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Tag: India

  • Sri Lanka to obtain 65,000MT of urea from India

    India has confident Sri Lanka to instantly provide 65,000 metric tonnes of urea to keep away from any disruption in paddy cultivation on this nation, because it faces the worst financial disaster in its post-independence historical past.

    Prime Commissioner of Sri Lanka in New Delhi Milinda Moragoda met with the Secretary of the Division of Fertilisers Rajesh Kumar Chaturvedi in New Delhi on Thursday to speak about the provision of urea required for the present Yala cultivation season in Sri Lanka, in line with media studies right here on Saturday.

    Moragoda thanked Chaturvedi for India’s resolution to provide 65,000 MT of urea required for the present Yala cultivation season in Sri Lanka, the Prime Fee of Sri Lanka in New Delhi mentioned in a message.

    The Govt of India has made up our minds to provide this amount of urea instantly to Sri Lanka on the request of the Govt of Sri Lanka, in spite of a ban on export of urea from India, the Sri Lankan Prime Fee mentioned in a observation.

    Prime Commissioner Moragoda thanked Secretary Chaturvedi for his private involvement in arranging important approvals and logistics to provide 65,000 metric tonnes of urea to Sri Lanka in session with the Prime Commissioner of India in Colombo Gopal Baglay.

    In reaction, Chaturvedi mentioned that his Division is at all times in a position to enhance Sri Lanka consistent with India’s ‘neighbourhood first’ coverage, and that the Division is making preparations to send the specified amount of urea from the closest port to Sri Lanka via a State Corporate coming below his purview.

    The Prime Commissioner and the Secretary additionally mentioned tactics and way to verify the continual provide of chemical fertiliser from India to Sri Lanka below the prevailing credit score line and past.

    India has dedicated greater than USD 3 billion to debt-ridden Sri Lanka in loans, credit score traces and credit score swaps since January this 12 months.
    Yala is the season of paddy cultivation in Sri Lanka that lasts between Might and August.

    Sri Lanka is aiming to spice up its agriculture sector to keep away from any disruption within the agriculture marketplace following the drop within the paddy cultivation within the Maha consultation.

    The Sri Lankan executive banned chemical fertilisers final 12 months as a part of a phased transition against natural agriculture. The shortage of good enough provides of natural fertilisers affected agricultural output, particularly rice and tea, and the federal government lately ended the ban on a number of key plants.

    Sri Lanka’s annual fertiliser imports value USD 400 million. Farmers throughout Sri Lanka have intensified their protests because of the loss of fertiliser and being pressured to desert their farmlands.

    The chemical fertiliser ban, blended with dangerous climate, resulted in falling crop yields and contributed to inflation hitting a 47-month top of 8.3 in line with cent in October with meals inflation at 11.7 in line with cent, Day by day Replicate, a web-based information portal mentioned.

    Sri Lanka has greater than 2 million farmers and as much as 70 in line with cent of its 22 million persons are immediately or not directly depending on agriculture.

    Sri Lanka’s financial disaster is brought about partially by means of a loss of foreign currency echange, which has supposed that the rustic can not have the funds for to pay for imports of staple meals and gasoline, resulting in acute shortages and really top costs.

    The disaster has provoked popular protests calling for political reform and the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

    On April 1, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa imposed a state of emergency, lifting it 5 days later. The federal government reimposed a state of emergency on Might 6 after police fired teargas and arrested scholars protesting close to parliament, which used to be adjourned till Might 17.
    Despite the fact that the protests were overwhelmingly non violent, the police fatally shot a protester on April 19, and on a number of events have used teargas and water cannons in opposition to protesters. The government have made a large number of arrests and again and again imposed curfews.
    The political disaster used to be induced in overdue March when other people harm by means of lengthy hours of energy cuts and very important shortages took to the streets challenging the resignation of the federal government.

    President Rajapaksa sacked his Cupboard and appointed a more youthful cupboard as a reaction to the call for for resignation. A continuing protest reverse his secretariat has now long gone on for smartly over a month.

