Tag: INDIAN HIGH COMMISSION

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Indian High Commission launches initiative for new students 

The event will allow networking between senior and new students and shall orient new Indian students in the UK and provide helpful information to the newcomers, added the official press release…reports Asian Lite News

Aiming to help the Indian students arriving in the United Kingdom for the September 2023 intake for higher studies, the Indian High Commission in London has launched the ‘Home Away from Home’ initiative to assist fresh Indian students arriving in the UK, said a release from Indian High Commission in London.Under the initiative, Students can visit special kiosks at the India House (High Commission building) at Aldwych from Sept 26-Oct 9 on weekdays to avail of services like documentation help, consular assistance, opening local bank accounts, and registering with the High Commission for future needs.The release added that the Complimentary lunch will also be provided as a welcome gesture to students who come for registration.

In a post on X the Indian High Commission shared details of its consular assistance. Apart from this, a welcome event on October 10, hosted by the Indian High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami will also be organised at the Indian High Commission premises in London, and will also be live-streamed.The event will allow networking between senior and new students and shall orient new Indian students in the UK and provide helpful information to the newcomers, added the official press release.

Meanwhile, The UK will continue with its annual target of attracting at least 600,000 international students with a focus on bolstering collaboration with Indian universities by offering dual degrees and joint research programmes, British officials familiar with the development said on Monday.India accounts for the largest cohort of international students in the UK with 16,185 visas being issued between April and June this year.The considerable overlap between India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the UK government’s international education strategy could further strengthen these ties, said Steve Smith, the UK Government’s International Education Champion, on the sidelines of the inaugural session of the two-day India-UK Higher Education Conference in Delhi.

“It is my remit to grow the number of international students and there is no limit on the number of international students coming. I think there is a lot of noise at the moment. But the key point is the target remains at least 600,000 students a year to come to the UK. And we are meeting that and that’s not changed. So there’s a lot of noise about it. I do realize that but the UK government’s target remains the same,” he added.The remarks come days after spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reportedly told media that Britain has no plans to change its approach to reducing net migration in order to help secure a free trade deal (FTA) with India.

“The prime minister believes that the current levels of migration are too high … To be crystal clear, there are no plans to change our immigration policy to achieve this free trade agreement and that includes student visas,” the spokesperson told journalists on September 7.

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Indian High Commission in London Celebrates Chandrayaan-3’s Lunar Triumph

Special screenings of the soft landing were organized across the country, including schools science centres, and public institutions…reports Asian Lite News

The Indian High Commission in London on Wednesday celebrated the successful landing of ISRO’s third lunar mission Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon. People at the High Commission raised slogans of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Vande Mataram’.

Chandryaan-3 on Wednesday successfully performed a soft landing on the Moon. ISRO tweeted: “Chandrayaan-3 Mission: ‘India, I reached my destination and you too!’ Chandrayaan-3 has successfully soft-landed on the moon! Congratulations, India!” Meanwhile, British High Commissioner Alex Ellis also congratulated India on Chandrayaan-3’s successful landing and said ‘Badhai Ho’. “A big moment for India for the world and…” Ellis wrote on X. “Badhai Ho” “Touchdown! Congratulations to India and@isro on making history with the successful #Chandrayaan3 mission – a giant step forward for the whole world,” the British High Commission said on X.

Director of Championing Space at the UK Space Agency Professor Anu Ojha OBE also congratulated India on the successful soft-landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon. He said that the successful landing of Chandryaan-3 in the southern polar region of the moon is evidence that we are living in a new space age.  “Congratulations to India on this amazing feat of engineering and perseverance. The successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 in the southern polar region of the moon is further evidence that we are living in a new space age, with space agencies and companies across the world setting their sights on the Moon and beyond,” Anu Ojha OBE said in a statement. 

He further said, “This current crop of missions is focused on new areas of opportunity — there are important scientific discoveries to be made about the presence of water on the lunar surface, which could support humans to live and work there for extended periods of time.”
As the Vikram lander carrying the Pragyaan rover in its belly touched down on the lunar surface, it marked a giant leap in India’s spacefaring journey providing a well-deserved finale to ISRO’s long years of toil.
This makes India the fourth country – after the US, China, and Russia – to have successfully landed on the moon’s surface, it has earned a place in record books as the first to touchdown on the south side of Earth’s only natural satellite.

