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115 backward districts to be transformed by 2022

115 backward districts to be transformed by 2022

New India, Narendra ModiNew Delhi : In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to create a “New India” over the next five years, the government on Friday said it had identified 115 backward districts for rapid transformation by 2022.

Senior level government officials, at the rank of Additional Secretary and Joint Secretary, have been nominated as ‘Prabhari’ officers for each district, an official statement said.

A detailed briefing of these officials was held under the chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary P.K. Sinha on Friday, which was also attended by secretaries of important Central ministries.

In his keynote address, Sinha expressed confidence that nominated officers would accept this challenge and succeed in their mission.

Terming this as an important initiative to make a difference in the lives of millions of citizens in these districts, he advised the Prabhari officers to immediately form a team with state representatives and bring convergence in their effort.

Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant emphasised that for dramatic improvement in Human Development Index, transformation of these backward districts was urgently required.

He said the government was committed to make all round efforts to achieve these objectives in partnership with states.

Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba said if these districts were transformed, there would be tremendous improvement in security environment of the country.

He said while 35 districts have been selected on the basis of reported violence by Left Wing Extremists, 55 districts are affected by Left Wing Extremism and another 15, including districts in Jammu and Kashmir and northeast, are affected by terrorism.

—IANS

Innovation to be focus of Belgian King’s India visit

Innovation to be focus of Belgian King’s India visit

Belgium's King Phillipe and Queen Mathilda

Belgium’s King Phillipe and Queen Mathilda

By Aroonim Bhuyan,

New Delhi : When Belgium’s King Phillipe and Queen Mathilda arrive on a state visit to India from November 5 to 11, cooperation in the field of innovation will be the key area of focus, Belgian Ambassador to India Jan Luykx said.

“With the global challenges confronting the world like climate change and also the SDGs (the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals) that have to be implemented, you need innovative projects for all sectors of society and of the economy,” Luykx told IANS in an interview here.

“Now, nobody does it on their own, you do this in cooperation between countries worldwide. You also do it bilaterally,” he said.

“That is why the programme of this state visit, which comprises several seminars, is focused on innovative technologies.”

According to a statement issued by the Belgian Embassy ahead of the royal visit, Belgium possesses unique assets and innovative technologies, going from novel sectors such as nanotechnology or biotech, and innovative processes in clean technology, to the more traditional sectors such as food processing, glass production and heavy industries.

There will be representatives of 86 companies and 13 academic and scientific organisations accompanying the royal couple in the state visit and dozens of agreements are expected to be signed in the fields of trade and academic relations.

Ambassador Luykx said that there will be two seminars held in New Delhi — one on innovative technologies in cement industries and the other on innovative technologies in the food sector.

“In Mumbai, there is the clean tech seminar for smart cities. It is all about green technologies, green energy, waste water treatment,” he said.

Stating that bilateral trade between India and Belgium is around 12 billion euros yearly, he noted that diamonds form an important part of this.

“I think out of the 12 billion euros, about eight billion euros is Belgium’s exports to India and four billion euros is Indian exports to Belgium,” Luykx said.

“Out of that eight billion euros of Belgian exports to India, 80 per cent is diamonds. Some other important sectors are chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and engineering products.”

The Ambassador said that there are around 170 to 180 Belgian companies active in India and quite a number of them are producing not only for the Indian market but also for exports.

In this connection, he mentioned a company called Barco based in Noida that makes big display screens and equipment for projecting films and videos in movie halls.

“As as far as Smart Cities are concerned, for example, there is a Belgian company called Tractebel,” Luykx said.

“They are a consultancy engineering company and the main consultants for three smart cities coming up in India,” he said.

“And then we have a company called Vito that has developed technologies, especially for waste water treatment. There are already some pilot projects running in India.”

Asked whether the King’s visit will help in the forward movement for a free trade agreement between India and the European Union (EU) with Belgium’s capital Brussels being the EU headquarters, the Ambassador said that his country was definitely interested in such an agreement “as soon as possible”, but it was for the EU to decide on the talks for this.

A Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA) between India and the EU has been hanging fire for 11 years now despite 16 rounds of negotiations.

In the India-EU Summit held here last month, it was only decided that the talks would resume when all conditions were met.

While pointing out that the King is coming on a bilateral state visit and this will remain the focus, Luykx said: “Whatever else, it is clear that our message will also be that we want good and strong relations between India and the EU in all fields because whatever is good for the relationship between EU and India is automatically good for Belgium.”

After arriving here on November 5, the royal couple will visit the Taj Mahal the next day.

On November 7, there will be a ceremonial welcome for the royal couple following which the King will hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Later in the evening, the King and Queen will call on President Ram Nath Kovind, who will host a state banquet in their honour.

