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India in Vancouver
Issue No. 35, January 6, 2023

Consulate Weekly Newsletter

India will be healthier if at least 30% of the rice & wheat based diet is replaced with millets. It is with this vision of honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the upcoming year-long celebration of "International Year of Millets-2023"

PM addresses 108th Indian Science Congress (ISC) via video conferencing

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed the 108th Indian Science Congress (ISC) via video conferencing today. The focal theme of this year's ISC is “Science and Technology for Sustainable Development with Women Empowerment” which will witness discussions on issues of sustainable development, women empowerment and the role of science & technology in achieving this. Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister highlighted the role of India’s scientific strength in India’s story of development over the next 25 years. “When the spirit of national service gets infused in Science along with passion, results are unprecedented. I am sure, India’s scientific community will ensure a place for our country of which it was always deserving ”, he said.

Live Telecast of 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD 2023) Celebrations

 The 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is being organised from 8-10 January, 2023 at Indore, Madhya Pradesh. The theme of the 17th PBD is "Diaspora: Reliable Partners for India's Progress in Amrit Kaal". The PBD 2023 Convention will be telecast live. The details of programme are available at https://pbdindia.gov.in/programme All interested Indian nationals, Persons of Indian Origin and Friends of India are kindly requested to access the link at: https://www.youtube.com/@MEAIndia

Ragi/Finger Millet

Ragi, scientifically called Eleusine coracana, is an annually cultivated cereal crop, vastly found in the tropical regions of Africa and Asia, such as in Ethiopia, India And Sri Lanka. Being densely packed with a host of nutrients, ragi confers valuable health benefits such as enhancing digestion, reducing the risk of heart disease, slowing down ageing and managing diabetes.The common English name of Ragi is finger millet, owing to the appearance of the head of the grain comprising five spikes and thus, resembling the five fingers attached to the palm of the hand. This variety of annual grass grows up to a height of 1 to 2 m, belonging to the Gramineae botanical family. Leaves measure between 30 and 70 cm, being narrow and green. The straight or sometimes curved branches hold seeds arranged in florets, which can be brown, red or purple in colour. Widely distributed across several states in India, its local names include “Ragi” in Kannada, Hindi and Telugu, “Nachni” in Marathi, “Madua” in Bengali and “Kezhvaragu” in Tamil.

Blessed with beautiful temples, historical monuments, and serene beaches, the allure of this charming town will not let you go.

The southernmost tip of the Indian mainland - Kanniyakumari, is not just a meeting point of three water bodies but also an amalgamation of different cultures and traditions.

Check out the list of the best tourist attractions in Kanniyakumari that you must definitely visit. And add these to your itinerary as you plan your vacation to this stunning spot.

The foundations of India are set for a sea change in the country's economic fortunes

India’s economic momentum post-Covid-19 has been the inheritance of its own actions — it comes from a few years of heavy lifting on policy. The story goes back to 2007, when profit share of GDP was soaring. But the rise got arrested following a major move in policy via the Rural Employment Guarantee Act. Implemented in 2006, this law marked a transfer from profits to wages. Eventually, higher wages should result in higher profits as they lift demand, but this does not quite work in India. Given India’s surplus labour and uneven (and often short) supply of goods and services, higher wages have led to a rise in consumer price inflation and stagflation rather than a rise in real growth. For India, a policy to boost profits — and then investments which create jobs and wages — appears to be a more reliable approach to generating higher real growth.

India will be the best or among top two markets globally

Every market has its day. The Indian market, too, is having its day, underpinned by having done better than the rest of the world during a problematic 12-month period, said SHANKAR SHARMA, founder, GQuant Investech, at the recent Business Standard BFSI Insight Summit 2022.

'India's Digital economy poised for strong 2023'

India's digital prowess will grow in 2023 and over the next five years, driven by technology, start ups, semiconductors, electronics and computing, Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar has said allaying any concerns over tech winter, and predicting spring for the country's booming innovation ecosystem. The comments by the IT minister are significant given the backdrop of slowdown headwinds in the West, recent spate of layoffs by US tech giants, global market turmoil, and talks of tech winter. The minister said that global and domestic opportunities for digitisation continue to be "very strong". He exuded confidence that India's trillion dollar digital economy vision is "well within our grasp" and "an absolutely incontrovertible fact".

