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Nepal foreign minister in India on three-day visit

Nepal foreign minister
Pradeep Kumar Gyawali (File photo)

New Delhi (NVI): Nepal foreign minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali arrived in Delhi today on a three-day visit to co-chair the sixth session of the India-Nepal Joint Commission Meeting, which will be hosted by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tomorrow, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

Gyawali is scheduled to meet his Indian counterpart at around 11:00 am tomorrow in the national capital, according to MEA.

The Nepal FM is expected to hold talks on multidimensional bilateral issues including trade, transit, border issues, investment, energy, agriculture tourism, COVID-19 cooperation among others, with Jaishankar tomorrow.

He will also meet with high-level dignitaries of India during the three-day visit.

“The Joint Commission is an important mechanism that provides the opportunity of reviewing at a high level the entire gamut of our bilateral partnership and providing political guidance to further enhance the special and unique ties that we enjoy. We look forward to constructive discussions on the numerous sectors that encompass our bilateral agenda,” MEA spokesman Anurag Srivastava said.

“Our position on the boundary issue is well known. Let me say that the JCM and boundary talks are separate mechanisms,” Srivastava added.

Gyawali’s visit to India is significant in the wake of border row between India and Nepal that erupted last year. Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had triggered a border row last year by publishing a new political map that showed the three Indian territories — Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipulekh — as part of Nepal.

The Nepal FM’s visit to India also comes amidst a political crisis in Kathmandu.

RJV/ARK

GRSE signs $12.7m contract to build ocean-going vessel for Guyana

ocean-going vessel
Representational image

New Delhi (NVI): Indian shipbuilding company, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd has signed a contract to construct an ocean-going vessel worth USD 12.7 million with the government of Guyana in the Caribbean region in South America.

“It was a huge boost for the export initiatives of GRSE, when it signed the contract with the shipyard on January 13 with the Harbour Department, Ministry of Public Works, Government of Guyana, to build an Ocean-Going Vessel at a cost of 12.7MUS$,” read an official release.

The 1,700 tonnes vessel is to be used on the coastal and riverine areas of Guyana and will be equipped with two caterpillar marine diesel engines coupled with twin disc reduction gear boxes to achieve 15 knots speed, it added.

GRSE, the Kolkata-based company has the capability to construct 20 ships concurrently, spread across its three production locations and having modernized its infrastructure with modular integrated facility, the release noted.

This project shall further consolidate GRSE’s position as a unique shipyard with all round capability to design and build warships and vessels for export with state-of-the-art technology, it said

GRSE in the recent past has delivered 14 warships in 42 months which clocks an average of a delivery every three months, a no mean feat.

On the other hand, the export initiative of the shipyard have gained momentum with the award of this order and it is expected that the coming years will see a marked rise in its export orderbook. It has also been a pioneer warship builder of the nation having delivered the highest number of warships till date, since its inception as a DPSU in 1960.

So far, the 106 warships built by GRSE range from advanced frigates to anti-submarine warfare corvette to fleet tankers, fast attack crafts among others.

“With the shipyard having many firsts to its credit including the unique achievement of having exported the first warship by an Indian Shipyard, CGS Barracuda to Mauritius,” the release added.

-RJV

Union Budget to be presented on Feb 1

Union Budget

New Delhi (NVI): Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget at 11:00 am on February 1, the Lok Sabha Secretariat said in a statement.

It said the fifth Session of seventeenth Lok Sabha will commence on January 29 and i likely to conclude on April 8.

President Ram Nath Kovind will address both Houses of Parliament assembled together at 11.00 am on January 29, the Secretariat said.

In order to enable the Standing Committees to consider the Demands for Grants of Ministries/Departments and prepare their reports, the House will adjourn on February 15 to meet again on March 8, it added.

-ARK

Delhi poultry markets to reopen as samples test negative for bird flu

Ghazipur poultry
File photo

New Delhi (NVI): Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today directed the poultry markets in the national capital to open and withdrew orders to restrict trade and import of chicken, as samples from the Ghazipur poultry market tested negative for avian influenza.

Taking to Twitter, Kejriwal said, “Samples taken from poultry markets have tested negative with respect to Bird Flu. Have directed to open the poultry market & withdraw the orders to restrict trade & import of chicken stocks.”

This announcement came after a official of Delhi Animal Husbandry Department earlier in the day said that all 100 samples taken from the Ghazipur poultry market, Asia’s largest chicken market, tested negative for avian influenza (H5N1).

These result came days after samples taken from crows and ducks in the national capital tested positive for the avian influenza. In addition, the Delhi government imposed a ban on the sale and storage of poultry or processed chicken in the city.

On January 9, the Ghazipur chicken market was also shut for 10 days as a precautionary measure after bird flu was confirmed in wild birds that dropped dead across parks in Delhi.

Meanwhile, four samples of Heron birds, which were taken from the Hastsal park, have been also sent to Bhopal lab for confirmation.

So far, the bird flu confirmed cases have been reported in 10 states namely Delhi, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra and Gujarat till now, the Animal Husbandry Ministry data shows.

