar Road in District Udhampur, Jammu & Kashmir
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the transfer of 56 kanals and 19 marlas (7.118 acres) of Defence land on lease on long term basis for 30 years renewable for two like terms of 30 years each to Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) for construction of KendriyaVidyalaya No. 2 at Udhampur, Jammu & Kashmir at a nominal rent of one rupee per annum. At present, Kendriya Vidyalaya Number 2, Dhar Road, Udhampur has been functioning in temporary buildings ever since its inception in 1985. Presently, a total of 851 students are studying in Kendriya Vidyalaya Number 2, Dhar Road, Udhampur. Construction of own permanent school building by KVS will enable the school authorities to build optimal infrastructure to meet the educational requirements of the children of serving personnel.
· Cabinet approves Umbrella Schemes for Relief and Rehabilitation of Migrants and Repatriates
The Union Cabinet chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for continuance of the 8 existing schemes of the Ministry of Home Affairs upto March 2020 for relief and rehabilitation of migrants and repatriates under the Umbrella scheme “Relief and Rehabilitation of Migrants and Repatriates”. The financial implication for this purpose is Rs. 3183 crore for the period 2017-18 to 2019-20. The year-wise phasing of the scheme will be- Rs. 911 crore in 2017-18, Rs.1372 crore in 2018-19 and Rs. 900 crore in 2019-2020. The schemes will provide relief and rehabilitation assistance to the refugees, displaced persons, civilian victims of terrorist/communal/LWE violence and cross border firing and mine/IED blasts on Indian Territory and riot victims of various incidents, etc.
· Cabinet approves DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2018; Mandatory Accreditation and Regulation of DNA Laboratories
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill 2018.
1. The primary intended purpose for enactment of “The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill” is for expanding the application of DNA-based forensic technologies to support and strengthen the justice delivery system of the country.
2. The utility of DNA based technologies for solving crimes, and to identify missing persons, is well recognized across the world.
3. By providing for the mandatory accreditation and regulation of DNA laboratories, the Bill seeks to ensure that with the proposed expanded use of this technology in the country, there is also the assurance that the DNA test results are reliable and the data remain protected from misuse or abuse in terms of the privacy rights of the citizens.
4. Speedier justice delivery.
5. Increased conviction rate.
6. Bill’s provisions will enable the cross-matching between persons who have been reported missing on the one hand and unidentified dead bodies found in various parts of the country on the other, and also for establishing the identity of victims in mass disasters.
· Cabinet approves renaming of Agartala Airport, Tripura as Maharaja Bir Bikram Manikya Kishore Airport, Agartala
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, gave its approval to rename the Agartala Airport in Tripura as ‘Maharaja Bir Bikram Manikya Kishore Airport’, Agartala. The decision comes in the wake of the long pending demand of people of Tripura as well as the Tripura Government for paying tribute to Maharaja Bir Bikram Manikya Kishore.

Paddy MSP increase to Cost GoI Rs.15,000 Cr – 0.1% of GDP

July06, 2018 (C) Ravinder Singh progressindia2015@gmail.com
Nearly 40 Crore Farmers grow paddy and GoI procurement bill shall go up by Rs.15,000 Cr means per capita additional income from procurement is only Rs.375 only as per The Hindu Story. This is just0.1% of GDP and 0.3% of Center & States budget.
Assuming Farm Surplus of 5 Crore Tones Paddy including Procurement by FCI – Rs.2000 Per Tones MSP increase actually means Rs.10,000 Cr Gains to Farmers – So real per capita gains to Paddy Farmers is only Rs.250 annually, barely enough for haircut at rural costs in a year.
MSP for Paddy 5 years ago was Rs.1310 and there is Rs.440 Per Quintal increase in 5 years to Rs.1750 – or Rs.88 Per Quintal average MSP increase. This 33.6% increase in 5 Years – Population increase of 10% and Inflation in 5 Years means no gains to Farmers.  
Since Farmers Themselves consume 60% of their own produce – even more when we consider INTER FARMER SALES, Bajra or Maize farmer selling their produce for Chicken Feed or Use up for Feeding Milk Animals.
Cash crops like Cotton, Soybean, Pulses are brought to market for sales but except for Cotton most crops are RAIN FED have very low yield.
Current Rainfall deficit is 7% – unless there is GOOD RAIN FALL there shall be little or no gains to Farmers in view of Low Yields.
Milk Prices are at lowest in many states – Procurement price of Sugarcane is not increased.
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

Mark No of Caesarean deliveries #SafeBirth 

Change.org
Subarna Ghosh ने Make it mandatory for all hospitals to declare number of Caesarean deliveries #SafeBirth पर अपडेट साझा किया है इसकी जांच – पड़ताल करें और टिप्पणी करें
मुद्दे पर अपडेट

Still having doubts?

Hello! The opinions on Caesareans births are many. But let’s get some facts straight with the help of this informative video. To see more maternal health updates, I invite you to join the SafeBirth community on Facebook. Do like and follow SafeBirth on http://www.facebook/safebirthindia.com. Looking forward, Subarna Ghosh.
पूर्ण अद्यतन पढ़ें
आपने Subarna Ghosh का «Make it mandatory for all hospitals to declare number of Caesarean deliveries #SafeBirth» इस मुद्दे पर मई 14, 2017 को हस्ताक्षर किये थे
जिस व्यक्ति (या संगठन) ने यह मुद्दा शुरू किया है वह Change.org से संबंधित नहीं है। Change.org ने यह मुद्दा नहीं बनाया और इस मुद्दे के कॉन्टेंट के लिये Change.org ज़िम्मेदार नहीं है। इस मुद्दे से जुड़े ई-मेल अपडेट बंद करने के लिए आप यहाँ क्लिक करन अनसब्सक्राइब कर सकते हैं।

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Thai Cave Rescue Mission operations underway

 Thai Cave Rescue Mission operation  underway to free remaining  boys and their coach of a football team trapped in a flooded cave entered second day today.
Thailand PM is also expected to arrive at site, : “The Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop said in a TV interview on Monday morning she believed the boys would be brought out in groups of four, meaning at least two more operations….”
Four boys were brought safely out of the cave on Sunday. But, the mission was paused overnight for air tanks to be replaced.
Rescuers decided to go ahead with the hazardous operation because of fears of rising waters. The group have been trapped in the cave since 23rd of last month.
Weather forecasters said heavy rain could hit the area today and continue through the week.
Thai cave rescue:As rescue operations are suspended overnight, we take a quick look back at Sunday’s events:The mission began at 10:00 local time on Sunday (03:00 GMT)
The first boy emerged from the cave at 17:40 local time
In total, four boys have been taken to hospital in Chiang Rai
The rescued boys, who were escorted out by 13 foreign divers and five members of Thailand’s elite navy SEAL unit, are in good health
The operation was paused just before 21:00 local time (14:00 GMT) and will resume on Monday
Authorities have warned that the rain could re-flood crucial parts of the cave complex that have been drained and make the escape route harder or even impossible to navigate.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha is scheduled to visit the cave site on Monday.

Torrential rains Mumbai

Torrential monsoon rains lashed the Mumbai and its neighbouring areas, flooding streets, rail tracks and crippling life in the city. Mumbai rain causing severe waterlogging in some parts. The IMD has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall till Wednesday.
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The downpour — the highest of the season so far in a day — caused traffic jams as many roads and streets were flooded and people were seen wading through knee-deep water.
Vehicles on many roads were seen crawling because of the rain and low visibility, while potholes compounded the problem.

Japans flood rains devastating

Record-breaking torrential rain has left at least 65 dead and 47 missing in western Japan, state broadcaster NHK reported on Sunday. Most of the victims were buried alive by mudslides or swept into rivers and canals. More than 1,000 residents are stranded on rooftops in Okayama Prefecture and await rescue. Nearly 65 lost and 2 million displaced – thoughts with all those battling & suffering disastrous floods in Japan.
Rescuers in Japan dug through mud and rubble on Monday, racing to find survivors after torrential rains unleashed widespread floods and landslides that killed nearly 100, with dozens missing.
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Rain tapered off across the western region battered by last week’s downpour, revealing blue skies and scorching sun forecast to push temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius (86°F), fuelling fears of heatstroke in areas cut off from power or water.
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“We cannot take baths, the toilet doesn’t work and our food stockpile is running low,” said Yumeko Matsui, whose home in the city of Mihara has been without water since Saturday.
“Bottled water and bottled tea are all gone from convenience stores and other shops,” the 23-year-old nursery school worker said at an emergency water supply station.
About 12,700 customers had no electricity on Monday, power companies said. Tens of thousands had no water, Japanese media said.
The death toll from the rains reached at least 94 after floodwaters forced several million people from their homes, NHK national television said, the highest toll since 98 people were killed in a typhoon in 2004.
Another 58 were missing, NHK added.
Industry operations have also been hit, with Mazda Motor Corp saying it was forced to close its head office in Hiroshima on Monday.
The automaker, which suspended operations at several plants because of the rains last week, said the halt would continue at two plants until Tuesday, as it cannot receive components, though both were undamaged.
Refineries and oil terminals were not affected, but blocked roads limited access to one Showa Shell oil terminal in the city, causing gas and diesel shortages nearby.
At one landslide in Hiroshima, shattered piles of lumber marked the sites of former homes, television images showed. Others had been tossed upside down.
“Nobody’s heard from my next door neighbor,” one man told NHK. “I hope they find him soon.”
Water still swirled through most of the hard-hit city of Kurashiki, despite ebbing floods that opened the route to a hospital where nearly 100 patients and staff had been stranded on Sunday.
Thousands flocked to evacuation centers in the city’s district of Mabi.
“Nobody has anything to wear. We need shirts, trousers, underwear, socks and even shoes,” its mayor, Kaori Ito, told the Asahi Shimbun newspaper.
Although evacuation orders were scaled back from the weekend, nearly 2 million people still face orders or advice to keep away from homes, fire and disaster officials said.
An emergency management center has been set up at the prime minister’s office, with about 54,000 rescuers, drawn from the military, police and fire departments, fanning out across the west and southwest.
Japan monitors weather conditions and issues warnings early, but its dense population means every bit of usable land is built on in the mostly mountainous nation, leaving it prone to disasters.

NAB arrests Safdar

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) team arrested on Sunday former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s son-in-law Captain (retd) Muhammad Safdar, who is wanted in relation to Avenfield properties reference case.
 National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Monday shifted Captain (retired) Safdar Awan to the Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, after he was earlier presented in an accountability court.
The son-in-law of deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif was arrested by the anti-graft body on Sunday, following an accountability court’s verdict in the Avenfield Properties corruption reference that handed out a one-year prison sentence to Captain (retd) Safdar. He is also accused in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills reference.
Sharif was given a ten-year jail term and Maryam seven years, but Safdar was given one year for abetment. Safdar will be presented before an accountability court tomorrow.
Safdar, along with wife Maryam and father-in-law Nawaz Sharif, was given on Friday jail term in the Avenfield properties case. Nawaz and Maryam were sentenced to 11 and eight years in prison and slapped £8-million and £2-million fines, respectively. Capt (retd) Safdar also received a one-year prison sentence.
Two high-rank NAB officials took Safdar into custody after he appeared at a party rally in Rawalpindi. Around 3,000 people were around the vehicle in which the NAB officials accompanied the former prime minister’s son-in-law.
After reaching the election office of PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi, Safdar Awan was officially arrested and shifted into the vehicle of NAB team.
In a declaration issued by the beureu it said that Captain (retd) Safdar was hiding at his native village to avoid arrest, adding that the anti-graft body conducted raids at Mansehra, Abbotabad and Haripur.
NAB said that if Capt (retd) Safdar had to give voluntarily arrest then he should have done it on Saturday.
Safdar is a convict and media should refrain from promoting him, said the probe body, adding that it can ‘lead to lawlessness’.
The authority said that those assisting the former PM’s son-in-law will face action against them.

Brazil judge, Lula to remain in prison

 Brazil, an appeals court judge has overturned an order of a fellow judge ordering the release of jailed former President Lula da Silva.
Judge Rogerio Favreto had ruled in favour of Lula ordering his release after the followers submitted a habeas corpus application on the former President’s behalf on Friday.
Favreto, the weekend duty judge, argued that Lula had been illegally imprisoned.
Later, top anti-corruption judge Sergio Moro – who originally sentenced Lula in July last year – said, Favreto did not have the power to secure the leftist’s release.
Judge Gebran Neto, then, followed suit and instructed federal police at a prison in Curitiba to keep Lula behind bars.
Though  the 72-year old leader is in jail on corruption charges, he continues to lead opinion polls ahead of October’s President elections. He has vowed that his name will be on the ballot.
Lula says, he is innocent and the case is politically motivated.

Brexit Secretary David Davis resigns

Labour Leader, Jeremy Corbin said David resignation May cabinet get Brexit more bumpy Gov chaos. His tweets
David Davis resigning at such a crucial time shows  has no authority left and is incapable of delivering Brexit. With her Government in chaos, if she clings on, it’s clear she’s more interested in hanging on for her own sake than serving the people of our country.
Brexit Secretary David Davis has resigned from the UK government. The resignation comes days after British Prime Minister Theresa May secured the Cabinet’s backing for her Brexit plan at a meeting at Chequers outside London.
Shortly after Mr Davis’ resignation, his deputy Steve Baker, and another Brexit Minister Suella Braverman also quit.
The development is being seen as a major blow for Ms May as she tries to unite her party behind a plan to retain strong economic ties to the European Union even after leaving the bloc.
In his resignation letter, Mr Davis said, the general direction of policy will leave Britain in at best a weak negotiating position, and possibly an inescapable one.
In her reply, Ms May said, her plan will undoubtedly mean the returning of powers from Brussels to the United Kingdom and was in line with her commitment to leave the European single market and customs union.
The Prime Minister is due to address Parliament today to explain her plan for Britain to adopt EU rules on goods after Brexit.

World Sanskrit Conference to kickoff at Vancouver

Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar will inaugurate the 17th World Sanskrit Conference in Vancouver, Canada, today.
More than 500 scholars and delegates from over 40 countries are participating in the five-day event.
They will present papers on various subjects. An official release said, there will be a special panel discussion on over a dozen topics like – History and Education of Women in Vedic Literature, Sanskrit Buddhist Manus, introducing Bhagavata Purana Commentaries and research on the Gargiyajyotisa.
The Ministry said, the purpose of this conference is to promote, preserve and practice the Sanskrit language all over the world by the people.
The World Sanskrit Conference is being held in various countries across the globe once in every three years and so far it has been held thrice in India.

President Moon Jae-in on 4 day visitt

President Moon Jae-in() and First Lady Kim Jung-sook arrived in  for 4-day state visit!

President Moon Jae-in(@moonriver365) and First Lady Kim Jung-sook arrived in #India for 4-day state visit!South Korean President Moon Jae-in with wife Kim Jung-sook arrive in Delhi, received by Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh. He is on a visit to India till July 11. Moon Jae-in begins a four -day visit to India from tomorrow, and then visits Singapore, as part of his government’s “New Southern Policy,” which gives priority to the ASEAN economies and India.
South Korea leader ,Moon,  is on his first visit to India since becoming President, will be here till 11 July during which he will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discuss a wide range of bilateral, regional and international issues. South Korean leader will also meet with President Ram Nath Kovind and Congress president Mr Rahul Gandhi
Honored to have South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his wife visit the  Akshardham temple in New Delhi. President Moon shared his sentiments after visiting the temple, saying “I pray for peace in Korea, India and the whole world…”
South Korean President Moon Jae-in will attend the India-Korea Business Forum in New Delhi today.
He will visit the Gandhi Smriti with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two leaders will also visit a Samsung plant in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
Prime Minister Modi and the South Korean President will inaugurate world’s largest mobile phone factory in Noida today evening.
The new 35-acre Samsung Electronics facility can manufacture nearly 120 million mobile phones.
In June last year, the company had announced a Rs. 5,000 crore investment to expand the Noida plant and to double the production.
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External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will call on the visiting dignitary today.
Mr Moon will be given a ceremonial reception at the forecourts of Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday. He will hold delegation level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
A number of agreements are expected to be signed after the talks.  Both leaders will also address CEO’s roundtable.
He will also meet President Ram Nath Kovind. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu will call on the visiting dignitary.
Mr Moon, accompanied by wife Kim Jung-sook, arrived in the national capital last evening.
A delegation comprising senior members of his cabinet, officials as well as industry captains is accompanying the South Korean President.
Mr Moon paid a visit to the Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple in East Delhi last evening. This is Mr Moon’s first-ever state visit to India after he took over as the President last year.
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FICCI HEAL 2018: “Healthcare at Crossroads”

Dear Mr Sagar,

FICCI HEAL 2018: “Healthcare at Crossroads”
Aug 30 – 31, 2018; FICCI, New Delhi

I am pleased to inform that Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) is organizing its annual healthcare conference, the 12th edition of FICCI HEAL, on August 30-31, 2018 at FICCI Federation House, New Delhi. The central theme of the Conference is “Healthcare at Crossroads”.

