<p>India&rsquo;s foreign ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay was appointed as joint secretary in the Prime Minister&#39;s Office on Friday.</p>

<p>Baglay will replace Vinay Mohan Kwatra, who has appointed as India&#39;s ambassador to France.</p>

<p>His appointment as joint secretary in the PMO was cleared by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) headed by PM Modi.</p>

<p>Consul General of India in Frankfurt (Germany) Raveesh Kumar will replace Gopal Baglay as the foreign ministry spokesperson.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">MEA Spokesperson Gopal Baglay to be appointed as Joint Secretary in PMO. Gopal Baglay will replace Vinay Mohan Kwatra.</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/888404699149254656">July 21, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Baglay will replace Vinay Mohan Kwatra, who has appointed as India's Ambassador to France

India’s foreign ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay was appointed as joint secretary in the Prime Minister's Office on Friday. Baglay will replace Vinay Mohan Kwatra, who has appointed as India's ambassador to France. His appointment as joint secretary in the PMO was cleared by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) headed by PM Modi. Consul General of India in Frankfurt (Germany) Raveesh Kumar will replace Gopal Baglay as the foreign ministry spokesperson. MEA Spokesperson Gopal Baglay to be appointed as Joint Secretary in PMO. Gopal Baglay will replace Vinay Mohan Kwatra. — ANI (@ANI_news) July 21, 2017 ×

India: Foreign ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay appointed joint secretary in PMO

<p>Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned from his two-nation visit today which also included the historic visit to Israel, the first by an Indian Prime Minister.</p>

<p>Prime Minister Modi started his two-nation tour with a historic visit to Israel marking 25 years of establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. Later, he attended the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received the Indian Prime Minister at the airport. The two leaders signed a number of agreements.</p>

<p>Narendra Modi also met the Israeli business community where CEOs of Indian and Israeli businesses signed agreements worth $5 billion.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After concluding his historic Israel visit, the Prime Minister visited the German city of Hamburg to attend the 12th G-20 summit. At the summit, the Prime Minister urged the countries for a debate on forced migration and emphasesed on a policy framework to distinguish legal migration.</p>

<p>The Prime Minister also held bilateral talks with leaders of South Korea and Italy and discussed a range of issues. He also held talks with British Prime Minister Theresa May discussing ways to extradite economic offenders.</p>

<p>The big take away was Prime Minister Modi&#39;s meeting with the Chinese President Xi Jinping in the backdrop of the ongoing standoff between the two armies back home.</p>


The big take away was Prime Minister Modi's meeting with the Chinese President Xi Jinping in the backdrop of the ongoing standoff between the two armies back home

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned from his two-nation visit today which also included the historic visit to Israel, the first by an Indian Prime Minister. Prime Minister Modi started his two-nation tour with a historic visit to Israel marking 25 years of establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. Later, he attended the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received the Indian Prime Minister at the airport. The two leaders signed a number of agreements. Narendra Modi also met the Israeli business community where CEOs of Indian and Israeli businesses signed agreements worth $5 billion. After concluding his historic Israel visit, the Prime Minister visited the German city of Hamburg to attend the 12th G-20 summit. At the summit, the Prime Minister urged the countries for a debate on forced migration and emphasesed on a policy framework to distinguish legal migration. The Prime Minister also held bilateral talks with leaders of South Korea and Italy and discussed a range of issues. He also held talks with British Prime Minister Theresa May discussing ways to extradite economic offenders. The big take away was Prime Minister Modi's meeting with the Chinese President Xi Jinping in the backdrop of the ongoing standoff between the two armies back home.

PM Modi returns after concluding two-nation tour including historic Israel visit

<p>At the G-20 Leaders Retreat on Friday, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi named&nbsp;Pakistan-based terrorist groups and made a clear reference to Pakistan when he said some nations were &quot;using terrorism for achieving political goals&quot;.</p>

<p>The Indian PM also&nbsp;presented an 11-point action agenda for countering terrorism.</p>

<p>PM Modi, the lead speaker on the theme of terrorism at the Leaders Retreat, said all terrorist groups were guided by the same ideology hatred and manslaughter be it the Daesh or al-Qaeda in the Middle East, the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed or the Haqqani network in the South Asia or the Boko Haram in Nigeria.</p>

<p>&quot;Some nations are using terrorism for achieving political goals,&quot; the Indian PM said&nbsp;in a clear reference to Pakistan.</p>

<p>Regretting that the international response to terrorism has been &quot;weak&quot;, PM Modi said the nations are less networked in dealing with the menace while the terrorists are better networked.</p>

<p>The Indian prime minister presented an&nbsp;11-point action agenda included deterrent action against countries supporting terrorism and banning entry of leaders of such countries to G-20 nations; exchange of suspected terrorist lists among the G-20 nations; joint action against terrorists, and simplifying and expediting extradition and other legal processes.</p>

<p>The list also included the adoption of a comprehensive convention on international terrorism, implementation of United Nations Security Council resolutions and other international process, joint efforts for best practices in de-radicalisation programmes by G-20 nations and closure of terrorist financing sources through FATF (Financial Action Task Force).</p>

<p>The Indian PM also called for creating an Explosive Action Task Force on the lines of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in order to crackdown on the sources of supply of arms and ammunitions to terror outfits.</p>

<p>The FATF is an international inter-governmental organisation that is responsible for formulating global policies for countering money laundering and terrorist financing</p>

<p>Other points in PM Modi&#39;s counter-terrorism list included cooperation in cyber-security and establishing a mechanism for National Security Advisors on counter-terrorism in G-20 nations.</p>

<p>Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister attended an informal gathering of BRICS leaders in Hamburg where he conversed with Chinese President Xi Jinping on a range of issues. The two leaders heaped praises on each other for their contributions to BRICS.</p>

<p>The meeting raised eyebrows since it comes amid the stand-off over a disputed territory in the Sikkim region.</p>


Modi named?Pakistan-based terrorist groups??and made a clear reference to Pakistan when he said some nations were 'using terrorism for achieving political goals'

At the G-20 Leaders Retreat on Friday, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi named Pakistan-based terrorist groups and made a clear reference to Pakistan when he said some nations were "using terrorism for achieving political goals". The Indian PM also presented an 11-point action agenda for countering terrorism. PM Modi, the lead speaker on the theme of terrorism at the Leaders Retreat, said all terrorist groups were guided by the same ideology hatred and manslaughter be it the Daesh or al-Qaeda in the Middle East, the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed or the Haqqani network in the South Asia or the Boko Haram in Nigeria. "Some nations are using terrorism for achieving political goals," the Indian PM said in a clear reference to Pakistan. Regretting that the international response to terrorism has been "weak", PM Modi said the nations are less networked in dealing with the menace while the terrorists are better networked. The Indian prime minister presented an 11-point action agenda included deterrent action against countries supporting terrorism and banning entry of leaders of such countries to G-20 nations; exchange of suspected terrorist lists among the G-20 nations; joint action against terrorists, and simplifying and expediting extradition and other legal processes. The list also included the adoption of a comprehensive convention on international terrorism, implementation of United Nations Security Council resolutions and other international process, joint efforts for best practices in de-radicalisation programmes by G-20 nations and closure of terrorist financing sources through FATF (Financial Action Task Force). The Indian PM also called for creating an Explosive Action Task Force on the lines of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in order to crackdown on the sources of supply of arms and ammunitions to terror outfits. The FATF is an international inter-governmental organisation that is responsible for formulating global policies for countering money laundering and terrorist financing Other points in PM Modi's counter-terrorism list included cooperation in cyber-security and establishing a mechanism for National Security Advisors on counter-terrorism in G-20 nations. Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister attended an informal gathering of BRICS leaders in Hamburg where he conversed with Chinese President Xi Jinping on a range of issues. The two leaders heaped praises on each other for their contributions to BRICS. The meeting raised eyebrows since it comes amid the stand-off over a disputed territory in the Sikkim region.

G-20: PM Modi slams 'nations using terrorism for achieving political goals'

<p>Indian PM Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping &quot;conversed on a range of issues&quot; at an informal meeting of the leaders of the BRICS grouping during the ongoing G-20 summit in Hamburg on Friday.</p>

<p>Their meeting comes amidst a standoff between the armies of India and China in the Sikkim region.</p>

<p>The Chinese President appreciated India&#39;s &quot;strong resolve against terrorism&quot; in BRICS while PM Modi said there had been a &quot;positive momentum in BRICS under chairmanship of President Xi Jinping.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>The two conversed on a &quot;range of issues&quot; at an informal gathering of BRICS leaders, Gopal Baglay, spokesperson at the Ministry of External Affairs said.</p>

<p>&quot;President Xi appreciated India&#39;s strong resolve against terrorism and momentum in BRICS introduced under India&#39;s Chairmanship,&quot; India&#39;s Ministry of External Affairs said.</p>

<p>PM Modi promised full cooperation and best wishes to the Chinese President for the upcoming BRICS Summit in China, PTI reported.</p>

<p>PM Modi urged leaders from the BRICS nations to show leadership in fighting terrorism and boosting global economy even as he asked the G-20 nations to collectively crackdown on terror financing, safe havens,&nbsp;&quot;support and sponsors&quot; of terrorism.</p>

<p>The Indian prime minister, who was the lead speaker on the theme of terrorism at the Leaders Retreat, presented an 11-point action agenda for counter-terrorism and emphasised the need to strengthen inter-governmental cooperation among countries.</p>

<p>&quot;BRICS has been a strong voice and needs to show leadership on terrorism and global economy,&quot; Modi said.</p>

<p>&nbsp;He emphasised that the G-20 should collectively oppose terrorism financing, franchises, safe havens, support and sponsors.</p>

<p>The Indian PM also supported the &quot;collective voice&quot; against protectionism, especially in the spheres of trade and movement of knowledge and professionals. He also called for expediting efforts to establish a BRICS rating agency.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He emphasised that it was necessary to work together for sustained global economic recovery and also referred to the reforms carried out by his government, including implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).</p>

<p>&quot;GST implemented last week is India&#39;s biggest tax reform in last 70 yrs. It will&nbsp;help businesses,&quot; PM Modi said.</p>

<p>The BRICS bloc comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.</p>

<p>In a joint communique issued as the leaders gathered in a vast convention centre,&nbsp;the &nbsp;BRICS countries&nbsp;called on the G20 to push for implementation of the Paris climate deal despite Trump&#39;s decision last month to pull the United States out of it.</p>

<p>The G-20, which includes India and China, account for 80 per cent of the global economic output.&nbsp;</p>


The Chinese President appreciated India's 'strong resolve against terrorism' in BRICS while PM Modi said there had been a 'positive momentum in BRICS under chairmanship of President Xi Jinping'

Indian PM Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping "conversed on a range of issues" at an informal meeting of the leaders of the BRICS grouping during the ongoing G-20 summit in Hamburg on Friday. Their meeting comes amidst a standoff between the armies of India and China in the Sikkim region. The Chinese President appreciated India's "strong resolve against terrorism" in BRICS while PM Modi said there had been a "positive momentum in BRICS under chairmanship of President Xi Jinping." The two conversed on a "range of issues" at an informal gathering of BRICS leaders, Gopal Baglay, spokesperson at the Ministry of External Affairs said. "President Xi appreciated India's strong resolve against terrorism and momentum in BRICS introduced under India's Chairmanship," India's Ministry of External Affairs said. PM Modi promised full cooperation and best wishes to the Chinese President for the upcoming BRICS Summit in China, PTI reported. PM Modi urged leaders from the BRICS nations to show leadership in fighting terrorism and boosting global economy even as he asked the G-20 nations to collectively crackdown on terror financing, safe havens, "support and sponsors" of terrorism. The Indian prime minister, who was the lead speaker on the theme of terrorism at the Leaders Retreat, presented an 11-point action agenda for counter-terrorism and emphasised the need to strengthen inter-governmental cooperation among countries. "BRICS has been a strong voice and needs to show leadership on terrorism and global economy," Modi said. He emphasised that the G-20 should collectively oppose terrorism financing, franchises, safe havens, support and sponsors. The Indian PM also supported the "collective voice" against protectionism, especially in the spheres of trade and movement of knowledge and professionals. He also called for expediting efforts to establish a BRICS rating agency. He emphasised that it was necessary to work together for sustained global economic recovery and also referred to the reforms carried out by his government, including implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST). "GST implemented last week is India's biggest tax reform in last 70 yrs. It will help businesses," PM Modi said. The BRICS bloc comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. In a joint communique issued as the leaders gathered in a vast convention centre, the BRICS countries called on the G20 to push for implementation of the Paris climate deal despite Trump's decision last month to pull the United States out of it. The G-20, which includes India and China, account for 80 per cent of the global economic output.

