Several initiatives taken by the Government for Northeast youth, says Dr Jitendra Singh

 The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space Dr Jitendra Singh said that several new initiatives for the youth of Northeast have already been rolled out while others are in the pipeline, during an interactive session here yesterday, organized by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

Dr Jitendra Singh said that the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) has come out with a “Venture Fund” for the young Start-Ups. He said that, considering the incredible talent of the Northeast youth in excelling in international athletics and gymnastics, a state-of-the-art Sports University will soon come up in Manipur, for which the land has already been acquired.

Dr Jitendra Singh also mooted the idea of holding coaching classes for preparation of Civil Services Examination via satellite and tele-education for youth living in the remote parts of peripheral States, where they felt deprived of such facility unlike their counterparts in some of the metros and other cities.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that it is remarkable how the youth of Northeast had the capacity and determination to excel in diverse fields of activity, notwithstanding the constraints of lack of infrastructure or training/coaching facilities. Citing the example of the Tripura girl, Ms. Dipa Karmakar, who achieved world fame through her performance in Gymnastics, Dr Jitendra Singh said that he was pleased to note that the Ministry of DoNER had also tried to mentor her during her preparatory phase, even though in her early phase she did not have enough access to any formal training.

With a fast-track improvement in connectivity and means of transport during the last three years, Dr Jitendra Singh said that the business houses as well as investors have started showing interest in Northeast, which would ultimately augur well for job creation and employment. Even this year, he disclosed that there was a significant increase in the tourist flow, due to the priority given to the Northeast region by the tour operators from the rest of the country.

In response to a query, Dr Jitendra Singh said that Public-Private-Participation (PPP) model will help to carry forward all these initiatives and the private sector can also be encouraged to spend a substantial part of CSR (Corporate Social-Responsibility) funds in the remote areas of NER. He said that, for this purpose, he would take up with the Government, the feasibility of giving tax exemption for CSR spent in this region or fixing a certain mandatory percentage of CSR for this purpose.

Kharif Crop Sowing Crosses 404 Lakh Hectare Area

The total sown area as on 7^th July 2017, as per reports received from States, stands at 404.27 lakh hectare as compared to 371.39 lakh hectare at this time last year.

            It is reported that rice has been sown/transplanted in 79.81 lakh ha, pulses in 44.11 lakh ha, coarse cereals in80.78 lakh ha, sugarcane in 47.93 lakh hectare and cotton in 71.82 lakh ha.

             The details of the area covered so far and that covered during this time last year are given below:

                                                                                                                              Lakh hectare 

Crop	Area sown in 2017-18	Area sown in 2016-17
Rice	79.81	75.28
Pulses	44.11	35.88
Coarse Cereals	80.78	70.11
Oilseeds	72.87	69.74
Sugarcane	47.93	45.22
Jute & Mesta	6.95	7.27
Cotton	71.82	67.89
Total	404.27	371.39

Several initiatives taken by the Government for Northeast youth, says Dr Jitendra Singh

The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space Dr Jitendra Singh said that several new initiatives for the youth of Northeast have already been rolled out while others are in the pipeline, during an interactive session here yesterday, organized by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

Dr Jitendra Singh said that the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) has come out with a “Venture Fund” for the young Start-Ups. He said that, considering the incredible talent of the Northeast youth in excelling in international athletics and gymnastics, a state-of-the-art Sports University will soon come up in Manipur, for which the land has already been acquired.

Dr Jitendra Singh also mooted the idea of holding coaching classes for preparation of Civil Services Examination via satellite and tele-education for youth living in the remote parts of peripheral States, where they felt deprived of such facility unlike their counterparts in some of the metros and other cities.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that it is remarkable how the youth of Northeast had the capacity and determination to excel in diverse fields of activity, notwithstanding the constraints of lack of infrastructure or training/coaching facilities. Citing the example of the Tripura girl, Ms. Dipa Karmakar, who achieved world fame through her performance in Gymnastics, Dr Jitendra Singh said that he was pleased to note that the Ministry of DoNER had also tried to mentor her during her preparatory phase, even though in her early phase she did not have enough access to any formal training.

