Indian Foreign Affairs News & Discussions (non-US & Pakistan related

[SalmanNadeem]

I said the article is silly, not you.

Economic success cannot be linked to IQ so simplistically. Probably the two most important factors in individual economic success are risk taking/entrepreneurship and social skills. Even education and 'talent' are secondary, because you can always hire smart people. I don't know of any IQ test that measures these qualities.

Your argument is not supported by facts at all. Social skills are necessary of course, but then even Amazonian tribes have great skills of cooperation. It is brain power that brings about the change from Amazonian Tribe to 21st century City.

Capable of what?
Understanding quantum physics? probaby.
Raising socially and emotionally mature children? I don't know.

I don't think people with an IQ of 100 are social inept. Do you? however, their cognitive capabilities and consequently their contribution to the GDP would be much greater than someone with an IQ of 75 or 80.

Given a choice between:
1) A group of socially inept geniuses
2) A group of mediocre people who can work together

I will put my money on group #2.

Your choices are wrong. Socially inept geniuses make up only a tiny fraction of any population.

A person with an IQ of 100 is what I would call "mediocre". A person with an IQ of 80? Mentally deficient.

 

[ejaz007]

India’s fight against Maoists failing, says Manmohan
* Indian PM says rebels retain support of tribal communities

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told India's police chiefs on Tuesday that a campaign against Maoist rebels had failed to produce results and that rebel violence was on the rise in many states.

The comment came as hundreds of separatist rebels laid down arms and surrendered to authorities on Tuesday in Assam. More than 370 rebels of the Dima Halam Daogah group emerged from their jungle hide-outs and handed in their weapons to the police, said Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, Assam's inspector general of police. The rebels, also known as the "Black Widow" group, are fighting for an independent homeland for the ethnic Dimasa tribes.

Singh's comment is the clearest signal yet of the government's concern at a rebellion that has virtually put a vast swathe of the countryside rich in minerals out of official control, hurting potential business worth billions of dollars. Though the economic impact of the rebellion remains limited, with the rebels largely operating out of jungle hideouts, the insurgency and the sense that it is worsening adds to risks for companies mulling investments.

"I would like to state frankly that we have not achieved as much success as we would have liked in containing this menace," Singh said, underscoring concern over what he has described as the biggest homegrown threat to India's internal security. "It is a matter of concern that despite our efforts the level of violence in the affected states continues to rise."

The rebels have increased attacks on railways, power and telecommunication networks to halt economic development, Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram said. In June, bauxite production at state-run National Aluminium Co Ltd (NALCO) in eastern Orissa state fell by 20 percent after an April attack by Maoists in one of their mines.

The Maoist rebellion began four decades ago championing the cause of poor peasants in the east, but has now spread to about 20 of India's 29 states, with the rebels targetting police and government property in hit-and-run attacks. India's cities and bigger towns are largely free of the violence, but Singh warned that the rebels had managed to retain support among a cross section of society.

Support: "Despite its sanguinary nature, the movement manages to retain the support of a section of the tribal communities and the poorest of the poor in many affected areas," he said. "It has influence among certain sections of the civil society, the intelligentsia ... all this adds to the complexity of the problem." India's campaign to subdue the rebels has been limited as police are often outnumbered and use outdated weapons against insurgents skilled in jungle warfare and well-equipped with rocket launchers, automatic rifles and explosives.

"As I have stated before dealing with left-wing extremism requires a nuanced strategy, a holistic approach," he said. "It can not be treated solely as a law and order problem." agencies

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[Hulk]

Descendants of Muhammad Bin Qasim need not to worry about india....

we we need to do is to find 17 year old true Muhammad Bin Qasim... and here is your india in a plate....

Best of luck to you, by the way it is 2009.

 

[Red Dwarf]

Tharoor criticises Nehru and Gandhi, irks Congress​

The junior minister at the External Affairs Ministry is at it again. Keeping up with his criticism of government policy, Shashi Tharoor has now criticised the foreign policy approach of Pandit Jawahrlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi.

