The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Sheri Narendra Modi has approved the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty of the French Republic on cooperation in the field of Digital Technologies.

Details:

The MoU intends to promote closer cooperation and exchange of information pertaining to the digital technologies and will mutually support each Participant’s goal to promote access to digital Technology in their country in accordance with the MoU.

Major Impact:

Both G2G and B2B bilateral Cooperation in the field of Digital technologies will be enhanced.  MoU envisages improved collaboration leading to employment opportunities in the field of IT.

Implementation strategy and targets:

The cooperation under this MoU will start on the dated of its signature by both Participants and will last five (5) years.

Background:

MeitY has been mandated to promote international cooperation in the emerging and frontier areas of information Technology under bilateral and regional framework of cooperation. In its endeavour to foster international cooperation in the field of digital technologies, MeitY has entered into MoUs/Agreements with counterpart organizations/agencies of various countries on bilateral or multilateral for a. In this changing paradigm, there is an imminent need for exploring business opportunities and attracting investment in the digital sector through such mutual cooperation.

India and France are long-standing strategic partners in the Indo-European region. India and France are committed to nurture a thriving digital eco system and building collaboration that empower their citizens and ensure their full participation in the digital century.

Based on the Indo-French Road map on Cyber security and Digital Technology announced on 2019, India and France are pursuing an ambitious bilateral cooperation on advanced digital technologies, particularly in the fields of supercomputing, cloud computing, Artificial Intelligence and quantum technologies, including in the framework of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI).

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved establishment of an autonomous body Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat) to serve as an overarching enabling mechanism powered by technology for youth development and youth led development and provide equitable access to youth to actualize their aspirations and build Viksit Bharat across the entire spectrum of the Government.

Impact:

The primary objective of Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat) is to make it a whole of Government platform for youth development.  Under the new arrangement, with access to resources & connection to opportunities, youth would become community change agents and nation builders allowing them to act as the Yuva Setu between the Government and the citizens. It seeks to harness the immense youth energy for nation-building.

Details:

Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat), an autonomous body will benefit the youth in the age-group of 15-29 years, in line with the definition of ‘Youth’ in the National Youth Policy.  In case of programme components specifically meant for the adolescents, the beneficiaries will be in the age-group of 10-19 years.

The establishment of Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat) would lead to:

1. Leadership Development in the Youth:

• Improve the leadership skills through experiential learning by shifting from isolated physical interaction to programmatic skills.
• Investing more in youth to make them social innovators, leaders in the communities.
• Setting the focus of the Government on Youth Led development and to make the Youth “active drivers” of development and not merely “passive recipients”.

2. Better alignment between youth aspirations and community needs.
3. Enhanced efficiency through Convergence of existing programmes.
4. Act as a one stop shop for young people and Ministries.
5. Create a centralized youth data base.
6. Improved two-way communication to connect youth government initiatives and activities of other stakeholder that engage with youth.
7. Ensuring accessibility b creating a physical ecosystem.

Background:

With a view to engage youth and their empowerment guided by the principles of ‘whole of government approach’, in a rapidly changing world, which has an environment of high velocity communications, social media, new digital opportunities and emergent technologies the Government has decided to establish overarching enabling mechanism in a form of a new Autonomous Body, namely Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat).

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed the contingent of Indian athletes who participated in the Asian Games 2022 at Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in New Delhi today. He also interacted with the athletes. India won 107 medals including 28 gold medals in the Asian Games 2022 making this the best performance in terms of the total number of medals won in the continental multi-sport event.

Addressing the contingent, the Prime Minister welcomed them on behalf of every citizen and congratulated them for their success. It is a pleasant coincidence, the Prime Minister recalled, that the inaugural edition of the Asian Games took place in this very stadium in 1951. The Prime Minister underlined that the courage and determination shown by the athletes have taken every nook and corner of the nation into a celebratory mood. Noting the labour put behind to achieve the target of 100 plus medals, the Prime Minister emphasized that the entire nation is experiencing a feeling of pride. He also congratulated the coaches and trainers and praised the physios and officials for their contributions. The Prime Minister bowed before the parents of all athletes and highlighted the contributions and sacrifices made by the families. “From the training ground to the podium, the journey is impossible without the support of the parents”, the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister said “You have created history. Figures of this Asian Games are witness to India’s success. This is the best performance of India in the Asian Games to date.  It is a matter of personal satisfaction that we are moving in the right direction.” He recalled the doubts at the time of pursuit of Corona vaccine and said that when we succeeded in saving lives and helping 150 countries, the same feeling of moving in the right direction was experienced.

Noting the highest-ever medal tally, the Prime Minister mentioned the highest-ever medals in shooting, archery, squash, rowing, female boxing and the first Gold Medal in Women’s and Men’s cricket events, squash mixed doubles. He also underlined the significance of gaining medals in few events after a long time for example women’s shot put (72 years), 4×4 100 meters (61 years), equestrian (41 years) and male badminton (40 years). “A wait of so many decades got over because of your efforts”, the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister noted expanding canvas as India won medals in almost all games in which it participated. At least 20 events were there where India never had a podium finish. “You not just opened an account but blazed a trail that will inspire a generation of youth. It will go beyond the Asian Games and will give new confidence in our march towards the Olympics. ”, he added.

The Prime Minister expressed great pride in the contributions made by the women athletes and said that it highlights the capabilities of India’s daughters. He informed that out of all the medals won, more than half were bagged by female athletes and it was the women’s cricket team that began the string of successes. He mentioned that most medals were won by women in Boxing. He also applauded the women’s athletics team for their impressive performances and said, “The daughters of India were not ready to settle for anything less than no. 1 in the track and field events”, the Prime Minister said, “This is the spirit and power of  new India.” The Prime Minister underlined that the new India never stops quitting until the final whistle blows and the winners are decided. “The new India attempts to give its best every time”, he said.