-RJV

Indian Armed Forces celebrate fifth Veterans’ Day

Veterans' Day

New Delhi (NVI): Indian Armed Forces celebrated the fifth Veterans’ Day today as a mark of respect to the services rendered by Field Marshal KM Cariappa, the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army.

On this day in 1953, Field Marshal KM Cariappa got retired.

Wreath laying ceremony was organised at National War Memorial in New Delhi with Vice Admiral R Hari Kumar, CISC, paid homage to the martyrs in presence of the veterans, according to a statement by Ministry of Defence.

A Veterans’ Meet was also organised at Raina Auditorium, APS DhaulaKuan with Admiral Karambir Singh, Chief of Naval Staff as the chief guest for the event, the statement added.

Chief of Army Staff, Gen MM Naravane and Air Marshal RK Bhadouria, were also present for the event.

Speaking on the occasion Army Chief highlighted some important welfare measures undertaken by various welfare departments during the year amidst the COVID pandemic.

He also briefed the veterans on the Swarnim Vijay Varsh being celebrated through the year to honour our veterans who gave us the victory in 1971 war.

Admiral Karambir reiterated the resolve of Services for the well being of veterans and assured them that their valuable suggestions were also welcome.

Karambir Singh also released the ‘Swarnim Vijay Varsh’ song dedicated to the valour and courage of our brave soldiers during the 1971 War.

In addition to this, Army released the coveted ‘Samaan’ magazine and Air Force released the ‘Vayu Samvedna’ magazine on the occasion.

-CHK

PM to address startup summit on Jan 16

PM Modi

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with startups and address the ‘Prarambh: Startup India International Summit’ on January 16.

The global summit is being organized by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce on 15-16 January, Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.

“Prime Minister will interact with startups and address the summit on January 16 at 5 PM via video conferencing,” the statement said.

The two-day summit is being organised as a follow up of the announcement made by the prime minister at the fourth BIMSTEC summit held in Kathmandu in August 2018 wherein India committed to host the BIMSTEC Startup Conclave.

The summit marks the fifth anniversary of the Startup India initiative, launched by PM Modi on January 16, 2016.

“With participation from over 25 countries and more than 200 global speakers, the summit will be the largest startup confluence organised by the government since the launch of the Startup India initiative,” the PMO said.

It will also witness 24 sessions with focus on enhancing multilateral cooperation and engagement with countries from around the globe to collectively develop and strengthen the startup ecosystems, it added.

-RJV

Brazil, Bolivia, Bangla among nations choosing Indian vaccine over Chinese

vaccine
File photo

New Delhi (NVI): Disappointed with the efficacy of Chinese vaccine, Brazil is opting for India’s Covishield vaccine to protect its population from coronavirus, a move adopted also by other countries like Bolivia and Bangladesh.

Brazil, which is buying two million doses of Covishield vaccine of AstraZeneca from India, sent a special aircraft today to ferry the consignment home by Saturday, ahead of its mass vaccination campaign.

The decision of the Brazilian government coincides with concerns in the country over the efficacy of China’s CoronaVac.

Brazil, which is the second worst-hit nation globally by coronavirus and is witnessing a surge of a new variant of the pandemic, has purchased over 10 million doses of CoronaVac from China but realised that it has efficacy of only 50.38 percent, against 78 percent previously announced. This has triggered questions about the veracity of China’s claim and suspicion regarding transparency.

The biggest country in Latin America, with a population of 212 million, saw the death of over 204,000 people due to COVID-19.

“We will vaccinate in January and Manaus will be the first to be vaccinated,” Brazilian Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello said, referring to the badly-hit city in the Amazon rainforest.

Brazil’s neighbour Bolivia also announced that it has signed a deal with India’s Serum Institute for five million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

The country, with a population of 11.5 million, has recorded 9,450 coronavirus deaths due to the pandemic.

Bangladesh has also decided to procure the coronavirus vaccine from India. The 30 million doses of the vaccine are slated to reach Bangladesh by January 25, under a deal signed with Serum Institute of India, according to reports.

Bangladesh has chosen Indian vaccine despite getting offers from China.

Health Ministry answers FAQs ahead of COVID-19 vaccination drive

Representational image

New Delhi (NVI): As India begins it roll out of COVID-19 vaccination subsequent to the drug regulators approving two vaccines, there are a lot of questions of general public that need clear answers.

The Union Ministry of Health has answered some frequently asked questions (FAQs) on safety of the vaccine, administration, vaccination guidelines.

– Is the vaccine safe, as it is being introduced in a short span of time?
Yes, a vaccine is introduced only after thorough testing. After vaccination you may get minor side effects like cold and fever, which is absolutely normal. It indicates that your body is building immunity.

– Will COVID-19 Vaccine be given to all simultaneously?
High risk groups have been identified and will be given the vaccine on priority. This is how the administration of vaccine will flow:
– First group will include health workers and frontline workers
– The second group will be persons over 50 years of age and persons with co-morbid conditions.
– Then on, the vaccine will be made available to all others in need.

