INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS OCTOBER 2011

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS OCTOBER 2011

• President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, HEU Thein Sein visited India from 12 to 15 October 2011. This was the first State visit of any political head from Myanmar to India following the swearing in of a new government in Myanmar in March 2011. During this visit, India and Myanmar agreed to step up cooperation in oil and natural gas with discussions touching on new gas pipelines. India also offered an additional 500 million US dollars line of credit. India agreed to resolve border issues and step up energy and trade links. In security, India and Myanmar agreed to increase the effectiveness of coordinated operations on either side of the border through better intelligence sharing. India also agreed to increase training slots for Myanmar students and establish more I.T. training centres. India and Myanmar discussed the Moreh-Mae Sot road that would connect India and Thailand via Myanmar. This will open a direct road link between India and Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). This direct road link will also accelerate the plans of ASEAN for the Mekong-Ganga corridor. India welcomed Myanmar's progress towards an open and democratic framework.
  
• India and Vietnam signed six agreements on 12 October 2011 during the visit of Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang to India. The agreements are as follows:
  • India and Vietnam signed an extradition treaty
  • Oil exploration agreement in South China Sea
  • Friendship pact to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the diplomatic relations in 2012
  • Agreement in the field of agriculture and fisheries
  • Cooperation in sports and tourism
  • Agreement on Cultural Exchanges India and Vietnam also decided to launch a biennial Security Dialogue between their home ministries.
  The two nations also decided to increase the trade target to 7 billion US dollars by 2015 from the present mark of 2.7 billion US dollars.
  
• India and South Africa on 11 October 2011 signed a pact to facilitate exchange of Knowledge and experience in the field of election management and administration in New Delhi. It was signed by the Chief Election Commissioner of India, SY Quraishi and the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of South Africa, Brigalia Bam. The MoU also paves the way for promotion and implementation of educational research and training programmes. The Election Commission of India has so far signed eleven MoUs with Election Management Bodies across the world including Brazil, Russia Indonesia, Bhutan and Nepal.
  
• Kamal Nath Minister of Urban Development, Government of India and Gregory Clark, Minister of State for Decentralization and Cities agreed to work towards a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and UK on 14 October 2011 at London. The MoU would aim at enhancing cooperation and deepen the engagement between India and UK in the areas of capacity building, land economics, heritage management, sustainable master planning, transport planning etc. Another area of cooperation would be the sharing of knowledge in the formulation of Public Private Partnership Models. Kamal Nath was in London on 14 October 2011 to participate in the UK India Business Forum organised by the UKIBC, UK Trade & Investment and Indian Chamber of Commerce.
  
• India and United States agreed to explore new models for educational institutions to take knowledge partnership to a higher level. This will also help in further deepening the bilateral strategic cooperation. In a Joint Statement issued at the end of the India-US Higher Education Summit in Washington, the goals of the partnership were outlined. Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal, during discussions in the summit, made it clear that India is keen to strengthen teacher exchange programmes to promote development of human resources. India intends to sponsor initially up to 1500 faculty and junior scholars to leading universities and research institutes in the United States.
  
• A 14-day long India-Bangladesh joint military exercise started on 9 October 2011 at Jalalabad Cantonment in Sylhet division, some 240 km northeast of capital Dhaka. The military exercise between the two nations was codenamed Op Sampriti. Under the joint military exercise, counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations will be practiced as per the UN mandate. India fielded around 40 troops of its elite 21-Para (Special Forces) battalion for the exercise while the Bangladesh Army deployed one of its Para Commando battalions. Around 40 to 50 troops took part in the exercise.
  
• Afghan president Hamid Karzaiwas on a two-day visit in India on 4 October and 5 October 2011. The visit meant for both the countries to consolidate their strategic partnership and discuss bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest. On 4 October 2011 India signed three agreements with Afghanistan for both the countries greater strategic partnership. The agreements were singed between Afghanistan President, Hamid Karzai and India’s Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh. The Three arguments that were signed during the visit were:
  
  1. Agreement on Strategic Partnership between India and Afghanistan
  2. MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Development of Hydrocarbons
  3. MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Mineral Resources Development.
  
• India and Iran on 5 October 2011 agreed to set up a mechanism for payment of crude oil and ensure bilateral trade. Both sides agreed that the mechanism would cover the payment to Indian exporters and some other areas. The two countries have decided to continue their dialogue on the issue. Earlier, Iran had threatened to stop crude oil supplies to India if a mechanism to pay for imports is not found quickly. India has to pay Iran 9 billion dollars, which is now seven months in arrears. The problem over payment to Iran happened after the Reserve Bank of India on 23 December 2010 scrapped the Asian Clearing Union (ACU). As an alternative to Asian Clearing Union, India tried to make payments through countries like the UAE, Turkey and Russia. However, these nations had objections to routing big amount of 13 billion dollars that India pays for Iranian oil annually. They wanted to route small payment up to 6-7 million dollars. Iran is second only to Saudi Arabia as an oil supplier to India, while India is Iran's second-biggest crude buyer after China, accounting for about 20 per cent of its exports.

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS SEPTEMBER 2011

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS SEPTEMBER 2011

• India-Japan global partnership summit 2011 was held in Tokyo, Japan on 5-7 September 2011. To mark 10 years of the announcement of India-Japan Global Partnership Agreement, the India Center Foundation organized this summit. Apart from socio- cultural exchanges, this summit provided a platform for face-to-face discussion among the top business leaders, policy makers, opinion leaders and academicians from both nations. India Center Foundation is a non-partisan and not-for-profit organization working as a catalyst in nation building processes of India through its various socio-economic initiatives. India Japan Global Partnership is one of such initiatives.
  
• India signed DTAA (Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement) with Estonia on 19 September 2011 and forged a pact to work with it in the field of information, communications and technology (ICT). The DTAA and the pact on ICT was signed during the visit of communications and Information Technology Minister Kapil Sibal to Estonia. Kapil signed the DTAA with Estonian Minister of Finance Jurgen Ligi. India will also set up a Chair on Cyber Security in Tallinn University and a Chair on Indian languages, history and literature in another of Estonia’s universities.
  
• The government-run Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) setup its first overseas campus in Kampala, Uganda to assist students of African nations understand the nuances of globalisation and capacity-building in the continent. The new institute, named India-Africa Institute of Foreign Trade (IAIFT), is being set up as a part of the Indian government's initiative to help develop a higher education system in African countries in specialised fields.During the India-Africa Forum Summit in 2008, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had announced that India would help establish 19 educational institutions in Africa. IIFT is one of them and the African Union wanted it to be set up in Kampala.
  
• India and China held their first Strategic Economic Dialogue in Beijing on 26 September 2011. India and China agreed to deepen bilateral investment cooperation, further open up markets to each other and improve the investment environment. India and China also agreed to strengthen cooperation on energy efficiency and conservation, as well as on environmental protection. In order to promote sustainable development, the two sides agreed to cooperate in the renewable energy sector. The two sides agreed to host the next SED in 2012 in India. Strategic Economic Dialogue will increase mutual understanding and trust between India and China. Through this dialogue, both nations could share their experience to achieve economic development. Although the bilateral trade crossed 61 billion US dollars in 2011, India was left with deficit of over 40.9 billion US dollars due to accelerated exports from China.

India and Bangladesh on 6 September 2011 signed a historic protocol on land boundary agreement following the talks between Prime Minister Mahmohan Singh and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka. During the visit of Manmohan Singh to Bangladesh, India and Bangladesh signed the following agreements:

1. Framework Agreement on Cooperation for Development
2. Protocol to the Agreement concerning the demarcation of the Land Boundary between India and Bangladesh and related matters
3. MOU between India and Bangladesh to facilitate Overland Transit Traffic between Bangladesh and Nepal
4. Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation in Renewable Energy
5. Memorandum of Understanding on Conservation of the Sunderban
6. Protocol on Conservation of the Royal Bengal Tiger of the Sunderban
7. Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Fisheries
8. Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between Doordarshan and Bangladesh Television
9. Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between Jawaharlal Nehru University and Dhaka University
10. Agreement of Cooperation between National Institute of Fashion Design (NIFT), India and BGMEA Institute of Fashion Technology (BIFT), Bangladesh.

The Government of the Republic of India signed a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with Uruguay for the avoidance of double taxation and for the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and on capital on 8th September, 2011. The Agreement was signed in New Delhi by MC Joshi, Chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes on behalf of the Government of India and by Cesar Ferrer, Ambassador of Uruguay to India, on behalf of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay.

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS AUGUST 2011

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS AUGUST 2011

• The Union government of India has entered into an agreement with University of Melbourne to address the problem of mental health in the country and the treatment gap on it. A MoU was signed in Delhi between the Health and Family Welfare Ministry and University of Melbourne to this effect. The collaboration will lead to the development of community mental health models in India that can be scaled up to increase access to effective care for people with mental illness. The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria.
  
• Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on 27 August 2011 laid the foundation stone for a Rs. 172-crore integrated check-post (ICP) at the India-Bangladesh international border to boost bilateral ties. Also present on the occasion was Bangladeshi Home Minister, Shahra Khatun and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.The ICP project, which is part of the government of India's initiative for better border management is to put in place systems which address both security concerns, as well as facilitate cross-border trade and commerce.13 other ICPs are to be set up on the borders between India and Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Myanmar as part of a plan with an initial outlay of Rs. 635 crore during the 11th Five Year Plan. Out of the 13 ICPs, seven will be set up on the India-Bangladesh border.
  
• The Government of India signed an Agreement for Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income and on Capital (DTAA) with Government of Georgia. M.C.Joshi, Chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on behalf of the Government of India and Zurab Katchkatchishvili, Ambassador of Georgia to India on behalf of the Government of Georgia, signed the Agreement. The DTAA provides that business profits will be taxable in the source state if the activities of an enterprise constitute a Permanent Establishment (PE) in the source state.
  
  
• India- Japan CEPA(Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) enters into force on 1 August 2011. This is India’s third Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (after Singapore and South Korea) and India’s first with a developed country. It covers more than 90% of trade, a vast gamut of services, investment, IPR, customs and other trade-related issues. Tariffs will be brought to zero in 10 years on 66.32% of tariff lines to give sufficient time to industry to adjust to the trade liberalization. Under the India-Japan CEPA, India will be benefited by Japanese investments, technology and excellent management practices that come with it. Japan can take advantage of India‘s huge and growing market and resources, especially its human resources. The current bilateral trade between India and Japan is a little over 12.6 billion US dollars and it is expected that it will touch 25 billion US dollars by 2014.

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS JULY 2011

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS JULY 2011

• The President of India Pratibha Devisingh Patil visited South Korea on 24-27 July 2011 as a part of her two-nation tour, which also includes Mongolia. The state visit of the Indian President was aimed at accelerating India’s cooperation with South Korea. During this visit, India and Korea signed the following agreements: 
  1. Agreement between India and Korea for cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
  2. MoU signed between the Ministry of External Affairs of India and the Ministry of Culture, sports and tourism of Korea on Media exchanges.
  3. Administrative Arrangement for Social Security arrangement. 
• India and Mongolia signed three agreements, which includes defence cooperation, media exchanges and cooperation between their planning commissions during the visit of Indian President Prtibha Patil to Mongolia. India also announced that it would extend a 20 million US dollars line of credit for setting up an India - Mongolia Joint Information Technology, Education and Outsourcing Centre in Ulaanbaatar. Besides, India will also upgrade and modernize the Rajiv Gandhi Art and Production School and the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Centre of Excellence in Information and Communication Technology.This is the first Indian Presidential visit after a gap of 23 years; the last was by President R. Venkataraman. Mongolia is a land locked central Asian country. It is also described as land of the blue skies.
  
• The Government of India signed an Agreement and Protocol for Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income and on Capital (DTAA) with Government of Lithuania in New Delhi. Lithuania is the first Baltic country with which DTAA has been signed by India. The Agreement further incorporates provisions for effective exchange of information between tax authorities of the two countries in line with latest international standard, including exchange of banking information and supplying of information without recourse to domestic interest.
  
• India and Britain on 26 July 2011 confirmed trade deals worth billions of pounds after the talks concluded between Union Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne in London. The talks were a part of the Economic and Financial dialogue between the two countries. The commercial ties are growing between UK and India. Around 3000 British firms were either investing in or planning to invest in India.
  
• The Second annual meeting of the India-US strategic dialogue was held in New Delhi on 19 July 2011 to strengthen the India-US global strategic partnership. The dialogue was held during the official visit of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to India. The two nations issued a joint statement at the end of the dialogue. The main features of the statement are as following—
  
  • India, the United States, and Japan plan to commence a trilateral dialogue at senior official level.
  • The two sides reaffirmed their commitment for consultation, coordination, and cooperation on Afghanistan, and to work jointly in Afghanistan in capacity building, agriculture, and women’s empowerment, expanding on work already underway. Both sides agreed to Afghan-led, Afghan-owned, and inclusive reconciliation.
  • The United States looks forward to a reformed UN Security Council that includes India as a permanent member.
  • India-USA reiterated their commitment to further strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation, including through intelligence sharing, information exchange, operational cooperation, and access to advanced counter-terrorism technology and equipment.
  • The two governments signed a Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA) on July 18.
    
• The Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA) between India and the USA was signed by Nasim Zaidi, Secretary, Civil Aviation and J Randolph Babbitt, Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in New Delhi. BASA will facilitate reciprocal airworthiness certification of civil aeronautical products imported/exported between the two signatory authorities. BASA would encourage indigenous aircraft and aeronautical products industry and the US acceptance of Indian products will help their global acceptance. It would lessen the economic burden imposed on the aviation industry and operators by redundant technical inspections, evaluations and testing. The USA has signed BASA with 24 countries.
  
• India and the United Statesagreed to step up Science and Technology coordination in New Delhi. The areas where the coordination will be intensified include energy, agriculture, healthcare, nutrition and monsoon forecasting. This was agreed upon during a meeting between Assistant to the US President for Science & Technology John P. Holdren and Minister of State for Planning, Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Ashwani Kumar. The meeting was held in the context of the ongoing Indo-US Strategic Dialogue. The Meeting stressed upon the need to work towards making agriculture resilient and for further research on forecasting various hazards like cyclones.
  
• Marking a major milestone in the cooperation between India and Kyrgyzstan, the Kyrghyz President Ms Roza Otunbaeva and the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony on 5 july inaugurated the Kyrghyz-Indian Mountain Biomedical Research Centre (KIMBMRC) at the Kyrghyz capital, Bishkek. The Centre will carry out research on the mechanism of short term and long term high altitude adaptation. The scientists will focus on molecular biology approaches to identify markers for screening of people for high altitude resistance and susceptibility to high altitude sickness and development of mountain maladies. The benefits of these studies will apply to a large population across the globe, as more and more people travel to the mountains every year. India’s contribution to the project is Rs 6 Crores.
  
• The India-Malaysia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), which will come into effect on 1 July 2011, is India’s fourthbilateral Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement, after Singapore, South Korea and Japan. The CECA envisages liberalization of trade in goods, trade in services, investments and other areas of economic cooperation. Trade between India and Malaysia has reached US$ 10 billion in 2010-11, an increase of 26% from the previous year. It is expected that the implementation of this agreement will boost bilateral trade to US$15 billion by 2015.

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS JUNE 2011

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS JUNE 2011

• Foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates, HH Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyanvisited India on 26-27 June 2011. During his visit, Sheikh Abdullah and his Indian counterpart SM Krishna signed a bilateral MOU on periodic political consultations between the two foreign offices on bilateral issues as well as exchange of views on regional and international issues of mutual interest. Both nations agreed to work together to enhance the profile of India-UAE investment relations, especially in the infrastructure sector. They also agreed that the joint commission on Economic Cooperation Meeting will be held in Abu Dhabi in 2011.Al Nahyan reiterated UAE’s full support for India’s candidature for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council. It is important to note that during 2009-10, India was UAE’s largest trading partner with bilateral trade of US$ 43 billion. 
• India and Slovenia signed three agreements on 14 June 2011. The agreement was also intended to boost the economic relations between Slovenia and India. Slovenia looked forward to strong political and business ties with India. The agreement is an outcome of the Slovenian Prime Minister, Borut Pahor’s four-day visit to India. The agreement included- 
  • An agreement on cooperation in the field of education, science and technology and research.
  • Mutual promotion and protection of investments
  • MoU between Bureau of Indian Standards and Slovenian Institute for Standards. The Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPPA) was signed by India’s Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherji and the Slovenian Economy Minister, Ms. Darja Radiae. 
• Swiss parliament gave approval for amending its tax treaties with other countries, including India. This makes easier access for India, to collect information about the illegal funds held by the Indian nationals in Swiss private banks. The beneficiaries from the new amendments include India, Germany, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, Greece, Turkey, Uruguay, Kazakhstan, and Poland. These countries are secured with easy legal assistance and information. Indian Finance Ministry and Swiss Federal Council signed a protocol to amend the double taxation agreement in the area of taxes on income on 30 August 2010. 
• India and Japan on 6 June 2011 signed seven agreements in New Delhi under which Japan will provide soft loans worth 8632 crore rupees for a number of projects including the Bangalore Metro Rail. The loans are to be given under the Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).The agreements cover many sectors, including energy, power, financial services, urban transport, road safety and forestry.It should be noted that India is the highest recipient of ODA from Japan at present. 
• India on 3 June 2011 extended duty-free market access to Afghanistan as part of its economic package for LDCs (Least Developed Countries). Under this scheme, the import of most products from the neighbouring nation will be allowed at zero duty.India’s duty-free tariff preference (DFTP) scheme was launched by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2008. The scheme provides preferential duty access on products including 92.5 percent of global LDC exports.Some of the products of interest for LDCs which are covered include cotton, aluminium ore, cashewnut, cane sugar, readymade garments, fish fillets and non-industrial diamonds.
• India on 31 May 2011 notified the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with the Government of Mozambique for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income.The DTAA provides for effective exchange of information and assistance in collection of taxes between tax authorities of the two countries. It will also provide tax stability to the residents of India and Mozambique and facilitate mutual economic cooperation as well as stimulate the flow of investment, service and technology between India and Mozambique.
• India and Uzbekistan signed a total of 34 agreements during the visit of Islam AbduganievichKarimov(President of Uzbekistan) to India on 17-18 May 2011. The major agreements between India and Uzbekistan are as following:
• Memorandum of Understanding between ONGC Videsh Limited and Uzbekneftegaz on Cooperation in Hydrocarbon Sector.
• Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in Oil and Gas sector between Uzbekneftegaz and ESSAR group.
• Agreement of establishment of Joint Business Council between the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan. India and Uzbekistan also issued a joint statement on strategic partnership during this visit. The strategic partnership between India and Uzbekistan would include active cooperation in a wide spectrum of areas such as political, economic, counter-terrorism, education, health, human resource development, science and technology, tourism and culture.