The Prime Minister said India never lacked talent and athletes did perform well in the past, however, due to many challenges, we lagged behind in terms of medals. He elaborated on the modernization and transformative efforts undertaken after 2014. He said that it is India’s effort to provide the athletes with the best training facilities, to provide maximum national and international exposure to athletes, ensure transparency in selection and provide maximum opportunity to the talent from the rural areas. He informed that the sports budget has been enhanced three-fold as compared to 9 years ago. “Our TOPS and Khelo India schemes have proved game changer”, said the Prime Minister recalling how Khelo Gujarat changed the sporting culture of the state. He said about 125 athletes of the Asiad contingent are a find of Khelo India campaign, of which more than 40 have won medals. “Success of so many Khelo India athletes shows the right direction of the campaign”, he said. He informed that more than 3000 athletes are being trained under Khelo India. These players are getting scholarships of more than 6 lakh rupees each per annum. “Under this scheme, assistance worth about Rs 2.5 thousand crores has now been given to the athletes. I assure you that lack of money will never be a hindrance to your efforts. The government is going to spend Rs 3 thousand crore more for you and the sports in the next five years. Today, modern sports infrastructure is being built just for you in every corner of the country”, Shri Modi added.

The Prime Minister expressed happiness about the presence of younger athletes among the medal winners. “This is the sign of a sporting nation. These new young winners will perform brilliantly for the country for a long time. The new thinking of young India is no longer satisfied with just good performance, rather it wants medals and wins” he said.

“For the nation, you are the GOAT – Greatest of All Time”, the Prime Minister said noting the common lingo amongst the young generations. He said that the passion, dedication and childhood stories of the athletes are an inspiration for everyone. Underlining the impact that athletes have on the young generations, the Prime Minister stressed making good use of this positive energy by connecting with more youth. Recalling his suggestion for the athletes to visit schools and interact with children, the Prime Minister insisted the athletes raise awareness among the youth about the evils of drugs and how they can ruin careers and lives. He pointed out that the nation is fighting a decisive war on drugs and asked the athletes to always speak up about the evils of drugs and harmful medications whenever they get an opportunity. He urged them to come forward to strengthen the war against drugs and take on the mission of a drug-free India.

The Prime Minister also highlighted the importance of super-foods for fitness and urged the athletes to raise awareness about giving priority to nutritious food among the children of the country. He insisted they connect with children and talk about the right eating habits and said that they can play a huge role in the millet movement and the nutrition mission.

The Prime Minister linked the successes in the sporting arena with the larger canvas of national successes. “Today, when India is gaining an important place on the world stage, you have demonstrated it in the sports field also. Today, when India is moving towards becoming a top-3 economy in the world, our youth directly benefit from it”, he emphasized. He mentioned similar successes in space, startups, science and technology and in entrepreneurship. “India’s youth potential is visible in every sector”, he said.

“The country has great confidence in all you players”, the Prime Minister underlined as he noted the slogan of ‘100 Paar’ that was chosen for this year’s Asian Games. Shri Modi expressed confidence that this record will go much further in the next edition. Underlining that the Paris Olympics is right around the corner, the Prime Minister urged them to prepare diligently. He also consoled all those who did not achieve success this time and suggested they learn from their mistakes and make new efforts. Shri Modi extended his best wishes to all the players of the Para Asian Games which are set to begin from 22nd October.

Union Minister for Youth and Sports Affairs, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur was present on the occasion among others.

Background

The programme is an endeavour by the Prime Minister to congratulate the athletes for their outstanding achievement at the Asian Games 2022 and to motivate them for future competitions. India won a total of 107 medals, including 28 gold medals in Asian Games 2022. This is India’s best performance in the Asian Games in terms of total number of medals won.

The program was attended by the athletes of the Indian contingent for the Asian Games, their coaches, officials from the Indian Olympic Association, representatives of National Sports Federations, and officials from the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports.

Welcoming the President of Tanzania Her Excellency Samia Suluhu Hassan at the India Tanzania Investment Forum in New Delhi today, Shri Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and Textiles said that the friendship between the two countries has been elevated to the level of strategic partnership and the wonderful people-to-people and business relationship that exists between the two countries will only get stronger in the years to come.

Shri Goyal noted that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a big advocate of bringing the Global South on one platform. The India Africa partnership has flourished under his leadership and the effort that Prime Minister Modi put in to create convergence on making the African Union a full member of the G20 has finally happened, he added.

Shri Goyal said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi looks at this partnership between two modern, vibrant nations as a very defining and substantial relationship that will work for the good of two billion people of Africa and India for inclusive and sustainable growth.

Shri Goyal pointed out that the two countries share a rich history and our ties go back decades and noting that Mahatma Gandi learnt his first lesson in Africa, Shri Goyal said that there is a lot of similarity in our freedom struggle, we have worked together as non-aligned nations and that we have successfully decolonized our economies. He said that we now have important engagements with each other and are working from investments to startups, from the healthcare sector to business and trade. He added that there is huge potential and our business persons will truly make both countries proud with their commitment to make this relationship grow, expand and really provide opportunities for jobs and for entrepreneurs in both countries.

India will partner with Tanzania in different sectors like education, skill development, capacity building, culture, energy, climate action, trade settlement in local currencies and in technology, Shri Goyal said. He noted that India has offered lines of credit to ensure infrastructure development and ensure creation of utilities in Tanzania.

Tanzania is the biggest export destination of India in Africa and we look forward to making this another fast growing story, Shri Goyal said adding that we can work together to ensure mutual food security, and in pharma sector and the new and emerging space sector.

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh held talks with Italian Defence Minister Mr Guido Crosetto in Rome on October 09, 2023, on the first leg of his visit to Italy and France. During the meeting, both sides discussed a host of defence cooperation issues, including training, sharing of information, maritime exercises and maritime security. The focus was on the opportunities in defence industrial cooperation.

