Prime Minister Modi meets Japan PM Abe in Laos

 Vientiane, Sep 7 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today met his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe after arriving here and discussed ways to strengthen strategic bilateral ties.

"Discussing stronger ties with Japan...PM Narendra Modi meets Japan PM Shinzo Abe," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted as the almost 45 minutes-long bilateral talks began.

Modi will attend the 14th ASEAN India Summit and 11th East Asia summit tomorrow. He will also have bilaterals with leaders of Myanmar and South Korea. There could be more "pull aside" talks tomorrow with leaders, officials said.

This is Modi's second meeting with Abe in less than six months. They had met on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington in April.

Earlier, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported that the two leaders are likely to discuss cooperation in the defence sector.

Japan's maritime self-defence force and the Indian and US navies conducted Malabar joint maritime security exercises in June and Japanese and Indian defence ministers agreed in July to repeat the joint drill next year.

The leaders are also expected to discuss investment and other economic cooperation, the report said.

Sensex zooms to 17-month high as Fed rate-hike fears ease

Mumbai, Sep 6 (PTI) Markets put up remarkable moves on Tuesday, with the Sensex surging by 446 points to hit a nearly 17-month high of 28,978.02, while the Nifty zoomed 133.35 points as investors were in a buoyant mood after a weak US jobs data diminished hopes of an interest-rate hike by the Fed.

Both the indices, Sensex and Nifty, recorded their biggest single-day gains in nearly two months.

Bulls took over as soon as the market reopened after a long gap, as weaker-than-expected US jobs data, released last week, reduced chances of a near-term US interest-rate hike.

A three-and-a-half year high in domestic services sector growth, led by new business orders amid improved market conditions, also perked up market momentum.

Auto and banking stocks were the pick of the day, with Tata Motors the biggest gainer on BSE, zooming 7.19 per cent to Rs 589.35, while private sector lender Axis bank followed with a gain of 6.14 per cent to Rs 635.35.

Among losers, TCS plunged by 1.17 per cent to Rs 2,484.05 and Coal India slipped by 1.11 per cent to Rs 328.80.

"Market is galloping due to continued global liquidity, revival in domestic MF inflows and expectation of strong earnings growth in H2FY17," said Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit BNP Paribas Financial Services.

The Sensex resumed gap-up at 28,631.27 and shot-up to an high of 29,013.40 before closing at a nearly 17-month high of 28,631.27, showing a gain of 445.91 points or 1.56 per cent.

It had closed at this level at 29,044.44 on April 13, 2015.

The 50-share NSE Nifty surged by 133.35 points or 1.51 per cent to an 18-month high of 8,943.00, after moving. The index has closed at 8,996.25 on March 3, 2015.

Second-line stocks also witnessed buying, lifting the mid-cap index by 1.84 per cent and small-cap by 0.95 per cent.

Rupee climbing to four-month highs against the dollar, as Urjit Patel begun his innings as the Reserve Bank Governor, too had a positive impact.

Overseas, European stock markets rose following gains in Asian equities as prospects for a US interest-rate increase this month remained subdued.

From Asia, Nikkei rose 0.26 per cent, Shanghai Composite edged up 0.61 per cent, Hang Seng surged 1.12 per cent while Kospi perked up 0.31 per cent.

Europe was also higher with Germany's Dax higher by 0.28 per cent, France's CAC 40 by 0.11 per cent, however, the UK's tumbled by 0.32 per cent.

Modi, Xi agree to put Sino-India ties on right direction:China

Hangzhou, Sep 6 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping have agreed to make efforts to put India-China ties in the "right direction" and to "respect and accommodate" each other's concerns to avoid "impedance" relations, a top Chinese diplomat said today.

Modi and Xi met here on the sidelines of the G20 summit on September 4 amid differences over raft of issues.

"They agreed that efforts shall be made to orientate the development of China-India relations in the right direction," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said in a written reply to PTI today about how China viewed the meeting.

"The two sides also agreed to respect and accommodate each other's concerns and properly handle sensitive issues to avoid their impedance to the normal development of bilateral relations," Hua said in response to a question.

In the bilateral meeting with Xi, Modi raised India's concerns over the USD 46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) being laid through PoK and told Xi that "to ensure durable ties and their steady development, it is of paramount importance that we respect each other's aspirations, concerns and strategic interests".

Their meeting took place in the backdrop of steady decline in the relations over China's technical hold in UN over banning Pakistan-based terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar and Beijing stalling India's bid to gain members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) besides CPEC.

