India and Belgium have agreed to work on signing an MOU to enhance cooperation in renewable energy. This was discussed at a bilateral meeting between Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Government of India and Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid of Belgium. Princess Astrid is currently visiting India as head of the Belgian Economic Mission to India. Dr. Abdullah briefed the visiting delegation on the energy situation in India and the rapid growth of the renewable energy sector in India. He spoke of India’s plans to add over 30 GW of renewable energy to its energy mix in the next 5 years. He dwelt on the success of the wind programme as well as the significant cost reductions in solar energy through the Jawahar Lal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM). He also highlighted India’s conducive and investor friendly policy framework for promoting renewable energy in a big way. Dr. Abdullah suggested that India and Belgium had great potential for enhancing cooperation in promoting renewable energy and offered to provide all possible assistance for the purpose. The Belgian delegation recognized India’s considerable achievements and strengths in renewable energy and noted that India had made large strides in this field. The business delegation accompanying the official delegation also made brief presentations on their activities and reciprocated India’s desire for enhanced energy cooperation between the two countries. After detailed discussions, the two sides agreed to start work on an MoU in the field of Renewable Energy between the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy of the Government of India and the Government of Belgium in order to strengthen, promote and develop renewable energy cooperation between the two countries on the basis of equality and mutual benefit. Both countries also agreed to explore possibilities of coordination in renewable energy through joint Research and Development programmes of mutual interest.
India and Malaysia on 25 November, signed an MoU in Kaulalampur to strengthen co-operation in public administration and governance as part of the efforts to enhance their strategic partnership. The MoU covers eight areas of co-operation including human resource management, e-governance, public delivery system, accountability and transparency, skills and capacity building and quality results. The MoU was signed by Malaysia's Public Service Department Director-General Mohamad Zabidi Zainal and the Secretary of India's Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances of Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Sanjay Kothari. Zabidi said the MoU was a strategic cooperation and collaboration to strengthen ties between the two countries. He added that apart from that it could also assist in socio-economic development through an efficient, accessible, transparent and accountable civil service. The MoU envisages cooperation via tours, workshops and conferences, sharing of public administration and governance information and expertise, common project implementation mechanisms and exchange of publications.
Competition Commission of India (CCI) and the Directorate General for Competition of the European Commission (DG, Competition) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Competition Laws. The MoU was signed during the ongoing 3rd BRICS International Competition Conference at New Delhi on 21 November, by Mr Joaquin Almunia, Vice President for Competition, EU and Mr. Ashok Chawla, Chairman, CCI. The MoU provides for enhancement of the effective, transparent and non-discriminatory enforcement of the competition laws in the European Union and India. The two Sides have agreed to exchange non-confidential information, experiences and views with regard to (a) Competition policy and enforcement, (b) Operational issues, (c) Multilateral competition initiatives, (d) Competition advocacy and (e) Technical cooperation initiatives in the area of competition law and its enforcement. MoU provides for assistance to be provided between two Sides wherein on the request of one Side that may believe adverse impact of competition of its territory on account of action by the other Side, the other Side shall initiate appropriate enforcement activities as per their applicable competition law. CCI and DG,Competition, European Commission shall also take steps to minimize any potentially adverse effects of one Side’s enforcement activities on the other Side’s interests in the application of their respective competition laws.
Dr. M.M. Pallam Raju, Hon’ble Minister of Human Resource Development visited Mauritius on 19th-20th November, 2013. During the visit, Dr. Pallam Raju meat the Hon’ble Prime Minister of Mauritius, Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam and held bilateral meetings with the Minister for Tertiary Education, Science and Research, Dr. R. Jeetah as also with Minister of Education and Human Resources of the Republic of Mauritius Dr. Vasant Kumar Bunwaree. Two MoUs were signed during this visit. The first MoU is between IIT, Delhi and Mauritius Research Council for setting up of an International Institute of Technology Research Academy (IITRA) in Mauritius. The aim of the IITRA is to provide world class research based educational platform for full time and part time post graduate research leading to MS(Research) and Ph.D. degrees to be awarded by IIT Delhi in identified areas (clusters). IITRA aims to attract foreign researchers and students to Mauritius, mainly from Africa and Asia and build core research infrastructure including faculty and facilities. The other MoU between Association of Indian Universities (AIU) and Tertiary Education Council (TEC) of Mauritius for mutual recognition of educational qualifications was also finalized and signed. The MoU will ensure that both parties facilitate the mutual recognition of higher education qualifications awarded to students in Mauritius and India. Both AIU and TEC would advise higher education institutions in their countries on the provision of higher education and the comparability of qualification with the aim of facilitating academic mobility and cooperation. They will make available information on currently recognized higher education institutions in their respective countries.