India to be 3rd-largest economy in world by end of decade

Since the beginning of the year, there has been discussion about the risk of a global recession—a decline in global per capita GDP, caused by the rapid worsening of growth prospects, increasing inflation, and tightening financial conditions. With this lies a big question, is the Indian economy on top of things amidst the current global economic recession? To answer the question and elaborate more on the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry’s (FICCI) outlook for the year 2022-23, Union Budget expectations, and most significantly the FICCI impact areas, the newly appointed President Subhrakant Panda shares his insights in an exclusive interview.

Target of starting 1.5 lakh Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres achieved

In a significant achievement demonstrating strengthening of the country’s health infrastructure, India has surpassed a notable landmark- 150,000 Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs) have been operationalised before 31 December, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said in a statement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi applauded the efforts of the nation in accomplishing this feat before the set deadline and said that these centres will help provide citizens easy access to primary healthcare facilities.

India will mark its rise by showing leadership

In my view, 2023 will be remembered for India's emergence as the third pole of the world. A year ago, I predicted a stronger Xi Jinping and a weaker Joe Biden in my forecast for 2022. I was almost correct, but the reality turned out a little differently than I expected. Xi secured a third term as general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and filled the seven seats on the Politburo Standing Committee with his allies. But the abrupt lifting of his zero-COVID policy after November's "white paper" protests showed that Xi is not omnipotent. His credibility and dignity have been damaged, to put it mildly.

Millets are the New Yoga: India's big plan to make the cereals its biggest export in 2023

India has planned multiple activities as the International Year of Millets (IYM) 2023 kicks off. Last year, the United Nations declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets on the initiative of the Indian government. The Narendra Modi government’s proposal was backed by 72 other countries. The prime minister has insisted on making IYM ‘people’s movement’, while positioning India as the ‘global hub for millets’, the ministry of agriculture & farmers welfare said in a statement on Sunday (1 January).

Indian economy is to stay on steady ground in 2023

Assocham has Monday expressed that 2023 will be full of challenges and opportunities but, the Indian economy is expected to navigate rough global weather due to resilient consumer demand, better corporate performance and the abating of inflation. Assocham Secretary General Deepak Sood stated, “While the global outlook seems rather tough, the Indian economy is set to stay on steady ground, helped by strong domestic demand, a healthy financial sector and improved corporate balance sheets."

Indian economy poised for further growth in 2023 despite global headwinds

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in ‘Mann ki Baat’ on Sunday highlighted the global appreciation for the country’s flagship programme for Ganga rejuvenation which was recently recognised by the UN as one of the 10 ground-breaking effort from around the world helping in restoring the natural ecosystem. He said it was proof of country's "willpower and tireless effort" and it also shows a new path to the world.

Microsoft boss Satya Nadella gives big thumbs up to India's digital story, calls it 'golden age' of tech

Microsoft Chairman & CEO, Satya Nadella today expressed high levels of optimism on India leading what he termed the 'public digital good' story. "I am hugely encouraged by what I see," he said at the company's Future Ready Leadership Summit in Mumbai. As per Nadella, by public digital good, he referred to fields like education, healthcare, and so on, which caters to the public, and where digitalisation can play a very important role in propelling it further. Outlining specific areas such as language translation, Nadella said there was palpable dynamism in India, with a tremendous growth potential ahead. According to him, the current phase of the digital revolution globally is the golden age. "We saw it in the past with the computer revolution. Now, it is really about spreading productivity across sectors," the India-born CEO said.