With a fast-track improvement in connectivity and means of transport during the last three years, Dr Jitendra Singh said that the business houses as well as investors have started showing interest in Northeast, which would ultimately augur well for job creation and employment. Even this year, he disclosed that there was a significant increase in the tourist flow, due to the priority given to the Northeast region by the tour operators from the rest of the country.

In response to a query, Dr Jitendra Singh said that Public-Private-Participation (PPP) model will help to carry forward all these initiatives and the private sector can also be encouraged to spend a substantial part of CSR (Corporate Social-Responsibility) funds in the remote areas of NER. He said that, for this purpose, he would take up with the Government, the feasibility of giving tax exemption for CSR spent in this region or fixing a certain mandatory percentage of CSR for this purpose.

Informal BRICS Leaders Meeting in Hamburg

The leaders of the 5 BRICS countries held an informal meeting on the sidelines of G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany. This was in run up to the forthcoming 9th BRICS Summit in September in Xiamen, China. President Xi of China said he looked forward to welcoming the BRICS leaders. 

In their interventions, the leaders discussed preparations and priorities for the forthcoming Xiamen BRICS Summit. 

Prime Minister mentioned that BRICS has been a strong voice and needs to show leadership on terrorism and global economy. He stressed that G20 should collectively oppose terrorism financing, franchises, safe havens, support and sponsors. Referring to reforms in India, including the recent introduction of GST, PM stated that it was necessary to work together for sustained global economic recovery. He advocated collective voice against the practices of protectionism, especially in the spheres of trade and movement of knowledge and professionals. He reiterated India's commitment to implementing Paris Agreement in letter and spirit and described its implementation globally as essential to fighting climate change. He called for expeditious action to establish BRICS rating agency and stated that cooperation on development of Africa should be a priority. He also called for greater people-to-people exchanges. 

The Prime Minister appreciated momentum in BRICS under the Chairmanship of President Xi and extended full cooperation and best wishes for the BRICS Xiamen Summit. 

Concluding the meeting immediately after PM's remarks, President Xi appreciated India's strong resolve against terrorism and the momentum in BRICS introduced under India's Chairmanship and through the outcomes of the Goa Summit in 2016. He also appreciated India's success in economic and social development and wished India even bigger success. 

A European Union Army: Objective or Chimera?

azil, Latin America’s largest economy, has been coasting along comfortably with record low inflation for a decade and healthy foreign direct investment to sustain the path of recovery from a recent recession. But the “Lava Jato” anti-corruption movement that rocked it three years back seems to be a long way from delivering on the promise of democratic and transparent governance. Inquiries into public fraud by politicians and captains of business have brought skeletons tumbling out of the cupboard. When Dilma Rousseff, then President, was impeached last year, it had appeared that the worst was over. But now the incumbent President, Michel Temer, has been indicted by Brazil’s top prosecutor. The script is sickeningly familiar. Ms. Rousseff was implicated over a scandal in the state-owned oil giant and its construction arm. The accusation against Mr. Temer is complicity in the authorisation of heavily subsidised public loans for a private corporation in return for political patronage. He has vehemently denied the charges, and termed the Lava Jato campaign, which he had once sympathised with, a witch hunt against political representatives.

The course of the investigation against Mr. Temer is as yet uncertain. But his position appears far less precarious than that of his predecessor. The requisite vote in the lower House of Congress to authorise a criminal trial may not materialise eventually, as most members are themselves facing investigations. Representatives from his centre-right Brazilian Democratic Movement Party and Ms. Rousseff’s Workers’ Party have called for the resignation of Mr. Temer. But indications are that few have the appetite to precipitate the situation further. Moreover, upon Ms. Rousseff’s downfall, Mr. Temer, who was Vice-President then, had been catapulted to the country’s highest office. With the next presidential election scheduled for 2018, the search for a successor may not be easy. This continuing turmoil puts at risk assurances of reforms to Brazil’s labour laws and generous pension system. The controversial raising of the retirement age was seen as a major push to overhaul what was one of the world’s most envied social security programmes. Arguably, the Brazilian Left leaned too much towards an unsustainable populist agenda in the heady years of the commodities boom. But its counterparts on the Right appear ill-equipped to position themselves as a realistic alternative despite attempts to attract overseas investment. Like other nations in the region, Brazil badly needs a strong centre that is not tempted to tilt at the windmills of populism. That is the best chance of ensuring accountability to the people and engagement with the rest of the world.

