[Vol. 12 – October – December, 2023]

NEWS FROM MALAWI

On November 17, 2023, President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera attended the Leaders Session of the 2nd Voice Global South Summit hosted virtually by Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi. The theme of the summit was ‘Global South: Together for one Future. Prior to the Leaders Session, Minister of Education Madalitso Wirima participated in the Education Ministers’ Session of the Summit themed ‘Making Human Resources Future Ready’. India and Malawi shares decades long cordial and friendly relations.

 

As part of India- Malawi partnership, High Commissioner, Shri S. Gopalakrishnan presented football jerseys for Ministry of Foreign Affairs Football team to H.E. Bernard Sande, Principal Secretary, MoFA.

To celebrate the International Year of Millets, High Commission of India in partnership with ICRISAT exhibited and promoted the consumption of millet in Lilongwe on October 28, 2023. Also, variety of millets based dishes were displayed and savoured by the visitors and information brouchers on benefits of Millets were distributed. Large number of visitors visited the Millet Exhibition cum Food Festival. 

On October 2, 2023, High Commission celebrated 154th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and the International Day of Non-Violence at the Chancery premises. High Commissioner Shri S. Gopalakrishnan along with Indian Community and Friends of India in Malawi paid floral tribute to the bust of Mahatma Gandhi at the Chancery. In his remarks, High Commissioner highlighted the relevance of Gandhiji’s thoughts and his philosophy in the contemporary world. He also in his remarks remembered Lal Bahadur Shastri, the 3rd Prime Minister of India on his 119th Birth Anniversary and mentioned that Shastri ji’s iconic slogan “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan” continues to inspire the Indians.

In the run up to Gandhi Jayanti celebration, High Commission observed ‘Swachhata Hi Seva’ campaign from 15 September-2 October 2023 which culminated on October 2, 2023. During the campaign, the High Commission organised Painting and Poetry competition and Walkathon to create awareness on cleanliness. High Commissioner Shri S.Gopalakrishnan also administered Swachhata Pledge to the members of Indian community, High Commission officials and their family members on 2nd October 2023.

As part of its outreach programme- HCI@Your Doorstep, High Commission organized a Consular Camp in Mzuzu on 2nd December, 2023. Mission provided Passport and other Consular Services to the Indian Community at the Camp. The Indian Community living in the Northern part of Malawi highly appreciated the High Commission's outreach initiatives to serve the Indian Community. High commission conducts Consular Camp in Mzuzu regularly.

INDIA COMMUNITY

India Community organised States’ Day and celebrated Diwali (2023) at the India Country Club (ICC) in  Lilongwe. The High Commissioner of India attended the celebrations. State stalls displayed respective culture, traditions, food etc. Raffle draw was conducted and several people won various prizes including Air Ticket to India.

 

NEWS FROM INDIA

Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated 2023's Diwali with soldiers in Lepcha in Himachal Pradesh, which is adjacent to the Chinese border, keeping in line with his tradition. The Prime Minister, who reached the remote village on November 12, 2023, called the experience of spending Diwali with "our brave security forces" in Lepcha as "an experience filled with deep emotion and pride." He said, "Away from their families, these guardians of our nation illuminate our lives with their dedication." "The courage of our security forces is unwavering. Stationed in the toughest terrains, away from their loved ones, their sacrifice and dedication keep us safe and secure. India will always be grateful to these heroes who are the perfect embodiment of bravery and resilience," PM Modi wrote on X. Read more 

The Global Maritime India Summit 2023 (GMIS), one of the largest gatherings in the maritime industry, witnessed a historic Summit with a major investment of ?2.37 lakh crores. A total of 70 Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) were signed across various sectors of the maritime industry, signifying a monumental step toward sustainable development. Sarbananda Sonowal, the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, expressed his enthusiasm, said that a new era of sustainable development  was initiated, at the Global Maritime India Summit 2023 with the signing of a record 70 MoUs, totaling an investment of ?2.37 lakh crores. The maritime sector is playing a pivotal role in India's journey towards Green Sustainability Transportation. Read more 

The high Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth figures for the second quarter of 2023-24 (FY24) show the resilience and strength of the Indian Economy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on November 30, 2023. India's Q2FY24 GDP growth was reported at 7.6 per cent, much higher than the 6.5 per cent projection of the Reserve Bank of India's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). In a post on social media platform X, Modi said, "The GDP growth numbers for Q2 display the resilience and strength of the Indian economy in the midst of such testing times globally. We are committed to ensuring fast-paced growth to create more opportunities, rapid eradication of poverty and improving 'Ease Of Living' for our people." In the first quarter of 2023-24 (FY24), India's GDP grew by 7.8 per cent. The jump in GDP figures in the second quarter was led by manufacturing and construction industries. Read more 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the COP28 World Climate Action summit in Dubai on December 1, 2023. During the Summit, Prime Minister Modi interacted with various World leaders including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and European Union President Ursula von der Leyen. Prior to this, PM Modi was received by UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the venue of the 28th edition of the climate change conference.  Read more 

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi successfully completed a sortie on IAF’s multirole fighter jet Tejas. The Prime Minister shared his experience on X: “Successfully completed a sortie on the Tejas. The experience was incredibly enriching, significantly bolstering my confidence in our country’s indigenous capabilities, and leaving me with a renewed sense of pride and optimism about our national potential.” The Tejas ( 'Radiance') is an Indian single engine, delta wing, light multirole fighter designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) in collaboration with Aircraft Research and Design Centre (ARDC) of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy. Tejas is the smallest and lightest in its class of contemporary supersonic combat aircraft Read more

A virtual G20 summit was held on 22 November where representatives of the G20 countries delivered speeches. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the event.  In his speech, Modi emphasised the importance of responsible use of technology and announced $25 million for digital public infrastructure. He also proposed a social impact fund for niche development in the Global South. The Prime Minister emphasised the importance of protecting the environment by using alternative fuels. He emphasised that the Global Biofuels Alliance is India's priority in the G20. Russian President Vladimir Putin noted the readiness to co-operate with the G20 and other international institutions to address pressing issues on the global agenda. Read more 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 7th Edition of India Mobile Congress 2023 on October 27 in New Delhi and said 'The Future is Here and Now’. The Prime Minister further stated that India was moving in the direction of becoming leader in the area of 6G technology. He said India was not only expanding 5G in the country but also moving in the direction of becoming leader in the area of 6G technology. Read more 

India created history at the Asian Para Games 2023, ending the event with their best-ever performance of 111 medals in Hangzhou. India's record-breaking medal, which is more than the 72 medals in 2018, includes 29 gold medals, 31 silver and 51 bronze. In the overall leaderboard, India finished in 5th position which is also their best-ever standing. The Indian contingent's 29 gold medals was a new record, and in 2014, they only won three golds. Read more

A part of 82.15 Km long Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), India’s first rapid rail corridor, was opened to the public on October 21, 2023. Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off a RapidX train, named Namo Bharat, connecting  the 17-km priority section of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor. Work on the corridor began on 8 March 2019. RRTS is a fast train service designed for travel between cities. The trains can go as fast as 180 kmph and usually run every 15 minutes. If needed, these can run as often as every 5 minutes.  Read more

The Indian women’s hockey won the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy 2023, securing the gold medal for the second time in the competition’s history. The team’s remarkable journey to victory was celebrated and praised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The tournament’s final match, which sealed India’s triumphant moment, took place on 5th November 2023 in Ranchi. India defeated Japan 4-0 in the final match. Read more