Over the years, FICCI HEAL has evolved as a landmark event for healthcare industry stakeholders for sharing of knowledge and best practices. It witnesses participation of policy makers and more than 500 national and international delegates from top hospital groups, medical technology companies, diagnostic labs, medical innovators, healthcare IT companies.

As the government envisions aspirational reforms in healthcare and moves closer to assuming the role of a payor through the newly launched Ayushman BharatProgram, it is critical to ensure that the increase in healthcare spending translates into better health outcomes and ascertain the role of other stakeholders on the path towards Universal Health Coverage. FICCI HEAL 2018 is an endeavour to deliberate on the challenges and opportunities to not only increase the penetration of quality health services in the country but also bridge the trust deficit amongst the stakeholders for better collaboration in the future.

We have invited the following dignitaries to address the Conference:
  • Shri J P Nadda, Hon’ble Union Minster for Health and Family Welfare, GoI
  • Dr V K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, GoI
  • Ms Preeti Sudan, Secretary, Ministry for Health and Family Welfare, GoI
  • Mr Indu Bhushan, CEO, AB- National Health Protection Mission, GoI
In view of your contribution and presence in the healthcare sector, we are pleased to invite you to register for the Conference. Please find attached the Draft Program and Conference Brochure for your reference (click here to download Brochure).

I shall be grateful if you confirm your participation at the earliest, by registering for the conference. In case of any queries, please contact us at (Tel: 011 23738760 – 70 Ext. 275/ 376/ 438/ 513, Fax: 011 23320714, 011 23721504, Email:healthservices@ficci.com). Kindly visit the conference website www.ficci-heal.com, for updates.

Looking forward to your active participation.

Dear Naresh Sagar, A personal note from our new Chief Executive


Dear Naresh Sagar
A personal note from our new Chief Executive
Welcome to our July newsletter.  We like to keep these e-mails short and to the point, so I’ve prepared a full CEO’s update for members and supporters which you can read in full here.
If you are in or near Birmingham or London next week, please do pop along to one of the two events we’re organising. We will be organising other events across the country soon.
We are actively seeking donations this month to help us prepare for what may be a very chaotic few months in the UK.  As a campaigning political party, we want to be ready to work alongside others like ourselves to hold both government and opposition to account this year.  Your financial support is genuinely important, please follow this link to donate now.
The more time passes and the more we learn about the Leave stitch-up, the more strongly I feel that history will smile on those who challenged the hubris and criminality which permeated their campaign.  We need to be ready to fight the Remain corner, if we are to be able to look our children in the eye.
I could go on. More in my full update!
Mark Kieran
Chief Executive,
The Renew Party
People’s March
Over 250 Renew supporters attended the People’s March. We had supporters from across the country, and even Terry Knott, our chief coordinator in France was there. We marched from Pall Mall to Parliament Square to the chant of ‘Renew, Renew, stay in the EU!’ 
In Parliament Square we heard speeches from Caroline Lucas,Vince Cable,Anna Soubry and Tony Robinson amongst others. If you have not yet signed the People’s Vote petition then please do so to demand a People’s Vote on the final deal.
Come and meet the Team
We will be visiting city centres and our Regional HQs over the summer, so please keep checking our social media channels and newsletters to find out our latest events.
We will be at Blackfriars Wine Bar in London this Thursday 12th July from 5pm, and in Birmingham on Saturday 14th July. Please click on the events to book your free ticket. We are also at Blackfriars wine bar every first Thursday of the month, so drop in for a chat.
Finally please check out our social media channels below and here is an example of the great work our in house design team are doing.
Please donate to help Rethink Brexit.Renew Britain
Kind regards,
David
David Britten
Director of Operations
0203 239 1692

15th Annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business

The Stevie Awards Issues Call for Entries in 
15th Annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business
All Female Entrepreneurs, Executives and Employees Worldwide May be Nominated
The Stevie® Awards, organizer of the world’s premier business awards programs, has issued the call for entries for its 2018 (15th annual) Stevie Awards for Women in Business. Entry kits and complete details on the competition are available at http://www.StevieAwards.com/Women.
The awards are produced by the creators of the prestigious American Business Awards® and International Business Awards®.
The Stevie Awards for Women in Business honor the achievements of working women in more than 90 categories, including Entrepreneur of the Year, Executive of the Year, Mentor or Coach of the Year, a Lifetime Achievement Award, Achievement in Equal Pay, Women Helping Women, Employee of the Year, Woman-Owned or -Run Company of the Year and Innovator of the Year. All female entrepreneurs, executives, employees and the organizations they run, worldwide, are eligible to be nominated.
The final entry deadline is August 22, but late entries will be accepted through September 28 with payment of a late fee. Finalists will be announced on October 4, and the Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie winners will be revealed at a gala awards dinner at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel in New York on November 16, 2018.
Most categories require the payment of an entry fee for the submission of a nomination, but several categories require no fee, including most of those honoring women in the non-profit and governmental sectors, Female Employee of the Year and the Startup of the Year categories.
Marty Stanley, President of Dynamic Dialog and a 2017 Silver Stevie winner, said of her win:“Winning a Stevie Award is really fabulous because 18 years ago I left the corporate world to start out on my own, and I wanted to start coaching. People would ask me “Can you really make a living doing that?” so receiving the Stevie Award for Executive Coaching and Coach of the Year is testament to my personal success. The Stevie Awards raise the bar for every industry so women can keep making a difference in all organizations.”
Other winners of the 2017 Stevie Awards for Women in Business included, among others: 
  • Amy Tiller, Co-Founder and President of Growth, Inspired Results, Portland OR, USA
  • Inga Hlin Palsdottir, Director of Visit Iceland and Creative industries, Promote Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
  • Marsha Couch, CFO, Creating Lodging Solutions, Lexington KY, USA
  • Kerry Small, Head of Customer Service Operations, Vodafone PLC Group Enterprise, Newbury, United Kingdom
  • June Howards, SVP Financial Services and Chief Accounting Officer, Aflac, Columbus, GA USA
  • Galileo Research and Strategy Consultancy, New York, NY USA
  • Simple Mills, Chicago, IL USA
  • Tavuu Welfare Associate, Karachi, Pakistan
  • She Prosperity, Auckland, New Zealand
  • Sari Bari Private Limited, Kolkata, India
  • Microsoft, Redmond, WA USA
  • Travelzoo, New York, NY USA
The 2017 Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award winners reflected a diverse group of large and small organizations around the globe. The 2018 Stevie Awards for Women in Business will be judged by more than 200 leading professionals around the world, and nominees will have access to all of the judges’ comments and suggestions about their nominations: an invaluable resource.
About the Stevie® Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in seven programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards®, The International Business Awards®, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service and the new Stevie Awards for Great Employers. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 10,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 60 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com.
Clara Im
The Stevie Awards
Clara@stevieawards.com
Tel. +82-2-3443-8389

TransMedTech, MEDTEQ joins for research & innovation

TransMedTech Institute is collaborating with MEDTEQ with the aim of bringing new medical technologies into the Canadian health system by simplifying and accelerating the steps taken by their researchers and the project selection process.
The two organisations are joining forces so they can co-manage collaborative research and innovation projects eligible for funding from both organisations. This co-management will be made possible by the sharing of expertise, infrastructure and human resources. MEDTEQ’s scientific committee will evaluate joint projects as well as projects eligible for TransMedTech funding only.
The agreement also confirms the implementation of a project co-financing system as TransMedTech and MEDTEQ have developed complementary skills in this field. Their alliance will enable collaborative research and innovation projects eligible for funding from both organisations to be funded first by TransMedTech, and then to access MEDTEQ funding once they have reached a certain level of technological maturity.
biospectrumindia.com

US, North Korea set up working groups

Washington and Pyongyang have agreed to establish working groups that would handle the most pressing issues on the bilateral agenda, in particular, the course of North Korea’s de-nuclearization efforts, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a statement Friday. She said the groups’ work will be focused on “nitty gritty stuff,” without providing any specific details. The announcement came after US State Secretary Mike Pompeo held high-level talks with Kim Yong Chol, vice chairman of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party Central Committee, in Pyongyang. The officials discussed a range of issues, including the return of the remains of US troops killed in the Korean War.

Iran condemns Netherland’s expulsion of two diplomats

Tehran has summoned the Dutch ambassador and condemned the Netherlands’ decision to deport two Iranian diplomats. Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi called the expulsion “unfriendly and unconstructive” and warned that Iran had the right to take reciprocal measures, according to Reuters, who cite the IRNA.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters the expulsions are aimed at harming Iranian efforts to salvage their nuclear deal. However, the expulsions also came soon after Belgium, France and Germany said they detained six people over an alleged bomb plot targeting a rally organised by an Iranian opposition group in Paris.

IGNCA Programme Schedule July 2018

Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts:  Programme Schedule July 2018

CORDIALLY INVITES YOU TO THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMMES


Date : July 5, 2018
Event : Arth-Art for Earth-The Excavated Museum of Clay by Manav Gupta
IGNCA cordially invites you to the first of its kind public art project on environment by one of India’s leading contemporary artists.
The art exhibits explore nature as a museum laboratory of art, espousing sustainable development by excavating the philosophies of ancient civilizations, like Indian vedic practices, on environment. The artist converts quintessential rural Indian clay pottery into avant garde contemporary installations that embrace nature through the five elements.
Join us to light an earthen lamp and experience
Rain
Ganga the Riverfront and Matighar
Time Machine
Noah’s Ark
The Beehive Garden
Bed of Life
Inauguration by Chief Guest : Hon’ble Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent Charge) Ministry of Culture, Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Venue : IGNCA Lawns, 11 Mansingh Road, New Delhi
Time : 7.00 pm
Contact No : 011-23388155

Date : July 18 to 20, 2018
Event : Sanjari : Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat Shrinkhala
July 18, 2018 – Folk Music of Madhya Pradesh and Assam
July 19, 2018 – Folk Music of Manipur and Jharkhand
July 20, 2018 – Folk Music of Nagaland and Gujarat
Sanjari was launched on the 30th Foundation Day of IGNCA on November 19, 2017 to promote folk music traditions of India.
Venue : IGNCA Auditorium, C.V. Mess, Janpath, New Delhi
Contact No. : 011-23388155
Details will be shared in the second programme schedule from July 16 to 31, 2018.

Date : July 21, 2018
Event : Naadyatra Raag Mahotsav – YAMAN
In this celebration of Raags, we have chosen to present Raag Yaman in the Khayal Vocal, Sarod and Dhrupad Vocal formats. The main objective of the event is to experience Dhyaan or Mindfullness through the different expressions of Yaman.
ARTISTS:
Gauri Pathare (Khayal Vocal)
Abhay Datar (Tabla)
Pandit Tejendra Narayan Majumdar (Sarod)
Akhilesh Gundecha (Pakhawaj)
Padmashri Gundecha Brothers (Dhrupad Vocal Jugalbandi)
Pandit Dalchand Sharma (Pakhawaj)
Venue : IGNCA Auditorium, C.V. Mess, Janpath, New Delhi
Time : 6.30 pm
Contact No :
Sangeeta Chopra – +91 9811501026
Sanjeev Jha – +91 9868022851

Date : July 27, 2018
Event : Play- Padma Shri Prahasana by playwright, Ms. Rashmi Kalsie
Padma Shri Prahsana is an intelligent satire about a character named Ms. Padma
Aggarwal who loses her Padma Shri and finds herself in the midst of a political drama.
Playwright, Ms. Rashmi Kalsie attempts to revive the glory of ancient Indian theatre on modern stage.
Venue : IGNCA Auditorium, C.V. Mess, Janpath, New Delhi
Contact No  : 011-23388155

IGNCA Book Circle  @ Reference Library
Date :  July 13, 2018
Event : Book Launch cum Reading Session
Under the Outreach initiative, ‘the IGNCA Book Circle’, Kala Nidhi Reference Library organises a Book Reading Session every month.
For the month of June, 2018, IGNCA will hold a book reading session of ‘Conflict, Education and People’s war in Nepal’ by Shri Sanjeev Rai. This book presents an overview of the democracy movement and the history of education in Nepal. It shows how schools became the battleground for the state and the Maoists as well as captures emerging trends in the field, challenges for the state and negotiations with political commitments. It looks at the factors that contributed to the conflict, and studies the politics of the region alongside gender and identity dynamics.
Venue :  IGNCA Conference Hall, C.V. Mess, Janpath, New Delhi
Time: 4.00 pm
Contact No :  011-23385884

IGNCA FILM CIRCLE SCREENING –  2nd & 4th Friday of every month
Date : July 13, 2018
Event : Kumbh (Eternal Journey of Indian civilization)
The film unfolds spiritual, cultural and social importance of the Kumbh Mela and highlights its great relevance for the modern world.
Director : Shri Harshit Jain
Duration : 69 minutes
Venue : IGNCA Auditorium, Media Centre, 3, Dr. Rajindra Prashad Road, New Delhi
Time : 5.30 pm onwards

Date : July 27, 2018
Event : Folklore Museum of Mysore
The film relates to the tangible and intangible heritage of the folk world. It explores the unique folklore within the broader dimensions of folk styles and also focuses on yaksagana and shadow puppetry.
Director : Shri M.Lingaraj
Duration : 75 minutes
Venue :IGNCA Auditorium, Media Centre, 3, Dr. Rajindra Prashad Road, New Delhi
Time : 5.30 pm onwards
Contact No  : 011-23388815

Admission Notice for various PG Diploma courses at IGNCA on
  • PGD in Cultural Informatics
  • PGD in Preventive Conservation
  • PGD in Buddhist Studies
  • PGD in Digital Library and Data Management
  • PGD in Manuscriptology and Palaeography
We look forward to seeing you at all our programmes.

