INDIA THIS WEEK FRIDAY APRIL 29, 2022 1 A W e e k l y N e w s p a p e r Fe a t u r i n g N e w s & Tr e n d s f r o m t h e I n d i a n S u b - C o n t i n e n t P u b l i s h e d f r o m t h e U S C a p i t a l Website: www.indiathisweek.online Vol. 30 No: 17 • WASHINGTON D.C • Phone: 301-917-4800; 301-445-0200 • e-mail: indiathisweekads@gmail.com • Friday • April 29, 2022 India-UK sign MoUs on nuclear energy, innovation partnership New Delhi [India], April 22 (ANI): Amid the visit of the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to India, the two countries signed a number of agreements including two government-to-government Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) on Nuclear Energy Partnership and Global Innovation Partnership. The MoU on Cooperation on Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership was signed between India’s Department of Atomic Energy and the UK’s Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. “The two leaders (PM Modi and PM Johnson) reaffirmed their desire to strengthen India-UK civil nuclear cooperation and welcomed the UK’s renewed collaboration with Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership (GCNEP) for jointly promoting research and training on nuclear energy studies, radioactive applications, nuclear security, and safety,” a IndiaUK joint statement said. Another MoU on Implementation of Global Innovation Partnership between India’s Ministry of External Affairs and UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office was also signed. “Global innovation partnership New Delhi [India], April 25 (India): After meeting President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday, European Commissioner President Ursula von der Leyen highlighted the immense potential of the India-EU partnership and the commonalities of their goals. Taking to Twitter, the European Commissioner Chief wrote, “President Kovind, there is so much potential for a stronger India-EU partnership. In the current geopolitical landscape, in Europe and the Indo-Pacific, democracies have to work together. And we will strive, together, for a climate-neutral, prosperous future!” Welcoming Prime Minister Modi’s decision to launch the EU-India Trade and Technology Council, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday praised India for being a ‘powerhouse’ in technology and termed its relationship with the country as one of the most important for the coming decade. This comes as PM Modi and the EU chief held bilateral talks in New Delhi on Monday, where they reviewed progress in the India-EU strategic partnership and agreed to deepen cooperation in areas of trade, climate, digital technology, and people-to-people ties. “India is technologically a powerhouse, and in the trade sector, we need to unleash an enormous amount of untapped potential,” von der Leyen said. “For the European Union, the partnership with India is one of our most important relationships for the coming decade is a novel development, cooperation initiative which India and the UK agreed to cofinance, up to USD 100 million to support the transfer and scale innovations to third countries that help deliver SDGs and climate-related goals and in the process make Indian innovations go global,” Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla informed in a press briefing. “Other institutions to institution MoUs were also concluded in the margins of the visit, including the MoU on the establishment of a short term chair at Birmingham University, signed between the Indian Council of Cultural relations and Birmingham city university, and between the National Institute of Wind Energy and offshore renewable energy catapult,” Foreign Secretary added. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrived in India on Thursday on a two-day visit, which included a day of visits and engagements in Gujarat, followed by a ceremonial welcome in New Delhi earlier today, which was followed by bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. one TTC so far – with the US, and I think it is telling that we now establish the second one with India.” She also hinted at starting negotiations toward comprehensive trade and investment agreements. “I am also glad that we are starting negotiations towards comprehensive trade and investment agreements,” she added. The EU chief also stressed the shared goal of the EU and India on climate change. On her visit to the International Solar Alliance, she said, “I spent an exciting day at the International Solar Alliance. Energy security is one of the most pressing topics for India as well as Europe. The EU will diversify away from fossil fuels and will invest heavily in clean renewable energy. Therefore, cooperation with India not only on solar but also on green hydrogen is critical.” EU President welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to launch the European UnionIndia Trade and Technology Council, the second such initiative for the 27-member bloc following the first one set up with the US. Notably, the EU chief and PM Modi agreed to launch the EUIndia Trade and Technology Council at their meeting in New Delhi on Monday. The European Commission, in a press statement, said that this strategic coordination mechanism will allow both partners to tackle challenges at the nexus of trade, trusted technology, and security, and thus deepen cooperation in these fields between