PM Modi is known for his signature shots - grand gestures which have the ‘Modi hallmark’. The day May 26th, 2014 was no different.

The red carpet was laid out on this day 4 years ago – the day of Modi’s coronation as prime minister.

It was also a moment to play diplomacy and engage in the Great Game, after all a party had come to power with one of the biggest majorities in Indian parliamentary history and it was the time to set the agenda.

Modi, still a PM-designate made a diplomatic coup of sorts by inviting Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif to his inauguration which was widely seen as a political masterstroke and hopes of peace once again echoed in the sub-continent.

Modi and Pakistan

As PM Modi took over the reins of power at New Delhi, equations in Islamabad was changing too – as was always the case with the Army playing a key role.

During Manmohan’s Singh’s tenure, India and Pakistan had an off-again and on-again relationship.

In the initial years, Pervez Musharraf had travelled to New Delhi engaging in “cricket diplomacy” however as Musharraf was forced to give up power and a civilian government came to power, India’s equation with Pakistan began to undergo subtle changes.

Then came 26/11 and attacks on Mumbai by Pakistan’s “non-state” actors and things went downhill from there.

India stopped talking with Pakistan and during Manmohan’s second term Pakistan was almost always kept out of the picture.

As a grand foreign policy initiative, PM Modi played “stopover diplomacy” at Lahore in December 2015 to meet PM Nawaz Sharif while on his way back from Kabul.

The move is seen as the first attempt to kick-start India-Pak dialogue stalled since 26/11 created a media frenzy as both prime ministers did some chai pe charcha.

Then just days later came the Pathankot terror attack at India’s Air Force base on January 2nd, 2016 and relations nose-dived once again.

The final nail in the coffin was the Uri terror attack in J&K a few months later in September 2016 and India went ahead and refused to take part in the SAARC summit to be held in Kathmandu that year.

PM Modi’s government has been engaging in a war of words with Pakistan in what seems to be an unending game of one-upmanship in the sub-continental power game with no end in sight.

With just months for his tenure to get over and Pakistan elections near, PM Modi could be looking at another diplomatic coup to bring back Pakistan on the national agenda, although it may look a distant dream right now but for a prime minister who is used to think out of the box another trademark Modi miracle cannot be far away.

As PM Modi took over the reins of power at New Delhi, equations in Islamabad was changing too – as was always the case with the Army playing a key role.

PM Modi is known for his signature shots - grand gestures which have the ‘Modi hallmark’. The day May 26th, 2014 was no different. The red carpet was laid out on this day 4 years ago – the day of Modi’s coronation as prime minister. It was also a moment to play diplomacy and engage in the Great Game, after all a party had come to power with one of the biggest majorities in Indian parliamentary history and it was the time to set the agenda. Modi, still a PM-designate made a diplomatic coup of sorts by inviting Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif to his inauguration which was widely seen as a political masterstroke and hopes of peace once again echoed in the sub-continent. Modi and Pakistan As PM Modi took over the reins of power at New Delhi, equations in Islamabad was changing too – as was always the case with the Army playing a key role. During Manmohan’s Singh’s tenure, India and Pakistan had an off-again and on-again relationship. In the initial years, Pervez Musharraf had travelled to New Delhi engaging in “cricket diplomacy” however as Musharraf was forced to give up power and a civilian government came to power, India’s equation with Pakistan began to undergo subtle changes. Then came 26/11 and attacks on Mumbai by Pakistan’s “non-state” actors and things went downhill from there. India stopped talking with Pakistan and during Manmohan’s second term Pakistan was almost always kept out of the picture. As a grand foreign policy initiative, PM Modi played “stopover diplomacy” at Lahore in December 2015 to meet PM Nawaz Sharif while on his way back from Kabul. The move is seen as the first attempt to kick-start India-Pak dialogue stalled since 26/11 created a media frenzy as both prime ministers did some chai pe charcha. Then just days later came the Pathankot terror attack at India’s Air Force base on January 2nd, 2016 and relations nose-dived once again. The final nail in the coffin was the Uri terror attack in J&K a few months later in September 2016 and India went ahead and refused to take part in the SAARC summit to be held in Kathmandu that year. PM Modi’s government has been engaging in a war of words with Pakistan in what seems to be an unending game of one-upmanship in the sub-continental power game with no end in sight. With just months for his tenure to get over and Pakistan elections near, PM Modi could be looking at another diplomatic coup to bring back Pakistan on the national agenda, although it may look a distant dream right now but for a prime minister who is used to think out of the box another trademark Modi miracle cannot be far away.

PM Modi's ‘Lahore stopover’ and the Pakistan question

Several posters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi were taken down in Delhi Thursday night.&nbsp

The posters — showing Modi smiling and with his hands folded — were headlined "The Lie Lama".&nbsp

News reports said Friday the posters were taken down around 10.15 pm after a number of BJP leaders and members complained.&nbsp

The posters were found yesterday pasted on walls in &nbspMandir Marg's J-Block area, NDMC area, Central Delhi's Patel Nagar and Shanker Road areas.

The reports quoted police as saying there was no mention on the posters of where they might have been printed or by whom.&nbsp

The reports added that a case was registered against unidentified persons under the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property (DPDP) Act.

Police added that locals would be questioned to try and ascertain who put have put up the posters. The reports added that police were likely to scan any available CCTV footage.

A case was registered against unidentified persons under the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property (DPDP) Act

Several posters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi were taken down in Delhi Thursday night. The posters — showing Modi smiling and with his hands folded — were headlined "The Lie Lama". News reports said Friday the posters were taken down around 10.15 pm after a number of BJP leaders and members complained. The posters were found yesterday pasted on walls in &nbspMandir Marg's J-Block area, NDMC area, Central Delhi's Patel Nagar and Shanker Road areas. The reports quoted police as saying there was no mention on the posters of where they might have been printed or by whom. The reports added that a case was registered against unidentified persons under the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property (DPDP) Act. Police added that locals would be questioned to try and ascertain who put have put up the posters. The reports added that police were likely to scan any available CCTV footage.

Delhi: Posters calling PM Modi 'The Lie Lama' removed, case registered

By:&nbsp;Richard E. Peltier*

Not a day seems to go by without a story of an "airpocalypse," usually somewhere in a developing nation. It's hard not to empathize with the people in the smoggy images of New Delhi or Ulaanbataar or Kathmandu, often wearing masks, walking to school or work through soupy cloudiness.

Last year, a study found that more than 8 million people per year die early from air pollution exposure. This amounts to more deaths than the diarrheal disease, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS combined.

As a researcher in air pollution and its health effects, I know that even if you don't live in these places, air pollution likely still affects your quality of life. Here's what you need to know.

1. What exactly is air pollution?

Air pollution is a general term that usually describes a mixture of different chemicals that circulate in the air.

Invisible gases, like ozone or carbon monoxide, and tiny particles or droplets of liquids mix together in the atmosphere. Each molecule is impossible to see with the naked eye, but when trillions gather together, you can see them as haze.

These chemicals are almost always mixed together in varying amounts. Scientists do not yet understand how these different mixtures affect us. Each person responds differently to air pollution exposure – some people have few effects, while others, such as kids with asthma, might become very ill.

What's more, air pollution mixtures in a given location change over time. Changes can occur quickly over a few hours or gradually over months.

Short-term increases in air pollution from, for example, heavy traffic in rush hour, can make us sick. Such pollution occurs year-round. But seasonal pollutants, such as ozone, usually occur only in the warmest and sunniest parts of the year. What's more, the amount of ozone in the air also goes up and down through the day – generally highest in the afternoons and lowest in the early mornings.

These variations can make it quite difficult for environmental health scientists and epidemiologists to know precisely how air pollution can affect humans.

A calendar showing particulate matter concentration in Ulaanbataar, Mongolia in 2017. Note the highest concentrations appear in wintertime. The unusual increase in pollution in July corresponds with a Mongolian holiday.

2. Where does air pollution come from?

You might imagine air pollution as smoke pouring out of a factory chimney or the tailpipe of a car.

While these are important sources of air pollution, there are many others. Air pollution includes chemicals humans put into the atmosphere and chemicals released by natural events. For example, forest fires are a large source of air pollutants that affect many communities. Dust that's picked up by wind can also contribute to poor air quality.

Ronald Reagan famously said that "trees cause more pollution than automobiles do." While this myth has been debunked, he was right in at least some ways. Trees do release certain gases, such as volatile organic carbon, that are ingredients in air pollution chemistry. This, when mixed together with emissions from cars and industry, leads to increases in other types of pollution, such as ozone.

There isn't much that scientists can, or should, do about tree emissions. Public health researchers like myself focus most on the ingredients from human activities – from burning petroleum to emissions controls on industrial facilities – because these are sources located close to where people live and work.

There are also many chemical reactions that occur in the air itself. These reactions create what are known as secondary pollutants, some of which are quite toxic.

Finally, it's important to realize that air pollution knows no boundaries. If a pollutant is emitted in one location, it very easily moves across borders – both regional and national – to different places. New Delhi, for example, experiences seasonal pollution, thanks to extensive burning of agricultural fields some 200 miles away.

New Delhi is an extreme example. But, even if you live in a less polluted environment, pollutants emitted elsewhere often travel to where other people live and work, as seen in recent wildfires in California.

3. How do we know that air pollution causes problems?

This is a tricky question, because air pollution is a hidden problem that acts as a trigger for many health problems. Plenty of people suffer from asthma and lung diseases, heart attacks and cancer, and all of these are linked to particulate matter exposure. The best evidence to date suggests that the higher the dose of air pollution, the worse our response will be.

Unfortunately, there are many other things that lead to these diseases, too: poor diet, your inherited genes, or whether you have access to high quality medical care or you smoke cigarettes, for example. This makes figuring out the cause of a specific illness attributed to air pollution exposure much more difficult.

Every health study provides a slightly different result, because each study observes a different group of people and usually different types of air pollution. Scientists usually report their results based on any change in risk of developing a disease from air pollution, or based on whether your odds of developing a certain disease might change.

For example, a study in Taiwan looked at concentrations of particulate matter averaged over two years. The researchers found that, for every 10 micrograms per cubic meter increase in particulate matter, the odds of developing high blood pressure increased by about 3 percent. This could suggest that if an increase of particulate matter concentration in any community might lead to an increase in high blood pressure.

Conversely, scientists usually assume that decreases in air pollution lead to decreases in diseases.

4. Why does this matter to you?

A typical adult takes around 20,000 breaths per day. Whether or not you become sick from air pollution depends on the amount and type of chemicals you inhale, and whether you might be susceptible to these diseases.

For someone living in polluted New Delhi, for example, those 20,000 breaths include the equivalent of around 20 grains of table salt worth of particulate matter deposited in their lungs each day. While this may not seem like much, keep in mind that this particulate matter isn’t harmless table salt – it's a mixture of chemicals that come from burning materials, unburned oils, metals and even biological material.

And this doesn’t include any of the pollutants that are gases, like ozone or carbon monoxide or oxides of nitrogen.

The U.S. and Europe have made excellent progress in reducing air pollution concentrations over the past couple of decades, largely by crafting effective air quality regulation.

However, in the U.S. today, where environmental laws are being methodically dismantled, there is a bigger worry that policymakers are simply choosing to ignore science. One new member of the Environmental Protection Agency’s science advisory board is Robert Phalen of the University of California, Irvine, who has suggested that "modern air is too clean for optimum health."

This goes against thousands of research papers and is certainly not true. While some components of air pollution have little effect on human health, this should not be used to muddy our understanding of air pollution exposure. This is a common tactic to confuse the public with unimportant statistics in order to sow confusion, presumably with an underlying intent to influence policy.

The evidence is clear: Air pollution exposure is lethal and causes death across the world. That should be important to all of us.