Speaking at a talk by British Labour MP Bhikhu Parekh in New Delhi on Friday, Tharoor agreed with the speaker's critical assessment of the policies as "more like moralistic running commentary".

Tharoor said: "Lord Parekh and I have fought alike on issues of India's identity and domestic arrangements. So we do, I am afraid, come from a similar outlook of the world. I think his (is a) very clear summary of the way in which Indian foreign policy drew from our founding fathers' sense of our civilisational heritage. The extraordinary contribution of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru to the articulation of that civilisational heritage and the manner in which both enhanced India's standing in the world, gave us the negative reputation for conducting foreign policy as a sort of moralistic running commentary on other people's behaviour."

Sources claim that the Congress has taken cognizance of Tharoor's comments and may take action against the Minister of State on Monday. On condition of anonymity, a senior Congress leader said that the party has "taken note" of his comments made over a period of time.

Last month, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna had clearly said that "policy changes should not be discussed in public", specifically reacting to his deputy's tweets on the subject. (Read: Government reacts to Tharoor's Tweets)

Tharoor criticises Nehru and Gandhi, irks Congress

 

[Red Dwarf]

Last speaker of ancient language of Bo dies in India

The last speaker of an ancient language in India's Andaman Islands has died at the age of about 85, a leading linguist has told the BBC.

Professor Anvita Abbi said that the death of Boa Sr was highly significant because one of the world's oldest languages - Bo - had come to an end.

She said that India had lost an irreplaceable part of its heritage.

Languages in the Andamans are thought to originate from Africa. Some may be 70,000 years old.

The islands are often called an "anthropologist's dream" and are one of the most linguistically diverse areas of the world.

'Infectious'

Professor Abbi - who runs the Vanishing Voices of the Great Andamanese (Voga) website - explained: "After the death of her parents, Boa was the last Bo speaker for 30 to 40 years.
Map

"She was often very lonely and had to learn an Andamanese version of Hindi in order to communicate with people.

"But throughout her life she had a very good sense of humour and her smile and full-throated laughter were infectious."

She said that Boa Sr's death was a loss for intellectuals wanting to study more about the origins of ancient languages, because they had lost "a vital piece of the jigsaw".


"It is generally believed that all Andamanese languages might be the last representatives of those languages which go back to pre-Neolithic times," Professor Abbi said.

"The Andamanese are believed to be among our earliest ancestors."

Boa Sr's case has also been highlighted by the Survival International (SI) campaign group.

"The extinction of the Bo language means that a unique part of human society is now just a memory," SI Director Stephen Corry said.

'Imported illnesses'

She said that two languages in the Andamans had now died out over the last three months and that this was a major cause for concern.

Academics have divided Andamanese tribes into four major groups, the Great Andamanese, the Jarawa, the Onge and the Sentinelese.

Professor Abbi says that all apart from the Sentinelese have come into contact with "mainlanders" from India and have suffered from "imported illnesses".

She says that the Great Andamanese are about 50 in number - mostly children - and live in Strait Island, near the capital Port Blair.

Boa Sr was part of this community, which is made up of 10 "sub-tribes" speaking at least four different languages.

The Jarawa have about 250 members and live in the thick forests of the Middle Andaman. The Onge community is also believed to number only a few hundred.

"No human contact has been established with the Sentinelese and so far they resist all outside intervention," Professor Abbi said.

It is the fate of the Great Andamanese which most worries academics, because they depend largely on the Indian government for food and shelter - and abuse of alcohol is rife.

 

[RPK]

Turkey President Abdullah Gul to arrive on six-day visit to India

New Delhi, Feb.6 : President of the Republic of Turkey Abdullah Gul will be arriving in New Delhi on a six-day (Feb.7 to 12) State visit commencing on Sunday.

He will arrive by a special aircraft at the Air Force Station, Palam, in New Delhi at 8.30 in evening, said an MEA release.