Hua said the two leaders agreed to "enhance strategic communication, foster synergies between the development strategies of the two countries, expand exchanges and cooperation in various fields so as to further China-India strategic cooperative partnership".

After meeting Modi, Xi had said that "China is willing to work with India to maintain their hard-won sound relations and further advance cooperation".

"China and India should respect and care for each other on issues of major concern, and handle differences in a constructive way," Xi was quoted by state-run Xinhua news agency as saying.

Commenting on Modi-Xi meeting, Hu Shisheng, Director of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations affiliated to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said India-China ties faced serious tensions over issues relating to Pakistan.

He said Pakistan has become a visible negative factor in India-China relations.

"This may also be due to India's rapidly increasing relations with the US and Japan. Chinese scholars apprehend that the Cold War my come again. We should prevent that," he said and called for enhanced talks between the two countries.

PM greets the people, India celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi 2016

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has greeted the people, on the auspicious occasion Ganesh Chaturthi. 

"Ganesh Chaturthi greetings to everyone. May the blessings of Lord Ganesh always remain with us. Ganpati Bappa Morya!", the Prime Minister said.



Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated as birth anniversary of Lord Ganesh. On Ganesh Chaturthi, Lord Ganesh is worshipped as the god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune. It is believed that Lord Ganesh was born during Shukla Paksha of Bhadrapada month. Currently Ganesh Chaturthi day falls in month of August or September in English calendar.

The Ganeshotsav, the festivity of Ganesh Chaturthi, ends after 10 days on Anant Chaturdashi which is also known as Ganesh Visarjan day. On Anant Chaturdashi, devotees immerse idol of Lord Ganesh in water body after a gala street procession.

Ganesha Chaturthi (also known as Vināyaka Chaturthi, Gaṇēśa Chaturthī or Vināyaka Chaviti) is the Hindu festival celebrated in honour of the elephant-headed god, Ganesha. This is a very auspicious day celebrated to pray to the god so that every new activity that is started is successfully completed without any obstacles (Vighna = Obstacle).

Chaturthi (Hindi चतुर्थी) means "fourth day" or "fourth state". Celebrations are traditionally held on the fourth day of the second fortnight (Shukla Chaturthi) in the month of Bhaadrapada in the Hindu calendar, usually August or September in theGregorian calendar. Badrapad corresponds to Virgo (simha/avani-tamil) in solar calendar. The festival generally lasts ten days, ending on the fourteenth day of the fortnight (Anant Chaturdashi).

The festival is celebrated by families at home, by people at their places of work and in public. The public celebration involves installing clay images of Ganesha in public pandals (temporary shrines) and group worship. At home, an appropriately-sized clay image is installed and worshipped with family and friends. At the end of the festival, the idols are immersed in a large body of water such as the sea, river or a lake. The clay idols disintegrate over time in the water.

It is celebrated throughout India, especially in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. There is a grand celebration in the state of Maharashtra by traditional instrument called dhol and tasha. It is also celebrated in the other parts of India such as Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala,Goa,Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and other parts ofwestern and southern India. Abroad, Ganesha Chaturthi is observed in the Terai region of Nepal and by the Hindu diaspora in the United States, Canada and Mauritius.

Ganapati Sthapana and Ganapati Puja MuhuratGanesh Puja is preferred during Madhyahna as it is believed that Lord Ganesh was born during Madhyahna Kala. Madhyahna Kala is equivalent to midday according to Hindu division of the day.

As per Hindu time-keeping, the time duration between sunrise to sunset is divided into five equal parts. These five parts are known as Pratahkala, Sangava, Madhyahna, Aparahna and Sayankal. Ganapati Sthapana and Ganapati Puja on Ganesha Chaturthi are done during Madhyahna part of the day and as per Vedic astrology it is considered the most appropriate time for Ganesha Puja.

During midday, Ganesha devotees perform detailed ritualistic Ganesha Puja which is known asShodashopachara Ganapati Puja.

Urjit Patel assumes charge as new RBI Governor

 Mumbai, Sep 5 (PTI) Urjit Patel who took over as the 24th Governor of Reserve Bank will have a tough task in maintaining the legacy of his predecessor, Raghuram Rajan, and balance the need to contain inflation without hurting growth.

Patel assumed charge effective September 4, 2016, after serving as deputy governor since January 2013, RBI said in a statement today.

He was reappointed as deputy governor on January 11, 2016, after the completion of his first three-year term in office.