Standoff at home but Modi, Xi trade praises at G-20

<p>Indian and Israeli companies signed MoUs worth over five billion dollars and agreed to a five-year trade target of USD 20 billion during PM Modi&#39;s meeting with CEOs in Tel Aviv on Thursday.</p>

<p><br />
PM Modi, who shared photographs from the event on Twitter, said he &quot;interacted with Indian and Israeli CEOs to discuss the immense opportunities in India and the wide scope of India-Israel economic cooperation.&quot;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Interacted with Indian &amp; Israeli CEOs to discuss the immense opportunities in India and the wide scope of India-Israel economic cooperation. <a href="https://t.co/9a2Af8IEmJ">pic.twitter.com/9a2Af8IEmJ</a></p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/882957356752973825">July 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The Indian PM added that the key focus areas of his Israel visit were start ups and technology.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Some of the key focus areas of my Israel visit are start ups &amp; technology. Had the opportunity to visit an impressive technology exhibition. <a href="https://t.co/lusVK2VU9c">pic.twitter.com/lusVK2VU9c</a></p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/882959411366436864">July 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu attended the first meeting of India-Israel CEOs forum in Tel Aviv. <a href="https://t.co/qSjj5KtW4v">pic.twitter.com/qSjj5KtW4v</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/882956084159184897">July 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Tel Aviv: CEOs of India-Israel conclude MoUs worth over 5 bn $ on the sidelines of the visit <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiaIsraelFriendship?src=hash">#IndiaIsraelFriendship</a> <a href="https://t.co/UNEVBPJuj5">pic.twitter.com/UNEVBPJuj5</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/882956891919233029">July 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>As many as 12 strategic pacts envisaging investments worth USD 4.3 billion were signed between Indian and Israeli companies, India&#39;s industrial body, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) said.</p>

<p>&quot;The forum identified and stressed on the need to realise opportunities in focus sectors identified during the first meeting of the CEOs forum. There was a consensus that the current trade volume amounting to just over USD 4 billion has the potential to reach USD 20 billion in the next five years. To realise this goal, the forum underlined key recommendations to two heads of states,&quot; FICCI said in its statement.</p>

<p>CEOs from both sides also identified focus sectors for mutual collaboration in the spheres of agriculture, irrigation, water treatment, urban infrastructure, transport (including high speed railways and metro), pharma, life-sciences, digital technologies, Information Technology, start-ups and innovation and defence and homeland security.</p>

<p>Pankaj R Patel, Deputy President of India-Israel CEOs forum confirmed that 12 MoUS worth over 4.5 billion dollars have been signed between Israeli and Indian companies.</p>

<p>&quot;We expect a lot of business development between the two sides with an aim of reaching a business of 20 million dollars in the next five years,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>Shraga Brosh, President India-Israel CEOs forum said ahead of the meet, &quot;The goal of the CEO forum is to increase the cooperation between the Indian and the Israeli businesses. We have identified a few sectors like agriculture, water treatment, healthcare, medical devices and others that we are sure we can reach a goal of 20 billion dollar.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;We have created six working groups dealing with each sector separately and experts from both sides will be part of this group,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>Prime Minister Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel.</p>

<p>Earlier in the day, the Indian PM and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu paid homage to Indian soldiers martyred during World War I at the Haifa Cemetery.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">At Haifa, paid tributes to the brave Indian soldiers who fought courageously in the First World War. <a href="https://t.co/2D7UYKhHwh">pic.twitter.com/2D7UYKhHwh</a></p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/882962473078239234">July 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Before his departure for Hamburg, Germany for the G20 summit, PM Modi also interacted with Indian students in&nbsp;Tel Aviv.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It was great to meet Indian students studying in Israel. <a href="https://t.co/DBN4VRnxm0">pic.twitter.com/DBN4VRnxm0</a></p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/882960466678431745">July 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Indian prime minister, who was accompanied by his Israeli counterpart throughout, shared pictures from his visit, including one signed by Benjamin Netanyahu.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thank you my friend, PM <a href="https://twitter.com/netanyahu">@netanyahu</a> for the signed photo, your kind words, amazing hospitality &amp; passion towards <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiaIsraelFriendship?src=hash">#IndiaIsraelFriendship</a>. <a href="https://t.co/1jUtMG3F85">pic.twitter.com/1jUtMG3F85</a></p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/882963178035978240">July 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="rtl" lang="iw">??? ???? ??? ????? ?????? ????? ?? ?????? ???. ????? ????? ?? ????? ??????? ????? ????? ????-?????. <a href="https://t.co/ZeYS3eE4xk">pic.twitter.com/ZeYS3eE4xk</a></p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/882964808361951232">July 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I thank the people and Government of Israel for their hospitality. This successful visit will add more energy to India-Israel relations. <a href="https://t.co/sreMPExX9i">pic.twitter.com/sreMPExX9i</a></p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/882964885230854144">July 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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As many as 12 strategic pacts envisaging investments worth USD 4.3 billion were signed

Indian and Israeli companies signed MoUs worth over five billion dollars and agreed to a five-year trade target of USD 20 billion during PM Modi's meeting with CEOs in Tel Aviv on Thursday. PM Modi, who shared photographs from the event on Twitter, said he "interacted with Indian and Israeli CEOs to discuss the immense opportunities in India and the wide scope of India-Israel economic cooperation." Interacted with Indian & Israeli CEOs to discuss the immense opportunities in India and the wide scope of India-Israel economic cooperation. pic.twitter.com/9a2Af8IEmJ — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 6, 2017 × The Indian PM added that the key focus areas of his Israel visit were start ups and technology. Some of the key focus areas of my Israel visit are start ups & technology. Had the opportunity to visit an impressive technology exhibition. pic.twitter.com/lusVK2VU9c — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 6, 2017 × Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu attended the first meeting of India-Israel CEOs forum in Tel Aviv. pic.twitter.com/qSjj5KtW4v — ANI (@ANI_news) July 6, 2017 × Tel Aviv: CEOs of India-Israel conclude MoUs worth over 5 bn $ on the sidelines of the visit #IndiaIsraelFriendship pic.twitter.com/UNEVBPJuj5 — ANI (@ANI_news) July 6, 2017 × As many as 12 strategic pacts envisaging investments worth USD 4.3 billion were signed between Indian and Israeli companies, India's industrial body, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) said. "The forum identified and stressed on the need to realise opportunities in focus sectors identified during the first meeting of the CEOs forum. There was a consensus that the current trade volume amounting to just over USD 4 billion has the potential to reach USD 20 billion in the next five years. To realise this goal, the forum underlined key recommendations to two heads of states," FICCI said in its statement. CEOs from both sides also identified focus sectors for mutual collaboration in the spheres of agriculture, irrigation, water treatment, urban infrastructure, transport (including high speed railways and metro), pharma, life-sciences, digital technologies, Information Technology, start-ups and innovation and defence and homeland security. Pankaj R Patel, Deputy President of India-Israel CEOs forum confirmed that 12 MoUS worth over 4.5 billion dollars have been signed between Israeli and Indian companies. "We expect a lot of business development between the two sides with an aim of reaching a business of 20 million dollars in the next five years," he added. Shraga Brosh, President India-Israel CEOs forum said ahead of the meet, "The goal of the CEO forum is to increase the cooperation between the Indian and the Israeli businesses. We have identified a few sectors like agriculture, water treatment, healthcare, medical devices and others that we are sure we can reach a goal of 20 billion dollar." "We have created six working groups dealing with each sector separately and experts from both sides will be part of this group," he added. Prime Minister Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel. Earlier in the day, the Indian PM and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu paid homage to Indian soldiers martyred during World War I at the Haifa Cemetery. At Haifa, paid tributes to the brave Indian soldiers who fought courageously in the First World War. pic.twitter.com/2D7UYKhHwh — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 6, 2017 × Before his departure for Hamburg, Germany for the G20 summit, PM Modi also interacted with Indian students in Tel Aviv. It was great to meet Indian students studying in Israel. pic.twitter.com/DBN4VRnxm0 — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 6, 2017 × The Indian prime minister, who was accompanied by his Israeli counterpart throughout, shared pictures from his visit, including one signed by Benjamin Netanyahu. Thank you my friend, PM @netanyahu for the signed photo, your kind words, amazing hospitality & passion towards #IndiaIsraelFriendship. pic.twitter.com/1jUtMG3F85 — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 6, 2017 × ??? ???? ??? ????? ?????? ????? ?? ?????? ???. ????? ????? ?? ????? ??????? ????? ????? ????-?????. pic.twitter.com/ZeYS3eE4xk — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 6, 2017 × I thank the people and Government of Israel for their hospitality. This successful visit will add more energy to India-Israel relations. pic.twitter.com/sreMPExX9i — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 6, 2017 ×

Indian, Israeli firms sign MoUs worth over $5 billion at Modi's meet with CEOs

<p>China on Thursday dismissed reports of a bilateral meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg.</p>

<p>Officials from the Chinese foreign ministry said the &quot;atmosphere&quot; was &quot;not right&quot; for a bilateral meeting between PM Modi and President Xi at the G20 Summit which commences in Germany&#39;s Hamburg tomorrow.</p>

<p>There had been reports that Modi and Xi may meet on the sidelines of the G20 Summit to resolve the standoff between the armies of the two countries in the Sikkim region.</p>

<p>The Indian government has since said a bilateral meeting between the two leaders was never planned &quot;but everything is fluid&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;So far, there is nothing on a bilateral meeting, but everything is fluid,&quot; the Times of Inda quoted top Indian officials as saying.</p>

<p>Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Geng Shuang said &quot;meaningful peace talks&quot; between both sides could not take place unless &quot;India can immediately withdraw the border troops to the Indian side of the boundary to uphold the peace tranquillity of the China and India border areas&quot;.</p>

<p>&quot;I think this is the pre-condition for any meaningful peace talks between the two sides,&quot; Geng Shuang told the press when asked about the meeting between Modi and Xi on the sidelines of the G20 summit.</p>

<p>Geng, however, confirmed that the meeting of BRICS leaders, to be attended by both Xi and Modi, will take place on the sidelines of the summit tomorrow.</p>

<p>Asked about the possibility of a Xi-Modi meeting, Geng said relevant information will be released in a timely manner.</p>

<p>Indian sources in New Delhi told PTI a meeting of BRICS leaders will take place on the sidelines of G20 summit tomorrow which is expected to include Modi and Xi. They did not mention whether a bilateral meeting between the two leaders would take place.</p>

<p>China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction for the last three weeks after New Delhi objected to Beijing&#39;s attempts to construct a road in the disputed territory.</p>

<p>Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.</p>

<p>On Wednesday, China&#39;s state-run media quoted Chinese analysts as saying that Beijing would be forced to use a &quot;military way&quot; to end the standoff in the Sikkim sector if India refuses to listen to the &quot;historical lessons&quot; being offered by it.</p>


There had been reports that Modi and Xi may meet on the sidelines of the G20 Summit to resolve the standoff between their two armies in the Sikkim region

China on Thursday dismissed reports of a bilateral meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg. Officials from the Chinese foreign ministry said the "atmosphere" was "not right" for a bilateral meeting between PM Modi and President Xi at the G20 Summit which commences in Germany's Hamburg tomorrow. There had been reports that Modi and Xi may meet on the sidelines of the G20 Summit to resolve the standoff between the armies of the two countries in the Sikkim region. The Indian government has since said a bilateral meeting between the two leaders was never planned "but everything is fluid". "So far, there is nothing on a bilateral meeting, but everything is fluid," the Times of Inda quoted top Indian officials as saying. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Geng Shuang said "meaningful peace talks" between both sides could not take place unless "India can immediately withdraw the border troops to the Indian side of the boundary to uphold the peace tranquillity of the China and India border areas". "I think this is the pre-condition for any meaningful peace talks between the two sides," Geng Shuang told the press when asked about the meeting between Modi and Xi on the sidelines of the G20 summit. Geng, however, confirmed that the meeting of BRICS leaders, to be attended by both Xi and Modi, will take place on the sidelines of the summit tomorrow. Asked about the possibility of a Xi-Modi meeting, Geng said relevant information will be released in a timely manner. Indian sources in New Delhi told PTI a meeting of BRICS leaders will take place on the sidelines of G20 summit tomorrow which is expected to include Modi and Xi. They did not mention whether a bilateral meeting between the two leaders would take place. China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction for the last three weeks after New Delhi objected to Beijing's attempts to construct a road in the disputed territory. Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region. On Wednesday, China's state-run media quoted Chinese analysts as saying that Beijing would be forced to use a "military way" to end the standoff in the Sikkim sector if India refuses to listen to the "historical lessons" being offered by it.