India and Vietnam on 20 November, inked eight agreements, including one for oil and gas exploration in the seas off Vietnam that includes the South China Sea as visiting Vietnamese leader Nguyen Phu Trong and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held talks in New Delhi. Nguyen Phu Trong is the general secretary of the Vietnamese Communist Party. The eight agreements as well as a $100-million line of credit to Vietnam for defence purchases is a major step forward in India's "Look East Policy". Manmohan Singh "reaffirmed that Vietnam was a pillar of India's 'Look East Policy', which was supported by the general secretary. They envisaged a more active role for India in the regional and international arena," a joint statement said. Eight agreements--Following their talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of eight cooperation documents, including the Air Service Agreement, an MoU on the establishment of the Indira Gandhi Hi-tech Crime Lab in Hanoi, an agreement on Protection of Classified Information, an MoU between two Ministries of Finance, a cooperation agreement between Hanoi National University and Indian Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, an MoU on cooperation between India Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore and Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Public Administration, an MoU between Vietnam Oil and Gas Group and ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL), and an MOU between the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade and Tata Power Ltd on the development of the 1,320 MW Long Phu 2 Thermal Power Project in Soc Trang province, Vietnam.Both sides later issued Joint Statement, emphasizing that India - Vietnam agree to further strengthen and deepen the Strategic Partnership between the two countries. In the instrument, the leaders of both countries reiterated their desire and determination to work together to maintain peace, stability, growth and prosperity in Asia. They agreed that freedom of navigation in the East Sea should not be impeded and called the parties concerned to exercise restraint, avoid threat or use of force and resolve disputes through peaceful means in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The Financing and Project Agreements for World Bank assistance (IDA assistance) of US $ 236 million for Tamil Nadu-Puducherry Coastal Disaster Risk Reduction Project (CDRRP) were signed between the Government of India, Government of Tamil Nadu and the Government of Puducherry and the World Bank in New Delhi on 11 November. The Financing Agreement was signed by Nilaya Mitash, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs on behalf of Government of India and Mr. Onno Ruhl, Country Director, World Bank on behalf of the World Bank. The Project Agreement was signed by Gagandeep Singh Bedi, Secretary, Revenue Department, Government of Tamil Nadu on behalf of Government of Tamil Nadu and Mr.Deepak Kumar, Project Director, Project Implementing Agency, Government of Puducherry on behalf of Government of Puducherry. The objective of the Project is to increase the resilience of coastal communities in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, to a range of hydro-meteorological and geophysical hazards along with improving project implementation entities’ capacity to respond promptly and effectively to an eligible crisis or emergency. The Project will have the following five components, viz. (i) Vulnerability Reduction; (ii) Sustainable Fisheries; (iii) Capacity building in Disaster Risk Management; (iv) Implementation Support; and (v) Contingency Emergency Response.
India and Trinidad and Tobago will formulate a new agreement to enhance cultural ties between the two countries. India will also help the Caribbean nation set up a sugar museum at its capital, Port of Spain, Union Culture Minister Chandresh Kumar Katoch said in a statement in New Delhi on 4 November. She said both countries had also discussed a roadmap for enhanced cooperation. "A new cultural agreement between the two countries will be formulated to replace the 1987 agreement so that it can best capture the modern developments in the culture sector," the Minister said recently during a tour of the island nation. Also, based on the proposed cultural agreement, the two countries would plan a cultural exchange programme for 2014-16.