The two Ministers discussed the complementary capacities of India & Italy in defence and the possibilities of joint development. The Raksha Mantri suggested fostering the interaction of the Indian start-ups with the Italian defence companies.

The meeting was followed by the signing of the Agreement on Cooperation in the field of defence. The agreement will promote bilateral cooperation in varied defence domains, such as security and defence policy, R&D, education in military field, maritime domain awareness, sharing of defence information and industrial cooperation, including co-development, co-production & setting up of joint ventures.

Earlier, Shri Rajnath Singh was presented with a Guard of Honour at Villa Madama. Upon his arrival at Ciampino Airport, the Raksha Mantri was received by the Indian Ambassador to Italy Dr Neena Malhotra and senior Italian officials.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a telephone call today from the Prime Minister of Israel, H.E. Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu.

Prime Minister expressed deep condolences and sympathy for those killed and wounded as a result of the terrorist attacks in Israel and conveyed that people of India stand in solidarity with Israel in this difficult hour.

He reiterated that India strongly and unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

PM highlighted the issue of safety and security of Indian citizens in Israel. Prime Minister Netanyahu assured of full cooperation and support.

The two leaders agreed to remain in close touch.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will visit Uttarakhand on 12th October, 2023.

At around 8:30 AM, Prime Minister will reach Jollingkong in Pithoragarh District, where he will perform pooja and darshan at Parvati Kund. Prime Minister will also seek blessings from the holy Adi-Kailash at this place. The area is well known for its spiritual importance and natural beauty.

Prime Minister will reach Gunji village, Pithoragarh district at around 9:30 AM, where he will interact with the local people, and visit an exhibition highlighting local art and products. He will also interact with personnels of Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Border Roads Organisation (BRO).

At around 12 noon, Prime Minister will reach Jageshwar, Almora district, where he will perform pooja and darshan at Jageshwar Dham. Located at a height of about 6200 feet, the Jageshwar Dham comprises of about 224 stone temples.

After that, Prime Minister will reach Pithoragarh at around 2:30 PM, where he will inaugurate, dedicate to nation and lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth about Rs 4200 crore in sectors like rural development, road, power, irrigation, drinking water, horticulture, education, health and disaster management, among others.

The projects that will be inaugurated and dedicated to  nation by the Prime Minister include 76 rural roads  and 25 bridges built in rural areas under PMGSY; 15 buildings of BDO offices in 9 districts; upgradation of three roads built under central road fund viz Kausani Bageshwar road,  Dhari-Dauba-Giricheena road and Nagala-Kiccha road;  upgradation of two road on National Highways viz Almora Petshal – Panuwanaula – Danya (NH 309B) and Tanakpur – Chalthi (NH 125); three projects related to Drinking water viz 38 Pumping drinking water schemes,  419 Gravity based water supply schemes and three tube wells based water supply schemes;  Tharkot artificial lake in Pithoragarh; 132 KV Pithoragarh-Lohaghat (Champawat) Power Transmission Line; 39 bridges across Uttarakhand and Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA) building in Dehradun built under the World Bank funded Uttrakhand Disaster Recovery Project.

The projects whose foundation stone will be laid include a scheme for construction of 21,398 poly-house, which will help in increasing the production of flowers and vegetables and improving their quality; a scheme for cultivation of high-density intensive apple orchards; five projects for NH road upgradation; Multiple steps for disaster preparedness and resilience in the state viz construction of bridges, upgradation of State emergency Operation Center in Dehradun, steps for prevention of landslide in  Balianala, Nainital  and improvement in other infrastructure related to fire, health and forest; development of hostels and computer labs in 20 model degree college across state;  100 bedded sub district hospital at Someshwar, Almora; 50 bedded Hospital block in Champawat;  Astroturf Hockey Ground at Haldwani Stadium, Nainital; Velodrome Stadium at Rudrapur; Manaskhand Mandir Mala Mission Scheme for  infrastructure development in temples including Jageshwar Dham (Almora), Haat Kalika (Pithoragarh) and Naina Devi (Nainital) temples; projects for provisioning of drinking water in Haldwani ; construction of  33/11 KV sub-station work Sitarganj, Udham Singh Nagar.

1. At the invitation of Smt. Droupadi Murmu, President of the Republic of India, Her Excellency Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania undertook a State Visit to the Republic of India from 8-10 October 2023. H.E. President Samia Suluhu Hassan was accompanied by a high-level delegation including the Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Hon. January Makamba (MP), and other members from different sectors, Senior Government Officials as well as members of the Tanzania Business Community.

2. H.E. President Samia Suluhu Hassan was accorded a ceremonial welcome on 9 October 2023, at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. She also visited Rajghat to pay her respect to Mahatma Gandhi. H.E. President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu will hold bilateral talks and also host a State Banquet in honour of H.E. President Samia Suluhu Hassan.

3. President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held official bilateral talks in a warm and cordial atmosphere and exchanged views on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest. The two leaders commended the existing close, cordial and cooperative relations and noted that India and Tanzania are time-tested partners bound by a long history of shared values and ideals spanning many years. They both acknowledged that the bilateral relations were further deepened by the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Tanzania in July 2016, giving a significant boost to development cooperation.

4. The leaders recalled the recent visits of External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar to Co-chair the 10th Joint Commission on Economic, Technical and Scientific Cooperation and the Parliamentary delegation led by Speaker of Lok Sabha Shri. Om Birla to Tanzania. In addition, similar visits by several Tanzanian Ministers were held this year. The two leaders agreed that such high-level visits have reinforced the strong relations existing between Tanzania and India.

5. H.E. President Samia Suluhu Hassan will also attend the India-Tanzania Business and Investment Forum on October 10, 2023, where she will deliver the keynote address to the Indian and Tanzanian business communities. She will also hold one-on-one meetings (B2B) with key Indian Business Leaders.