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS MAY 2011

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS MAY 2011

• President of Uzbekistan Islam Abduganievich Karimov visited India on 17-18 May 2011. It was his fifth visit to India. Karimov is the President of Uzbekistan since 1990. He came to India to hold talks on strengthening security, energy links and communication. During this visit, India and Uzbekistan signed more than 30 agreements. India and Uzbekistan also issued a joint declaration in the course of this visit which asked for active cooperation in a wide spectrum of areas including political, counter-terrorism, health, education, human resource development, science and technology and culture. 
• Second Africa-India forum summit was held at Addis Ababa (capital of Ethiopia) from 24 to 25 May 2011 under the theme: Enhancing Partnership: Shared Vision. First Africa-India Summit was held in April 2008 in New Delhi. 
• India signed two MoUs (Memorandum of Understandings) with Ethiopia to avoid double taxation and promote development of small industries. India has tried to assist in Ethiopia’s development through capacity building support and offered lines of credit of more than 700 million US dollars during the last five years. India also decided to establish over 80 new institutions in Africa in areas as diverse as agriculture to English language teaching in its support for institutional capacity building. In addition, India will offer 22,000 scholarships and training slots to African students under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme. 
• India and Uzbekistan signed an action plan on tourism cooperation in New Delhi on 16 May 2011 in the presence of the First Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Rustom Azimov and Union Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahai. The action plan envisages Exchange of tourists/media who would highlight the tourism potential of each other’s country, setting up of joint ventures in an effort to promote the business of tourism and travel and establishing of the Representative offices in each other’s country for easy and convenient accessibility of information and updates. India and Uzbekistan will also consider exchange visits of Tour operators and travel media to promote tourism between the two countries. 
• India signed a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with the Republic of Colombia for the avoidance of double taxation and for the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income. The Agreement was signed by Sudhir Chandra, Chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes on behalf of the Government of India and by Juan Alfredo Pinto Saavedra, Ambassador of the Republic of Colombia to India, on behalf of the Republic of Colombia. The DTAA provides that business profits will be taxable in the source State if the activities of an enterprise constitute a permanent establishment in the source State. Examples of permanent establishment include a branch, factory etc. Profits of a construction, assembly or installation projects will be taxed in the State of source if the project continues in that State for more than six months. 
• The government of Sri Lanka declared its decision to release on 7 May 2011 a postal stamp and first day cover on Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, on the occasion of his 150th birth anniversary celebrations. The stamp, priced at LKR 5, will be released by Sri Lankan Minister for Postal Services Jewan Kumaranathunga at a function presided over by Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Ashok K. Kantha, said Vikram Misri, Indian Deputy High Commissioner in Colombo. Tagore visited Sri Lanka thrice – in 1922, 1930 ad 1934 and was instrumental in the renaissance of its culture. Tagore wrote the national anthem for two countries – India and Bangladesh – and influenced the anthem in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan national anthem was written by Ananda Samarakoon while he was Tagore’s disciple at Visva-Bharathi University. Samarakoon’s first Shantiniketan stint ended after six months but he heralded a new brand of Sinhalese music influenced by Rabindra Sangeeth. 
• A three-day joint celebration of the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore by India and Bangladesh began in Dhaka on 6 May 2011. The 3-day programme was inaugurated by Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre. Also present to grace the occasion was Indian Vice-president, Hamid Ansari. At the inaugural session, a replica of Padma Boat, used by Tagore during his frequent visits to Bangladesh, was handed over to Ansari. The Bangladeshi Prime Minister announced her government’s decision to set up Rabindra University at Shilaidaha in Kushtia, where the Nobel Laureate spent a considerable period of his creative life. The government would also preserve the poet's memories in Patisar and Shahzadpur. Bangladesh also proposed to construct a Bangladesh House in Santiniketan. The programmes to commemorate the Nobel Laureate’s 150th birth centuary in India were inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 7 May 2011.

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS APRIL 2011

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS APRIL 2011

• India and China on 13 April agreed to work towards removing all major irritants impacting bilateral relationship including the border issue and trade imbalance. At their first meeting this year, both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese President Hu Jintao agreed to set up a mechanism on coordination and consultation on border affairs, resume senior-level defense exchanges, initiate a high-level economic dialogue for focused redress of investment and market access grievances and step up high-level contacts. 
• India and Russia will review safety issues with regard to their ongoing nuclear cooperation programme in the light of the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident in Japan. If necessary, additional features would be incorporated in the two Russian-origin nuclear plants under construction at Koodankulam in Tamil Nadu and the next two that would shortly come up at the same site. 
• China on 13 April 2011 stated that it would review its policy of issuing stapled visas to people of Jammu and Kashmir during the talk between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the President of China, Hu Jintao. India on its part lifted the deadlock on the defence exchanges which it imposed in 2010. India responded so after China refused a visa to an Indian general posted in Jammu and Kashmir. The relation between India and China has been a strained one because of the row over the stapled visas to people of Jammu and Kashmir. 
• Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Kazakhstan President Nazarbayev agreed on a three-year Joint Action Plan. It details specific milestones in hydrocarbons, civilian nuclear energy, space, IT & cyber security, high-tech and innovative technology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, agriculture and cultural exchanges. The two countries moved a step towards more intensive collaboration in nuclear energy with the signing of the Agreement on Cooperation in Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy. They also inked a memorandum in the area of information security and India agreed to set up an Indian-Kazakhstan Centre of Excellence in the Eurasian University in Astana. 
• A package of three agreements signed between the national companies of India and Kazakhstan will give India access to the North Caspian Sea region which is in close proximity to major discoveries. The agreements will enable ONGC Videsh (OVL) to acquire 25 per cent equity from Kazmunaigas (KMG). 
• The India-Bangladesh border haats (markets) will be inaugurated in June this year that would boost bilateral trade. It has been decided to step up schedule for completion of border haats in Meghalaya for a formal launch in June. India and Bangladesh have agreed to take further steps to promote trade and economic cooperation. India has offered a tariff-free quota of 10 million pieces of apparel exports from Bangladesh, marking an increase of 25 per cent over previous years, while countervailing duties were lifted on all jute exports from Bangladesh. India has offered assistance in the construction of the bridge over river Feni, including the construction of the connecting road on the Bangladesh side. On the other hand, India has welcomed the offer of use of Chittagong and Mongola ports that would provide tremendous benefit for trade and development of Bangladesh and the North-East of India. 
• To deal with the menace of terrorism effectively, the US signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Defence Research and Development Organization, DRDO, on 26 April 2011 for the use of an explosive detection technology. The device has proved a success in insurgency and militancy affected areas in India. The DRDO is further developing the Explosive Detection Kit to meet the standards set by regulatory institutions in America, before introducing it in US Army and Homeland Security forces. The explosion detection kit can detect explosives of any combination based on TNT, dynamite or black powder. The technology is being widely used by the Bomb Detection Squads of the Indian Army, paramilitary and police in Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. 
• Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva came to India for his two day visit. Vejjajiva held a summit meeting with Manmohan Singh on April 5 at which both leaders agreed to give high priority to the proposed tri-lateral highway project linking India and Thailand through Burma. .In addition, the two prime ministers also agreed to take their already blooming relationship to the next level by finalizing bilateral agreements such as the Extradition Treaty, Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty in Civil and Commercial Matters and the Agreement on Transfer of Sentenced Persons. They stated that they looked forward to the India-ASEAN Commemorative Summit to be held in New Delhi next year. Finally, the joint statement issued at the end of the visit said the two sides had also agreed to double their current bilateral trade of $6.7 billion by 2014. This target can likely be easily achieved as the two sides are at an advanced stage of negotiations for a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement that should be finalized within the year. 
• India and the four-nation European Free Trade Association (EFTA) have agreed to conclude the ongoing free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations by year-end. The EFTA states include Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. It is an inter-governmental organisation that promotes free trade and economic integration between the four nations. Trade between Switzerland and India stood at $18 billion in 2010, up from $15 billion last year.