the EU and India. (ANI) EU Chief meets Prez Kovind, highlights immense potential of India-EU ties Remember: “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.” JESUS CHRIST and strengthening this partnership is a priority”, she added. Marking the 60th anniversary of the India-EU relationship and meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion, the EU chief said, “I am very happy to visit India and to see you again, Prime Minister. It is the 60th anniversary of relations between the EU and India.” “Today, our relationship is more important than ever. We have so much in common,” she added. Touching upon the similarities between EU and India, the EU president praised New Delhi for supporting the rules-based international order. “We are vibrant democracies, we both support wholeheartedly the rules-based international order and we have both large economies, and we are both facing a challenging global landscape,” she stated. Uponagreementon the establishment of an EUIndia Trade and Technology Council, she said, “I am pleased that today Prime Minister Modi and I have agreed to establish an EUIndia Trade and Technology Council. The EU has only
April 29, 2022 Friday INDIA THIS WEEK To avoid Punjab-like situation, Congress plans to revamp Rajasthan unit ahead of 2023 Assembly elections New Delhi [India], April 22 (ANI): With just one year left for the Rajasthan Assembly elections, it is crucial for the Congress high command to resolve the ongoing tussle between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot — a contender for Chief Minister’s position — who met the Gandhis yesterday. In order to avoid the repetition of the party debacle in Punjab polls where the tussle between Amarinder Singh, who left Congress and formed his own party, and Navjot Singh Sidhu cost the party dearly. As Sachin held deliberations with the Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi, there is enough indication that Congress will make changes in the leadership of its Rajasthan unit ahead of the state Assembly elections in a bid to retain the power in the state and break the 30year-old trend of alternative governments in Rajasthan. In view of the Rajasthan Assembly elections 2023, according to the top sources, timely intervention is important in Rajasthan to win the upcoming polls. “Leadership change in Rajasthan Congress is expected soon. The final decision is likely to be taken soon in view of Assembly elections in 2023. Timely intervention is important in the state of Rajasthan. If any decision of changes has to take place it should be taken immediately. It is important to take a decision timely. So that leaders can get the time to perform better and there could be no issues at the end moment,” said sources. After facing a major debacle in the five states, the Congress working committee (CWC) had decided to make changes in organization for at least one year ahead of the upcoming elections in various states. C o n g r e s s convened a three-day key meeting at the residence of Sonia Gandhi, 10 Janpath to discuss the Now in Ashburn, VA ❖ Accounting and Bookkeeping Service ❖ Audit, Review, Compilation and Attestation Service ❖ Tax Service ❖ IRS Service ❖ Web Hosting ❖ Business Consultancy ❖ Dedicated Service with Smiling Faces ❖ Experienced and Reliable Staff Year Round ❖ Rely on 24 Years of Experience Balagan Arumugaswamy, CPA, LL.M Tel: (301) 931-1040, (301) 931-1042 (301) 595-4331; (703) 723-4488; (703) 723-4458 Fax: (703) 723-1140; (301) 595-4332 E Mail: balagancpa@msn.com Website: www.balaganfinancials.com party’s preparations for the upcoming state elections and 2024 Lok Sabha elections, including organizational reforms in the party. The buzz came a day after party leader Sachin Pilot held a meeting with interim president Sonia Gandhi. The meeting took place at 10, Janpath for an hour. Earlier on Wednesday, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also held a meeting with Congress Sonia Gandhi. At the beginning of the month, Sachin Pilot had met Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and party leader Rahul Gandhi. As per the reports, he is continuously in touch with the party high commands. After the meeting with Sonia Gandhi, Pilot said the Congress aims to form the government again after the coming elections (2023) in Rajasthan. “In the last 30 years, it has been a tradition in Rajasthan that every five years there’s a government change. If we do the right things, which we have started to do, as the committee of the AITC that was formed two years ago on which some steps have been taken in the right direction. We need to move forward in that direction to make sure that Congress wins the 2023 polls in Rajasthan. It is very important because soon after that we have Lok Sabha elections,” Pilot told reporters after meeting Sonia Gandhi. Pilot also said that in the meeting, organisational elections and how to strengthen the party were discussed. In July last year, Pilot had rebelled against Ashok Gehlot and had camped in Haryana accompanied by MLAs who supported him. He finally announced his return to Rajasthan after the Gandhi family intervened and reportedly assured him that his grievances would be addressed. A committee was also set up under Ajay Maken to look into the issues raised by Pilot and his camp. Tax Season is around the corner, are you ready ? Balagan Business & Tax Services Main Office: 12100 Franklin Street Beltsville, MD 20705 Branch Offices: 44335 Premier Plaza Suite#100, Ashburn, VA 20147
