NEW DELHI: Jammu and Kashmir Governor N. N. Vohra on Sunday strongly advocated establishing a National Security Administrative Service (NSAS) as the country cannot afford to follow adhoc and disparate approaches in managing the national security.

Delivering the R.N. Kao Memorial Lecutre here, Mr. Vohra also felt the need to set up a dedicated, new, separate Ministry of

National Security Affairs which is entirely devoted to effectively safeguarding the country on every front.

He pointed out that in the past two decades, since the empowered Group of Ministers considered the recommendations of the three Tasks Forces, which were set up consequent to the Kargil Review Committee Report, worrying developments have taken place in our security environment.

“There have been significant shifts in the geo-political environment in our neighbourhood and beyond and there are new threats to our country’s interests and security,’’ he told the select gathering at the headquarters of the Research and Analysis Wing (RA&W). The annual lecture is organised in memory of the founder-director of the external intelligence agency of India.

The J&K Governor, a veteran of national security affairs, said that the proposed National Security Administrative Service can have constituents, selected on the basis of a pan-India competitive examination and they should be got especially trained in the various required areas and deployed to man the Government of India’s security administration system.

“Thereafter, members of this Service could also be progressively allocated to the States for managing security management machinery,’’ he said.

In another key observation, he stressed upon the need to establish a new Ministry, entirely dedicated to the efficient implementation of every component of the National Security Policy and to keep a close and constant watch to see that the States effectively maintain Internal Security in their domains.

Mr. Vohra, himself a former Home and Defence Secretary, felt that the Union Ministry of Home Affairs is faced with ever increasing day to day pressures on varied fronts and its senior echelons are required to deal with a horde of subjects, of which one relates to Internal Security management.

“With its existing responsibilities it would be impractical to expect this Ministry to devote whole time attention only to security management related issues, all of which require zero delays and immediate decisions. In this context, if national security is to be effectively managed, the time has come to establish a dedicated Ministry of National Security Affairs which is led by a senior experienced Cabinet Minister and manned by handpicked and especially trained functionaries drawn from the National Security Administrative Service,’’ he suggested.

Among other suggestions made by Mr. Vohra, who has been serving as J&K Governor since 2008 and has faced many difficult times and sensitive situations in the border State, said the Centre should take urgent steps, in close consultation with the States, to evolve and promulgate the National Security Policy. He said that a time-bound action plan should be chalked out to fill all existing gaps and establish a country wide institutional framework for safeguarding the country on every front.

Emphasising upon efficient implementation of the National Security Policy, he said it was essential to protect the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of country by ensuring that the Union and States act in very close concert.

Pointing to the urgency to implement reforms in the entire framework of the criminal justice system, Mr. Vohra said it was needed if internal security is to be effectively maintained and the country is to move towards assured national security management.

“Unless this system functions with speed, efficiency and visible fairness, it would not be possible to reduce criminality and establish a healthy respect of the law. As the very first step, the criminal courts shall need to achieve a significantly improved disposal rate and also stem the decline in the conviction rates, which is due to the prolonged delays in investigations and trials,’’ he said.

In a candid assessment of the logistical inadequacies which adversely affect the proper functioning of courts, Mr. Vohra said there is also a subsisting question mark about the integrity of the subordinate judicial services.

“Unfortunately, in the past years, allegations have been raised even against those who man the higher judiciary, including up to the august level of the Chief Justice of India. Indisputably, urgent and effective steps shall be needed to clean up the system to enforce judicial standards and deliver speedy, clean and effective justice,’’ the J&K Governor said.

Another area of serious concern, he pointed out, is that while a plethora of obsolete and outdated laws exist, the country is still to enact comprehensive laws to deal with terrorism, cyber crimes, economic offences and to tackle the growing criminality which is perpetrated by organized crime, drug trafficking and mafia groups, many of which have close connectivities with terrorist organizations.

The unprecedented turmoil in the Supreme Court in the wake of the four senior most judges taking exception to CJI Dipak Misra’s style of functioning nine days back on January 12 has underlined the need for urgent judicial reforms. 

Backed by certain brother judges, the CJI initiated efforts last Tuesday and Wednesday to end the imbroglio. The endeavour was to resolve issues within the four walls of the Supreme Court steering clear of any outside intervention.

