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India to invest $67 bn in energy sector

At last year’s IEW, Modi had said India is committed to green energy but it would need investments in the traditional oil and gas sector…reports Asian Lite News

India will invest $67 billion in the gas sector over the next 5-6 years as part of an “unprecedented amount” of funds being put in to develop energy infrastructure, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday.

Speaking at the second edition of the India Energy Week (IEW) in Betul in South Goa, Modi said India is attracting global investors in the energy sector. “We want to increase the share of natural gas in the primary energy mix to 15 per cent from the current 6 per cent. Therefore, we are investing $67 billion in the next 5-6 years,” he said.

“India is investing an unprecedented amount of funds into India. Therefore, those involved in the global energy sector today want to invest in India in energry,” Modi said.

At last year’s IEW, Modi had said India is committed to green energy but it would need investments in the traditional oil and gas sector.

The Interim Budget on February 1 proposed a capital expenditure of Rs 11 trillion and a large part of that money will dovetail with investments in the energy sector. “India is now the fastest growing economy globally. The International Monetary Fund has predicted that it will continue to grow like this going forward. India will soon become the third largest economy in the world,” said Modi, adding the country will soon become a key producer and exporter of hydrogen.

“India is already one of the largest refiners in the world. Today, our refining capacity is more than 255 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA). By 2030, we want to expand that to 450 MMTPA,” Modi said. India annually consumes 19 million barrels of oil and the number is set to reach 38 million barrels by 2045.

“Ten years back, ethanol blending in petrol was 1.5 percent. In 2023, this was more than 12 percent. As a result, 42 million metric tonne of carbon emissions have been averted,” Modi said. E20 fuel (20 per cent ethanol blending in gasoline) was launched at IEW 2023 and is now available at 9000 outlets countrywide. E20 will lead to an estimated Rs 50,000 crore of savings for the government as crude oil imports reduce.

India seeks stronger energy ties with US

In the midst of geopolitical turbulence sparked by the Ukraine war, India has underscored the importance of its energy partnership with the United States, citing its strategic purchases of Russian oil as a stabilizing force in global crude markets.

According to S&P Global Commodity Insights, Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Geoffrey R. Pyatt revealed that discussions between US officials and India’s Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri highlighted India’s perspective on the matter during a recent online interaction with the media.

Pyatt emphasized that India’s significant procurement of Russian oil served the dual purpose of curbing global crude prices and ensuring affordable fuel for its citizens.

“On Russian oil, this was a big part of my conversation with Minister Puri. We both agreed – and I said the same thing at much greater length on my visit to India last year. India has played a key role in our effort to stabilize global energy markets in the face of the extraordinary destabilization caused by Vladimir Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine and the weaponization of his oil and gas resources,” Pyatt stated, echoing sentiments shared during his previous visit to India.

Petronet, Qatar Energy sign long-term LNG contract

A long-term contract for LNG Sale and Purchase Agreement was signed on Tuesday between India’s state-run oil and gas company ‘Petronet LNG’ and Qatar’s ‘Qatar Energy’.

The agreement was signed between Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Qatar Minister of State for Energy Affairs and CEO of Qatar Energy, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi.

The agreement will facilitate the purchase of around 7.5 Million Metric Tonnes per Annum (MMTPA) of LNG between the two companies.

Union Minister Puri said the contract will provide momentum to India’s journey towards energy self-sufficiency as it aims to increase the share of gas in energy mix from 6 per cent to 15 per cent by 2030.

“I was very happy to join HE Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Minister of State for Energy Affairs, Deputy Chairman and President & CEO @qatarenergy for the signing of a long-term contract for LNG Sale & Purchase Agreement (LNG SPA) for purchase of around 7.5 MMTPA LNG between @PetronetLNGLtd & QatarEnergy today,” Puri posted from his official X handle.

He added, “This contract will provide momentum to India’s journey towards energy self-sufficiency under the farsighted leadership of PM@narendramodiJi as India is transitioning into a gas-based economy by increasing the share of gas in energy mix from 6% to 15% by 2030.”

After signing the agreement, the Union Minister said India is looking around the world for collaborations and partnerships in the energy sector.