– Is it mandatory to take the vaccine?
Vaccination for COVID-19 is voluntary. However, it is advisable to receive the complete schedule of the COVID-19 vaccine for protecting oneself and limiting the spread of the disease.

– Should a COVID-19 recovered person to take the vaccine?
It is advisable to receive a complete schedule of COVID-19 vaccine irrespective of the past history of COVID-19 infection as it will help in developing a strong immune response.

– Can a person having COVID-19 infection – either confirmed or suspected, be vaccinated?
Infected individuals should defer vaccination for 14 days after symptoms are resolved as they may increase the risk of spreading the virus to others at the vaccination site.

– How will I know if I am eligible for vaccination?
Eligible beneficiaries will be informed through their registered mobile numbers regarding the Health Facility for vaccination and its scheduled time.

– If one is taking medicines for illnesses like Cancer, Diabetes, Hypertension, etc., can s/he take the COVID-19 vaccine?
Yes. These are high risk category persons and MUST take the vaccine.

– Which are the two COVID-19 Vaccines approved in India?
Oxford COVID-19 Vaccine “COVISHIELD”, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India has already been approved for regular vaccination and the indigenously developed “COVAXIN” from Bharat Biotech have been currently approved for emergency use in the country.

Around 3 lakh healthcare workers will be inoculated at 2,934 sites across the country on the first day of the massive nationwide Covid-19 vaccination drive which is set to begin from January 16,

Each vaccination session will cater to a maximum of 100 beneficiaries and the Union Health Ministry has advised states not to organise “unreasonable numbers of vaccination per site per day”.

-CHK

PFC to issue debentures worth Rs 5,000 cr on Jan 15

PFC
File Photo

New Delhi (NVI): India’s largest power sector lender, Power Finance Corporation Ltd (PFC) will open its Rs 5,000 crores public issue of secured, redeemable non-convertible debentures (NCD) on January 15, the Ministry of Power said.

According to the Power Ministry, the base issue size is Rs 500 crores, with an option to retain oversubscription of up to Rs 4,500 crores aggregating up to 5,000 crores, which is within the shelf limit of Rs 10,000 crores.

The NCDs have a face value of Rs 1,000 each. The tranche I issue is scheduled to close on January 29, 2021, with an option of early closure or extension as decided by PFC’s board of directors, the statement added.

The ministry also said that tranche I offers options for tenures of 3, 5, 10 and 15 years. The 3-year tenure NCD in Series I will offer a fixed coupon rate of 4.65 per cent to 4.80 per cent per annum (pa), while the 5 year tenure NCD in Series II will offer fixed coupon rate of 5.65 per cent to 5.80 per cent pa depending on the category of investors.

The 10-year tenure NCDs offers options of both fixed and floating rates of interest. The fixed coupon rate is 6.63 per cent to 7.00 per cent pa, it added

On the other hand, the floating coupon rate is spread of 55 basis points to 80 basis points, subject to floor and cap rate depending on the category of investors. The 15-year tenure NCD offers a range of fixed coupon rates with maximum coupon rate of 7.15 per cent pa, the statement noted.

However, the minimum application size is for 10 NCDs aggregating to Rs 10,000 collectively across all series of NCDs and in multiples of 1 NCD of face value of Rs 1000 each thereafter.

The ministry further said that the NCDs are proposed to be listed on BSE Ltd. The lead managers to the issue are Trust Investment Advisors Private Limited, A. K. Capital Services Limited, Edelweiss Financial Services Limited and JM Financial Limited.

Apart from this, the issue has received the highest rating from credit rating agencies Crisil, CARE and Icra and the ratings indicate high degree of trust regarding timely servicing of financial obligations and such instruments carry lowest credit risk, the statement added.

-RJV

NHPC signs definitive agreement to take over JPCL project in Sikkim

NHPC

New Delhi (NVI) NHPC Limited, India’s premier hydropower company and a PSU under the Ministry of Power, has signed Definitive Agreement for implementation of the Approved Resolution Plan for takeover of 120 MW Rangit-IV HE Project of Jalpower Corporation Limited (JPCL) in Sikkim.

The agreement was signed between NHPC, Resolution Professional and Secured Financial Creditors (PFC and PNB) in presence of YK Chaubey, Director(Tech) NHPC, RP Goyal, Director (Finance) NHPC and senior officers from NHPC and PFC, the Ministry of Power said in a statement.

Pertinent to mention here that National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Hyderabad bench had recently approved NHPC’s Resolution Plan for taking over Jalpower Corporation Limited (JPCL) as going concern vide its order dated 24.12.2020.

NHPC had submitted its Resolution Plan and was declared the successful resolution applicant by Committee of Creditors (CoC) on 24.01.2020, as per the Power Ministry. CoC approved Resolution Plan was filed by Resolution Professional with Hon’ble NCLT Hyderabad Bench on 28.01.2020.

The total cost of the project is estimated as Rs 943.20 crore. Jalpower Corporation Limited (JPCL) is the second company after LancoTeesta Hydro Power Ltd (LTHPL) to be acquired through NCLT process by NHPC.

-ARK

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