News articles and essays on the Indian diplomacy at work around the world.
Post the conclusion of the India-US Trade Policy Forum meeting, the two countries agreed on a “transitional approach” to digital service tax levied by the government, offering it relief from the planned American retaliatory action, while comforting tech giants such as Amazon, Google and Facebook that are laible for this tax.
The defence minister of Maldives Mariya Ahmed Didi arrived in Kochi on a 6-day official visit to Kochi and Kannur. The defence minister, who reached the Cochin International Airport Limited (Cial) in an IndiGo flight around 11:30 am on Tuesday, was received by Rear Admiral TVN Prasanna, chief staff officer (training), Southern Naval Command (SNC) and his wife. The visit is part of improving the bilateral defence ties between Maldives and India.
The 56th meeting of Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee (CSMC) of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) was held in New Delhi on 23rd November 2021 under the chairmanship of Shri Durga Shanker Mishra, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). A total of 3.61 lakh houses were approved for construction from 17 States/UTs under Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP), Beneficiary-Led Construction (BLC), In-Situ Slum Redevelopment (ISSR) verticals of PMAY-U.
India and the United States held the 12th Ministerial-level meeting of the India-United States Trade Policy Forum (TPF) in New Delhi on November 23, 2021 with a view to advancing the goal, to “develop an ambitious, shared vision for the future of the trade relationship”, as announced by PM Mr. Modi and President Mr. Biden at their September 24, 2021 meeting.
While a 10-city pilot project is already in progress to create grassroot-level outreach, the ministry of social justice and empowerment’s comprehensive scheme on rehab for beggars is part of the “Support for Marginalised Individual Livelihood and Enterprise Scheme” that will also include a separate scheme for welfare of transgender persons.
The reason for opening of joint bank account is to ensure that family pension may be commenced without any delay and the family pensioner is not subjected to any hardships for opening of a new pension bank account. This also ensures minimum documentation for the family pensioner while submitting request for commencement of family pension.
Last month, the ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt Wael Hamed presented credentials to Indian President Ram Nath Kovind on October 26 alongside ambassadors of three other countries including Luxembourg, the Republic of Slovenia and Israel, in Ashok Hall, Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The Ministry of Rural Development has reached an important milestone with the completion of Geographical Information System (GIS) plans for 2 lakh Gram Panchayats (GPs) out of 2.69 lakh GPs under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA using remote sensing technology based on the ridge to valley approach. GIS-based planning under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS is an initiative of the Ministry of Rural Development which helps the Gram Panchayat to ensure a scientific & holistic approach for planning at the Gram Panchayat level. It is an important tool to ensure participatory planning at the implementation level.
India secured the re-election to the executive board of the UN’s cultural and education organisation for the 2021-25 term.
On the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Modi and Naftali held their first meeting. Other than discussions on various topics pertaining to defence, environment and global, regional issues, the meeting caught attention when in a lighter vein Naftali asked Prime Minister Modi to join his party counting on Indian PM’s popularity in Israel. Israel’s envoy to India also told news agency ANI that both countries will soon complete free trade agreement negotiations.