*Richard E. Peltier is an Associate Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst

(This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-air-pollution-making-you-sick-4-questions-answered-91605">original article</a>.)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

A study found that more than 8 million people per year die early from air pollution exposure

By: Richard E. Peltier* Not a day seems to go by without a story of an "airpocalypse," usually somewhere in a developing nation. It's hard not to empathize with the people in the smoggy images of New Delhi or Ulaanbataar or Kathmandu, often wearing masks, walking to school or work through soupy cloudiness. Last year, a study found that more than 8 million people per year die early from air pollution exposure. This amounts to more deaths than the diarrheal disease, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS combined. As a researcher in air pollution and its health effects, I know that even if you don't live in these places, air pollution likely still affects your quality of life. Here's what you need to know. 1. What exactly is air pollution? Air pollution is a general term that usually describes a mixture of different chemicals that circulate in the air. Invisible gases, like ozone or carbon monoxide, and tiny particles or droplets of liquids mix together in the atmosphere. Each molecule is impossible to see with the naked eye, but when trillions gather together, you can see them as haze. These chemicals are almost always mixed together in varying amounts. Scientists do not yet understand how these different mixtures affect us. Each person responds differently to air pollution exposure – some people have few effects, while others, such as kids with asthma, might become very ill. What's more, air pollution mixtures in a given location change over time. Changes can occur quickly over a few hours or gradually over months. Short-term increases in air pollution from, for example, heavy traffic in rush hour, can make us sick. Such pollution occurs year-round. But seasonal pollutants, such as ozone, usually occur only in the warmest and sunniest parts of the year. What's more, the amount of ozone in the air also goes up and down through the day – generally highest in the afternoons and lowest in the early mornings. These variations can make it quite difficult for environmental health scientists and epidemiologists to know precisely how air pollution can affect humans. A calendar showing particulate matter concentration in Ulaanbataar, Mongolia in 2017. Note the highest concentrations appear in wintertime. The unusual increase in pollution in July corresponds with a Mongolian holiday. 2. Where does air pollution come from? You might imagine air pollution as smoke pouring out of a factory chimney or the tailpipe of a car. While these are important sources of air pollution, there are many others. Air pollution includes chemicals humans put into the atmosphere and chemicals released by natural events. For example, forest fires are a large source of air pollutants that affect many communities. Dust that's picked up by wind can also contribute to poor air quality. Ronald Reagan famously said that "trees cause more pollution than automobiles do." While this myth has been debunked, he was right in at least some ways. Trees do release certain gases, such as volatile organic carbon, that are ingredients in air pollution chemistry. This, when mixed together with emissions from cars and industry, leads to increases in other types of pollution, such as ozone. There isn't much that scientists can, or should, do about tree emissions. Public health researchers like myself focus most on the ingredients from human activities – from burning petroleum to emissions controls on industrial facilities – because these are sources located close to where people live and work. There are also many chemical reactions that occur in the air itself. These reactions create what are known as secondary pollutants, some of which are quite toxic. Finally, it's important to realize that air pollution knows no boundaries. If a pollutant is emitted in one location, it very easily moves across borders – both regional and national – to different places. New Delhi, for example, experiences seasonal pollution, thanks to extensive burning of agricultural fields some 200 miles away. New Delhi is an extreme example. But, even if you live in a less polluted environment, pollutants emitted elsewhere often travel to where other people live and work, as seen in recent wildfires in California. 3. How do we know that air pollution causes problems? This is a tricky question, because air pollution is a hidden problem that acts as a trigger for many health problems. Plenty of people suffer from asthma and lung diseases, heart attacks and cancer, and all of these are linked to particulate matter exposure. The best evidence to date suggests that the higher the dose of air pollution, the worse our response will be. Unfortunately, there are many other things that lead to these diseases, too: poor diet, your inherited genes, or whether you have access to high quality medical care or you smoke cigarettes, for example. This makes figuring out the cause of a specific illness attributed to air pollution exposure much more difficult. Every health study provides a slightly different result, because each study observes a different group of people and usually different types of air pollution. Scientists usually report their results based on any change in risk of developing a disease from air pollution, or based on whether your odds of developing a certain disease might change. For example, a study in Taiwan looked at concentrations of particulate matter averaged over two years. The researchers found that, for every 10 micrograms per cubic meter increase in particulate matter, the odds of developing high blood pressure increased by about 3 percent. This could suggest that if an increase of particulate matter concentration in any community might lead to an increase in high blood pressure. Conversely, scientists usually assume that decreases in air pollution lead to decreases in diseases. 4. Why does this matter to you? A typical adult takes around 20,000 breaths per day. Whether or not you become sick from air pollution depends on the amount and type of chemicals you inhale, and whether you might be susceptible to these diseases. For someone living in polluted New Delhi, for example, those 20,000 breaths include the equivalent of around 20 grains of table salt worth of particulate matter deposited in their lungs each day. While this may not seem like much, keep in mind that this particulate matter isn’t harmless table salt – it's a mixture of chemicals that come from burning materials, unburned oils, metals and even biological material. And this doesn’t include any of the pollutants that are gases, like ozone or carbon monoxide or oxides of nitrogen. The U.S. and Europe have made excellent progress in reducing air pollution concentrations over the past couple of decades, largely by crafting effective air quality regulation. However, in the U.S. today, where environmental laws are being methodically dismantled, there is a bigger worry that policymakers are simply choosing to ignore science. One new member of the Environmental Protection Agency’s science advisory board is Robert Phalen of the University of California, Irvine, who has suggested that "modern air is too clean for optimum health." This goes against thousands of research papers and is certainly not true. While some components of air pollution have little effect on human health, this should not be used to muddy our understanding of air pollution exposure. This is a common tactic to confuse the public with unimportant statistics in order to sow confusion, presumably with an underlying intent to influence policy. The evidence is clear: Air pollution exposure is lethal and causes death across the world. That should be important to all of us. *Richard E. Peltier is an Associate Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Is air pollution making you sick? 4 questions answered

Shares of ICICI Bank surged nearly 9 per cent today even as the company posted 45 per cent decline in consolidated net profit for March quarter.

The stock shrugged off the disappointing numbers to open the day on a positive note and further soared 8.67 per cent to Rs 314.50 as the trade progressed on BSE.

At NSE, shares of the company jumped 8.52 per cent to Rs 314.50. 
The stock was the biggest gainer on both Sensex and Nifty during the morning trade.

ICICI Bank yesterday posted 45 per cent decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 1,142 crore for three months to March as bad loans surged.

The leading private sector lender had a consolidated profit of Rs 2,083 crore in January-March, 2016-17.

Total income on a consolidated basis rose to Rs 33,760 crore as against Rs 28,603 crore.

On the standalone basis, the bank recorded 50 per cent fall in net profit at Rs 1,020 crore in the reported quarter. In the year-ago period, the same stood at Rs 2,025 crore.

Gross non-performing assets (NPA) of the bank rose to 8.84 per cent as a percentage of gross advances at the end of March, compared to 7.89 per cent a year ago.&nbsp

ICICI Bank yesterday posted 45 per cent decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 1,142 crore for three months to March as bad loans surged.

Shares of ICICI Bank surged nearly 9 per cent today even as the company posted 45 per cent decline in consolidated net profit for March quarter. The stock shrugged off the disappointing numbers to open the day on a positive note and further soared 8.67 per cent to Rs 314.50 as the trade progressed on BSE. At NSE, shares of the company jumped 8.52 per cent to Rs 314.50. The stock was the biggest gainer on both Sensex and Nifty during the morning trade. ICICI Bank yesterday posted 45 per cent decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 1,142 crore for three months to March as bad loans surged. The leading private sector lender had a consolidated profit of Rs 2,083 crore in January-March, 2016-17. Total income on a consolidated basis rose to Rs 33,760 crore as against Rs 28,603 crore. On the standalone basis, the bank recorded 50 per cent fall in net profit at Rs 1,020 crore in the reported quarter. In the year-ago period, the same stood at Rs 2,025 crore. Gross non-performing assets (NPA) of the bank rose to 8.84 per cent as a percentage of gross advances at the end of March, compared to 7.89 per cent a year ago.

ICICI Bank shares soar nearly 9% post Q4 results

RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav picked up a fight with police officials on Monday at the railway station in New Delhi while he was being taken to Ranchi Medical College in Jharkhand.&nbsp

He was discharged from the AIIMS hospital in the national capital just an hour before the incident took place at the railway station.

At the railway station, however, Lalu Yadav lost his cool at the police officials and started arguing with them, which was caught on camera.&nbsp

In the video, an agitated Lalu can be heard saying, “Daroga is asking me to step back on the orders of Superintendent of Police. Is the SP my boss?” Interestingly, Lalu’s outburst came just an hour after he was discharged from AIIMS hospital, where he was heard saying that he felt ‘dizzy’ and was too ‘ill’ to walk on his own.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: Lalu Prasad Yadav argues with a Policeman at New Delhi Railway Station, says, 'This Policemen is asking me to step back, saying that the SP said so, is the SP my boss?' Lalu Prasad Yadav is leaving for Ranchi after being discharged from Delhi's AIIMS. <a href="https://t.co/mscGhHWqfC">pic.twitter.com/mscGhHWqfC</a>
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&nbsp

At the railway station, however, Lalu Yadav lost his cool at the police officials and started arguing with them, which was caught on camera.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav picked up a fight with police officials on Monday at the railway station in New Delhi while he was being taken to Ranchi Medical College in Jharkhand. He was discharged from the AIIMS hospital in the national capital just an hour before the incident took place at the railway station. At the railway station, however, Lalu Yadav lost his cool at the police officials and started arguing with them, which was caught on camera. In the video, an agitated Lalu can be heard saying, “Daroga is asking me to step back on the orders of Superintendent of Police. Is the SP my boss?” Interestingly, Lalu’s outburst came just an hour after he was discharged from AIIMS hospital, where he was heard saying that he felt ‘dizzy’ and was too ‘ill’ to walk on his own. #WATCH: Lalu Prasad Yadav argues with a Policeman at New Delhi Railway Station, says, 'This Policemen is asking me to step back, saying that the SP said so, is the SP my boss?' Lalu Prasad Yadav is leaving for Ranchi after being discharged from Delhi's AIIMS. pic.twitter.com/mscGhHWqfC — ANI (@ANI) April 30, 2018 ×

Watch: 'Sick' Lalu Prasad fights with police officer at New Delhi railway station

After a series of bizarre remarks, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has been called to New Delhi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Deb, who took charge of Tripura last month, will meet PM Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah on May 2.&nbsp

In last two weeks, Deb made a string of random remarks which left his party colleagues workers redfaced.

Today, while addressing a gathering, CM Deb advised the Tripura youth to not to waste their crucial time by running after the government jobs and instead, milk cows or open paan shops for livelihood.

"There should be a cow in every house. Why run after netas for government jobs? Milk is being sold at Rs 50 per litre. Graduates should get cows and milk it to earn Rs 10 lakh in 10 years. Instead of running after political parties," the Chief Minister said.

Earlier, he had stated that the Internet and satellite communication existed during the Mahabharata era.&nbsp

He even questioned the crowning of Diana Hayden as Miss World in 1997.

While addressing another rally in Tripura, the chief minister also stated that mechanical engineers should not opt for civil services, but civil engineers should.&nbsp

According to Deb, any unemployed youth with a minimum amount of Rs 75,000 borrowed from the bank and with a little self-effort, can easily earn at least Rs 25,000 every month, but the hurdle in this is the culture that has grown in the state during the last 25 years.

After a series of bizarre remarks, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has been called to New Delhi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Deb, who took charge of Tripura last month, will meet PM Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah on May 2. In last two weeks, Deb made a string of random remarks which left his party colleagues workers redfaced. Today, while addressing a gathering, CM Deb advised the Tripura youth to not to waste their crucial time by running after the government jobs and instead, milk cows or open paan shops for livelihood. "There should be a cow in every house. Why run after netas for government jobs? Milk is being sold at Rs 50 per litre. Graduates should get cows and milk it to earn Rs 10 lakh in 10 years. Instead of running after political parties," the Chief Minister said. Earlier, he had stated that the Internet and satellite communication existed during the Mahabharata era. He even questioned the crowning of Diana Hayden as Miss World in 1997. While addressing another rally in Tripura, the chief minister also stated that mechanical engineers should not opt for civil services, but civil engineers should. According to Deb, any unemployed youth with a minimum amount of Rs 75,000 borrowed from the bank and with a little self-effort, can easily earn at least Rs 25,000 every month, but the hurdle in this is the culture that has grown in the state during the last 25 years.

