British PM arrives on 3-day visit to Republic of India

[Hindustani78]

http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/na...a-s-loans-finance-ministry-to-cic/540116.html

New Delhi, February 7 The finance ministry has told the Central Information Commission (CIC) that it does not have information about the loans given to industrialist Vijay Mallya, prompting the transparency panel to remark that the response was “vague and not sustainable as per law”.

Chief Information Commissioner RK Mathur, while hearing the matter of one Rajiv Kumar Khare, told the finance ministry official that the Right to Information (RTI) application filed by the applicant should be transferred to the proper public authority.

The finance ministry official may have claimed that the ministry does not have information on the loans sanctioned by different banks to Mallya or the details of the guarantee given by Mallya against those loans, but the ministry had responded to questions in this regard in Parliament in the past.

Union Minister of State for Finance Santosh Gangwar had responded to a question on Mallya on March 17, 2017, stating that the person whose name was mentioned (Mallya) was given a loan in September 2004 and that it was reviewed in February 2008.

The Rs 8,040-crore loan was declared a non-performing asset (NPA) in 2009 and the NPA was restructured in 2010, he had said. “As reported by PSBs, an amount of Rs 155 crore has been recovered by conducting a mega online auction by selling from the seized properties from defaulting loan borrower Vijay Mallya,” Gangwar had told the Rajya Sabha on March 21.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, during a debate on demonetisation in the Upper House on November 17, 2016, had termed the loan issue of Mallya a “terrible legacy” that the NDA government had inherited from the previous UPA regime. But as Khare failed to get a response from the finance ministry to his RTI application, seeking details of Mallya’s loans, he had approached the CIC.

The term “information” under the RTI Act means any record which is held by or under the control of a public authority. Khare was initially told by the ministry that the information on Mallya’s loans could not be given because of the exemption clauses in the RTI Act related to personal safety and prejudicial effect on the economic interest of the state. “The respondent (the finance ministry official) further stated that the said information was not available with the ministry.

He stated that the information sought by the appellant might be available with the banks concerned or Reserve Bank of India,” the chief information commissioner noted. He directed the ministry to transfer the application to the public authority that held the information. PTI

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
08-February, 2018 18:22 IST
Mou between India-Britain To Improve Transport System And Passenger Service

AMemorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between India and Britain to improve public transport system and passenger services. The MoU would help in sharing of information in the areas of Public Transport System, passenger services, data analysis, induction of electric vehicles, introduction of technology, ticketing and the provision of passenger information, urban transport planning and policy, institutional organisation of transport, governance and accountability arrangements, project financing, strategy and procurement methodologies, policy development and assessment of technology strategies, operations procurement and contracting, infrastructure maintenance strategies, infrastructure design and delivery etc.

This MoU will also help in strengthening the integrated public transport for all. This will help people from all segments of the society to have access to quality public transport system. Further, it will help in introducing innovative practices such as digital payments, standardizing the design of the buses, use of technology for demand projection and route rationalization to enhance efficiency of public transport operations

This information was given by Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Chemical & Fertilizers Shri Mansukh L Mandaviya in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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[NakedLunch]

LOL! How embarrassing. You still need the goodwill of your ex-colonial masters? Exactly how independent are you?

 

[Hindustani78]

LOL! How embarrassing. You still need the goodwill of your ex-colonial masters? Exactly how independent are you?

The MoU would help in sharing of information in the areas of Public Transport System, passenger services, data analysis, induction of electric vehicles, introduction of technology, ticketing and the provision of passenger information, urban transport planning and policy, institutional organisation of transport, governance and accountability arrangements, project financing, strategy and procurement methodologies, policy development and assessment of technology strategies, operations procurement and contracting, infrastructure maintenance strategies, infrastructure design and delivery etc.

Here its more about sharing the proper immigration details , Indian Establishment is avioding tourism all over Republic of India because of the current situation in the region.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/intern...-kingfisher/article22731430.ece?homepage=true

LONDON/SINGAPORE:, February 12, 2018 16:53 IST
Updated: February 12, 2018 19:57 IST

The embattled liquor baron Mallya receives double whammy as he loses another legal battle pertaining to his now defunct Kingfisher Airlines

Embattled liquor baron Vijay Mallya has lost another legal battle linked to his now- defunct Kingfisher Airlines after the UK High Court awarded Singapore-based BOC Aviation an estimated $90 million in claims.