After China says no to Modi-Xi meet, India says one was never planned

<p>Hizbul Mujahideen leader Syed Salahuddin on Saturday denounced United States declaring him as a global terrorist, and lamented that Washington gave Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi a red carpet welcome despite denying him entry into US earlier over the Gujarat riots.</p>

<p>Addressing a press conference at the Muzaffarabad&#39;s Centre Press Club,&nbsp;the Hizbul commander said the declaration was a joint move by the US, Israel, and India to express their animosity towards Pakistan, reports the Express Tribune.</p>

<p>He also alleged that the Islamic State (IS) and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were being backed by India,&nbsp;Israel and the US to weaken Pakistan.</p>

<p>Further,&nbsp;training his guns on the Indian Prime Minister,&nbsp;Salahuddin said referring to the 2002 riots in Indian Gujarat, Modi was even banned from travelling to the US and now the he has been given a red carpet welcome in Washington.</p>

<p>In 2005, Modi was denied visa to travel to New York to address Indian-Americans at a rally after his failure to stop a series of deadly anti-Muslim riots three years earlier in Gujarat, where he was chief minister.</p>

<p>Salahuddin also complained that the U.S. sidelined Pakistan but signed a F-16 fighter jet deal with India.</p>

<p>&quot;Despite Pakistan&#39;s role on the front-line in the war on terror, the US ignored it and signed a deal to provide F-16 jets technology to India. Similarly, the US builds pressure on Islamabad to close its nuclear programme, while it signs a nuclear deal with India,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Rejecting the US declaration of his terrorist status, Salahuddin said it was &quot;a big lie&quot; to declare a freedom fighter a global terrorist.</p>

<p>The US Department of State on June 27 declared Salahuddin, &quot;Specially Designated Global Terrorist&quot;, hours before visiting Prime Minister Modi&#39;s meeting with US President Donald Trump.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(ANI)</p>


The Hizbul terrorist said the declaration was a joint move by the US, Israel, and India to express their animosity towards Pakistan

Hizbul Mujahideen leader Syed Salahuddin on Saturday denounced United States declaring him as a global terrorist, and lamented that Washington gave Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi a red carpet welcome despite denying him entry into US earlier over the Gujarat riots. Addressing a press conference at the Muzaffarabad's Centre Press Club, the Hizbul commander said the declaration was a joint move by the US, Israel, and India to express their animosity towards Pakistan, reports the Express Tribune. He also alleged that the Islamic State (IS) and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were being backed by India, Israel and the US to weaken Pakistan. Further, training his guns on the Indian Prime Minister, Salahuddin said referring to the 2002 riots in Indian Gujarat, Modi was even banned from travelling to the US and now the he has been given a red carpet welcome in Washington. In 2005, Modi was denied visa to travel to New York to address Indian-Americans at a rally after his failure to stop a series of deadly anti-Muslim riots three years earlier in Gujarat, where he was chief minister. Salahuddin also complained that the U.S. sidelined Pakistan but signed a F-16 fighter jet deal with India. "Despite Pakistan's role on the front-line in the war on terror, the US ignored it and signed a deal to provide F-16 jets technology to India. Similarly, the US builds pressure on Islamabad to close its nuclear programme, while it signs a nuclear deal with India," he said. Rejecting the US declaration of his terrorist status, Salahuddin said it was "a big lie" to declare a freedom fighter a global terrorist. The US Department of State on June 27 declared Salahuddin, "Specially Designated Global Terrorist", hours before visiting Prime Minister Modi's meeting with US President Donald Trump. (ANI)

After being designated global terrorist, Syed Salahuddin slams US, PM Modi

<p>India&#39;s sweeping tax reform, the Goods and Service Tax came into force at the stroke of midnight Friday&nbsp;with a special session of Parliament attended by Indian lawmakers&nbsp;and top executives of companies.</p>

<p>President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi pressed the button to officially launch the landmark tax reform.</p>

<p>BJP leaders LK Advani, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, Venkaiah Naidu and Hema Malini, Samajwadi Party&#39;s Amar Singh, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, and industrialist Ratan Tata were among the sea of dignitaries were spotted at&nbsp;the midnight ceremony.<br />
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GSTForNewIndia?src=hash">#GSTForNewIndia</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PresidentMukherjee?src=hash">#PresidentMukherjee</a> and PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi">@narendramodi</a> pressing the button to officially launch the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GST?src=hash">#GST</a> <a href="https://t.co/gfy3cPBwgl">pic.twitter.com/gfy3cPBwgl</a></p>
&mdash; PIB India (@PIB_India) <a href="https://twitter.com/PIB_India/status/880857233696804864">June 30, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>In his address to Parliament, President Mukherjee called the GST a &quot;tribute to the maturity and wisdom of India&rsquo;s democracy&quot; and said &nbsp;it had been arrived at through a broad consensus between the Centre and the States.</p>

<p>&quot;The new era in taxation is the result of a broad consensus arrived at between Centre and States,&quot;&nbsp;the President said.</p>

<p>PM Modi began his address to Parliament&nbsp;by paying tributes to leaders of the freedom struggle including Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel and Maulana Azad.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He also credited predecessor governments (United Progressive Alliance) and Opposition parties that co-authored independent India&#39;s biggest tax reform.</p>

<p>Calling GST a &quot;shining example of co-operative federalism&quot;, PM Modi said a the tax reform was a collective process harboured by different teams at different times in history.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;GST is a shining example of co-operative federalism which will give us even more strength to walk together,&quot; PM Modi said&nbsp;in his address to Parliament. &quot;It is a great testament to India&#39;s democracy and cooperative federalism.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;The present GST is the result of a long period of debates and discussions. It is an example of Team India&#39;s collective effort,&quot; PM Modi said. &quot;There was a great deal of doubt but we have managed to overcome all difficulties.&quot;</p>

<p>PM Modi said GST would reduce the risk of spoiling perishable goods by doing away with entry tax. He also added that the tax would unify the country economically.</p>

<p>&quot;Because of myriad taxes, same commodity is available at different prices in different states but this confusion will be dealt with by the introduction of GST. Because of entry tax, trucks had to wait for long hours and perishable goods were at greater risk of getting spoilt but all this will end because of GST,&quot; PM Modi said.</p>

<p>&quot;Sardar Vallabhai Patel united the country politically by integrating all the princely states into the Indian Union and with the implementation of GST, the country is being unified once again economically,&quot; PM Modi said.</p>

<p>The Prime Minister called GST a &quot;good and simple tax&quot; which will end harassment of traders and small businesses while integrating India into one market with one tax rate.&nbsp;He added that the tax reform will eliminate the compounding effects of multi-layered tax system.<br />
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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">Aaj iss madhya raatri ke samay hum sab mil karke desh ka aage ka marg sunishchit karne ja rahe hain: PM Modi <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GST?src=hash">#GST</a> <a href="https://t.co/DgtxOIqfaZ">pic.twitter.com/DgtxOIqfaZ</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/880846686972596224">June 30, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="et">Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee, PM Narendra Modi, VP Hamid Ansari, FM Arun Jaitley, LS Speaker Sumitra Mahajan at Parliament. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GST?src=hash">#GST</a> <a href="https://t.co/b1ZQp3fD52">pic.twitter.com/b1ZQp3fD52</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/880842815701368832">June 30, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>A midnight gong&nbsp;marked the formal launch of the historic tax reform. Many Opposition parties including the Congress are boycotting the Midnight Session, calling it a &quot;publicity gimmick&quot;.</p>

<p>A short film over India&#39;s biggest tax reform was also played at the event.</p>

<center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="430" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/24XwRgBrrmM" width="770"></iframe></center>

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<p>In his&nbsp;address to Parliament, Finance Minister Jaitley said GST was being brought in at a time that the world was witnessing slow growth and divisiveness. &quot;It shows India can collectively think and act with maturity for broader purpose,&quot; the finance minister said.<br />
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Old India was economically fragment, but new India will be of one country, one tax. It will be a India where centre and states will work with common goal of shared prosperity. The consensus in getting to GST shows that India can collectively think, and act maturely,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>The finance minister said neither the centre nor the&nbsp;states had given&nbsp;away their sovereignty while enacting GST.</p>

<p>The GST will replace more than a dozen union and state levies and is expected to make doing business easier by simplifying the tax structure and ensuring greater compliance.</p>

<p><strong>Watch PM Modi&#39;s speech:</strong></p>

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<p>The Goods and Services Tax or GST is scheduled to be launched on the 1st of July, and it is set to revolutionize the way we do our taxes. Catch the latest update on GST only on WION (WION)</p>
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The Goods and Services Tax was made official at 12 pm Friday night at a special session of Parliament

India's sweeping tax reform, the Goods and Service Tax came into force at the stroke of midnight Friday with a special session of Parliament attended by Indian lawmakers and top executives of companies. President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi pressed the button to officially launch the landmark tax reform. BJP leaders LK Advani, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, Venkaiah Naidu and Hema Malini, Samajwadi Party's Amar Singh, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, and industrialist Ratan Tata were among the sea of dignitaries were spotted at the midnight ceremony. #GSTForNewIndia: #PresidentMukherjee and PM @narendramodi pressing the button to officially launch the #GST pic.twitter.com/gfy3cPBwgl — PIB India (@PIB_India) June 30, 2017 × In his address to Parliament, President Mukherjee called the GST a "tribute to the maturity and wisdom of India’s democracy" and said it had been arrived at through a broad consensus between the Centre and the States. "The new era in taxation is the result of a broad consensus arrived at between Centre and States," the President said. PM Modi began his address to Parliament by paying tributes to leaders of the freedom struggle including Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel and Maulana Azad. He also credited predecessor governments (United Progressive Alliance) and Opposition parties that co-authored independent India's biggest tax reform. Calling GST a "shining example of co-operative federalism", PM Modi said a the tax reform was a collective process harboured by different teams at different times in history. "GST is a shining example of co-operative federalism which will give us even more strength to walk together," PM Modi said in his address to Parliament. "It is a great testament to India's democracy and cooperative federalism." "The present GST is the result of a long period of debates and discussions. It is an example of Team India's collective effort," PM Modi said. "There was a great deal of doubt but we have managed to overcome all difficulties." PM Modi said GST would reduce the risk of spoiling perishable goods by doing away with entry tax. He also added that the tax would unify the country economically. "Because of myriad taxes, same commodity is available at different prices in different states but this confusion will be dealt with by the introduction of GST. Because of entry tax, trucks had to wait for long hours and perishable goods were at greater risk of getting spoilt but all this will end because of GST," PM Modi said. "Sardar Vallabhai Patel united the country politically by integrating all the princely states into the Indian Union and with the implementation of GST, the country is being unified once again economically," PM Modi said. The Prime Minister called GST a "good and simple tax" which will end harassment of traders and small businesses while integrating India into one market with one tax rate. He added that the tax reform will eliminate the compounding effects of multi-layered tax system. Aaj iss madhya raatri ke samay hum sab mil karke desh ka aage ka marg sunishchit karne ja rahe hain: PM Modi #GST pic.twitter.com/DgtxOIqfaZ — ANI (@ANI_news) June 30, 2017 × Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee, PM Narendra Modi, VP Hamid Ansari, FM Arun Jaitley, LS Speaker Sumitra Mahajan at Parliament. #GST pic.twitter.com/b1ZQp3fD52 — ANI (@ANI_news) June 30, 2017 × A midnight gong marked the formal launch of the historic tax reform. Many Opposition parties including the Congress are boycotting the Midnight Session, calling it a "publicity gimmick". A short film over India's biggest tax reform was also played at the event. In his address to Parliament, Finance Minister Jaitley said GST was being brought in at a time that the world was witnessing slow growth and divisiveness. "It shows India can collectively think and act with maturity for broader purpose," the finance minister said. Old India was economically fragment, but new India will be of one country, one tax. It will be a India where centre and states will work with common goal of shared prosperity. The consensus in getting to GST shows that India can collectively think, and act maturely," he said. The finance minister said neither the centre nor the states had given away their sovereignty while enacting GST. The GST will replace more than a dozen union and state levies and is expected to make doing business easier by simplifying the tax structure and ensuring greater compliance. Watch PM Modi's speech: The Goods and Services Tax or GST is scheduled to be launched on the 1st of July, and it is set to revolutionize the way we do our taxes. Catch the latest update on GST only on WION (WION) ×

GST launched at stroke of midnight hour

<p>India&#39;s Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned black money hoarders that they were in for a tough time once Switzerland begins automatic information exchange with India in two years.&nbsp;</p>

<p>PM Modi said the impact of the government&#39;s steps to curb the growth of black money was evident since as per the Swiss Bank, there had been a 45 per cent drop in deposits by Indians, &quot;the lowest ever in years&quot;.</p>

<p>&quot;Impact of our steps to check is clear from latest figures of Swiss banks, where Indians&#39; money has dipped to record low. If you know anyone with black money, warn them that they would not be spared,&rdquo; said PM Modi.</p>

<p>The prime minister said the government would take a strong stand against corruption, and &quot;those who have looted the poor will have to give back what they have looted.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;A country where a select few loot, such a nation cannot scale new heights. These select few never want the nation to grow,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>&quot;On one hand, there is a Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan and there is a movement to clean the nation from the menace of corruption.&quot;<br />
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&quot;Two years from now when Swiss Banks start giving real time data, people who deposited money in foreign banks will face tough time,&quot; PM Modi said at an event organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI).</p>

<p>Calling chartered accountants a &quot;big pillar&quot; of the Indian economy, the PM urged them to bring technological innovations to meet global standards.</p>

<p>He said it was a good coincidence that July 1 was the foundation day of ICAI and the launch day of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Modi also launched a new CA course at the event.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;I am hopeful the new course will boost the financial skills of people joining this profession. We need to develop a dynamic system in our institutions and human resources to meet the global benchmarks and requirements,&quot; Modi said. &quot;We will have to see how we can bring technology in the CA field. If chartered accountant firms think of technological innovation, new software, it will open a new market for you.&quot;<br />
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash">#WATCH</a> PM Modi speaking on Foundation Day of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India <a href="https://t.co/UbePZkQx09">https://t.co/UbePZkQx09</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/881142459605975040">July 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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PM Modi said the impact of the government's steps to curb the growth of black money was evident since as per the Swiss Bank, there had been a 45% drop in deposits by Indians