After a string of bizarre remarks, PM Modi calls Tripura CM to New Delhi

As expected, Congress President Rahul Gandhi hit the ground running and went on the attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government at his Jan Aakrosh (public outrage) rally.&nbsp;

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Rahul attacked the government over virtually everything that has gone wrong for the government in recent times.&nbsp;

Rahul said the people's money has gone into Nirav Modi's pocket, attacked Modi over the Rafale deal, BJP President Amit Shah over the alleged sudden increase in his son's income, and accused the government of interfering in the judiciary.&nbsp;

He also spoke of farmer debt and the recent rapes in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir and Unnao in Uttar Pradesh that&nbsp;have rattled the country.&nbsp;

The rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan is currently underway. &nbsp;

The Congress helped unite the country over the last 70 years, said Rahul. This government however, he added, is spreading lies and hate.&nbsp;

The minorities&nbsp;everywhere are being attacked but PM Modi does not bother to respond to such incidents, said Rahul.&nbsp;

He added that that unemployment has reached peak levels, and that demonetisation and the "Gabbar Singh"&nbsp;Tax (GST) have hurt the national economy.

Rahul added that when PM Modi speaks, people have to search hard for shreds of truth within his speeches.&nbsp;

The Congress President that everywhere he travelled in the country, he asked people if they were happy with the government at the centre. And that the answer was a resounding "no".&nbsp;

Rahul added that the Congress will emerge victorious in the upcoming Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh assembly polls, as also in the 2019 general polls.

Sonia Gandhi spoke before Rahul, saying corruption had increased under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.&nbsp;

"Modi ji had said 'na khaunga na khane dunga' but corruption has increased," she said.&nbsp;

"Aaj desh mein asatya aur anyay ka bolbala hai. Whoever raises (their) voice has to bear the brunt of Modi government's anger," she added.&nbsp;

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh also addressed the rally, saying,&nbsp;"Our democratic institutions are under attack. Parliament is not being allowed to function and legislation is being bulldozed."

"Our democracy is in danger and we must all work together to protect it," he added.&nbsp;

The "Jan Akrosh Rally" comes shortly ahead of the crucial Karnataka elections to be held on May 12.&nbsp;

Rahul attacked Modi and the centre over virtually everything that has gone wrong for the government in recent times

As expected, Congress President Rahul Gandhi hit the ground running and went on the attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government at his Jan Aakrosh (public outrage) rally. × Rahul attacked the government over virtually everything that has gone wrong for the government in recent times. Rahul said the people's money has gone into Nirav Modi's pocket, attacked Modi over the Rafale deal, BJP President Amit Shah over the alleged sudden increase in his son's income, and accused the government of interfering in the judiciary. He also spoke of farmer debt and the recent rapes in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir and Unnao in Uttar Pradesh that have rattled the country. The rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan is currently underway. The Congress helped unite the country over the last 70 years, said Rahul. This government however, he added, is spreading lies and hate. The minorities everywhere are being attacked but PM Modi does not bother to respond to such incidents, said Rahul. He added that that unemployment has reached peak levels, and that demonetisation and the "Gabbar Singh" Tax (GST) have hurt the national economy. Rahul added that when PM Modi speaks, people have to search hard for shreds of truth within his speeches. The Congress President that everywhere he travelled in the country, he asked people if they were happy with the government at the centre. And that the answer was a resounding "no". Rahul added that the Congress will emerge victorious in the upcoming Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh assembly polls, as also in the 2019 general polls. Sonia Gandhi spoke before Rahul, saying corruption had increased under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Modi ji had said 'na khaunga na khane dunga' but corruption has increased," she said. "Aaj desh mein asatya aur anyay ka bolbala hai. Whoever raises (their) voice has to bear the brunt of Modi government's anger," she added. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh also addressed the rally, saying, "Our democratic institutions are under attack. Parliament is not being allowed to function and legislation is being bulldozed." "Our democracy is in danger and we must all work together to protect it," he added. The "Jan Akrosh Rally" comes shortly ahead of the crucial Karnataka elections to be held on May 12.

Congress will win in 2019, this government spreads lies and hate: Rahul slams Modi at Jan Aakrosh rally in Delhi

An increase&nbsp;in global crude oil price to around $75 per barrel lifted the domestic retail petrol price higher for the sixth consecutive day in New Delhi on Tuesday.

As a result, the widely-consumed transportation fuel became dearer by 13 paise to Rs 74.63 per litre from Monday`s cost of Rs 74.50 per litre.&nbsp;

As per data available on IndianOil`s website, Tuesday`s motor spirit price level in New Delhi was the highest since September 14, 2013 when it had touched Rs 76.06 a litre.

Besides New Delhi, petrol prices climbed to new multi-year highs in other major metro cities -- Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai -- at Rs 77.32, Rs 82.48 and Rs 77.43 per litre respectively on Tuesday.

The previous highs in these cities were Rs 78.03 (Kolkata, August 2014), Rs 83.62 (Mumbai, September 2013) and Rs 77.48 (Chennai, September 2013).

Apart from petrol, diesel prices, too, touched record high levels on Tuesday in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai. They rose to Rs 65.93, Rs 68.63, Rs 70.20 and Rs 69.56 per litre respectively.

According to analysts, the recent upsurge in the costs of transportation fuel have been triggered due to a rise in global crude oil prices.

On Tuesday, Brent crude price rose to $75 per barrel due to geo-political tensions in the Middle East, whereas it cost over $100 a barrel in 2013.&nbsp;

Currently, prices of transport fuels are changed on a daily basis unlike the previous norm of fortnightly revisions.&nbsp;

In addition, the high rate of excise duty has contributed to the rise of transportation fuel prices.&nbsp;

In the Union Budget 2018-19, the government had reduced the basic excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 2. The government also abolished additional excise duty on fuel. But to compensate the move on the fiscal front, it increased the road cess to Rs 8 per litre.

Besides New Delhi, petrol prices climbed to new multi-year highs in other major metro cities -- Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai -- at Rs 77.32, Rs 82.48 and Rs 77.43 per litre respectively on Tuesday

An increase in global crude oil price to around $75 per barrel lifted the domestic retail petrol price higher for the sixth consecutive day in New Delhi on Tuesday. As a result, the widely-consumed transportation fuel became dearer by 13 paise to Rs 74.63 per litre from Monday`s cost of Rs 74.50 per litre. As per data available on IndianOil`s website, Tuesday`s motor spirit price level in New Delhi was the highest since September 14, 2013 when it had touched Rs 76.06 a litre. Besides New Delhi, petrol prices climbed to new multi-year highs in other major metro cities -- Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai -- at Rs 77.32, Rs 82.48 and Rs 77.43 per litre respectively on Tuesday. The previous highs in these cities were Rs 78.03 (Kolkata, August 2014), Rs 83.62 (Mumbai, September 2013) and Rs 77.48 (Chennai, September 2013). Apart from petrol, diesel prices, too, touched record high levels on Tuesday in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai. They rose to Rs 65.93, Rs 68.63, Rs 70.20 and Rs 69.56 per litre respectively. According to analysts, the recent upsurge in the costs of transportation fuel have been triggered due to a rise in global crude oil prices. On Tuesday, Brent crude price rose to $75 per barrel due to geo-political tensions in the Middle East, whereas it cost over $100 a barrel in 2013. Currently, prices of transport fuels are changed on a daily basis unlike the previous norm of fortnightly revisions. In addition, the high rate of excise duty has contributed to the rise of transportation fuel prices. In the Union Budget 2018-19, the government had reduced the basic excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 2. The government also abolished additional excise duty on fuel. But to compensate the move on the fiscal front, it increased the road cess to Rs 8 per litre.

Price of petrol in Delhi highest since September 2013

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that the BJP government strengthened the law against atrocities on Dalits.&nbsp;

Speaking after dedicating the Dr. Ambedkar National Memorial to the nation in New Delhi, Modi said ''In 2015, we strengthened the law against atrocities on Dalits. We have increased the number of crimes against Dalits enlisted in the law from 22 to 47.''&nbsp;

Modi also came down heavily on the previous Congress government for not recognising the contribution of Dr. Ambedkar to the country and said that Congress insulted Baba Saheb .&nbsp;

''Congress used all its power to remove any mention of Baba Saheb from the country's history. This is the bitter truth of history that when Baba Saheb was alive, Congress left no stone unturned to insult him,''Modi said.&nbsp;

After Atal Ji's government, when Congress came to power they closed the files related to this project, Modi said and added that when he was given a chance to serve people in 2014, he dug out the files and worked on it.&nbsp;

Many governments came to power after independence but what should have been done much before has happened now, after decades, Modi noted. This memorial is a tribute to Baba Saheb Ambedkar, he further said during his address.&nbsp;

Baba Saheb would not have imagined that after independence govt with a working culture of 'latkana, atkana & bhatkana' will come to power. In the last 4 years our government has re-started work on programs and schemes that have been pending for many-many years, Modi said.&nbsp;

Earlier Modi interacted with the Delhi metro commuters and posed for selfies on his way to 26, Alipur Road, where he dedicated Dr. Ambedkar National Memorial to the nation.&nbsp;

'Congress used all its power to remove any mention of Baba Saheb from the country's history. This is the bitter truth of history that when Baba Saheb was alive, Congress left no stone unturned to insult him,' Modi said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that the BJP government strengthened the law against atrocities on Dalits. Speaking after dedicating the Dr. Ambedkar National Memorial to the nation in New Delhi, Modi said ''In 2015, we strengthened the law against atrocities on Dalits. We have increased the number of crimes against Dalits enlisted in the law from 22 to 47.'' Modi also came down heavily on the previous Congress government for not recognising the contribution of Dr. Ambedkar to the country and said that Congress insulted Baba Saheb . ''Congress used all its power to remove any mention of Baba Saheb from the country's history. This is the bitter truth of history that when Baba Saheb was alive, Congress left no stone unturned to insult him,''Modi said. After Atal Ji's government, when Congress came to power they closed the files related to this project, Modi said and added that when he was given a chance to serve people in 2014, he dug out the files and worked on it. Many governments came to power after independence but what should have been done much before has happened now, after decades, Modi noted. This memorial is a tribute to Baba Saheb Ambedkar, he further said during his address. Baba Saheb would not have imagined that after independence govt with a working culture of 'latkana, atkana & bhatkana' will come to power. In the last 4 years our government has re-started work on programs and schemes that have been pending for many-many years, Modi said. Earlier Modi interacted with the Delhi metro commuters and posed for selfies on his way to 26, Alipur Road, where he dedicated Dr. Ambedkar National Memorial to the nation.

BJP government strengthened law against atrocities on Dalits: Modi

An emergency was declared at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on Saturday. It was announced after an Iranian plane made an emergency landing.

As per media reports, the landing was made due to engine failure.&nbsp;

Eight fire tenders rushed to the spot to douse the flames.

More details awaited.

An Iranian plane made an emergency landing due to engine failure

An emergency was declared at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on Saturday. It was announced after an Iranian plane made an emergency landing. As per media reports, the landing was made due to engine failure. Eight fire tenders rushed to the spot to douse the flames. More details awaited.

Emergency declared at IGI Airport in Delhi

Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli arrived in India on a three-day state visit. Oli was received by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and MoS Finance SP Shukla.

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Delhi: Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli arrives in India on a three day state visit, received by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and MoS Finance SP Shukla <a href="https://t.co/o22c32P2RJ">pic.twitter.com/o22c32P2RJ</a>
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Oli will&nbsp;hold a delegation level talks with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Saturday where the two leaders will jointly lay the foundation of the Arun III Hydroelectric Project developed by India.&nbsp;

The $1.5 billion 900 mw energy project by the Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam is expected to be completed within five years.

During the visit, Oli will call on President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M&nbsp;Venkaiah Naidu.&nbsp;

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and other ministers will also call on Nepalese Prime Minister.

Various issues including agriculture, energy, connectivity, trade and investment and reconstruction are likely to be discussed during the visit.

He will also interact with Indian businessmen, industrialists, intellectuals and meet people from Nepali community.

Issues like cooperation in power and energy sector, cross-border connectivity, construction of transmission line, compensation to the Nepali citizens damaged caused by Kosi and Ganadak River inundation and flood control and energy banking will also be discussed.&nbsp;

In a statement on Thursday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Oli will be accompanied by his wife, Radhika Shakya and a delegation of over three dozen members including Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Matrika Prasad Yadav, Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Raghubir Mahaseth and Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister Bishnu Rimal.

He will be staying at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi 
&nbsp;

Oli is slated to hold delegation level talks with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Saturday where the two leaders will jointly lay the foundation of the Arun III Hydroelectric Project developed by India.

Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli arrived in India on a three-day state visit. Oli was received by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and MoS Finance SP Shukla. Delhi: Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli arrives in India on a three day state visit, received by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and MoS Finance SP Shukla pic.twitter.com/o22c32P2RJ — ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2018 × Oli will hold a delegation level talks with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Saturday where the two leaders will jointly lay the foundation of the Arun III Hydroelectric Project developed by India. The $1.5 billion 900 mw energy project by the Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam is expected to be completed within five years. During the visit, Oli will call on President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and other ministers will also call on Nepalese Prime Minister. Various issues including agriculture, energy, connectivity, trade and investment and reconstruction are likely to be discussed during the visit. He will also interact with Indian businessmen, industrialists, intellectuals and meet people from Nepali community. Issues like cooperation in power and energy sector, cross-border connectivity, construction of transmission line, compensation to the Nepali citizens damaged caused by Kosi and Ganadak River inundation and flood control and energy banking will also be discussed. In a statement on Thursday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Oli will be accompanied by his wife, Radhika Shakya and a delegation of over three dozen members including Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Matrika Prasad Yadav, Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Raghubir Mahaseth and Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister Bishnu Rimal. He will be staying at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi

Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli arrives in India on three-day state visit

<div segoe="" style="color: rgb(33, 33, 33) font-family: wf_segoe-ui_normal, " ui="">The Line of Actual Control (LAC), a porous border separating India and China, continues to remain a cause of anxiety for New Delhi. And the reason for that is differing perceptions of the LAC in both the nations. While India, as always, wants to maintain the status quo along the border, China stakes claim to some of the territories in Arunachal Pradesh on the Indian side. 
&nbsp; 
These differences in perceptions have sharpened in the last few years due to infrastructure build-up by both India and China along the LAC. But the contrast is chilling. 
&nbsp; 
China has developed both civilian and military infrastructure along the LAC, and massively. But the Indian side - though it has created a new Corp of the Indian Army for the Eastern Front - still lacks basic infrastructure like telephone connectivity, roads or railways. The deployment of troops on the LAC from Indian side is dense but infrastructure remains absent. Many civilian areas are in fact unconnected. 
&nbsp; 
China has a railway station just 35km from the LAC. The nearest railway station on the Indian side is 200km away. A proposed railway station may bring down the distance to 150km but it still takes an Indian soldier deployed on the LAC more than 80 hours to reach the nearest railway station. 
&nbsp; 
Both the countries carry out long-range patrols to lay claims to the land. Any long-range patrol can take 20 to 28 days to complete. On an average, any unit on such patrol would cover 90km on foot. Rocks are marked and painted during these patrols. This constant painting and repainting have led to these rocks acquiring an inch thick of the coat. 
&nbsp; 
The stark difference between infrastructure development along the border can be attributed to the harsh weather condition on the Indian side. Many say that the weather on the Indian side is far wetter than on the Chinese side of the Himalayas. The connectivity of east and west bank of the Lohit river (a tributary of the mighty Brahmaputra) is glaring. This problem has military implications. During hostilities, it can lead to troops being boxed in their own areas for long and will make an immediate rush to the spot on the other side next to impossible. 
&nbsp; 
When Indian and Chinese soldiers meet, evolved protocols kick into action, unlike the Line of Control (LoC), or the India-Pakistan border. The areas are designated and only fixed addresses are recorded on camera. Rest of the conversation takes place without it. Unlike eyeball to eyeball stand-off at LoC, the LAC witnesses non-violent stand-offs during patrols. 
&nbsp; 
India also faces another challenge. China has organised scattered communities along the LAC into single villages and built military installations adjoining them. The Indian side, on the other hand, has scattered population, which makes surveillance more difficult. 
&nbsp; 
In Kaho, the last Indian village before the LAC, any Indian phone with international roaming enabled can easily catch Chinese telecom network. This is not the case on the Indian side. The telephone towers of state-run BSNL are 40 to 50km away from the border. It makes intelligence gathering easy for the Chinese as its investment on LAC remains high tech and up to the mark.</div>

<div segoe="" style="color: rgb(33, 33, 33) font-family: wf_segoe-ui_normal, " ui=""><img alt="chinese-network-LAC.jpg" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="430" src="https://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/chinese-network-LAC.jpg" width="770" /> 
&nbsp; 
But the fact is that this is 2018 and not 1962. The Indian Army is well-deployed and well-stocked to meet any kind of situation. It has set up optical fibre network for its own communication in the border areas. Strong and long bridges have come on the Brahmaputra. Bhupen Hazarika bridge is one such example. It will allow tanks to ply if needed. A 1703-km-long trans-Arunachal Pradesh highway and inter-valley road is in the pipeline. Indian forces will remain more than a match for the Chinese military. According to assessment by the Indian Army, in case of hostilities, the human wave strategy deployed by the Chinese in 1962 will not be repeated. It will be more of shock and awe and missile oriented. 
&nbsp; 
There are no barbed wires on the LAC. There are bunkers and artillery deployed aimed at each other but guns have never boomed after 1962. Both sides intensely and continuously monitor each other and look for red flags. India knows that if Chinese troop movement takes place on the southern loop then it is a red flag and set of military counteraction would kick into force. The Chinese are&nbsp;monitoring the movement around Sela pass (in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh). 
&nbsp; 
The effort remains that the status quo of the border should not be breached. The LAC has been divided into disputed and sensitive areas. The disputed areas are those where both parties acknowledge the difference between position and sensitive where such divergence is not acknowledged at all. The sensitivity remains high and effort remains that local issues should not escalate to diplomatic levels. 
&nbsp; 
Doklam was one such incident when the local face-off got escalated and the matter had to be resolved diplomatically without provoking China. Politically, the matter has become even more sensitive to India after an extension of Xi Jinping's tenure. India's firm response in Doklam was to ensure that status quo is not altered. The deployment of Army on the LAC works on this principle. Even the deployment differs on the Line of Actual Control. In an 803-km-long LAC, deployments depend on the sector. Tawang sector is far more densely deployed than other areas owing to the sensitivity of the situation. 
&nbsp; 
India faces many challenges but opportunities are also immense. Arunachal Pradesh is one area in the Northeast, which is very nationalistic. Hindi unites people in the state. The response to LAC today cannot be a limited to military deployment. It requires a political action and vision. In Doklam it was proved that India will not allow status quo to change. It needs to show the same wisdom and vision inside its own border so that, these areas can be better integrated with the rest of India.</div>

The Line of Actual Control (LAC), a porous border separating India and China, continues to remain a cause of anxiety for New Delhi

The Line of Actual Control (LAC), a porous border separating India and China, continues to remain a cause of anxiety for New Delhi. And the reason for that is differing perceptions of the LAC in both the nations. While India, as always, wants to maintain the status quo along the border, China stakes claim to some of the territories in Arunachal Pradesh on the Indian side. These differences in perceptions have sharpened in the last few years due to infrastructure build-up by both India and China along the LAC. But the contrast is chilling. China has developed both civilian and military infrastructure along the LAC, and massively. But the Indian side - though it has created a new Corp of the Indian Army for the Eastern Front - still lacks basic infrastructure like telephone connectivity, roads or railways. The deployment of troops on the LAC from Indian side is dense but infrastructure remains absent. Many civilian areas are in fact unconnected. China has a railway station just 35km from the LAC. The nearest railway station on the Indian side is 200km away. A proposed railway station may bring down the distance to 150km but it still takes an Indian soldier deployed on the LAC more than 80 hours to reach the nearest railway station. Both the countries carry out long-range patrols to lay claims to the land. Any long-range patrol can take 20 to 28 days to complete. On an average, any unit on such patrol would cover 90km on foot. Rocks are marked and painted during these patrols. This constant painting and repainting have led to these rocks acquiring an inch thick of the coat. The stark difference between infrastructure development along the border can be attributed to the harsh weather condition on the Indian side. Many say that the weather on the Indian side is far wetter than on the Chinese side of the Himalayas. The connectivity of east and west bank of the Lohit river (a tributary of the mighty Brahmaputra) is glaring. This problem has military implications. During hostilities, it can lead to troops being boxed in their own areas for long and will make an immediate rush to the spot on the other side next to impossible. When Indian and Chinese soldiers meet, evolved protocols kick into action, unlike the Line of Control (LoC), or the India-Pakistan border. The areas are designated and only fixed addresses are recorded on camera. Rest of the conversation takes place without it. Unlike eyeball to eyeball stand-off at LoC, the LAC witnesses non-violent stand-offs during patrols. India also faces another challenge. China has organised scattered communities along the LAC into single villages and built military installations adjoining them. The Indian side, on the other hand, has scattered population, which makes surveillance more difficult. In Kaho, the last Indian village before the LAC, any Indian phone with international roaming enabled can easily catch Chinese telecom network. This is not the case on the Indian side. The telephone towers of state-run BSNL are 40 to 50km away from the border. It makes intelligence gathering easy for the Chinese as its investment on LAC remains high tech and up to the mark. But the fact is that this is 2018 and not 1962. The Indian Army is well-deployed and well-stocked to meet any kind of situation. It has set up optical fibre network for its own communication in the border areas. Strong and long bridges have come on the Brahmaputra. Bhupen Hazarika bridge is one such example. It will allow tanks to ply if needed. A 1703-km-long trans-Arunachal Pradesh highway and inter-valley road is in the pipeline. Indian forces will remain more than a match for the Chinese military. According to assessment by the Indian Army, in case of hostilities, the human wave strategy deployed by the Chinese in 1962 will not be repeated. It will be more of shock and awe and missile oriented. There are no barbed wires on the LAC. There are bunkers and artillery deployed aimed at each other but guns have never boomed after 1962. Both sides intensely and continuously monitor each other and look for red flags. India knows that if Chinese troop movement takes place on the southern loop then it is a red flag and set of military counteraction would kick into force. The Chinese are monitoring the movement around Sela pass (in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh). The effort remains that the status quo of the border should not be breached. The LAC has been divided into disputed and sensitive areas. The disputed areas are those where both parties acknowledge the difference between position and sensitive where such divergence is not acknowledged at all. The sensitivity remains high and effort remains that local issues should not escalate to diplomatic levels. Doklam was one such incident when the local face-off got escalated and the matter had to be resolved diplomatically without provoking China. Politically, the matter has become even more sensitive to India after an extension of Xi Jinping's tenure. India's firm response in Doklam was to ensure that status quo is not altered. The deployment of Army on the LAC works on this principle. Even the deployment differs on the Line of Actual Control. In an 803-km-long LAC, deployments depend on the sector. Tawang sector is far more densely deployed than other areas owing to the sensitivity of the situation. India faces many challenges but opportunities are also immense. Arunachal Pradesh is one area in the Northeast, which is very nationalistic. Hindi unites people in the state. The response to LAC today cannot be a limited to military deployment. It requires a political action and vision. In Doklam it was proved that India will not allow status quo to change. It needs to show the same wisdom and vision inside its own border so that, these areas can be better integrated with the rest of India.

How India is fortifying LAC in Arunachal Pradesh to counter China's belligerence

Petrol price today hit a four-year high of Rs 73.73 a litre while diesel rates touched an all-time high of Rs 64.58 in the national capital, renewing calls for the government to cut excise tax rates.

State-owned oil firms, which have been since June last year revising auto fuel prices daily, today raised petrol and diesel rates by 18 paise per litre each in Delhi, according to a price notification.

Petrol in the national capital now costs Rs 73.73 a litre, the highest since September 14, 2014 when rates had hit Rs 76.06. Diesel price at Rs 64.58 is the highest ever, with previous high of Rs 64.22 being on February 7, 2018.

The Oil Ministry had earlier this year sought a reduction in excise duty on petrol an diesel to cushion the impact rising international oil rates but Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his Budget presented on February 1 ignored those calls.

India has the highest retail prices of petrol and diesel among South Asian nations as taxes account for half of the pump rates.

Jaitley had raised excise duty nine times between November 2014 and January 2016 to shore up finances as global oil prices fell, but then cut the tax just once in October last year by Rs 2 a litre.

Subsequent to that excise duty reduction, the Centre had asked states to also lower VAT but just four of them -- Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh -- reduced rates while others including BJP-ruled ones ignored the call.

The central government had cut excise duty by Rs 2 per litre in October 2017, when petrol price reached Rs 70.88 per litre in Delhi and diesel Rs. 59.14. Because of the reduction in excise duty, diesel prices had on October 4, 2017 come down to Rs

56.89 per litre and petrol to Rs 68.38 per litre. However, a global rally in crude prices pushed domestic fuel prices far higher than those levels.