“Across sectors, we are exploring energy equations, exploration and production. Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened 1 million sq km of no-go area that will take our sedimentary basin under exploration from 8-9 per cent to 15 per cent. We are looking around the world for collaborations and partnerships,” Puri told reporters.

Qatar MoS Al-Kaabi said India has a lot of potential for green energy especially under PM Modi’s plan of enhancing infrastructure.

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India govt gives nod to migration, mobility pact with Italy  

Tourists visit the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, on June 28, 2021. (Xinhua/Cheng Tingting/IANS)

Cooperation between the two parties in the fight against irregular migration has also been formalised through the Agreement...reports Asian Lite News

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its ex-post facto approval to the proposal of the Ministry of External Affairs to sign and ratify the Migration and Mobility Agreement between India and Italy, the Cabinet informed in a release on Wednesday.

The agreement would enhance people-to-people contacts, foster mobility of students, skilled workers, business people and young professionals and strengthen cooperation on issues related to irregular migration between the two sides. The agreement locks in the current Italian visa regime including mechanisms for post-study opportunities, internships, and professional training assuring an advantage for India under the existing labour mobility pathways under the Flows Decree. According to the release, after this agreement, the Indian students wishing to gather initial professional experience, after completing academic or vocational training in Italy may be granted temporary residence in Italy for up to 12 months.

The Italian side has detailed provisions related to professional training, extracurricular internships and curricular internships which allow Indian students and trainees to gain experience in Italian skills and training standards. For workers, the Italian side has reserved a quota of 5000, 6000 and 7000 non-seasonal Indian workers for 2023, 2024 and 2025 under the current Flows Decree (Total reserved quota stands at 12000 for non-seasonal workers). Additionally, the Italian side has also reserved a quota of 3000, 4000 and 5000 seasonal Indian workers for 2023, 2024 and 2025 under the current Flows Decree (Total reserved quota stands at 8000 for seasonal workers), the release added. Under the Flows Decree, the Italian side has also offered incremental reserved quotas for both seasonal and non-seasonal workers from 2023-2025. Additionally, the Agreement also formalises joint working on furthering mobility pathways between India and Italy through agreements on Youth Mobility and Facilitation of Recruitment of Indian qualified professionals in the healthcare and medical services sectors which will be discussed under the Joint Working Group (JWG).

Cooperation between the two parties in the fight against irregular migration has also been formalised through the Agreement. “This agreement will come into effect on the first day of the second month following the date of receipt of the last of the two notifications by which parties shall have communicated to each other the completion of their internal procedures necessary for its entry into force and will remain into force for a period of 5 years. Unless terminated by any participant, the agreement will be automatically renewed for a similar successive period,” the release stated. The agreement provides a formal mechanism for its monitoring through a JWG which would meet periodically, in virtual or physical mode as convenient, and oversee its implementation. The JWG would share relevant information, evaluate the implementation of the agreement and discuss all appropriate proposals to support implementation as necessary. Notably, the agreement was signed on November 2 this year, by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on the Indian side and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani on the Italian side, the cabinet release added. (ANI)

ALSO READ-EU Nears Migration Policy Overhaul

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India hopes Canada takes action against extremist elements

While addressing a weekly media briefing on Thursday, Bagchi said India has always highlighted that the core issue remains the space given to extremists, terrorists and anti-India elements in Canada...reports Asian Lite News

India’s position is consistent on the issue of Canada as it is hoping that Ottawa would take action on extremist elements that are misusing the freedom of speech and expression in their country, Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Thursday.

While addressing a weekly media briefing on Thursday, Bagchi said India has always highlighted that the core issue remains the space given to extremists, terrorists and anti-India elements in Canada. Asked about Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s remarks that he has seen a tonal shift in India’s relations with Canada after the US reported an alleged murder plot, Arindam Bagchi said, “I’m not exactly sure how to answer it. In the sense, this is a comment by the Prime Minister of Canada and I wouldn’t like to comment on that. But I think our position has been quite consistent and whenever this has been raised.” Notably, the ties between India and Canada have been strained after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made allegations about India being involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

India has outrightly rejected the allegations terming them “absurd” and “politically motivated.” “I think we have highlighted how we see the problem and frankly the core issue remains the space that is given to extremists and terrorists and anti-India elements in that country. I think you would heard also from External Affairs Minister recently as well as others about the developments of that case and the fact that if there’s something that we look into it but the core of it, the problem remains this. So I would like to say whether they have noted a shift or not. Certainly, our position has remained consistent and we would hope that they would take action on such extremist elements that are misusing the freedom of speech and expression in their country,” he added.