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned black money hoarders that they were in for a tough time once Switzerland begins automatic information exchange with India in two years. PM Modi said the impact of the government's steps to curb the growth of black money was evident since as per the Swiss Bank, there had been a 45 per cent drop in deposits by Indians, "the lowest ever in years". "Impact of our steps to check is clear from latest figures of Swiss banks, where Indians' money has dipped to record low. If you know anyone with black money, warn them that they would not be spared,” said PM Modi. The prime minister said the government would take a strong stand against corruption, and "those who have looted the poor will have to give back what they have looted." "A country where a select few loot, such a nation cannot scale new heights. These select few never want the nation to grow," he said. "On one hand, there is a Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan and there is a movement to clean the nation from the menace of corruption." "Two years from now when Swiss Banks start giving real time data, people who deposited money in foreign banks will face tough time," PM Modi said at an event organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). Calling chartered accountants a "big pillar" of the Indian economy, the PM urged them to bring technological innovations to meet global standards. He said it was a good coincidence that July 1 was the foundation day of ICAI and the launch day of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime. Modi also launched a new CA course at the event. "I am hopeful the new course will boost the financial skills of people joining this profession. We need to develop a dynamic system in our institutions and human resources to meet the global benchmarks and requirements," Modi said. "We will have to see how we can bring technology in the CA field. If chartered accountant firms think of technological innovation, new software, it will open a new market for you." #WATCH PM Modi speaking on Foundation Day of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India https://t.co/UbePZkQx09 — ANI (@ANI_news) July 1, 2017 ×

45% drop in Swiss deposits by Indians: PM Modi

<p>It happens to be one of the most successful trips made by an Indian prime minister to the US. Evidently, Modi and Trump have found a &quot;true friend&quot; in each other. The &quot;bear hug&quot; and the &quot;handshake&quot;, as well as the joint declaration, indicate that the Modi-Trump summit is far from the cold meeting that happened between Nehru and Kennedy in the 1960s. While India&#39;s first prime minister in his disdainful attitude could find little common ground with a rich and arrogant Kennedy, Trump and Modi have agreed on a number of mutually shared interest areas.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There was little doubt that Modi would find anything less than a sympathetic ear in Trump on matters relating to Islamic terror. However, it came as a surprise to many that, the two leaders would find a common ground of interest in matters related to trade and technology. But Modi&#39;s opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal clearly brings out how keen the Indian prime minister is to project the bilateral business partnership as the sign of shared commitment to a similar set of political system. Ever since independence, India has done business with the US but never has it been so forthright in claiming that the both countries belong to the same political camp.&nbsp;</p>

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<h5>The success of the Modi-Trump meeting effectively displays how political-economic imperatives can overturn the historical trajectory of a bilateral relationship</h5>
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<p>The success of the Modi-Trump meeting effectively displays how political-economic imperatives can overturn the historical trajectory of a bilateral relationship. A close analysis of Modi and Trump&#39;s joint declaration at the conclusion of the meeting reveals that in spite of all the rhetoric surrounding &quot;Make in India&quot; and &quot;Make America Great&quot;, both the leaders, in the name of &quot;unleashing amazing prosperity and growth&quot; are willing to find common areas&nbsp;of economic cooperation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Just before leaving for his US trip, Modi wrote that India sees the US as the country&#39;s &quot;natural partner&quot;. Diplomatically speaking, this is a clear departure from the Cold War days when India refused to side with the US and insisted on a non-aligned posture. The global fawning of terrorist networks and the two country&#39;s bitter experience with terrorism not only brought the countries together on defense and strategy related matters, it also ensured that the two countries would now collaborate on the technological frontier to make, as Modi said, &quot;our seas, cyberspace and outer space&quot; more secure.</p>

<p>As the imperatives of a globalised economy press hard on both India and the US, both countries are now actively seizing all opportunities to build a partnership based on common trade and technological interest. Thus, while US companies, such as Amazon, Apple, Google seek markets in India, the latter hopes that the &quot;thriving&quot; Indian-American community in the US will help in furthering India&#39;s economic interest abroad. Modi&#39;s diplomatic visits are, therefore, closely coupled with events, such as meetings with Indian CEOs of multi-national corporations, building bridges with prospering start-ups, while the prime minister constantly emphasised on how the Indian-American community can act as a metaphor for what the two countries are capable of achieving if they decide to nurture enterprise and reward hard work.&nbsp;</p>

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<h5>The sheer number of Indian tech professionals in the US&nbsp;make them crucial in a bilateral relationship</h5>
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<p>Through the celebratory reference to enterprising Indians, Modi is understandably trying to press a case against the recent Trump administration&#39;s announcements over H1B visas. Indians constitute the highest number of H1B visa holder in the USA, numbering somewhere around 1,26,692 in 2016. A significant majority of these visa holders are engineers, more particularly IT professionals. Companies in the US need their expertise which is available at a much cheaper rate than an American or European professional. The sheer number of Indian tech professionals in the US&nbsp;make them crucial in a bilateral relationship. This is evident from the eagerness Modi has shown showcasing&nbsp;India&#39;s strength in information technology to claim a position of leadership in what he sees to be the digital age.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The future of the bilateral relationship between the two countries now seems to be grounded on the power of emerging technologies, new infrastructure, and the &quot;enthusiasm and excitement of very hardworking and very dynamic people.&quot; What we are witnessing in the international arena is actually reflective of how India is changing domestically. The Modi government&#39;s mantra has become better governance that balances political openness with goal-oriented technocracy. While the level of&nbsp;political openness in India is still a debatable issue, the present regime has shown unwavering commitment to develop India along the technocratic path where the quality of governance matters more than regime type.</p>

<p>&quot;There is a high tide of hope for change in India&quot; Prime Minister Narendra Modi boldly proclaimed to the world on the eve of his meeting with President Donald Trump. Clearly, as India emerges as a leading economic power in the global circuit, much in India is changing. The process of democratisation, howsoever fraught, is giving away to a pursuit to build an effective technocratic government in India. Such a government is interested more in &quot;good governance&quot; and less in politics. Instead of carrying forward the Nehruvian ideal of a democratic socialist state as India&#39;s answer to underdevelopment, Narendra Modi believes in the endless &quot;possibilities of technology and innovation&quot; to solve the national problems.</p>

<p>Technocratic regimes, like the one PM Modi, is trying to build, carry an assurance of certainty. It promises to deliver what the citizens universally proclaim they want: world-class infrastructure, affordable health care, sanitation, electricity, connectivity, and housing. Modi&#39;s mantra of &quot;minimum government, maximum governance&quot; seeks to achieve its promised goals of transparent governance and economic development without politicising the agendas. The American citizens, including a large number of Indian professionals and business personnel who are tired of red-tapeism of the previous regimes, are wholeheartedly embracing these new shifts in outlook.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The business community in India and foreign investors are cosying up to the idea of India developing as a smart technocracy. They want national infrastructure in roads, railways and power, to which Modi has pledged nearly $200 billion in long-term funding. They need these to expand their business and don&#39;t care much that in the global South often this infrastructure building comes with serious problems of population displacement. For the level of technocratic governance India is hoping to achieve, such a regime will increasingly find mass politics disruptive. The very nature of mass politics is messy;&nbsp;it is incompatible with the technocratic mindset which prioritises rigour over haphazard democratic cycles.</p>

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<p>If democracy is messy and can, on occasions, act as a hindrance to developmental goals, bilateral relation often takes an unpredictable course. For instance, all the hopes pinned on making information technology an important component of bilateral relation can go unrealised&nbsp;if more Indian engineers, such as Srinivas Kuchibhotlas get killed in the US. Similarly, if the Trump administration does get away with imposing stricter control over the issuance of H1B visas, all the praise about&nbsp;hardworking Indian-American community may remain only as a rhetoric.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Similarly, the high hopes of building a partnership in the energy sector can also encounter stumbling blocks, particularly because Trump in the recent past has taken&nbsp;a swing at India for taking boatloads of money in the name of climate change. With Qatar in crisis, India needs liquid natural gas (LNG) supply from the US. In the declaration after the summit, Trump did say that the US is &quot;looking forward to exporting more American energy to India&quot; but this will come with a price tag. The President has admitted that his government is &quot;trying to get the price up a little bit.&quot; Trump&#39;s commitment to delivering LNG to India does not come from a commitment to build a clean environment. For him, it is a business proposition: more gas for more money and more jobs. The moment Trump feels any of this business deal is not what he calls to be &quot;fair&quot; and &quot;reciprocal&quot;, the promises of working together will go unrealised.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Thus, it is for time to tell if the friendship between the leaders will last the shifting dynamics of international relations and, more importantly, if at the implementation level, the two countries can find a compromise between &quot;Make in India&quot; and &quot;Make America great&quot;. At the end of the day, no matter how hard a technocratic regime tries to deliver in the name of development, it always flounders in the treacherous rocks of democratic politics.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(WION)</p>


The business community in India and foreign investors are cosying up to the idea of India developing as a smart technocracy

It happens to be one of the most successful trips made by an Indian prime minister to the US. Evidently, Modi and Trump have found a "true friend" in each other. The "bear hug" and the "handshake", as well as the joint declaration, indicate that the Modi-Trump summit is far from the cold meeting that happened between Nehru and Kennedy in the 1960s. While India's first prime minister in his disdainful attitude could find little common ground with a rich and arrogant Kennedy, Trump and Modi have agreed on a number of mutually shared interest areas. There was little doubt that Modi would find anything less than a sympathetic ear in Trump on matters relating to Islamic terror. However, it came as a surprise to many that, the two leaders would find a common ground of interest in matters related to trade and technology. But Modi's opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal clearly brings out how keen the Indian prime minister is to project the bilateral business partnership as the sign of shared commitment to a similar set of political system. Ever since independence, India has done business with the US but never has it been so forthright in claiming that the both countries belong to the same political camp. The success of the Modi-Trump meeting effectively displays how political-economic imperatives can overturn the historical trajectory of a bilateral relationship × The success of the Modi-Trump meeting effectively displays how political-economic imperatives can overturn the historical trajectory of a bilateral relationship. A close analysis of Modi and Trump's joint declaration at the conclusion of the meeting reveals that in spite of all the rhetoric surrounding "Make in India" and "Make America Great", both the leaders, in the name of "unleashing amazing prosperity and growth" are willing to find common areas of economic cooperation. Just before leaving for his US trip, Modi wrote that India sees the US as the country's "natural partner". Diplomatically speaking, this is a clear departure from the Cold War days when India refused to side with the US and insisted on a non-aligned posture. The global fawning of terrorist networks and the two country's bitter experience with terrorism not only brought the countries together on defense and strategy related matters, it also ensured that the two countries would now collaborate on the technological frontier to make, as Modi said, "our seas, cyberspace and outer space" more secure. As the imperatives of a globalised economy press hard on both India and the US, both countries are now actively seizing all opportunities to build a partnership based on common trade and technological interest. Thus, while US companies, such as Amazon, Apple, Google seek markets in India, the latter hopes that the "thriving" Indian-American community in the US will help in furthering India's economic interest abroad. Modi's diplomatic visits are, therefore, closely coupled with events, such as meetings with Indian CEOs of multi-national corporations, building bridges with prospering start-ups, while the prime minister constantly emphasised on how the Indian-American community can act as a metaphor for what the two countries are capable of achieving if they decide to nurture enterprise and reward hard work. The sheer number of Indian tech professionals in the US make them crucial in a bilateral relationship × Through the celebratory reference to enterprising Indians, Modi is understandably trying to press a case against the recent Trump administration's announcements over H1B visas. Indians constitute the highest number of H1B visa holder in the USA, numbering somewhere around 1,26,692 in 2016. A significant majority of these visa holders are engineers, more particularly IT professionals. Companies in the US need their expertise which is available at a much cheaper rate than an American or European professional. The sheer number of Indian tech professionals in the US make them crucial in a bilateral relationship. This is evident from the eagerness Modi has shown showcasing India's strength in information technology to claim a position of leadership in what he sees to be the digital age. The future of the bilateral relationship between the two countries now seems to be grounded on the power of emerging technologies, new infrastructure, and the "enthusiasm and excitement of very hardworking and very dynamic people." What we are witnessing in the international arena is actually reflective of how India is changing domestically. The Modi government's mantra has become better governance that balances political openness with goal-oriented technocracy. While the level of political openness in India is still a debatable issue, the present regime has shown unwavering commitment to develop India along the technocratic path where the quality of governance matters more than regime type. "There is a high tide of hope for change in India" Prime Minister Narendra Modi boldly proclaimed to the world on the eve of his meeting with President Donald Trump. Clearly, as India emerges as a leading economic power in the global circuit, much in India is changing. The process of democratisation, howsoever fraught, is giving away to a pursuit to build an effective technocratic government in India. Such a government is interested more in "good governance" and less in politics. Instead of carrying forward the Nehruvian ideal of a democratic socialist state as India's answer to underdevelopment, Narendra Modi believes in the endless "possibilities of technology and innovation" to solve the national problems. Technocratic regimes, like the one PM Modi, is trying to build, carry an assurance of certainty. It promises to deliver what the citizens universally proclaim they want: world-class infrastructure, affordable health care, sanitation, electricity, connectivity, and housing. Modi's mantra of "minimum government, maximum governance" seeks to achieve its promised goals of transparent governance and economic development without politicising the agendas. The American citizens, including a large number of Indian professionals and business personnel who are tired of red-tapeism of the previous regimes, are wholeheartedly embracing these new shifts in outlook. The business community in India and foreign investors are cosying up to the idea of India developing as a smart technocracy. They want national infrastructure in roads, railways and power, to which Modi has pledged nearly $200 billion in long-term funding. They need these to expand their business and don't care much that in the global South often this infrastructure building comes with serious problems of population displacement. For the level of technocratic governance India is hoping to achieve, such a regime will increasingly find mass politics disruptive. The very nature of mass politics is messy; it is incompatible with the technocratic mindset which prioritises rigour over haphazard democratic cycles. The business community in India and foreign investors are cosying up to the idea of India developing as a smart technocracy × If democracy is messy and can, on occasions, act as a hindrance to developmental goals, bilateral relation often takes an unpredictable course. For instance, all the hopes pinned on making information technology an important component of bilateral relation can go unrealised if more Indian engineers, such as Srinivas Kuchibhotlas get killed in the US. Similarly, if the Trump administration does get away with imposing stricter control over the issuance of H1B visas, all the praise about hardworking Indian-American community may remain only as a rhetoric. Similarly, the high hopes of building a partnership in the energy sector can also encounter stumbling blocks, particularly because Trump in the recent past has taken a swing at India for taking boatloads of money in the name of climate change. With Qatar in crisis, India needs liquid natural gas (LNG) supply from the US. In the declaration after the summit, Trump did say that the US is "looking forward to exporting more American energy to India" but this will come with a price tag. The President has admitted that his government is "trying to get the price up a little bit." Trump's commitment to delivering LNG to India does not come from a commitment to build a clean environment. For him, it is a business proposition: more gas for more money and more jobs. The moment Trump feels any of this business deal is not what he calls to be "fair" and "reciprocal", the promises of working together will go unrealised. Thus, it is for time to tell if the friendship between the leaders will last the shifting dynamics of international relations and, more importantly, if at the implementation level, the two countries can find a compromise between "Make in India" and "Make America great". At the end of the day, no matter how hard a technocratic regime tries to deliver in the name of development, it always flounders in the treacherous rocks of democratic politics. (WION)