She invited Trinidad and Tobago Culture Minister Lincoln Douglas to visit India at a mutually convenient date along with a delegation of performing artistes to discuss the contours of the collaboration and sign the agreement. Under the roadmap, India has also offered to collaborate with Trinidad and Tobago authorities on archive maintenance. "I will be taking up the request of the authorities of Trinidad and Tobago for collaboration in film development with the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the construction of a cultural centre in Divali Nagar with the Union Ministry of External Affairs," she added.
Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi, and Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Australia have signed an International Cooperation Agreement to collaborate in academic programmes and in frontier areas of research in Media and Communication. The agreement was signed by Bimal Julka, IIMC Chairman and Secretary I&B Ministry and Prof. Peter Coaldrake, Vice Chancellor, Queensland University of Technology in New Delhi on 4 November. The agreement envisages bringing ICT in academic programmes in a significant way. Both the institutes have agreed for the development of joint venture projects and also for opening avenues for developing a collaborative doctoral programme to benefit students and faculty. The bilateral cooperation agreement also envisages organization of joint academic and scientific activities, such as courses, conferences, seminars, symposia or lectures, exchange of staff and students and exchange of materials and publications of common interest. One of the core areas of the agreement is to facilitate Training of senior and mid-level Indian Information Service officers at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), especially in use of modern technology and social media for providing information about government policies to stakeholders. The objective is to ensure skill development of IIS officers in critical areas of the changing media landscape. This is the first agreement signed by IIMC seeking international collaboration and partnership with a foreign university. The agreement aims to facilitate a two-way value added training and capacity building programme in the field of Mass Media and Communication.
India and Japan proposes to strengthen their cooperation in the shipping sector. In this connection a delegation under the leadership of Union Minister of Shipping G.K. Vasan, is visiting Japan from 7 November, till the 12th this month on an invitation from Mr. Akihiro Ohta, the Hon’ble Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Government of Japan. The visiting delegation will have discussions with the Japanese Government for better coordination between two countries and to further enable various Japanese companies to utilize facilities at Indian Ports, more particular of Ennore and Chennai Ports. Vasan will also lead discussions for obtaining funding from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the Outer Harbour project of VOC Port, Thuthikoodi. The Government of Japan had earlier shown interest in developing Chennai Bengaluru Industrial Corridor as part of Penninsular Region Industrial Development corridor (PRIDe) of India. Ennore Port has been identified as one of the main logistic hub in this industrial corridor development. JICA has already commenced a study for the purpose. Japanese automobile manufacturing companies like Toyota, Mitsubushi, Isuzu, Nissan and Toshiba have been using Chennai Port for importing automobile components through containers for their factories located in Chennai. The Japanese Company M/s Metal One (Mitshubishi group) is importing steel coils used for automobile through Chennai Port in the break bulk form. Around 240 Japanese companies have developed businesses in and around Chennai in the last decade.
India and Malaysia on 25 November, signed an MoU in Kaulalampur to strengthen co-operation in public administration and governance as part of the efforts to enhance their strategic partnership. The MoU covers eight areas of co-operation including human resource management, e-governance, public delivery system, accountability and transparency, skills and capacity building and quality results. The MoU was signed by Malaysia's Public Service Department Director-General Mohamad Zabidi Zainal and the Secretary of India's Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances of Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Sanjay Kothari. Zabidi said the MoU was a strategic cooperation and collaboration to strengthen ties between the two countries. He added that apart from that it could also assist in socio-economic development through an efficient, accessible, transparent and accountable civil service. The MoU envisages cooperation via tours, workshops and conferences, sharing of public administration and governance information and expertise, common project implementation mechanisms and exchange of publications.
Competition Commission of India (CCI) and the Directorate General for Competition of the European Commission (DG, Competition) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Competition Laws. The MoU was signed during the ongoing 3rd BRICS International Competition Conference at New Delhi on 21 November, by Mr Joaquin Almunia, Vice President for Competition, EU and Mr. Ashok Chawla, Chairman, CCI. The MoU provides for enhancement of the effective, transparent and non-discriminatory enforcement of the competition laws in the European Union and India. The two Sides have agreed to exchange non-confidential information, experiences and views with regard to (a) Competition policy and enforcement, (b) Operational issues, (c) Multilateral competition initiatives, (d) Competition advocacy and (e) Technical cooperation initiatives in the area of competition law and its enforcement. MoU provides for assistance to be provided between two Sides wherein on the request of one Side that may believe adverse impact of competition of its territory on account of action by the other Side, the other Side shall initiate appropriate enforcement activities as per their applicable competition law. CCI and DG,Competition, European Commission shall also take steps to minimize any potentially adverse effects of one Side’s enforcement activities on the other Side’s interests in the application of their respective competition laws.