The October 2017 excise duty cut cost the government Rs 26,000 crore in annual revenue and about Rs 13,000 crore during the remaining part of the current fiscal year.

The government had between November 2014 and January 2016 raised excise duty on petrol and diesel on nine occasions to take away gains arising from plummeting global oil prices. In all, duty on petrol rate was hiked by Rs 11.77 per litre and that on diesel by 13.47 a litre in those 15 months that helped government's excise mop up more than double to Rs 242,000 crore in 2016-17 from Rs 99,000 crore in 2014-15.

State-owned oil companies -- Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation -- in June last year dumped the 15-year old practice of revising rates on the 1st and 16th of every month . Instead, they adopted a daily price revision system to instantly reflect changes in cost. Since then, prices are revised on a daily basis.&nbsp

Petrol was selling at Rs 73.73 and diesel at Rs 64.58 a litre in Delhi, renewing calls for the government to cut excise tax rates

Petrol price today hit a four-year high of Rs 73.73 a litre while diesel rates touched an all-time high of Rs 64.58 in the national capital, renewing calls for the government to cut excise tax rates. State-owned oil firms, which have been since June last year revising auto fuel prices daily, today raised petrol and diesel rates by 18 paise per litre each in Delhi, according to a price notification. Petrol in the national capital now costs Rs 73.73 a litre, the highest since September 14, 2014 when rates had hit Rs 76.06. Diesel price at Rs 64.58 is the highest ever, with previous high of Rs 64.22 being on February 7, 2018. The Oil Ministry had earlier this year sought a reduction in excise duty on petrol an diesel to cushion the impact rising international oil rates but Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his Budget presented on February 1 ignored those calls. India has the highest retail prices of petrol and diesel among South Asian nations as taxes account for half of the pump rates. Jaitley had raised excise duty nine times between November 2014 and January 2016 to shore up finances as global oil prices fell, but then cut the tax just once in October last year by Rs 2 a litre. Subsequent to that excise duty reduction, the Centre had asked states to also lower VAT but just four of them -- Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh -- reduced rates while others including BJP-ruled ones ignored the call. The central government had cut excise duty by Rs 2 per litre in October 2017, when petrol price reached Rs 70.88 per litre in Delhi and diesel Rs. 59.14. Because of the reduction in excise duty, diesel prices had on October 4, 2017 come down to Rs 56.89 per litre and petrol to Rs 68.38 per litre. However, a global rally in crude prices pushed domestic fuel prices far higher than those levels. The October 2017 excise duty cut cost the government Rs 26,000 crore in annual revenue and about Rs 13,000 crore during the remaining part of the current fiscal year. The government had between November 2014 and January 2016 raised excise duty on petrol and diesel on nine occasions to take away gains arising from plummeting global oil prices. In all, duty on petrol rate was hiked by Rs 11.77 per litre and that on diesel by 13.47 a litre in those 15 months that helped government's excise mop up more than double to Rs 242,000 crore in 2016-17 from Rs 99,000 crore in 2014-15. State-owned oil companies -- Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation -- in June last year dumped the 15-year old practice of revising rates on the 1st and 16th of every month . Instead, they adopted a daily price revision system to instantly reflect changes in cost. Since then, prices are revised on a daily basis.

Petrol prices hit 4-year high, diesel at all-time high

Pakistan has decided to stay away from the World Trade Organisation meet in New Delhi next week in protest against alleged harassment of its diplomats in India.

India last month invited Pakistan Commerce Minister Pervez Malik to participate in the informal WTO ministerial meeting scheduled to be held in New Delhi on March 19-20 and Islamabad had initially accepted the invitation.

Sources in the foreign ministry here said the situation has changed after &quot;repeated harassment of families of diplomats&quot; and it was decided to skip the invitation.

&quot;We cannot send our commerce minister to India in the current situation and India has been informed about it,&quot; according to a source.

He said India should also stop the alleged violations of the ceasefire on the Line of Control that led to death of civilians and also stop &quot;atrocities&quot; in Kashmir.

Trade ministers of over 50 nations including the US, China and Pakistan were invited by India to discuss issues related to agriculture and services.

The decision to stay away from WTO meeting in India coincided with the recalling of Pakistan&#39;s High Commissioner to India Sohail Mehmood.

Mahmood arrived here last evening for consultations after Pakistan alleged repeated harassment of its diplomats in New Delhi.

Meanwhile, Pakistan is weighing options to deal with the situation in the wake of calling back of its High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood from New Delhi due to alleged harassment of diplomats in India.

Mahmood arrived here a day after the Foreign Office spokesman said that he was being summoned for consultation &quot;due to non-stop harassment of families of the diplomats&quot;.

Official sources in the foreign ministry said Mahmood will brief top officials about the situation.

&quot;A decision to how to address the situation will be made after the consultations,&quot; sources said.

They said that options were on the table including declaring New Delhi as a non-family station and not sending back Mahmood for an indefinite period.

Officials rejected allegations that Indian diplomatic staff were also facing hurdles and harassment in Pakistan.

&quot;Our high commissioner will not return to India anytime soon,&quot; the Express Tribune quoted a senior foreign office official as saying.

It reported that initially it was thought he would return to New Delhi after consultations with authorities.

However, the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the high commissioner would stay back for an indefinite period or &quot;until Indian agencies stop intimidating the staff and families of their diplomatic mission&quot; in New Delhi.

&quot;In other words, Pakistan recalled its envoy to New Delhi as a protest till the situation improves,&quot; it reported.

The official justified the move, insisting that under current circumstances it was not possible for the high commissioner to operate out of New Delhi.

&quot;Children have never been harassed even when two countries have had the worst of relationship,&quot; he said.

When asked whether Pakistan was contemplating withdrawing the families of its diplomatic staff, the official said it might have to if the current slide in the relationship was not arrested.&nbsp;

India last month invited Pakistan Commerce Minister Pervez Malik to participate in the informal WTO ministerial meeting

Pakistan has decided to stay away from the World Trade Organisation meet in New Delhi next week in protest against alleged harassment of its diplomats in India. India last month invited Pakistan Commerce Minister Pervez Malik to participate in the informal WTO ministerial meeting scheduled to be held in New Delhi on March 19-20 and Islamabad had initially accepted the invitation. Sources in the foreign ministry here said the situation has changed after "repeated harassment of families of diplomats" and it was decided to skip the invitation. "We cannot send our commerce minister to India in the current situation and India has been informed about it," according to a source. He said India should also stop the alleged violations of the ceasefire on the Line of Control that led to death of civilians and also stop "atrocities" in Kashmir. Trade ministers of over 50 nations including the US, China and Pakistan were invited by India to discuss issues related to agriculture and services. The decision to stay away from WTO meeting in India coincided with the recalling of Pakistan's High Commissioner to India Sohail Mehmood. Mahmood arrived here last evening for consultations after Pakistan alleged repeated harassment of its diplomats in New Delhi. Meanwhile, Pakistan is weighing options to deal with the situation in the wake of calling back of its High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood from New Delhi due to alleged harassment of diplomats in India. Mahmood arrived here a day after the Foreign Office spokesman said that he was being summoned for consultation "due to non-stop harassment of families of the diplomats". Official sources in the foreign ministry said Mahmood will brief top officials about the situation. "A decision to how to address the situation will be made after the consultations," sources said. They said that options were on the table including declaring New Delhi as a non-family station and not sending back Mahmood for an indefinite period. Officials rejected allegations that Indian diplomatic staff were also facing hurdles and harassment in Pakistan. "Our high commissioner will not return to India anytime soon," the Express Tribune quoted a senior foreign office official as saying. It reported that initially it was thought he would return to New Delhi after consultations with authorities. However, the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the high commissioner would stay back for an indefinite period or "until Indian agencies stop intimidating the staff and families of their diplomatic mission" in New Delhi. "In other words, Pakistan recalled its envoy to New Delhi as a protest till the situation improves," it reported. The official justified the move, insisting that under current circumstances it was not possible for the high commissioner to operate out of New Delhi. "Children have never been harassed even when two countries have had the worst of relationship," he said. When asked whether Pakistan was contemplating withdrawing the families of its diplomatic staff, the official said it might have to if the current slide in the relationship was not arrested.

Pakistan to skip WTO meet in New Delhi

Taking a swipe at US President Donald Trump for backing out of Paris climate agreement, French President Emmanuel Macron lauded the efforts of India, along with other nations, for making International Solar Alliance (ISA) a reality.

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However, Macron did not name Trump at the founding conference of ISA in the capital today. While hailing the &#39;Solar Mamas&#39;, a group of women solar engineers, he also referred to the countries which decided to leave the climate agreement.

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Addressing the summit in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Macron said, &quot;Mr Prime Minister, You made a dream and we did it. It was about this International Solar Alliance. It was two years ago, it was just an idea at that time and we decided all together to act very quickly and today a big change&quot;.

Expressing his immense happiness and lauding the efforts of Solar Mamas, he said, &quot;Our solar mamas did not wait for us. They started to act and to deliver complete results. They did not wait and stop because some countries (US and others) just decided to leave the floor and leave the Paris agreement. Because they (ISA nations) decided it is good for them their children and grand children. They decided to act and keep acting&quot;.

The oblique reference was towards US President Trump&#39;s decision to pull out of the Paris climate agreement, which was signed by nearly 200 countries in December 2015 in an effort to curb global greenhouse gas emission and limit global warming to within 2 degrees Celsius.

In November last year, Syria signed the deal, leaving the US as the only country in the world not to support the framework deal to combat greenhouse gas emissions.

Interestingly, France is the co-host for the founding conference of the the ISA which is a treaty based international body with 121 prospective member countries.

As many as 60 nations have signed the agreement to join ISA, while 30 have already ratified the agreement and made it possible to make it a legal entity in December last year.

Macron said the countries at the ISA represent three-fourths of the world population. As much as 20-50 per cent of the population do not have access to power.

The joint goal is to have 1 TW of solar energy by 2020 for which &quot;we need USD 1,000 billion,&quot; he said.

Today, heads of 23 nations and 10 ministerial representatives gathered here for alliance&#39;s first summit.&nbsp;

'Mr Prime Minister (Modi), You made a dream and we did it. It was about this International Solar Alliance. It was two years ago, it was just an idea at that time and we decided all together to act very quickly and today a big change,' said Macron

Taking a swipe at US President Donald Trump for backing out of Paris climate agreement, French President Emmanuel Macron lauded the efforts of India, along with other nations, for making International Solar Alliance (ISA) a reality. × However, Macron did not name Trump at the founding conference of ISA in the capital today. While hailing the 'Solar Mamas', a group of women solar engineers, he also referred to the countries which decided to leave the climate agreement. × Addressing the summit in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Macron said, "Mr Prime Minister, You made a dream and we did it. It was about this International Solar Alliance. It was two years ago, it was just an idea at that time and we decided all together to act very quickly and today a big change". Expressing his immense happiness and lauding the efforts of Solar Mamas, he said, "Our solar mamas did not wait for us. They started to act and to deliver complete results. They did not wait and stop because some countries (US and others) just decided to leave the floor and leave the Paris agreement. Because they (ISA nations) decided it is good for them their children and grand children. They decided to act and keep acting". The oblique reference was towards US President Trump's decision to pull out of the Paris climate agreement, which was signed by nearly 200 countries in December 2015 in an effort to curb global greenhouse gas emission and limit global warming to within 2 degrees Celsius. In November last year, Syria signed the deal, leaving the US as the only country in the world not to support the framework deal to combat greenhouse gas emissions. Interestingly, France is the co-host for the founding conference of the the ISA which is a treaty based international body with 121 prospective member countries. As many as 60 nations have signed the agreement to join ISA, while 30 have already ratified the agreement and made it possible to make it a legal entity in December last year. Macron said the countries at the ISA represent three-fourths of the world population. As much as 20-50 per cent of the population do not have access to power. The joint goal is to have 1 TW of solar energy by 2020 for which "we need USD 1,000 billion," he said. Today, heads of 23 nations and 10 ministerial representatives gathered here for alliance's first summit.

French President Macron takes dig at Trump, hails India's efforts at making International Solar Alliance a reality

The United Airlines flight with 266 passengers and 15 crew members onboard diverted its New Delhi bound flight to London&#39;s Heathrow Airport due to some medical emergency.

Meanwhile, a statement from the airlines read, &quot;Our team at London Heathrow Airport is providing assistance to customers of United flight 82 (New York/ Newark to Delhi) which diverted to London Heathrow Airport because of a medical issue on board.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;The flight now has been cancelled due to the crew reaching their maximum duty time,&quot; the statement also read.