The latest case involving the 62-year-old businessman, whose extradition case over alleged loan defaults amounting to around Rs. 9,000 crore returns to Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on March 16, is related to the leasing of aircraft by Kingfisher Airlines dating back to 2014.

‘No real prospect of defending claim’
Justice Picken, in a judgement dated February 5 at the Business and Property Courts of the High Court in London, ruled that “the defendants have no real prospect of successfully defending the claim.”

The defendants in the claim brought by BOC Aviation in Singapore and BOC Aviation (Ireland) Ltd. have been named as Kingfisher Airlines Ltd. and United Breweries (Holdings) Ltd.

"We are pleased with the judgement but would not like to comment further at this stage," said a spokesperson for BOC Aviation in Singapore.

The legal claim relates to a leasing agreement between Kingfisher Airlines and aircraft leasing company BOC Aviation involving four planes, of which three were delivered.

The delivery of the fourth was reportedly withheld due to unpaid amounts due in advance under the lease arrangement. BOC Aviation claims that the security deposit, which is a course of redress in such matters, was also inadequate to cover the payments that Kingfisher was “contractually bound” to make, resulting in the High Court claim in London.

In his order, Justice Picken awarded BOC Aviation the amount overdue along with interest payments and legal costs, which overall amounts to nearly $90 million.

"The Second Defendant [United Breweries] shall be jointly and severally liable with the First Defendant [Kingfisher Airlines] to pay the Claimants [BOC Aviation] half of the said costs liability," the court order notes.

There was no immediate response from Kingfisher.

The latest ruling comes weeks before India’s extradition case against Mr. Mallya is set to come up for one of its final hearings before Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot on March 16, with a judgment expected in May.

The businessman remains on a 6,50,000-pound bail bond, extended until April 2 at the last hearing in the extradition case in January.

Mr. Mallya had been arrested on an extradition warrant by the Scotland Yard in April last and has since been appearing for his extradition trial, which opened on December 4 last to establish if he can be forced to return to India to face charges of fraud and money-laundering involving Kingfisher Airlines’ default of bank loans worth nearly Rs. 9,000 crore.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), representing the Indian government, has claimed that the evidence they have presented confirms “dishonesty” on the part of the businessman, who acquired the loans through misrepresentation and had no intention of repaying them.

Mr. Mallya’s defence team has deposed a series of expert witnesses to try and establish that the default by Kingfisher Airlines was the result of business failure within a wider context of a global financial crisis and that its owner had no "fraudulent" intentions.

When the trial returns next month, the judge will hear concluding arguments on the admissibility of some of the evidence presented by the CPS, on behalf of the Indian authorities.

Parallel litigation
Meanwhile, Mr. Mallya faces parallel litigation around an estimated $1.5-billion worldwide freeze order on his assets.

According to court documents submitted at the UK High Court last year, the claim brought by 13 Indian banks is expected to come up for a two-day hearing in the Queen’s Bench Division of the commercial court in England’s High Court of Justice some time after April 11.

 

[Hindustani78]

The Chief of General Staff of UK, Gen. Sir Nicholas Carter paying homage to the martyrs, at Amar Jawan Jyoti, India Gate, in New Delhi on February 15, 2018.

The Chief of General Staff of UK, Gen. Sir Nicholas Carter inspecting Tri-Services Guard of Honour, in South Block, in New Delhi on February 15, 2018.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/659606/others-nirav-league-mallya-lalit.html

It is not just billionaire diamond merchant Nirav Modi is in the limelight for wrong reasons for their business dealings.

While Modi is speculated to be in Switzerland, it also once again brings to limelight the cases of Vijay Mallya, Lalit Modi, Deepak Talwar and Sanjay Bhandari, who had fled India and wanted in a number of cases.

Mallya (62) often referred to as the "King of Good Times", owes over Rs 9,000 crore to various banks and had left India more than a year ago using a diplomatic passport.

The ED is also seeking to invoke the India-United Kingdom Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) to extradite Mallya from Britain.

The ED and the CBI are jointly investigating a bulk of cases against Mallya, who escaped from India in 2016.

Lalit Modi (52), too faces charges of swindling money, including siphoning off Rs 125 crore from the BCCI, the cricket board.