On Monday (Feb.8), at 4.00 p.m., President Gul is scheduled to deliver an address at Amity University and will also be conferred an honorary Doctorate in Noida.

On Tuesday (Feb.9), at 9.30 a.m., President Gul is scheduled to attend a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhavans forecourt.

Later, at 10.00 a.m, he will lay wreath at Mahatma Gandhis samadhi.

At 10.35 a.m., President Gul is scheduled to meet Minister of External Affairs S.M.Krishna at The Oberoi hotel.

At 11.20 a.m. President Gul is scheduled to meet Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and hold delegation level talks at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi.

At 1.15 p.m., President Gul will attend a Businees meet at the Oberoi hotel, which is being organized by ASSOCHAM/CII/FICCI.

At 4.00 p.m., Turkey President Gul will meet Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari at the hotel.

At 4.45 p.m. Gul will meet the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj at the same hotel.

At 5.30 p.m., President Gul will meet Congress President and United Progressive Alliance chairman Sonia Gandhi.

At 7.30 p.m., Turkey President will meet Indian President Pratibha Devisingh Patil.

At 8.00 p.m., a banquet will be hosted at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in his honour.

On Wednesday (Feb.10), at 11.00 a.m. President Gul will fly to Agra, the city of Taj Mahal in Uttar Pradesh and attend a programme.

At 3.00 p.m., Gul is then scheduled to fly to Mumbai to attend a programme.

On Thursday (Feb.11), Gul is to attend a programme in Mumbai.

On Friday (Feb.12), President Gul is scheduled to leave for Dhaka at 11.05 a.m.

Copyright Asian News International (ANI)

 

[RPK]

The Hindu : News / International : India to increase partnership with countries in Africa: Puri


India will increase partnership with developing nations other than its immediate neighbours to boost South-South cooperation, even as it has extended over USD 3 billion concessional lines of credit to countries in Africa.

At a high level Summit on South-South cooperation at the United Nations, Indian envoy to the UN Hardeep Singh Puri said: “We are happy that today we are also able to extend our partnership in a significant manner financially.”

“Our annual outlay on concessional lending and grants is over USD 1 billion, covering countries in our region, in Africa and beyond. In addition, USD 5 billion has been extended as lines of credit since 2003,” he added.

The Indian envoy stressed that New Delhi was taking is cooperation beyond its immediate neighbourhood to other regions especially Africa.

“The Government of India has extended over USD 3 billion concessional lines of credit to countries in Africa,” Puri said, noting that in the 2008 New Delhi announced additional lines of credit of USD 5.4 billion for the next five years.

Other programmes in Africa include the Pan-African E-network project and the TEAM-9 initiative focused on West Africa “that seeks to bridge the ‘digital divide’ between Africa and the rest of the world.” Mr. Puri pointed out that at the India-Africa Forum Summit held in April 2008 in New Delhi, India proposed to undertake projects against grants in excess of USD 500 million over the next 5–6 years.

“These are being implemented in consultation with our African partners. We have also unilaterally agreed to duty free and quota free market access to goods from 34 least developed countries in Africa,” he said.

At the same time, Mr. Puri stressed that South-South cooperation could not replace North-South cooperation

especially if the South wanted to overcome its developmental challenges.

“This is even more important as we draw close to the 2015 deadline for achieving the Millennium Development Goals,” he said.

 

[RPK]

The Hindu : Business / Economy : India aims to double trade with Arab world

Asserting that India and the countries of the Arab region enjoyed a special relationship, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma on Monday said that India intended to double bilateral trade with the Arab world from the present $114 billion by 2014.

“We look at doubling India and Arab region bilateral trade by 2014. We can do it. Set your goals for investments in India,” Mr. Sharma said while inaugurating the second India-Arab Investment Projects Conclave organised by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) here.