    On Monday, his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned because the top minister to make method for the president to nominate an period in-between all political birthday celebration executive. Ranil Wickremesinghe used to be appointed the rustic’s new top minister on Thursday.

    India has mentioned it seemed ahead to operating with the brand new Sri Lankan executive shaped in keeping with the democratic processes and New Delhi’s dedication to the folks of the island country will proceed.

  • Tibet performs necessary function in advanced India-China ties: Ex-diplomat Nirupama Rao

    By way of Categorical Information Provider

    BENGALURU: India’s former overseas secretary Nirupama Rao in an interplay on her e-book ‘The Fractured Himalaya: India, Tibet, China, 1949-1962’ spoke concerning the Indo-China family members then and now and the affect of the 13-year length that preceded the Indo-China warfare in 1962 at the family members between the 2 neighbours with Tibet on the centre.

    “From the beginning, the India-China courting used to be actually a three-body drawback, with Tibet on the geographical and diplomatic centre of the nascent courting,” mentioned Rao. The development used to be organised by means of the Synergia Basis – a city-based technique assume tank.

    She mentioned that following the tragic occasions within the Galwan Valley in 2020, the point of interest is again on Indo-China family members. “We’d like a wide-angled standpoint to recall the early historical past of this courting. Each India and China had been very younger and within the technique of nationwide consolidation and influencing our roles at the international level. What came about in the ones years has relatively a power on Indo-China family members even nowadays,” mentioned Rao.

    She added, “An trade has grown abouat blaming Jawaharlal Nehru for the whole thing that came about all over that length. He had his flaws, however his follies can’t be textbook gospel. His choices had been made in actual time. India used to be a tender nation and Nehru’s contribution in country development can’t be not noted. He noticed the truth of the approaching of the Communists and used to be subconsciously anxious about China’s expansionism. He used to be excited about safeguarding our borders. Nehru used to be the primary particular person to possess his failure within the China coverage, which had deep linkages with the Tibetan factor. He had granted His Holiness the Dalai Lama asylum in India and Tibetans recognised him as Dharmaraja, however he centered extra on development relationships with China and felt that Tibet used to be a misplaced reason,” mentioned the previous diplomat. She added that there have been weaknesses, errors however we want to perceive the instances through which choices had been made and the way they had been made in actual time.

    Rao mentioned India’s ties with Tibet are very advanced and aren’t handiest dictated by means of geography however by means of business, pilgrimage and cultural osmosis. The presence of the Dalai Lama and his entire succession query is still strongly antagonistic by means of China. She spoke at period concerning the folks within the Himalayan area on all sides of the border and concerning the robust cultural and business linkages. 

    She mentioned that she has been requested why a e-book like that is essential at this day and age as a result of this topic has been researched and written broadly for a few years. “We fought the 1962 warfare, the sixtieth anniversary of which is bobbing up. There’s no finish to research of occasions and folks concerned within the technology. My interpretation of that length is that of a diplomat practitioner. I studied the topic when I used to be within the Indian International Provider and I handled the bilateral relationships between India and China a lot earlier than I used to be posted as Ambassador to Beijing,” she mentioned. “My purpose used to be to offer a rational working out of the advanced relationships between India and China,” mentioned the previous diplomat.

  • India dismisses experiences on non-issuance of visas in Sri Lanka

    Categorical Information Provider

    NEW DELHI: The Indian Prime Fee in Sri Lanka on Friday pushed aside rumours that they’ve stopped issuing visas.

    “The Prime Fee categorically denies that it or the Indian Consulates Common or Assistant Prime Fee of India in Sri Lanka has stopped issuing visas. Up to now few days there have been operational difficulties because of the lack of our visa wing team of workers,’’ the Indian Prime Fee in Colombo tweeted.

    Maximum of the ones operating within the Prime Fee are locals who had a problem in attaining the place of job, therefore the lengthen, it stated, including, “We’re striving to go back our functioning to the traditional ranges quickly and are dedicated to the convenience of go back and forth of Sri Lankans to India.”

    In the meantime, the Indian Prime Commissioner in Sri Lanka, Gopal Baglay, known as at the newly appointed Top Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe on Friday and reaffirmed India’s endured cooperation with Sri Lanka for financial restoration and balance via democratic processes, which might permit the smartly being of all folks of the island country.