Modi, Charles discuss India’s G20 presidency in phone call

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday spoke with King Charles III of the United Kingdom and the two discussed a number of issues, including climate action and India’s priorities for its G20 presidency. In the first telephone conversation with the king since he assumed the office of the sovereign of the UK, the PM also conveyed his best wishes for a “very successful reign”, the external affairs ministry said in a readout. “A number of subjects of mutual interest were discussed during the call, including climate action, conservation of biodiversity, innovative solutions for financing energy-transition,” the readout said. Modi also expressed his appreciation for King Charles’ “abiding interest and advocacy on these issues”. PM Modi briefed King Charles on India’s priorities for its G20 presidency, including the propagation of digital public goods, and explained the relevance of “Mission LiFE” or Lifestyle for Environment, through which India seeks to promote environmentally sustainable lifestyles. The leaders exchanged views on the Commonwealth and how to further strengthen its functioning, the readout said.

Science in India should be aimed at making India 'aatma nirbhar': PM Modi at Indian Science Congress

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that India's scentific community should work to make India 'aatma nirbhar' (self reliant).Development in science should be the inspiration of our scientific community, he said in his address to the Indian Science Congress, being held in Nagpur via video conferencing. He cited the country's growing energy needs and urged the scientific community to forge such innovations in the field as may benefit the country.

India in better position to weather shocks, pandemic lessons to help

India Inc is increasing its agility and adroitness to face challenges expected in 2023 from a global recession and Covid worries from China head-on, by digging into the lessons the pandemic taught them on building resilience, corporate chieftains said. India is in a better growth trajectory with strong domestic consumption and confidence, and many companies are re-strategising to derive faster local growth and parallelly tap opportunities to increase their participation in global manufacturing, they said.

India overtakes Japan as the third largest car market

India has overtaken Japan as the third largest light vehicle market in the world in 2022, led by a strong bounce back in demand for personal mobility and last-mile deliveries, post pandemic. India crossed production output of 5 million units in 2022 India was the fastest growing market last year The light vehicle sales include all passenger vehicles, small commercial vehicles and vans up to 6 tonnes. Global forecasting agency S&P Global Mobility had estimated in December 2022 that the Indian light vehicle sales for 2022 would see a growth of over 22 percent, to 4.4 million units, whereas the sales in the Japanese market are expected to slip to 4.2 million units.

Cabinet approves Rs 19,744 crore National Green Hydrogen Mission

he Centre on Wednesday approved the Rs 19,744 crore National Green Hydrogen Mission seeking to turn India into a global hub for production, utilisation, and export of Green Hydrogen and its derivatives - the cleanest form of energy that the world hopes would meet global demand while fulfilling climate action goals. "The Union Cabinet has approved the National Green Hydrogen Mission The initial outlay for the mission has been kept at Rs 19,744 crore. Out of this, the government has allocated Rs 17,490 crore for the SIGHT (Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition) programme, Rs 1,466 crore for pilot projects, Rs 400 crore for R&D, and Rs 388 crore towards other mission components,” Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur told journalists in Delhi.

India showing way for the world with its dominance in digital public goods

India is showing the way for the entire world with its dominance in digital public goods, said Microsoft, Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella in Bengaluru on Thursday. All of India’s programmes (yojanas) and the India Stack have evolved and created a virtuous circle that was unlike anything else in the world, he said while addressing a large audience of tech leaders, developers and startup entrepreneurs at Microsoft’s Future Ready Summit in the city. ““They have 100% global applicability. I think both these are the biggest contributions of digital public goods that India can make to the world. More importantly this makes it possible for every society and economy to be more inclusive. It’s about tech that can be used for everyone in the world. It’s about a common man being able to use the power of technology and do something that is useful to them,’‘ he added.

Japanese media praises Narendra Modi & India’s emergence, PM tops the global rating in 2022

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is often appreciated by the global media for his judicious stance on issues having wider ramifications for the people across the world, and the initiatives which are bringing in all-around growth and positive changes in the country. Now, Japanese media company Nikkei has openly praised the Indian PM, and also India’s emerging image globally, saying that the year 2023 is going to be India’s year. Nikkei Asia Editor-in-Chief Shigesaburo Okumura wrote in his article that the year 2023 will be remembered for the emergence of India as the third pole.