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS MARCH 2011

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS MARCH 2011

• India and Africa, seeking to further strengthen the economic engagement, has set a target of $70 billion by 2015. India also reaffirmed its commitment to provide cheap medicines for the poor despite strong legal and diplomatic offensive launched by Western pharmaceutical companies. Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma inaugurated the seventh conclave on India-Africa Project Partnership, ‘Creating possibilities: delivering value', organised jointly by the Confederation of Indian Industry and the Exim Bank in New Delhi with the support of Ministries of Commerce and Industry and External Affairs. 
• The Indo-Pak Semi Final cricket match, played under tight security in Mohali, Punjab India, on 30 March. Action on the field was accompanied by a display of "cricket diplomacy" as Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani watched together in the stands. It was the first time a Pakistani leader has visited India since 2001 when then president Pervez Musharraf attended a summit that ended in acrimony. Singh said at a dinner with Gilani during the game that the countries "need permanent reconciliation to live together in dignity and honour". Gilani earlier told reporters that holding talks at the match would help bring” progress and improvement in relations". 
• The Governing Board meeting of International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) held in New Delhi from March 21 to 24 launched the “ICRISAT South-South Initiative” (IS-SI) to boost India-Africa partnerships on agricultural research for development. Chair of the GB Nigel Poole launched the IS-SI platform at the conclusion of the India-Africa roundtable on agricultural development for a systematic partnership towards stronger and inclusive development cooperation between the two continents. 
• India sought enhanced supplies of crude oil and agreement for supply of LNG from Nigeria even as the bilateral trade between the two countries is expected to touch $12 billion during 2010-11.The issues came up for discussion during the bilateral meetings between the visiting Nigerian Foreign Minister, Henry Odein Ajumogobia, and Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister, Jaipal Reddy, in New Delhi. 
• India and Brazil on March 8 decided to forge stronger trade and economic ties and decided to work towards achieving a bilateral trade target of $10 billion in the next few years against $7.73 billion in 2010.This was agreed at a meeting between Union Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma and visiting External Relations Minister of Brazil Antonio Patriota in New Delhi. 
• Foreign Minister of Thailand Kasit Piromya visited India and has advocated a closer security relationship with India — intelligence-sharing in particular — to check money-laundering and drug-trafficking and also said India and Thailand must cooperate in tackling piracy off the Somalia coast. It was his second visit to the country in just over a year. 
• India has taken over as co-chair of the Asia Pacific Regional Review Group of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an inter-governmental policy-making body which sets global standards to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. Macau is the other co-chair of the FATF group, which consists of more than 30 countries and has a ministerial mandate for establishing the standards. The Asia Pacific Regional Review Group is one of the four international cooperation review groups of the FATF, the other three being Europe-Eurasia, America, Middle East and Africa. 
• India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are committed to achieving a trade target of $70 billion by 2012, up 40 per cent from $50 billion in 2010, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said at the first India-ASEAN business fair and conclave being held in New Delhi by the Commerce Ministry and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). ASEAN trade ministers are here to attend the conclave. India and the 10-nation bloc also broadly agreed that the free trade agreement (FTA) to cover services and investment sectors would be in place by 2011-end.

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS FEBRUARY 2011

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS FEBRUARY 2011

• Uruguay Vice-President Danilo Astori with his country’s industry bodies visited India on 24 February to boost bilateral economic relations. Union commerce and industry minister Anand Sharma said in this regard, “Enough scope is available for enhancing economic cooperation between the countries in the areas such as chemicals, agro-business, pharmaceuticals, textiles, automobiles, machinery, IT and plastics’. Sharma further said the Indian government had initiated a programme, ‘FOCUS: LAC', which provided incentives and financial assistance to support and encourage Indian exporters and companies to boost trade with LAC (Latin American and Caribbean) nations. Both sides also agreed to increase the number of products in the India-MERCOSUR preferential trade agreement. MERCOSUR is South America's leading trading bloc. The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Uruguay's industry bodies have signed three pacts to enhance trade and cooperation between the nations in the presence of visiting Vice-President of Uruguay Danilo Astori. The pacts were signed between FICCI and three chambers of Uruguay — Uruguayan National Chamber of Commerce and Services, Uruguayan Chamber of Industries and Uruguayan Chamber of Commerce and Export of Agriproducts in the presence of visiting Vice-President of Uruguay Danilo Astori. India's main exports to Uruguay include chemicals, plastics, electronic goods, pharmaceuticals, cars, tractors, and apparel, while it imports wool, woven fabrics, wooden articles, paper, raw hide and skin and leather. In 2009-10, the two-way commerce between both countries stood at $64.37 million 
• India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma and Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara signed the bilateral Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in Tokyo on 16 February. In this context Mr. Sharma proposed a two-way trade target of $25 billion by 2014, a doubling of the pre-CEPA level. The economic pact will come into force after the completion of national procedures.During the meeting Japan proposed the joint exploration with India for the development of Rare Earth Minerals.Tokyo also affirmed its commitment to “the steady implementation” of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) and the related dedicated freight corridor. 
• Describing the CEPA as New Delhi's most ambitious economic pact so far, an Indian official said the country's sensitive sectors “are fully protected.” Agriculture, fruits, spices, wheat, basmati rice, edible oils, wines and spirits and also certain categories of industrial products in the auto and auto-parts sector were cited. Significant access to the Japanese market was now possible for Indian textiles, petrochemicals, chemical products, jewellery and cement. Japan would now extend its own “national treatment” in respect of Indian generic medicines. The Indian pharmaceutical industry is set to gain in a big way with Japan, the world's second largest market, agreeing to open up by removing import duty on generic drugs shipped from here. As part of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement signed between India and Japan on 16 February, for the first time ever Japan has committed to give the same treatment to the pharma industry here as it gives to the domestic industry.
• Union commerce and industry minister Anand Sharma, and Malaysian International Trade and Industry Minister Mustapa Mohamed have signed the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), at Putrajaya,the New Administrative Capital of Malaysia. The India-Malaysia trade target now was 15 billion dollar by 2015.

చరిత్రలో ఈ రోజు డిసెంబరు 22

*🌎చరిత్రలో ఈ రోజు/డిసెంబరు 22*🌎

*▪డిసెంబర్ 22, గ్రెగొరియన్‌ క్యాలెండర్‌ ప్రకారము సంవత్సరములో 356వ రోజు (లీపు సంవత్సరములో357వ రోజు ). సంవత్సరాంతమునకు ఇంకా 9 రోజులు మిగిలినవి.◾*

*🕘సంఘటనలు*🕘

*🌳1953: సయ్యద్ ఫజల్‌ఆలీ అధ్యక్షతన రాష్ట్రాల పునర్విభజన సంఘం ఏర్పడింది ( 1953డిసెంబరు 29 చూడు)*.

*🌳2000: ఢిల్లీ  లోని ఎర్రకోట లోనికి ప్రవేశించిన ఐదుగురు లష్కరేతొయిబా ఉగ్రవాదులు ఇద్దరు సైనికులను, ఒక సాధారణ పౌరుని హతమార్చారు.*

*❣జననాలు*❣

*🌳1666 : సిక్కుమత పదవ గురువు గురు గోవింద సింగ్ జననం (మ.1708).*

*🌳1887: ప్రసిద్ధ గణిత శాస్త్రవేత్త, శ్రీనివాస రామానుజన్(మ.1920).*

*🌳1899: శొంఠి దక్షిణామూర్తి, ప్రసిద్ధి పొందిన వైద్యశాస్త్ర ప్రముఖుడు (మ.1975).*

*🍀1932 : భారత దేశానికి చెందిన ఆర్థిక వేత్త, రిజర్వ్ బ్యాంకు గవర్నరుగా పనిచేసిన సి.రంగరాజన్ జననం.జి సైదేశ్వర రావు*

*🌳1947 : భారత మాజీ క్రికెట్ క్రీడాకారుడు దిలీప్ దోషి జననం.*

*🌳1955: సయ్యద్ నసీర్ అహ్మద్, హేతువాది, పాత్రికేయుడు, లాయర్,. 'సారేజహాఁ సే అచ్ఛా ఇండియా' తెలుగు మాస పత్రిక సంపాదకుడు.*

*🍃మరణాలు*🍃

*🌳1958: తారక్‌నాథ్ దాస్, బ్రిటిష్‌ ప్రభుత్వానికి వ్యతిరేకంగా పోరాడిన అంతర్జాతీయ విద్వాంసుడు. (జ.1884)*

*🌳2014: జి.వెంకటస్వామి, భారత పార్లమెంటు సభ్యుడు, భారత జాతీయ కాంగ్రెసు పార్టీకి చెందిన సభ్యుడు. (జ.1929)*

*🌳2015: కాశీ విశ్వనాథ్, ప్రఖ్యాత రచయిత, నటుడు, రంగస్థల ప్రయోక్త (జ.1946)*

*🔥జాతీయ దినాలు*🇮🇳

*🌳ప్రపంచ గణిత దినం.*

*🌳సంవత్సరంలో అతితక్కువ పగటి సమయం ఉండే రోజు.*

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS JANUARY 2011

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS JANUARY 2011

• Bilateral trade between India and China exceeded the two countries $60 billion target last year, driven largely by rising Indian imports of Chinese machinery that have left a record trade imbalance of $20 billion in China's favour. 
• The Government's efforts to boost onion supply suffered a setback, with Pakistan banning export of Onions

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS DECEMBER 2010

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS DECEMBER 2010

• Russian President Dmitry Medvedev arrived in New Delhi to start his two-day visit to India. Indian and Russian counterpart signed nearly 30 agreements in the public and private sectors. 
• Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao arrived in New Delhi to improve the Indo-China relations. The issues of permanent seat to India at UN and stapled visas to Kashmiris are likely to be discussed during the tour. 
• Russian President Dmitry Medvedev arrived in New Delhi to start his two-day visit to India. Indian and Russian counterparts signed nearly 30 agreements in the public and private sectors 
• French President Nicolas Sarkozy visited the satellite exhibition being held in Bangalore during his four-day visit to India. Sarkozy called for a permanent seat for India in United Nations Security Council. 
• India and France sign agreements on various subjects like Film Production, Intellectual Property Rights, Nuclear Energy and Earth System Science and Climate at New Delhi. French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh were present at signing off the documents. 
• Indian Ambassador to the United States Meera Shankar subjected to pat down at Jackson-Evers International Airport in Mississippi and was singled out because she was in sari.