Dr. M.M. Pallam Raju, Hon’ble Minister of Human Resource Development visited Mauritius on 19th-20th November, 2013. During the visit, Dr. Pallam Raju meat the Hon’ble Prime Minister of Mauritius, Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam and held bilateral meetings with the Minister for Tertiary Education, Science and Research, Dr. R. Jeetah as also with Minister of Education and Human Resources of the Republic of Mauritius Dr. Vasant Kumar Bunwaree. Two MoUs were signed during this visit. The first MoU is between IIT, Delhi and Mauritius Research Council for setting up of an International Institute of Technology Research Academy (IITRA) in Mauritius. The aim of the IITRA is to provide world class research based educational platform for full time and part time post graduate research leading to MS(Research) and Ph.D. degrees to be awarded by IIT Delhi in identified areas (clusters). IITRA aims to attract foreign researchers and students to Mauritius, mainly from Africa and Asia and build core research infrastructure including faculty and facilities. The other MoU between Association of Indian Universities (AIU) and Tertiary Education Council (TEC) of Mauritius for mutual recognition of educational qualifications was also finalized and signed. The MoU will ensure that both parties facilitate the mutual recognition of higher education qualifications awarded to students in Mauritius and India. Both AIU and TEC would advise higher education institutions in their countries on the provision of higher education and the comparability of qualification with the aim of facilitating academic mobility and cooperation. They will make available information on currently recognized higher education institutions in their respective countries.
India and Vietnam on 20 November, inked eight agreements, including one for oil and gas exploration in the seas off Vietnam that includes the South China Sea as visiting Vietnamese leader Nguyen Phu Trong and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held talks in New Delhi. Nguyen Phu Trong is the general secretary of the Vietnamese Communist Party. The eight agreements as well as a $100-million line of credit to Vietnam for defence purchases is a major step forward in India's "Look East Policy". Manmohan Singh "reaffirmed that Vietnam was a pillar of India's 'Look East Policy', which was supported by the general secretary. They envisaged a more active role for India in the regional and international arena," a joint statement said. Eight agreements--Following their talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of eight cooperation documents, including the Air Service Agreement, an MoU on the establishment of the Indira Gandhi Hi-tech Crime Lab in Hanoi, an agreement on Protection of Classified Information, an MoU between two Ministries of Finance, a cooperation agreement between Hanoi National University and Indian Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, an MoU on cooperation between India Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore and Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Public Administration, an MoU between Vietnam Oil and Gas Group and ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL), and an MOU between the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade and Tata Power Ltd on the development of the 1,320 MW Long Phu 2 Thermal Power Project in Soc Trang province, Vietnam.Both sides later issued Joint Statement, emphasizing that India - Vietnam agree to further strengthen and deepen the Strategic Partnership between the two countries. In the instrument, the leaders of both countries reiterated their desire and determination to work together to maintain peace, stability, growth and prosperity in Asia. They agreed that freedom of navigation in the East Sea should not be impeded and called the parties concerned to exercise restraint, avoid threat or use of force and resolve disputes through peaceful means in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The Financing and Project Agreements for World Bank assistance (IDA assistance) of US $ 236 million for Tamil Nadu-Puducherry Coastal Disaster Risk Reduction Project (CDRRP) were signed between the Government of India, Government of Tamil Nadu and the Government of Puducherry and the World Bank in New Delhi on 11 November. The Financing Agreement was signed by Nilaya Mitash, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs on behalf of Government of India and Mr. Onno Ruhl, Country Director, World Bank on behalf of the World Bank. The Project Agreement was signed by Gagandeep Singh Bedi, Secretary, Revenue Department, Government of Tamil Nadu on behalf of Government of Tamil Nadu and Mr.Deepak Kumar, Project Director, Project Implementing Agency, Government of Puducherry on behalf of Government of Puducherry. The objective of the Project is to increase the resilience of coastal communities in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, to a range of hydro-meteorological and geophysical hazards along with improving project implementation entities’ capacity to respond promptly and effectively to an eligible crisis or emergency. The Project will have the following five components, viz. (i) Vulnerability Reduction; (ii) Sustainable Fisheries; (iii) Capacity building in Disaster Risk Management; (iv) Implementation Support; and (v) Contingency Emergency Response.