The ED is pursuing 17 cases of financial impropriety against Lalit and other former office bearers of the Board of Control for Cricket In India-Indian Premier League (BCCI-IPL) under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for an amount of over Rs 2,200 crore.

Lalit Modi left India in 2010. He did not return despite a series of summons by investigating agencies, prompting courts to issue non-bailable warrants and sanction for initiating extradition proceedings.

Corporate consultant Talwar is facing five prosecution complaints filed by the Income Tax Department on charges of receiving kickbacks crores of rupees in individual and corporate bank accounts controlled by him and his family members.

He is accused of concealing an income of over Rs 1,000 crore. Talwar fled India and is currently in the UAE, where he has been barred from leaving the country.

Arms dealer Bhandari was charged by Delhi Police under Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act (OSA) after Income Tax Department officials recovered confidential defence documents during the search operation on his premises.

Soon after, he sneaked out of India. The documents is said to be related to proposals placed before Defence Acquisition Council (DAC).

The Income Tax department also booked Bhandari under the stringent anti-black money Act besides mulling attaching his assets inside and outside the country as part of a tax evasion probe against him

 

[Hindustani78]

The Chief of General Staff, UK, Gen. Sir Nicholas Carter meeting the Chief of Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat, in New Delhi on February 15, 2018.

The Chief of Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat presenting the Indian Army Coffee Table Book to the Chief of General Staff, UK, Gen. Sir Nicholas Carter, in New Delhi on February 15, 2018.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...rpol-to-locate-nirav-modi/article22770599.ece

CBI approached the Interpol with a request for issuing a Diffusion Notice
The CBI has approached the Interpol to locate billionaire jewellery designer Nirav Modi and his family who had left the country in the first week of January, weeks before the scam was reported to the agency, officials said.

Officials said the CBI approached the Interpol with a request for issuing a Diffusion Notice which was aimed at locating an individual.

“This (diffusion) is less formal than a notice but is also used to request the arrest or location of an individual or additional information in relation to a police investigation. A diffusion is circulated directly by an NCB (CBI in this case) to the member countries of their choice, or to the entire INTERPOL membership and is simultaneously recorded in Interpol’s Information System,” the website of Interpol says.

The CBI was confident about getting a location of Modi and his family by Friday, they said.

Modi, who was alleged to have carried out fraudulent transactions worth over ₹ 11,400 crore in Punjab National Bank (PNB), had left the country in the first week.of January.

The 46-year old, who holds an Indian passport, left India on January 1, while his brother Nishal, a Belgian citizen, departed from the country on the same day.

However, whether they travelled together has to be probed, they said.

Modi’s wife Ami, a US citizen, left on January 6 and his uncle and business partner Mehul Choksi, the promoter of Gitanjali jewellery chain, left on January 4, the officials said.

The CBI and the Enforcement Directorate have approached the government seeking revocation of passports of Modi and Choksi.

The billionaire diamond merchant, a regular on the lists of rich and famous Indians since 2013, was booked by the CBI, along with wife, brother and Choksi on January 31, for allegedly cheating the State-run Punjab National Bank to the tune of ₹ 280 crore.

The bank again approached the CBI within a fortnight of the first complaint giving details of more transactions which were over ₹ 11,400 crore.

The question as to why the PNB did not send a complaint to the CBI and decided to give it in tranches is also under the scanner of the agency, they said.

The bank has claimed in three complaints to the CBI that so far it has detected 150 Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) which were fraudulently issued by its officials in connivance with Modi and the other accused in the case, the officials said.

An LoU is a letter of comfort issued by one bank to branches of other banks, based on which foreign branches offer credit to buyers.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
16-February, 2018 18:07 IST
MoU Signed between Botanical Survey of India and Natural History Museum, UK

Botanical Survey of India (BSI) and Natural History Museum (NHM), UK signed a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in the field of genetic/taxonomic studies, research and training, conservation in India, including species and habitat conservation assessments, etc here today.

The MoU was signed by Director, BSI Dr Paramjit Singh and Head of the Algae, Fungi and Plants Division, NHM, Dr Sandra Knapp, in the presence of Union Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Dr Harsh Vardhan.