    The opposite ambassadors who met the Top Minister have been from america, China and Japan.

    The Eastern ambassador has said that he would depart for Tokyo on Saturday to speak about and document the location in Sri Lanka along with his govt.

    Whilst the Top Minister used to be seeking to determine diplomatic ties after assuming price, the house entrance nonetheless remains to be a problem for him as he faces a large number of resistance.

    Opposition chief Sajith Premadasa responding to a letter despatched via President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, in the hunt for the advice of names for the Cupboard, stated that his birthday celebration SJB (Samagi Jana Balawegaya) won’t nominate somebody from their birthday celebration to the Cupboard this is to be shaped via the President.

    Some other chief, of the Nationwide Freedom Entrance, Wimal Weerawansa, has said that Parliamentarians don’t have any religion that the appointment of Ranil Wicremansinghe will result in balance.

    Wimal has said that 10 unbiased events have determined to not be a component or settle for any positions within the new govt. He additionally stated that they wouldn’t disrupt the functioning of the brand new govt however would now not make stronger them both. He accused Ranil of being the person liable for the industrial disaster.

    The Top Minister, on the other hand, appears to be involved in forming a brand new Cupboard. It’s realized that he’s going to restrict the collection of cupboard ministers to twenty which would come with the Top Minister and President. Deputy Ministers will most effective be appointed for massive ministries and there wouldn’t be any state ministerial positions. The Cupboard could be sworn in inside of every week, say resources.

  • India broadcasts one-day mourning to mark admire for UAE President’s demise

    Categorical Information Provider

    NEW DELHI: India has declared one-day nationwide mourning on Saturday (14 Might), as a mark of admire to his highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, who gave up the ghost on Friday.

    The nationwide flag will likely be flown at half-mast at the day of mourning all through India on all constructions the place the nationwide flag is flown ceaselessly and there will likely be no respectable leisure at the day.

    President Ram Nath Kovind and Top Minister Narendra Modi have expressed condolences on the death of HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

    Of their messages, they famous that he used to be a statesman and a visionary chief and recalled his contribution to the strengthening of India-UAE bilateral family members and the welfare of the Indian group in UAE.

  • After Lanka’s Asani, India’s flip to call cyclone now not a long way 

    Categorical Information Provider

    BENGALURU: The formation of tropical cyclones isn’t new and nor is their naming. However this one – Asani – has stuck the eye of many. This isn’t simply on account of its motion, the heavy rainfall and the drop in mercury ranges. However on account of its title. 

    It’s been named through Sri Lanka and way Raat (night time). That isn’t all, officers from the India Meteorological Division (IMD) mentioned with the expanding formation of cyclones, India’s flip to call the cyclone, which is 5th within the listing, will come quickly. 

    As according to the Global Meteorological Organisation’s Nationwide Meteorological and Hydrological Services and products, 13 international locations recommend listing of names for cyclones forming within the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea, which might be for use alphabetically nation smart. The listing of nations within the panel come with – Bangladesh, India, Iran, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. 

    “Asani is the primary cyclone of this 12 months and as according to order, it was once Sri Lanka’s flip to call it. The following might be named through Thailand as Sitrang. The following title urged through India is Tej and it’ll come 5th in line. However going through the expanding formation of cyclones over time, the flip of India isn’t a long way in the back of,” a senior IMD professional informed TNIE. 

  • India-China family members will ‘stay strained’, says US Intelligence neighborhood

    The binds between India and China will “stay strained” within the wake of the “deadly conflict” in 2020, the USA intelligence neighborhood has advised lawmakers because it additionally expressed issues over any possible disaster between India and Pakistan.

    In its annual danger overview introduced ahead of the Senate Armed Services and products Committee all over a Congressional listening to on Tuesday, the USA intelligence neighborhood mentioned the expanded army posture through each India and China alongside the disputed border elevates the chance of armed war of words between the 2 nuclear powers that may contain direct threats to US individuals and pursuits and requires The us’s intervention.