India and Trinidad and Tobago will formulate a new agreement to enhance cultural ties between the two countries. India will also help the Caribbean nation set up a sugar museum at its capital, Port of Spain, Union Culture Minister Chandresh Kumar Katoch said in a statement in New Delhi on 4 November. She said both countries had also discussed a roadmap for enhanced cooperation. "A new cultural agreement between the two countries will be formulated to replace the 1987 agreement so that it can best capture the modern developments in the culture sector," the Minister said recently during a tour of the island nation. Also, based on the proposed cultural agreement, the two countries would plan a cultural exchange programme for 2014-16.
She invited Trinidad and Tobago Culture Minister Lincoln Douglas to visit India at a mutually convenient date along with a delegation of performing artistes to discuss the contours of the collaboration and sign the agreement. Under the roadmap, India has also offered to collaborate with Trinidad and Tobago authorities on archive maintenance. "I will be taking up the request of the authorities of Trinidad and Tobago for collaboration in film development with the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the construction of a cultural centre in Divali Nagar with the Union Ministry of External Affairs," she added.
Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi, and Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Australia have signed an International Cooperation Agreement to collaborate in academic programmes and in frontier areas of research in Media and Communication. The agreement was signed by Bimal Julka, IIMC Chairman and Secretary I&B Ministry and Prof. Peter Coaldrake, Vice Chancellor, Queensland University of Technology in New Delhi on 4 November. The agreement envisages bringing ICT in academic programmes in a significant way. Both the institutes have agreed for the development of joint venture projects and also for opening avenues for developing a collaborative doctoral programme to benefit students and faculty. The bilateral cooperation agreement also envisages organization of joint academic and scientific activities, such as courses, conferences, seminars, symposia or lectures, exchange of staff and students and exchange of materials and publications of common interest. One of the core areas of the agreement is to facilitate Training of senior and mid-level Indian Information Service officers at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), especially in use of modern technology and social media for providing information about government policies to stakeholders. The objective is to ensure skill development of IIS officers in critical areas of the changing media landscape. This is the first agreement signed by IIMC seeking international collaboration and partnership with a foreign university. The agreement aims to facilitate a two-way value added training and capacity building programme in the field of Mass Media and Communication.
India and Japan proposes to strengthen their cooperation in the shipping sector. In this connection a delegation under the leadership of Union Minister of Shipping G.K. Vasan, is visiting Japan from 7 November, till the 12th this month on an invitation from Mr. Akihiro Ohta, the Hon’ble Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Government of Japan. The visiting delegation will have discussions with the Japanese Government for better coordination between two countries and to further enable various Japanese companies to utilize facilities at Indian Ports, more particular of Ennore and Chennai Ports. Vasan will also lead discussions for obtaining funding from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the Outer Harbour project of VOC Port, Thuthikoodi. The Government of Japan had earlier shown interest in developing Chennai Bengaluru Industrial Corridor as part of Penninsular Region Industrial Development corridor (PRIDe) of India. Ennore Port has been identified as one of the main logistic hub in this industrial corridor development. JICA has already commenced a study for the purpose. Japanese automobile manufacturing companies like Toyota, Mitsubushi, Isuzu, Nissan and Toshiba have been using Chennai Port for importing automobile components through containers for their factories located in Chennai. The Japanese Company M/s Metal One (Mitshubishi group) is importing steel coils used for automobile through Chennai Port in the break bulk form. Around 240 Japanese companies have developed businesses in and around Chennai in the last decade.
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