The MoU will pave the way for BSI staff to work in Natural History Museum, London and vice-versa and they will share fairly and equitably the benefits that may arise from the collection, study and conservation of the plant materials such as seeds, herbarium specimens and tissue samples and exchange associated data and images. NHM will help BSI in capacity building in areas of systematic botany and long-term conservation of plant genetic resources in India.

Botanical research has a long history in India, and modern scientific institutions have developed over two centuries. The collection of Indian plants held in UK institutions, together with India’s own tremendous collections, are an invaluable resource for modern Indian botanical science. Collections, digitisation and study by Indian scientists will make these openly available for wider scientific use in India in areas such as biodiversity conservation, environmental protection, and preservation of plant resources for use in traditional health systems by rural communities.

Lakhs of herbarium specimens of Indian plants are located in the Natural History Museum in London, and a renewed partnership with the Botanical Survey of India is creating digital images of these specimens to make them available to Indian science. Three staff members of BSI have received Rutherford Fellowships (funded by the UK government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy - BEIS) to undertake this important work in London. They have received training in all aspects of digitisation and herbarium curation, and have already imaged some 16,000 sheets in plant families that are essential to crop science and food security. At the same time two botanists from NHM are working in BSI herbaria throughout the country, identifying specimens, capacity building, interacting with young Indian taxonomists and exchanging ideas.

This open science and collaboration is a core goal of both Botanical Survey of India and Natural History Museum, signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between BSI and NHM is set to develop further to the benefit of both India and the UK. Both countries are committed to the use of scientific evidence to support the goals of the Convention on Biological Diversity, CITES and the Nagoya Protocol – this MOU will enable research that will underpin these national responsibilities.

Capacity building and scientific exchange between India and the UK will also be central to future work under the Memorandum of Understanding and will enable learning from each other and work collaboratively to address important scientific questions and deliver benefit to humanity.

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[Hindustani78]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...ehul-choksi/article22783070.ece?homepage=true
The FIR pertains to 143 LoUs worth over ₹4,886 crore fraudulently issued to three companies during the period 2017-18.

The CBI has registered a fresh FIR in connection with alleged fraud in the issuance of Letters of Undertaking (LoU) worth ₹11,400 crore from Punjab National Bank (PNB), officials said on Thursday.

The CBI has alleged that the new FIR pertains to 143 LoUs worth over ₹4,886 crore fraudulently issued to three companies during the period 2017-18.

The agency had earlier registered a separate case involving ₹280-crore fraud, which has now been expanded to cover LoUs worth ₹6,498 crore issued to accused companies .

An LoU is a letter of comfort issued by one bank to branches of other banks, based on which foreign branches offer credit to buyers.

After registering the FIR, the CBI carried out searches at 26 locations across six cities covering the premises of 18 Indian subsidiaries .

The CBI also questioned four officials of Punjab National Bank

Bechu Tiwari, Chief Manager posted at Nariman Point branch, Mumbai during February 2015-17;
DGM Sanjay Kumar Prasad who was then AGM at Brady house branch during period 2016-17;
Chief Manager of zonal audit office Mohinder Kumar Sharma, who was then concurrent auditor during Nov 2015-January 17
Manoj Kharat, then Single Window Operator during November 2014-Decemeber 2017, the officials said.

They said a special team under a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) is being formed to probe the case.

In its complaint, the public sector bank has alleged that 293 Letters of Understanding (LoUs) worth ₹11,400 crore were fraudulently issued to the companies from one of its branches in Mumbai.

Expanding the ambit of the first FIR registered on January 31 against the agency has 150 LoUs worth ₹6,498 crore issued by the bank.

The LoUs were issued by the Punjab National Bank to Indian banks in Mauritius, Bahrain, Hong Kong, Antwerp and Frankfurt for the companies, the officials said.

The remaining 143 LoUs worth ₹4,886 crore will be part of probe under the new FIR registered on Saturday.

The accused in the new FIR include directors of the companies , Also named in the FIR are unidentified bank officials.

The CBI has alleged in the FIR that accused bank officials in connivance with accused companies and others defrauded PNB to the tune of ₹4,886.70 crore, the CBI spokesperson said.

The agency alleged that the accused officials issued fraudulent and unauthorised Letters of Undertakings in favour of foreign branches of different India-based banks.

The officials omitted entries of LoUs in the core banking system of the bank issued on behalf of the accused companies to avoid detection, they said.