The dissenting judges have been attending court since Monday so as not to precipitate matters. Justices J Chalameswar,  Rajan Gogoi, Madan Lokur and Kurian Joseph — maintained they had gone public on the ground that some damage had already been done to the highest judiciary and they were trying to contain it. 

When the apex court reassembled on Monday week after the weekend, CJI Misra as the “Master of the Roster” listed seven cases to be heard by a Constitution bench leaving out the four senior most judges. The five judge bench comprises the Chief Justice himself, Justices A K Sikri, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan. 

It has before it a range of crucial matters like the challenge to the constitutional validity of the Aadhar Act and its 2013 judgement decriminalising gay sex between consenting adults among others. The same combination of judges had heard various Constitution Bench matters in October last year including the power tussle between the Centre and the Delhi government over the administrative jurisdiction and a matter pertaining to passive euthanasia. 

While it was widely believed that the issues raised by the four judges remained an internal matter of the Supreme Court, various Bar councils, retired judges and civil society were emphatic that the matter should be resolved quickly. 

Differences among judges was more than procedural revolving around Bench formation. At the same time there are other organised centres of power including alleged murmurs of political interference. At the end of it all citizens need to be convinced about the Supreme Court’s key institutional role of providing unhindered justice. 

This aspect has taken a beating recently. If the four judges believe ulterior motives have been at play in the constitution of Benches, the people have the right to know the basis on which it is done. Several eminent jurists and respected public figures have been highly critical of the four judges for going public against the CJI. 

A case in point is that of the bench headed by Justice Arun Misra ordering Tuesday last that the PIL seeking an independent probe into the death of special CBI judge B H Loya be put up before an “appropriate bench”. The judge took this stand as he believed that the four senior judges “had ruined his reputation” by projecting his bench as being preferred by the CJI in sensitive cases.

Amid the standoff CJI Dipak Misra decided to hear tomorrow (Monday, January 22) two petitions demanding an independent probe into the death of Judge Loya. 

With internal matters being made public, there is inherent danger of the people losing faith in the courts causing irreparable damage to the the institution. Keeping such matters under wraps comes in the way of people taking a view on the basis of facts. 

The process of the constitution of Benches to adjudicate matters has to be transparent and based on norms even as the Chief Justices have to control that process. Constitution of Benches is an administrative act and the people have the right to know the criteria of its constitution. This will add to their trust in the courts. 

Impartial observers believe the rationale on which the CJI constitutes a Bench may be made known to avoid ulterior motives being at play. There should be no room for any doubt in this regard. 

The issue of allocation of cases to different Benches has been simmering for several months. The problem pertains to the CJI reportedly ignoring senior judges in allocating important and high profile cases. The possibility of this administrative tussle might have prevailed during the tenure of many CJIs in different governments at the Centre. 

The problem stems from allocating important cases to junior judges. This has invariably led to the CJI’s integrity being questioned. Has the much talked about judicial independence led to self preservation of judges and judicial activism. 

On his part, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has time and again drawn attention of the three arms of the democratic system — the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary — impressing upon them to exercise utmost caution in steering clear of stepping on each other’s toes to avoid working at cross purposes. 

What cannot be lost sight of is that the complaint this time is different compared to the past as four senior most judges of the Supreme Court are involved and not a single judge. The importance of  four of the five-member Collegium headed by the CJI have aired their differences cannot be undermined.  

The Collegium is responsible for judicial appointments. The resolution of the current imbroglio must involve discussions among all the judges of the five-member Collegium of the Apex court for reaching a settlement on what the rules of the game must be. In the circumstances ‘Rostering’ cannot be seen as excluding the seniors. 

Meanwhile, advocate Prashant Bhushan told the Supreme Court last Tuesday to invoke its in-house procedure to deal with his demand for a probe against CJI Dipak Misra for “several acts of serious misconduct” that includes anti-dating of a memo asserting the CJI’s administrative powers.  

Rendering impartial justice cannot be compromised. Tradition and jurisprudence deny power to a Chief Justice to send cases to the courts of his own preference thereby avoiding being a gate keeper for justice as an interested party in favour or against anyone. That is why a system is in place seeking to minimise the risk of injustice. 