Trudeau has said he believes India’s relations with Canada might have undergone “a tonal shift” in the days since the unsealing of a US indictment alleging a conspiracy to murder India-designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil, Canada-based CBC News reported. Trudeau made the remarks in an end-of-year interview with the CBC’s Rosemary Barton. He said the US indictment seems to have convinced the Indian government to adopt a more sober tone, as reported by CBC News. “I think there is a beginning of an understanding that they can’t bluster their way through this and there is an openness to collaborating in a way that perhaps they were less open before,” he said. Trudeau said, “We don’t want to be in a situation of having a fight with India right now over this.” “We want to be working on that trade deal.

We want to be advancing the Indo-Pacific strategy. But it is foundational for Canada to stand up for people’s rights, for people’s safety, and for the rule of law. And that’s what we’re going to do,” CBC News quoted Trudeau as saying. Recently, the US Justice Department unsealed an indictment against an Indian national for his alleged involvement in a foiled plot to assassinate Pannun. The Justice Department claimed that an Indian government employee (named CC-1), who was not identified in the indictment filed in a federal court in Manhattan, recruited an Indian national named Nikhil Gupta to hire a hitman to carry out the assassination, which was foiled by US authorities, according to prosecutors. (ANI)

ALSO READ-Canada-India Relations Witness Shift Amid US Plot Allegations

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Indian-origin data scientist wins UK’s top rail award

This award, announced at a recent ceremony in Birmingham, is intended to recognise the outstanding contributions of individuals who are new to rail or who have chosen to take a career change and become an apprentice…reports Asian Lite News

An Indian-origin data scientist has been named ‘Newcomer of the Year’ in the 2023 RailStaff Awards in the UK for displaying “exceptional skill, tenacity and professional achievement” in her field of work.

Maharashtra-born Smital Dhake, 26, who joined the rail industry in July 2022, is the first and only data scientist at Alstom, the UK and Ireland’s leading supplier of new trains and train services.

“This award means so much to me. It will inspire me to keep up the hard work, and I hope it also inspires others who are new to the industry. I am truly grateful for everyone who has helped me through my journey. I’ve had wonderful mentors, colleagues and managers. I am truly honoured,” she was quoted as saying in railuk.com.

This award, announced at a recent ceremony in Birmingham, is intended to recognise the outstanding contributions of individuals who are new to rail or who have chosen to take a career change and become an apprentice.

According to Lorna Richardson, Head of Customer Engagement at Alstom, Dhake established collaborative relationships, achieved IRSE (Institution of Railway Signal Engineers) competence and delivered safety-related works in record time.

“Smital Dhake rapidly applied her Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) expertise and has solely made an enormous impact already in a highly professional manner,” Richardson said.

Smital joined the railway specifically to work on the innovative Modular Advanced Route Setting (M-ARS) System.

The UK railway’s first M-ARS system with machine learning techniques is applied to use real-time data to predict future events to enable quicker decision-making to resolve conflicting train movements and thereby increasing the efficiency of the railway.

But with no previous rail industry knowledge, Smital had to undergo extensive as well as intensive knowledge transfer processes in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of the rail sector and signalling systems.

“Smital achieved these business-critical objectives in under six months, a task which would normally be expected to take up to three years,” Richardson added.

Smital attended Watford Grammar School in England, followed by university at King’s College London.

ALSO READ-EU lawmakers agree on artificial intelligence laws

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India Slams OIC’s Comments on Article 370

The international grouping of Muslim nations called the reversal of Article 370 “illegal and unilateral”, and demanded its recall…reports Asian Lite News

In a strongly-worded statement, the Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday slammed the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for criticising the Supreme Court’s verdict on Article 370, calling it “ill informed and ill intended”.