Ensuring undisruptive redemption totalling USD 20-25 billion, getting used to the idea of Monetary Policy Committee and bank cleanup are the main challenges before the new Governor.

According to Rajiv Kumar, Senior Fellow at Centre for Policy Research, the first task before him is to get used to the idea of working with the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC).

"He has to devise a way of working with the committee and getting to the objective of meeting inflation target. Besides, containing food inflation is another challenge before him," Kumar said.

If food inflation raises its head again then what strategy he will employ to contain it, he asked.

Besides, he should work in a manner that RBI versus the Finance Ministry situation is avoided as all the components are working towards inflation control and employment generation and finally what approach he will adopt to clean balance sheet of the bank or strengthen banks.

Among his assignments as deputy governor, Patel chaired the Expert Committee to Revise and Strengthen the Monetary Policy Framework.

"Representing India, he actively participated in steering the signing into force of the inter-governmental treaty and the Inter-Central Bank Agreement (ICBA) among the BRICS nations, which led to the establishment of the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA), a swap line framework among the central banks of these countries," RBI said. .

President of India Presents National Awards to Meritorious Teachers on the Occasion of Teachers’ Day

The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presenting the National Award for Teachers-2015 to Shri S. Muruganandam (Puducherry), on the occasion of the ‘Teachers Day’, in New Delhi on September 05, 2016. The Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Shri Prakash Javadekar, the Ministers of State for Human Resource Development, Shri Upendra Kushwaha & Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey and the Secretary, School Education and Literacy, Dr. Subash Chandra Khuntia are also seen.

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presented National Awards to meritorious teachers from across the country at a function held at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi today (September 5, 2016) on the occasion of Teachers’ Day. 

On the occasion, the President congratulated the distinguished teachers who had been bestowed with the prestigious National Teachers Awards for their excellence and performance and the manner in which they had instilled skills in their students and made them ready to face the challenges of life. He conveyed his ‘Guru Pranam’ to all teachers on Teachers’ Day. 

The President said that the Teachers’ Day is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of former President Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan who was a great scholar and educationist. Quoting Dr. Radhakrishnan he said, “You cannot make or build the nation by just bricks; you have to establish the minds of young people and then alone can the nation building take place”. 

The President said that the Guru-Shishya parampara is integral to our ancient civilization. In ancient days, the Guru's parting advice to students was that they should be truthful, virtuous and not deviate from their conviction. He said that as Visitor to institutions of higher learning, he had repeatedly stressed on the need to focus on improving the quality of education. He said that unless we build a knowledge society we cannot find our rightful place in the comity of nations. 

The President said that if the foundation is not strong, the structure built on it cannot be strong. Teachers thus have a crucial social responsibility during the formative years of the children. In ancient India, for a long period of time, India was a leading centre of higher education and ancient Universities like Nalanda, Taxila etc used to attract mighty minds. This position needs to be revived. 

Modi raises India's concern over CPEC with Xi

Hangzhou, Sep 4 (PTI) India today raised its concern with China over the CPEC which runs through PoK, and terrorism "emanating from the region" as Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Chinese President Xi Jinping the two countries need to be "sensitive" to each other's strategic interests.

Asserting that fight against terror should not be motivated by "political considerations", Modi said it is of "paramount importance that we respect each other's aspirations, concerns and strategic interests" to ensure durable bilateral ties.

In the bilateral meeting with Xi ahead of the G20 summit, Modi raised India's concerns over the USD 46 billion China- Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) being laid through PoK.

Besides a host of energy-related projects, the CPEC consists of rail, road and pipelines to ferry oil and gas from Gwadar port to Kashghar in Xinjiang through PoK.

Replying to a question whether the terrorism emanating from the region where the CPEC is being laid through has been discussed, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup told reporters the issue has been raised during the meeting.

Modi said both India and China need to be "sensitive" to each other's strategic interests and called for specific actions to "prevent growth of negative perception".

"As a matter of principle, both countries would have to be sensitive to each other's strategic interests," Swarup said while touching upon broad themes that Modi stressed upon during his nearly 30-minute bilateral with Xi, their eighth meeting.

"In order to promote positive convergence, we would also need to prevent growth of negative perception. For this, the specific actions by both countries would play the major role," he said.

In particular, Modi highlighted that "we have succeeded in maintaining peace and tranquility on the border", he added.

Condemning the recent suicide bomb attack on the Chinese Embassy in Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan, in his opening remarks, Modi said it is yet another proof of the continuing scourge of terrorism.