The royal couple will leave for Mumbai on November 9 and, after attending the programmes planned there, will depart from India on November 11.

This will be the third state visit by a Belgian king, with the previous ones happening in 1970 and 2008.

(Aroonim Bhuyan can be contacted at aroonim.b@ians.in)

—IANS

India set to become an aviation hub: Vice President

India set to become an aviation hub: Vice President

India set to become an aviation hub, Venkaiah NaiduNew Delhi : India is set to become the third-largest aviation market in the world in terms of passengers by 2026, and an aviation hub for maintenance, repair and overhaul of aircraft, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu said on Thursday.

In his address after inaugurating the 2nd Aero Expo India 2017, Naidu called the aviation sector an “important driver” of economy.

“I am sure India will soon emerge as an aviation hub not only in terms of increased air connectivity but also in terms of Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities and setting up of ancillary units.

“In the coming years, India is expected to witness rapid growth in the aviation sector. India became the world’s fastest growing domestic travel market for the 22nd time in a row recording a 26.6 per cent year-on-year growth in January 2017, according to IATA. India is witnessing a high-growth trajectory and set to become the third-largest aviation market in the world in terms of passengers by 2026,” he said.

Naidu also highlighted that India’s air cargo is estimated to grow at nine per cent over the next few years and IATA also expects the air passengers to double from 3.8 billion air passengers in 2016 to 7.2 billion by 2035.

“With increasing disposable incomes and a burgeoning middle class, air travel will witness further spurt in the years ahead,” he said adding that he was happy that government’s Udan scheme seeks is promoting regional connectivity by serving the un-served and under-served airports.

“Connecting Tier-II cities, pilgrim towns and historic places with the wider air routes is important for boosting tourism and business travel,” he added.

—IANS

India sends wheat shipment to Afghanistan via Iranian port

India sends wheat shipment to Afghanistan via Iranian port

India sends wheat shipment to Afghanistan via Iranian portNew Delhi : India on Sunday flagged off its first consignment of wheat to Afghanistan to be transhipped through Iran’s Chabahar port.

“…External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Salahuddin Rabbani, through a joint video conference, flagged off the first shipment of wheat from India to Afghanistan that would be transhipped through the Chabahar port in Iran,” the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

“The shipment is part of a commitment made by the Government of India to supply 1.1 million tonnes of wheat for the people of Afghanistan on grant basis,” it said

The MEA statement said that the two Foreign Ministers welcomed the fact that this is the first shipment that would go to Afghanistan through Chabahar after the trilateral agreement to develop the port as a transport and transit corridor between India, Iran and Afghanistan was signed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Iranian and Afghan Presidents Hassan Rouhani and Ashraf Ghani in May last year.

“Six more wheat shipments will be sent to Afghanistan over the next few months,” the statement said, adding that both ministers also reaffirmed their commitment to continue cooperation for the benefit and prosperity of the people of Afghanistan and the region.

The shipment to Afghanistan comes in the wake of Ghani’s one-day visit to India on October 24 just before US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson reached here in his first visit in his official capacity. India is a major development aid partner for strife-stricken Afghanistan and New Delhi’s role was appreciated by Tillerson in a joint address to media with Sushma Swaraj.

“The shipment of wheat is a landmark moment as it will pave the way for operationalisation of the Chabahar port as an alternate, reliable and robust connectivity for Afghanistan,” the External Affairs Ministry statement said.

“It will open up new opportunities for trade and transit from and to Afghanistan and enhance trade and commerce between the three countries and the wider region.”

According to the statement, Sushma Swaraj reiterated India’s continued commitment to support reconstruction, capacity building and socio-economic development of Afghanistan, including under the framework of the New Development Partnership that she had jointly announced with Rabbani last month during the meeting of India-Afghanistan Strategic Partnership Council.

“She also renewed commitment to work closely with regional and international partners to bring peace, security, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan,” the statement said.

This follows the first Afghanistan-India air corridor, that bypasses Pakistan, to improve commerce, which was inaugurated by Ghani in June.

—IANS

India to host UN wildlife summit in 2020

India to host UN wildlife summit in 2020

India to host UN wildlife summit in 2020New Delhi : India will host the next UN global wildlife conference in 2020, it was announced on Saturday.

“#India to be the host of the next CMS Conference of the Parties #CMSCOP13! Officially announced at the closing #CMSCOP12 plenary, in Manila,” the UN for Environment Programme tweeted.

An announcement in this regard was made in the Philippine capital on the last day of the six-day 12th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species, or CMS COP12, the only international treaty devoted exclusively to migratory animal species.

Delegates from over 120 countries had gathered there.

The CMS COP is held once in three years.

—IANS