A day after India’s top court unanimously upheld the Presidential order scrapping Article 370 of the Constitution, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, the OIC expressed “concern” over the verdict.

The international grouping of Muslim nations called the reversal of Article 370 “illegal and unilateral”, and demanded its recall.

“India rejects the statement issued by the General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on a judgement of the Indian Supreme Court. It is both ill informed and ill intended,” External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a statement on Wednesday.

In a veiled reference to Pakistan, the spokesperson said: “That the OIC does so at the behest of a serial violator of human rights and an unrepentant promoter of cross-border terrorism makes its action even more questionable. Such statements only undermine OIC’s credibility.”

In its statement, the OIC’s General Secretariat had said that it reaffirms its solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir in their quest for the right of self-determination.

Further, the grouping called on the international community to enhance its efforts to resolve the issue of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.

The abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 ended the special status conferred to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. The Central government then moved to reorganise it into two Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

The Chief Justice of India (CJI), D.Y. Chandrachud, said that Jammu and Kashmir held no internal sovereignty after accession to India.

He added that there was no prima facie case that the President’s 2019 orders were in bad faith or extraneous exercise of power.

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Secularism in India doesn’t mean being non-religious, says EAM

New Delhi, Oct 22 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar addresses a gathering at the Kautilya Economic Conclave, in New Delhi on Sunday. (ANI Photo)

Jaishankar referenced “appeasement” as a very powerful word in the Indian political debate, which guided the direction in which politics went…reports Asian Lite News

Secularism for India does not mean being non-religious but an equal respect to all faiths, but the “appeasement” government policies of the past made the biggest religion of the country feel like it had to be self-deprecatory in the name of equality, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said.

During an interaction entitled ‘How a Billion People See the World’ at the Royal Over-Seas League in London on Wednesday evening, Jaishankar was asked if India had changed since the Nehruvian era to become less liberal and more “Hindu majoritarian” under the BJP-led government.

While asserting that India had certainly changed, Mr Jaishankar was categorical that the change did not mean India being less liberal but rather “more authentic” about expressing its beliefs.

“Has India changed from the Nehruvian era? Absolutely, because one of the assumptions of that era which very much guided the thinking of the polity and its projection abroad was the way we define secularism in India,” said Jaishankar, in response to a question by journalist-author Lionel Barber.

“For us, secularism doesn’t mean being non-religious; for us secularism means equal respect to all faiths. Now, what happened in reality in politics was beginning with equal respect for all faiths, we actually got into a sort of politics of minoritarian pandering. That, over a period of time, I think, created a backlash,” he said.

Jaishankar referenced “appeasement” as a very powerful word in the Indian political debate, which guided the direction in which politics went.

“More and more people started feeling that in a way, in the name of equality of all religions, in fact, the biggest religion had to be self-deprecatory and play itself down. A big part of that community felt it was not being fair,” he noted.

The senior BJP leader said the political and social changes seen in India in the last few years have partly been a reaction “at an intellectual and political level” to this sense of unfairness.

Specifically asked if tolerance had gone down in India as a result, he responded: “I don’t think so; I think on the contrary. I think people today are less hypocritical about their beliefs, about their traditions and their culture.

“We are more Indian, more authentic. We are not today, either currying favour before a global audience or really trying to live up to some kind of left-wing liberal construct which a lot of Indians felt was not us.” The question-and-answer session, organised by foreign policy agency Wilton Park in partnership with the High Commission of India in London, marked the minister’s final engagement in London as he concluded his five-day UK visit.

The discussion covered a wide range of topics, including India-China relations, the ongoing diplomatic row with Canada, and the socio-political scenario in the country.

ALSO READ-Jaishankar meets Starmer in London

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India submits survey report on Raxaul-Kathmandu railway line

In August 2018, Nepal and India had signed an MoU for a preliminary engineering cum traffic survey for the rail link…reports Asian Lite News

India has submitted a final location survey report of the cross-border Raxaul-Kathmandu railway line to Nepal for for its review and consideration.