Why did President Trump find a true friend in Prime Minister Modi?

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrapped up his three-nation tour of Portugal, the United States and the Netherlands and left for home.</p>

<p>Earlier, PM Modi concluded his last leg of the visit by addressing members of the Indian community in the Netherlands.&nbsp;</p>

<p>PM Modi&#39;s&nbsp;speech, filled with light-hearted banter, was met with huge applause from the audience.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash">#WATCH</a>: Members of the Indian community chant &#39;Modi Modi&#39; as the Prime Minister greets diaspora after his address in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Netherlands?src=hash">#Netherlands</a> <a href="https://t.co/VQJWJsLbph">pic.twitter.com/VQJWJsLbph</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/879752647720353792">June 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>He began by saying &quot;Kaa haal baa&quot;, the Bhojpuri phrase for &quot;How are you&quot;. A large part of the Indian diaspora in Netherlands comprises of Indians from the Bhojpuri community.</p>

<p>&quot;The passport of the people who live here may be of any colour. Colours of passports may change but blood ties don&#39;t,&quot; the Indian PM said in his address at the Hague&#39;s Sportcampus Zuiderpark.</p>

<p>Reaching out to the Indian community, the prime minister called them &quot;representatives of the people&quot;.</p>

<p>&quot;The government has embassies and bureaucrats to represent it, they are called envoys. But all those over here are representatives of the government,&quot; PM Modi said.</p>

<p>&quot;Netherlands is the country which has second largest Indian diaspora,&quot; PM Modi said.</p>

<p>The Indian prime minister expressed surprise that despite the presence of a large Indian diaspora, only 10% of the people had an Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) card. He said said his government was thinking of giving Dutch citizens a five-year business visa in the coming days.</p>

<p>In his address, the Indian PM also stressed on the importance of science and the synergy between development and good governance.</p>

<p>&quot;Alone development or good governance cannot fulfill aspirations, a combination of both is required,&quot;&nbsp;PM Modi said.</p>

<p>&quot;The India of the 21st century cannot stay behind when it comes to technology and infrastructure. Everything we have must be world class,&quot; PM Modi said.</p>

<p>The&nbsp;Indian PM spoke about the importance of women empowerment and women-led development&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;The role of women in the agriculture sector, co-operatives is very important. India&#39;s Nari Shakti (women empowerment) is contributing to India&#39;s progress,&quot; PM Modi said.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Alone development or good governance cannot fulfill aspirations, a combination of both is required: PM Modi <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ModiInNetherlands?src=hash">#ModiInNetherlands</a> <a href="https://t.co/F2eNXvHNvd">pic.twitter.com/F2eNXvHNvd</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/879742605340286977">June 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p><br />
Earlier in the day, PM Modi met Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, followed by a meeting with Dutch CEOs where he spoke about the reforms undertaken by his government over the last three years.</p>

<p>The Indian PM called upon CEOs to invest in India, calling it a &quot;land of opportunities&quot;.</p>

<p>Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte lauded India for its commitment to renewable energy and the Paris Climate Agreement.&quot;I commend India for its commitment to renewable energy and to the Paris Climate Agreement,&quot; he said in a joint statement with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Catshuis.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


PM Modi began his speech on a lighter note, saying 'Kaa haal baa', the Bhojpuri phrase for 'How are you'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrapped up his three-nation tour of Portugal, the United States and the Netherlands and left for home. Earlier, PM Modi concluded his last leg of the visit by addressing members of the Indian community in the Netherlands. PM Modi's speech, filled with light-hearted banter, was met with huge applause from the audience. #WATCH: Members of the Indian community chant 'Modi Modi' as the Prime Minister greets diaspora after his address in #Netherlands pic.twitter.com/VQJWJsLbph — ANI (@ANI_news) June 27, 2017 × He began by saying "Kaa haal baa", the Bhojpuri phrase for "How are you". A large part of the Indian diaspora in Netherlands comprises of Indians from the Bhojpuri community. "The passport of the people who live here may be of any colour. Colours of passports may change but blood ties don't," the Indian PM said in his address at the Hague's Sportcampus Zuiderpark. Reaching out to the Indian community, the prime minister called them "representatives of the people". "The government has embassies and bureaucrats to represent it, they are called envoys. But all those over here are representatives of the government," PM Modi said. "Netherlands is the country which has second largest Indian diaspora," PM Modi said. The Indian prime minister expressed surprise that despite the presence of a large Indian diaspora, only 10% of the people had an Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) card. He said said his government was thinking of giving Dutch citizens a five-year business visa in the coming days. In his address, the Indian PM also stressed on the importance of science and the synergy between development and good governance. "Alone development or good governance cannot fulfill aspirations, a combination of both is required," PM Modi said. "The India of the 21st century cannot stay behind when it comes to technology and infrastructure. Everything we have must be world class," PM Modi said. The Indian PM spoke about the importance of women empowerment and women-led development "The role of women in the agriculture sector, co-operatives is very important. India's Nari Shakti (women empowerment) is contributing to India's progress," PM Modi said. Alone development or good governance cannot fulfill aspirations, a combination of both is required: PM Modi #ModiInNetherlands pic.twitter.com/F2eNXvHNvd — ANI (@ANI_news) June 27, 2017 × Earlier in the day, PM Modi met Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, followed by a meeting with Dutch CEOs where he spoke about the reforms undertaken by his government over the last three years. The Indian PM called upon CEOs to invest in India, calling it a "land of opportunities". Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte lauded India for its commitment to renewable energy and the Paris Climate Agreement."I commend India for its commitment to renewable energy and to the Paris Climate Agreement," he said in a joint statement with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Catshuis.

PM Modi concludes 3-nation tour with speech to Indian community in Netherlands

<p>US first lady Melania Trump looked stunning as she welcomed Narendra Modi&nbsp;to the White House on the&nbsp;Indian Prime Minister&#39;s first visit to the White House after Donald Trump&#39;s election to the presidency.</p>

<p>Melania Trump chose a floor-length yellow Emilio Pucci floral-print crepe gown&nbsp;for the occasion.</p>

<p>The first lady, who greeted PM Modi with a smile soon after his arrival, seemed to get along well with him, it appeared from the pictures.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Welcome to the <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse">@WhiteHouse</a> Prime Minister Modi! <a href="https://t.co/JEAgtlUQcw">pic.twitter.com/JEAgtlUQcw</a></p>
&mdash; Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS/status/879440512234770432">June 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Melania and Donald Trump receive PM Modi at the White House. (Reuters)</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Melania Trump smiles as President Trump and PM Modi speak, shortly before the Indian PM&#39;s departure from the White House. (Reuters)</p>
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<p>The camaraderie between the Trumps and PM Modi was clearly evident.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p>The camaraderie between the Trumps and PM Modi was evident. (Reuters)</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Melania, former Slovenian model and mother of a child,&nbsp;has often received rave reviews for her choice of outfits while hosting White House events.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Melania Trump was stunning as she stepped out in a floor-length yellow Emilio Pucci dress to greet PM Modi

US first lady Melania Trump looked stunning as she welcomed Narendra Modi to the White House on the Indian Prime Minister's first visit to the White House after Donald Trump's election to the presidency. Melania Trump chose a floor-length yellow Emilio Pucci floral-print crepe gown for the occasion. The first lady, who greeted PM Modi with a smile soon after his arrival, seemed to get along well with him, it appeared from the pictures. Welcome to the @WhiteHouse Prime Minister Modi! pic.twitter.com/JEAgtlUQcw — Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) June 26, 2017 × Melania and Donald Trump receive PM Modi at the White House. (Reuters) × Melania Trump smiles as President Trump and PM Modi speak, shortly before the Indian PM's departure from the White House. (Reuters) × The camaraderie between the Trumps and PM Modi was clearly evident. The camaraderie between the Trumps and PM Modi was evident. (Reuters) × Melania, former Slovenian model and mother of a child, has often received rave reviews for her choice of outfits while hosting White House events.

At Trump-Modi meet, it was Melania who made heads turn

<p>Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived in US on Sunday for a two-day visit aimed at boosting bilateral ties, was given a warm welcome by officials from the Indian and the US embassies as soon as he touched down at the Joint Base Andrews Air Force base.</p>

<p>The Indian diaspora, who had gathered at Joint Base Andrews, Washington DC to welcome the Indian prime minister, chanted &quot;Modi-Modi&quot; and &quot;Bharat Mata ki jai&quot; upon his arrival.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash">#WATCH</a> Indians gather at Joint Base Andrews, Washington DC to welcome PM Narendra Modi chant &quot;Modi- Modi&quot; and &quot;Bharat Mata ki jai&quot; <a href="https://t.co/wuKz0gv0fI">pic.twitter.com/wuKz0gv0fI</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/878774410106200068">June 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash">#WATCH</a> PM Narendra Modi meets people from Indian community at the Joint Base Andrews, Washington DC <a href="https://t.co/0wWvF1tD1e">pic.twitter.com/0wWvF1tD1e</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/878792434775281664">June 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>US President Donald Trump followed suit on Twitter, stating that he looked forward to welcoming the Indian PM at the White House. &quot;Important strategic issues to discuss with a true friend&quot;, he added.</p>

<p>PM Modi thanked President Trump for the &quot;warm personal welcome&quot;&nbsp;and said he &quot;greatly looked forward to my meeting and discussions with you.&quot;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS">@POTUS</a> for the warm personal welcome. Greatly look forward to my meeting and discussions with you <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump">@realDonaldTrump</a>. <a href="https://t.co/lOfxlLI7v0">https://t.co/lOfxlLI7v0</a></p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/878811948703293440">June 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p><br />
&quot;Old partnerships, new friendships,&quot; tweeted Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Gopal Baglay.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Old partnerships, new friendships - PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi">@narendramodi</a> arrives at Joint Base Andrews, Washington DC for 1st meeting with President Trump <a href="https://t.co/pjOj5pNsU1">pic.twitter.com/pjOj5pNsU1</a></p>
&mdash; Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/878795534466789376">June 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">USA: PM Modi reaches Hotel Willard InterContinental, Washington DC <a href="https://t.co/tkTqnHAWYF">pic.twitter.com/tkTqnHAWYF</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/878798250202890240">June 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Indian prime minister will meet top business leaders and Indian diaspora in Washington today.</p>

<p>On Monday, PM Modi will hold talks with Trump on a range of issues including of visas for skilled workers, ways to deepen defence ties and bolster counter-militancy cooperation.</p>

<p>Officials were eager to downplay expectations of the visit, describing it as &quot;no frills&quot; -- in contrast to Modi&#39;s first US visit in 2014, when he basked in a rock star welcome at the Madison Square Garden arena in New York and addressed the United Nations, AFP reported.</p>

<p>&quot;If there&#39;s one thing we want (from the visit), it&#39;s chemistry,&quot;&nbsp;one senior Indian official told AFP. &quot;If the chemistry is good then frankly everything else gets sorted.&quot;</p>

<p>Some commentators have argued that Modi and Trump should have a natural affinity as political outsiders who have risen to power in part by castigating the traditional ruling elite on a nationalist platform.</p>