&quot;We are providing hotel accommodation for our customers, and making arrangements for them to complete their journeys tomorrow. We have apologised to our customers for the inconvenience caused,&quot; it added.&nbsp;

Flight Radar, a verified Twitter account that helps social media users track air traffic, posted an update after the plane started heading to Heathrow, and after it landed confirmed that the aircraft was indeed UA 82.

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United flight <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UA82?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UA82</a> from Newark to Delhi is diverting to Heathrow.<a href="https://t.co/cZc1sbMu3H">https://t.co/cZc1sbMu3H</a> 
 
Reason is currently unknown <a href="https://t.co/HvJCrSuIEf">pic.twitter.com/HvJCrSuIEf</a>
&mdash; Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) <a href="https://twitter.com/flightradar24/status/970260720033116160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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3 hours after the sharp turn over the North Sea, flight <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UA82?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UA82</a> landed safely at Heathrow Airport. 
 
Reason why Heathrow was selected as diversion airport can be crew or maintenance availability, and better possibilities to handle passengers. <a href="https://t.co/iKxENjbFFp">pic.twitter.com/iKxENjbFFp</a>
&mdash; Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) <a href="https://twitter.com/flightradar24/status/970269335553040384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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United Airlines commonly referred to as United is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.&nbsp;

The flight had 266 passengers and 15 crew members

The United Airlines flight with 266 passengers and 15 crew members onboard diverted its New Delhi bound flight to London's Heathrow Airport due to some medical emergency. Meanwhile, a statement from the airlines read, "Our team at London Heathrow Airport is providing assistance to customers of United flight 82 (New York/ Newark to Delhi) which diverted to London Heathrow Airport because of a medical issue on board." "The flight now has been cancelled due to the crew reaching their maximum duty time," the statement also read. "We are providing hotel accommodation for our customers, and making arrangements for them to complete their journeys tomorrow. We have apologised to our customers for the inconvenience caused," it added. Flight Radar, a verified Twitter account that helps social media users track air traffic, posted an update after the plane started heading to Heathrow, and after it landed confirmed that the aircraft was indeed UA 82. United flight #UA82 from Newark to Delhi is diverting to Heathrow.https://t.co/cZc1sbMu3H Reason is currently unknown pic.twitter.com/HvJCrSuIEf — Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) March 4, 2018 × 3 hours after the sharp turn over the North Sea, flight #UA82 landed safely at Heathrow Airport. Reason why Heathrow was selected as diversion airport can be crew or maintenance availability, and better possibilities to handle passengers. pic.twitter.com/iKxENjbFFp — Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) March 4, 2018 × United Airlines commonly referred to as United is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

New Delhi bound United Airlines flight diverted to London

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the fight against terrorism and radicalisation was not against any religion, but against a mindset that misguides the young.

Every religion promotes human values, the prime minister said in his address at a conference on &#39;Islamic Heritage: Promoting Understanding &amp; Moderation&#39;, where Jordan&#39;s King Abdullah II was also present.

India, the prime minister added, had been a &quot;cradle of all major religions in the world&quot;.

Indian democracy is a celebration of age-old pluralism, Modi said. According to him, all faiths promote human values. &quot;... Therefore, our youth should associate themselves with the humanitarian aspects of Islam and should also able to use modern technology&quot;, he said.

Sharing his views on religion, Abdullah II said faith should hold humanity together.

Faith allows us to prosper and thrive, he said while emphasising that people should reject voices which spread hatred.

&quot;Our strongest defence against turmoil is inclusion,&quot; he said.

Every religion promotes human values, the prime minister said in his address

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the fight against terrorism and radicalisation was not against any religion, but against a mindset that misguides the young. Every religion promotes human values, the prime minister said in his address at a conference on 'Islamic Heritage: Promoting Understanding & Moderation', where Jordan's King Abdullah II was also present. India, the prime minister added, had been a "cradle of all major religions in the world". Indian democracy is a celebration of age-old pluralism, Modi said. According to him, all faiths promote human values. "... Therefore, our youth should associate themselves with the humanitarian aspects of Islam and should also able to use modern technology", he said. Sharing his views on religion, Abdullah II said faith should hold humanity together. Faith allows us to prosper and thrive, he said while emphasising that people should reject voices which spread hatred. "Our strongest defence against turmoil is inclusion," he said.

Fight against terrorism not against any religion: PM Narendra Modi

The core of a religion cannot be inhumane. Every religion, every sect, every tradition promotes human values. Thus, it is important that today our youth should connect with humane Islam while being able to utilise modern science and technology at the same time, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.&nbsp;

Modi was taking part in an Islamic conference in New Delhi along with Jordan King Abdullah II, who is on a state visit to India.&nbsp;

The conference, themed &lsquo;Islamic Heritage: Promoting Understanding and Moderation&rsquo;, has brought together scholars of the Islamic studies from across the world.&nbsp;

In India, we have one mission - to take along everyone on the path to development, Modi said and added &#39;&#39;Our heritage and values, the message of our religions and our morals are the basis on which we challenge violent and terror elements. Those who commit crimes against humanity do not understand that their actions also hurt people of that religion, which they claim to be protecting,&#39;&#39; he said.

It is the power which allows ever Indian to respect our glorious past, believe in our present and have faith in our future, &nbsp;Modis said.

India has hosted religions from across the world. In India&#39;s atmosphere, they have thrived. Be it Lord Budhha 2500 years ago or Mahatma Gandhi a century ago - India has always spread the message of peace and love to the world, PM said.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Jordan and India are etched in the religious text. Jordan is located on a holy land, from where the message of God is spreading through His messengers across the globe, Modi said.

PM Modi and Jordanian King will hold bilateral talks on India-Jordan relations after the conference.&nbsp;

Modi was taking part in an Islamic conference in New Delhi along with Jordan King Abdullah II, who is on a state visit to India.

The core of a religion cannot be inhumane. Every religion, every sect, every tradition promotes human values. Thus, it is important that today our youth should connect with humane Islam while being able to utilise modern science and technology at the same time, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. Modi was taking part in an Islamic conference in New Delhi along with Jordan King Abdullah II, who is on a state visit to India. The conference, themed ‘Islamic Heritage: Promoting Understanding and Moderation’, has brought together scholars of the Islamic studies from across the world. In India, we have one mission - to take along everyone on the path to development, Modi said and added ''Our heritage and values, the message of our religions and our morals are the basis on which we challenge violent and terror elements. Those who commit crimes against humanity do not understand that their actions also hurt people of that religion, which they claim to be protecting,'' he said. It is the power which allows ever Indian to respect our glorious past, believe in our present and have faith in our future, Modis said. India has hosted religions from across the world. In India's atmosphere, they have thrived. Be it Lord Budhha 2500 years ago or Mahatma Gandhi a century ago - India has always spread the message of peace and love to the world, PM said. Jordan and India are etched in the religious text. Jordan is located on a holy land, from where the message of God is spreading through His messengers across the globe, Modi said. PM Modi and Jordanian King will hold bilateral talks on India-Jordan relations after the conference.

Core of religion cannot be inhumane: PM Narendra Modi

A snatcher allegedly shot at a man for resisting a snatching bid in Connaught Place in central Delhi on Wednesday.

The incident happened in A-Block before noon. Police said the victim was rushed to the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital and is out of danger.

As per the PIL, 37,557 snatching cases were reported in Delhi between 2013 and 2017. Delhi Police records revealed that cases of snatching had increased by almost 413% in the last five years.&nbsp;

Incident of firing reported after a robbery call in Connaught Place's A-block

A snatcher allegedly shot at a man for resisting a snatching bid in Connaught Place in central Delhi on Wednesday. The incident happened in A-Block before noon. Police said the victim was rushed to the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital and is out of danger. As per the PIL, 37,557 snatching cases were reported in Delhi between 2013 and 2017. Delhi Police records revealed that cases of snatching had increased by almost 413% in the last five years.

Robber shoots at man in Delhi's Connaught Place

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday inaugurated Bharatiya Janata Party&rsquo;s new headquarters at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg in New Delhi.

Party president Amit Shah and other senior leaders, including LK Advani were present to mark the occasion.

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PM Modi, along with BJP veteran LK Advani, inaugurates BJP&#39;s new headquarters at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Delhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Delhi</a>&#39;s Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg. Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj &amp; Murli Manohar Joshi also present, among others. <a href="https://t.co/eCcXbWJq0g">pic.twitter.com/eCcXbWJq0g</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/965112730557534208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&ldquo;I want to thank Amit Bhai and his entire team, that worked hard to complete the work on the BJP HQ within the desired time frame,&rdquo; PM Modi said while speaking at the inauguration event.

He also remembered the party workers who dedicated their lives to the party.

&ldquo;Ours was a journey that began with greats such as Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee and Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya. Generations of workers have given their lives for the party,&rdquo; PM Modi said.

The relocation makes BJP the first party to comply with the Supreme Court&rsquo;s directive to all political parties to relocate from the Luyten&rsquo;s Bungalow Zone.

The construction of the new headquarters was completed within a year. 
&nbsp;

The construction of the new headquarters was completed within a year

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday inaugurated Bharatiya Janata Party’s new headquarters at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg in New Delhi. Party president Amit Shah and other senior leaders, including LK Advani were present to mark the occasion. PM Modi, along with BJP veteran LK Advani, inaugurates BJP's new headquarters at #Delhi's Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg. Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj & Murli Manohar Joshi also present, among others. pic.twitter.com/eCcXbWJq0g — ANI (@ANI) February 18, 2018 × “I want to thank Amit Bhai and his entire team, that worked hard to complete the work on the BJP HQ within the desired time frame,” PM Modi said while speaking at the inauguration event. He also remembered the party workers who dedicated their lives to the party. “Ours was a journey that began with greats such as Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee and Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya. Generations of workers have given their lives for the party,” PM Modi said. The relocation makes BJP the first party to comply with the Supreme Court’s directive to all political parties to relocate from the Luyten’s Bungalow Zone. The construction of the new headquarters was completed within a year.

PM Modi, Advani inaugurate BJP's new headquarters in New Delhi

Pakistan has claimed that its troops destroyed an Indian Army post in Tatta Pani sector across the Line of Control (LoC) and killed five soldiers.

Pakistan Army Spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor in a tweet late last night also shared a video clip purportedly showing bombing of the Indian Army post and smoke billowing from the site after it was hit by fire.

&quot;Indian Army post on LoC targeting innocent citizens destroyed by Pak Army troops in Tatta Pani (Hot Spring) sector. Five Indian soldiers killed, many injured. Indian terrorism against innocent citizens shall be responded befittingly,&rdquo; Ghafoor tweeted.

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Indian Army post on LOC targeting innocent citizens destroyed by Pak Army troops in Tatta Pani (Hot Spring) sector. Five Indian soldiers killed, many injured. Indian terrorism against innocent citizens shall be responded befittingly. <a href="https://t.co/MHWv4Xc97n">pic.twitter.com/MHWv4Xc97n</a>
&mdash; Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficialDGISPR/status/964207235483217920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

However, an Indian Army official in New Delhi said the Pakistan Army&#39;s claim is &quot;baseless&quot;.

Earlier, in a statement, the Pakistan army spokesman said that India&#39;s &quot;unethical and unprofessional&quot; approach across the LoC is terrorising civilians.

Pakistan yesterday summoned India&#39;s Deputy High Commissioner J P Singh to condemn the &quot;unprovoked firing&quot; by Indian troops across the LoC which allegedly resulted in the death of a driver of a van carrying school children.