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April 29, 2022 Friday INDIA THIS WEEK When rules-based order was challenged in Asia, Europe advised us to do more trade: Jaishankar New Delhi [India], April 26 (ANI): External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Tuesday reiterated India’s position amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and asked the western countries not to forget other important issues in the world like Afghanistan. Speaking at a private geopolitical conclave in New Delhi, Jaishankar recognised that conflict in Ukraine is the dominant issue of the day but also questioned the muted response from European countries on pressing issues in Asia. “When rulesbased order was challenged in Asia, the advice we got from Europe is – do more trade. At least we are not giving you that advice... We should find a way of returning to diplomacy and dialogue,” the minister said in response to a poser of Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn. Jaishankar said the Russia-Ukraine conflict is a dominant issue, not alone in principle and values but also for its practical consequences. “People in Africa and Asia people are seeing the conflict play out in terms of higher energy prices, in terms of food inflation, in terms of disruptions of various kinds,” he said. The minister reasoned that the truth is nobody wants to see this conflict. “There will be no winners out of this contest.” However, Jaishankar also empathised on the need to pay attention to “pressing issues in other parts of the world like Afghanistan”. “Which part of the rules- based order justified what the world did there (Afghanistan).” F u r t h e r responding to Asselborn on India’s position on the ongoing conflict, EAM said, “We all have to find some ways returning to the diplomacy and dialogue. And to do that the fighting must stop and that is what we are trying to do.” As the conflict continues to prolong in Ukraine, India on several occasions has clarified its position on the issue. It has called for a cessation of violence and the return to diplomacy and dialogue. (ANI) [India], April 26 (ANI): External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that India is willing to step in to mitigate the impact of the ongoing war in Ukraine that has led to the emergence of several challenges, including the shortage of food stocks. Speaking at an international conclave in New Delhi, the minister said, “As I said, one impact of the Ukraine war is energy prices but one sees in terms of food storage and food inflation. India can make difference by stepping in terms of exports of agricultural commodities, especially wheat.” Jaishankar noted some constraints that India has faced in exports due to WTO limits on trading. Ukraine conflict) is a very unusual situation and we hope the WTO can look at it in that manner.” Expressing India’s willingness to the address the global food shortages, the minister said, “If we can contribute to alleviating the food shortages whether its government purchases, expanding the market, or helping the World Food Programme, I think this is a very big contribution that we are prepared to make.” His remark came after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that India is “carving out” opportunities from challenging situations as the world continues to face hikes in fuel prices and shortage of food grains amid the Russia-Ukraine conference in Washington last week, Sitharaman said that India is trying to find a market for its exports and provide meaningful assistance to end hunger. The Finance Minister said she voiced her concern that countries like India which have the capacity to address the issue of food shortage have faced difficulties with the World Trade Organization (WTO). The UN has also stated that an immediate and worrying finding is that food shortages are expected in the coming months. It further stated that the conflict is likely to severely disrupt production for tens of thousands of small farmers, those who have decided to stay behind in Ukraine. (ANI) Jaishankar reiterates India’s readiness to address global food shortage “...This (impact of Russia- war. Addressing a press amid Ukraine crisis New Delhi
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April 29, 2022 Friday INDIA THIS WEEK Told negotiators Indian jab in my arms, says UK PM; hails COVID-19 vaccine collaboration to get IndiaUK Free Trade Agreement done by Diwali: PM Boris Johnson Highlighting the growing economic cooperation with India, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday said that he and his counterpart Narendra Modi were seeking completion of the negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries by October this year. The UK PM made the remarks while addressing a press conference in New Delhi, after his interaction with PM Modi earlier in the day. “We are using our Brexit freedoms to reach a bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and today Prime Minister Modi and I told our negotiators to get it done by Diwali in October,” Johnson said. “This could double our trade and investment by the end of the decade driving down prices for consumers and increasing wages across the UK by as much as three billion pounds,” the UK PM added. Johnson said that in the course of his visit, India