    “Members of the family between New Delhi and Beijing will stay strained within the wake of the deadly conflict in 2020, essentially the most critical in a long time,” it mentioned.

    Earlier standoffs have demonstrated that power low-level friction at the Line of Exact Keep an eye on (LAC) has the possible to escalate impulsively, the file mentioned.

    India has been constantly keeping up that peace and tranquillity alongside the LAC have been key for the total construction of the bilateral ties.

    The jap Ladakh border standoff between the Indian and Chinese language militaries erupted on Might 5, 2020, following a violent conflict within the Pangong lake spaces.

    All sides step by step enhanced their deployment through speeding in tens of 1000’s of squaddies in addition to heavy weaponry.

    India and China have held 15 rounds of army talks up to now to unravel the jap Ladakh row. On account of the talks, the 2 facets finished the disengagement procedure ultimate yr at the north and south banks of the Pangong lake and within the Gogra space.

    Each and every aspect these days has round 50,000 to 60,000 troops alongside the LAC within the delicate sector.

    The overview additionally famous that crises between India and Pakistan are of explicit fear on account of the chance — then again low — of an escalatory cycle between two nuclear-armed states.

    “Pakistan has an extended historical past of supporting anti-India militant teams; beneath the management of Top Minister Narendra Modi, India is much more likely than up to now to reply with army pressure to perceived or actual Pakistani provocations, and each and every aspect’s belief of heightened tensions raises the chance of battle, with violent unrest in Kashmir or a militant assault in India being possible flashpoints,” it mentioned.

  • India absolutely supportive of Sri Lanka’s democracy, steadiness and financial restoration: MEA

    Bagchi additionally discussed the help India equipped to assist Sri Lanka take care of the industrial disaster.

  • China’s intent has been to stay boundary factor ‘alive’: Military Leader Gen Pande

    Through PTI

    NEW DELHI: The fundamental factor with China stays the answer of the boundary query however Beijing’s intent has been to stay it “alive”, Military Leader Gen Manoj Pande mentioned on Monday, saying that Indian troops are adequately deployed to handle any scenario alongside the frontier.

    Gen Pande mentioned the Military’s goal is to revive the established order ante previous to April 2020 and that steering has been given to the troops deployed alongside the border to stay company and resolute of their duties.

    The Military leader advised a gaggle of newshounds that Indian troops proceed to carry “necessary positions” alongside the Line of Precise Keep an eye on (LAC) and that the Military has a “tough posture” to confront any scenario.

    “The fundamental factor stays the answer of the border. What we see is that China’s intent has been to stay the boundary factor alive,” he mentioned.

    “What we want as a rustic is a ‘complete of country’ method and within the army area, that is to stop and counter any try to adjust the established order on the LAC,” he added.

    Gen Pande, who took the reins of the Military over per week in the past, mentioned the diplomatic and armed forces talks between the 2 aspects resulted within the disengagement of troops at the north and south banks of Pangong Tso, Gogra and Patrolling Level 14 in Galwan, and added, “We are hoping to search out answer thru discussion in ultimate spaces.” “Our goal is to revive established order ante previous to April 2020,” he mentioned.

    The japanese Ladakh faceoff started on Would possibly 4-5 in 2020. India has been insisting at the recovery of the established order ante previous to the standoff.

    The purpose is to determine consider and tranquillity on either side nevertheless it can’t be a “one-way affair”, he mentioned.

    “Our troops proceed to carry necessary positions alongside the LAC. So far as the location is anxious, steering given to the troops is to stay company and resolute within the process they’re endeavor and save you makes an attempt to switch the established order,” he mentioned.

  • Nuclear guns intended to discourage, says Lt Gen Prakash Menon

    By means of Categorical Information Provider

    BENGALURU: Former Union Knowledge and Broadcasting Minister and present Lok Sabha Member Manish Tewari mentioned that knowledge coverage regimes in India are non-existent. “This basic mindset that ‘I’ve not anything to cover’ is an excessively giant obstacle in developing public drive which might make sure the suitable to privateness turns into substantive,” he mentioned. Tewari was once talking in Bengaluru on Thursday, along former Nationwide Safety Council Secretariat army guide Lt Gen Prakash Menon, on his guide ‘10 Flashpoints 20 Years: Nationwide Safety Eventualities that Impacted India’.