It alleged that the Indian forces &quot;deliberately targeted a school van carrying school children on Battal-Madharpur road, resulting in the death of the driver of the van, leaving the school children severely traumatised.&quot;&nbsp;

However, an Indian Army official in New Delhi said the Pakistan Army's claim is 'baseless'

Pakistan has claimed that its troops destroyed an Indian Army post in Tatta Pani sector across the Line of Control (LoC) and killed five soldiers. Pakistan Army Spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor in a tweet late last night also shared a video clip purportedly showing bombing of the Indian Army post and smoke billowing from the site after it was hit by fire. "Indian Army post on LoC targeting innocent citizens destroyed by Pak Army troops in Tatta Pani (Hot Spring) sector. Five Indian soldiers killed, many injured. Indian terrorism against innocent citizens shall be responded befittingly,” Ghafoor tweeted. Indian Army post on LOC targeting innocent citizens destroyed by Pak Army troops in Tatta Pani (Hot Spring) sector. Five Indian soldiers killed, many injured. Indian terrorism against innocent citizens shall be responded befittingly. pic.twitter.com/MHWv4Xc97n — Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) February 15, 2018 × However, an Indian Army official in New Delhi said the Pakistan Army's claim is "baseless". Earlier, in a statement, the Pakistan army spokesman said that India's "unethical and unprofessional" approach across the LoC is terrorising civilians. Pakistan yesterday summoned India's Deputy High Commissioner J P Singh to condemn the "unprovoked firing" by Indian troops across the LoC which allegedly resulted in the death of a driver of a van carrying school children. It alleged that the Indian forces "deliberately targeted a school van carrying school children on Battal-Madharpur road, resulting in the death of the driver of the van, leaving the school children severely traumatised."

Indian Army targeted civilians along LoC, 5 Indian soldiers killed: Pak Army

Three recent developments in the neighbourhood have posed new challenges for India which is on an overdrive to expand and consolidate its influence across the world. These developments are critical for two reasons. The first is that they have the potential to impact New Delhi&rsquo;s security interests in the region. And the second is that they intensify the China Factor which is at play. That the two reasons are also interconnected to an extent, further underlines the significance. To add to the dilemma, the options for India are limited and fraught with risks. It could be damned if it takes chances, and it could be damned if it doesn&rsquo;t. The country&rsquo;s Neighbourhood First policy faces a stiff test.

&nbsp;

The three challenges come from the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Coincidentally, they have arrived in quick succession, and this has strained New Delhi&rsquo;s nerves even more. Kathmandu is poised to have a KP Oli-led government that promises to be less friendly to India than New Delhi would want; the incumbent regime in Male, not known for its pro-India stance, has declared a state of emergency there and is busy bulldozing its way against an opposition that leans towards India; and the party of former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who turned India-baiter in the last months of his tenure, has signalled a possible comeback with a resounding win in the local body elections. Rajapaksa had leaned towards Beijing once he turned against New Delhi, Oli openly prefers China to India, and the Maldives President Abdulla Yameen is determined to thwart India-friendly opposition leader Mohammad Nasheed&rsquo;s attempts to make a comeback.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

It can be argued that some of New Delhi&rsquo;s apprehensions are based on presumptions. For instance, Oli may not eventually be the anti-India figure he is expected to be, given Nepal&rsquo;s geographical constraints. Similarly, Yameen, realising India&rsquo;s growing clout in the region and beyond, will hesitate to antagonise a powerful regional power. As for Rajapaksa, it is still uncertain that his party will return to office &mdash; the national election is due in 2020. In any case, unlike the two other leaders, the former Sri Lankan President had been close to New Delhi once upon a time and it is possible that he may return to his old self if and when he wins. But this line of thought underestimates Beijing&rsquo;s ability to seize an advantage when it sees one in the region, at India&rsquo;s cost.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The common factor in the Maldives and Sri Lanka is that New Delhi had sent boots on the ground there. In the first case, the Indian military had intervened to thwart a joint operation by a group of Maldivians and Sri Lankan militants to overthrow the Mammon Abdul Gayoom regime there in&nbsp; 1988; and in the second, Indian Armed Forces had arrived there in 1987 at the invitation of Colombo to fight the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Operation Cactus of the Indian Army succeeded in Male, whereas Operation Pawan, which involved the erroneously named Indian Peacekeeping Forces (IPKF) entering Lankan territory to disarm the LTTE, ended in a disaster.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

There are voices both in favour and opposition to yet another Indian military intervention in Male. The Maldives is strategically located in the Indian Ocean, of which India is a &lsquo;net security provider&rsquo; and where Beijing is seeking to expand its influence. An unfriendly Male, thus, could become a weak spot for New Delhi in the region. Besides, the Maldives is a member of SAARC, and at a time when India is already facing obstacles from Pakistan in pushing through its various pan-SAARC initiatives, it could do without another obstructionist in the form of Male. The third reason for India&rsquo;s concerns is, of course, China&rsquo;s massive presence in the Maldives &mdash; one that could gain further momentum in an India-unfriendly Government there. By some estimates, 70 per cent of the Maldives&rsquo; debt is owed to China alone. There is, thus, danger in New Delhi remaining non-committal at this stage.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

But those who are opposed to direct India&rsquo;s intervention say that interfering in another nation&rsquo;s internal affairs can only be counter-productive. It would be used by sections there to further boost anti-India sentiments. There is also no certainty that military boots on the ground will fetch results. They add that New Delhi would gain more by pressuring Male diplomatically, both bilaterally and globally, and not by escalating the crisis through direct intervention.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The Rajapaksa-backed Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna&#39;s (SLPP) landslide victory in the local body election was the result of many factors, the primary among them being the discord among the ruling parters led by President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. The coalition arrangement has been far from smooth, paving the way for Rajapkasa to cash in on the discontent and growing public disaffection with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the United National Party (UNP) partnership. Given that Rajapaksa&rsquo;s SLPP has won big in Sinhala-dominated wards while the Tamil National Alliance has done well in Tamil-populated wards, the UNP-SLFP got squeezed out.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

It may be recalled that New Delhi and Rajapaksa had shared a wonderful relationship at the time when Colombo had waged a do or die battle with the LTTE, in which it emerged victorious following decades of bloodshed. But thereafter things began to go wrong as India felt the Rajapaksa government had failed in meeting the commitments at reconciliation with the traumatised Tamil community. True, domestic compulsions also made New Delhi take a hard stand. But that also led Rajapaksa to start veering towards China. He even attributed his electoral defeat to India&rsquo;s intervention.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Like the Maldives, Sri Lanka too is an important component of the Indian Ocean region and a SAARC member. In case Rajapaksa makes a national comeback and continues from where he had left &mdash; in China&rsquo;s favour &mdash; then New Delhi&rsquo;s hopes of continuing to be a net security provider in the region could be compromised. The already large Chinese presence in Sri Lanka can then only get bigger, much to New Delhi&rsquo;s chagrin. It makes sense for India to initiate some sort of outreach to the former President.

&nbsp;

Closer home, in Nepal, the situation is the most grim of all. It is not in Oli&rsquo;s DNA, nor in that of his outfit, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), to be pro-India. For years, the CPN (UML) has clung on to slogans against &lsquo;Indian expansionism&rsquo;, and Oli has benefitted politically from his anti-India line. The 2015 blockade strengthened his hands and made his rant shriller &mdash; and more credible. In his first, albeit short, tenure, Oli had sought to snub New Delhi and opened the doors for Beijing to be major partners in the Nepal growth story. With the trend likely to resume in the coming months, New Delhi can only hope that the communist leader will soften his position.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

There is a belief that his partnership with the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) can achieve this to some extent. The CPN (MC) is led by former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal &lsquo;Prachanda&rsquo;, who is favourably inclined towards India, and he can be expected to temper the coalition regime&rsquo;s anti-India sentiment. But that is only an expectation, and against this, we have the track record of the Oli regime which gives little cause for cheer to New Delhi.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

India&rsquo;s campaign for lasting regional superiority rests on its relations with the immediate and near neighbourhood. The way it tackles the challenges relating to Nepal, the Maldives and Sri Lanka holds the key to success. If New Delhi falters, Beijing gains.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;

India’s campaign for lasting regional superiority rests on its relations with the immediate and near neighbourhood.

Three recent developments in the neighbourhood have posed new challenges for India which is on an overdrive to expand and consolidate its influence across the world. These developments are critical for two reasons. The first is that they have the potential to impact New Delhi’s security interests in the region. And the second is that they intensify the China Factor which is at play. That the two reasons are also interconnected to an extent, further underlines the significance. To add to the dilemma, the options for India are limited and fraught with risks. It could be damned if it takes chances, and it could be damned if it doesn’t. The country’s Neighbourhood First policy faces a stiff test. The three challenges come from the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Coincidentally, they have arrived in quick succession, and this has strained New Delhi’s nerves even more. Kathmandu is poised to have a KP Oli-led government that promises to be less friendly to India than New Delhi would want; the incumbent regime in Male, not known for its pro-India stance, has declared a state of emergency there and is busy bulldozing its way against an opposition that leans towards India; and the party of former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who turned India-baiter in the last months of his tenure, has signalled a possible comeback with a resounding win in the local body elections. Rajapaksa had leaned towards Beijing once he turned against New Delhi, Oli openly prefers China to India, and the Maldives President Abdulla Yameen is determined to thwart India-friendly opposition leader Mohammad Nasheed’s attempts to make a comeback. It can be argued that some of New Delhi’s apprehensions are based on presumptions. For instance, Oli may not eventually be the anti-India figure he is expected to be, given Nepal’s geographical constraints. Similarly, Yameen, realising India’s growing clout in the region and beyond, will hesitate to antagonise a powerful regional power. As for Rajapaksa, it is still uncertain that his party will return to office — the national election is due in 2020. In any case, unlike the two other leaders, the former Sri Lankan President had been close to New Delhi once upon a time and it is possible that he may return to his old self if and when he wins. But this line of thought underestimates Beijing’s ability to seize an advantage when it sees one in the region, at India’s cost. The common factor in the Maldives and Sri Lanka is that New Delhi had sent boots on the ground there. In the first case, the Indian military had intervened to thwart a joint operation by a group of Maldivians and Sri Lankan militants to overthrow the Mammon Abdul Gayoom regime there in 1988; and in the second, Indian Armed Forces had arrived there in 1987 at the invitation of Colombo to fight the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Operation Cactus of the Indian Army succeeded in Male, whereas Operation Pawan, which involved the erroneously named Indian Peacekeeping Forces (IPKF) entering Lankan territory to disarm the LTTE, ended in a disaster. There are voices both in favour and opposition to yet another Indian military intervention in Male. The Maldives is strategically located in the Indian Ocean, of which India is a ‘net security provider’ and where Beijing is seeking to expand its influence. An unfriendly Male, thus, could become a weak spot for New Delhi in the region. Besides, the Maldives is a member of SAARC, and at a time when India is already facing obstacles from Pakistan in pushing through its various pan-SAARC initiatives, it could do without another obstructionist in the form of Male. The third reason for India’s concerns is, of course, China’s massive presence in the Maldives — one that could gain further momentum in an India-unfriendly Government there. By some estimates, 70 per cent of the Maldives’ debt is owed to China alone. There is, thus, danger in New Delhi remaining non-committal at this stage. But those who are opposed to direct India’s intervention say that interfering in another nation’s internal affairs can only be counter-productive. It would be used by sections there to further boost anti-India sentiments. There is also no certainty that military boots on the ground will fetch results. They add that New Delhi would gain more by pressuring Male diplomatically, both bilaterally and globally, and not by escalating the crisis through direct intervention. The Rajapaksa-backed Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna's (SLPP) landslide victory in the local body election was the result of many factors, the primary among them being the discord among the ruling parters led by President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. The coalition arrangement has been far from smooth, paving the way for Rajapkasa to cash in on the discontent and growing public disaffection with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the United National Party (UNP) partnership. Given that Rajapaksa’s SLPP has won big in Sinhala-dominated wards while the Tamil National Alliance has done well in Tamil-populated wards, the UNP-SLFP got squeezed out. It may be recalled that New Delhi and Rajapaksa had shared a wonderful relationship at the time when Colombo had waged a do or die battle with the LTTE, in which it emerged victorious following decades of bloodshed. But thereafter things began to go wrong as India felt the Rajapaksa government had failed in meeting the commitments at reconciliation with the traumatised Tamil community. True, domestic compulsions also made New Delhi take a hard stand. But that also led Rajapaksa to start veering towards China. He even attributed his electoral defeat to India’s intervention. Like the Maldives, Sri Lanka too is an important component of the Indian Ocean region and a SAARC member. In case Rajapaksa makes a national comeback and continues from where he had left — in China’s favour — then New Delhi’s hopes of continuing to be a net security provider in the region could be compromised. The already large Chinese presence in Sri Lanka can then only get bigger, much to New Delhi’s chagrin. It makes sense for India to initiate some sort of outreach to the former President. Closer home, in Nepal, the situation is the most grim of all. It is not in Oli’s DNA, nor in that of his outfit, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), to be pro-India. For years, the CPN (UML) has clung on to slogans against ‘Indian expansionism’, and Oli has benefitted politically from his anti-India line. The 2015 blockade strengthened his hands and made his rant shriller — and more credible. In his first, albeit short, tenure, Oli had sought to snub New Delhi and opened the doors for Beijing to be major partners in the Nepal growth story. With the trend likely to resume in the coming months, New Delhi can only hope that the communist leader will soften his position. There is a belief that his partnership with the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) can achieve this to some extent. The CPN (MC) is led by former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, who is favourably inclined towards India, and he can be expected to temper the coalition regime’s anti-India sentiment. But that is only an expectation, and against this, we have the track record of the Oli regime which gives little cause for cheer to New Delhi. India’s campaign for lasting regional superiority rests on its relations with the immediate and near neighbourhood. The way it tackles the challenges relating to Nepal, the Maldives and Sri Lanka holds the key to success. If New Delhi falters, Beijing gains. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: If New Delhi falters with its neighbours, Beijing gains

