[Vol. 10 – April – June, 2023]

NEWS FROM MALAWI

International Day of Yoga 2023

On June 18, 2023, High Commission of India in association with the Indian Country Club celebrated the 9th International Day of Yoga 2023. Hon'ble Deputy Minister of Health Ms. Halima Daud joined with hundreds of Yoga lovers in the Common Yoga Protocol session. The event was live telecasted on MBC, Malawi's National TV.

Smt Nirmala Sitharaman met Minister of Finance & Economic Affairs

On April 10, 2023, Smt Nirmala Sitharaman met Minister of Finance & Economic Affairs of the Republic of Malawi Mr Sosten Gwengwe on the sidelines of the World Bank-IMF SpringMeetings 2023, in Washington D.C. Smt Sitharaman appreciated Malawi's One Village One Product OVOP programme, similar as India's One District One Product (ODOP) scheme towards realising potential of local self-reliance at grassroots level. The two Ministers also shared insights about Malawi’s current debt obligations and the path ahead. The FM expressed her solidarity to the families affected by the Cyclone Freddy in Malawi.

 Bike rally

On the occasion of World Environment Day and to create awareness on MissionLiFE, India in Malawi (High Commission of India, Lilongwe) organised a Bike Rally on 4 June 2023 in Lilongwe. Number of riders including kids participated at the rally.

Tree planting at India Country Club

To mark World Environment Day and to raise awareness on Mission LiFE, India in Malawi (High Commission of India, Lilongwe) in association with Indian Country Club, Lilongwe organised a tree planting event on 4 June 2023 at the Indian Country Club, Lilongwe.

100th Episode of Mann ki baat

India in Malawi (High Commission of India, Lilongwe) organized livestreaming of the 100th Episode of mann ki baat by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today. Members of Indian community and High Commission officials enthusiastically attended the event.

Miss Culture Malawi Welcomes India’s Miss Culture as Special Guest for Cultural Exchange and Charitable Activities

Miss Culture India, Mrugtrushna Patil, has been invited as a special guest for this year’s Miss Culture Malawi event, bringing together the cultures of both nations. During her two-week visit, Miss Culture India will engage in charitable activities, visiting an orphanage in Lilongwe and the Mangochi District Hospital, aiming to improve the lives of local Malawians. Read more... 

INDIAN COMMUNITY CORNER

Jagantah Rath Yatra 2023

High Commissioner, Shri S. Gopalakrishnan, participated at the Jagantah Rath Yatra organised by ISKCON Blantyre by Odia Samaj on 24 June 2023. Large number of devotees participated at the Yatra which started from Old town Hall to Shree Hindu Temple where Cultural programmes were also held.

NEWS FROM INDIA

India holds 100th G20 meeting under its presidency of bloc

India celebrated a key milestone in its G20 presidency on April 17, 2023 with the hosting of the 100th meeting of the grouping. The Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists (MACS) in Varanasi was the 100th meeting of the grouping under India’s presidency that began on December 1, 2022. The second Health Working Group in Goa, the 2nd Digital Economy Working Group in Hyderabad and the Space Economy Leaders’ Precursor Meeting in Shillong were also held on April 17, 2023. Read more... 

Manufacturing 10,000 coaches; PM Modi lauds milestone

Modern Rail Coach Factory (MCF), Raebareli has set a new record by manufacturing 10,000 coaches since its inception. The factory is a production unit of the Indian Railways and aims to produce 10 Vande Bharat trains by March 2024. MCF was established in 2007 and has shown remarkable growth year on year, manufacturing modern designs such as train sets, metro coaches, and bullet trains. Read more on Read more...

Record-breaking Indian tea exports to UAE, UK and Poland

KAZINFORM India’s Minister for Heavy Industries, Mahendra Nath Pandey, has praised record-breaking tea exports to the UAE and said, «this achievement is a testament to quality and innovation in the tea industry. Along with the UK and Poland, tea exports to the UAE by Andrew Yule and Company, the only government-owned enterprise in the tea industry, established in 1863, achieved «its highest-ever growth trajectory, with tea exports up by a phenomenal 431 percent in one year, WAM reports. The one-year period covers 1st April 2022 to 31st March this year, which marks the end of India’s fiscal year. Read more... 