Special screenings of the soft landing were organized across the country, including schools science centres, and public institutions. ISRO made the live action available on the ISRO website, its YouTube channel, Facebook, and public broadcaster DD National TV. The spacecraft was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota on July 14. (ANI)

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Cleverly talks tough on Indian High Commission attack

British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis also responded to Cleverly’s tweet and said the UK government attaches importance to the safety of friends and colleagues…reports Asian Lite News

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly on Thursday said that any direct attacks on Indian High Commission in London are “completely unacceptable.”

He said the UK has made clear to the High Commissioner of India to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami and the Indian government that the safety of staff at the High Commission is paramount. “Any direct attacks on the Indian High Commission in London are completely unacceptable. We have made clear to @VDoraiswami and the Government of India that the safety of staff at the High Commission is paramount,” Cleverly said in a tweet.

Cleverly’s remarks come after posters emerged of a pro-Khalistan rally in London on July 8.

The rally is being held in the name of Harjit Singh Nijjar aka Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistani terrorist who was killed in a targeted shooting in Canada’s Surrey on June 18. The posters contained threats to the Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami and Shashank Vikram, Consul General of India, Birmingham.

British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis also responded to Cleverly’s tweet and said the UK government attaches importance to the safety of friends and colleagues.

“To amplify the importance which @FCDOGovUK attaches to the safety and security of friends and colleagues, and their premises, at @HCI_London,” he said in a tweet.

Posters containing threats to Indian diplomats are being circulated in Canada also. The posters purportedly circulated by Sikh extremists have named Indian High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma and the Consulate General of India, Toronto, Apoorva Srivastava.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday told reporters on the sidelines of a programme in Delhi that India has requested partner countries like Canada, the UK, and Australia not to give space to Khalistanis as these radical extremist ideologies are not good for the bilateral relationship.

‘India to judge UK by what happens on ground’

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that India has raised the issue of threats to Indian diplomats in London, but it will judge the UK authorities only by what actually happens on the ground.

This pertains to the threats that emerged after posters emerged of a pro-Khalistan rally in London on July 8. Addressing a briefing here on Thursday, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “There is a rally on July 8. This violence against our diplomats and inside our diplomatic premises abroad is unacceptable, and we condemn them in the strongest terms”.

He later added in the briefing about the rally, “If there are attacks and threats against our diplomats, which is actually there on those posters, we are taking them very seriously and we would expect to see action by those authorities”.

Bagchi further said that India will judge the UK authorities only by “what happens on the ground”.

“We have seen comments by UK Foreign Secretary, as you are aware, we have had problems with the security of our mission in London. We have taken up the issue of this threat against our diplomats with the UK authorities. We have noted these comments by the UK authorities but we will naturally judge them by what happens on the ground. In the name of freedom of expression, we should not be giving space to those who advocate violence, propagate separatism or legitimise terrorism,” Bagchi said.

The rally is being held in the name of Harjit Singh Nijjar aka Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistani terrorist who was killed in a targeted shooting in Canada’s Surrey on June 18. The posters contained threats to the Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami and Shashank Vikram, Consul General of India, Birmingham.

Speaking ahead during the briefing about the recent arson attempt at the Indian consulate in San Francisco, the MEA spokesperson said that the matter has been taken up with the US authorities and the Indian authority in touch with US authorities regarding what can be done to ensure the security of the diplomats.

“We have noted posters circulated in other countries, the US particularly. There was an arson attempt by some extremist elements in the Indian consulate in San Francisco. It was quickly brought down by the authorities. We again condemn attacks on our diplomatic premises abroad. We have taken the matter with the US side, and the US authority has responded promptly at very senior levels. The safety and security of our diplomats is at utmost priority for the government,” Bagchi said. (ANI)

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Indian High Commission attack mastermind dies in UK

Avtar Singh Khanda.(photo:Twitter)

The NIA took over the case after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs instructed the Delhi Police to take legal action…reports Asian Lite News

Avtar Singh Khanda, a Punjab-origin Khalistani separatist and mastermind of the attack on the Indian High Commission in London, died in a hospital in the UK on Thursday due to blood cancer.