The development comes at a time when authorities in Beijing are also preparing a detailed feasibility study of a railway line whixh will link the Chinese border city of Kerung with Kathmandu.

The final location survey which was prepared by India’s Konkan Railway Corporation Limited was handed over to the government of Nepal last week via the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transportation. 

Rohit Kumar Bisural, the Director General of Nepal’s Department of Railways, told IANS that they are currently examining the Indian report.

“With this, we have to deliberate on how to execute and implement the project. The final location survey has shown that the project is promising and is feasible for building,” he added. 

As per the report, it will cost some $3 billion to construct the 141 km-line which will connect the Indian city of Raxaul to Kathmandu. 

The construction cost excludes land compensation. 

The government of Nepal has to carry out the land acquisition and provide for the construction of the railway line. 

When the initial study was carried out, the total investment of the project was around $2 billion but now it has increased by an additional $1 billion due to factors like price escalation of the different construction materials, officials said. 

The Konkan Railway Corporation Limited has proposed that the railway line will be based on broad-gauge, which will make a difference to the speed of the train. 

In standard gauge, the speed of the train can be up to 350 km per hour, while in broad gauge, the maximum speed is only 160 km.

The railway will start from Raxaul and pass through Birganj, Manharwa, Sapahar Bazar, Nijgarh, Dhiyal, Shikharpur, Sisneri, Satikhel and Khokna (Kathmandu).

The project’s internal rate of return is 4.81 per cent or it will take 25 years to go into the profits, added Bisural. 

Out of the total railway length, 42 km will be covered by the tunnels and 124 big bridges will have to be constructed, with 40 curves, according to the report.

Two-tier trains, passenger and cargo will be operational on the line. 

Based on a 2019 survey report, 12 trains can operate on the line.

In August 2018, Nepal and India had signed an MoU for a preliminary engineering cum traffic survey for the rail link. 

The Konkan Railway Corporation Limited was entrusted to conduct a preliminary survey. 

Another MoU on conducting the location study was signed by Nepal and India in October 2021.

“This is a strategic project, it will ease the transportation of various goods from India to Nepal and Nepal to India and it has other several advantages too,” Bisural added.

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India, European Free Trade Association explore pact

They discussed the “modalities of engagement for working towards a comprehensive TEPA”. This second ministerial gathering followed a series of expert meetings that took place online the previous week…reports Asian Lite News

India and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) States have taken a significant stride forward in their quest for a Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) and have discussed the modalities of engagement for working towards a comprehensive agreement.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goel discussed the modalities of engagement for working towards a comprehensive TEPA with leaders of (EFTA) states (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland). A press communique issued at the conclusion of talks said the ministerial meeting marked a significant milestone in taking forward the negotiations on a TEPA between India and EFTA.

“India and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) States have taken a significant stride forward in their quest for a Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement,” it said.

Apart from Goyal, the ministerial meeting was attended by Guy Parmelin, Swiss Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research; Einar Gunnarsson, Ambassador, Permanent Representative at the Permanent Mission of Iceland in Geneva; Kurt Jager, Ambassador, Permanent Representative at the Permanent Mission of Liechtenstein to EFTA, WTO and the UN in Geneva, and Erik Andreas Underland, Specialist Director at the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Fisheries.

They discussed the “modalities of engagement for working towards a comprehensive TEPA”. This second ministerial gathering followed a series of expert meetings that took place online the previous week.

“The Ministerial meeting marked a significant milestone in taking forward the negotiations on a TEPA between India and EFTA. Both sides emphasised the importance of building their discussions on principles of trust and respect for each other’s sensitivities to achieve a fair, equitable and balanced agreement,” the press communique said.

It said a TEPA between EFTA and India could bring significant economic benefits, such as integrated and resilient supply chains and new opportunities for businesses and individuals on both sides leading to increased trade and investment flows, job creation, and economic growth.

“The delegations agreed to ramp up their efforts and continue their discussions at a steady pace, with several more meetings planned over the coming months, to arrive at a common understanding on critical issues pertaining to TEPA,” the communique said. (ANI)

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