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Pompeo tale ‘difficult’ denuclearisation talks

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo brushed off North Korean charges that he used “gangster-like” diplomacy in negotiations in Pyongyang, saying on Sunday after meeting his Japanese and South Korean counterparts that he would keep pursuing denuclearisation talks with North Korea.
Pompeo said in Tokyo there was still a lot of work to do, but he was confident North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would stick to a commitment to abandon nuclear weapons he made during a summit with US President Donald Trump in Singapore last month.
“When we spoke to them about denuclearisation, they did not push back,” Pompeo told a news conference after two days of talks in Pyongyang that ended on Saturday. “The road ahead will be difficult and challenging and we know that critics will try to minimise the work that we’ve achieved.”
Some US senators expressed concern about North Korea’s harsh words and urged the Trump administration to keep up the pressure on Pyongyang. Republican Senator Joni Ernst, a member of the Armed Services Committee, said joint military exercises with South Korea suspended to show goodwill toward North Korea should be resumed “soon” if talks sputter.
Pompeo said that while he saw progress in Pyongyang, the United States was not relaxing the current sanctions regime or changing its “ironclad” commitment to defend allies South Korea and Japan.
Pompeo spoke after North Korea said the talks “brought us in a dangerous situation where we may be shaken in our unshakable will for denuclearisation, rather than consolidating trust.”
The statement was carried by the official KCNA news agency on Saturday soon after Pompeo left Pyongyang, raising questions about the future of talks in which he is trying to persuade Pyongyang to give up a nuclear weapons programme that threatens the United States.
“That was a fairly serious insult directed against Pompeo,” said Christopher Hill, who formerly served as US ambassador to South Korea and lead negotiator with North Korea.
Kim made a broad commitment in Singapore to “work toward denuclearisation” but did not give details on how or when he would dismantle North Korea’s nuclear programme. Trump offered security guarantees to Pyongyang and pledged to suspend the large-scale military drills with South Korea.
Leaked US intelligence findings have concluded that North Korea does not intend to give up its nuclear programme completely.
North Korea’s latest comments were a reminder of the difficulties that previous US administrations had negotiating with the reclusive state.
“I think it was a pretty bad start to the process, but it doesn’t mean it’s over yet,” said Hill, noting that North Korea talks were tough by nature.
“Most of the time you don’t come back with anything. Most of the time you come back empty-handed,” Hill added.
Pompeo said he did not meet Kim on his latest visit to Pyongyang, as he had twice before, and he had not anticipated doing so. The White House said before the trip that he would meet Kim.
Officials from the two sides would meet next week in Panmunjom, on the border between the two Koreas, to discuss the return of the remains of roughly 7,000 US soldiers missing since the 1950-1953 Korean War.
KCNA said Pyongyang had offered to discuss declaring a formal end to the war to mark next month’s anniversary of the armistice. It said the US side had shown little interest, giving “certain conditions and excuses.”
In a speech on Sunday in Vietnam, Pompeo urged North Korea to follow the example of Vietnam, saying he believed Pyongyang could replicate Hanoi’s path to normal relations with Washington and to prosperity.
“The United States has been clear on what we seek from North Korea,” Pompeo said in Hanoi. “The choice now lies with North Korea and its people.
“If they are able to do this, they will be remembered, and Chairman Kim will be remembered, as a hero of the Korean people.”
Some analysts and lawmakers have expressed alarm that the talks appear to have run into difficulties, although others see a possible North Korean negotiating ploy.
“I see China’s hands all over this,” said Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, saying he thought the Chinese were “pulling back” North Korea because of the US-China trade dispute.
Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, said on Twitter there was a danger of military action because Trump might now say he had tried diplomacy but was betrayed by Kim.
“But a rushed summit and demands that NK denuclearise in short order or else is not a serious test of diplomacy,” Haass tweeted.

Dipa Karmakar gold medal at Gymnastics World Cup

India’s premier gymnast Dipa Karmakar clinched a gold medal in the vault event of FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Challenge Cup at Mersin in Turkey on Sunday.
She returned to action after nearly two years of  lay-off due to injury.
The 24-year-old from Tripura, Dipa Karmakar scored 14.150 to win gold on Sunday.
This is Dipa’s first medal in a World Challenge Cup. She had topped the qualification also with a score of 13.400.
Dipa has also qualified in balance beam finals by finishing third in the qualification with a score of 11.850. She has been included in the 10-member Indian gymnastics team for the upcoming Asian Games.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated Dipa Karmakar on winning a well-deserved Gold in the vault event at the FIG World Challenge Cup in Mersin, Turkey.In a tweet, Mr Modi said, this win is a prime example of her tenacity and never-say-die attitude. He said, India is proud of Dipa Karmakar for her performance.
Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has congratulated Dipa Karmakar on winning the Gold Medal in the vault event at the FIG World Challenge Cup in Mersin, Turkey. The  Chief Minister called Dipa as an inspiration for daughters of Tripura to excel in life and wished her best for her future endeavours.
He reiterated full support of the State Government to Dipa so that she can continue making the nation proud and win a Gold Medal for India in 2020 Olympics.
On behalf of all 37 lakh people of Tripura, the Chief Minister extended his best wishes to Dipa on this outstanding victory

Thai Cave Rescue: Another boy rescued

A fifth boy has been rescued from the cave in Thailand reports by media. Monday  relatively dry day at the rescue site, rain clouds are again hovering  the hills surrounding the cave system.
Thai Rescue Cave operation is an International joint efforts  to rescue boys in flooded cave with various dimensions of its structure so two expert divers accompanied each boy as they battled dangerous conditions to reach safety – but the rescue is far from over.

Erdogan to be sworn President

Erdogan is set to be sworn in as president of Turkey after his election victory last month,the foreign leaders and dignitaries, including Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.nts.
Erodgan  after assuming charge of president of Turkey, is scheduled to announce his cabinet on Monday, which may result in policy changes in a number of areas.
Turkish authorities ordered the dismissal of more than 18,500 state employees including police officers, soldiers and academics, in a decree published today. The Official Gazette said 18,632 people have been sacked including 8,998 police officers and 6,152 military personnel. Turkish media dubbed the decree as the “last” after officials previously indicated the state of emergency in place since July 2016 could end as today.
Erdogan has purged another 18,000 state workers, those dismissed include soldiers, police and academics. A TV channel and three newspapers have also been closed. More than 125,000 people fired.reports tweeters

Brexit secretary, Dominic Raab

Dominic Raab appointed Brexit Secretary after David Davis resigns from UK government. He is MP for Esher and Walton, Housing Minister.
MP for Esher and Walton, who has also served in the Justice Department, will most likely appease some of the more ardent Brexiters, and he as yet has not publicly offered a view of the position agreed at Chequers, which prompted Davis’ resignation late last night.
Davis said he could not back Theresa May’s new policy on post-Brexit trade, which he claimed would “leave us in at best a weak negotiating position, and possibly an inescapable one”.
During an interview with the BBC this morning, Davis insisted his departure would not damage the UK’s position because the Prime Minister was the “primary negotiator”.
Media agencies

SC: NR Agra can’t offer prayers Taj Mahal

Supreme Court today dismissed a plea challenging the Agra authority’s order debarring non-residents of the city from offering Friday prayers at a mosque in the Taj Mahal complex.
A bench of Justices AK Sikri and Ashok Bhushan said that the Taj Mahal is one of the seven wonders of the world and people can offer their prayers at other mosques also.
The petition had challenged the January 24, 2018 order passed by the Additional District Magistrate Agra City which said that those who are not residents of Agra, would not be allowed to enter the mosque situated at the Taj Mahal for offering customary prayers on Fridays on security grounds.

Central Government informed Supreme Court on Monday that live streaming of court proceedings across the country can be undertaken.
The apex court had on May 3 sought the response of the Centre to pleas seeking live streaming, video recording or transcribing of judicial proceedings in courts.
Attorney General had earlier told the court that live streaming of court proceedings is an accepted practice in various countries.
In a bid to bring in transparency, the top court had last year allowed the installation of CCTV recording with audio in trial courts and tribunals in every state.
A petition, filed by a law student, has also sought a direction for setting up of live streaming rooms within the apex court premises and granting access to legal interns.

SC upholds death penalty to Nirbhaya’s killers

No mercy for Nirbhaya’s killers: Review plea of the three convicts dismissed by the Supreme Court in its verdict ,2012 Delhi gang-rape case: Supreme Court dismisses review pleas filed by 3 of the 4 convicts seeking reduction of their death sentence to a life term, upholds its earlier order of death sentence.
The apex court in its 2017 verdict had upheld the capital punishment awarded to them by the Delhi High Court and the trial court in the case of gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old paramedic student on December 16, 2012 in New Delhi.
She was gang raped on the intervening night of December 16-17, 2012 inside a running bus in South Delhi by six persons and severely assaulted before being thrown out on the road. She succumbed to her injuries on December 29, 2012 at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore.
One of the accused in the case, Ram Singh, had allegedly committed suicide in the Tihar jail here.
A juvenile, who was among the accused, was convicted by a juvenile justice board. He was released from a reformation home after serving a three-year term.
In its judgement, the Supreme Court had said that the “brutal, barbaric and diabolic nature” of the crime could create a “tsunami of shock” to destroy a civilised society.

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Pompeo tale ‘difficult’ denuclearisation talks

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo brushed off North Korean charges that he used “gangster-like” diplomacy in negotiations in Pyongyang, saying on Sunday after meeting his Japanese and South Korean counterparts that he would keep pursuing denuclearisation talks with North Korea.
Pompeo said in Tokyo there was still a lot of work to do, but he was confident North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would stick to a commitment to abandon nuclear weapons he made during a summit with US President Donald Trump in Singapore last month.
“When we spoke to them about denuclearisation, they did not push back,” Pompeo told a news conference after two days of talks in Pyongyang that ended on Saturday. “The road ahead will be difficult and challenging and we know that critics will try to minimise the work that we’ve achieved.”
Some US senators expressed concern about North Korea’s harsh words and urged the Trump administration to keep up the pressure on Pyongyang. Republican Senator Joni Ernst, a member of the Armed Services Committee, said joint military exercises with South Korea suspended to show goodwill toward North Korea should be resumed “soon” if talks sputter.
Pompeo said that while he saw progress in Pyongyang, the United States was not relaxing the current sanctions regime or changing its “ironclad” commitment to defend allies South Korea and Japan.
Pompeo spoke after North Korea said the talks “brought us in a dangerous situation where we may be shaken in our unshakable will for denuclearisation, rather than consolidating trust.”
The statement was carried by the official KCNA news agency on Saturday soon after Pompeo left Pyongyang, raising questions about the future of talks in which he is trying to persuade Pyongyang to give up a nuclear weapons programme that threatens the United States.
“That was a fairly serious insult directed against Pompeo,” said Christopher Hill, who formerly served as US ambassador to South Korea and lead negotiator with North Korea.
Kim made a broad commitment in Singapore to “work toward denuclearisation” but did not give details on how or when he would dismantle North Korea’s nuclear programme. Trump offered security guarantees to Pyongyang and pledged to suspend the large-scale military drills with South Korea.
Leaked US intelligence findings have concluded that North Korea does not intend to give up its nuclear programme completely.
North Korea’s latest comments were a reminder of the difficulties that previous US administrations had negotiating with the reclusive state.
“I think it was a pretty bad start to the process, but it doesn’t mean it’s over yet,” said Hill, noting that North Korea talks were tough by nature.
“Most of the time you don’t come back with anything. Most of the time you come back empty-handed,” Hill added.
Pompeo said he did not meet Kim on his latest visit to Pyongyang, as he had twice before, and he had not anticipated doing so. The White House said before the trip that he would meet Kim.
Officials from the two sides would meet next week in Panmunjom, on the border between the two Koreas, to discuss the return of the remains of roughly 7,000 US soldiers missing since the 1950-1953 Korean War.
KCNA said Pyongyang had offered to discuss declaring a formal end to the war to mark next month’s anniversary of the armistice. It said the US side had shown little interest, giving “certain conditions and excuses.”
In a speech on Sunday in Vietnam, Pompeo urged North Korea to follow the example of Vietnam, saying he believed Pyongyang could replicate Hanoi’s path to normal relations with Washington and to prosperity.
“The United States has been clear on what we seek from North Korea,” Pompeo said in Hanoi. “The choice now lies with North Korea and its people.
“If they are able to do this, they will be remembered, and Chairman Kim will be remembered, as a hero of the Korean people.”
Some analysts and lawmakers have expressed alarm that the talks appear to have run into difficulties, although others see a possible North Korean negotiating ploy.
“I see China’s hands all over this,” said Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, saying he thought the Chinese were “pulling back” North Korea because of the US-China trade dispute.
Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, said on Twitter there was a danger of military action because Trump might now say he had tried diplomacy but was betrayed by Kim.
“But a rushed summit and demands that NK denuclearise in short order or else is not a serious test of diplomacy,” Haass tweeted.

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‘Gau’ Raksha: The “Cow-Life Controversy”

CPR Land Rights Initiative is pleased to invite you to a talk on
‘Gau’ Raksha: The “Cow-Life Controversy” & the Bengali Muslim Public Sphere (1889-90)
Dr Mou BanerjeeWednesday, 11 July 2018, 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.Conference Hall, Centre for Policy Research
About the Topic
Mir Mosharraf Hossein (1847-1912), pioneering author of the Musalmani-Bengali novel, was also a social commentator and journalist. In reaction to the socio-political disharmony in Bengal, exacerbated by “cow-protection” movements and the Bengal Tenancy Act of 1885, Hossein penned a series of articles in the periodical Ahmadi in 1888. The articles, collected and published as Go-Jiban (Cow-Life) in pamphlet form, exhorted Muslims to eschew cow-slaughter. This caused vicious controversy. There were protesting editorials in the Akhbar’e Islamia and Hossein was accused of apostasy. He retaliated, instituting a libel-case. The controversy deepened with the publication of a refutation of Go-Jiban by Reazuddin Mashhadi. The periodicals were published in Kushtia and Tangail in rural East Bengal. A study of the controversy, articulated in the vernacular, non-elite public sphere through Musalmani-Bengali periodicals and pamphlets, provides a rare insight into the formation process of political identities and networks of intra-communal information exchange revolving around a religiously sensitive issue.
About the Speaker
Dr Mou Banerjee received her PhD in modern South Asian history from Harvard in 2018. Her dissertation thesis titled : “Questions of Faith: Christianity, Conversion and the Ideological Origins of Political Theology in Colonial India, 1813-1907.” received the Harold K Gross Dissertation Prize which is “to be awarded each year at Graduation to the Ph D recipient whose dissertation, in the opinion of a committee of Department members, gave greatest promise of a distinguished career of historical research.” Her research examines conversion to Protestant Christianity and explains how this issue emerged as the earliest and important locus of public debate, social reform and anti-colonial resistance in colonial India in the nineteenth and early twentieth century. Banerjee is a College Fellow at Harvard at the moment and will join Clemson University as Assistant Professor of History from the Fall of 2018.
Please RSVP at this link.

This is the eleventh in a series of talks organised by CPR Land Rights Initiative to showcase perspectives on land rights issues by diverse stakeholders, including academics from various disciplinary backgrounds, civil society organisations, journalists, grassroots workers, and policymakers.

3rd Conference on Health Security for ALL :

3rd Conference on Health Security for ALL : “Transforming Healthcare” on Wed, 11 Jul, 2018 at Hotel Le-Meridien, N D
Dear Sir/Madam,   
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
Affordable healthcare is the foundation for any just and equitable society, the vital blueprint ensuring a productive and prosperous life for citizens. In a country where health expenditures push 63 million people below the poverty line every year, it has been an imperative need since long.

The Healthcare is a key Goal under SDGs. Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi unveiled a new Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM) which aimed at the health coverage and to provide free health insurance to poor families, targeting about 500 million beneficiaries for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.

With the objective to provide health security for all through health schemes with efforts of Government and Private Stakeholders, ASSOCHAMis organizing 3rd conference on “Health Security for ALL” on Wednesday, 11th July, 2018 at Hotel Le-Meridien, New Delhi.

Invited Guests &  Prominent Speakers :

·         Ms. Anupriya Patel, Hon’ble Minister of State, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, GoI
·         Prof. (Dr.) Randeep Guleria, Director, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Government of India
·         Dr. Raiendra SharmaMedical  Superintendent,  VMMC & Safdarjang Hospital, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare,  Government of India
·         Mr. Rajan Subramaniam, Chief Executive Officer, Vipul MedCorp Insurance TPA Private Limited
·         Padma Bhushan (Dr.) B.K. Rao, Chairman, National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH), Chairman, National Council of Healthcare and Hospitals ASSOCHAM & Ex Chairman, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital
·         Ms. Mohini Daljeet Singh, Chief Executive Officer, Max India Foundation
·         Dr. Nayan Shah, Managing Director, Paramount Health services TPA Pvt ltd.
·         Mr. Ravi Bhatnagar, Director – External Affairs and Partnerships, Asia, Middle East and South Africa, Reckitt Benckiser (India) Private Limited  
·         Mr. Nitin Dua, Chief Operating Officer, Vipul MedCorp Insurance TPA Private Limited
·         Mr. Pritpal Marjara, Managing Director, Population Service International (PSI)
·         Dr. Pawan Kumar Singh, MBBS, MD, Consultant, Department of Hemato-oncology & BMT, ARTEMIS Hospitals
·         Dr. R. N. Kalra, Medical Director & CEO, Kalra Hospital SRCNC Pvt. Ltd, Delhi
·         Dr. Vibhu Ranjan Gupta, Group Medical Director,  Sarvodaya Hospital & Research Centre, Faridabad
·         Mr. Vibhav Garg, Vice President-Health Policy & Govt. Affairs, GE Healthcare
·         Dr. Rajesh Kesari, Director, Total Care Control, New Delhi
Considering the immense importance of this Conference & subject has specific relevance to your organization, therefore, on behalf of ASSOCHAMwe are cordially inviting you as our “highly esteemed guest” in the Conference.