He was the head of Khalistan Liberation Force.

A bomb expert, Khanda, who was the principal orchestrator of the March 19 violence at the Indian High Commission in London, was handler of arrested Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh.

Confirming the death, UK-based Khalsa Aid founder Ravi Singh has put a post on Instagram.

Khanda, who belongs to Punjab’s Moga town, was arrested by British authorities in March in connection with vandalisation with his supporters to protest crackdown on Amritpal.

On Wednesday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had put out a series of photos on Twitter a “request for identification/information” of individuals who were “involved” in the attack on the High Commission.

One of the individuals in the NIA photos were Khanda.

“They caused grievous injuries to an official and disrespected the Indian National Flag,” the NIA post said.

The NIA had recently released five CCTV footages of the attack on the Indian High Commission. In the videos, accused can be seen gathering outside the Indian Embassy and then proceeding to attack it. They were carrying religious flags and shouting slogans, as depicted in videos.

The Special Cell of the Delhi Police registered an FIR in connection with the protest staged by “pro-Khalistani activists” at the Indian High Commission in London on March 19, during which the Tricolour was pulled down from the premises.

The NIA took over the case after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs instructed the Delhi Police to take legal action.

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NIA releases videos of vandalisation bid of Indian high commission

NIA releases CCTV Footage of Attack on Indian High Commission in London

Pro-Khalistan protestor in London climbed the High Commission of India’s balcony and pulled down the Indian flag on March 19…reports Asian Lite News

India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) has released over 2 hours of CCTV footage of the attempted vandalisation of the Indian High Commission in London, United Kingdom by anti-national elements.

NIA has appealed to the public to provide information regarding the people seen in the CCTV footage to the agency in the public interest. The NIA has released CCTV footage of the Khalistani attack, given a WhatsApp number as well seeking info on the vandalisers, while promising to keep the identity of the informant secret.

A request for information from NIA read, “CCTV footage of the attack by anti-national elements on High Commission of India London, which happened on 19.03.2023 is uploaded above. All the members of the public are requested to provide any information regarding the persons seen in the footage to the NIA in the public interest. Information may be provided on Whatsapp No +91 7290009373. The identity of the informant shall be kept secret.”

Notably, a pro-Khalistan protestor in London climbed the High Commission of India’s balcony and pulled down the Indian flag on March 19.

A video of the same incident went viral on social media. In the then-viral video, the Khalistani protestor can be seen on the balcony attempting to bring down the Indian flag. At the end of the video, another man reaches the balcony from inside to avert any more harm to the flag.

The Indian community on March 19 held a large gathering in front of the Indian High Commission in London against the “disrespectful act” of Khalistan supporters towards the Indian flag and demanded that the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan and the British government act against the perpetrators at the earliest.

The desecration of the Indian Flag led to an unprecedented outpouring of support from the diverse Indian community settled here in Britain. Expats from all across the UK travelled to London to express their solidarity with the Indian Flag and with the unity of India. The gathering resoundingly debunked the idea of Khalistan, saying there are no takers for it.

A case was registered by the Delhi Police on March 24 in connection with protests in front of the Indian High Commission in London on March 19.

“On receipt of a report from the Ministry of External Affairs on the incident at Indian High Commission, London on March 19, 2023, the Ministry of Home Affairs asked Delhi Police to take appropriate legal action,” said an official statement.

The senior-most UK diplomat in New Delhi was summoned after the Indian High Commission in the United Kingdom was vandalised. The senior-most UK diplomat in New Delhi was summoned to convey India’s strong protest at the actions taken by separatist and extremist elements against the Indian High Commission in London earlier in the day, the Ministry of External Affairs said earlier.

British High Commissioner Alex Ellis condemned the attack on the Indian High Commission in the United Kingdom. He condemned the “disgraceful acts” and called them totally unacceptable.