and the UK have secured new deals worth a billion pounds, creating more than 11,000 jobs. Johnson also highlighted the importance of India as a major economy of the world as well as an important partner of the UK both in terms of economic and strategic partnerships. “India is an incredible rising power in Asia, one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, already worth 2.25 trillion pounds, and said to be the world’s thirdlargest economy by 2050. India is also our biggest partner in the indo-pacific which is increasingly the geopolitical center of the world with two-thirds of humanity and a third of the global economy and that share is rising every year,” Johnson said. Talking about India’s role in the British economy, Johnson said, “Indian investment already supports almost half a million British jobs, and with a population bigger than the US and EU combines, there is so much potential for us to take our trade and investment to a whole new level.” “So, what we are getting on with here is delivering on the priorities of the British people, but also deepening our friendship with a nation with whom we have profound ties of language, culture, and kinship while making both our countries safer and our economies stronger,” the British PM said. India and UK launched Free Trade Agreement negotiations in January this year. After the conclusion of two rounds of negotiations, the third round of negotiations between the two countries will begin next week. The two countries are also exploring the possibility of an interim agreement to provide quick gains for benefitting businesses on both sides. (ANI) New Delhi [India], April 22 (ANI): British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday highlighted the collaboration between Oxford-Astra Zeneca and the Serum Institute of India (SII) for the production of COVID-19 vaccines and emphasized that he has “the Indian jab” in his arms. Johnson made the remarks during a joint press meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. SII CEO Adar Poonawala also met the British Prime Minister during the day. The British Prime Minister referred to the collaboration between Oxford-Astra Zeneca and Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) for the production of the COVID19 vaccine as an example of cooperation between the two countries. “I have the Indian jab (manufactured by SII) in my arms and the power of good it did me so many thanks to India and that has helped India to become, what Narendra has called the ‘Pharmacy of the world’,” Johnson said. Thanking the British PM for his remarks, Adar Poonawala said that his company remains committed to “providing world-class vaccines, globally.” “Thank you Rt Hon. PM @BorisJohnson for your kind words emphasizing the successful India-UK partnership. It was a pleasure meeting you; we remain committed under the leadership of our PM Shri @NarendraModi Ji in providing world-class From thePoet’sPen INDIA THIS WEEK- April 29, 10, 2021 INDIA THIS WEEK- DECEMBER 2022 INDIA THIS WEEK- March 11 2022 Au- The Glories of Ouris an A Song: Lying Blood Be Liberty Thankful Edward Thomas - 1878-1917 by Anonymous and State occupation The last light has gone out of the world, except This moonlight lying on the grass like everything Be thankful that you don’t already have frost By James Shirley you the tall Beyond theLaetitia Pilkington By brink ofdesire. elm’s shadow. If you did,is as ifwould there be had slept what everything else to look forward to? It The glories of our blood and state 1708-1750 Many an age,not substantial things; unforgotten and Are shadows, you don’t know lost Be thankful when something, The mengives you the things done, Fate; that were, the opportunity to learn. There is no armour against long ago, for it AllDeaththought; and but the moon and I I have lays his icy hand on kings: Lying is an occupation, LiveBe thankful for theand Crown rise; yet bySceptre difficult times. Usedand here stand idle over the grave all who mean to During those times you grow. Where all isMust tumble down, buried. Both have liberty Politicians owebe equal were free their station, To And in thewe could do if wemade dream what dust Be thankful for your limitations, With the poor crookedhad desired long, But to thing concerted spade. To do some well we scythe andlies. because they give you opportunities for improvement. The moon and I. There’s none less free than who Some men with swords may reap the field, Does thankful for else to do, Be to fresh laurels where they Thesenothing and has nothingchallenge, kill: give assistance, And plantloverseach new Being free only for what is not to and character. because it will build your strength his mind, Buto ensnare nerves at last must yield; their strong the fair-one’s heart; TAnd nothing is to his mind. If every hour They tame but one another still: Be virgin’s best resistance Like thethankful that Ior mistakes. Andthis one passingfor your late among Early have spent They will teach you valuable lessons. The wiser others commanding Yields to They when I have forgot art. this stoop to fate, To wonderwhen you’re tired and weary, And must give whether I was free or not, Be thankful up their murmuring breath Were piled before me, and creep to death. When they, pale captives,not lostdifference. because it means you’ve made a behind, Study this superiorthem away And I could take and carry science, It’sI easy to