6. With a view to further strengthen the bilateral relations and expanding cooperation across various sectors, the two leaders announced the elevation of Indo-Tanzania relationship to the level of ‘Strategic Partnership’. Both sides noted that the strategic partnership will help the two countries to jointly work on issues like Maritime Security, Defence Cooperation, Development Partnership, Trade and Investment among others.

7. During the visit, MoUs covering a wide range of sectors were signed. List is enclosed as Annexure A.

Political Relations

8. Both sides noted with satisfaction, an increasing level of bilateral political engagement and strategic dialogue on regional and global issues including the vision for the Indo-Pacific and implementation of the Indian Ocean Rim Association’s Outlook on the lndo-Pacific. It was noted that India and Tanzania are maritime neighbours with a long history of trade and people to people linkages therefore Tanzania has an important place in India’s vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for all in the Region). Both sides encouraged cooperation on the Indo-Pacific noting that the AU vision for peace and security in Africa with focus on development of Blue/ocean economy for accelerated economic growth coincides with SAGAR vision. They also welcomed Tanzania’s participation in the annual Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief (HADR) exercises in India for sharing of experiences to undertake rescue and relief operations during major natural calamities.

9. Both sides agreed to continue with high-level political dialogue through the Joint Commission mechanism at the Foreign Ministers’ level and bilateral meetings between Leaders. Both sides agreed to initiate a Policy Planning Dialogue between their Foreign Ministries.

Defence Cooperation

10. The two leaders expressed satisfaction over the successful 2nd Joint Defence Cooperation Committee meeting held in Arusha on 28th and 29th June 2023 resulting in a five-year Roadmap for Defence Cooperation between the two countries.

11. Both sides recalled the successful visits of Defence Ministers of Tanzania to India in August 2022 and February 2023, during which both sides agreed to expand scope of defence cooperation. The Tanzanian side appreciated the deployment of the Indian Military Training Team (IMTT) at the Command and Staff College in Duluti.

12. Considering the successful hosting of the Defence Expos twice in Dar es Salaam on 31st May 2022 and 2nd October 2023 which saw participation of several Indian defence companies; both sides expressed interests in expanding cooperation in the area of Defence industry. The two leaders also expressed pleasure at the progress of cooperation between the two sides towards the capacity building of the Tanzanian forces as well as industry.

Maritime security

13. Acknowledging that India and Tanzania are maritime neighbours who face common maritime security challenges, the two sides agreed to enhance cooperation in maritime security in the Indian Ocean region. They expressed satisfaction over the first ever India-Tanzania Joint Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) surveillance exercise conducted in July 2023 when the Indian Naval Ship Trishul visited Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam. They also noted that India and Tanzania held bilateral maritime exercise in October 2022 during the visit of the Indian Naval Ship Tarkash.

14. The Tanzanian side appreciated the hydrographic surveys of Tanzanian major ports done by India in recent years. Thus, the two sides agreed to continue cooperation in this area.

15. Both leaders looked forward to increased interoperability between their Armed Forces. They noted the regular port calls by the Indian ships to Tanzanian ports and appreciated the conduct of the maiden trilateral maritime exercise involving India, Tanzania and Mozambique in the Mozambique Channel during the visit of the Indian Naval Ship Tarkash in October 2022.

16. The two leaders commended the signing of the Technical Agreement on sharing White Shipping Information between India and Tanzania.

Blue Economy

17. The Tanzanian side expressed interest to cooperate with the Government of India in the field of Blue economy including tourism, maritime trade, services and infrastructure, marine scientific research, capacity in seabed mining, ocean conservation and maritime safety and security. India and Tanzania agreed to cooperate under the framework of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) to ensure a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable Indian Ocean Region.

Trade and Investment

18. The two sides expressed commitment to increase bilateral trade volumes and towards this end, directed the respective Officials to explore new areas of trade. It was further agreed that both sides should harmonise trade volume data and take initiatives to further enhance bilateral trade volumes by organizing visits of business delegations, business exhibitions and interaction with business communities.

19. The Tanzanian side acknowledged that India is amongst the top five investment sources for Tanzania whereby 630 investment projects worth USD 3.74 billion have been registered and thus creating 60,000 new jobs. Both sides welcomed recent trends of renewed interest among Indian businesspersons for investment in Tanzania. Both sides agreed to explore the possibility of setting up of an Investment Park in Tanzania, Tanzanian side assured full support in this regard.

20. The two leaders expressed desire to expand bilateral trade using Local currencies. They noted that Reserve Bank of India (Indian Central Bank) has cleared the way for trade using local currencies i.e. Indian Rupee (INR) & Tanzanian Shilling by allowing the authorized banks in India to open Special Rupee Vostro Accounts (SRVA) of correspondent banks of Tanzania and that transactions using this mechanism have already materialised. The two sides agreed to continue with the consultations in order to address any concerns so as to ensure sustainability of this arrangement.

21. Both sides recognised that agriculture sector cooperation remains a strong pillar in the relations whereby 98% of product lines from Tanzania are imported tariff-free using India’s Duty Free Tariff Preference (DFTP) scheme. India remains a major destination for Tanzanian cashew nuts, pigeon peas, spices, avocado and other agricultural commodities. Both sides agreed to further revitalise cooperation in this sector.

Development Partnership

22. Tanzania appreciated India’s development partnership assistance in the areas of Water, Health, Education, Capacity Building, Scholarships and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) among others.

23. The two sides also expressed satisfaction on Lines of Credits (LoCs) extended by India to Tanzania that amount to over USD 1.1 billion covering fields of drinking water infrastructure, agriculture and defence. It was specifically noted that Water Projects in 24 towns of Tanzania worth USD 500 Million through a Line of Credit scheme are presently being implemented. Once completed, it would provide easy access to safe drinking water to about 6 million residents of these regions.