<p>One US official said the two leaders had a &quot;lot in common&quot; and noted Modi would be the first foreign dignitary to have a working dinner at the White House under the new administration.</p>

<p>&quot;We are really seeking to roll out the red carpet,&quot; said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


The Indian diaspora, who had gathered at Joint Base Andrews, Washington DC to welcome the Indian prime minister, chanted 'Modi-Modi'

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived in US on Sunday for a two-day visit aimed at boosting bilateral ties, was given a warm welcome by officials from the Indian and the US embassies as soon as he touched down at the Joint Base Andrews Air Force base. The Indian diaspora, who had gathered at Joint Base Andrews, Washington DC to welcome the Indian prime minister, chanted "Modi-Modi" and "Bharat Mata ki jai" upon his arrival. #WATCH Indians gather at Joint Base Andrews, Washington DC to welcome PM Narendra Modi chant "Modi- Modi" and "Bharat Mata ki jai" pic.twitter.com/wuKz0gv0fI — ANI (@ANI_news) June 25, 2017 × #WATCH PM Narendra Modi meets people from Indian community at the Joint Base Andrews, Washington DC pic.twitter.com/0wWvF1tD1e — ANI (@ANI_news) June 25, 2017 × US President Donald Trump followed suit on Twitter, stating that he looked forward to welcoming the Indian PM at the White House. "Important strategic issues to discuss with a true friend", he added. PM Modi thanked President Trump for the "warm personal welcome" and said he "greatly looked forward to my meeting and discussions with you." Thank you @POTUS for the warm personal welcome. Greatly look forward to my meeting and discussions with you @realDonaldTrump. https://t.co/lOfxlLI7v0 — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 25, 2017 × "Old partnerships, new friendships," tweeted Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Gopal Baglay. Old partnerships, new friendships - PM @narendramodi arrives at Joint Base Andrews, Washington DC for 1st meeting with President Trump pic.twitter.com/pjOj5pNsU1 — Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) June 25, 2017 × USA: PM Modi reaches Hotel Willard InterContinental, Washington DC pic.twitter.com/tkTqnHAWYF — ANI (@ANI_news) June 25, 2017 × The Indian prime minister will meet top business leaders and Indian diaspora in Washington today. On Monday, PM Modi will hold talks with Trump on a range of issues including of visas for skilled workers, ways to deepen defence ties and bolster counter-militancy cooperation. Officials were eager to downplay expectations of the visit, describing it as "no frills" -- in contrast to Modi's first US visit in 2014, when he basked in a rock star welcome at the Madison Square Garden arena in New York and addressed the United Nations, AFP reported. "If there's one thing we want (from the visit), it's chemistry," one senior Indian official told AFP. "If the chemistry is good then frankly everything else gets sorted." Some commentators have argued that Modi and Trump should have a natural affinity as political outsiders who have risen to power in part by castigating the traditional ruling elite on a nationalist platform. One US official said the two leaders had a "lot in common" and noted Modi would be the first foreign dignitary to have a working dinner at the White House under the new administration. "We are really seeking to roll out the red carpet," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Modi in US: Cheering Indians greet Indian PM with 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'

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<p dir="ltr">Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Washington DC on Sunday morning for his much-anticipated meeting with US President Donald Trump on Monday.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Hours after arriving in the US capital, Modi thanked Trump for his &ldquo;warm welcome&rdquo; and said he looks forward to meeting him.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS">@POTUS</a> for the warm personal welcome. Greatly look forward to my meeting and discussions with you <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump">@realDonaldTrump</a>. <a href="https://t.co/lOfxlLI7v0">https://t.co/lOfxlLI7v0</a></p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/878811948703293440">June 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr">&nbsp;Modi touched down at the Andrews Air Force base hours back to a warm welcome by expat Indians waving flags and the customary &quot;Modi Modi Modi Modi&quot; chant.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Modi was received by the Indian Ambassador to the US, Navtej Sarna, and his wife, Aveena.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
The Prime Minister will meet top American CEOs of global giants later today, including Apple, Microsoft and Google, in Washington, with issues ranging from visas, investment and job creation expected to occupy centre-stage during the discussions.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Regional security is expected to be high on the agenda for the talks as Washington considers deploying up to 5,000 extra troops in Afghanistan to help local forces fighting the Taliban and other insurgent groups.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Ahead of Modi&rsquo;s arrival in Washington, Trump had said he looked forward to discussing important strategic issues with a &ldquo;true friend&rdquo;.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Look forward to welcoming India&#39;s PM Modi to <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse">@WhiteHouse</a> on Monday. Important strategic issues to discuss with a true friend!</p>
&mdash; President Trump (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/878695978601254913">June 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr">&nbsp;Modi would be the first world leader to have a working dinner with Trump at the White House on Monday.</p>


Modi was received by Indian Ambassador to the US, Navtej Sarna, and his wife, Aveena at the Andrews Air Force base in Washington DC

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Washington DC on Sunday morning for his much-anticipated meeting with US President Donald Trump on Monday. Hours after arriving in the US capital, Modi thanked Trump for his “warm welcome” and said he looks forward to meeting him. Thank you @POTUS for the warm personal welcome. Greatly look forward to my meeting and discussions with you @realDonaldTrump. https://t.co/lOfxlLI7v0 — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 25, 2017 × Modi touched down at the Andrews Air Force base hours back to a warm welcome by expat Indians waving flags and the customary "Modi Modi Modi Modi" chant. Modi was received by the Indian Ambassador to the US, Navtej Sarna, and his wife, Aveena. The Prime Minister will meet top American CEOs of global giants later today, including Apple, Microsoft and Google, in Washington, with issues ranging from visas, investment and job creation expected to occupy centre-stage during the discussions. Regional security is expected to be high on the agenda for the talks as Washington considers deploying up to 5,000 extra troops in Afghanistan to help local forces fighting the Taliban and other insurgent groups. Ahead of Modi’s arrival in Washington, Trump had said he looked forward to discussing important strategic issues with a “true friend”. Look forward to welcoming India's PM Modi to @WhiteHouse on Monday. Important strategic issues to discuss with a true friend! — President Trump (@POTUS) June 24, 2017 × Modi would be the first world leader to have a working dinner with Trump at the White House on Monday.

PM Modi thanks Trump for warm welcome, looks forward to discussions

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday&nbsp;held talks with his Portuguese counterpart Antonio Costa and signed a number of agreements to intensify co-operation&nbsp;&nbsp;in the fields of taxation,&nbsp;science,&nbsp;space, youth affairs and sports.</p>

<p>The two countries signed MOUs on space alliance and a protocol amending the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement.</p>

<p>Also signed were MoUs on nano technology, public administration and governance reforms, cultural cooperation, and biotechnology.</p>

<p>PM Modi thanked the Portuguese prime minister for his consistent support for India&#39;s permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council, and of the Multilateral Export Control Regime.</p>

<p>India and Portugal also agreed&nbsp;to cooperate in fighting terrorism and violent extremism, and also to set up a joint science and technology fund of four million euros, PM Modi said.</p>

<p>The Portuguese PM&nbsp;said that science will be one of the most important areas for cooperation between the two countries in future.</p>

<p>The Indian prime minister condoled the loss of lives in the forest fires last week that killed 64 people.</p>

<p>Modi, who arrived here on the first leg of his three- nation tour, said his brief visit will further strengthen relations between India and Portugal.</p>

<p>The Portuguese Prime Minister&nbsp;arranged a special Gujarati meal that included the delicacies &quot;Shrikhand&#39; and &quot;Rotli&quot;&nbsp;at the lunch hosted for PM Modi, who hails from&nbsp;Gujarat.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa arranged a special Gujarati meal at the lunch hosted for PM Narendra Modi in Portugal. <a href="https://t.co/Zh8a7plNbW">pic.twitter.com/Zh8a7plNbW</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/878609358250057729">June 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">A relationship marked by historical ties and strong partnership. PM <a href="https://twitter.com/antoniocostapm">@antoniocostapm</a> welcomes PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi">@narendramodi</a> at Palacio das Necessidades <a href="https://t.co/Pqvkvrcttn">pic.twitter.com/Pqvkvrcttn</a></p>
&mdash; Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/878594228569243648">June 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Advancing bilateral engagements. PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi">@narendramodi</a> &amp; PM <a href="https://twitter.com/antoniocostapm">@antoniocostapm</a> discuss ways to further intensify bilateral relations <a href="https://t.co/zGaBkYNUq8">pic.twitter.com/zGaBkYNUq8</a></p>
&mdash; Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/878594791725858816">June 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>In a departure from protocol, Portuguese foreign minister Augusto Santos Silva received PM Modi at the airport earlier in the day.<br />
<br />
Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Portugal on a bilateral trip.<br />
<br />
Portuguese Prime Minister Costa&nbsp;had visited India in January this year.<br />
<br />
The highlight of Modi&#39;s three-nation tour will be his visit to US where he will meet&nbsp;President Donald Trump for the first time on June 26 in Washington.</p>

<p>From the US, he will travel to the Netherlands.<br />
<br />
&nbsp;</p>


The Portuguese Prime Minister?arranged a special Gujarati meal at the lunch hosted for PM Modi, who hails from Gujarat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held talks with his Portuguese counterpart Antonio Costa and signed a number of agreements to intensify co-operation in the fields of taxation, science, space, youth affairs and sports. The two countries signed MOUs on space alliance and a protocol amending the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement. Also signed were MoUs on nano technology, public administration and governance reforms, cultural cooperation, and biotechnology. PM Modi thanked the Portuguese prime minister for his consistent support for India's permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council, and of the Multilateral Export Control Regime. India and Portugal also agreed to cooperate in fighting terrorism and violent extremism, and also to set up a joint science and technology fund of four million euros, PM Modi said. The Portuguese PM said that science will be one of the most important areas for cooperation between the two countries in future. The Indian prime minister condoled the loss of lives in the forest fires last week that killed 64 people. Modi, who arrived here on the first leg of his three- nation tour, said his brief visit will further strengthen relations between India and Portugal. The Portuguese Prime Minister arranged a special Gujarati meal that included the delicacies "Shrikhand' and "Rotli" at the lunch hosted for PM Modi, who hails from Gujarat. Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa arranged a special Gujarati meal at the lunch hosted for PM Narendra Modi in Portugal. pic.twitter.com/Zh8a7plNbW — ANI (@ANI_news) June 24, 2017 × A relationship marked by historical ties and strong partnership. PM @antoniocostapm welcomes PM @narendramodi at Palacio das Necessidades pic.twitter.com/Pqvkvrcttn — Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) June 24, 2017 × Advancing bilateral engagements. PM @narendramodi & PM @antoniocostapm discuss ways to further intensify bilateral relations pic.twitter.com/zGaBkYNUq8 — Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) June 24, 2017 × In a departure from protocol, Portuguese foreign minister Augusto Santos Silva received PM Modi at the airport earlier in the day. Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Portugal on a bilateral trip. Portuguese Prime Minister Costa had visited India in January this year. The highlight of Modi's three-nation tour will be his visit to US where he will meet President Donald Trump for the first time on June 26 in Washington. From the US, he will travel to the Netherlands.

Gujarati delicacies on menu as PM Modi holds talks with Portuguese PM in Lisbon

<p>Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday flagged off Kerala&#39;s first metro in Kochi.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="und"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KochiMetro?src=hash">#KochiMetro</a> <a href="https://t.co/yo1zYhzL4y">pic.twitter.com/yo1zYhzL4y</a></p>
&mdash; CMO Kerala (@CMOKerala) <a href="https://twitter.com/CMOKerala/status/875963242283020292">June 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The 13-km long stretch spans across Aluva and Palarivattom areas of the port city and will start operating from June 19.</p>

<p>PM Modi, took a brief ride in the metro prior to the official launch with dignitaries including Governor P Sathasivam, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and India&#39;s &quot;Metro Man&quot; E Sreedharan.</p>

<p>Modi, who cut the ribbon at the Palarivattom station, shook hands with Vijayan and Sreedharan before proceeding to board the metro train.</p>

<p>During the journey, the PM waved at the crowd as Sreedharan and Kochi Metro Rail Ltd Managing Director Elias George interacted with him.</p>

<p>He later tweeted that the metro had &quot;several significant features, which make it a state-of-the-art project that will enhance Kochi&rsquo;s economic growth.&quot;</p>

<p>Hailed as India&#39;s first integrated multi-mode transport system, the inaugural ceremony was held at Kochi&#39;s Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium.</p>

<p>In his address, PM Modi stressed the need to bring about a &quot;paradigm shift&quot; in urban planning by adopting a people-centric approach and integrating land use and transport.</p>

<p>The prime minister, who began his speech in Malayalam, said he was happy to be part of the inauguration of the project. He said Kochi was selected as a Smart City in January 2016.<br />
<br />
&quot;I hope it will do even better in the days to come,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Kochi, the queen of the Arabian Sea, was once an important spice trading centre. Today it is known as the commercial capital of Kerala, the prime minister said.<br />
Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) is a 50-50 joint venture of the Centre and the state government.</p>

<p>The Centre has so far released over Rs 2,000 crore for the project. The coaches reflected &#39;Make in India&#39; vision. They have been built by Alstom near Chennai and have an Indian component of around 70 per cent, he said.</p>