SPORTS REVIEW — JULY 2018

SPORTS REVIEW — JULY 2018

NIRANJAN BOUNCES BACK FROM AN INJURY
TO BREAK 15-YEAR-OLD ASIAN RECORD

Niranjan with his spoils after placing 3rd in 50 mtrs butterfly at IDM Berlin.
Swimmer Niranjan Mukundan set an Asian record in the 200m backstroke event at the IDM Berlin Para-Swimming World Series 2018. He clocked 3:16.01 seconds, eclipsing Van Chung’s existing mark of 4:02.49 seconds. Van Chung, a Vietnamese swimmer, had set the record back in 2003 in the S7 category.
Niranjan posing with his team.
Niranjan not only broke a record, he also won a bronze medal in the 50 meters Butterfly. His performances have been honed under the watchful eye of his childhood coach John Christopher, and have benefited from a long-term training stint at the Thanyapura Swimming Centre in Thailand, where he now trains.
Niranjan has undergone as many as 16 surgeries since birth due to his congenital condition, spina bifida. His lower limbs have developed diminished sensation over the years, due to which he has suffered from recurring ulcers on his ankle, caused by friction against surfaces he cannot feel. His support from the foundation is utilised, among other things, to consult dermatologist Dr. Vinayak, who has been managing and treating his injury. Watching Niranjan repeatedly put his injury woes behind him is a true lesson in fortitude with his record-breaking performance in Germany also coming while he was still injured! His medical team assisted him in dressing his wound such that he would not be inhibited by the injury. Needless to say, the champion made best use of the opportunity to go out and make a mark!
The foundation has also assisted him in successfully completing his reclassification and obtaining his new disability category, which pits him against a similar level of competition. He is currently training to qualify for and compete at the Para Asian Games, to be held in Indonesia in October 2018, under the watchful eyes and constant guidance of his entire medical team. GoSports Foundation is delighted to be supporting Niranjan in his goal to achieve sports excellence.
Follow Niranjan’s journey on TwitterInstagramFacebook.

JUMP STRAIGHT TO THE SECTION ON:

MOMENTS OF PRIDE

ASIAN GAMES QUALIFIERS

Our athletes who have so far qualified for the 2018 Asian games
With a little more than a month to go for the Asian Games to kick off in Indonesia, our athletes` preparations are showing results. We are excited by the number of our athletes that have qualified for the games already, and await the announcement of the final contingent.

MEDAL TALLY

Medal tally in June 2018

DIPA KARMAKAR WINS GOLD AT FIG WORLD CHALLENGE CUP

Dipa Karmakar with her coach – Bishweshwar Nandi
Dipa Karmakar marked her return to competition with a gold medal in the vault event. Her comeback conquest was at the FIG World Challenge Cup in Mersin, Turkey. With this win, she became the first ever Indian to win a gold at an international event. Following her ACL surgery in April 2017, the foundation has been delighted to support her with access to rehabilitation through her physiotherapist Sajad Mir and Shrikant Iyengar from Prohealth Asia. 

All INDIA BADMINTON RANKING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Medalists with their spoils
The All India Senior Ranking Badminton Tournament was organised in Bangalore and witnessed shuttlers from across the country competing for tooth and nail to emerge victorious. Rituparna Das fought a tough final to claim the silver medal in women’s singles event, while Shlok Ramchandran and Arjun MR emerged deserving winners in the men’s doubles event.
In the Junior Ranking Tournament held in Kochi, Gayatri Pullela won gold in the women’s singles category, with a 23-21, 21-18 scoreline over top-seeded Purva Barve. In the picture with Gayatri and her mother is physiotherapist Abhishek Nayak (extreme left) from Invictus Performance Lab, who was sent to the tournament by the foundation for injury management and recovery assistance during match days.

18th KSS MEMORIAL SHOOTING CHAMPIONSHIP

Deepender, Pooja & Avani with their medals
Indian shooters were on target at the 18th KSS Memorial Shooting Championship held in Delhi which witnessed para shooters Avani Lekhara, Pooja Agarwal and Deepender Singh win medals in their respective categories and events.

ISSF JUNIOR SHOOTING WORLD CUP, SUHL, GERMANY

Gaurav Rana (extreme left) is seen posing alongside his teammates with his medal
A new entrant into the Abhinav Bindra Targeting Performance Programme, Gaurav Rana has done the country proud by winning medals in his respective categories. He won Gold in the 50M free pistol team event and bronze in the 10M air pistol. 

WORLD PARA ATHLETICS GRAND PRIX, TUNISIA

Amit Saroha & Yasser with their medals
The World Para Athletics Grand Prix Tunisia witnessed a comeback by the experienced Amit Saroha as he threw his season`s best 29.42m in the club throw event, while Mohd. Yasser excelled in the shot-put event with a 14.07m throw as they both claimed the gold medal in their events. The foundation was delighted to have worked with Amit on his injury management and rehabilitation, and to have funded the tournament expenses for Yasser. Both medallists made maximum use of the support extended. Good signs, with the Para Asian Games approaching in three months.

HANDISPORT GRAND PRIX, PARIS

Sandeep with his medal
22-year old Sandeep was in prime form at the Paris Handisport Grand Prix where he clinched the silver medal at the javelin throw event with a 56.52m throw. The Delhi lad finished a few metres short of fellow countryman Sundar Singh Gurjar’s 61.32m  throw, which brought home the gold medal.

WORLD PARA SWIMMING SERIES, IDM BERLIN

Swapnil Patil with his medal
Swapnil Patil’s timing of 33.07 seconds in the 50m backstroke event won him the bronze medal at the World Para Swimming World Series, IDM Berlin.  The 20-year old from Haryana has made steady improvements in his timings, shaving 1.15 seconds over the last three tournaments.
He was experiencing shoulder pain just 2 months before his participation at the IDM. Since then, Swapnil has been undergoing strength and conditioning facilitated by GoSports Foundation at Invictus Performance Lab.

BRITISH PARA POWERLIFTING CHAMPIONSHIP

Manpreet (left) at the medal ceremony of the para powerifting event
Powerlifter Manpreet Kaur won a Silver medal in British Para Powerlifting championship, 2018. She won the medal with a lift of 74kg in the 41kg bodyweight category. Manpreet has been under the tutelage of GoSports Para Champion and 2004 Paralympic bronze medalist Rajinder Rahelu. The foundation was delighted to have funded her tournament expenses. 

A NEW CAREER HIGH FOR SATHIYAN

Sathiyan Gnanasekaran in action during UTT League
Sathiyan Gnanasekaran has been on fire since his exploits at the Commonwealth Games, reaching a career best world ranking of 40 in the process. The 25-year old table tennis star has had a prolific run leading his team Dabangg Smashers to victory in the Ultimate Table Tennis League!
Kudos also to our other athlete Manav Thakkar who gave a fantastic account of himself in the league. 

NAN-YING INTERNATIONAL TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Sacchitt Sharma (right) with his medal
16-year old Sacchitt Sharma continued to impress in junior level tennis as he secured the first place in a grade 2 ITF tournament conducted in Chinese Taipei. He is currently the highest ranked Indian in the ITF Junior ranking and is ranked 90th in the world.
The lanky teenager is being groomed by Somdev Devvarman through assistance from GoSports Foundation, and is reaping rich dividends for his dedicated training.

SUYASH JADHAV WINS “THE YOUTH INSPIRATOR” AWARD

Suyash Jadhav with his award
Our Para-Swimmer Suyash Jadhav was recently conferred with the Young Inspirator award by YIN-Summer-Youth-Summit & Sakaal News Paper. Here is a photo from the awards night.
YIN is a platform for the youth, which aims to promote social, economic and political empowerment of youth through YIN and several outreach projects and programmes.
GoSports Foundation is proud to be assisting Suyash with physiotherapy consultations & a nutrition programme designed by our consultant expert sports nutritionists.

FOUNDATION HIGHLIGHTS:

TALK AT WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL FEDERATION SYMPOSIUM

Deepthi Bopaiah at the inaugural symposium
Our executive director, Deepthi Bopaiah, was invited by the Wheelchair Basketball Federation of India to speak at their inaugural symposium. The primary purpose of the symposium was to share, discuss, guide, and enlighten State Wheelchair Basketball Associations on effective management in each state by enhancing their knowledge of problems and by providing optimal solutions through the adoption of best practices.
Differently abled and not disabled’ – Deepthi busted some of the common myths that society widely holds about para-athletes and emphasised that it does take a whole village to raise an athlete. She went on to quote examples of the success of two-time Paralympic gold medallist Devendra Jhajharia, badminton world no. 1 Kidambi Srikanth, and India’s first ever Paralympic gold medallist Murlikant Petkar, aimed at outlining the GoSports Foundation objective of bringing professionalism to the Indian sports ecosystem. Speaking from her own experience about the worth of pursuing the right – albeit long – route and the need to collaborate, she firmly insisted on the importance of building a professional model for the betterment of sport at all levels.
Deepthi also spoke to the team at Jaago Re about the importance of early interventions in order to build a sports culture in India and help our athletes in their quest to put India on the global sports map. Read more…

Minister as Himavan in ‘LuvKush Ramleela’ this Year!

Vijay Sampla-Union Minister of State is all set to play Himavan in ‘LuvKush Ramleela’ this Year!
    As per the information revealed in Press Conference by the chairman of LuvKush Ramleela Ashok Aggarwal, it seems like, this Year the Ramleela play will take place in a bigger manner in comparison with last few years. Yes, apart from the Bollywood stars, this year again, Union Minister of State Vijay Sampla, is all set to be the part of the Ramleela as he will be playing the character of Parvati’s father Himavan.
   In the recent Press Conference held in Delhi along with Ashok Aggarwal, Vijay Sampla was also there to grace the moment with his presence. As the time is approaching, the entire team of LuvKush Ramleela is gearing up enthusiastically for the biggest blast of the year.
   For the same Shri Sampla stated, “I had work in many places as a plumber and what I am today is all because of the blessings of lord Ram. Last year I played the role of a unique king in LuvKush Ramleela and got a huge appreciation from members of mantrimandal my close ones and this is the same reason I want to serve Shree Ram so when I got the opportunity to play Himavan’s role, I worked on it with full dedication”.
   Further he added, “I don’t come in Ramleela for my political benefits so I don’t talk anything related to this in the program. This is the second time I am seeing myself in the form of an actor rather than a politician. Again, Ramleela committee gave me an opportunity to play prominent role which feels like Lord Shree Ram himself want me to serve him. Corruption, impurity and superstitions are the biggest Ravan of my life”.
   Ashok aggarwal (chairman of Ramleela committee) added, “it is because of lord Ram’s magic that ministers, cricketers and people of different fields plays role in ram leela and some senior ministers in BJP are in contact with bollywood’s prominent and biggest actors and soon they will be seen to play different characters too.
Well, the 40-year-old LuvKush Ramleela will be showcased from 10th October till 21st October 2018.

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“4th IPSE Awards 2018″

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Calling “Your Goodself” as “Special Invitee” to the “PSE Conclave 2018” concurrent with “4th IPSE Awards 2018 – INDIA Public Sector Enterprises Awards for Excellence” : Inspired by Late Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri’s Vision & Theme “Jai JAWAN, Jai KISAN” and expanded to PSE Conclave & IPSE Awards’ Theme : “Jai JAWAN, Jai KISAN, Jai VIGYAN, Jai INSAAN” for “A Self Reliant INDIA”
INVITATION
11th July 2018
 
Dear Friends & Colleagues,
Sub. :  Calling “Your Goodself” as “Special Invitee” to the “PSE Conclave 2018” concurrent with “4th IPSE Awards 2018 – INDIA Public Sector Enterprises Awards for Excellence” : Inspired by Late Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri’s Vision & Theme “Jai JAWAN, Jai KISAN” and expanded to PSE Conclave & IPSE Awards’ Theme : “Jai JAWAN, Jai KISAN, Jai VIGYAN, Jai INSAAN” for “A Self Reliant INDIA” 
Venue  :              SCOPE Convention Centre – “Tagore Chambers”, Core No. 8, SCOPE Complex, 7 Lodi Road, New Delhi
Date      :              Wednesday, 18th July 2018
Time     :              10.30 am – 2.00 pm – followed by Lunch

 
GREETINGS to “Your Goodself” from  “PSE Journal – INDIA’s Premier & Pioneering International Review for Public Sector Enterprises  institutor of the “IPSE Awards – INDIA Public Sector Enterprises Awards for Excellence, its Publishing Venture, “MARS Media Resources (MMR) – A Women Enterprise Venture for Androgynous Growth of Indian Economy & Enterprise and the non-profit mother organization “ENERTIA Foundation”.
This Year’s THEME for “PSE Conclave 2018” is the focus on following :
 
–  INDIA’s Infrastructure build-up and critical role of PSE’s.
–  Special Focus – Power Sector (Coal based Thermal Power, Ultra Mega SuperCritical – The Main Stay + Lignite based Power Generation)
–  (+)  Core Sector Focus – Mining, Minerals & Earth Resources –Oil & Gas, Hydrates etc.
–  PSE Dis-investment & Divestments – The Pros & Cons
–  Environment (includes Clean & Green Development), Innovation & Research
IPSE Awards are instituted by “PSE Journal” in Association withENERTIA Foundation for the purpose of “Recognizing India’s PSE Excellence in Core Economy Sector & Contribution to Nation’s GDP” covering PSE Excellence in various Sectors – Center & States as well as Rewarding Best PSE Investment State(s) &Individual Excellence in PSE Leadership.
The BROCHURE for “PSE Conclave 2018” being held concurrent with “4th IPSE Awards 2018” with In-Retrospect Background of these Prestigious “IPSE Awards” held in previous editions is attached / enclosed herewith for your ready reference.
The Undersigned as the “Jury Convenor” on behalf of “Chairman, Co-Chairmen & Eminent Members of the Jury”, desire and wish that “Your Goodself” joins us as the “Special Invitee” at the “PSE Conclave 2018” and the Prestigious “4th IPSE Awards 2018 – INDIA Public Sector Enterprises Awards for Excellence” being heldconcurrently at SCOPE Convention Centre – “Tagore Chambers”,Core No. 8, SCOPE Complex, 7 Lodi Road, New Delhi onWednesday, 18th July 2018 (10.30 am – 2.00 pm – followed by Lunch)
Shri R N Khazanchi, Hon. Druk Thuksey (Highest Civilian Honour of Bhutan, and accorded to select Indian Citizen Officers of repute serving Royal Government of Bhutan) & Former Managing Director, Punatsanchu Hydroelectric Projects Authority (PHPA), Bhutan, will be receiving the Prestigious “IPSE LIFE-TIME ACHIEVEMENT Award”(Shri R N Khazanchi has also been the Winner of the Prestigious ENERTIA Awards for SAARC Region inNovember 2012, post which he received the Honour of Druk Thuksey in Bhutan in December 2012).
Smt. Neera Shastri,  Youngest Daughter-in-Law of Former PM, Bharat Ratna, Late Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri ji and Former Member of the National Backward Caste Commission ; Eminent Social Activists – Women Empowerment in India ; Ex-VP & Member of National Executive of BJP and Dr. U. D. Choubey, Director GeneralSCOPE (Standing Conference of Public Enterprises) will be the “Presiding Guest(s) of Honour”.
The newly elected President of SGCCI (The Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry), Shri Hetal Mehta, who is also the Eminent Member of the Jury of IPSE Awards, will be joining us for the day’s proceedings.
With Warm Regards & Best Wishes,
 
 Sd/-
 
R. Thiagarajan Iyer
Jury Convenor – 4th IPSE Awards 2018
Editorial DirectorPSE Journal, MARS Media Resources
Hon. Director, CSR, ENERTIA Foundation

M : +91 – 75887 13573
E : psejournal@gmail.com ; marsmediaresources@gmail.com
 
For & On Behalf of :
 