If there is an anomaly whereby the system fails to deliver justice, then it must be remedied expeditiously. What cannot be lost sight of amid all this is the massive backlog of cases in the Supreme Court. As a delicate situation has arisen, it is also a moment of reckoning for other institutions in the democratic system encompassing the Executive and the Legislature. 

There is urgent need for revamping the judicial administration along with the system of appointment of judges. The present crisis has underlined the imperative need for bringing about direly needed judicial reforms. The question is will the Supreme Court be able to evolve a consensus on this issue which brooks no delay.

In a massive setback to the Aam Aadmi Party, the Election Commission has recommended to disqualify 20 AAP Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) for holding ‘office of profit’ as Parliament Secretaries. The EC has sent the recommendation to the President of India, Ramnath Kovind. 

The controversy over the “office of profit” stirred in 2015 after a 30-year old lawyer Prashant Patel Umrao filed an application to the President’s office, questioning the appointment of AAP MLAs as Parliamentary Secretaries. The then President Mr. Pranab Mukherjee asked the Election Commission to look into the matter. 

The recommendation, if accepted by the President, will cut down the AAP strength from existing 67 seats to 47 seats in the Delhi State Assembly. 

Sanjay Singh of AAP attacked the BJP and EC as he said to a TV interview, “The Election Commission is working like an agent of the Modi government. There is no such profits entertained by any members of the Aam Aadmi Party.”

“This must be the first ever recommendation in EC history where a recommendation has been sent without even hearing the main matter on merits. No hearing took place in the EC on the point of office of profit,” AAP spokesperson Nagendra Sharma tweeted.

In March 2015, the AAP government passed an amendment in the name of ‘Removal of Disqualification Act, 1997’, to exempt the posts of Parliamentary Secretary from the definition of office of profit with retrospective effect. AAP had argued that there is no monetary benefit attached to the posts. But the then President refused But then President Pranab Mukherjee refused to give assent, following which the appointments were set aside by the Delhi High Court in September 2016, declaring them illegal since the order had been passed “without concurrence/approval of the Lt Governor”.

Reacting on the matter, opposition parties Congress and BJP have demanded immediate resignation of Arvind Kejriwal as the Chief Minister of Delhi. 

BJP has criticised that ‘AAP’ came driving on the plank of ‘India Against Corruption’, now they are ‘I am Corruption’. 

The List of Disqualified MLAs (Source: The Economic Times)

1. Praveen Kumar was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Education Minister 

2. Sharad Kumar was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Revenue Minister 

3. Adarsh Shastri was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Information and Technology Minister 

4. Madan Lal was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Vigilance Minister 

5. Shiv Charan Goel appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Finance Minister 

6. Sanjeev Jha was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Transport Minister 

7. Sarita Singh was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Employment Minister 

8. Naresh Yadav was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Labour Minister 

9. Rajesh Gupta was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Health Minister 

10. Rajesh Rishi was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Health Minister 

11. Anil Kumar Bajpai was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Health Minister

12. Som Dutt was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Industries Minister 

13. Avtar Singh Kalka as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Gurudwara elections 

14. Vijender Garg Vijay was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of PWD 

15. Jarnail Singh (Rajauri Garden) was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Power 

16. Kailash Gahlot was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Law 

17. Alka Lamba was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Tourism 

18. Manoj Kumar was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Food and Civil Supplies 

19. Nitin Tyagi was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Women and Child and Social Welfare 

20. Sukhvir Singh was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Languages and Welfare of SC/ST/OBC respectively

Mumbai : The photograph of  two-year-old Moshe Holtzberg safely ensconced in the arms of his nanny, Sandra Samuel, minutes after she emerged from Nariman House after the 26/11 terror attacks was one of the defining and haunting images of the murderous rampage India’s commercial capital witnessed a little over nine years ago.

Baby Moshe had survived the terror strike on Nariman House in which his parents Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg perished, thanks to some quick thinking by his nanny who hid baby Moshe when gunmen stormed the building and then brought him out safe.

Cut to Mumbai, January 16 and Moshe was back in Mumbai, under siege by eager reporters who thrust their mikes before the shy and dazed 11-year-old in their scramble to get a byte, any byte, from the boy who had returned to the city where he was born and where his parents lost their lives in 2008.