It is alleged that they used SWIFT — global messaging service to move money internationally — and did not make any entries in core banking system, used to process daily transactions, to avoid any scrutiny.

Since SWIFT messages to raise credit abroad were not available in the bank’s core system, they went undetected, they alleged.

The bank officials also fraudulently issued foreign letters of credit or FLCs in which PNB guaranteed payment on behalf of the accused to their suppliers which was to be recovered from the firms , they alleged.

Funds raised through LoUs were meant to be used for payment of import bills of the accused companies whereas it was dishonesty and fraudulently utilised for discharging the earlier liabilities on account of buyer’s credit facilities in a kind of roll over of payments, they alleged.

PNB has alleged in its complaint that they opened the Letters of Credit initially for smaller amounts by creating purported entries in core banking system, they said.

The accused bank officials pursuant to the conspiracy unauthorisedly enhanced the values of the FLCs and issued amendments to the FLCs issued through SWIFT which were encashed in overseas branches of Indian banks.

According to the RBI guidelines, LoUs for should not be valid for more than 90 days.

The officials also said the central agency approached the Interpol with a request for issuing ‘Diffusion Notice’ which was aimed at locating an individual who holds an Indian passport, left the country on January 1, while his brother , a Belgian citizen, departed from the country on same day. However, whether they travelled together has to be probed, they said.

wife Ami, a U.S. citizen, left on January 6 and left the country on January 4, the officials said.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Science & Technology
19-February, 2018 17:42 IST
UK and India upgrade joint research on clean water and clean energy

UK-India research projects on ‘Water Quality Research’ and ‘Energy Demand Reduction in Built Environment’ were launched today by Dr V K Saraswat, Member, National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog, Professor Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST) India and Daniel Shah, Director, Research Councils UK (RCUK) India.

The ‘Water Quality Research’ programme has eight projects and ‘Energy Demand Reduction in Built Environment’ programme has four projects, with a total joint investment of up to £15 million. These projects aim to deliver mutual benefits and research solutions not only to the UK and India but also to address shared global sustainable development goals – clean water and clean energy.

Dr Saraswat, Professor Sharma and Mr Shah commended the true partnership in high-quality, high-impact research between the two nations and their research communities, and wished them success. They released joint catalogues highlighting the potential impact of these projects.

• DST – The UK’s Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) on Water Quality Research
• DST - Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) programme on Energy Demand Reduction in Built Environment.

A dossier highlighting India’s national efforts in Building Energy Efficiency comprising details of 30 projects was also released on the occasion.

The ceremony was preceded by an initiation meeting of the ‘Water Quality Research’ projects, providing an opportunity for lead researchers to present their work, understand how they can work together to deliver a coherent programme and identify any research gaps or potential overlaps. A similar initiation event is planned for ‘Energy Demand Reduction in Built Environment’ projects on 20th February 2018.

This meeting brought together senior Indian government officials, funding partners (DST, NERC and EPSRC with support from RCUK India), and scientists both from the UK and India.

Sir Dominic Asquith KCMG, British High Commissioner to India said, “Access to clean water and efficient energy are crucial to the well-being and prosperity of every nation. I congratulate the UK-India research teams leading these projects. Another great example of how the UK and India’s research partnership is a global force for good.”

Dr V K Saraswat, Member of National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog, highlighted thrust of the Government on Sustainable Development through synergistic efforts and greater inter-ministerial coordination. “The ambitious targets and missions for renewable energy and energy efficiency for meeting ever increasing needs of the country is an illustration of governments’ commitment. The success achieved in LED programme can be replicated in building sector with scientific inputs.

Research on water quality is extremely critical for our national missions on Ganga rejuvenation and Swachha Bharat.” Highlighting the new initiatives for cleaner fuels such as methanol and desalination, he stressed upon the need to leverage global experience and collaborative endeavour to accelerate the innovations in the very important domains of water and clean energy and lauded the efforts of EPSRC, NERC, DST and all participants of these programmes

Professor Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, said, “Department of Science and Technology accords high priority to development of cost effective and environment friendly technological solutions for clean energy, clean water and clean air. The global research fraternity has to play a pivotal role in making these pursuits successful and we intend to pursue these objectives both through our national and collaborative endeavours. Sustained India and UK research collaboration in all domains, especially clean technologies has scaled greater heights and is a valuable instrument to bring best brains together for addressing societal challenges.”