24. The Tanzanian side appreciated that the Indian scholarship and capacity building program has tremendously contributed to its Human Resource development. India offers 450 Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) scholarships for capacity building and 70 Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) scholarships for long term programmes in 2023-24. The Indian side announced the decision to increase the number of Long term scholarships (ICCR) from 70 to 85 for the year 2023-24. As part of its commitment to the Global South, India also announced 1000 additional ITEC slots for Tanzania to be used over a 5-year period in new and emergent fields like Smart Ports, Space, Biotechnology, Artificial Intelligence, Aviation Management, etc.

Education, Skill Development and Development of ICT

25. The Indian side offered collaboration in areas of space technologies and digital public infrastructure under India Stack including Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and Digital Unique Identity (Aadhar).

26. The Tanzanian side welcomed Indian support for establishing a Vocational Training Centre (VTC) in Pemba, Zanzibar and designing courses based on the demands of the local market. The Indian side offered to set up vocational training institutions on the lines of Vocational Skilling Centres of India to provide training and skill enhancement to the Tanzanian youth.

27. Tanzania commended the decision by India to set up two ICT Centres at Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology and at Nelson Mandela African Institute for Science & Technology (NMAIST) in Arusha. Tanzanian side also express its appreciation to India for upgrading the ICT centre in NM-AIST.

Indian Institute of Technology Madras Campus in Zanzibar

28. Both leaders affirmed the significance of establishing the first overseas campus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras in Zanzibar. They also agreed that IIT in Zanzibar has the potential to become the premier centre for technical education in the African continent. They noted that classes for the first batch are scheduled to begin this month. Tanzanian side appreciated India’s commitment in this regard and assured of its full support to the growth and sustainability of IIT in Zanzibar.

Space Cooperation

29. Tanzanian side congratulated the Indian side on the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 lander on the surface of the moon on 23 August, 2023.

30. The Indian side offered collaboration in area of space technologies to Tanzania, which was welcomed by the Tanzanian side.

Health

31. Both sides reaffirmed the excellent cooperation in the health sector, noting the recent visit of Hon. Ummy Mwalimu (MP), Minister for Health of Tanzania to India in July 2023 and the visit of a joint delegation from India and UAE that visited Tanzania in August 2022 to scout for opportunities. Both sides agreed to work for further collaboration in the health sector.

32. Tanzanian side appreciated the donation of 10 ambulances by the Government of India aimed at assisting in the provision of prompt medical care to patients and support to hospital infrastructure.

33. Both sides also highlighted the excellent track record of bilateral cooperation in the implementation of grant projects including donation of radiation therapy machine, “Bhabhatron II”, essential medicines, an artificial limbs fitment camp organized in 2019 which benefited 520 Tanzanian patients among others.

People to People Relations and Cultural Exchanges

34. Both leaders underscored the importance of strong people-to-people contacts, cultural exchanges, academic linkages and tourism between the two countries. They appreciated the contribution of the large Indian diaspora in Tanzania who have acted as a bridge between the two nations and made significant contribution to the Tanzanian economy and society.

35. Both sides agreed to heighten cooperation in cultural exchanges and appreciated the signing of the Cultural Exchange Program for the 2023-27 periods. The Indian side extended an invitation to Tanzania to be a partner country in the upcoming Surajkund Mela to be held in February 2024 in Surajkund, Faridabad, National Capital Region of Delhi.

36. The two sides noted the ongoing exchange of cultural troupes of both sides and encouraged further cultural exchanges between the two countries.

37. The Tanzanian side thanked the Government of India for the deployment of two Kabaddi Coaches from India considering the rising popularity of the sport in Tanzania.

38. The leaders agreed to a closer collaboration between Universities and Think Tanks of the two countries.

Regional Issues

39. The Indian side congratulated Tanzania for successfully hosting two major Summits, namely, the African Human Capital Heads of State summit and the Africa Food Systems Summit in July and September 2023, respectively.

International Issues

40. Indian side thanked Tanzania for their support in increasing interaction with the East African Community (EAC).

41. Both leaders underscored that there are convergences between the two countries in international forums. It was noted that both sides have active participation in UN Peacekeeping Operations and have contributed towards regional security initiatives. Both sides noted the contributions made by Tanzania in the peacekeeping operations deployed under the auspices of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

42. India and Tanzania agreed on the need for reform of the United Nations Security Council through expansion in both categories of membership. Indian side conveyed appreciation to Tanzania for its support during India’s term as a non-Permanent member of the UNSC for the period 2021-22 and also for Tanzania’s support for the Indian candidature for a non-Permanent membership of UNSC in 2028-29.

43. The Tanzanian side congratulated India on a successful G20 Presidency and the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration adopted at the G20 Leaders’ Summit in September 2023, in which the G20 Leaders welcomed the African Union (AU) as the permanent member of the G20. Indian side appreciated Tanzania’s support to India’s G20 Presidency and its participation in the Voice of Global South Summit in January 2023. The Tanzanian side noted that AU’s entry into the G20 presented a major step in the amplification of Africa’s voice in the premier global forum for multilateral economic cooperation, and that Africa would positively gain from this inclusion.

44. The Indian side welcomed Tanzania’s decision to join the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) and the Global Biofuel Alliance (GBA) and looked forward to Tanzania’s membership of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).

45. The two leaders strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, whenever, wherever, and by whom-so-ever committed and the use of terrorist proxies for cross-border terrorism. They agreed that terrorism is one of the most serious threats to global peace, security and stability and must seriously be addressed.

46. H.E. President Samia Suluhu Hassan expressed her appreciation to H.E. Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of the Republic of India for the warm reception and hospitality extended to her and her accompanying delegation. H.E. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi thanked H.E. President Samia Suluhu Hassan for visiting India and wished her good health and prosperity for the friendly people of the United Republic of Tanzania.

Your Excellency राष्ट्रपति सामिया हसन जी,
दोनों देशों के delegates,
मीडिया के साथियों,
नमस्कार!