And if the mad scramble around the slightly built Moshe with huge glasses wasn’t bad enough, the questions being flung at him were worse. For instance, sample this insensitive one flung at him by one TV reporter, ‘Are you watching Hindi movies?’ Perhaps to the relief of the media badgering the child for a byte/quote, Moshe actually said ‘Bahut Khushi’ in what appeared to be tutored words.

Which brings me to my main point—was it really necessary for the Indian and Israeli governments to parade Moshe like this? First in Israel where he met PM Narendra Modi last year during his visit to that country and now in Mumbai where he will unveil a memorial to the victims of 26/11 at Nariman House with PM Netanyahu.

For God’s sake, the child has suffered a horrible tragedy in his life, losing his parents to terrorists’ bullets! As India and Israel get into an even closer clinch and Modi and Netanyahu  address each other as ‘My friend, Bibi’ and ‘My friend, Narendra’ respectively, why should a little boy be unnecessarily dragged not once but twice into this bilateral relations building exercise?

For sure, diplomacy thrives on the mood, atmospherics, optics, etc when two leaders meet. But is it really necessary to milk the tragedy of Moshe’s life, again and again? Instead of photo-ops for the two leaders, what was required was some sensitivity in dealing with a mere child who’s probably yet to realise the magnitude of his loss, given his tender years. His grandparents who are bringing him up too need to share a portion of this blame for allowing their grandson to be part of this.

In Tel Aviv, during PM Modi’s visit last year, Moshe met him along with his grandparents in the presence of Netanyahu. But just a meeting with the little boy clearly wasn’t enough as far as the optics of the visit go. So Moshe was made to read a statement in “halting English” as reported by The Times of Israel in which he said: Â“I hope I will be able to visit Mumbai, and when I get older, live there. I will be the director of our Chabad House”.

Expectedly, the young boy was extended an invite to visit Mumbai and so here he is as India rolls out the red carpet for his country’s PM. The homecoming to the city of his birth could’ve waited and perhaps have been done in a more quiet, solemn manner. But photo-ops clearly couldn’t wait.

NEW DELHI : India is aiming at a two-fold hike in exports of food items in next five years which will help in doubling the income of farmers and those associated with the food and agro industry. To give further boost to India’s agro and food exports, the Department of Commerce in association with Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) is organizing ‘Indus Food’– a Mega International Food and Beverage Trade show at India Expo Mart In Greater Noida from January 18, 2017.

The two-day event will be inaugurated by Union Commerce and Industry Minister Mr. Suresh Prabhu. Indus Food will see participation of over 400 exhibitors including representations from over 12 states and Departments. Global Buyers from 43 nations will visit the show. The event is expected to provide a good platform to Indian exporters to access global market without having the trouble of going to overseas trade fairs.   

“Doubling of farmers’ income is possible only when our agri exports grow by 18-20% and for this we need integration with global marketplace. If this happens our food exports will cross $60 billion which stood at $31 billion in 2015. India’s food market stood at $193 billion in 2016, which is estimated to grow to $540 billion by 2020,” Santosh Sarangi, Joint Secretary in Department of Commerce said at a press conference here.

“Indus Food, which is a mega show is line with other global food events, will give a much needed fillip to Indian food exports. Moreover, we are formulating Agri Export Policy which will make India a preferred destination for sourcing food and agri products. We are also talking with Invest India to attract investments to facilitate agri exports. Our autonomous bodies are also working with exporters to boost exports, while state governments are also being roped in to prepare grounds for exports of their produce,” Mr. Sarangi said.

“Indus Food provides us with big opportunity to host the world F&B market in India and showcase to the world big strides that India is taking in the food and agro sector under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Top global from across the globe including Europe, Gulf and CIS countries are taking part in the mega show. Government bodies and representatives from 30 nations including Vietnam, Iran, Oman, Bahrain, Russia, UAE, Philippines are coming. We have planned 9000 business meeting during the two-day event that will lead to future exports tie up and strategic collaboration,” said TPCI Chairman Mohit Singla.

The Commerce & Industry Minister Mr. Prabhu has expressed the hope that “Indus Food expo will not only benefit exporters but also help in improving financial condition of our farmers and those engaged in agri business.”