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS NOVEMBER 2010

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS NOVEMBER 2010

• NATO two day summit was held in Lisbon, Portugal. The Russian President Dimitri Medvedev set a path towards a strategic partnership between Russia and 28 NATO-Russia Council (NRC) members during the third summit of NRC. 
• Indian President Pratibha Patil visited Syria during her five-day goodwill tour to United Arab Emirates. Agreements between Doordarshan and the Syrian National Broadcasters were signed.
  The former Pakistan President, Mr. Pervez Musharraf has been denied an Indian visa following his recent anti-India statements. Pervez Mushrraf was among one of the speakers of a seminar in New Delhi hosted by the Young Presidents Organisation. 
• US President, Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama arrived in Mumbai on their 3-day visit to India. The trip began with the announcement of $10 billion in deals with Indian firms would create 50,000 jobs in USA. 
• American President Barack Obama addressed the Indian Parliament as the fourth American President 
• Group of Twenty (G 20) leaders met in Seoul, capital of South Korea to discuss the global economy at G 20 Seoul Summit. 
• The world's largest movie industries, Hollywood and Bollywood signed agreement between the city of Los Angeles and Indian Film Industry to boost the cooperation and strengthen commercial ties. 
• French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron signs 50-year nuclear deal to share nuclear facilities and jointly develop technology.
• Chinese President Hu Jintao visits France on three-day visit.

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS OCTOBER 2010

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS OCTOBER 2010

• The United State and Russia will be the new members of the East Asia Summit (EAS).That decision taken by the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at their latest annual summit in Hanoi.
• India and Malaysia signed ‘The Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA)’ on October 27, 2010. It will be implemented from July 1, 2011.
• India signed ‘The Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (CSC)’ at the International Atomic Energy Agency Headquarters in Vienna (Austria Capital City). CSC provides a framework for channeling liability and providing speedy compensation in the event of a Nuclear Accident. Indian Ambassador, Dinakar Khullar signed the Convention.
• Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on his visit to Malaysia as a part of three nation tour shall focus on issues of Economic pact, Security and Stepped up two way investments.

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS SEPTEMBER 2010

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS SEPTEMBER 2010

• India and South Korea entered into a five-year defence cooperation accord by signing two memorandums of understandings on sharing of military expertise and technology. 
• India and Switzerland signed a treaty that will enable exchange of information on tax evaders, considered a must for getting details on unaccounted funds stashed away by Indians in Swiss banks. 
• The treaty is a revised version of the existing Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement between India and Switzerland and was signed by visiting Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS AUGUST 2010

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS AUGUST 2010

• India and the U.S. formally signed an agreement for cooperation on a joint Clean Energy Research Development Centre. The agreement follows from the discussions held between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Barack Obama during the former's visit to Washington in November 2009. The Centre aims to facilitate joint research and development by teams of scientists and engineers from the U.S. and India on clean energy. Under the arrangements, the areas of cooperation would include energy efficiency of buildings, smart grids, unconventional natural gas, second-generation bio fuels, clean coal technologies and solar energy. 
• Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called up his Pakistani counterpart Yusuf Raza Gilani and offered assistance for the flood affected country over and above the initial proposal of $5 million.
• India offered Pakistan assistance of $5 million in relief material for the victims of the massive floods that caused widespread damage to life and property across the country over the past fortnight.
• The parliament passed the Trade Marks (Amendment) Bill, 2009 that allows any person or an enterprise to seek registration or trade mark in any of the 84 member countries of the Madrid Protocol through a single application. The Bill had been amended to align Indian trade mark with provisions of the Madrid Protocol. It also provides for international enterprises and persons to apply in India.

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS JULY 2010

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS JULY 2010

• India and the U.S. signed the agreement on modalities and procedures for reprocessing spent nuclear fuel in pursuant to Article 6(iii) of the bilateral ‘123 Agreement' on civilian nuclear cooperation. Upon entry into force, it will enable reprocessing by India of United States-obligated nuclear material under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards. 
• India and the U.S. signed the Counter Terrorism Initiative (CCI) in New Delhi to forge close and effective cooperation in counter-terrorism, information-sharing and capacity-building. The Counter terrorism Cooperation Initiative was agreed upon between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and U.S. President Barrack Obama during Manmohan’s visit to Washington in November 2009. The CCI is aimed at giving both the U.S. and India additional opportunities to work together across a broad spectrum, including transport security, money-laundering, counterfeit currency and terrorist financing, maritime, port and border security, cyber security and mega-city policing. 
• In a recent agreement on the reciprocal hosting of law enforcement liaison officers, The Australian Federal Police (AFP) opened its first office in New Delhi aiming to strengthen the law enforcement relationship between the two countries. 
• World Bank signed two agreements with the Centre agreeing to give $407 million loan to scale up microfinance services in unbanked areas and improve capacity to generate quality statistics. 
• World Bank signed two agreements with the Centre agreeing to give $407 million loan to scale up microfinance services in unbanked areas and improve capacity to generate quality statistics. 
• National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon is on a three-day visit to China as Special Envoy to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS JUNE 2010

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS JUNE 2010

• India and Canada signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement in Toronto. Witnessing the event was Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Canadian counterpart Stephen Harper. 
• The joint exercises are conducted by the air forces of India, France and Singapore by the name The Garuda 2010 at Istres air base in France. 
• The first-ever meeting of the Home Ministers between India and Pakistan took place after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks with the visit of Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram with his Pakistani counterpart, Rehman Malik in Islamabad. 
• The Planning Commission estimated four percent growth in the agriculture sector during the XII Plan (2012-17). 
• The Representation of the People's (Amendment) Bill aimed at NRIs for voting rights in India was cleared by a GoM headed by Defence Minister A.K. Antony and is likely to be presented soon before the Cabinet. 
• During the summit-level meeting of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and visiting South African President Jacob Zuma both countries signed three pacts pertaining to air services, agriculture and contacts between their think tanks and agreed to support each other's candidature in the elections to the rotating non-permanent seats of the United Nations Security Council. 
• India and Pakistan have resolved at the meeting of the Permanent Indus Water Commission in Delhi, the issue of water flows in the Chenab River being affected during the initial filling of the Baglihar dam. Pakistan has decided not to raise the matter further.

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS MAY 2010

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS MAY 2010

• The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has granted $5 million to the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) to strengthen the National Tobacco Control Programme in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh, over a three-year period (2009-2012). 
• Lok Sabha Speaker, Meira Kumar announced the setting of a Parliamentary Friendship Group to help reinforce and renew the bonds of friendship between India and Bhutan. Ms. Kumar is on a visit to Bhutan leading a high level parliamentary delegation. She is the first Lok Sabha Speaker to address a joint session of the Bhutanese Parliament. 
• The India- Pakistan Permanent Indus Water Commission begins its four-day meeting in Delhi under the shadow of Islamabad's threat to set up a court of arbitration on the Kishanganga project on Jhelum River in Jammu and Kashmir. The Commission was set up under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty. 
• President Pratibha Patil dedicated an Indian-style temple in the town of Luoyang (china) to the “friendship between the people of India and the people of China.” The temple, covering 3,450 square meters of built-up area, is considered as one of India's biggest diplomatic initiatives. 
• Addressing a joint session of the Bhutanese Parliament Lok Sabha Speaker, Meira Kumar announced the setting of a Parliamentary Friendship Group to help reinforce and renew the bonds of friendship between India and Bhutan. She lauded the concept of ‘gross national happiness' adopted by Bhutan. 
• During her visit to China coinciding with the 60th anniversary of India-China diplomatic relationship, President Pratibha Patil sought China's backing for a permanent United Nations Security Council (UNSC) seat for India.
• During the two day Indo-Pak Business meet , business people from both sides adopted a Delhi Declaration and has identified six sectors to fast track economic ties between the two nations.The identified sectors are Textiles, Information technology (IT), Agriculture, Healthcare, Energy and Education.
• The Indian government decided to set up modern integrated facilities at the India-Pakistan border in Attari, near Amritsar, by May 2011 to help exporters ship goods to Pakistan. 
• The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Videsh Limited (OVL), along with its partners, entered into an agreement with the Venezuelan government to develop a $20-billion oil project in that country.The project is expected to give India 3.6 million tonnes of crude a year. 
• Indian High Commissioner to Srilanka Ashok K Kantha inaugurated the India Visa Application Centre in Jaffna, the cultural capital of Sri Lankan Tamils.