Putin: I'm confident India's G20, SCO presidencies will boost ties

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was confident that India’s G20 and SCO presidencies would build multi-dimensional cooperation between the two countries as well as strengthen stability and security in Asia and the entire world. “I am confident that India’s recently started SCO and G20 presidencies will open new opportunities for building multi-dimensional Russia-India cooperation for the benefit of our peoples, in the interests of strengthening stability and security in Asia and the entire world,” he said in his New Year message to President Droupadi Murmu and PM Narendra Modi.

Today The World Sees India As A Country Which Contributes to Solving Global Problems, Says Jaishankar

External Affairs minister S Jaishankar has said that India is seen today as a strong economy and a country which contributes to solving the world's problems. Addressing the Indian diaspora in Cyprus on Friday, Jaishankar said there is a lot of expectations of the world from India. "India is seen as a strong economy, as a country that contributes to solving the problems" being faced by the world. "We are seen as a country that is independent and has the courage to stand up when it has to stand up. We have the ability to get people around the table at one time," he said. Jaishankar, who was on the last leg of his first official visit to Cyprus, said India will handle the G20 Presidency in a way to make the world understand and appreciate the diversity of the country even more. India formally assumed the G20 Presidency on December 1.

India, Austria seal deals on migration and mobility

India and Austria signed several agreements on Monday including one on migration and mobility for Indian students and professionals. Jaishankar said it will enable demands for skills and talents to be synchronised with their availability.

PM Modi meets French diplomatic advisor Bonne, discusses Indo-Pacific, security, Afghanistan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday met the diplomatic advisor to President Emmanuel Macron, Emmanuel Bonne and held discussions on a range of issues like defence, security and culture. During the meeting, the Prime Minister also conveyed an invitation to Emmanuel Macron to visit India. Bonne also met National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and they co-chaired the annual India-France Strategic Dialogue in New Delhi on January 5.

Indian scientists discover new anti-cancer agent showing huge promise

Scientists from Mumbai's Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), the Agharkar Research Institute (ARI) in Pune, and IIT Hyderabad have discovered an alternative drug molecule indicating high antitumor potential on cancer cells with exceptional ability to reduce unwanted growth of blood vessels (antiangiogenic effect), said one of the scientific team members here on Tuesday. This development is considered significant given the limited applicability of platinum drugs, currently the main treatment option for many types of cancer, due to the fast resistance developed by the patients.

Illustrates the spirit of India's Nari Shakti: PM Modi on deployment of first woman Army officer at Siachen

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday lauded the deployment of the first woman army officer at Siachen, saying this highlights the spirit of India's "Nari Shakti" (women power). Captain Shiva Chauhan from the Corps of Engineers has been posted at a frontline post in Siachen Glacier, in a first such operational deployment of an woman army officer at the world's highest battlefield.

South Korea's lunar orbiter Danuri beams back images of Earthrises on Moon

South Korea's lunar orbiter, Danuri has beamed back images of Earthrises over the Moon. The spacecraft was launched on board a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on August 04, 2022, and entered lunar orbit on December 16, 2022. The images were captured using the Lunar Terrain Imager (LUTI) camera on board Danuri. Danuri is a pathfinding mission, initially known as the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO), and was developed by the South Korean space agency, Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). The first of the two images was captured on Christmas eve, at an altitude of 334 kilometres, while the second image was captured on December 28, 2022, from an altitude of 124 kilometres.

Meet the greatest modernists of the Indian folk art

There were artists even before there was an art world. They left their mark inside caves, and on the walls and floors of the huts they lived in, often in the form of drawings and paintings. Although made using the most elementary tools, such as twigs, brushes, natural dyes, and colours, their confident creations continue to act as clues to who we really are. There is no one story of Indian folk art. Be it the canvas-filling geometric shapes of ancient Warli art from Maharashtra, the dizzying dashes and dots of Gond and Bhil art from central India, or the playful yet precise paintings of Madhubani and Kalighat art from the east, each form has its own deep history and vocabulary, despite the many interactions and interconnections.

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