To promote food exports, TPCI is being supported by Department of Commerce in hosting one of the largest buyer-seller meet in the food segment in India. Many top personalities, including Iran’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Ali Akbar Mehrfard, Mr.Saif Sultan Al Sheibany, DG Public Authority for food Reserves of Oman, Al Kafeel religious trust of Najaf & Karbala of Iraq will also take part in the international expo.

Today India stands at sixth place in the global food and grocery market, but India’s share in food items exports is just 12%, which the government is trying to take up to 20%. India has achieved impressive results in exports of some items like prawns which has seen a jump of 17% between 2012-17, while grapes and turmeric exports have grown by 12%.

To give boost to food processing industry, Commerce and Industry Ministry is also formulating an aggressive Agri Export Policy separately. With such a powerful global trade show, India will surely be able to make the best utilization of its huge production and consumption power.

Jaipur : Music theatre and cultural performances will be an integral part at the ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival later this month. Two Heritage Evenings will be organised in association with Rajasthan Tourism.

The Festival will host these grand events at Jaipur’s iconic Amber Fort and Hawa Mahal. Being held on the evenings of January 26^th and 28^th, these events will showcase spellbinding performances against the exquisite backdrop of monuments that celebrate the city’s rich cultural heritage.

`Under the Stars’ at Hawa Mahalfeatures The Troth-Usne Kaha Tha, a multimedia dance and theatre production presented by Akademi, the UK’s leading producer of Indian dance, marking the centenary of World War I. It tells a story of love, loss and sacrifice against the horror and conflict of World War I. Inspired by film noir and the era of black and white films, The Troth will recount the story with use of film and subtitles and unfold the poignant narrative through interplay between image, music and dance. Award-winning choreographer Gary Clarke (winner of a UK Theatre Award 2016 for Achievement in Dance) leads the creative team. Through an intense experience, akin to silent films, audiences travel from the repose of rural Punjab in late 1800s to the strife-torn bloodied Belgian trenches. Part of the Reimagine India programme (Arts Council England/British Council) and the UK-India Year of Culture, The Troth features some of the UK’s most exciting and versatile young dancers.

On January 28^th, audiences can look forward to AMajestic Evening at Amber Fort, which will begin with a sarangirecital byUstad Kamal Sabri.Ustad Sabri Khan is the son of sarangi legend Ustad Sabri Khan and is carrying forward the rich legacy of the Sania gharana of Moradabad with single-minded dedication. Kamal, who is from the seventh generation of a distinguished family of traditional musicians, has demonstrated profound versatility in playing the sarangi.

This will be followed by Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi… a tribute to the late ghazal maestro Jagjit Singh by singer, songwriter and composer Shekhar Ravjiani. The show first premiered at the Esplanade Concert Hall in Singapore to a standing ovation and brought back to life some of Singh’s legendary ghazals including, ‘Hothon se Choo Lo Tum’, ‘Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi’, ‘Tumko Dekha’, ‘Jhuki Jhuki Si Nazar’, ‘Tum Itna Jo’ and ‘Yeh Daulat Bhi Le Lo’. It has since gone to Jakarta, Indonesia and after running its U.S. tour in August 2017, it will now enthrall audiences at the ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival 2018.

Sanjoy Roy, Managing Director of Teamwork Arts, Producer of the ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival said, “The ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival’s Heritage Evenings celebrate the built heritage of the state of Rajasthan and highlight its rich cultural and architectural legacy through performing arts showcases. With support from Rajasthan Tourism, we will present some of the best music and theatre performances against the backdrop of over 1000 years of Indian architecture and heritage. These events are exclusively curated to bring our audience closer to Rajasthan’s spellbinding spirit and landscape.”

NEW DELHI:  India and Israel on Monday appeared well set to take their bilateral ties to newer heights in diverse sectors with a positive chemistry between the two Prime Ministers – Benjamin Netanyahu and Narendra Modi — being all too evident during their joint press conference.

While Mr. Netanyahu, on a six-day visit to India, dubbed Mr. Modi “a revolutionary leader’’,  Mr. Modi referred to Mr. Netanyahu as “my friend Bibi’’ and admitted sharing his “impatience for results’’ with his Israeli counterpart.