Prof. A. G. Iyer
Chairman of the Jury – IPSE Awards
Editor-in-Chief – PSE Journal, MARS Media Resources
Editor-in-Chief & Founder PublisherENERTIA & MARKENOMY
President & Chief Trustee, ENERTIA Foundation
President, MARKENOMY Foundation, ASMEI (Alliance for SMEs of INDIA) &
REPA (Renewable Energy Promotion Association)
Author : “ATAL-SHASTRA”, “INDIA BRANDished – SuperPowering Brand INDIA” &
“POWERING-in-CRISIS”
M : +91 92232 07245 / 90290 07245E : ipseawards@gmail.com ; enertiafoundation@gmail.com;

Dipankar Kaushal maintains two-shot lead

Dipankar Kaushal maintains two-shot lead in round two 
Lucknow’s Rajesh Kumar Rawat is second
Lucknow, July 11, 2018: Noida’s Dipankar Kaushal followed up his fiery first round of eight-under-62 with a steady one-under-69 in round two to maintain his two-shot lead at the PGTI Feeder Tour event being staged at the Palms Golf Club & Resort, Sushant Golf City, Ansal API in Lucknow.
The 32-year-old Kaushal (62-69) totalled nine-under-131 at the end of day two of the 2018 Feeder Tour season’s sixth and last event.
Lucknow golfers Rajesh Kumar Rawat (64-69) and Amardeep Rawat (65-69) continued in second and third place respectively for the second day in succession. Rajesh’s total stood at seven-under-133 while Amardeep had a tally of six-under-134.
The cut fell at two-over-142. Forty-four golfers made the cut out of a total of 82.
Dipankar, currently 15th on the Feeder Tour Order of Merit thanks to two top-10s in the season, now goes into the final round of an event as the leader for the first time in his career.
Kaushal, searching for his maiden title, began the second round with a birdie on the first. However, he lost some momentum by dropping strokes on the sixth and 10th courtesy a three-putt and a poor drive.
Dipankar then made a comeback on the back-nine with some brilliant iron-play. He almost made a hole-in-one on the 12th where his tee shot stopped two inches from the hole to set up an easy birdie. Kaushal then drove the green on the par-4 17th with his three-iron before making a two-putt for birdie there.
Kaushal said, “I didn’t hit it as well today as I had done in round one. The putts also didn’t roll in for me. However, a couple of exceptional tee shots on the back-nine helped me maintain my lead.
“In the final round, I’ll just look to repeat what I’ve done over the first two days.”
Local lad Rajesh Kumar Rawat built on his first round effort of 64 with a solid 69 on Wednesday that featured three birdies and two bogeys. The highlight of his second round was a spectacular chip on the 16th that led to a tap-in birdie.
Rawat, a former winner on the Feeder Tour, said, “The third place finish at the Lucknow Golf Club last week really helped my confidence. I’ve been quite consistent since then. I’m two off the lead now, so it’s all about creating those opportunities early during the final round.”
Amardeep Rawat, another Lucknow-based golfer who was runner-up at last week’s event, had an eventful second round as he produced an astounding two eagles along with two birdies at the cost of three bogeys and a double-bogey.
Feeder Tour Order of Merit leader Pawan Verma of Delhi returned an even-par-70 on day two to be placed tied seventh at four-under-136.
Kapurthala’s Ashbeer Saini, currently second in the Order of Merit, made the cut by one shot as he totalled two-over-142 to be tied 35th.
Gurugram-based Dhruv Sheoran, presently ranked third in the Order of Merit, posted the second day’s best score of 64 to be placed tied 17th at one-under-139.

Improve the Efficacy of School Feeding Programmes

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Development Seminar |No Free Lunch: Using Technology to Improve the Efficacy of School Feeding Programmes
Friday, July 27, 2018, 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
Brookings India, No. 6, Second Floor, Dr. Jose P. Rizal Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi
Dear Mr. Sagar,
I am delighted to invite you to our next Development Seminar on “No Free Lunch: Using Technology to Improve the Efficacy of School Feeding Programmes” with Prof. Sisir Debnath, Assistant Professor, Indian School of Business. 
Abstract: Malnutrition among vulnerable children is often targeted using free school feeding programmes in developing countries. Prof. Debnath studies the role of technology in improving the delivery of school feeding programmes. Using the rollout of a mobile-based monitoring mechanism (Interactive Voice Response System or IVRS) that aids in cross-tallying the number of beneficiaries in the delivery chain, he finds that increase in resulting accountability reduces leakages in school lunch provision in Bihar. He contrasts the provision of meals in districts of Bihar and its contiguous neighbouring states from an independent survey with the official state records. Independently collected data reveals that the technology reform increases the likelihood of lunch provision in a school by 20 percentage points and finds that the increase in take-up is also accompanied by an improvement in the quality and quantity of meals.
Speaker Profile: Sisir Debnath is an Assistant Professor in the Economics and Public Policy area at the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad. He received his Ph. D., from the University of Virginia in 2013. His primary research interests are in the areas of health, gender, and education in developing countries. Some of his current research involves investigating the effects of the social network in affecting the demand for tertiary care for publicly provided health insurance in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. His other working projects evaluate the role of information and communication technology on the provision of public goods.
Please RSVP: psharma@brookingsindia.org and contact nmehta@brookingsindia.org for media inquiries.
My Best,
Shamika Ravi
Dr. Shamika Ravi
Research Director, Brookings India

Rooter maps behavioural data of Indian football fans

Rooter maps behavioural data of Indian football fans to reveal interesting insights; football hubs Bengal & Kerala no longer support only big guns such as Brazil and Argentina
Data maps behaviour of more than 2 lakh football fans on
Rooter over the last 25 days
 
New Delhi, July 12, 2018:-As we near the end of the month-long greatest show on Earth, Rooter, the first-of-its-kind live social sports engagement platform, has captured data on the behaviour of more than 2 lakh football fans across India. The insights generated reveal a lot of interesting information on the country’s changing preferences as far as the game goes. The platform, which has endeared itself to sports enthusiasts across the country thanks to its innovative live sports fantasy gaming and other features, has captured and analyzed a huge amount of data from the massive user engagement it has managed to generate in the last 25 days, during the ongoing Football World Cup.
The data on Rooter maps user behaviour of nearly a million sports fans on board, across 8 different sports in India thereby making it the most reliable source of sports trends in the country. The behavioural data insights on football have indicated that India’s biggest footballing hubs-Bengal and Kerala-are slowly but surely breaking away from their almost fanatical and exclusive support for footballing giants Argentina and Brazil and have become much more accepting of other teams as potential title contenders. This conclusion is corroborated by the fact that Rooter’s app launches registered 21% less traction during Brazil’s matches & 33.3% less during Argentina’s compared to England’s matches in West Bengal. Furthermore, the passion for football is growing significantly among other states, with Maharashtra emerging particularly prominently as a big footballing market.
The report further underlines the popularity of Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo in India, with Messi emerging as Indian football fans’ most favorite player to be picked during Rooter’s Live Fantasy game. He is followed by Neymar Jr. and Ronaldo, with Brazilian attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho and English striker Harry Kane rounding off the list.
Commenting on the trends, Piyush, Founder & CEO, Rooter said, “For almost a month now, Indian football fans have followed their favorite players and teams most passionately. We have witnessed unparalleled growth in our engagement and app-interaction levels over the past few weeks. This puts us in a solid position to collate some of the trends noticed during this period, and it is extremely heartening to see football enthusiasts emerge from states such as Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana. The trends mapped, much like FIFA World Cup Russia 2018, have offered a few highly unpredictable results, which overall, make the growth of the beautiful game all the more exciting in India!”
The report has detailed the top 5 players for each position on Rooter, which are as follows-
1. Goalkeeper – Kasper Schmeichel, Danijel Subašić, Guillermo Ochoa, David Ospina, Thibault Courtois
2. Striker – Neymar, Harry Kane, Cristiano Ronaldo, Eden Hazard, Lionel Messi
3. Midfielder – Isco, Philippe Coutinho, Toni Kroos, Granit Xhaka, Luka Modric
4. Defender – Jordi Alba, Yuto Nagatomo, Marcus Rojo, Mario Figueira Fernandes, Kyle Walker.
 About 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. It provides a seamless mix of gaming, conversations, and Live scores. Rooter was started by Piyush (Founder & CEO) and Akshat Goel (Co-founder & CTO) in Sept 2016 and now engages more than half million sports fans across 8 sports: Cricket, Football, Hockey, Tennis, Basketball, Kabaddi, Badminton, and F1.

Elizabeth Denham to fine FacebookCA

UK’s Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham has announced that she intends to fine Facebook up to £500,000 (US$664,000) over the Cambridge Analytica Scandal, in which the social media giant failed to safeguard user’s information. “New technologies that use data analytics to micro-target people give campaign groups the ability to connect with individual voters. But this cannot be at the expense of transparency, fairness and compliance with the law,” she said, in a statement. Before a final decision is made on the fine, Facebook will have a chance to respond to the Information Commissioner’s Office. “We have been working closely with the ICO in their investigation of Cambridge Analytica, just as we have with authorities in the US and other countries. We’re reviewing the report and will respond to the ICO soon,” the company said. British firm Cambridge Analytica was forced to shut down in May after it was alleged to have acquired data on 87 million Facebook users, without their consent, to target them during political campaigns. The scandal sparked two separate investigations, one by the Electoral Commission, into the company’s role in former UKIP leader Nigel Farage’s Leave.EU campaign, and one by the Information Commissioner’s Office, which has announced a wider inquiry into the use of such data in politics. The company’s practices also led to a US Congressional inquiry. Facebook’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, has apologized for his company’s handling of the Cambridge Analytica privacy scandal.

Copter crash in Domecko

A helicopter crashed just meters from a road and residential area near the town of Domecko, southwestern Poland Wednesday, killing two people on board, according to local media reports. A third person was reportedly injured. There is, however, conflicting information that there were four people on board, and the fate of a possible fourth victim is unclear.

JUMEIRAH VITTAVELI, MALDIVES

RENEW YOUR VOWS AT THE ASTONISHING OVERWATER WEDDING CHAPEL @ JUMEIRAH VITTAVELI, MALDIVES
Walk down the glass floor aisle to renew your vows, surrounded by the stunning vistas of the Indian Ocean at Jumeirah Vittaveli
 12th July 2018
Jumeirah Vittaveli has launched an enchanting overwater wedding chapel in Maldives, that offers, “Vow Renewal” ceremony for a unique and unforgettable experience.The Wedding Chapel is serenely tucked in the resort’s overwater fine dining complex, adjacent to French fine dining venue Fenesse, the newly opened wine library Cuvée, and the tranquil overwater lounge Cyan. Panoramic glass doors provide 360 degree views, and decorations can be adjusted to suit the couple’s personal wishes.
The wedding chapel can be booked for ceremonies in advance or once guests are on location. Additional romantic packages include the Wedding Ceremony in Paradise and the Romance in Maldives. These include a unique romantic dinner experience by the beach and a couple’s spa massage. Vow Renewals at the resort are purely ceremonial and not legally binding.
“Maldives provides a wonderful, romantic location for weddings, and we have arranged a number of stunning ceremonies, on a secluded beach, a remote and deserted sandbank, and even an underwater exchange of vows. We can now offer this spectacular new venue to guests who wish to celebrate in style at Jumeirah Vittaveli. Imagine watching your partner appear to walk on water and down the glass floored aisle that stretches over the shimmering turquoise lagoon,” said Amit Majumder, General Manager, Jumeirah Vittaveli.
So, be ready to enhance your romantic escape and stay at the picturesque Private Ocean Retreats. Cocoon yourselves into this indulgent hideaway with a loft-style bedroom upstairs, overwater hammocks, private infinity pool and full outdoor daybed. The Villas are freestanding in the lagoon ensuring maximum privacy while only a two minute ride on board to the complimentary boat service from the main island. The Private Ocean Retreats are designed to offer all the resort services at your fingertips. From in-villa dining, to yoga on your own open air deck, to an indulgent couple’s massage, Jumeirah Vittaveli also offers romantic escapes as well as a variety of land- and water-based activities, including Maldives first ice rink, a PADI Dive base, water sports centre, six restaurants and bars, an underground tasting room and a wine library that will open soon.
So take your marriage one step farther and host an overwater vow renewal ceremony at this enchanting overwater wedding chapel at Jumeirah Vittaveli.
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For download highres image just click on image
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For Further Information, please contact:
Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation Limited 

NATO summit unity to last

Nice to see Prime Minister Stefan Löfven again today at the  Summit. Sweden has ratified the CETA trade deal, and we discussed how it’s already benefitting people in both our countries, as well as how we can collaborate on advancing gender equality & encouraging innovation.  This Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is a free-trade agreement between Canada, the European Union and its member states. This is  provisionally applied, so the treaty has eliminated 98% of the tariffs between Canada and the EU.The negotiations were concluded in August 2014. All 28 European Union member states approved the final text of CETA for signature, with Belgium being the final country to give its approval.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit at  new headquarters in Brussels from July 11-12,  there barbs on unease between Washington and its European allies on matters pertaining to  defense spending to Donald Trump’s tariffs. NATO members have also expressed concern over reports that Trump is considering withdrawing some of the US troops currently stationed in Germany.
NATO summit has  one thing in common to remain united from last seventy years they have been global force, despite a row within its ranks that needs urgent, diplomatic churning, the ‘defensive’ alliance is still united and ready to adopt another set of measures aimed against Moscow.
Trump,  predictably, used the opportunity to renew his push for increased spending by other NATO members and further pressured the US allies amid an ongoing row over trade. He also did not mince any words as he lashed out at his European partners.
NATO summit has demonstrated that the contradictions between once-close allies run in deep water. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg desperately sought to keep up appearances, US President Donald Trump, the leader of a country that has always been the bloc’s top force effectively launched an attack against his own allies in an attempt to make them contribute more to the alliance.
“Many countries are not paying what they should and, frankly, many countries owe us a tremendous amount of money from many years back,” Trump said, during his breakfast with Stoltenberg, calling the US NATO allies “delinquent” and arguing that Washington has effectively had to “pay for them.”
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg conceding that “it is not written in stone that the transatlantic bond will survive forever.”
The  ongoing tussle between German and US on thrift spending and further aggravating with reports of reducing cooperation on military front. Trump even floated the idea of a large-scale withdrawal of the 35,000 US troops currently stationed in Germany, in protest over Berlin’s inadequate financial contribution towards the bloc’s budget. The threat  real or imagined has sent Europe scrambling to reassess the wisdom of relying so heavily on the United States for its collective defense.
UK Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson wants Germany to buy more military transport, including helicopters, ferries and trucks, in order to appease Washington’s demands. German Chancellor Angela Merkel pledged over the weekend that Berlin would increase defense spending to meet the NATO-recommended target of 2 percent of  GDP.
Turkey’s role in the defensive club will likely be a topic of discussion during the summit. After all, US Ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison has already accused Moscow of trying to coax Ankara out of the alliance.
“I do think Russia is trying to flip Turkey. They’re trying to flip many of our allies,” Hutchison said during an interview on Sunday, exemplifying the atmosphere of paranoia that will hang over the summit.
NATO summit Trump said Germany is ‘a captive of Russia.’ German news has a response. Further President said German the main buyer of Russian energy and foot the bill to his economy. Media tweets, ‘GERMANY IS A CAPTIVE OF #RUSSIA’ US President #Trump starts a new war of words with #Germany at #NATO Summit in #Belgium.
Donald J. Trump
✔@realDonaldTrump
Billions of additional dollars are being spent by NATO countries since my visit last year, at my request, but it isn’t nearly enough. U.S. spends too much. Europe’s borders are BAD! Pipeline dollars to Russia are not acceptable!
Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani will be present for the second day of talks, and Nato’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg hopes the bloc will agree to fund Afghan security forces until 2024.
Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May has already confirmed that the UK will send 440 more troops to serve in non-combat roles in Afghanistan.
The US also committed an extra 3,000 troops to support Afghan forces in September 2017 – bringing its total to 15,000.
US officials have said Washington is planning a strategic review, a year after Mr Trump agreed to remain involved in the 17-year conflict.Reports BBC

Saudi Arabia files complaint with UN over alleged Iranian naval violations

Riyadh has submitted a note of protest to the United Nations (UN) against Tehran, saying that Iranian vessels repeatedly infringed its territorial waters, including in the Arabian Gulf. Iranian boats entered “restricted areas of the oil fields and platforms,” official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Tuesday. The agency did not elaborate on whether the vessels were military or civilian.