सबसे पहले मैं राष्ट्रपति और उनके डेलिगेशन का भारत में स्वागत करता हूँ।

तंज़ानिया के राष्ट्रपति के रूप में यह उनकी भारत की पहली यात्रा है। किन्तु वे भारत और भारत के लोगों से लम्बे अरसे से जुड़ी हुई हैं।

भारत के प्रति उनका यह लगाव और प्रतिबद्धता, हमें हर क्षेत्र में हमारे संबंधों को और मज़बूत करने के लिए प्रेरित कर रहे हैं।

अफ्रीकन यूनियन के G20 मे स्थायी सदस्य के रूप मे जुड़ने के बाद, पहली बार हमें किसी भी अफ्रीकन head of state का भारत में स्वागत करने का अवसर मिला है।

इसलिए इस यात्रा का महत्त्व हमारे लिए कई गुना बढ़ जाता है।

Friends,

आज का दिन भारत और तंज़ानिया के संबंधों में एक ऐतिहासिक दिन है।

आज हम अपनी सदियों पुरानी मित्रता को Strategic Partnership के सूत्र में बाँध रहे हैं।

आज की बैठक में हमने इस भावी रणनीतिक साझेदारी की नींव रखते हुए कई नए initiatives की पहचान की।

भारत और तंज़ानिया आपसी व्यापार और निवेश के लिए एक दूसरे के महत्वपूर्ण पार्टनर्स हैं।

दोनों पक्ष local currencies में व्यापार बढ़ाने के लिए एक agreement पर काम कर रहे हैं।

हमारे आर्थिक सहयोग के पूरे पोटेंशियल को realise करने के लिए हम नए अवसरों की तलाश जारी रखेंगे।

तंज़ानिया अफ्रीका में भारत का सबसे बड़ा और करीबी development partner है।

भारत ने ICT centres, vocational training, defence training, ITEC तथा ICCR scholarships के माध्यम से तंज़ानिया की skill development और capacity building में महत्वपूर्ण योगदान दिया है।

Water supply, कृषि, स्वास्थ्य, शिक्षा जैसे महत्वपूर्ण क्षेत्रों में मिलकर काम करते हुए हमने तंज़ानिया के लोगों के जीवन में सकारात्मक बदलाव लाने का प्रयास किया है।

इसी प्रतिबद्धता से हम आगे भी अपने प्रयत्न जारी रखेंगे।

IIT मद्रास द्वारा ज़ान्ज़िबार में कैंपस खोलने का निर्णय हमारे संबंधों में एक महत्वपूर्ण milestone है।

यह केवल तंज़ानिया के लिए ही नहीं बल्कि क्षेत्रीय देशों के छात्र-छात्राओं के लिए भी high quality education का hub बनेगा।

दोनों देशों की विकास यात्रा का एक बढ़ा आधार technology है।

आज डिजिटल public goods sharing पर हुए समझौते से हमारी साझेदारी को बल मिलेगा।

मुझे ख़ुशी है कि UPI की success story को तंज़ानिया में अपनाने के लिए कदम उठाए जा रहे हैं।

Friends,

रक्षा के क्षेत्र में हमने five year roadmap पर सहमति बनाई है।

इसके माध्यम से military training, maritime cooperation, capacity building, defence industry जैसे क्षेत्रों में नए आयाम जुड़ेंगे।

ऊर्जा के क्षेत्र में भी भारत और तंज़ानिया के बीच करीबी सहयोग रहा है।

भारत में तेज़ी से बदल रहे clean energy landscape को देखते हुए हमने इस महत्वपूर्ण क्षेत्र में मिलकर काम करने पर सहमति व्यक्त की।

मुझे ख़ुशी है कि तंज़ानिया ने भारत द्वारा G20 समिट में launch की गयी Global Biofuels Alliance से जुड़ने का निर्णय लिया है।

साथ ही तंज़ानिया द्वारा लिए गए International Big Cat Alliance से जुड़ने के निर्णय से हम big cats के संरक्षण के लिए वैश्विक प्रयासों को सशक्त कर सकेंगे।

आज हमने space और nuclear technology को जन कल्याण के लिए इस्तेमाल करने पर बल दिया। इन महत्वपूर्ण क्षेत्रों में ठोस initiatives की पहचान करते हुए हमने आगे बढ़ने का निर्णय लिया है ।

Friends,

आज हमने कई वैश्विक एवं क्षेत्रीय मुद्दों पर विचार विमर्श किया।

हिन्द महासागर से जुड़े हुए देशों के रूप में हमने maritime security, piracy, drug trafficking जैसी चुनौतियों का सामना करने के लिए आपसी समन्वय बढ़ाने पर बल दिया।

इंडो-पेसिफिक में सभी प्रयासों में हम तंज़ानिया को एक बहुमूल्य पार्टनर के रूप में देखते है।

भारत और तंज़ानिया एकमत हैं कि आतंकवाद मानवता के लिए सबसे गंभीर सुरक्षा खतरा है।

इस संबंध मे हमने counter-terrorism के क्षेत्र में आपसी सहयोग को बढ़ाने का भी निर्णय लिया है।

Friends,

हमारे संबंधों की सबसे महत्वपूर्ण कड़ी हमारे मज़बूत और सदियों पुराने people-to-people ties हैं।

गुजरात के मांडवी पोर्ट और ज़ान्ज़िबार के बीच दो हज़ार साल पहले व्यापार किया जाता था।

भारत की सिदी tribe का origin ईस्ट अफ्रीका के ज़ान्ज़ coast पर हुआ।

आज भी बड़ी मात्रा में भारत के लोग तंज़ानिया को अपना दूसरा घर मानते हैं।

उनकी देखरेख के लिए तंज़ानिया से मिल रहे समर्थन के लिए मैं राष्ट्रपति हसन को हृदय से आभार व्यक्त करता हूँ।

योग के साथ साथ कबड्डी और क्रिकेट की popularity भी तंज़ानिया में बढ़ रही है।

हम दोनों देशों के लोगों के बीच आपसी नजदीकियां बढ़ाने के प्रयास जारी रखेंगे।

Excellency,

एक बार फिर आपका और आपके डेलिगेशन का भारत में स्वागत है।

बहुत बहुत धन्यवाद।

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah addressed 89^th General Council meeting of the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) in New Delhi today.