“I condemn the disgraceful acts today against the people and premises of the High Commission of India – totally unacceptable,” British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis tweeted. (ANI)

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Indian High Commission holds beach clean-up as part of G20  

During the activity, Indian envoy Vikram Doraiswami along with the mayor of Brighton and Hove city council addressed the gathering…reports Asian Lite News

Indian High Commission organised a beach clean-up activity as a part of the country’s current G20 chairmanship at Brighton Beach in London on Sunday with massive participation of the local community.

During the activity, Indian envoy Vikram Doraiswami along with the mayor of Brighton and Hove city council addressed the gathering.

They also took G20 mega beach cleanup pledge along with the participants.

Taking to Twitter, the High Commission of India in London wrote, “Glimpses of #G20BeachCleanUp at Brighton today with the encouraging participation of local community. HC @VDoraiswami and Mayor of @BrightonHoveCC addressed the gathering and took G20 mega beach cleanup pledge along with the participants. @moefcc @g20org #MyBeachMyPride”

As part of India’s G20 Presidency, a coordinated beach cleaning activity – ‘G20 Mega Beach Clean Up’ is organized across G20 Countries, guest countries as well as in all the coastal States/UTs of India.

The objective behind organising such activities is to draw global attention to the need to combat coastal and marine pollution and the role of citizens and their participation in the same.

Notably, this event was done globally on May 21 this year.

According to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the purpose of the Mega Beach Clean Up event was to sensitize and raise awareness about the impact of marine waste on the environment and encourage people to take action for preventing the same.

The importance of individual efforts and community participation in mitigating this environmental challenge was highlighted through this event.

Internationally, the event saw enthusiastic participation from 20 countries. Argentina, Australia, Canada, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, the Republic of Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK and the US are the 14 G20 countries and the six invitee countries are Egypt, Mauritius, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman and Singapore.

India assumed the presidency of the G20 grouping on December 1, 2022, and will hold the post for a year. (ANI)

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‘Kaali’ poster draws ire of Indian High Commission in Canada 

The controversy erupted after filmmaker Leena Manimekalai shared the poster of the film on social media that depicts a woman dressed as Goddess Kaali smoking a cigarette in the poster…reports Asian Lite News

The Indian High Commission in Canada, following a controversy over poster of a documentary ‘Kaali’ that was showcased at Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, has urged the organisers to withdraw all provocative material.

In a statement, the High Commission said that they have received complaints from leaders of the Hindu community in Canada about “disrespectful depiction of Hindu Gods on the poster of a film showcased as part of the ‘Under the Tent’ project at the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto.”

“Our Consulate General in Toronto has conveyed these concerns to the organisers of the event,” read the statement.

“We are also informed that several Hindu groups have approached authorities in Canada to take action. We urge the Canadian authorities and the event organizers to withdraw all such provocative material,” it added.

The controversy erupted after filmmaker Leena Manimekalai shared the poster of the film on social media that depicts a woman dressed as Goddess Kaali smoking a cigarette in the poster.

Complaint against director

A Delhi-based lawyer on Monday filed a police complaint against Director Leena Manimekalai over the poster.

The poster was shared by Manimekalai on social media on July 2. In the poster, Goddess Kaali has been shown smoking a cigarette.

It has sparked off a massive uproar on social media with demands to arrest the director trending on Twitter. According to a Tamil news portal, Manimekalai said that the documentary revolves around the events that take place one evening, when Goddess Kali appears and strolls on the streets of Toronto.

“The Director has hurt my religious sentiments by showing Goddess Kali smoking which is highly objectionable and not acceptable in any manner,” Jindal told.

Demanding an immediate registration of FIR against the independent director, Jindal said that such a deplorable picture in context to the Hindu Goddess is extremely outrageous, atrocious and hurting the sentiments and belief of Hindu community.

“This deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of Hindu Community through highly objectionable video and photo from her twitter account by the accused which is well circulated in social media and all public platforms is an offence under section 295A ,298, 505, 67 I.T Act and 34 IPC and therefore penal action should be taken against the accused,” the complaint filed with the Cyber Cell of Delhi Police read.

The lawyer further said that the objectionable video clip and photo must be banned and removed from the internet on immediate basis considering the defamatory impact and enrage it would cause to Hindus as it has disparaged the religious beliefs of a particular community.

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