Turkey :Delivery S-400 SAM missiles by late 2019

Ankara expects the first delivery of an advanced S-400 anti-aircraft system from Russia, over which the US is threatening Turkey with sanctions, by end of next year, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on the sidelines of a NATO summit. He reiterated Turkey’s position that it had a sovereign right to defend itself with whatever weapon systems it choses and noted that before settling on the Russian offer Ankara tried to purchase a similar long-range defense system from within NATO.

Croatia sail to Final

 We all find that it is players who win matches there can be little doubt that a tactical switch from the canny Dalic transformed the game.Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic’s side fought back to secure a famous 2-1 extra-time victory. His tactical switch from the canny Dalic transformed the game. He  pushed  wide players Ante Rebic and Ivan Perisic into more advanced roles was not the most complex move but it was one that turned the match on its head.
Gareth Southgate’s England had made it to the last four by playing a brand of progressive passing football and there was enough of that in the opening 45 minutes, after Kieran Trippier’s fifth-minute goal, to keep them comfortably on top.
Croatia team for defying the odds and making it to their first ever #WorldCup final. Incredible
Country with a population of 4.1 million in world Cup final is their splendid efforts playing with techniques, power and energy up the last, at half time England were leading with one goal.
Croatia President was in the stadium cheering her national team in an International game.
A Mario Mandzukic goal in the 109th minute sealed an extra time victory for Croatia after an early Kieran Trippier free kick was canceled out in the second half by Ivan Perisic during normal time.
“We gave it everything, I know we’re gonna look back and say we could have done this and what but at the end of the day it was small margins in a big game and it didn’t go our way today,” said striker Kane, currently the tournament’s top scorer with six goals.
A goal that @MarioMandzukic9 and @HNS_CFF will never forget…
“We’ve got to give great credit to . They’ve come through three huge ties, they’ve got some outstanding individual players and a great collective spirit” @England coach Gareth Southgate was gracious in defeat in Moscow this evening.
@Budweiser  Ivan Perisic speaks after helping @HNS_CFF to the #WorldCupFinal!

Irish senate votes to ban goods from illegal Israeli settlements

Irish senate votes to ban goods from illegal Israeli settlements
Ireland’s upper house of parliament has voted to ban goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements in a landmark vote. The Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018 will make it illegal to purchase goods, services and natural resources from Israeli settlements which are deemed illegal under international law. While the bill needs to pass a vote in the lower house of parliament [the Dail] before becoming law, it will be seen as a win for Palestinians and their supporters worldwide.

Italian Film -Nuovomondo by Emanuele Crialese

Istituto Italiano di Cultura New Delhi's photo.
JUL12

Screening of Italian Film -Nuovomondo by Emanuele Crialese


France into the WC 2018 final

There is a proverb, Win as if you were use to it lose as you enjoyed for change; Thirty two teams went to the World Cup; thirty one will go home wondering what if.”  France by winning the semi against Belgium played slow pace with energy intact and Belgium with attacking from the moment they entered gave two team exceedingly magnificent performance with results in favour of one with stamina technique and energy to its goal.
With Paris maddening crowd is matter of joy for all French people across world to prove their talent in excellence.
France reached the final for the third time in their history on Tuesday when a second-half header from Samuel Umtiti gave the 1998 champions a 1-0 victory against Belgium in a tactical battle in Saint Petersburg
The win sent tens of thousands of French fans pouring onto the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris in scenes of joy last seen when France won the World Cup two decades ago. France coach Didier Deschamps said he was delighted to have the chance to bury the pain of the Euro 2016 final, which his side lost on home soil to Portugal.
“Finals have to be won because we have still not got over the one we lost two years ago,” he said.
FIFA World Cup, Samuel Umtiti’s 51st-minute header sent France into the final with 1-0 win over Belgium in an absorbing first semi-final last night.
It was a fascinating first half and all that was missing was a goal but one came soon after the break. Having gained the lead, France went defensive to nullify the threat from Belgium’s Eden Hazard and Kevin de Bruyne, closing out the game for a win.
The French would now look to lift the trophy for the second time following their triumph on home soil in 1998 when they face the winner of today’s semi final between England and Croatia.
Today’s semi-final will be played at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow at 11.30 p.m. Final will be played on Sunday in Moscow.

Alaska plane crash

United States, a plane carrying 11 people crashed on a mountainside in Alaska, but all survived.  According to the CBS-affiliated TV station KTVA, citing rescuers, the plane crashed near the southeasternmost city of Ketchikan. It was reported that 10 passengers and a pilot from the plane crash are alive, but have injuries.

India and South Korea inks agreements

India and South Korea today signed 11 agreements in various areas including trade and cultural exchange.
These agreements were exchanged after delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South Korean President Moon Jae-in at Hyderabad House in New Delhi.
In a joint press statement with the South Korean President, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed happiness that New Delhi and Seoul have taken a strong step towards upgrading Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement in form of Early Harvest Package.
Mr Modi said South Korean companies have not just invested in India on a large scale but also created employment opportunities by associating with Make In India initiative.
Mr Modi said, it is because of South Korean companies’ commitment to quality that their products are household names in India.
Saying that today entire world is watching events taking place in Korean peninsula, Mr Modi said, India will offer all possible cooperation in order to reduce tensions.
The Prime Minister said, talks between him and Mr Moon focused on strengthening the strategic partnership between the two sides. He said, relations between India and South Korea are bound by the family ties.
In his press statement, the South Korean President said, the two countries have agreed to expand economic cooperation.  He said, the two side have also decided to expand trade volume by 50 billion US dollars.

India Korea: Adopts Shared Vision for People, Prosperity, Peace and Future

Republic of Korea and India: A Vision for People, Prosperity, Peace and our Future
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President of the Republic of Korea (ROK) H.E. Mr. Moon Jae-in paid a State Visit to India from July 8-11, 2018. During the visit, President Moon and Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi elaborated the following shared vision for peace and prosperity for the people of the two countries:
1. We reaffirmed our mutual desire to further strengthen the ROK-India ‘Special Strategic Partnership’ built on the foundations of deep-rooted historical and cultural bonds, and based on shared universal values of democracy, free market economy, rule of law, common commitment to a peaceful, stable, secure, free, open, inclusive and rules-based region. We agreed to work towards fostering a ‘future oriented partnership for People, Prosperity and Peace’.
2. India sees ROK as an indispensable partner in its ‘Act East’ policy. Similarly, ROK aims to further strengthen bilateral relations with India, which is a central pillar of ROK’s ‘New Southern Policy’. We recognized the value of this bilateral partnership and its contribution to peace, stability and security in our region. We resolved to work together to add new substance and impetus to bilateral cooperation in all areas of engagement so as to contribute to regional and global peace and prosperity. In this context, we agreed to explore tripartite partnership for development in third countries, beginning with capacity building programmes in Afghanistan.
3. Recognizing the importance of regular high-level exchanges to consolidate progress in the bilateral partnership, we agreed to intensify leadership-level contact, including through biennial visit by the leaders of the two countries. We agreed to expand interaction by regularizing existing dialogue mechanisms as well as by exploring other areas of mutual interest and cooperation.
People
4. Emphasizing the cultural and historical linkages between the Korean and the Indian people, we agreed to commemorate our shared historical and cultural heritage and promote people-to-people contacts to increase mutual understanding. We also welcomed new initiatives to foster closer people-to-people ties through youth exchange programmes, internships and facilitation of tourism and business through simplified visa procedures.
5. Celebrating a shared heritage, we agreed to expedite work to upgrade the monument of Queen Suriratna (Hur Hwang-ok) in Ayodhya as a joint project.
Prosperity
6. Noting the complementarities between India’s rapid economic growth and its highly-skilled workforce, and ROK’s technological prowess, manufacturing excellence and developmental experience, our two sides agreed to partner with each other to secure mutual economic growth and contribute to global economic development. In this context, India welcomed ROK’s willingness to partner in India’s flagship initiatives, including ‘Make in India’, ‘Skill India’, ‘Digital India’, ‘Start-up India’ and ‘Smart Cities’.
7. Resolving to work towards promoting mutual prosperity, we agreed to expand bilateral trade, including through the early conclusion of ongoing negotiations to upgrade the ROK-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). In this regard, we welcomed the finalization of the elements of an Early Harvest Package that would lead towards an upgraded CEPA. We urged the business community from both our countries to leverage opportunities arising from complementarities between the two economies, to enhance investment, to promote joint ventures, and to work towards the goal of raising bilateral trade to US$50 billion by 2030.
8. Recognizing the importance of supporting India’s infrastructure development through Korea’s Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) and Export Credit, we agreed to continue discussing potential EDCF projects.
Peace

9. Recognizing the important role of the two countries in ensuring peace and stability in the region, including India’s historical association with peace efforts following the Korean War, we agreed to explore further possibilities to coordinate efforts in the defense and strategic spheres in order to benefit from each other’s unique capabilities and experience. In this context, ROK and India will enhance military exchanges, training and experience-sharing, and research and development, including innovative technologies for mutual benefit. We also agreed to encourage our defense industries to intensify cooperation in this regard.

10. Recognizing the link between prosperity and security, we reaffirmed the importance of freedom of navigation, overflight and unimpeded lawful commerce. We supported initiatives for peaceful resolution of conflict through dialogue, underlying the centrality of sovereignty and territorial integrity, in accordance with the universally-recognised principles of international law.

11. Appreciating the commonalities in our views on a wide range of current regional and global issues, we agreed to strengthen existing bilateral dialogue mechanisms, including the Joint Commission Meeting led by Foreign Ministers, the Vice Ministerial 2+2 dialogue, and the dialogue between the National Security Councils. In this context, ROK took note of India’s inclusive and cooperative vision for the Indo-Pacific region.

12. Recognizing the threat emanating from terrorism, violent extremism and radicalism to world peace and humanity, we strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Reaffirming that terrorism cannot be justified on any grounds, we are resolved in combating terrorism through coordinated regional and global efforts.

13. Underlining the pivotal importance of promoting peace and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in our regions for the larger benefit of all humanity, we welcomed the recent positive developments facilitated by the ROK, including the historic inter-Korean summits, as well as the U.S.-DPRK summit. We hope that these developments will contribute to complete denuclearization as well as lasting peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula. We pledged to work together to prevent proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and delivery systems, particularly to terrorists and non-state actors.

14. Recognizing India’s contribution and commitment towards the global non-proliferation efforts, we reaffirmed that India’s membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group will further strengthen the international non-proliferation regime.

Future

15. Recognizing the strong complementarities between the two countries in the area of science and technology, we encourage our scientific institutions, academic community and young professionals to work together through joint collaborations in research & development and experience-sharing, to develop technologies for symbiotic development, including in areas such as renewable energy, material science, robotics, engineering and health sciences.

16. We expressed confidence that our decision to establish the ‘Korea-India Future Strategy Group’ and the ‘India-Korea Centre for Research and Innovation Cooperation (IKCRI)’ as well as a number of thematic MOUs concluded during this visit will provide an institutional framework for our future-oriented cooperation based on research, innovation and entrepreneurship. We decided to enhance cooperation through implementation of specific R&D projects.

17. We expressed confidence that our shared vision will provide a new impetus to the expansion and deepening of engagement between the two countries and will serve as a cornerstone for a new era of ROK-India Special Strategic Partnership.

New Delhi
10 July 2018



Young Lives India

MEDIA INVITATION: 17 July 18 – Young Lives India Launch of Marital and Fertility Decision-Making Report: The Lived Experiences of Adolescents and Young Married Couples in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, India

Young Lives India.
Young Lives India conducted a qualitative sub-study in 2016 to supplement the longitudinal survey data related to early marriage and teenage pregnancy with the aim to generate rich qualitative information about early experiences of marital life. The study objectives were to:

  • Deepen understanding of the influencers of fertility decisions among young married couples
  • Ascertain the services and support available to married young women and couples
  • Produce research findings for use by policymakers.

Based on the findings we have published a report entitled ‘Marital and Fertility Decision-making:  The Lived Experiences of Adolescents and Young Married Couples in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, India.’
To register yourself for this event, please click on the following link:https://bit.ly/2m7U7m0
RSVP: Sultanat Khan – sultanat.ylcomms@gmail.com; skhan@younglives.in
We look forward to having you with us.
Thank you,
Warm regards,
Regards,
Sultanat Khan
Research Communications & Events Coordinator
Young Lives India
Mobile:+91 8510807860

Afghan businesses men in India

Afghan businesses with excellent supply of fresh and dried fruits, nuts and spices will be in attendance. This is a great opportunity for you to deal with over 50 of Afghanistan major agribusinesses all in one place. Both the Indian and Afghan governments are supporting the trade and transport, with USAID sponsoring the event. 
The event will take place on July 13-14, 2018 at the ITC Maurya Hotel, New Delhi. 

ITA TUNNELLING AWARDS 2018

UNDERGROUND CONSTRUCTION: THE SUSTAINABLE CHOICE FOR GLOBAL URBANIZATION
ITA TUNNELLING AWARDS 2018 REWARDS MOST INNOVATIVE PROJECTS

Underground construction meets the demand for urban infrastructure, the need to relieve congestion in our cities and save space, and the challenges of a changing climate. The sector grossed 86 billion euros in 2016 and global demand for underground projects is growing by 7% per annum.

Since 2015, the international competition “ITA Tunnelling Awards” seeks and rewards the most ground-breaking innovation and outstanding projects in tunnelling and underground space utilisation.  The 2018 edition will take place on 7 November, in Chuzhou-Nanjing during the 20th Chinese Tunnel and Underground works Conference (CTUC) from 5 to 6 Nov. followed by technical visits on Nov.8 in Nanjing, Chuzhou and Shanghai.
Diane LOTH
ITA Press Contact, + 33 6 47 27 74 29, d.loth@giesbert-mandin.fr  
Click here to preview the attachment : UndergroundConstruction_Awards.pdf
Click here to preview the attachment : UndergroundConstruction_Awards.docx
If the link is not working, click here to receive a new e-mail with the attached document(s)

India’s new ‘Modi doctrine’