<p>The Kochi Metro Rail System has collaborated with Kudumbashree, the women empowerment self-help group initiated by the state government. It has also appointed as many as 23 transgenders for customer service operations and as ground staff.</p>

<p>Apart from a fleet of low-floor buses and autos plying as metro feeders,&nbsp;&nbsp;a&nbsp;water metro will soon join the Kochi Metro giving the city a multi-dimension mobility network, especially for people living in the backwaters.</p>

<p>The rooftops of all metro stations have been set up with solar panels in order to generate power.</p>

<p>A special provision for wheelchairs, special coaches for people with disabilities, multiple USB ports for charging mobile phones, and cushioned seats for the disabled and pregnant women are some key features of the metro.</p>

<p>The minimum fare has been capped at Rs&nbsp;10, while an end-to-end ride, from Aluva and Palarivattom or vice-versa costs Rs 40.<br />
<br />
Considered the fasted completed metro project in the country, the estimated cost of completion&nbsp;of the Kochi Metro is Rs 5,181.79 crore.</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


The 13-km long stretch spans across Aluva and Palarivattom areas of the port city

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday flagged off Kerala's first metro in Kochi. #KochiMetro pic.twitter.com/yo1zYhzL4y — CMO Kerala (@CMOKerala) June 17, 2017 × The 13-km long stretch spans across Aluva and Palarivattom areas of the port city and will start operating from June 19. PM Modi, took a brief ride in the metro prior to the official launch with dignitaries including Governor P Sathasivam, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and India's "Metro Man" E Sreedharan. Modi, who cut the ribbon at the Palarivattom station, shook hands with Vijayan and Sreedharan before proceeding to board the metro train. During the journey, the PM waved at the crowd as Sreedharan and Kochi Metro Rail Ltd Managing Director Elias George interacted with him. He later tweeted that the metro had "several significant features, which make it a state-of-the-art project that will enhance Kochi’s economic growth." Hailed as India's first integrated multi-mode transport system, the inaugural ceremony was held at Kochi's Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium. In his address, PM Modi stressed the need to bring about a "paradigm shift" in urban planning by adopting a people-centric approach and integrating land use and transport. The prime minister, who began his speech in Malayalam, said he was happy to be part of the inauguration of the project. He said Kochi was selected as a Smart City in January 2016. "I hope it will do even better in the days to come," he said. Kochi, the queen of the Arabian Sea, was once an important spice trading centre. Today it is known as the commercial capital of Kerala, the prime minister said. Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) is a 50-50 joint venture of the Centre and the state government. The Centre has so far released over Rs 2,000 crore for the project. The coaches reflected 'Make in India' vision. They have been built by Alstom near Chennai and have an Indian component of around 70 per cent, he said. The Kochi Metro Rail System has collaborated with Kudumbashree, the women empowerment self-help group initiated by the state government. It has also appointed as many as 23 transgenders for customer service operations and as ground staff. Apart from a fleet of low-floor buses and autos plying as metro feeders, a water metro will soon join the Kochi Metro giving the city a multi-dimension mobility network, especially for people living in the backwaters. The rooftops of all metro stations have been set up with solar panels in order to generate power. A special provision for wheelchairs, special coaches for people with disabilities, multiple USB ports for charging mobile phones, and cushioned seats for the disabled and pregnant women are some key features of the metro. The minimum fare has been capped at Rs 10, while an end-to-end ride, from Aluva and Palarivattom or vice-versa costs Rs 40. Considered the fasted completed metro project in the country, the estimated cost of completion of the Kochi Metro is Rs 5,181.79 crore.

PM Modi inaugurates Kerala's first metro service in Kochi

<p>India&#39;s Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold talks with US President Donald Trump in Washington on June 26, the Indian foreign ministry said on Monday,&nbsp;the first meeting between the leaders.</p>

<p>Ties between the two big democracies grew rapidly under the Obama administration which saw India as a partner to balance China&#39;s growing weight in Asia.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But Trump has focused on building ties with China,&nbsp;seeing it as key to tackling regional problems such as North Korea&#39;s nuclear programme.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Indian ministry said Modi&#39;s talks with Trump would lay the ground for a further expansion in ties, allaying some of the anxiety that had crept in about a drift in relations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Their discussions will provide a new direction for deeper bilateral engagement on issues of mutual interest and consolidation of multi-dimensional strategic partnership between India and the US,&quot; the ministry said in a statement.</p>

<p>The United States has emerged as a top arms supplier to India and the two sides will be looking to move forward with deals such as unarmed drones that India wants for its navy, sources said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>One issue that the two leaders face is resolving conflict arising out of the push they are both making at home to boost industry and create jobs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Modi has been driving a Make-in-India campaign to press foreign arms suppliers to set up factories in India and transfer technology instead of selling off-the-shelf, which has made India one of the world`s biggest arms importers without any domestic production base.</p>

<p>Trump, on the other hand, has railed against firms moving factories outside the United States and has demanded US companies invest at home as part of his &quot;America First&quot; campaign.</p>

<p>Trump&#39;s review of a visa programme under which thousands of skilled Indian workers go to the United States is also a top concern for India.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(Reuters)</p>


Ties between the two democracies grew rapidly under the Obama administration

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold talks with US President Donald Trump in Washington on June 26, the Indian foreign ministry said on Monday, the first meeting between the leaders. Ties between the two big democracies grew rapidly under the Obama administration which saw India as a partner to balance China's growing weight in Asia. But Trump has focused on building ties with China, seeing it as key to tackling regional problems such as North Korea's nuclear programme. The Indian ministry said Modi's talks with Trump would lay the ground for a further expansion in ties, allaying some of the anxiety that had crept in about a drift in relations. "Their discussions will provide a new direction for deeper bilateral engagement on issues of mutual interest and consolidation of multi-dimensional strategic partnership between India and the US," the ministry said in a statement. The United States has emerged as a top arms supplier to India and the two sides will be looking to move forward with deals such as unarmed drones that India wants for its navy, sources said. One issue that the two leaders face is resolving conflict arising out of the push they are both making at home to boost industry and create jobs. Modi has been driving a Make-in-India campaign to press foreign arms suppliers to set up factories in India and transfer technology instead of selling off-the-shelf, which has made India one of the world`s biggest arms importers without any domestic production base. Trump, on the other hand, has railed against firms moving factories outside the United States and has demanded US companies invest at home as part of his "America First" campaign. Trump's review of a visa programme under which thousands of skilled Indian workers go to the United States is also a top concern for India. (Reuters)

PM Modi to hold first talks with Trump on June 26 in Washington

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who held bilateral talks with Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev after reaching Astana earlier today, happened to meet Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at the Leaders&#39; Lounge at the Astana Opera before the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) concert.</p>

<p>They reportedly exchanged greetings even as it was the first occasion when the two leaders came across each other after Sharif&#39;s operation. Prime Minister Modi, hence, enquired about Sharif&#39;s health and also asked about his mother and family.</p>

<p>Prime Minister Modi is in the Kazakh capital to attend the two-day summit of SCO, which is a consortium focussing on security and trade.</p>

<p>India and Pakistan, which so far have had an observer status till now, will be formally inducted in the six-nation bloc that includes China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.</p>

<p>Prime Minister Modi is also set to hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.</p>

<p>The chance meeting of Prime Minister Modi and PM Sharif comes amidst a highly-strained atmosphere between the two neighbouring nations following the death sentence awarded to former Indian Naval Officer Kulbhushan Jadhav.</p>

<p>India moved the ICJ against the death penalty awarded to Jadhav by a Pakistan military court on May 8 for espionage.</p>

<p>Pakistan claims its security forces arrested Jadhav from its restive Balochistan province on March 3 last year after he reportedly entered from Iran. However, India maintains he was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy.</p>

<p>During the last trial on May 18, the ICJ had restrained Pakistan from executing Jadhav.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(ANI)</p>


PM Modi happened to meet Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif at the Leaders' Lounge at the Astana Opera ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation concert

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who held bilateral talks with Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev after reaching Astana earlier today, happened to meet Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at the Leaders' Lounge at the Astana Opera before the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) concert. They reportedly exchanged greetings even as it was the first occasion when the two leaders came across each other after Sharif's operation. Prime Minister Modi, hence, enquired about Sharif's health and also asked about his mother and family. Prime Minister Modi is in the Kazakh capital to attend the two-day summit of SCO, which is a consortium focussing on security and trade. India and Pakistan, which so far have had an observer status till now, will be formally inducted in the six-nation bloc that includes China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Prime Minister Modi is also set to hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The chance meeting of Prime Minister Modi and PM Sharif comes amidst a highly-strained atmosphere between the two neighbouring nations following the death sentence awarded to former Indian Naval Officer Kulbhushan Jadhav. India moved the ICJ against the death penalty awarded to Jadhav by a Pakistan military court on May 8 for espionage. Pakistan claims its security forces arrested Jadhav from its restive Balochistan province on March 3 last year after he reportedly entered from Iran. However, India maintains he was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy. During the last trial on May 18, the ICJ had restrained Pakistan from executing Jadhav. (ANI)

PM Modi, Nawaz Sharif exchange greetings in Kazakhstan

<p>Indian Prime Minister Narendra&nbsp;Modi&nbsp;on Thursday (May 11) reached Sri Lanka on a two-day visit.</p>

<p>During his visit,&nbsp;Modi&nbsp;will preside over the celebrations of the 14th International Vesak Day, biggest Buddhist festival, in Colombo.</p>

<p>Vesak marks the birth, enlightenment and the passing of the Buddha. It was officially recognised by the United Nations in 1999. Sri Lanka had played an essential role in the recognition of this day, and India too had supported its neighbouring country in the initiative.</p>

<p>This will be&nbsp;Modi&#39;s second bilateral visit to Sri Lanka in two years. He last visited the island nation in March 2015.<br />
<br />
(Reuters)</p>


PM Modi was received by his counterpart Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Colombo airport

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (May 11) reached Sri Lanka on a two-day visit. During his visit, Modi will preside over the celebrations of the 14th International Vesak Day, biggest Buddhist festival, in Colombo. Vesak marks the birth, enlightenment and the passing of the Buddha. It was officially recognised by the United Nations in 1999. Sri Lanka had played an essential role in the recognition of this day, and India too had supported its neighbouring country in the initiative. This will be Modi's second bilateral visit to Sri Lanka in two years. He last visited the island nation in March 2015. (Reuters)

PM Modi arrives in Sri Lanka for two-day visit

<p>25 leaders from the Muslim Community, under the umbrella of the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Welcoming the delegation, national security advisor Ajit Doval said that the whole world is looking at India today, and it is the responsibility of all segments of Indian society to take the nation forward.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Noting that terrorism is a major challenge, they expressed resolve to combat terrorism with all their might. They added that it is the Muslim community&rsquo;s responsibility that under no circumstances should anyone compromise the nation&rsquo;s security or well-being. They said that the Muslim community would never allow any conspiracy against India to succeed.</p>

<p>They appreciated the Prime Minister&rsquo;s stand on the issue of Triple Talaq. On Triple Talaq, the Prime Minister reiterated that the Muslim community should not allow this issue to be politicised, and urged the leaders to take responsibility for initiating reforms.</p>

<p>The members of the delegation included Maulana Qari Syed Mohammad Usman Mansurpuri - President of the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind; Maulana Mahmood A Madani - General Secretary of the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind; Dr Zahir I Kazi, President - Anjuman-i-Islam, Mumbai; Prof Akhtarul Wasey; and Maulana Badaruddin Ajmal.</p>

<p>On the issue of Triple Talaq, The Allahabad High Court today said the rights of Muslim women, cannot be violated in the name of &#39;personal law&#39;.</p>

<p>&quot;A Muslim husband cannot give divorce in such a manner which would put a question mark on equal rights,&quot; the court observed.</p>

<p>The court also said basic and human rights cannot be exploited on the basis of gender.</p>

<p>It held that personal law may be applicable only within the purview of the Constitution and that fatwa, which is contrary to the justice system, is not valid.</p>

<p>&quot;No fatwa can be contrary to someone&#39;s rights,&quot; the court said.</p>

<p>(WION)</p>


Noting that terrorism is a major challenge, they expressed resolve to combat terrorism with all their might

25 leaders from the Muslim Community, under the umbrella of the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Welcoming the delegation, national security advisor Ajit Doval said that the whole world is looking at India today, and it is the responsibility of all segments of Indian society to take the nation forward. Noting that terrorism is a major challenge, they expressed resolve to combat terrorism with all their might. They added that it is the Muslim community’s responsibility that under no circumstances should anyone compromise the nation’s security or well-being. They said that the Muslim community would never allow any conspiracy against India to succeed. They appreciated the Prime Minister’s stand on the issue of Triple Talaq. On Triple Talaq, the Prime Minister reiterated that the Muslim community should not allow this issue to be politicised, and urged the leaders to take responsibility for initiating reforms. The members of the delegation included Maulana Qari Syed Mohammad Usman Mansurpuri - President of the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind; Maulana Mahmood A Madani - General Secretary of the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind; Dr Zahir I Kazi, President - Anjuman-i-Islam, Mumbai; Prof Akhtarul Wasey; and Maulana Badaruddin Ajmal. On the issue of Triple Talaq, The Allahabad High Court today said the rights of Muslim women, cannot be violated in the name of 'personal law'. "A Muslim husband cannot give divorce in such a manner which would put a question mark on equal rights," the court observed. The court also said basic and human rights cannot be exploited on the basis of gender. It held that personal law may be applicable only within the purview of the Constitution and that fatwa, which is contrary to the justice system, is not valid. "No fatwa can be contrary to someone's rights," the court said. (WION)