beriseor ifChurchbrow; The garlands witherIfor the good things. should be thankful had the power Would you rich; in on your or State; A life boast no more your mighty deeds! those Then of rich fulfillment comes toagain who To wipe out every Bidare also thankfulone anddefiance, to T ruth apurple altar now bold not for the setbacks. Upon Death’sbe rich to be so poor. Regret, I should See the practice of with great. ‘Tisyet I still thehalf in lovethe pain, And where am avictor-victim bleeds. Gratitude can turnheads Your negative into a positive. With whatway to be thankfulmust come mirth, Find a is imperfect, with both tears and for your troubles, T the cold tomb: o With things thatcan become your blessings. and they have an end, with life and earth, Only the actions of the just And this moon that leaves me dark within the door. Smell sweet and blossom in their dust. vaccines, globally,” Adar Poonawala said in a tweet. Earlier today, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said the Central government will engage with industry and academia to chalk a roadmap for pharma and medical devices for the next 25 years. The minister, who was addressing the media conference ahead of the 7th edition of the India Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Conference 2022, said India’s pharma industry has shown resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Today, the Indian Pharma industry is at the threshold of rapid growth. We have already seen India as the pharmacy of the world and from our philosophy, we not only consider the pharmaceutical sector as a business but also as a ‘Seva’.” “The Indian pharma industry is known globally for its affordable and quality drugs. We shall soon get the competitive edge in medical devices too with research and innovation,” he added. The UK Prime arrived on a two-day visit to India on Thursday. (ANI) INDIA THIS WEEK Address: P.O. Box 352Bryans Road, MD 20616 Phone: 301-917-4800; 301-445-0200 301-445-3543; 301-685-1800 www.indiathisweek.online India This Week is published every Friday by ADV Solutions Inc, Views expressed in this paper are solely those of the individual writers and not necessarily of India This Week. India This Week accepts no liability for the errors in advertisements or in any of its reports. For remedial actions any errors should be brought to the attention of the editor either by mail to the above address or by e-mail provided below. 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April 29, 2022 Friday INDIA THIS WEEK India wouldn’t hesitate to act against terrorists by crossing borders: Rajnath Singh Guwahati (Assam) [India], April 23 (ANI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said that India would not hesitate to act against terrorists who target the country from across borders and to take bold decisions to protect the unity and integrity of the country. Singh voiced the government’s unwavering commitment to strengthening the country’s security apparatus to deal with internal and external threats and said, “We have taken a firm stand to eliminate terrorism in all its forms and have protected our citizens from the menace.” “If needed, we will eliminate terrorism emanating from across the border. The government does not and will not hesitate to take bold decisions to protect the unity and integrity of the country. We will not hesitate to act against terrorists by crossing borders if our country is targeted from outside. We have already given a message that we can deal with terrorism very strongly,” he said. Attending a felicitation ceremony organized by the Assam government at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati to honour the valour, dedication and sacrifice of the Bravehearts who fought the enemy and ensured victory in the 1971 war, the Defence Minister said that, the removal of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) from many areas of the NorthEast is the result of durable peace and stability in the region. “Some people believe that the Indian Army does not want AFSPA to be removed. I want to say from this forum that the Army has a minimal role in internal security. The Army wants that the situation becomes completely normal in Jammu and Kashmir so that AFSPA can be removed from there as well,” he said. The Defence Minister lauded the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) for strengthening the infrastructure in border areas, saying that all efforts are being made to bolster the far-flung areas from Arunachal Pradesh to Ladakh. Talking about some of the BRO projects including the Atal Tunnel and the under-construction Sela Tunnel which, Rajnath Singh said, will provide allweather connectivity to the far-flung areas and enhance the defence preparedness. “We fulfilled the long-pending demand of One Rank One Pension as soon as we came to power. Under Digital India, many online services have been started, including Smart Canteen Card and ExServicemen Identity Card. A Pension Grievance Portal is also functioning to address the issues of pensioners. Now, Havildars who retired before 2006 and got the rank of Honorary Naik Subedar are also getting the benefit of a revised pension. Orders were also given to revise the pension regulation of the three services in December 2020. We believe in taking care of our brave soldiers, not only while they are in service, but also after their retirement,” he said. Talking