    Except knowledge coverage, each Tewari and Menon spoke on quite a few problems pervading India. At the factor of nuclear guns, particularly within the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine struggle, Menon mentioned the usage of nuclear guns was once extra mental than bodily.

    “It’s been mentioned that during a nuclear struggle, no one wins. So any use of nuclear guns would now not be intentional, reasonably unintended, which is the larger risk,” he mentioned, mentioning the unintended firing of the BrahMos missile into Pakistan in March. He mentioned it was once time for each India and China to guide on a World No First Use (GNFU) coverage relating to nuclear guns.

    Talking at the guide itself, Tewari mentioned it was once now not geared toward servicemen, reasonably at his personal colleagues in Parliament and legislature to sensitise them at the demanding situations the rustic faces. “We will have to use legislative powers to handle a few of these problems,” he mentioned, citing that 37 of his Parliament questions at the 2020 India-China skirmishes were rejected. Echoing this, Menon mentioned, “The principle purpose of the guide to teach Tewari’s contemporaries in Parliament and assemblies, I’m hoping will likely be met quicker, reasonably than later.”

  • India’s inexperienced hydrogen rush lures firms however hurdles stay

    Hydrogen packs much more punch than lithium-based batteries. India’s federal minister Nitin Gadkari (2nd from left) noticed right here launching the rustic’s first inexperienced hydrogen-based complex gas cellular electrical car (FCEV), Toyota Mirai, at his place of abode in March.

    Hindustan Instances | Hindustan Instances | Getty Photographs

    The solar’s searing warmth will also be punishing on summer season days and India’s monumental beach makes it a problem to shield. However huge quantities of water and plentiful daylight have opened a trail to inexperienced power that would slake India’s huge urge for food for gas.

    Indian firms have pledged to devote billions of greenbacks to inexperienced hydrogen initiatives — however mavens warning that the generation remains to be very new and its industrial viability unproven.  

    Inexperienced hydrogen is a blank gas that is produced by means of splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen, the use of renewable power reminiscent of solar energy. When burnt, it emits no exhaust, most effective water. Environmentalists declare it may assist decarbonize heavy industries like oil refining, fertilizers, metal and cement, in addition to assist lower emissions globally.

    “At this level, the generation isn’t mature or reasonable sufficient for use broadly,” Amit Bhandari, senior fellow, power and funding at Gateway Area, a Mumbai-based assume tank, instructed CNBC. He pointed to the instance of solar power which took a couple of decade to grow to be viable.

    The golf green hydrogen trade remains to be in its infancy and pilot crops to check the generation and prices will take no less than 5 years to turn effects, Bhandari mentioned.

    “Ten years in the past, in the event you had requested me if solar power is viable, I’d have mentioned ‘no,’ even supposing solar energy doable was once identified and generation was once to be had. It took off most effective when the associated fee was similar to standard power resources over a protracted time period,” Bhandari mentioned, including that he was once reluctant to jot down off a brand new generation.

    Renewables these days account for just about 40% of general put in capability in India, the arena’s 3rd biggest crude oil importer after China and the U.S.

    However with out large-scale power garage, renewable power can’t grow to be a viable selection to standard energy resources. 

    Lithium batteries can’t retailer power at a big scale even supposing they’re broadly used to energy electrical cars. Inexperienced hydrogen, which will also be saved in wide quantities, can energy heavy cars reminiscent of vans over lengthy distances. 

    India’s govt remaining 12 months introduced a countrywide inexperienced hydrogen coverage with a goal of manufacturing 5 million lots of the gas once a year by means of 2030. In February, it supplied tax breaks and allocated land to arrange crops to spice up the funding. 

    At this time, India is at risk of all means of exterior and geopolitical shocks. With inexperienced hydrogen, that vulnerability will cut back.