Leaders of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind call on PM Modi

<p>Today is International Labour Day, also known as International Worker&#39;s Day or May Day. It is observed on this day every year to promote and encourage the international labour associations.</p>

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to give a message to mark the day.</p>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Today, on Labour Day we salute the determination &amp; hardwork of countless workers who play a big role in India&#39;s progress. Shrameva Jayate!</p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/858878885139795968">May 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The day marks the victory of workers&#39; movement for eight hours of work. It also aims to pay tribute to workers sacrifices in achieving economic and social rights all over the world.</p>

<p>Labour and Employment Minister Bandaru Dattatreya will chair International Labour Day function in New Delhi today. Several Trade Union Organisations are observing the Day with commitment of welfare of the Labourers.</p>

<p>Rallies, symposiums, seminars have been organised at different parts of the country to celebrate the Day.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(ANI)</p>


Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to give a message to mark the day

Today is International Labour Day, also known as International Worker's Day or May Day. It is observed on this day every year to promote and encourage the international labour associations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to give a message to mark the day. Today, on Labour Day we salute the determination & hardwork of countless workers who play a big role in India's progress. Shrameva Jayate! — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 1, 2017 × The day marks the victory of workers' movement for eight hours of work. It also aims to pay tribute to workers sacrifices in achieving economic and social rights all over the world. Labour and Employment Minister Bandaru Dattatreya will chair International Labour Day function in New Delhi today. Several Trade Union Organisations are observing the Day with commitment of welfare of the Labourers. Rallies, symposiums, seminars have been organised at different parts of the country to celebrate the Day. (ANI)

International Labour Day: PM Modi salutes Indian workers

<p>The decision to get rid of red beacons is aimed at removing the VIP culture from the mindset of certain people, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today and added that the concept should be replaced with &quot;EPI&quot;, meaning &quot;Every Person is Important&quot;.</p>

<p>A day before the government decision on red beacons comes into effect, he underlined that all the 125 crore people of the country have equal value and importance.</p>

<p>&quot;I did not know that people have so much contempt for the VIP culture before we took the decision recently banning use of red beacons on vehicles of ministers and others,&quot; he said in his monthly radio programme &#39;Mann Ki Baat&#39;.</p>

<p>He said the red beacon had become a symbol of VIP culture which had creeped the mindset of those using it.<br />
&quot;Experience shows that though the red beacon would be used atop a vehicle, gradually the VIP culture would go to the head of those using it and it would lead to a mindset of VIP culture.</p>

<p>&quot;Although the &#39;lal batti&#39; is gone now, nobody can claim that because of this, the VIP culture which has gone into the mindset would have also gone,&quot; Modi said.</p>

<p>He said getting rid of red beacon was an administrative decision but efforts have to be made to remove the VIP culture from the mindset also.</p>

<p>&quot;If we all make concerted efforts jointly, this also can go (from the mindset),&quot; he added.</p>

<p>The Prime Minister said his government&#39;s concept of &#39;New India&#39; is that instead of &#39;VIP&#39;, importance to &#39;EPI&#39; culture should increase.</p>

<p>&quot;When I say EPI instead of VIP, the meaning is clear -- Every Person is Important. Every person has value and importance. If we recognise the importance of 123 crore citizens of the country, imagine the big strength that the country will have in fulfilling the grand dreams. We all have to do it together,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>(PTI)</p>


He underlined that all the 125 crore people of the country have equal value and importance

The decision to get rid of red beacons is aimed at removing the VIP culture from the mindset of certain people, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today and added that the concept should be replaced with "EPI", meaning "Every Person is Important". A day before the government decision on red beacons comes into effect, he underlined that all the 125 crore people of the country have equal value and importance. "I did not know that people have so much contempt for the VIP culture before we took the decision recently banning use of red beacons on vehicles of ministers and others," he said in his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat'. He said the red beacon had become a symbol of VIP culture which had creeped the mindset of those using it. "Experience shows that though the red beacon would be used atop a vehicle, gradually the VIP culture would go to the head of those using it and it would lead to a mindset of VIP culture. "Although the 'lal batti' is gone now, nobody can claim that because of this, the VIP culture which has gone into the mindset would have also gone," Modi said. He said getting rid of red beacon was an administrative decision but efforts have to be made to remove the VIP culture from the mindset also. "If we all make concerted efforts jointly, this also can go (from the mindset)," he added. The Prime Minister said his government's concept of 'New India' is that instead of 'VIP', importance to 'EPI' culture should increase. "When I say EPI instead of VIP, the meaning is clear -- Every Person is Important. Every person has value and importance. If we recognise the importance of 123 crore citizens of the country, imagine the big strength that the country will have in fulfilling the grand dreams. We all have to do it together," he said. (PTI)

Ban on red beacons aimed at ending VIP culture mindset: PM Modi

<p>India&#39;s opposition Saturday charged the prime minister with politicising the triple talaq issue to gain electoral mileage&nbsp;even as a BJP minister in Uttar Pradesh said Muslim men use it to change wives and satisfy their &quot;lust&quot;.</p>

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi had this morning urged the Muslim community to ensure that the triple&nbsp;talaq issue was not &quot;politicised&quot;, and hoped that intellectuals from the community would come forward&nbsp;to fight the practice.</p>

<p>Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said no other political party except the BJP and its&nbsp;ideological mentor, the RSS, was&nbsp;trying to politicise the issue.</p>

<p>The Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha said no Muslim believes in triple talaq while moving around&nbsp;and the practice is adhered to as per the holy Quran in which certain norms and time-frame has been&nbsp;laid.</p>

<p>&quot;When the society is already discussing this issue of triple talaq and the court (the Supreme Court) is&nbsp;looking into it, then why is the BJP unnecessarily coming in between Muslim women and their Muslim&nbsp;husbands. The BJP should not make attempts at creating a new vote bank,&quot; he told reporters here.</p>

<p>Leader of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, said Modi was speaking of such issues&nbsp;with an eye on the Karnataka assembly elections slated next year.</p>

<p>&quot;The prime minister spoke all such things, eyeing the upcoming election in Karnataka,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Criticising Modi for his comments on triple talaq, SP leader Mohd Azam Khan said the prime minister&nbsp;should also&nbsp;speak on other problems being faced by Muslim women.</p>

<p>&quot;Modi should speak about the other problems (besides triple talaq) of Muslims women,&quot; Khan said.</p>

<p>He said the prime minister should also show sympathy with those Muslim women who have lost their sons&nbsp;or husbands due to violence by cow vigilantes.</p>

<p>Referring to Gujarat riots of 2002, he said Modi should also talk about the violence in the state that&nbsp;destroyed the homes of many Muslim women.</p>

<p>JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav said Modi should not speak on issues which are pending in the court.</p>

<p>&quot;First you bring improvement within yourself (community), then you talk of betterment of Muslims,&quot; he&nbsp;said.</p>

<p>BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli, however, defended the prime minister, saying the Modi government is&nbsp;working for the dignity of every Indian.</p>

<p>&quot;The comments have to be seen as a benchmark of women rights in terms of constitutional right of&nbsp;equality,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>In Uttar Pradesh&#39;s Basti district, state minister Swami Prasad Maurya alleged last night that Muslims&nbsp;use triple talaq to change wives and satisfy their &quot;lust&quot;, remarks that are likely to spur a&nbsp;controversy.</p>

<p>The BJP minister&#39;s comments come at a time when there is a raging debate over the issue of triple&nbsp;talaq.</p>

<p>&quot;The BJP stands with Muslim women who have been given talaq unreasonably and arbitrarily,&quot; Maurya told&nbsp;reporters.</p>

<p>&quot;These talaqs have no basis... If someone only for satisfying his lust keeps changing his wives and&nbsp;forces his own wife and children on the streets to beg...No one will call this as right&quot;, he said.</p>

<p>(PTI)</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said no other political party except the BJP and its?ideological mentor, the RSS, was?trying to politicise the issue

India's opposition Saturday charged the prime minister with politicising the triple talaq issue to gain electoral mileage even as a BJP minister in Uttar Pradesh said Muslim men use it to change wives and satisfy their "lust". Prime Minister Narendra Modi had this morning urged the Muslim community to ensure that the triple talaq issue was not "politicised", and hoped that intellectuals from the community would come forward to fight the practice. Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said no other political party except the BJP and its ideological mentor, the RSS, was trying to politicise the issue. The Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha said no Muslim believes in triple talaq while moving around and the practice is adhered to as per the holy Quran in which certain norms and time-frame has been laid. "When the society is already discussing this issue of triple talaq and the court (the Supreme Court) is looking into it, then why is the BJP unnecessarily coming in between Muslim women and their Muslim husbands. The BJP should not make attempts at creating a new vote bank," he told reporters here. Leader of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, said Modi was speaking of such issues with an eye on the Karnataka assembly elections slated next year. "The prime minister spoke all such things, eyeing the upcoming election in Karnataka," he said. Criticising Modi for his comments on triple talaq, SP leader Mohd Azam Khan said the prime minister should also speak on other problems being faced by Muslim women. "Modi should speak about the other problems (besides triple talaq) of Muslims women," Khan said. He said the prime minister should also show sympathy with those Muslim women who have lost their sons or husbands due to violence by cow vigilantes. Referring to Gujarat riots of 2002, he said Modi should also talk about the violence in the state that destroyed the homes of many Muslim women. JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav said Modi should not speak on issues which are pending in the court. "First you bring improvement within yourself (community), then you talk of betterment of Muslims," he said. BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli, however, defended the prime minister, saying the Modi government is working for the dignity of every Indian. "The comments have to be seen as a benchmark of women rights in terms of constitutional right of equality," he said. In Uttar Pradesh's Basti district, state minister Swami Prasad Maurya alleged last night that Muslims use triple talaq to change wives and satisfy their "lust", remarks that are likely to spur a controversy. The BJP minister's comments come at a time when there is a raging debate over the issue of triple talaq. "The BJP stands with Muslim women who have been given talaq unreasonably and arbitrarily," Maurya told reporters. "These talaqs have no basis... If someone only for satisfying his lust keeps changing his wives and forces his own wife and children on the streets to beg...No one will call this as right", he said. (PTI)

PM Modi politicising triple talaq for electoral gains: Opposition

<p>Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the BJP&#39;s landslide victory in Uttar Pradesh and for the completion of longest tunnel of South Asia, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday said that he supported her and her government during troubled times. She was referring to the violence that gripped the Valley after militant Burhan Wani was shot dead by security forces last year.<br />
<br />
&quot;We are thankful to our Prime Minister. The tunnel inaugurated will bridge distances, be it in travel or between people.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Congratulations to the Prime Minister for the mandate in Uttar Pradesh. Last year, during very troubled times you supported me and my government,&quot; Mehbooba Mufti said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Asserting that the tunnel inaugurated will bridge distances, be it in travel or between people, the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said that a lot has improved and a lot more needs to be done in Jammu and Kashmir.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;Mufti s<em>ahab </em>had faith in the people and in <em>Jamhuriyat</em>,&quot; she added.</p>

<p>Prime Minister Modi on his part thanked the chief minister. He said that the Centre announced package for the state, adding the work has begun in this regard.</p>

<p>The Prime Minister earlier in the day inaugurated India`s longest tunnel Chenani-Nashri, on the Jammu-Srinagar highway amid high security.</p>

<p>The tunnel is expected to give sigh of relief to travellers on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, as it will reduce the travel time on National Highway 44 between Jammu and Srinagar by about 2 hours by shortening the distance between the cities by 31 km.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
(ANI)<br />
&nbsp;</p>


The Jammu and Kashmir CM was referring to the violence which gripped the Valley after the death of militant Burhan Wani last year

Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the BJP's landslide victory in Uttar Pradesh and for the completion of longest tunnel of South Asia, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday said that he supported her and her government during troubled times. She was referring to the violence that gripped the Valley after militant Burhan Wani was shot dead by security forces last year. "We are thankful to our Prime Minister. The tunnel inaugurated will bridge distances, be it in travel or between people. Congratulations to the Prime Minister for the mandate in Uttar Pradesh. Last year, during very troubled times you supported me and my government," Mehbooba Mufti said. Asserting that the tunnel inaugurated will bridge distances, be it in travel or between people, the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said that a lot has improved and a lot more needs to be done in Jammu and Kashmir." "Mufti sahab had faith in the people and in Jamhuriyat," she added. Prime Minister Modi on his part thanked the chief minister. He said that the Centre announced package for the state, adding the work has begun in this regard. The Prime Minister earlier in the day inaugurated India`s longest tunnel Chenani-Nashri, on the Jammu-Srinagar highway amid high security. The tunnel is expected to give sigh of relief to travellers on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, as it will reduce the travel time on National Highway 44 between Jammu and Srinagar by about 2 hours by shortening the distance between the cities by 31 km. (ANI)

Chief minister Mehbooba Mufti thanks PM Modi for supporting J&K govt during 'troubled times'

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