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS APRIL 2010

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS APRIL 2010

• To mark the 2,600th Buddha Jayanti, Sri Lanka presented India a sapling of the Maha Bodhi tree, under which Gautama Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment.The Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi is a sacred fig tree at Anuradhapura town and is said to be a sapling of the historical Bodhi tree. It is the oldest recorded tree in the world. 
• Navies of India and the United States have begun the 14th edition of MALABAR, a 10-day war exercise involving anti-submarine warfare, surface firings, search and seizure and submarine operations. 
• In the report on the Mid-Term Development Imperatives and Strategy for Pakistan, an advisory panel of economists of the Pakistan Planning Commission has made out a strong case for granting the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India to exploit the huge potential offered by regional trade. 
• India and China signed an agreement to set up a hotline to open up direct communication between their Prime Ministers. External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna during his tour called for China to review its position on India's bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). He also voiced India's concerns over Chinese support to development projects in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and the issuing of stapled visas to Indian citizens from Jammu and Kashmir.
• Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna during his Beijing visit called on the Chinese government to rethink its opposition to India's bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council and to cooperate more on tackling terror from Pakistan. Mr. Krishna will also launch a six-month-long “Festival of India in China” in Beijing's Forbidden City to mark the sixtieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
• India and Bangladesh agreed to launch the India-Bangladesh Sunderbans Ecosystem Forum in September this year for cooperation in the conservation of the Sunderbans, a region that is “ecologically vulnerable and sensitive to climate change.
• The 2010 edition of the Singapore Indian Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX), in which the navies of India and Singapore will hold annual exercises this year, starting on 3rd April, and will go on till April 16th, in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal.
• The declaration issued by the BRIC nations at a summit meeting in Brasilia, their second since 2009, called for
  • A more stable, predictable and diversified international monetary system.
  • The voting power reform of the World Bank to be fulfilled.
  • The quota reform of the IMF to be concluded by the G-20 Summit.
  • Renounce the "jobs for the boys" approach of the West to the two international financial institutions and calls for an open and merit-based selection method, irrespective of nationality, for the heading positions of the IMF and the World Bank.
  • The need to make the U.N more effective and representative by endorsing the specific demand India and Brazil have made for permanent seats in the world body.
• ‘Bonjour India' a year-long Indian art and culture festival is opened in Paris. 
• The India-Brazil-South Africa forum (IBSA) and the Brazil, Russia, India, China group (BRIC)both met within hours of each other on April 15 in Brasilia (Brazil). 
• India, China and Nepal have launched a trans-boundary projectto conserve the Mount Kailash region under the guidance of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, a sacred landscape that lies at the borders linking the three nations. 
• A high-level NTPC technical team would be visiting Bangladeshshortly to explore the possibility of setting up the plant which could be in the region of 500-1,000 MW. Under the initial plan, power generated from the plant will be evacuated to India through a transmission network to be developed by the Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. (PGCIL).NTPC and the Bangladesh Power Development Board will jointly develop the project. 

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS MARCH 2010

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS MARCH 2010

• India and the United States have agreed to the arrangement and procedures which will allow India to retrieve recyclable material found in spent fuel from U.S.-origin nuclear plants for further generating electricity. India also retains the right to make additions and modifications. This is only the third pact signed by the U.S., the earlier ones being with Japan and Euratom, a European consortium.
  
• A frame work for cooperation on trade and investment was signed by Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma and U.S. Trade Representative Ronald Kirk. This agreement aims for the development of small and medium enterprises and also helps with the deployment of clean energy and environmental technologies.
  
• India and Russia went upon an agreement for the construction ofRussian reactors in India - two reactors (that is unit 5 and 6) at Kudankulam in Tamilnadu and two reactors at Haripur in West Bengal to be constructed during the 12th plan period (2012 to 2017).
  
• India and Russia signed the following agreements during the visit of Russian Prime Minister to India.
  1. Commercial level agreements were signed between Gazprom and ONGC; NPCIL and Atomstroy export; and Alrosa and Diamonds India Limited.
  2. The Inter - Governmental Agreement on Cooperation in Atomic Energy
  3. Supplementary agreements on the aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov to finalise cost and technical issues.
  4. A deal in the military aviation sphere that includes the purchase of more naval version MiG - 29 Fighters.
  5. An MoU for bilateral cooperation in Russia's satellite navigation system.
  
  
• The Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, New Delhi was inaugurated in Dhaka, Bangladesh by ICCR president Karan Singh.
  
• India and Sri Lanka signed a Line of Credit agreement for $ 67.4 million to fund the second phase of up gradation of the Southern Railway Line from Colombo to Matara.
  
• India plans to set up consul - General's office in Jaffna, Srilanka. India has only one consulate in Kandy.
  
• An agreement between India and the European Union (EU) to 'intensity' the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations with the aim to conclude the FTA by October ahead of the India - EU summit has reached, by the visiting newly appointed European Commissioner for Trade Karel De Gucht and Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma during their bilateral meeting in New Delhi.
  
• The following agreements have been come to shape during the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Saudi Arabia.
  1. The India-Gulf Co-operation Council Free Trade Agreement is set to finalise, which will boost India's trade with GCC members.
  2. Two agreements by Tatas and public sector RITES were signed.
  3. Both sides trade had touched $ 26 billion and was further set to rise. Aramco, the Saudi petro chemical giant has accessed goods and services worth $ 400 million from India.
  4. Both the countries already had a double taxation avoidance agreement and bilateral investment protection agreement.
  
  
• The highlight of the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Saudi Arabia was the signing of the Riyadh Declaration with King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, this came four years after the 2006 Delhi Declaration. India and Saudi Arabia signed an Extradition Treaty and Agreements in the field of research, education, science and technology, information technology and services and peaceful uses of outer space.

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS FEBRUARY 2010

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS FEBRUARY 2010

• India has offered a $ 250-million line of credit to Nepal. It also extended an 80,000 tonnes of essentials, mainly food grains to Nepal.
• During the visit of Turkey President Abdullah Gul to India, both countries agreed to work towards developing an action plan such as joint working Group against Terrorism. India and Turkey also unveiled a joint declaration on terrorism Ankara recognized Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT).
• India and Britain agreed to increase the flow of trade and investments, particularly Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), in regard to market access for both goods and services and also look for collaboration and opportunities in the defence sector.
• India and the U.K. have agreed on the text of a civil nuclear cooperation deal that is likely to be signed soon. The agreement came after a meeting between British Business Secretary Peter Mandelson and visiting Union Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma in London. It would be the seventh civil nuclear agreement since its first historic deal with the United States in October 2008. India has signed agreements with USA, France, Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Argentina and Namibia.
  
• The safeguard agreement with regard to civilian nuclear facilities between India and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has come into force, as said by U.S. president Barak Obama.
  
• India and Hungary entered into the following agreements during the visit of Union commerce and industry Minister, Anand Sharma, to Hungary
  
1. An agreement for oil exploration was signed between MOL, the official Hungarian Oil Company and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) in which MOL will be a 35 percent partner.
2. Both countries agreed to work for increasing the level of trade to $1 billion by 2012.
3. To strengthen cooperation in the information technology (IT) sector.
4. The India - Hungary S & T fund of 2 million euro annually for the promotion of joint research projects.

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS JANUARY 2010

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS JANUARY 2010

• India had decided to offer 100 fellowships every year over the next five years for agricultural students of Afghanistan to do Masters and Ph.D programmes in Indian Universities. 
• India signed an agreement with Angola to bid jointly for oil and gas projects in Angola. The oil and exploration agreement was signed between Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) to bid for oil acreage in Angola with the African nation's state owned Sonangol. Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) offered to build a multi-billion dollar refinery in Angola. 
• India and South Korea signed four pacts in the presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and visiting South Korean president Lee Myung-bak.
  
  They both agreed to facilitate development of a framework for civil nuclear cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI)
  
  They set a $ 30-billion target for bilateral trade by 2014.They also agreed to improve political and security co-operation. 
• India and Bangladesh have given a final shape to the agreement for setting up a 130-km power transmission link to be established at a cost of Rs. 882 crore. The link would connect Behrampur in India and Behramara in Bangladesh.
• India and Malawi may enter into Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the development of mineral resources, particularly uranium and coal. This possibility was explored during the recent visit of Indian delegation led by Vice-President Hamid Ansari to the Southern African Nation. Vice President ahs become the highest level Indian dignitory to visit the Malawi Nation, since its undependence in 1964. Earlier Indira Gandhi, the then information and broadcasting minister came for the country's first Independence Day function in 1964.
• India and Bangladesh signed five pacts during the visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
  They are 
  1. Mutual assistance in criminal matters and transfer of sentenced persons
  2. Fight against terror
  3. Organized crime and illegal drug trafficking
  4. Power cooperation
  5. Cultural exchange programmes
• PM Manmohan Singh announced a $ 1 billion line of credit for Bangladesh which was the highest one-time line of credit assistance to any country by India.

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS DECEMBER 2009

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS DECEMBER 2009

• 12th Ministerial meet of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) nations was held in Nay Pyi Taw, the capital city of Myanmar. The External Affairs Ministers of the member countries, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Thailand and Nepal participated in this meet.
  