about the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, the Defence Minister said that, earlier, India was counted amongst the defence importers, but today, India is ranked among the top 25 defence exporters of the world. “In the last few years, we have increased our defence exports by about 334 per cent. We have set an export target of Rs 35,000 crore by 2024-25,” he added. He further said that this decade will be known as the ‘Roaring Twenties’ in India’s defence manufacturing. On the other hand, Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that his government has made efforts to recognize and compensate for the sacrifices made by our soldiers by way of offering Rs 50 lakh as exgratia, jobs for next of kin, 2 per cent job reservation in government jobs and reservation of seats for their wards in medical studies. “We salute our war veterans and offer tributes to those who made supreme sacrifices in the 1971 India-Pakistan war. Today’s felicitation is an endeavour to recognize the contribution of soldiers from Assam in India’s victory in the war that liberation of Bangladesh,” Sarma said. During the programme, the Defence Minister felicitated the veterans of the 1971 India-Pakistan war. The state government had given Rs 10 lakh each to 9 war widows, Rs 5 lakh each to eight war casualties, Rs 2.5 each to two ex-prisoners of war and Rs 2 lakh each to 86 veterans. Rajnath Singh also released a book ‘The Bravehearts of 1971’ at the programme. Assam Governor Prof Jagdish Mukhi, Lt Col Quazi Sajjad Ali Zahir (Retd), a Bangladeshi veteran of the 1971 war who was awarded a Padma Shri, senior officials of the Indian Army, Assam Police, state government, ex-army personnel were also present during the felicitation ceremony. (ANI)
FRIDAY APRIL 29, 2022 9 EU chief praises solar alliance, says Ukraine war stark reminder of Europe’s energy dependency on Russia New Delhi [India], April 24 (ANI): Addressing the roundtable at the headquarters of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday praised India’s energy independence goals while saying that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is a “stark reminder” that Europe’s dependency on Russian fossil fuels is unsustainable. “For us Europeans, it (Russian invasion of Ukraine) is a stark reminder that our dependency on Russian fossil fuels is not sustainable because how can you do business with someone who openly threatens Europe and wages war against one of your closest neighbours,” the European Commission president said. She further stated that the Ukraine war establishes that the “transition to home-grown clean energy is not only good for the environment but it also becomes a strategic investment in security.” “Energy policy is also security policy because every kilowatt of energy we generate from solar, wind, hydropower or biomass reduces our dependence on fossil fuels in general,” president Leyen said. Talking about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement that India should be energy independent before it celebrates 100 years of its independence, Leyen said, “it’s in our common interest that, this independence of fossil fuel that comes from abroad is (turned into) a transformation into renewable and clean energy.” P r e s i d e n t Leyen also praised India’s initiative of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), especially with regard to developing new technologies in solar applications in agriculture and producing green hydrogen, further saying that India is making infinite energy of the sun “available and affordable”. “This is amazing what you are doing,” she remarked. “India and the EU are closely aligned in the fight against climate change and of course have understood how precious solar energy is. Both India and the EU have embarked on their way to net-zero. Europe wants to be climate neutral by 2050, and India by 2070, but in addition, India has committed to cover half of its energy demand from renewable sources already by 2030,” president Leyen said, adding that it “is amazingly good news”. The European Commission president also talked about the energy partnership between India and the European Union (EU), including the ‘EU-India clean energy partnership’ and ‘mission innovation’. EU-India clean energy partnership was adopted in 2016 and deals with a variety of issues including smart grids or storage, clean energy financing, and cooperation on green hydrogen. ‘Mission Innovation’ is a global initiative of 22 countries and the EU with the aim to provide investment in clean energy research and innovation. “With mission innovation, we want to accelerate clean energy everywhere on our planet, and India is a key contributor to this common effort,” Leyen said, adding that the ministerial meeting of the initiative in India next year will be an important milestone. “We all have our place under the sun, and we will do whatever it takes to keep this planet liveable,” the European Commission president concluded. The EU President arrived in India for a twoday official visit on Sunday to strengthen India-EU strategic partnership. This is her first visit to India as the President of the European Commission. The President of the European Commission has been invited as the Chief Guest for this year’s edition of Raisina Dialogue and will address the inaugural session on April 25. (ANI)
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