India in the Era of Modi, has global leaders from the public and not from the system along with the Indian leaders too emerging out of the box. The thinking in the political class is changing world wide the people at large wants nation first and cooperation to an extent that it benefits the nation at large. Results of this political theology is the global leaders making mark ,US President Donald J. Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Brexit, envisaging an economically ideologue for nation first with cooperation according its masses mind, utility and infusing technology, education to its class the dose of  higher education. India foots the bill for higher education and is well versed and tune to take up the subjects to its intense levels in case the proper ambiance is created at home or at abroad. India can thus produce best class of people in all fields in which saffron rule under PM Modi is giving its inertia to both classes the Intelligent ones and corporate class. The  national culture pride is well on agenda . PM Modi government in its actions as per slogans along with the dire need of infra of all sorts are doing exceedingly well thus new wave of PM Modi,  in which the Team Modi with moderate intelligence but with deep sense of national-wisdom is on its way to create,  India for all in the  Modi -India. Question arises, will PMModi be able to convince the masses, in his style with  able eloquence is matter of his deeds in action to which the nation is in doubt with political leaders wholesome pitted against him.
However the reports from well research Asian news-men has its own postulation of PM Modi statesmanship.
asia.nikkei.com/ Reporting:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s diplomatic strategy has been clear from the outset of his term: deepen ties with the U.S. and Japan while openly showing suspicion of China. The game plan has changed.
Military watchers were surprised earlier this month when the Chinese People’s Liberation Army sent a 10-member, high-level delegation to New Delhi. The officials went for talks “to promote strategic trust and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two militaries,” according to Luo Zhaohui, China’s ambassador to India.
modi singapore
The two neighbors appeared to come closer to war than at any point in the last half-century. Chinese and Indian soldiers stood eyeball to eyeball for two and a half months in the border area of Doklam, where the two countries and Bhutan intersect.
But now, senior PLA officers visit the capital of a state Beijing used to regard as an enemy. How did the relationship warm up so quickly, at least on the surface?
The thaw began in earnest in the morning of April 28. Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping took a quiet lakeside walk in the Chinese city of Wuhan. “[I] came to know about the PLA’s Doklam buildup very late,” Xi told Modi, according to sources from both governments. The Chinese military had been constructing a road near the border, which prompted the standoff.
The two leaders agreed that another Doklam-like situation would be “avoided at all costs.” They also discussed a sort of nonaggression pact, with Xi quoted as saying, “Indian interests in its neighborhood will not be challenged by China, including [the] Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.”
The world began to grasp the significance of the shift on June 1, when the Asia Security Summit rolled around. “Asia and the world will have a better future when India and China work together in trust and confidence, sensitive to each other’s interests,” Modi said in a keynote speech at the meeting in Singapore, also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue.
Many in the audience were bewildered by what sounded like an abrupt change to India’s foreign policy.
The remark also struck a nerve among the hundreds of American, European and Asian defense experts in attendance, many of whom take a dim view of Beijing’s construction and militarization of man-made islands in the South China Sea. Some took Modi’s statement as a defense of China’s assertive territorial approach.
This jars with what was thought to be the primary concern of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, a strategic forum set up last November by the U.S., Japan, India and Australia. Though the grouping was seen as a thinly veiled effort to build a united front against China, the fragility of the foursome’s bond has become apparent.
“The Quadrilateral format of USA-Japan-India-Australia is one of the many multilateral dialogues in the region, and [is] not directed to any country,” Pankaj Saran, India’s ambassador to Moscow, told Russia’s Itar-Tass news agency after Modi’s Shangri-La speech.
The annual Malabar Naval Exercise, held off Guam in mid-June, underscored the divisions within the Quad. A U.S. aircraft carrier, Indian stealth corvettes and a Japanese helicopter carrier took part, but Australia sent no vessels because India opposed its participation.
The Indian government’s recent stance “is raising apprehensions [about] whether New Delhi was doling out concessions to accommodate Beijing’s concerns,” said Prateek Joshi, research associate at the Vivekananda International Foundation, a think tank in New Delhi.
At least, Modi appears to be returning his diplomatic posture to neutral. This is in line with India’s traditional stance dating back to Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Indian prime minister. At the Bandung Conference in Indonesia in 1955, Nehru called for countries to refrain from siding with the U.S. or the Soviet Union and urged them to adopt a policy of nonalignment instead.
But there is more to Modi’s strategy than maintaining equal distance from two global powers. He seems to want India to be an active participant in both the U.S.- and China-led camps.
Political experts the Modi clarion call of inclusiveness of all development for all. Modi’s “inclusiveness” extends not only to the U.S. and China but also to Southeast Asian countries. He is treating them as partners in shaping the Indo-Pacific order.
At the end of May, before his Shangri-La address, Modi met with Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Jakarta and declared that India would upgrade the status of the countries’ relationship to a “comprehensive strategic partnership.” This is similar to the level accorded to India-U.S. ties.
Modi and Widodo also agreed that their countries should engage in “regular bilateral dialogue and consultation on strategic defense and military issues.”
The courtship of Southeast Asia’s largest economy raised some questions about Modi’s plans.
“India probably has no intention of inviting other countries to the Quad,” a diplomat from one member of the strategic dialogue said. Even so, “India may be trying to create a new security framework in the Indo-Pacific region with Southeast Asian nations, in order not to leave the issue only to big powers.”
The diplomat added that “a partnership of India, Indonesia and Vietnam is an option.”
To summarize Modi’s audacious balancing act: He is participating in Western efforts to check Chinese power, while agreeing with Xi on the need to avoid stepping on each other’s toes. At the same time, he is keen to establish Southeast Asia as a third countervailing force. And he wants to keep India at an equal, close distance from all three camps.
But this carefully crafted strategy could easily falter if India is perceived to be leaning more toward any one of the three.
Who was the architect of these risky tactics? “Most probably [the strategy] was made by Modi himself,” said a foreign policy expert in New Delhi.
Foreign secretaries appear to have had a hand in it as well, the expert said. The previous secretary, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, is believed to have made the case that moving closer to the U.S. was in India’s interest. But Jaishankar retired in January and was succeeded by Vijay Gokhale, a former ambassador to Beijing.
Modi is said to have pushed for Gokhale’s appointment. With trade friction between Washington and Beijing heating up, many in India felt the need to brace for U.S. President Donald Trump’s unpredictability. To do that, the expert said, Modi likely decided to change his diplomatic formula and mend relations with China.
The prime minister has shown a preference for top-down decisions on other matters, too. He was behind the government’s overnight invalidation of nearly 90% of the bank notes in circulation in 2016. He shared the plan with only the finance secretary and five or six others, according to a government source.
Although the sudden demonetization did not achieve its intended purpose of prompting Indians to disclose hidden wealth, the policy tapped into broad public resentment of the affluent. So, politically, it was a big success.
Modi, who makes little secret of his ambition to leave a legacy greater than Nehru’s, seems to see diplomacy as another way to win hearts and minds.
“In America, England, France and Germany, India is being praised. What is the reason? No! Modi is not the reason. You people are the reason,” the prime minister said while stumping for local elections.
“In the eyes of the common voters, it is seen as Modi has been able to put India on the world map,” observed Sanjay Kumar, director at the Center for the Study of Developing Societies. “People think he [is] able to conquer the world, and big leaders of the world cannot dare to ignore him.”
Yet, the prime minister is gambling with a protean diplomatic strategy that features simultaneous, deep involvement with two antagonistic powers. And there is no guarantee that cooperation with Southeast Asia will produce a sufficiently powerful third pole.
As the new “Modi doctrine” begins to crystallize, India is gaining influence but also fueling apprehension across the region.
Nikkei staff writers Oki Nagai in Beijing and Nupur Shaw in New Delhi contributed to this report.

First poster of “Bhasoodi”

Sonu Thukral & well known Television Star Hina Khan launched the first poster of their upcoming music video “Bhasoodi” #bhasoodi
Shot in Patiala (Punjab), it’s going to be Hina Khna’s first music album.
Sung by Sonu Thukral, Produced by Arshdeep Singh & Swapan Monga. Music by Preet Hundal.

 4th National Conclave on Mines and Minerals

 4th National Conclave on Mines and Minerals will strengthen mineral auction regime: Narendra Singh Tomar;
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New Delhi-10.07.2018: The 4th National Conclave on Mines & Minerals will be held on 13th July, 2018 at Indore for showcasing blocks which will be auctioned by the states in FY 2018-19 to the potential investors. Union Minister for Mines Shri Narendra Singh Tomar said that it will carry forward the efforts of the Government for strengthening the mineral auction regime as well as help in expediting auctions and bring in greater participation from the stakeholders. He said that the Central and State Governments have been working in coordination with each other to further strengthen the auction regime, and to identify more and more mineral blocks for auction to increase domestic mineral production. This Mining Conclave will provide unique opportunity to the State Governments to showcase their auctionable mineral blocks with regard to its exploration, mineral resources, transport connectivity from mineral block, policy scenario in State and incentives to attract prospective investors. It will also provide a great opportunity to the investors to identify the mineral blocks and participate in the auction of suitable mineral blocks, the Minister added.
Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, CEO, Niti Aayog and Mining Ministers of the State Governments have consented to participate in the Conclave.

Presentations on the different stages in auctioning of a mineral block and its operationalization such as identification and preparation of a mineral block for auction, steps involved in approval of mining plan and grant of statutory clearances, will also be organized. These presentations will be made by the organizations which have expertise in carrying out block preparation activities and nodal agencies responsible for grant of statutory clearances. The conclave would also have an exhibition in which the States would put up stalls to showcase their mineral blocks to be put up on auctions. The agencies concerned with pre auction preparations such as Exploration agencies (GSI & MECL), transaction advisors (SBICAP, CRISIL, KPMG), DGPS survey agency (MECON), etc would also put up their Stalls. IBM & MoEFCC would also put up stalls on mining plan and EC & FC processes. The public sector and private sector companies are being requested to put up stalls on mineral and metal industry overview for better appreciation of mining sector by the investors in terms of making investment decisions.
A Round Table will be organized for interaction between industry leaders and Hon’ble Ministers along with senior officials of the Ministry of Mines to discuss the way forward to further improve the policy environment and address various issues in the mining sector.
The participation of the industry and other stakeholders in the earlier conclaves was kept free of charge for encouraging their participation and the same will be continued in this conclave. Both the public and the private mining companies will actively take part in the conclave. Besides this, the metal and the allied sector, which is involved in the mining activity, would also participate in the conclave. This would provide an effective platform to the various Government organizations of the mining sector, viz. Union Mines Ministry, State Mining Departments, regulators such as IBM & DGMs, explorations entities GSI & NMET, etc. to interact with the mining and allied industry stakeholders.
Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (FIMI) has agreed to partner in the event. The PSUs which are closely associated with the mining activity directly or as an integral part of their production process, would be one of the major stakeholders assisting the Ministry in organizing the conclave. These PSUs are HCL, NALCO, & MECL under the Ministry of Mines and the companies in which the government stake is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Mines, viz. HZL & BALCO.
A webpage on the Ministry of Mines website, “NCMM July, 2018” has been created about the Conclave.
The Ministry of Mines organized the 1st National Conclave on Mines & Minerals on 4-5 July, 2016 at Raipur, 2nd National Conclave on Mines & Minerals on 15th Feb, 2017 at New Delhi and 3rd National Conclave on Mines & Minerals on 20th March, 2018 at New Delhi.

Biosphere Meets Public Sphere in the Post-Truth Era


CPR is pleased to invite you to a talk on
Biosphere Meets Public Sphere in the Post-Truth Era
Prof Langdon Winner
Wednesday, 11 July 2018, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.Conference Hall, Centre for Policy Research
Image Source
In our time there is a remarkable deterioration in the quality of public discourse and its capacity to illuminate important choices that face society.   Clearly evident in the “fake news” and disinformation blather characteristic of Donald Trump’s rise to power, the pollution of political speech contributes to distrust, polarisation and confusion in the USA and elsewhere.  Unlikely as it may seem, signs of post-truth disorientation may also infect debates about environment, energy and climate, domains in which science and clear thinking ought to prevail.  Is the choice of a new name for our geologic era a case in point?
Prof Langdon Winner is a political theorist who focuses upon social and political issues that surround modern technological change. He is the author of Autonomous Technology, a study of the idea of “technology-out-of-control” in modern social thought, The Whale and The Reactor: A Search for Limits in an Age of High Technology, and editor of Democracy in a Technological Society. Praised by The Wall Street Journal as “The leading academic on the politics of technology”, Mr. Winner was born and raised in San Luis Obispo, California. He received his B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from the University of California at Berkeley with a primary focus upon political theory.
Langdon is Thomas Phelan Chair of Humanities and Social Sciences in the Department of Science and Technology Studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. Over the years he has taught at The New School for Social Research, College of the Atlantic, the University of California at Santa Cruz, the University of Leiden in the Netherlands, Harvey Mudd College, MIT and Colgate University. Langdon has lectured widely throughout the United State, Europe, China, and Latin America.  In the early 1990s he was research fellow at the Center for Technology and Culture at the University of Oslo, Norway.  In 2010 he was Fulbright Scholar at the Complutense University in Madrid and regularly participates in research projects on computers and ethics there organized by his colleague Professor Javier Bustamante.
At present Langdon is preparing a book of his essays, Political Artifacts, and working on a study of 20th century American technology critics and their disquieting insights.  His occasional writings on various topics appear in his blog “Technopolis”.

‘Gau’ Raksha: The “Cow-Life Controversy”

CPR Land Rights Initiative is pleased to invite you to a talk on
‘Gau’ Raksha: The “Cow-Life Controversy” & the Bengali Muslim Public Sphere (1889-90)
Dr Mou BanerjeeWednesday, 11 July 2018, 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.Conference Hall, Centre for Policy Research
About the Topic
Mir Mosharraf Hossein (1847-1912), pioneering author of the Musalmani-Bengali novel, was also a social commentator and journalist. In reaction to the socio-political disharmony in Bengal, exacerbated by “cow-protection” movements and the Bengal Tenancy Act of 1885, Hossein penned a series of articles in the periodical Ahmadi in 1888. The articles, collected and published as Go-Jiban (Cow-Life) in pamphlet form, exhorted Muslims to eschew cow-slaughter. This caused vicious controversy. There were protesting editorials in the Akhbar’e Islamia and Hossein was accused of apostasy. He retaliated, instituting a libel-case. The controversy deepened with the publication of a refutation of Go-Jiban by Reazuddin Mashhadi. The periodicals were published in Kushtia and Tangail in rural East Bengal. A study of the controversy, articulated in the vernacular, non-elite public sphere through Musalmani-Bengali periodicals and pamphlets, provides a rare insight into the formation process of political identities and networks of intra-communal information exchange revolving around a religiously sensitive issue.
About the Speaker
Dr Mou Banerjee received her PhD in modern South Asian history from Harvard in 2018. Her dissertation thesis titled : “Questions of Faith: Christianity, Conversion and the Ideological Origins of Political Theology in Colonial India, 1813-1907.” received the Harold K Gross Dissertation Prize which is “to be awarded each year at Graduation to the Ph D recipient whose dissertation, in the opinion of a committee of Department members, gave greatest promise of a distinguished career of historical research.” Her research examines conversion to Protestant Christianity and explains how this issue emerged as the earliest and important locus of public debate, social reform and anti-colonial resistance in colonial India in the nineteenth and early twentieth century. Banerjee is a College Fellow at Harvard at the moment and will join Clemson University as Assistant Professor of History from the Fall of 2018.
Please RSVP at this link.

This is the eleventh in a series of talks organised by CPR Land Rights Initiative to showcase perspectives on land rights issues by diverse stakeholders, including academics from various disciplinary backgrounds, civil society organisations, journalists, grassroots workers, and policymakers.

3rd Conference on Health Security for ALL :

3rd Conference on Health Security for ALL : “Transforming Healthcare” on Wed, 11 Jul, 2018 at Hotel Le-Meridien, N D
Dear Sir/Madam,   
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
Affordable healthcare is the foundation for any just and equitable society, the vital blueprint ensuring a productive and prosperous life for citizens. In a country where health expenditures push 63 million people below the poverty line every year, it has been an imperative need since long.

The Healthcare is a key Goal under SDGs. Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi unveiled a new Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM) which aimed at the health coverage and to provide free health insurance to poor families, targeting about 500 million beneficiaries for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.

With the objective to provide health security for all through health schemes with efforts of Government and Private Stakeholders, ASSOCHAMis organizing 3rd conference on “Health Security for ALL” on Wednesday, 11th July, 2018 at Hotel Le-Meridien, New Delhi.

Invited Guests &  Prominent Speakers :

·         Ms. Anupriya Patel, Hon’ble Minister of State, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, GoI
·         Prof. (Dr.) Randeep Guleria, Director, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Government of India
·         Dr. Raiendra SharmaMedical  Superintendent,  VMMC & Safdarjang Hospital, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare,  Government of India
·         Mr. Rajan Subramaniam, Chief Executive Officer, Vipul MedCorp Insurance TPA Private Limited
·         Padma Bhushan (Dr.) B.K. Rao, Chairman, National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH), Chairman, National Council of Healthcare and Hospitals ASSOCHAM & Ex Chairman, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital
·         Ms. Mohini Daljeet Singh, Chief Executive Officer, Max India Foundation
·         Dr. Nayan Shah, Managing Director, Paramount Health services TPA Pvt ltd.
·         Mr. Ravi Bhatnagar, Director – External Affairs and Partnerships, Asia, Middle East and South Africa, Reckitt Benckiser (India) Private Limited  
·         Mr. Nitin Dua, Chief Operating Officer, Vipul MedCorp Insurance TPA Private Limited
·         Mr. Pritpal Marjara, Managing Director, Population Service International (PSI)
·         Dr. Pawan Kumar Singh, MBBS, MD, Consultant, Department of Hemato-oncology & BMT, ARTEMIS Hospitals
·         Dr. R. N. Kalra, Medical Director & CEO, Kalra Hospital SRCNC Pvt. Ltd, Delhi
·         Dr. Vibhu Ranjan Gupta, Group Medical Director,  Sarvodaya Hospital & Research Centre, Faridabad
·         Mr. Vibhav Garg, Vice President-Health Policy & Govt. Affairs, GE Healthcare
·         Dr. Rajesh Kesari, Director, Total Care Control, New Delhi
Considering the immense importance of this Conference & subject has specific relevance to your organization, therefore, on behalf of ASSOCHAMwe are cordially inviting you as our “highly esteemed guest” in the Conference.