• India and Russia signed a path-breaking broad-based agreement in civil nuclear field that will ensure transfer of technology and uninterrupted uranium fuel supplies to its nuclear reactors and inked three pacts in the defence sector. Russia could build up to 20 civil nuclear reactors in India under atomic agreement.
  
• India and Russia signed six agreements in Moscow. They agreed on a cultural exchange programme over the next two years and a credit line for facilitating bilateral trade. It was decided to triple the modest bilateral trade of $7 billion to $20 billion in the next five years. They signed three pacts in the military sphere.
  
• India extended a $425-million credit to Sri Lanka for three rail projects to be executed by IRCON International in the Northern Province.
  
• India and Bhutan to sign four MoUs for hydel power projects.The two sides will also sign a pact on setting up a super-specialty hospital on the lines of the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences. The MoUs will be signed on initiating detailed project reports (DPRs) for the Amochhu (620 MW), Kuvi-Gongi (1800 MW), Kholongchhu (486 MW) and Chamkarchu-I (670 MW) projects.
  
• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has been given assent by the government to take up an offer of French firm Snecma to ‘partner’ with the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) for jointly developing the Kaveri aero engine.
  
• India, Japan had deepened economic ties to finish Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) by 2010.

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS NOVEMBER 2009

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS NOVEMBER 2009

• India and the 27-member European Union signed an agreement on a nuclear energy project and decided to conclude a free-trade pact within a year. They also signed an agreement in the field of fusion energy research.
  
• India and Japan renewed their commitment to “develop an Action Plan to advance security cooperation.
  
• India and Finland signed three agreements to boost cooperation in science and technology. Both the countries also decided to set up a Joint Business Council and address climate change. The agreements were signed during the India-Finland Technology Partnership Forum meeting
  
• Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on his visit to Washington invited it to explore the public-private partnership projects in infrastructure that are being set up in India. He also welcomed to invest in other areas such as agriculture-based businesses, including cold chains, agricultural marketing and food processing, manufacturing and mining. India would sign a Memorandum of Understanding on Energy Security, Clean Energy and Climate Change.

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS OCTOBER 2009

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS OCTOBER 2009

• India and the U.S. agreed on enhancing and deepening trade and investment engagement, and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) cooperation agreement and an agreement for putting in place traditional knowledge digital library.
  
  The two countries also issued a joint statement at the end of the Sixth Ministerial Level meeting of the India-U.S. Trade Policy Forum (TPF) to continue focus on agriculture, innovation and creativity, investment, services and tariff and non-tariff barriers.
  
• India has taken initiative with China and Bhutan for saving Himalayan eco-system.
  
• India and Nepal on Tuesday signed a new treaty to control unauthorised trade across the border and redefine their trade and commercial relations. India and Nepal also signed a new treaty making it easier for Nepalese products to enter the Indian market without duty.
  
  The revised “India-Nepal treaty of Trade and Agreement of Cooperation to Control Unauthorised Trade” was signed by Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma and Nepalese Minister for Commerce and Supplies Rajinder Mahto.
  
• The Finance Ministers of Russia, China and India met in Bangalore. During the meeting on the sidelines of the trilateral Russia India China (RIC) dialogue, the Ministers of China and India favoured more frequent high-level exchanges, media, cultural and people-to-people interaction and even more defence exchanges.
  
• India and China have agreed to use official mechanisms to discuss outstanding issues and agreed not to amplify the differences when both the Prime Ministers met in Thailand.
  
  
• India and China signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) to establish a partnership in the area for strengthening dialogue and practical cooperation.
  They agreed to set up an India-China Working Group on Climate Change that will hold annual meetings alternately in China and India to exchange views on important issues concerning international negotiations and domestic policies and measures.

• India – US defense cooperation Yudh Abhyas 2009 has started on October 12th at Babina in UP. 17 US Stryker vehicles shall participate in the operation.

• India signed an agreement in civilian nuclear cooperation with Argentina. This is the seventh pact it has signed after coming out of isolation in the civilian nuclear field. India had signed civilian nuclear pacts with the United States, France, Russia, Kazakhstan, Namibia and Mongolia.
  
  India and Argentina also signed pacts on business visas, cooperation in science and technology and outer space besides Memoranda of Understanding in hydrocarbon sector, sports, trade and geological research.

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS SEPTEMBER 2009

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS SEPTEMBER 2009

• During the visit of Indian President, India and Tajikistan decide to cooperate in the fields of energy, food and regional security. India invested $20 million in the reconstruction of the Ayni Air Base near Dushanbe in 2008 and has made significant investments in other Tajik projects, including the reconstruction of the Varzob hydropower plant.
  
• India and Russia agreed to raise the volume of the trade between them to USD ten billion by 2010. Russia and India would cooperate in energy, metallurgy, mechanical engineering, knowledge-intensive industries, ongoing construction of Kudankulam nuclear power plant and ONGC's participation in the Sakhalin-I project. 

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS AUGUST 2009

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS AUGUST 2009

• The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has signed a memorandum of cooperation with the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) to implement Avahan, an initiative of the foundation to check the spread of HIV/AIDS in India. Avahan funds targeted HIV-prevention programmes in six Indian States and along the national trucking routes.
• Mauritius to use AP e-procurement tech
  The Government of Mauritius has signed a formal memorandum of agreement with the Andhra Pradesh Government to source e-procurement solutions. The Mauritius Government would use the Andhra Pradesh Government’s e-procurement platform in order to aggregate demand from various Government departments and ensure reduced inventory costs. Also, this would result in lower cost of procurement, transparency and help achieve effective tendering process. Andhra Pradesh, one of the front runners in implementing the e-governance initiatives, had so far concluded 61,534 tenders worth Rs 1.08 lakh crore, involving 206 departments and agencies.
• India has signed a free trade agreement (FTA) with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that will include tariff cuts on an estimated 4,000 products. The FTA is expected to boost trade between the two to US$50 billion by next year. The agreement will be implemented beginning January 1, 2010 and will take out duties on about 3,200 products by December 2013, while duties on the remaining 800 products will be brought down to zero or near zero levels by December 2016.
• India, China to set up hotline
  India and China have decided to set up a hotline between Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and Wen Jiabao as a confidence building measure. The decision was taken during the 13th Round of India-China Special Representatives talks on the boundary question.
• India-Singapore Joint Venture For Tourism Promotion
  According to the plan, the tourists who visit Singapore will be given an option to include a four-five day trip to India in their itinerary.
• India, South Korea signed bilateral trade agreement
  South Korea and India signed a bilateral trade agreement to cut duties on  goods as auto parts and electronics and to boost cooperation between the two Asian economic powerhouses.
  Both sides started negotiations for the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in March, 2006, committing them to drastically lower import tariffs on cars and other manufactured items.
  The CEPA is similar to the free trade agreements (FTA) South Korea has signed with the U.S. and other trading partners, but phases out tariffs more slowly.

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS JULY 2009

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS JULY 2009

• G8, G5 leaders met in L’Aquila, Italy on economic issues and climate change .
• India, U.S. Sign Space-defense Deals
  The new Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA) will cover launches involving satellites owned by U.S. government or academic institutions or by third country space agencies and universities which have U.S. equipment on board. Since the components and satellites will have to be integrated with Indian Space Research Organization's launch vehicles, the TSA will provide for monitoring by the U.S. side to ensure against diversion or misuse of equipment.
  A second agreement was signed on a framework for "robust result-oriented cooperation" in science and technology for "collaborative research and its commercialization."
  The signing of the end-use monitoring shall enable India to procure sophisticated U.S. defense technology and equipment.

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS JUNE 2009

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS JUNE 2009

• India and the United States signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for cooperation in production and marketing of bio fuels in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner and in accordance with national priorities and socio economic development goals.
• India to set up IT lab in Indonesia
  India will help set up an Information Technology Lab at Indonesia’s Military Academy and participate in a defence exercise, “Garuda Shield”, for United Nations peace support operations.
• India-ASEAN summit cancelled: The India-ASEAN summit has been delayed following anti-government demonstrations in Thailand.

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS MAY 2009

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS MAY 2009

• India-U.S.-Japan Planned Malabar-2009 Naval Exercises
  Japan has joined India and the United States in trilateral naval exercises from April 26 to May 3. The exercise, named Malabar 2009, was conducted east of Okinawa islands.
  The professional objective was to “deepen mutual understanding and trust” among the navies of the three countries. The political aim was to “enhance friendly ties.”
• India-Poland pacts on healthcare and tourism
  India and the European country Poland signed two agreements: one on cooperation in healthcare and medicine, and the other on tourism. This bilateral trade is $1 billion.
• Iran and Pakistan signed an agreement for the construction of gas pipeline which will carry natural gas from Asalouyeh and stretch over 1100 kilometres through Iran. In Pakistan, it will pass through Baluchistan and Sind which stretches 1000km. In India it runs around 600km. 150 million Cubic meters natural gas would be transported through this pipeline per day.
• India became the first country in South Asia to own an AWACS, Airborne Early Warning and Control System, called 'an eye in the sky', with the Israeli-made Phalcon. It arrived at the Jamnagar airbase on the country's western coast.
  The Phalcons will be inducted into the Indian Air Force on May 28 by Defense Minister A K Antony at the Palam airbase in New Delhi.