“You are a revolutionary leader. You have revolutionised India and catapulting this state to the future. Your visit to Israel was groundbreaking as it was the first time an Indian leader visited,” Mr. Netanyahu said during the press conference while referring to Mr Modi’s visit to Israel last July.

Mr. Modi said he had invited “Israeli companies to take advantage of the liberalised FDI regime to make more in India.” On his part, Mr. Netanyahu did not hide his excitement about the film production agreement, saying  “My wife and I are very happy that we are going to Bollywood.”  He is scheduled to visit the Taj Mahal and Mumbai where Bollywood celebrities will meet him and his wife.

At the end of delegation level talks, India and Israel inked nine agreements including in sectors like cyber security, agriculture and oil and gas.

The joint statement, issued after the talks, was comprehensive in nature, flagging concerns regarding terrorism as well as Israel-Palestine peace process. Both the countries vowed to fight the challenge of terrorism together.  

The two Prime Ministers addressed the India-Israel Business Summit as well as CEOs of leading companies of both the countries.

Mr. Netanyahu was accorded a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhawan earlier in the day. Welcoming  the Israeli Prime Minister, the President Ram Nath Kovind said that his visit was a culmination of celebrations to mark the 25^th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The President said that bilateral cooperation has expanded manifold. Political understanding, security cooperation and technology partnerships are key pillars of strategic engagement between India and Israel.  He emphasised that collaboration in newer areas such as space, cyber-security and innovation will add depth to the partnership. He lauded the presence of Israeli companies in India especially in the water, defence, technology and pharma sectors. 

NEW DELHI : After a quarter century of establishing diplomatic relations, India and Israel on Monday resolved to strive over the next 25 years to raise bilateral cooperation in diverse sectors to a qualitatively new level in consonance with their strategic partnership.

On the second day of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to India, the summit level meetings which began with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic visit to Israel in July last year have further cemented the bonds between the two governments and peoples and consolidated the strategic partnership.

A joint statement, issued after delegation level talks which were led by the two Prime Ministers, said both the leaders share a common vision for the relationship.

Both sides are working together on a Five Year Joint Work Plan for strategic cooperation in agriculture and water while agreeing to deepen cooperation in innovation, business and trade, space, homeland security and cyber, higher education and research, science and technology, tourism and culture.

The two prime ministers noted with satisfaction the implementation of India-Israel development cooperation – three-year work programme in Agriculture (2018-2020) under the stewardship of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MASHAV) and the Ministry of Agriculture of India aimed at increasing farmers’ productivity and optimization of water use efficiency.

They were apprised of state of progress on the 28 Centres of Excellence that are being jointly established in different States of India. Seven more Centres of Excellence have become operational in the last six months since the visit of Mr. Modi to Israel. The two Prime Ministers will be visiting Centre of Excellence in Vadrad, Gujarat and will inaugurate the Centre of Excellence in Bhuj, Gujarat, during this visit.

The two leaders welcomed the completion of all formalities for the launch of the India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund that was announced during Mr. Modi’s visit to Israel.

They underscored the role of youth in enhancing future collaboration in innovation, and have decided to commence an annual exchange of visits of 100 youth from the science streams. The two respective Ministries of Science and Technology have decided to commence nine joint R&D projects in the areas of big data analytics in health care and security in cyber space.

Further, in order to build a strong network between the next generation of the best women scientists and technologists of the two countries, an India-Israel Women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Symposium will be organized in October in India.

The two Prime Ministers also noted the intention of Indian public sector companies and Israeli companies to begin collaboration in the areas of metal air batteries for stationary energy storage systems and in solar thermal technologies, and urge industry on both sides to explore business collaboration in new energy technologies.

While welcoming India’s initiative to establish the International Solar Alliance to promote renewable energy for sustainable development in the context of climate change, Israel declared its willingness to become a partner country.

The two leaders urged the private sector to actively explore investment opportunities in both countries, including through the India’s flagship programmes such as Make in India, Start-Up India and Digital India. They also stressed on the importance of facilitating the movement of business persons through simplification of visa regulations, fast-tracking of visa applications, issuing of multiple entry visa, especially for the information technology and new technology sectors.

They also decided to expedite the conclusion of an Agreement on Maritime Transport that will encourage greater business between the shipping organizations of India and Israel, and create new opportunities in maritime services and training. They hoped that the agreement would also encourage wider cooperation in development of maritime business and Israel’s participation in the Sagarmala Project. Enhanced cooperation in the civil aviation sector is also on the cards.