Cooperation

Mr. Sharma also sought investments from the Arab countries in sectors such as ship building, infrastructure, pharmaceutical, IT, agro-processing and energy. He said returns from investments in India were huge and assured.

Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Secretary General of League of Arab States, Ahmed Benhelli, said that there were huge opportunities in the region for investments and both regions should cooperate each other in enhancing economic ties. “We can cooperate in the areas like infrastructure, human resource development, health and tourism,” he added.

The Arab League has 22 members, including Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Palestine, Qatar and Algeria.

Speaking at the meeting, Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor said that the market opening pact between India and the Gulf Cooperation Council should be concluded at the earliest to further strengthen trade ties between the regions. He called for putting in place a framework for cooperation between India and the Arab states, which he said was constantly deepening and widening.

 

[HAWK73]

You can't free anybody but yourself. Again, make sure most Indian people can eat first.

Well Said!

 

[RPK]

ITAR-TASS

Moscow - New Delhi cooperation developing in all spheres - Indian FM


NEW DELHI, March 12 (Itar-Tass) - Cooperation between Russia and India is successfully developing in all spheres, Indian Foreign Minister Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna told Itar-Tass in an interview.

“Our cooperation with Russia has been developing and continues to develop in all spheres. We have strong ties in the spheres of defence, space, science and technology. We are cooperating well in the energy sphere and are working on the further strengthening of our trade-economic relations, as well as continue to closely interact in the sphere of culture,” the foreign minister is certain.

Krishna recalled that this year it will be 10 years since the signing by Russia and India on the Declaration on Strategic Partnership. “Over the past decade our relations have literally flourished,” the minister said in this connection. He pointed to the “invaluable contribution of Russia to supplying India with weapons and military equipment.” “Cooperation in the spheres of space, high technologies and peaceful uses of atomic power has been rapidly developing according to the mutual interest,” the minister continued. “The trade turnover and investment volume between the two countries is growing, and Russian-Indian interaction in the sphere of culture is only deepening,” he noted.

“It is not accidentally that this happened during the period when Vladimir Putin first became Russia’s president and then prime minister – his personal contribution to the strengthening of cooperation with India has become an important factor of the positive dynamics of its development over this decade,” the Indian foreign minister pointed out. “Vladimir Putin has become the author of our strategic partnership,” Krishna stressed.

“Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is looking forward to the possibility to exchange views on the further expansion and strengthening of our interaction with the Russian premier who arrived on a visit to us,” the foreign minister said. Touching upon the agreements that are planned to be signed within the framework of Putin’s working visit to India, Krishna noted that “they will help to bring the Russian-Indian broad-spectrum partnership to a qualitatively new level.”

During the Cold War, India and the Soviet Union enjoyed a strong strategic, military, economic and diplomatic relationship. After the collapse of the USSR, India improved its relations with the West but it continued its close relations with Russia. India is the second largest market for Russian arms industry. In 2004, more than 70% of the Indian Military’s hardware came from Russia, making Russia the chief supplier of arms. India has an embassy in Moscow and 2 Consulates-General (in Saint Petersburg and Vladivostok). Russia has an embassy in New Delhi and 4 Consulates-General (in Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai). Since 2000 and the visit of Vladimir Putin in India there have been an Indo-Russian Strategic Partnership.

Defence relations between India and the Russian Federation have a historical perspective. Russia has been an important supplier of defence goods for several decades. Today, the cooperation is not limited to a buyer-seller relationship but includes joint research and development, training, service to service contacts, including joint exercises. The last joint naval exercises took place in April 2007 in the Sea of Japan and joint airborne exercises were held in September 2007 in Russia.

There is an Inter-Governmental commission on military-technical cooperation co-chaired by the two Defence Ministers. The Seventh session of this Inter-Governmental Commission was held in October 2007 in Moscow. During the visit, an Agreement on joint development and production of prospective multi role fighters was signed between the two countries.