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS APRIL 2009

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS APRIL 2009

·         The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) announces to provide about Rs.800 crore more for the Hogenekkal Water Supply and Fluorosis Mitigation Project.

·         United States based Satellier - Scream point International a leading digital city solutions provider globally, brings its latest “5D Digital City” solutions and technology services to India.

·         Under a multimillion dollar long-term nuclear fuel supply deal between Moscow and New Delhi, Russia delivers the first batch of 30 tonnes of uranium pellets toIndia.

·         Tata Communications has announced its participations in the $600 million new West African Cable System (WACS) – the submarine fibre optic cable that will link countries in Southern Africa, Western Africa and Europe, with at least 3.84 terabits a second of international bandwidth.

·         India and Spain sign a trade agreementexpected to boost bilateral ties in six crucial sectors of infrastructure development, renewable energy, agriculture, research and development, tourism, and cooperation in Latin America, where Spainhas a sphere of influence.

చరిత్రలో ఈ రోజు డిసెంబరు 21

*🌸చరిత్రలో ఈ రోజు/డిసెంబరు 21*🌸

*◾డిసెంబర్ 21, గ్రెగొరియన్‌ క్యాలెండర్‌ ప్రకారము సంవత్సరములో 355వ రోజు (లీపు సంవత్సరములో356వ రోజు ). సంవత్సరాంతమునకు ఇంకా 10 రోజులు మిగిలినవి.*▪

*🌹సంఘటనలు*🌹

*🍁1991 : ఒకప్పటి కమ్యూనిస్టు అగ్రరాజ్యమైన సోవియట్ యూనియన్, 16 దేశాలుగా విడిపోయింది.*

*🍁2007: రెండో ఎలిజబెత్ రాణి అత్యధిక వయస్సు ఉన్న బ్రిటన్ రాణిగా రికార్డు సృష్టించింది.*

*🍁2012 : డూమ్స్ డే లేదా యుగాంతం గా పిలువ బడుతోంది. ఈ రోజున మొత్తం తొమ్మిది గ్రహాలు ఒకే సరళ రేఖపైకి వస్తాయి.*

*❣జననాలు*❣

*🍁1853: వేదము వేంకటరాయ శాస్త్రి, సుప్రసిద్ధ పండితులు, కవి మరియు విమర్శకులు, నాటకకర్త. (మ.1929)*

*🍁1926: అర్జా జనార్ధనరావు, ప్రసిద్ధ తెలుగు నాటక మరియు సినిమా నటుడు. (మ.2007)*

*🍁1928: శివానందమూర్తి, మానవతావాది, ఆధ్యాత్మిక, తత్వవేత్త. (మ.2015)*

*🍁1931: అవసరాల రామకృష్ణారావు, కథ, నవల రచయిత. (మ.2011)*

*🍁1932: యు.ఆర్.అనంతమూర్తి, ప్రముఖ కన్నడ రచయిత, జ్ఞానపీఠ అవార్డు గ్రహీత. (మ.2014)*

*🍁1939: సూరపనేని శ్రీధర్, తెలుగు సినిమా నటుడు. (మ.2007)*

*🍁1942: హు జింటావ్, పీపుల్స్ రిపబ్లిక్ ఆఫ్ చైనా యొక్క అత్యున్నత నాయకుడు.*

*🍁1959: కృష్ణమాచారి శ్రీకాంత్, భారత క్రికెట్ జట్టుమాజీ క్రీడాకారుడు.*

*🍁1972: వై.ఎస్. జగన్మోహన్ రెడ్డి, రాజకీయ నాయకుడు.*

*🍃మరణాలు*🍃

*🍁1962: ఉప్మాక నారాయణమూర్తి, ప్రముఖ సాహితీ వేత్త, అవధాని మరియు ప్రఖ్యాతి పొందిన న్యాయవాది. (జ.1896)*

*🍁1969: కొచ్చర్లకోట సత్యనారాయణ, తెలుగు సినిమా మరియు రంగస్థల నటుడు, సినిమా సంగీత దర్శకుడు మరియు నేపథ్యగాయకుడు. (జ.1915)*

*🍁1972: దాసరి కోటిరత్నం, రంగస్థలనటి, తెలుగు సినిమా నటి, తెలుగు సినిమారంగలో తొలి మహిళా చిత్ర నిర్మాత. (జ.1910)*

*🔥ప్రధానమంత్రి--పీరియడ్🔥*

*★నెహ్రూ👉1947--1964*

*★శాస్త్రి👉64--66*

*★ఇందిరమ్మ👉66--77*

*★మొరార్జీ దేశాయ్👉77--79*

*★చరణ్ సింగ్👉79--80*

*★ఇందిరమ్మ👉80--84*

*★రాజీవ్ గాంధీ👉84--89*

*★v. p. సింగ్👉89--90*

*★చంద్ర శేఖర్👉90--91*

*★p. v. నరసింహరావు👉91--96*

*★దేవ గౌడ👉96--97*

*★i. k. గుజ్రాల్👉97--98*

*★a. b. వాజపేయి👉98--2004*

*★మన్ మోహన్ సింగ్👉2004--2014*

*★నరేంద్ర మోదీ👉2014--ప్రస్తుతం.*

🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻

*1) ప్రపంచంలో బౌద్దుల జనాభా అధికంగా గల దేశం ఏది?*

*జ)చైనా.*

*2) భారతదేశంలోని ఏ రాష్ట్రంలో అత్యధిక విశ్వవిద్యాలయాలు ఉన్నాయి?*

*జ)  మహారాష్ట్ర*

*3) .ఇండియన్ మిలిటరీ అకాడమీ ఎక్కడ ఉంది?*

*జ)  డెహ్రాడూన్.*

*4) వేలిముద్రల అధ్యయన శాస్త్రాన్ని ఏమంటారు?*

*జ)డాక్టిలోగ్రఫీ.*

*5) రాణ్ ఆఫ్ కచ్ ' అనే ప్రదేశం ఏ రాష్ట్రంలో ఉంది?*

*జ)  గుజరాత్.*

*6) భారత జాతీయ చిహ్నం 3 సింహాల గుర్తు ఏ రోజు నుంచి అధికారికంగా అమలులోకి వచ్చింది?*

*జ)26 జనవరి 1950.*

*7) .మహామన్య బిరుదు ఎవరికిచ్చారు?*

*జ)  మదన్ మోహన్ మాలవ్య.*

*8) దాల్ సరస్సు ఎక్కడ ఉంది?*

*జ)  శ్రీనగర్.*

*9) భారతదేశంలో తరచూ వరదలకు గురయ్యే రాష్ట్రం?*

*జ)అస్సాం.*

*10 అమెరికా అధ్యక్షుడి పదవీకాలం ఎంత?*

*జ)4 సంవత్సరాలు.*

చరిత్రలో ఈ రోజు డిసెంబరు 20

*🌎చరిత్రలో ఈరోజు/ డిసెంబరు 20🌎*

*▪డిసెంబర్ 20, గ్రెగొరియన్‌ క్యాలెండర్‌ ప్రకారము సంవత్సరములో 354వ రోజు (లీపు సంవత్సరములో355వ రోజు ). సంవత్సరాంతమునకు ఇంకా 11 రోజులు మిగిలినవి.◾*


*చరిత్రలో ఈ రోజు/డిసెంబరు 20*

*🕘సంఘటనలు*🕘

*🌹1942 : కోల్‌కతా పై మొదటిసారి జపాన్వైమానికదాడి చేసింది.*

*🌹1986: భారత ప్రధాన న్యాయమూర్తిగా ప్రఫుల్లచంద్ర నట్వర్‌లాల్ భగవతి పదవీ విరమణ.*

*🌹1988 : ఓటు వేసే కనీస వయసును 21 నుండి 18 కి తగ్గిస్తూ చేసిన 62 వ రాజ్యాంగ సవరణ పార్లమెంటుఆమోదం పొందింది.*

*❣జననాలు❣*

*🌹1934:  ఈడుపుగంటి వెంకట సుబ్బారావు, ప్రముఖ వ్యవసాయ శాస్త్రవేత్త (మ.2010).*

*🌹1940: యామినీ కృష్ణమూర్తి, ప్రసిద్ధ శాస్త్రీయ నృత్య కళాకారిణి .*

*🌹1951: కన్నేపల్లి చలమయ్య - ప్రముఖ కథారచయిత.*

*🌹1990 : అమెరికన్ పాప్ గాయని మరియు గీత రచయిత జోజో జననం.*

*🍃మరణాలు*🍃

*🌹1988: బి.జయమ్మ, మూకీ సినిమా యుగంలో కథానాయకిగా ప్రాచుర్యం పొందింది (జ.1915).*

*🌹1996 : అమెరికన్ ఖగోళ శాస్త్రజ్ఞుడు, ఖగోళ భౌతిక శాస్త్రజ్ఞుడు, రచయిత, కాస్మోలజిస్ట్ కార్ల్ సాగాన్ మరణం (జ.1934).*

*🌹2012 : భారత హాకీ క్రీడాకారుడు లెస్లీ క్లాడియస్ మరణం (జ.1927).*