An Indian Cultural Centre will open in Israel this year in pursuance of Mr. Modi’s desire to promote greater cultural understanding. Both sides have signed an MoU in Film Co-Production in recognition of the role that films play in promoting people-to-people contact, the joint statement said.

The two Prime Ministers agreed to holding Festivals of India and Israel in their respective countries in 2019 as a further step to solidify friendship between the peoples of both countries.

In another major decision, Israeli companies have expressed their readiness to enter into joint ventures with Indian companies in the defence sector under the Make in India initiative. They consider it important to set the direction for developing more business models and partnerships for the joint ventures and joint manufacturing, including transfer of technology as well as joint research and development in defence and security fields.

Recognizing the grave threat that terrorism poses to peace and security including from non-state actors, Mr Modi and Mr Netanyahu reiterated that there can be no justification for acts of terror on any grounds whatsoever and advocated strong measures against terrorists, terror organizations, those who sponsor, encourage or finance terrorism or provide sanctuary to terrorists and terror groups.

They also noted with satisfaction that the next meeting of the Joint Working Groups on Homeland and Public Security will be held in February.  They reiterated the importance of building comprehensive cooperation in counter-terrorism, including cyber-space, and welcomed the signing of the MoU on Cooperation in Cyber Security between India and Israel.

On the developments pertaining to the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process, they reaffirmed their support for an early resumption of peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians for arriving at a comprehensive negotiated solution on all outstanding issues, based on mutual recognition and effective security arrangements, for establishing a just and durable peace in the region.

Opinion | The BJP led NDA government at the centre might be compelled to present a people oriented budget for 2018-19 even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi faces major challenges in the new year. 

For one there are no fewer than eight assembly elections scheduled for this year followed by the general elections in the first half of next year. With growth estimates lower than projected amid worrying data on agriculture, the RSS as the ideologue of the Lotus party has warned the political leadership that the twin issues of farm distress and galloping unemployment could be the main pressure points.

This comes at a time when the saffron brigade’s win for a sixth successive time in the Gujarat assembly elections recently was nothing much to rave about. While the BJP’s win was not in doubt in Modi as well as his confidant and party president Amit Shah’s home state, it failed to cross the three figure mark. They had to settle for 99 seats which was 16 fewer than its tally of 115 in 2012.

Shah had, however, pitched for 150 seats in the 182-member assembly which his own party leaders felt was being highly over ambitious.   

While the Lotus party enjoys a majority on its own in the Lok Sabha, it is handicapped in the Rajya Sabha as the NDA continues to be in a minority and its efforts to rummage the numbers has proved to be in vain. 

With less than five months remaining for the assembly poll in Karnataka, the party brass has already begun drawing up its strategy in this crucial southern state where the Congress is at the helm of affairs. It is the lone southern state where the saffron brigade has held the reins of power and is keen on enlarging its presence particularly in Tamil Nadu caught in the grip of political flux.  

The five southern states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Telengana along with the lone Union Territory of Puducherry account for 130 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha. 

Assembly elections are also due this year in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh among others where anti-incumbency against the ruling BJP can pose problems. 

It is in this context that the BJP wants to enlarge its poor arithmetic in the South to offset the possible losses in the North which facilitated Modi becoming the Prime Minister in May 2014. 

In the 43 months that Modi has been the Head of Government, the BJP has managed to remain several steps ahead of the Congress which has been found wanting because of its bane of infighting and the organisation being in a shambles. 

The Grand Old party lacks leaders having a mass base in the states. The all powerful Congress High Command must accept responsibility for its  peremptory style of functioning throwing the party in disarray.  

The baton of Congress president has passed on to the Nehru-Gandhi scion Rahul Gandhi after an extended apprenticeship. He has to enthuse the Congress rank and file to get it firing. The challenge is daunting. Delaying the dynastic accession might have been counter productive.

Can Rahul articulate a vision with a catchy slogan that hits the bulls eye as evidenced in the past like Indira Gandhi’s “garibi hatao”. He might come across being earnest and sincere but lacks Modi’s guile of imparting a shrewd political spin. 