In his address, Shri Amit Shah said that NCDC is playing a crucial role in fulfilling Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Sahakar se Samridhi. Cooperatives are the only medium for economic development of 60 crore population of the country, which do not have capital. He said that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Modi, since its formation the Ministry of Cooperation has taken 54 initiatives in the last 27 months to strengthen cooperative movement in the country and increase cooperatives’ share in GDP. These initiatives have special focus on strengthening the Primary Agriculture Credit Societies (PACS). The initiatives aimed towards ease of doing business include computerization of PACS, model byelaws, widening the functioning of PACS to undertake more than 30 business activities like dairy, setting up of godowns, LPG/Petrol/Green energy distribution agency, banking correspondents, PACS can provide more than 300 services as Common Service Centres (CSC) and preparation of an updated data repository of cooperatives.

Minister of Cooperation said that significant initiatives like Jan Aushadhi Kendras, PACS as Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samridhi Kendra and PACS as Paani Samiti to undertake the work of Operation and Maintenance of Piped Water Supply schemes in rural areas can provide sustainable income to the PACS and employment opportunities to the youth in rural areas. He added that a National Cooperative Database has been developed with the assistance of State Governments, which is having comprehensive, authentic and updated data of more than 8.00 lakh cooperative societies.

Shri Amit Shah said that NCDC is implementing agency for various schemes of the Government of India and dovetail the subsidy component with its loan to benefit cooperative societies. He said that NCDC has disbursed financial assistance of more than Rs.41,000 crore in the Financial Year 2022-23 across the country including rural areas. Minister of Cooperation said that NCDC is set to achieve 10 times growth in disbursement of financial assistance in the current financial year from Rs. 5,300 crore in 2013-14. Shri Shah said that with such an impressive performance, I am confident that the NCDC will be able to achieve the target of Rs. 50,000 crore kept for 2023-2024. He added that it is a matter of pride that net NPA of the Corporation is maintained at ‘Zero’ with loan recovery rate being over 99% for 2022-23.

Union Minister of Cooperation said that NCDC should set a target of achieving Rs.1 lakh crore yearly disbursement in next 3 years along with targets for every quarter. The Minister desired that NCDC should explore avenues for borrowing on lower rates and lend to cooperative sector keeping the interest rate low. NCDC’s objective must not only to make profit but to achieve overall development of cooperative sector.

Shri Amit Shah lauded the role of the NCDC in helping cooperative development in the country, he said that from agricultural marketing and inputs to processing, storage and cold chain the ambit of NCDC has widened to include areas in keeping with the needs of the society and boost income of youth in the country. He said there are more than 8.00 lakh cooperatives in the country with 29 crores farmers as their members. Since its inception in 1963 NCDC has provided cumulatively financial assistance of Rs.2,78,378 crore to cooperatives including agricultural and horticulture cooperative societies.

Minister of Cooperation also said that work is on to bring uniformity in the working of the PACS, which have different by-laws in the country. He added that most of the states/UTs have adopted the model by-laws on PACS drafted by the Ministry of Cooperation. Shri Shah said that the scope of work of PACS has been widened now, they can work in 25 different areas like dairy and fishery and can also work as Common Service Centres (CSCs).  PACS by becoming CSCs can provide more than 300 services to rural people.

Shri Amit Shah said that recognizing the potential of the NCDC, it has been designated as a project implementing agency under the world’s largest food storage scheme in the cooperative sector. NCDC is one of the implementing agencies promoting the Government of India’s ambitious schemes such as the Formation and Promotion of 10,000 Farmers Producer Organizations (FPOs) which provide for registration and support of new cooperatives as FPOs. NCDC is also an implementing agency for Formation and Promotion of Fish Farmers Producer Organisation (FFPOs) under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana.

Union Minister of Cooperation emphasised that NCDC should focus on promoting the three new national level cooperative societies on Exports, Organic and Seed production, so that these societies grow in their business like many big brands in cooperative sector. NCDC should also be the first contributor of equity in the proposed umbrella organisation of Urban Cooperative Bank.

Addressing the gathering at World Habitat Day (WHD) 2023, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs and Petroleum and Natural said , significance of World Habitat Day is increasingly being understood now. Recalling the conceptualisation of WHD in 1980s, he said that the concept of the World Habitat Day was first introduced in 1986 in Nairobi, Kenya. The theme of the first celebration of the World Habitat Day was ‘Shelter is my Right’, underlining the most acute problem of 1986 – that of adequate shelter in cities. Since then, the Minister said that the discourse around human settlements has evolved. In the next few years, the annual themes varied to reflect the priorities of the time – from safety to women’s empowerment, and from sanitation to dignity of work.

The approach towards development has also evolved through Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals. SDGs are designed from citizen centric perspective and focus more on inclusive and bottom-up approach.

Talking the evolution of urban spaces in India, the Minister said that the focus of Government on Urban Transformation has increased considerably. There was neglect in urban development before 2014. Only Rs. 1.78 lakh crores were invested in urban areas between 2004 to 2014. Under the farsighted leadership of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, he said this has changed. “More than Rs. 18 lakh crores have been invested since 2014 in the transformation of our cities and towns”, he emphasised.

He said that in 2014, the amount of urban waste processing was around 17 percent and now it has increased to 76 percent. He expressed confidence that in the coming time, the urban waste processing will reach to 100 percent. The huge legacy dumpsites in urban areas will aslo be removed through bioremediation in next 2 years, he added further.