India–Russia original co-operation agreement was signed in December 1988. It has seen the trade of a multitude of defence equipment to India and also the emergence of that country as a development partner as opposed to purely a buyer. Two programmes that evidence this approach are the projects to form Indian-Russian joint ventures to develop and produce the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) and the Multirole Transport Aircraft (MTA).

India and Russia have several major joint military programmes such as the following: BrahMos cruise missile programme; INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier programme; 5th generation fighter jet programme; Sukhoi Su-30MKI programme (230+ to be built by Hindustan Aeronautics); Ilyushin/HAL Tactical Transport Aircraft; Additionally, India has purchased/leased several military hardware from Russia: T-90S Bhishma programme (1000+ to be built in India); Akula-II nuclear submarine (2 to be leased with an option to buy them when the lease expires); Tu-22M3 bombers (4 ordered); US$900 million upgrade of MiG-29; Mil Mi-17 (80 ordered); Ilyushin Il-76 Candid (6 ordered to fit Israeli Phalcon radar).

Russia’s MiG-35 is competing in the Indian MRCA Competition and is considered to be the front-runner for the winning bid, given India’s already, largely Russian-built air force. The Farkhor Air Base in Tajikistan is currently jointly operated by India and Russia.

The bilateral trade turnover is modest and stood at 3 billion US dollars in 2006-07, out of which Indian exports to Russia were valued at 908 million US dollars.

 

[RPK]

Indo-US defence cooperation: ESG meeting begins :: Brahmand.com

CHANDIGARH (PTI): The 14th annual meeting of the Indo-US Army Executive Steering Group (ESG), to coordinate various joint-training events between the two Armies, began Monday.

The four-day meeting began at Headquarters, Western Command at Chandimandir near here amid a "friendly and cordial atmosphere", a defence spokesman said.

The ESG meetings are held at venues alternating between India and the US, to coordinate various joint-training events between the two Armies.

The 14-member US delegation is led by Lt Gen Benjamin Randy Nixon, Commanding General, United States Army Pacific, the spokesman said.

Earlier, the delegation team attended a wreath laying ceremony held at 'Veer Smriti', the Western Command War Memorial and Lt Gen Nixon paid homage to the martyrs.

Gen Nixon later met Western Army Commander Lt Gen Shankar Ranjan Ghosh at his office and interacted on various aspects of common interest.

India and US are planning to hold a joint combat exercise called `Shatrujeet' in California this April. Earlier, India hosted the largest-ever ground combat exercise with US, called `Yudh Abhyas', at Babina last October.

 

[rangbaaz]

i think the day is not far when all those Indians living abroad would be happy to go back for good. A very positive step by GoI.

 

[RPK]

The Hindu : Front Page : India, Venezuela ink pact to develop $20-billion oil project



AN AGREEMENT:Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (left) has a word with Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Murli Deora at the headquarters of Petroleos de Venezuela SA in Caracas on Wednesday

NEW DELHI: In a big-ticket investment aimed at giving a boost to its holding of oil and gas assets abroad, the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Videsh Limited (OVL), along with its partners, entered into an agreement with the Venezuelan government on Thursday to develop a $20-billion oil project in that country.

The project is expected to give India 3.6 million tonnes of crude a year. OVL and its partners signed the agreement with Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PdV) for development and production of hydrocarbons from the Carabobo project in the Orinoco region.

The agreement was signed in Caracas in the presence of Venezuela President Hugo Chavez, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora, Petroleum Secretary S. Sundereshan, ONGC chairman R.S. Sharma, OVL Managing Director R.S. Butoal and IOC chairman B.M. Bansal.

Spain's Repsol-YPF SA, Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) of Malaysia and OVL each hold a 11 per cent stake in the consortium that will produce 400,000 barrels of oil a day. IOC and Oil India Limited will each have 3.5 per cent interest in the joint venture to develop the Carabobo 1 Norte and Carabobo 1 Centro blocks, located in the Orino Heavy Oil Belt. Corporacion Venezolana del Petroleo, a unit of PdV, will hold the remaining equity. About half of the production from the joint venture, called PetroCarabobo SA, will be upgraded light crude oil for export.