Getronics completes acquisition of Pomeroy creating a Billion dollar plus leading global IT services platform

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Getronics completes acquisition of Pomeroy creating a Billion dollar plus leading global IT services platform

With this strategic acquisition, Getronics establishes itself as a leading Information & Communication Technology (ICT)  service provider on a global scale, with a broadened services offering and capabilities to provide an exceptional customer experience. Getronics is owned by Bottega InvestCo S.à r.l., whose founder and majority shareholder is the Brazilian/American entrepreneur Nana Baffour, Chairman and Group CEO of Getronics.
London UK & Amsterdam, Netherlands – 12th July 2018 – Getronics has acquired Pomeroy, one of the leading U.S. providers of digital workplace transformation services. The newly expanded company, with combined revenue of approximately $1.3 billion, will be a leading global player in the field of Managed Digital Workspace, Applications, Industry Specific Software Solutions, Multi-Cloud Management and Unified Communications. With a presence in 23 countries and coverage in over 110 countries through the Global Workspace Alliance, Getronics will continue to build local customer relationships and provide local solutions, backed by the strength of  a global service delivery organization.
Getronics, the leading European provider of digital transformation solutions with a rich history that extends over 130 years, is expanding its capabilities  with Pomeroy’s resources and leading expertise in digital workplace transformation, infrastructure optimization, network and data center services. With locations coast to coast in the United States serving campus and distributed IT environments in retail, healthcare, financial institutions, services and manufacturing, the acquisition of Pomeroy enables Getronics to expand its global services capabilities focused on business transformation to the North American market. 
“We are very pleased with the successful acquisition of Pomeroy. Our combined revenues now reach  $1.3 billion,  achieving our goal of becoming a billion-dollar  company two years earlier than originally planned,” stated Nana Baffour, Chairman and Group CEO of Getronics. “This reflects the power of our dreams and the dedicated execution of our team and financial partners, and we are excited about the value and customer experience that the new combination will allow us to deliver. Our operations are now significantly strengthened globally, extending from Brazil to Singapore and from Spain to the U.S. and Canada, with over 2,800 active clients, served by approximately 9,000 employees. With this scale, we are poised to succeed in our ambition to be the preferred partner for our customers in enabling business transformation using the latest technology.”
This is an outstanding combination and an incredibly exciting event for our clients as well,” said Brian Robinson, current CEO of Pomeroy and Global CFO of the newly combined company. “Getronics’ global service delivery capabilities and service offerings will be a compelling added value for North American clients. We  look forward to introducing Getronics’ Applications, Cloud and Unified Communications solutions to further enable our clients to transform their businesses utilizing the latest digital tools as part of the workspace of tomorrow.”
The acquisition of Pomeroy was supported by a USD815 million financing and recapitalization transaction.  CPPIB Credit Investments Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Permira Debt Managers and White Oak Global Advisors, LLC led a USD550 million first lien senior tranche of the financing.

About Getronics:
Getronics is a global ICT integrator with an extensive history that extends over 130 years and is owned by Bottega InvestCo S.à r.l.
Our vision is to become the preferred partner in business transformation using technology and exceptional people, with a unique focus on happy clients by enabling happy employees. With nearly 9,000 employees in 23 countries across Europe, Asia Pacific, North and Latin America, Getronics’ Transformation portfolio brings a strong capability and expertise around Managed Workspace, Applications, Industry Specific Software Solutions, Multi-Cloud Management, Unified Communications and Security services to provide a proactive, end-to-end portfolio to enable the digital user – business or consumer, in both public and private sector.
Getronics is the leading member in the Global Workspace Alliance, a unique model that provides customers with consistent IT services across 110 countries, with one single point of contact and billing entity. The GWA manages 10m workspace assets globally.
About Pomeroy:
Pomeroy provides high quality IT infrastructure services from its locations throughout North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia.
Pomeroy’s portfolio of infrastructure managed services includes Workplace Services, Network Services, Data Center Services, and Cloud Services along with staffing services and the full range of procurement and logistics services. The industry’s foremost expert in Optimized Workplace Services, Pomeroy is industry recognized for Managed Workspace Services. Pomeroy also received the Americas VMware Partner Innovation Award in the Digital Workspace category in 2017. Committed to first-rate service and customer satisfaction, Pomeroy fulfills your business needs with the tools and know-how to build and sustain flexible IT environments.
Contact:
Gilberto Caparica Neto
Getronics
Tel: +34 67 629 4104
 
Vincent Morrens
Head of Media Relations
VADEMECOM 
T: +32 (0) 2 269 50 21 
M : +32 (0) 475 93 25 16 
Email: vm@vademecom.be

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KOHLER CO. UNVEILED AS PRINCIPAL PARTNER
OF MANCHESTER UNITED

  • Kohler will be the first shirt sleeve partner for both Manchester United men’s and women’s teams

12th July 2018, New Delhi: Manchester United and Kohler, a global lifestyle brand headquartered in Kohler, Wisconsin-USA, have agreed to a multi-year global partnership. The KOHLER brand logo will feature on the sleeve of the most iconic and best selling club shirt, for both the men’s and women’s teams. The partnership also includes joint participation on game day activities, innovative improvements to club facilities, global sustainability and social responsibility projects and other partner collaborations with Manchester United fans and Kohler customers and associates.

Kohler Co. is a leader in the design and innovation of kitchen and bath products and one of the largest manufacturers of power systems in the world. Founded in 1873, the two organisations have been in existence for over 140 years, sharing a long history steeped in tradition, excellence and innovation, as well as a common vision to make a positive impact on the world.

Manchester United and Kohler will celebrate the partnership with United fans around the world on 19th July when the new 2018/19 home shirt, to be unveiled next week, is worn for the first time by the men’s team in the opening fixture of its Tour 2018 against Club America in Phoenix, Arizona.

Manchester United’s Group Managing Director, Richard Arnold comments:

“It is a pleasure to welcome Kohler to the Manchester United family as a principal partner and our first shirt sleeve sponsor for both the men’s and women’s teams. Our shirt is much more than what we wear, it embodies the passion of our fans and their allegiance to the club.”

“Kohler is known around the world not only for its cutting-edge design and luxury products but also a genuine commitment to stewardship and sustainability and is an exciting addition to our family of commercial partners.”

David Kohler, President and CEO of Kohler Co. comments:

“Our partnership with Manchester United provides new opportunities to showcase the quality of Kohler products and services with passionate fans of the most far-reaching and revered sports team on the planet.  We are excited to help build our global brand among people who align themselves and their lifestyles, with leading-edge innovation and a desire to make the world a better place.”

“An essential component of the relationship is our support of the new professional women’s team, and we look forward to their debut and our ongoing support. Manchester United embodies sustained excellence in everything they do and our shared values are a perfect match as we expand our fast-growing international presence into new regions with purpose and a meaningful presence.”

ENDS

About Manchester United

Manchester United is one of the most popular and successful sports teams in the world, playing one of the most popular spectator sports on Earth. Through our 140-year heritage we have won 66 trophies, enabling us to develop the world’s leading sports brand and a global community of 659 million followers. Our large, passionate community provides Manchester United with a worldwide platform to generate significant revenue from multiple sources, including sponsorship, merchandising, product licensing, new media & mobile, broadcasting and match day.
About Kohler Co.

Founded in 1873 and headquartered in Kohler, Wisconsin, Kohler Co. is one of America’s oldest and largest privately held companies comprised of nearly 37,000 associates. With more than 50 manufacturing locations worldwide, Kohler is a global leader in the design, innovation and manufacture of kitchen and bath products; engines and power systems; luxury cabinetry and tile; and owner/operator of two of the world’s finest five-star hospitality and golf resort destinations in Kohler, Wisconsin, and St. Andrews, Scotland. Kohler’s Whistling Straits golf course will host the 2020 Ryder Cup. For more details, please visitwww.KohlerUnited.com

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KOHLER CO. UNVEILED AS PRINCIPAL PARTNER OF MANCHESTER UNITED

 
Kohler will be the first shirt sleeve partner for both Manchester United men’s and women’s teams
12th July 2018, New Delhi: Manchester United and Kohler, a global lifestyle brand headquartered in Kohler, Wisconsin-USA, have agreed to a multi-year global partnership. The KOHLER brand logo will feature on the sleeve of the most iconic and best selling club shirt, for both the men’s and women’s teams. The partnership also includes joint participation on game day activities, innovative improvements to club facilities, global sustainability and social responsibility projects and other partner collaborations with Manchester United fans and Kohler customers and associates.
Kohler Co. is a leader in the design and innovation of kitchen and bath products and one of the largest manufacturers of power systems in the world. Founded in 1873, the two organisations have been in existence for over 140 years, sharing a long history steeped in tradition, excellence and innovation, as well as a common vision to make a positive impact on the world.
Manchester United and Kohler will celebrate the partnership with United fans around the world on 19th July when the new 2018/19 home shirt, to be unveiled next week, is worn for the first time by the men’s team in the opening fixture of its Tour 2018 against Club America in Phoenix, Arizona.
Manchester United’s Group Managing Director, Richard Arnold comments:
“It is a pleasure to welcome Kohler to the Manchester United family as a principal partner and our first shirt sleeve sponsor for both the men’s and women’s teams. Our shirt is much more than what we wear, it embodies the passion of our fans and their allegiance to the club.”
“Kohler is known around the world not only for its cutting-edge design and luxury products but also a genuine commitment to stewardship and sustainability and is an exciting addition to our family of commercial partners.”
David Kohler, President and CEO of Kohler Co. comments:
“Our partnership with Manchester United provides new opportunities to showcase the quality of Kohler products and services with passionate fans of the most far-reaching and revered sports team on the planet.  We are excited to help build our global brand among people who align themselves and their lifestyles, with leading-edge innovation and a desire to make the world a better place.”
“An essential component of the relationship is our support of the new professional women’s team, and we look forward to their debut and our ongoing support. Manchester United embodies sustained excellence in everything they do and our shared values are a perfect match as we expand our fast-growing international presence into new regions with purpose and a meaningful presence.” 
About Manchester United
Manchester United is one of the most popular and successful sports teams in the world, playing one of the most popular spectator sports on Earth. Through our 140-year heritage we have won 66 trophies, enabling us to develop the world’s leading sports brand and a global community of 659 million followers. Our large, passionate community provides Manchester United with a worldwide platform to generate significant revenue from multiple sources, including sponsorship, merchandising, product licensing, new media & mobile, broadcasting and match day.
About Kohler Co.
Founded in 1873 and headquartered in Kohler, Wisconsin, Kohler Co. is one of America’s oldest and largest privately held companies comprised of nearly 37,000 associates. With more than 50 manufacturing locations worldwide, Kohler is a global leader in the design, innovation and manufacture of kitchen and bath products; engines and power systems; luxury cabinetry and tile; and owner/operator of two of the world’s finest five-star hospitality and golf resort destinations in Kohler, Wisconsin, and St. Andrews, Scotland. Kohler’s Whistling Straits golf course will host the 2020 Ryder Cup. For more details, please visitwww.KohlerUnited.com

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Naresh --

I'm running for Senate in Nevada in one of the most competitive races in the country, and winning here will be critical if Democrats are going to regain a Senate majority in November.

Electing more Democrats to the Senate is the only way to prevent Trump from appointing more far-right conservatives to the Supreme Court and stop him from undoing decades of progress. So I am asking you today:

Will you contribute $10 to my campaign and Democrats nationwide right now to show you're ready to win a Democratic majority in the Senate?

Here's my promise to you, Naresh: I will never shy away from taking on this administration in the Senate, and I will never stop short of defending our values, which are under attack by the GOP.

The Senate needs more leaders who believe that health care is a right, families belong together, and women's reproductive rights are not up for debate.

My opponent, Dean Heller, has repeatedly put the Trump administration's agenda over the well-being of the American people. Heller has voted to take away health care, defund Planned Parenthood, and give enormous tax breaks to corporations. You can also bet he'd approve any Supreme Court nominee that Trump puts before the Senate -- including Brett Kavanaugh.

We can defeat Heller and take back the Senate this fall -- but only if we do it together.

Contribute $10 to my campaign and Democrats nationwide today.

Thank you for your support,

Jacky Rosen
U.S. Senate candidate, Nevada 

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Europe is ‘losing culture’ to migrants

Europeans are losing their culture and identity by allowing an uncontrolled migrant influx into the EU, Donald Trump claims. He also blamed the Mayor of London for not doing enough to prevent the terror attacks on the city.
“Allowing the immigration to take place in Europe is a shame,” Trump told the Sun newspaper in Brussels, before setting off to London to begin his official visit to the UK. “I think it changed the fabric of Europe and, unless you act very quickly, it’s never going to be what it was and I don’t mean that in a positive way.”
Europe’s refugee crisis has been dubbed the worst since WWII, with a record 2.2 million refugees ending up in the EU by the end of 2015, in part due to Angela Merkel’s ‘Open Door’ policy. While the official number of these “illegally present” refugees dropped to 600,000 by the end of 2017, thousands continue to flee wars and poverty in the Middle East and North Africa to start a new life in Europe. The trend, Trump believes, is having an irreversible impact on European and British culture in particular.
“I think you are losing your culture,” Trump said, calling on politicians to act quickly to reverse the situation. “I think what has happened to Europe is a shame.”
US president  brought up the issue of numerous terrorist attacks across Europe, especially in London, which suffered from four strikes last year alone. Claiming that London’s first ethnic minority mayor has “done a very bad job on terrorism,” Trump accused Sadiq Khan of being indirectly responsible for allowing the Westminster, London Bridge, Parsons Green Tube station and Finsbury Park Mosque attacks to take place.
“Take a look at the terrorism that is taking place. Look at what is going on in London. I think [Sadiq Khan] has done a very bad job on terrorism,” Trump told the British publication. “I think he has done a bad job on crime, if you look, all of the horrible things going on there, with all of the crime that is being brought in.”

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Trump-May, Putin-Macron, Erdogan, Rouhani meeting


US President Donald Trump touched down at London’s Stansted Airport on Thursday to begin a long-planned visit to the UK. During his three-day trip Trump will meet with UK Prime Minister Theresa May and the Queen. The visit is expected to be marked with large-scale protests across the country and comes after Trump took a harsh stance on the United States’ European allies during a NATO summit in Brussels. Last year, Trump cancelled a similar visit to the UK, during which he had been expected to open a new US embassy in London.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov to discuss the upcoming meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki next week, the US State Department said in a statement. The two diplomats also talked about Syria and North Korea, the statement said. Trump and Putin are to have their first dedicated face-to-face in the Finnish capital on Monday next week.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish and Iranian counterparts, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hassan Rouhani, are to meet in Tehran to discuss Syria, senior aide to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says. Khamenei’s top adviser, Ali Akbar Velayati, met the Russian leader on Thursday in Moscow. He delivered messages from Khamenei and from President Hassan Rouhani to Putin. During the “constructive, clear and friendly” two-hour dialogue, the two discussed Iranian-Russian cooperation, including in Syria. “Putin said that he will go to Tehran soon to take part in [Turkey-Iran-Russia] meeting on Syria,” the aide said. The latest trilateral talks on the crisis in the Arab Republic were hosted by Turkey in April.
Emmanuel Macron will have a meeting with Vladimir Putin when the French president attends the FIFA World Cup finals in Russia, Media said citing a French official.Signals of a possible meeting have also been coming from Kremlin sources on Wednesday.
Macron watched the French team beat Belgium in St. Petersburg on Tuesday. The match for the champion title will take place in Moscow on Sunday, in which France will be pitted against either England or Croatia.
The French president made an official visit to Russia in May to attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
Relations between Macron and Putin got off to a rough start last year, with the French president accusing Russia of trying to undermine his campaign with ‘fake news’ during Putin’s visit to France. But Macron’s visit this year seemed generally warm and was marked by a number of high profile business deals signed by Russian and French firms, as well as both governments.
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