Evolving an understanding with credible regional leaders for a non-BJP Front assumes importance. Working out this arrangement cannot be left to the last minute. The outcome of the assembly elections in Gujarat was a pointer to the Prime Minister’s honeymoon with the people taking a hit. In the last two to three decades it has been invariably seen that the Head of Government’s popularity begins taking a dip sharply on completing 36-42 months in office. 

There is no doubt that the Modi-Amit Shah duo have worked in tandem and blazed a winning trail with few parallels. The BJP is in power in 19 states with the India map splashed with saffron across it.   

The Congress has been in the dumps over the last three and a half years. It is in power only in Punjab and Karnataka. Rahul needs to think out of the box in revitalising the party organisation as well as catching the people’s imagination. 

The focus should be on evolving policies why the Modi government’s much touted “aache din aane wale hain” has bombed so far. 

The RSS has drawn attention to the twin issues of farm distress and galloping unemployment as the main pressure points. It emphasised the BJP was in trouble in Gujarat because of the simmering anger in rural areas particularly the disgruntlement among the educated youth. It attributed the current state of affairs to the ruling party’s faulty economic policies warning that without expeditious corrective measures the situation could worsen. 

The RSS also warned that matters could get worse in the ensuing assembly elections besides casting its shadow in next year’s general elections. That is some food for thought for the Prime Minister who has charted a remarkable winning streak so far. It is widely believed a second term as the Prime Minister is in Modi’s grasp as the opposition is nowhere near getting its act together at this juncture.     

NEW DELHI: U.S. State Department has issued a travel advisory to its citizens, asking them to exercise increased caution while travelling to India due to crime and terrorism. The advisory placed India in Level 2, asking American citizens to exercise increased caution while travelling to India.

The U.S. government has advised its citizens to not travel to Jammu and Kashmir (except the eastern Ladakh region and its capital, Leh) due to terrorism and civil unrest as well as within 10 km of the India-Pakistan border due to the potential for armed conflict.

“Indian authorities report rape is one of the fastest growing crimes in India.  Violent crime, such as sexual assault, has occurred at tourist sites and in other locations,’’ it said.  

Further, on terror threat, the State Department cautioned that “terrorist or armed groups are active in East Central India, primarily in rural areas.  Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, and local government facilities.’’

The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in rural areas from eastern Maharashtra and northern Telangana through western West Bengal as U.S. government employees must obtain special authorization to travel to these areas.

On safety and security norms to be observed, it advised  those deciding to travel to India to not  travel alone, particularly a woman  and asked them to review their  personal security plans, and remain alert to surroundings.

Referring to situation in Jammu  and Kashmir, the travel advisory said that terrorist attacks and violent civil unrest are possible in the border State and asked American citizens to avoid all travel to this state (with the exception of visits to the eastern Ladakh region and its capital, Leh).

The US State department cautioned that sporadic violence occurs particularly along the Line of Control (LOC) separating India and Pakistan, and in tourist destinations in the Kashmir Valley: Srinagar, Gulmarg, and Pahalgam. The Indian government prohibits foreign tourists from visiting certain areas along the LOC, it pointed out.

Referring to situation on the Indo-Pak border, the advisory said that both the countries maintain a strong military presence on both sides of the border. The only official India-Pakistan border crossing point for persons who are not citizens of India or Pakistan is in the state of Punjab between Atari, India, and Wagah, Pakistan.

On North-Eastern States, it said incidents of violence by ethnic insurgent groups, including bombings of buses, trains, rail lines, and markets, occur occasionally in the northeast.  U.S. government employees are prohibited from traveling to the states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Manipur without special authorization from the U.S. Consulate General in Kolkata.

Referring to the situation in East Central and Southern India, the travel advisory said that Maoist extremist groups, or “Naxalites,” are active in a large swath of India from eastern Maharashtra and northern Telangana through western West Bengal, particularly in rural parts of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand and on the borders of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Odisha. The Naxalites have conducted frequent terrorist attacks on local police, paramilitary forces, and government officials.

“Due to the fluid nature of the threat, all U.S. government travelers to states with Naxalite activity must receive special authorization from the U.S. consulate responsible for the area to be visited. U.S. officials traveling only to the capital cities in these states do not need prior authorization,’’ the advisory said.