Daniel Shah, Director Research Councils UK (RCUK) India said, “This India-UK water quality programme, supported jointly by the Department of Science and Technology in India, and NERC, EPSRC and ESRC in the UK, aims to equip local communities, policymakers, regulators and businesses with the information and solutions they need to secure the provision of clean water, rejuvenate rivers and restore ecosystems. These eight collaborative research projects should bring benefits to both people and the environment, and we are delighted that the programme is being launched today.”



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[Hindustani78]

New hope: In its offer, ArcelorMittal India has set out a plan for Essar aimed at improving its performance and profitability.

http://www.thehindu.com/business/In...essar-steel/article22907017.ece?homepage=true


ArcelorMittal and NSSMC have operated in Indiana, USA, under joint venture agreements since 1987.

More recently, in 2014, ArcelorMittal partnered with NSSMC on the acquisition of AM/NS Calvert, a state-of-the-art downstream finishing facility in Alabama, USA.

The facility, which opened in 2010 and has a 5.3 million tonne capacity, was the largest newly-constructed steel facility in the US in 40 years but had failed to reach its potential.

A major investment programme has been undertaken following the acquisition.

The programme focused on improving the facility’s finishing lines to enable the production of higher-added value steel products.

ArcelorMittal is the world’s leading steel and mining company, with a presence in 60 countries and an industrial footprint in 18 nations.


ArcelorMittal on Friday said it has entered into a joint venture pact with Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation (NSSMC) to jointly acquire the assets of Essar Steel.

The company’s arm ArcelorMittal India Pvt Ltd (AMIPL) had submitted a resolution plan for Essar Steel on February 12, which outlined the intention to have NSSMC formally join its bid for Essar Steel.

Essar Steel was among the initial 12 companies identified by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for insolvency proceedings.

“Should the submitted Resolution Plan be selected and formally accepted by India’s National Company Law Tribunal, ArcelorMittal and NSSMC would jointly acquire and manage Essar Steel,” ArcelorMittal said in a statement.

In its Resolution Plan, the AMIPL set out a detailed industrial and turnaround plan aimed at restoring Essar Steel’s fortunes, enabling it to realise its full potential and participate in the anticipated steel demand growth in India, the statement said.

“Partnering with NSSMC for Essar Steel was always our intention and adds further strength to our offer. Combining our experience and expertise creates a powerful partnership that has a proven track record - our rich history of positive collaboration dates back more than 20 years with three joint ventures in the US,” ArcelorMittal Chairman and CEO Lakshmi Mittal said.

“We believe that together we can contribute our knowledge and technology to support a rapid turn-around in Essar’s performance, enabling it to increase production, enhance its product capabilities and make a meaningful contribution to the future growth of India’s manufacturing sector and the development of its economy,” he said.

 

[Hindustani78]

Cabinet
28-March, 2018 19:54 IST
Cabinet approves MoU between India and United Kingdom and Northern Ireland regarding cooperation and the Exchange of Information for the Purposes of Combating International Criminality and Tackling Serious Organised Crime

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and United Kingdom and Northern Ireland regarding cooperation and Exchange of Information for the Purposes of Combating International Criminality and Tackling Serious Organised Crime.

India and U.K. already have an agreement concerning the investigation and prosecution of crime and the tracing, restraint and confiscation of the proceeds and instruments of crime (including crimes involving currency transfers) and terrorist funds, which was signed in 1995. Both the countries desire to further strengthen cooperation in fighting international criminality and serious organized crime. The MoU will reinforce the collaboration in the field of security that will be mutually beneficial.

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[Hindustani78]

Cabinet
11-April, 2018 14:04 IST
Cabinet approves MoU between India and the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland on the return of Illegal Migrants

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval to the MoU between India and the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland on the return of Illegal Migrants.

Benefits:

The MoU will facilitate that the Visa Free Agreement for holders of Diplomatic passports as well as liberalization of UK Visa Regime for those who are travelling to the UK legally, after conclusion of the MoU.

It will ensure the return of persons who have no lawful basis to be in the territory of the other Party after verification of nationality to its satisfaction.

It will help in streamlining the procedure of return of nationals who are caught to be staying illegally, belonging to the other party in a specified time-frame.

*****