He affirms special ties, underplays historical stress India has given to the Palestine issue

While welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Tel Aviv, his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu,said his country had awaited the visit for “seventy years”. Since the birth in 1948 of Israel, whose admission to the UN India subsequently opposed, Israeli leaders had always sought full diplomatic ties. And once the Narasimha Rao government established full diplomatic ties in 1992, Israel pushed for full acknowledgement of bilateral relations on the international stage. As a result, the significance of Mr. Modi’s visit to Israel, as the first Indian Prime Minister there, was the trip itself. This was reflected in the camaraderie between the two Prime Ministers, who spent practically every waking moment together. The agreements signed during the visit, on water, agriculture, space and science and technology, are important no doubt, but not path-breaking. They simply underscore ongoing cooperation in such fields — as well as in the defence sector, India being one of the biggest buyers of Israeli military equipment. Cooperation on cybersecurity issues, discussed by officials during Mr. Modi’s visit, constitutes a breakthrough of sorts, given that Israel tends to limit cooperation in this area to a few countries. A decision was announced to upgrade ties to a strategic partnership, signalling a final step to total normalisation of relations. Perhaps this is why Mr. Modi’s address to Israelis of Indian origin in Tel Aviv, with a promise to address visa issues and improve air connectivity, had an emotional pitch different from his meetings with the diaspora elsewhere in the world.

However, the best friendships are judged not just by bilateral bonhomie, but by the ability to discuss uncomfortable issues. With Mr. Modi’s visit India has, for all purposes, de-hyphenated its ties with Israel and Palestine, something Israel has always wanted. In a clear repudiation of the Indian practice of keeping Palestinian leaders prominently in the loop, Mr. Modi made a point of not visiting the Occupied Territories. The departure was more prominent in the joint statement, that contained a short paragraph on the “Israel-Palestine” peace process, with no reference to UN resolutions, the two-state solution, or even the need to resume talks, that Mr. Modi had spoken of during the visit of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to India just a couple of months ago. It would have been more in keeping with India’s stature on the international stage, and its particular leverage with all players in West Asia especially on Palestine, had Mr. Modi made a visible attempt to extract from Israel a commitment to the peace process. India’s evolving ties with Israel no doubt are based on pragmatism and the desire to eschew hypocrisy — but Mr. Modi has infused his visit with a symbolism and substance that could well mark a point of departure in India’s moral support to the Palestinian cause. By way of comparison, U.S. President Donald Trump visited Palestine too when he went to Israel in May.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi presents 11-point action plan on counter terrorism for G-20 nations

Leaders of world's major economies began discussion on global growth and trade at the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. Formally starting the summit this evening, German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed the dignitaries. In her address, she stressed the need to adopt an accommodative and compromising approach to resolve contentious issues.

At G-20 summit, the first working session, leaders are discussing global growth and trade. Negotiators at the summit are working to forge consensus among them on a number of issues including trade, climate change and migration. They are also likely to discuss conflict in Syria and security threat posed by the missile launch by North Korea among other issues.

During the summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented 11-point action plan on counter terrorism for the G-20 nations. It proposes exchange of information on designated terrorists between the G-20 nations. The agenda proposed by Mr. Modi also calls for quick adoption of Comprehensive Convention of International Terrorism. The action plan also underlines the need for concrete action plan on cyber security to counter terrorism.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with leaders of China, Brazil and South Africa among others on the sidelines of G-20 summit. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Gopal Baglay informed that at the informal gathering of BRICS leaders, hosted by China, Mr. Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping had a conversation on a range of issues.

The BRICS meeting was organised in run up to the forthcoming 9th BRICS Summit in September in Xiamen, China.

Speaking at the informal BRICS meeting, the Prime Minister said, that G20 should collectively oppose funding and safe haven for terrorism and its sponsors.

Mr. Modi said, it was necessary to work together for sustained global economic recovery. He reiterated India's commitment to implementing Paris Agreement in letter and spirit.

Concluding the meeting immediately after Prime Minister's remarks, Chinese President appreciated India's strong resolve against terrorism. He also appreciated India's success in economic field and social development and wished for even bigger success.

A round up of events by our correspondent covering the summit.