Month: December 2022

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German Chancellor may visit India twice in 2023

The German Chancellor, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Germany in May, had announced support of at least 10 billion euros by 2030 under GSDP…reports Asian Lite News

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is likely to visit India twice next year as the two countries look to strengthen bilateral relations with an emphasis on green and sustainable development.

“The Chancellor is planning a bilateral visit to India next year…. I am very confident he will come for a bilateral visit before the G-20 Summit, German Ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann told reporters here.

Ackermann said Germany and India have finalised 22 projects covering transition to renewable energy, climate resilient urban development and sustainable use of natural resources totalling one billion euros for the next year under the green and sustainable development partnership (GSDP).

The German Chancellor, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Germany in May, had announced support of at least 10 billion euros by 2030 under GSDP.

A large part of the support will be in the form of credit lines from KfW Development Bank with interest rates ranging from 2.7 per cent to 3.2 per cent, he said.

“All new joint ventures in India will help cut greenhouse gas emissions or help adapt to climate change. In this way, the focal points of bilateral development cooperation with India will be consistently continued and further expanded in the coming years,” Ackermann said.

The projects finalised with the Finance Ministry on Tuesday are in Meghalaya, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan, he said, adding that Germany was keen on covering the whole country.

Asked about India’s G-20 Presidency, Ackermann termed the fight against climate change “one of the most urgent problems” on the political agenda and it reflected in the issues listed out by New Delhi for the year ahead.

India formally assumes the G-20 Presidency on Thursday.

“Germany will do everything to support India when it comes to making this a common effort of the G-20 countries. We are pleased that India puts this climate change very high on the agenda, Ackermann said.

The German envoy said dealing with Russia will be one of the most difficult issues during the G-20 presidency. “We have to see that this (Ukraine) conflict will remain with the G-20 in the years and the months to come. I am not a fortune teller, I don’t know what will happen next September. I am not overly confident that in two week’s time this conflict will stop. I don’t think so. I think this conflict will remain with us for a long time,” he said.

Ackermann said India has very good relations with all sides, including Russia, which can be helpful in this conflict.

“If you want to come in as a mediator, you must know the moment when you have to come in. India has very experienced and skilful diplomats, I think Indians would seize the moment if they knew there was a chance for mediation, he said.

Prime Minister Modi had visited Germany in May for bilateral talks with the German Chancellor and followed it up with another visit in June for the G-7 Summit. Germany, which holds the G-7 Presidency, had invited India as a partner country for the summit.

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Lite Blogs Music

Shilpa Rao excited about possibilities

EHSAAS.

Lamenting that one does not witness many music albums featuring solo women singers, she says that it has a lot to do with the makers and when one takes only the male perspective, it is just half the story. ” You need to complete it. Are we not living in times when we need diverse viewpoints?”…writes Sukant Deepak

To have an open mind towards life, and not just music. To listen to new rhythms constantly…She says she has never been averse to the peculiar. “I am always excited about the possibilities that the new promises, there is this magnetism towards being part of things divorced from the routine, towards the unfamiliar. Perhaps that is the reason you hear me cutting across genres and styles,” singer Shilpa Rao tells.

This Jamshedpur-raised singer who made her Hindi film debut with ‘Javeda Zindagi’ from ‘Anwar’ in 2007 was exposed to classical music early on by her father and trained under Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan. Later, when she shifted to Mumbai, she was succoured by Hariharan and Shankar Mahadevan whom she considers as a “constant source of inspiration.”

Stressing that being trained in classical has been instrumental in making her the singer she is, Rao adds, “Sadly, we have many uneducated musicians. Formal training gives you more vocabulary, thoughts, and ideas. It opens the mind in multiple ways. When you hear more music, your mind starts identifying things related to music — the beats, the ragas, etc. So, I still learn music and sit with my gurus. The process of training never ends.”

For someone who has sung tracks in major films including ‘Ek Ajnabee’, ‘Dev D’, ‘Hijack’, ‘Paa’, ‘Bachna Ae Hassseno’ and became the second Indian singer after Sharmistha Chatterjee, to sing in the critically acclaimed and popular Coke Studio Pakistan, Rao, who will be part of the upcoming Jashn-e-Rekhta, says one gravitates towards the music she/he has a personal connection with. “For me, something about the music must connect at a deeper level.”

It is her first reaction to the potential song that is crucial — post that it is about the gut. “But let us not forget that It also comes with a lot of history, and on a daily basis you need to keep listening and keep the senses alert. In order to express in the studio, a lot of homework is indispensable, after all, you have to feel during whatever you’re doing.”

Lamenting that one does not witness many music albums featuring solo women singers, she says that it has a lot to do with the makers and when one takes only the male perspective, it is just half the story. ” You need to complete it. Are we not living in times when we need diverse viewpoints?”

Considering all the controversies surrounding remixes, she feels if someone has remade a song, it demonstrates the artist’s fascination with it. “After all, we always learn from copying, and then you make it yourself. But each era has had people creating original stuff. Otherwise, we would just be stuck in one era. It is important to understand that there will be people who will be looking back at our time. I am a big believer in original music,” concludes the singer who is back on the road, recording for films and doing independent music.

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