    Amit Bhandari

    Senior fellow, power and funding, Gateway Area, Mumbai

    “Two necessary assets are required to grow to be a big world participant: water and inexpensive energy,” the chairman of Celeris Applied sciences, Venkat Sumantran, instructed CNBC. “India has a big beach with get admission to to seawater and plentiful daylight.” 

    A number of states in India get excellent daylight many of the 12 months and this permits sun panel farms to be optimally deployed, mentioned Sumantran, whose Chennai-based consultancy company supplies new power choices to fossil fuels within the auto sector.

    However changing into a world participant additionally will depend on how affordably photovoltaic cells — which convert daylight into power — are produced. “There are lots of indicators that insurance policies to permit this to occur are being applied,” he added.

    Indian firms making an investment in hydrogen

    In contemporary months, a number of Indian firms have introduced inexperienced hydrogen plans:

    In January, India’s biggest corporate by means of marketplace capitalization Reliance Industries introduced it might devote $75 billion to inexperienced power, together with an undisclosed quantity  towards inexperienced hydrogen initiatives. In early April, Hyderabad-based Greenko team and Belgium-based John Cockerill to construct a two-gigawatt hydrogen electrolyzer gigafactory in India, the biggest out of doors of China.In March, state-owned Indian Oil Company, which accounts for almost part the marketplace proportion of India’s petroleum merchandise, teamed up with two non-public firms to release a three way partnership to expand inexperienced hydrogen. There also are plans to fabricate and promote electrolyzers, used within the manufacturing of inexperienced hydrogen.In November 2021, the arena’s biggest solar energy developer Adani Crew introduced it might make investments $70 billion by means of 2030 into renewable power infrastructure, together with in inexperienced hydrogen. 

    Reliance Industries and Adani Crew have each pledged to make the arena’s least expensive inexperienced hydrogen at $1 in step with kilogram, or a couple of quarter of a gallon — that is down from the present value of $5-$6. When contacted by means of CNBC, neither corporate supplied main points on how they had been going to carry down the prices so vastly. 

    Inexperienced hydrogen fuels India’s geostrategic ambitions too.

    Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani predicted that inexperienced power has the possible to be a gamechanger. 

    “When picket was once changed with coal, Europe overtook India and China to emerge the arena chief. With the emergence of oil, the U.S. and West Asia outgrew others,” he mentioned at a convention on renewables in February in Pune, a western Indian town.  

    “When India turns into no longer most effective self-sufficient in inexperienced and blank power, but additionally a big exporter, it’ll assist India emerge as a world energy,” he mentioned at the moment.

    Acknowledging there was a large number of hype round inexperienced hydrogen, Bhandari from Gateway Area mentioned it was once no longer essentially a foul factor.

    “A key factor is that hype can create its personal fact. If there may be the correct quantity of capital, human intelligence is thrown at an issue. And generation evolves. Prices begin to fall and that creates call for,” he mentioned.

    “Momentum is at the facet of innovation and prices are declining. Additionally, there may be already call for for inexperienced hydrogen, which will also be absorbed straight away within the petroleum refining, fertilizer and metal industries,” he added.

    Pilot initiatives wanted

    Inexperienced hydrogen will grow to be commercially viable most effective when it turns into less expensive, Bhandari famous. 

    “You can’t get started with a 500 megawatt plant,” he mentioned, including that even an organization like Reliance, which has had lengthy revel in dealing with hydrogen gasoline at its oil refineries, would no longer spend money on an enormous plant with out pilot initiatives. “We’re a number of years clear of large-scale capability,” he mentioned.

    Tapping India’s 7,500 kilometer lengthy beach may be difficult, Bhandari mentioned.

    “There are different claims at the beach. It isn’t uninhabited. There are a number of wide towns and ports. And, it should be weighed towards the will to offer protection to mangroves and different fragile ecosystems too,” he mentioned. 

    Nonetheless, he conceded that if a hit, the golf green hydrogen push would make India much less at risk of worth shocks in herbal gasoline and oil.

    “At this time, India is at risk of all means of exterior and geopolitical shocks. With inexperienced hydrogen, that vulnerability will cut back,” he mentioned.