The project cost has been pegged at $15–20 billion.

 

[RPK]

The Hindu : News / National : Krishna in Iran; N-programme, gas pipeline on agenda



External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna arrived here on a four-day visit during which India will explain the reasoning behind its vote against Iran at the IAEA last year which had upset the latter.

Mr. Krishna, who is here primarily to attend the meeting of G-15 developing countries, will meet his counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki and underline that it considers Iran an important trade partner and wants engagement in this area to increase.

The two sides are also expected to discuss the proposed Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project, negotiations for which have been dragging for over last four years.

India will seek to use the visit to assuage Iran’s feelings over its vote against it over the controversial nuclear programme at the IAEA last year, sources said.

Mr. Krishna is expected to convey that India had no option but to vote against Iran as it needed to be consistent in its position on the nuclear programme.

India had voted for an IAEA resolution censuring Iran in November last year at Vienna. Subsequently, Iran had written a “nasty” letter to India protesting its action.

Mr. Krishna is expected to tell Mr. Mottaki that India wants cordial relations and increased trade with Iran.

“We attach great importance to our relations with Iran. Our cooperation is underpinned by growing economic linkages in energy, industries, trade investment, regional cooperation, in cultural and educational exchanges,” Mr. Krishna said on his arrival here.

“We believe that our continued and closer engagement is of mutual benefit and contribute towards economic growth and peaceful development,” he said.

Ahead of his once-postponed trip, Mr. Krishna had said on Thursday that the visit would given him an opportunity to “further clarify whatever we have said”.

Though India had supported the resolution against Iran over its nuclear programme, it had opposed “a renewed punitive approach or sanctions” against that country and favoured a dialogue to resolve the issue.

Acknowledging that Iran was “not pleased with our vote”, Mr. Krishna had said, India has explained its position and hoped that “Iran would be able to understand and appreciate our position”.

The Minister said the relationship between the two countries has been very smooth despite the vote issue.

“In the relationship between two countries, there could be times when on one issue there could be certain divergence of views... That should not halt the overall relationship of friendship between our two countries,” he had said.

Mr. Krishna and Mr. Mottaki are also expected to discuss the IPI gas pipeline issue, negotiations for which have been going on for over four years, without any result being in sight.

India has been expressing its commitment to the project but wants issues like pricing and security to be addressed.

Mr. Krishna will also join leaders from countries like Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Algeria, Chile, Kenya, Nigeria, Malaysia, Mexico, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Venezuela and Zimbabwe under G-15 format to discuss ways to enhance cooperation between the developing nations.

On his arrival, the External Affairs Minister said India attaches great importance to the G-15 Summit and values strengthening of South-South cooperation and the important role of G-15 process in addressing issues which are of direct concern and relevance to the developing countries.

Algeria, Brazil, Senegal, Zimbabwe Venezuela, and Sri Lanka will be represented by their Presidents.

Besides, the Syrian President, the Qatari Emir and the Turkish Prime Minister will be special guests, Iran’s Mehr news agency said on Saturday.

 

[RPK]

The Hindu : News / International : Canadian Finance Minister to visit India this week

In order to expand and strengthen bilateral business ties between two countries, Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is visiting India this month.

During his three day visit beginning from May 17, Mr. Flaherty will meet his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia and other political, business leaders and heads of industry in New Delhi and Mumbai.

The visit of Mr. Flaherty is aimed at further strengthening the growing trade and other ties between India and Canada, as well as highlighting Canada’s priorities for the June G20 Leaders’ Summit in Toronto, official sources said here yesterday.

In Mumbai, the Minister will speak at a luncheon hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

Flaherty is a lead thinker for the Government of Canada on economic issues on G7 and G20. He also advises the Government on a broad range of international issues including foreign development, trade and cross border policies.