"The Prime Minister reiterated that our response to terror must not be motivated by political considerations," Swarup said.

On his part, Xi said China is willing to work with India to maintain their "hard-won sound" ties and further boost bilateral cooperation.

"China is willing to work with India to maintain their hard-won sound relations and further advance their cooperation", state-run Chinese Xinhua news agency quoted Xi as saying.

About the bilateral relations, which experienced turbulence due to differences over a raft of issues, Modi said in order to make the Asian century a reality, the countries of the continent would have to take responsibility.

The meeting came amid differences over including listing of Pakistan-based terrorist organisations in the UN, China stalling India's membership at the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and the CPEC being built through PoK.

Nuns erupt in joy as Mother Teresa is declared saint

A Swiss Guard stands in front of a tapestry depicting Mother Teresa of Calcutta before a mass celebrated by Pope Francis for her canonisation in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican September 4, 2016. 

Kolkata, Sept 4 (PTI) Not known to express their emotion in public, nuns of the Missionaries of Charity today cheered loudly, clapped freely and rang bells the moment Pope Francis declared Mother Teresa a saint.

Decked up with larger-than-life posters of the late Roman Catholic nun, the Mother House, headquarters of the congregation and house of the saint, was kept open throughout the day as visitors poured in to watch the ceremony live on big TV screens and offer flowers at her tomb.

In the afternoon when the Pope declared the 'Blessed Teresa of Calcutta' a saint in the Vatican City, the nuns and visitors present in the Mother House broke into a loud round of applause.

The nuns were not shy in cheering for the Mother in a loud voice and ringing bells in her honour.

There was special mass at 6 AM to celebrate the day before breakfast.

Nuns decorated the Mother House with flowers, portraits of Teresa and lights.

One wall decoration read, "Saint Teresa of Calcutta Pray for Us." 

The sisters of the Order, who don't watch TV or use mobile phones, made an exception as they all remained glued to specially-arranged large screens.

Around 300 of them gathered from nearby homes to watch the canonisation ceremony live.

A large number of foreign visitors also thronged the nun quarters.

India, Vietnam sign 12 agreements

Hanoi, Sep 3 (PTI) India and Vietnam today signed 12 agreements in a wide range of areas covering defence, IT, space, double taxation and sharing white shipping information, signalling a strong upward push in their strategic ties.

The agreements were signed by officials of the two sides in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc here.

"12 for togetherness! India & Vietnam sign a dozen agreements for further strengthening the Strategic Partnership,"

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

Vietnam has shown a keen interest in air and defense production. India's L&T will build offshore high speed patrol boats for Vietnamese Coast Guards, while an agreement was signed on programme of cooperation in UN peacekeeping matters.

Indian Navy and Vietnam Navy will cooperate in sharing of white shipping information.

The pacts included agreement on exploration and uses of outerspace for peaceful purposes, agreement on avoidance of double taxation, health cooperation, IT cooperation, cyber security and agreement on contract and design, building of boat in India, equipment supply and technology transfer.

In addition, MoU between Vietnamese Academy of Social Science and Indian Council of World Affairs, MoU between BIS and STAMEQ for mutual recognition of standards, agreement on setting up of sustainable IT Infra for advanced IT training and protocol between Vietnam and India on celebrating 2017 as 'The Year Of Friendship' were also signed.

John Kerry says despite disagreements Russia and US are ‘important partners’

John Kerry said the US and Russia are cooperating on many issues and remain important partners

NEW DELHI, September 2. /TASS/. In an interview with The Times of India daily, US Secretary of State John Kerry hailed cooperation with Russia on the settlement of topical international issues.

John Kerry said the US and Russia are cooperating on many things. "They were an important partner in the Iran nuclear agreement; they've been constructive in taking fuel and destroying it, limiting the stockpiles," he said.

"We worked together on getting chemical weapons out of Syria. We're trying to get a cessation of hostilities in Syria," he went on.

The US diplomat also touched upon the Ukrainian crisis. "We have disagreements, you have to manage those. Minister Lavrov and I had a constructive day in Geneva," he said.

"If we're thoughtful, clear about our concerns... hopefully we can find a way forward with Russia. It is important that we do," he said.

In reply to the question whether US sanctions could prompt Russia towards closer ties with China, he said "Russia is not going to fall into anybody's arms".

"It is a proud country with enormous history, great talent and capacity," John Kerry said, noting "We wish it would sometimes direct all of that in a more constructive direction".