Shri Puri said that this year’s theme ‘Resilient urban economies: Cities as drivers of growth and recovery’ is aptly chosen. A discussion on this subject assumes greater significance now as the world enjoys its first year without the disruption of the pandemic. This theme underscores the role of cities as the epicentres of economic recovery and growth in the post-pandemic global order, he said.

Speaking on the sustainable growth of urban spaces, the Minister said that the element of sustainability is incorporated in urban transport and other policy matters related to urban development. He mentioned about the green alternatives such as electric vehicles that are being promoted to fill the vacuum in the urban transport.

He said that a country’s economic growth can be measured from its energy consumption and from its urban landscape as well. Across the world, he said that urban areas are the productive hubs of economies, with more than 75 percent of the world’s GDP generated here. “In India, despite the relatively low urbanisation, cities already contribute 66 percent to the national GDP”, he said. This number is expected to go as high as 80 percent by 2050 when more than half of the country’s population resides in its urban areas. This year’s theme focuses on future-proofing urban economies to make them better prepared to handle black swan events, pandemics and other such catastrophic events, he added.

The Minister urged the cities to use innovative ways such as municipal bonds for raising the finacial resources. Complimenting the cities for raising for using municipal bonds to raise resources, he said through the AMRUT mission, the government has pressed for cities to go to the markets to raise capital investment. 12 cities have raised more than Rs. 4,384 crores through municipal bonds. Such actions have increased ULB creditworthiness and made them attractive investment destinations.

Talking about the India’s model of planned urbanisation, the Minister said that  underpinned by a focus on Antyodaya Se Sarvodaya has ensured that our cities remain vibrant and economically thriving in turbulent times. There is much that other countries can learn from the manner in which we have operationalised large-scale programmes and brought about green transition in our cities, he said.

About World Habitat Day:

Each year, World Habitat Day is held on the first Monday of October and launches Urban October globally. The day centres around the global observance, which is held in a different country each year with keynote speakers and roundtable discussions focused on a specific theme. World Habitat Day was first celebrated in 1986 in Nairobi, Kenya, with the theme ‘Shelter is my right’.

This year’s Global Observance of World Habitat Day under the theme of “Resilient urban economies. Cities as drivers of growth and recovery.” looked at how cities can position their economies to benefit residents. Aligning with the theme, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, hosted an event at Vigyan Bhawan today i.e. on 9th October 2023.  Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs, Mr. Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator, and Shri Manoj Joshi, Secretary, MoHUA attended the event. The focus of the event was to convene various urban stakeholders to discuss ways in which cities can be primed to address economic and environmental challenges to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Addressing the 10^th “India-Sweden Innovation Day” meet in New Delhi today, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology, MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh called for strengthening India-Sweden collaboration to effectively address pressing global challenges while remaining steadfast in the pursuit of immediate objectives on the path to achieving a net-zero future.

Speaking on behalf of the Govt of India, Dr Jitendra Singh said, companies from both sides must be encouraged to engage in collaborative research and the exchange of human resources.

Dr Jitendra Singh pointed out that this year, nine Swedish companies made a visit to India under the India-Sweden Innovations Accelerator with the aim of enhancing export and investment prospects in the field of green technology, thereby fostering stronger ties between Sweden and India in this sector.

The Minister noted that in 2023, both the countries are commemorating the 75^th anniversary of the diplomatic relations and Fifth anniversary of the Sweden-India Joint Declaration on Innovation Partnership for a Sustainable Future. He described it as a momentous occasion that serves as the guiding theme for the 10^th India Sweden Innovation Day.

Dr Jitendra Singh reiterated that this milestone event is centered on harnessing our respective areas of expertise and spearheading environmentally sustainable growth, all with the aim of realizing a net-zero future.

Dr Jitendra Singh recalled that in May 2022, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Ms Magdalena Andersson of Sweden reiterated their dedication to fostering collaborative research and innovation across multiple domains, including polar and space research.

The Minister said, the partnership covers several areas, including smart cities, transportation and eMobility, energy, clean technologies, new materials, space, circular and bio-based economy, and health and life sciences. He also added that the India-Sweden Innovation Partnership bridges institutions, R&D intensive industries and creative entrepreneurs to address global challenges in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, recently, the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, in collaboration with the Swedish Government Agency for Innovation Systems (VINNOVA), has announced the INDIA–SWEDEN Collaborative Industrial Research & Development call. He said, this initiative forms an integral part of the broader Sweden-India Innovation Partnership, which collectively enhance competitiveness and tackle pressing global issues such as climate change and sustainable development through innovative solutions.

Dr Jitendra Singh noted that only last year, India and Sweden announced the India-Sweden Joint call for proposals within Circular Economy. The Joint programme is co-funded by 09 Indian and Swedish funding agencies and a total of 03 major projects were supported under this call.

A Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) was formally endorsed on March 13, 2023, forging a partnership between the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Department of Science and Technology and the Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education (STINT). This collaboration is geared towards enhancing cooperation and fostering research connections among academic institutions in India and Sweden and also to promote knowledge exchange and research advancement by facilitating seminars, workshops, and conferences.

Dr Jitendra Singh expressed his gratitude to Mr Andreas Carlson, Minister of Infrastructure, Government of Sweden for participating in the 10^th edition of the India Sweden Innovation Day and said that India is ready to enhance the bilateral partnership, especially in the realm of Science & Technology, and to bolster our innovation ecosystem.

The Minister concluded by saying that the bilateral diplomatic ties have prospered due to our shared values and dedication to fair trade and globalization. It brings me great joy to see that innovation cooperation is the most rapidly expanding aspect of the bilateral relationship between India and Sweden, he added.

Ambassador of Sweden to India, Mr Jan Thesleff; Ambassador of India to Sweden, Shri Tanmaya Lal; Shri Robin Sukhia, President, Sweden-India Business Council and Shri Sanjoo Malhotra, CEO India Unlimited also gave their addresses on the occasion.