The visit of all ten ASEAN leaders to New Delhi on 25-26 January, as guests of honour at India&rsquo;s Republic Day celebrations, marks a high for Indian diplomacy and for India-ASEAN partnership. In the past, we have invited at the most two Heads of State government as guests of honour: Alexei Kosygin &amp; Josip Tito in 1968 and Sirimavo Bandaranaike as well as Josip Tito in 1974.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

India and ASEAN nations, some of which are our immediate neighbours, have enjoyed robust trade, maritime, cultural and people-to-people exchanges over two millennia. The ties have been successfully and befittingly recrafted in modern times, especially since the unveiling of our &lsquo;Look East Policy&rsquo; in 1991 (since re-christened as ACT East Policy). &nbsp;

&nbsp;

It may, therefore, sound incredulous that India, riding high on Non-Aligned Movement, had declined ASEAN&rsquo;s membership-invitation in the late sixties, believing that the latter was an American inspired anti-Communist grouping. Prof. Sumit Ganguly in his book &lsquo;India Since 1980&rsquo; observes, &quot;&hellip;Indian leadership had spurned the overtures of the founders of ASEAN when it was formed. &hellip;they felt that is was composed exclusively of states that had close ties with the US, was simply another anti-Communist and anti-Soviet bastion in Asia, and that India could ill-afford to become a member of any such organization&rsquo;. How the sands of time shift!

&nbsp;

Both sides, over the last twenty-five years, have invested considerably in building closer relations, which were elevated to the level of strategic partnership in 2012. The ties essentially rest on three pillars (or 3 Cs) &ndash; Commerce, Connectivity and Culture.&nbsp;

India and ASEAN nations together encompass a population of 1.8 billion and a GDP of US$ 4.5 trillion. The potential, thus, is enormous. The sides operationalised a &lsquo;Free Trade Area in Goods&rsquo; in January 2010 and concluded a &#39;Free Trade Area in Services and Investment&rsquo; in September 2014.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The fact, however, remains that the &#39;Free Trade Area in Goods&#39; is not ambitious enough. It covers merely 90% of product lines and has just about managed to pluck the low-hanging fruit. The FTA in Services and Investment has yet to be operationalised, as Philippines, Indonesia and Cambodia have still to ratify it. As a result, bilateral trade is stagnating around $70 billion after attaining a high of $ 80 billion in 2011-12. The best way forward, therefore, is to qualitatively review and upgrade the FTA in Goods.

&nbsp;

A Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement is also under discussion among ASEAN plus six of its partner nations which include India, China, Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand. While we are participating in the negotiations, we do have serious difficulties, first and foremost about opening our doors further to Chinese imports. As it is, we have an over $50 billion trade deficit with China. RCEP could result in an avalanche of Chinese goods in the Indian market, adversely impacting the Indian manufacturing industry, especially in the Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SME) sector.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Connectivity lies at the heart of any relationship and it is particularly important for India&rsquo;s north-eastern region, which has a land border with Myanmar. India has initiated a number of surface and air connectivity projects with ASEAN. In 2002, we proposed the India &ndash; Myanmar - Thailand trilateral highway project. It has made progress in fits and starts, missed several deadlines but has yet to be completed. The fate of the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project, announced by India in 2008, has been quite similar. It is in India&rsquo;s interest to resist the temptation of unveiling new initiatives and concentrate instead on the expeditious conclusion of projects in the pipeline.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

India and ASEAN are doing much better on the cultural front and on enhancing people-to-people, especially youth exchanges.&nbsp;

A final word about the China factor. There is a mistaken notion in some quarters that ASEAN views India as a counterweight or alternative to China. This perception is completely far-fetched.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

True, both ASEAN nations and India are concerned about Chinese muscle-flexing. True, we both stand for freedom of navigation on the high seas and are averse to threat or use of force in dispute settlement. And, therefore, both sides are increasingly consulting each other, building on synergies and staking out common positions where feasible. That said, India herself seeks a cordial and cooperative relationship with China, with which she shares a 4000 km long difficult border. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

India and ASEAN are natural partners. We have similar aspirations and challenges. A closer relationship is of mutual interest. Both sides need to stay the course and reinvigorate efforts to narrow the gulf between ambition and action.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;&nbsp;

India and ASEAN are natural partners. We have similar aspirations and challenges. A closer relationship is of mutual interest.

The visit of all ten ASEAN leaders to New Delhi on 25-26 January, as guests of honour at India’s Republic Day celebrations, marks a high for Indian diplomacy and for India-ASEAN partnership. In the past, we have invited at the most two Heads of State government as guests of honour: Alexei Kosygin & Josip Tito in 1968 and Sirimavo Bandaranaike as well as Josip Tito in 1974. India and ASEAN nations, some of which are our immediate neighbours, have enjoyed robust trade, maritime, cultural and people-to-people exchanges over two millennia. The ties have been successfully and befittingly recrafted in modern times, especially since the unveiling of our ‘Look East Policy’ in 1991 (since re-christened as ACT East Policy). It may, therefore, sound incredulous that India, riding high on Non-Aligned Movement, had declined ASEAN’s membership-invitation in the late sixties, believing that the latter was an American inspired anti-Communist grouping. Prof. Sumit Ganguly in his book ‘India Since 1980’ observes, "…Indian leadership had spurned the overtures of the founders of ASEAN when it was formed. …they felt that is was composed exclusively of states that had close ties with the US, was simply another anti-Communist and anti-Soviet bastion in Asia, and that India could ill-afford to become a member of any such organization’. How the sands of time shift! Both sides, over the last twenty-five years, have invested considerably in building closer relations, which were elevated to the level of strategic partnership in 2012. The ties essentially rest on three pillars (or 3 Cs) – Commerce, Connectivity and Culture. India and ASEAN nations together encompass a population of 1.8 billion and a GDP of US$ 4.5 trillion. The potential, thus, is enormous. The sides operationalised a ‘Free Trade Area in Goods’ in January 2010 and concluded a 'Free Trade Area in Services and Investment’ in September 2014. The fact, however, remains that the 'Free Trade Area in Goods' is not ambitious enough. It covers merely 90% of product lines and has just about managed to pluck the low-hanging fruit. The FTA in Services and Investment has yet to be operationalised, as Philippines, Indonesia and Cambodia have still to ratify it. As a result, bilateral trade is stagnating around $70 billion after attaining a high of $ 80 billion in 2011-12. The best way forward, therefore, is to qualitatively review and upgrade the FTA in Goods. A Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement is also under discussion among ASEAN plus six of its partner nations which include India, China, Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand. While we are participating in the negotiations, we do have serious difficulties, first and foremost about opening our doors further to Chinese imports. As it is, we have an over $50 billion trade deficit with China. RCEP could result in an avalanche of Chinese goods in the Indian market, adversely impacting the Indian manufacturing industry, especially in the Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SME) sector. Connectivity lies at the heart of any relationship and it is particularly important for India’s north-eastern region, which has a land border with Myanmar. India has initiated a number of surface and air connectivity projects with ASEAN. In 2002, we proposed the India – Myanmar - Thailand trilateral highway project. It has made progress in fits and starts, missed several deadlines but has yet to be completed. The fate of the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project, announced by India in 2008, has been quite similar. It is in India’s interest to resist the temptation of unveiling new initiatives and concentrate instead on the expeditious conclusion of projects in the pipeline. India and ASEAN are doing much better on the cultural front and on enhancing people-to-people, especially youth exchanges. A final word about the China factor. There is a mistaken notion in some quarters that ASEAN views India as a counterweight or alternative to China. This perception is completely far-fetched. True, both ASEAN nations and India are concerned about Chinese muscle-flexing. True, we both stand for freedom of navigation on the high seas and are averse to threat or use of force in dispute settlement. And, therefore, both sides are increasingly consulting each other, building on synergies and staking out common positions where feasible. That said, India herself seeks a cordial and cooperative relationship with China, with which she shares a 4000 km long difficult border. India and ASEAN are natural partners. We have similar aspirations and challenges. A closer relationship is of mutual interest. Both sides need to stay the course and reinvigorate efforts to narrow the gulf between ambition and action. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: 25 years of India-ASEAN partnership calls for a reality check

The first full dress rehearsal of the Republic Day parade got underway in Delhi Tuesday morning.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> Full dress rehearsal for the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RepublicDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RepublicDay</a> parade at Rajpath in New <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Delhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Delhi</a> <a href="https://t.co/USXHkS0RdV">pic.twitter.com/USXHkS0RdV</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/955700184922521600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Delhi Traffic Police issued a traffic advisory Tuesday morning but the customary traffic snarls followed.&nbsp;

There was a two-kilometre jam on the Akshardham to Nizamuddin stretch. ITO was also jammed, as was Ashram to DND, NH 24 and Pusa Road.&nbsp;

Mayur Vihar Phase I and III, Pusa Road, and the Ranhola to Najafgarh also saw half-hour delays.&nbsp;

Road restrictions will be in place Tuesday to Friday in large parts of central Delhi ahead of Republic Day celebrations and an India-ASEAN commemorative summit.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
TRAFFIC ADVISORY 
Traffic Arrangements &ndash; Full Dress Rehearsal on 23rd January, 2018 <a href="https://t.co/zrTpQltcXC">pic.twitter.com/zrTpQltcXC</a>
&mdash; Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) <a href="https://twitter.com/dtptraffic/status/955617863112388608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Monday morning too had seen massive traffic snarls in the central Delhi area after a dress rehearsal of the parade was held.&nbsp;

Jams were reported on roads around India Gate, ITO, the Ring Road near South Extention, Lajpat Nagar, and Maharani Bagh and all the way into Noida via the DND.&nbsp;

Incoming traffic from Noida too was affected too due to barricades being put for security purposes.&nbsp;

Delhi Traffic Police had on Monday advised commuters to make use of Google Maps to navigate the city&#39;s roads but despite several advisories, news reports said the traffic situation on the ground was nothing short of &quot;chaotic&quot;.

There was a two-kilometre jam on the Akshardham to Nizamuddin stretch. ITO was also jammed

The first full dress rehearsal of the Republic Day parade got underway in Delhi Tuesday morning. #WATCH Full dress rehearsal for the #RepublicDay parade at Rajpath in New #Delhi pic.twitter.com/USXHkS0RdV — ANI (@ANI) January 23, 2018 × Delhi Traffic Police issued a traffic advisory Tuesday morning but the customary traffic snarls followed. There was a two-kilometre jam on the Akshardham to Nizamuddin stretch. ITO was also jammed, as was Ashram to DND, NH 24 and Pusa Road. Mayur Vihar Phase I and III, Pusa Road, and the Ranhola to Najafgarh also saw half-hour delays. Road restrictions will be in place Tuesday to Friday in large parts of central Delhi ahead of Republic Day celebrations and an India-ASEAN commemorative summit. TRAFFIC ADVISORY Traffic Arrangements – Full Dress Rehearsal on 23rd January, 2018 pic.twitter.com/zrTpQltcXC — Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) January 23, 2018 × Monday morning too had seen massive traffic snarls in the central Delhi area after a dress rehearsal of the parade was held. Jams were reported on roads around India Gate, ITO, the Ring Road near South Extention, Lajpat Nagar, and Maharani Bagh and all the way into Noida via the DND. Incoming traffic from Noida too was affected too due to barricades being put for security purposes. Delhi Traffic Police had on Monday advised commuters to make use of Google Maps to navigate the city's roads but despite several advisories, news reports said the traffic situation on the ground was nothing short of "chaotic".

Delhi: Republic Day parade rehearsal gets underway, traffic jams follow

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