Quad Leaders’ Summit 2023

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi participated in the third in-person Quad Leaders’ Summit in Hiroshima, Japan on 20 May 2023, along with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan and President Joseph Biden of the United States of America.  The Leaders had a productive dialogue about developments in the Indo-Pacific which affirmed their shared democratic values and strategic interests.  Read more…                             

FIPIC III Summit

In a significant development aimed at strengthening ties with Pacific Island Countries, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a comprehensive 12-step action plan while co-hosting the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC III) Summit in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea on May 22, 2023. Expressing his gratitude to Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape for co-hosting the FIPIC III Summit along with him, PM Modi highlighted the importance of fostering deeper partnerships with the Pacific Island Countries. Read more..

9 years of PM Modi government- A look at major achievements

This nearly a decade-long period has changed India's economy in definite ways as Modi took decision after decision that made deep, lasting impacts on the economy. With India divided sharply between the supporters and detractors of Modinomics, it may be a matter of debate how good Modi's measures have proved for the economy. But few would disagree that Modi brought an unprecedented zeal to his reformist agenda. Read more... 

India’s GDP expanded 6.1% in 2022-23’s last quarter

India’s GDP growth accelerated to 6.1% in the January to March 2023 quarter, lifting the economy’s uptick in 2022-23 to 7.2% from the 7% estimated earlier, according to the provisional national income data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO). The Gross Value Added (GVA) in the economy was reckoned to have risen 7% in 2022-23, compared to 8.8% in 2021-22, with manufacturing GVA growth sliding to just 1.3% from 11.1% a year ago, despite a 4.5% rebound in the final quarter after six months of contraction. Read more… 

Charting India’s rise to $1 trillion in exports

Through the adoption of high-technology, greater competitiveness, and a focus on quality in industry, India has seen record-breaking numbers in its exports. India’s exports of goods and services soared above $750-billion in the 75th year of Independence as we celebrated Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. The record performance in 2022-23 was a remarkable achievement in a challenging global environment, with the pandemic, followed by the Ukraine conflict, disrupting business activity around the world.  Read more... 

International Day Of Yoga 2023

On June 21, 2023, Prime Minister Narenra Modi took part in the International Day of Yoga programme in the lawns of the United Nations headquarters where he performed a number of yoga poses. The lawn was full of yoga enthusiasts and dignitaries invited by the United Nations as part of the International Yoga Day celebrations. Before performing yoga poses, PM Modi also addressed the gathering and thanked people for coming here from far away to attend the celebration. Read more... 
India ends Special Olympics 2023 campaign with 202 medals

India ended its Special Olympics World Games 2023 campaign by winning 202 medals (76 gold, 75 silver and 51 bronze), with the last of the medals coming from the athletics track.  Indian athletes notched six medals from the track events (2 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze). The headlines would undoubtedly go to the gold medallists Aanchal Goyal (400m, Level B Female) and Ravimathi Arumugam (400m, Level C Female) who blew away their competition to take the top of the podium.  Read more... 

Indian Women’s Hockey Team Wins 2023 Women's Hockey Junior Asia Cup

The Indian hockey team clinched the Women’s Junior Asia Cup 2023 title in Kakamigahara, Japan, with a 2-1 win over the Republic of Korea in the final on June 11, 2023. This is the first time India have won the Women's Junior Asia Cup. India had already secured a spot in the FIH Women's Junior World Cup 2023 in Chile. Japan beat China 2-1 to become the third team to qualify for the World Cup scheduled this year. Read more... 

Badminton Asia Championships: Satwik-Chirag Become The First Indian Doubles Pair To Be Crowned Champions At The Tournament

On April 30, 2023, Star doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty broke a 58-year-old drought, becoming the first Indians after Dinesh Khanna to be crowned champions at the Asia badminton Championships in Dubai. The 2022 World Championships bronze medallists scripted a sensational comeback after an opening game reversal to edge past the Malaysian combination of Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi 21-16, 17-21, 19-21 in a nail-biting final to accomplish a magnificent victory in the continental championship. Read more... 

Neeraj Chopra Finishes First At 2023 Doha Diamond League With 88.67m Throw

Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra began his Diamond League title defence with a comfortable win in the season-opening leg on May 5, 2023, with a world-leading and fourth career-best effort. The 25-year-old Chopra, who had pocketed the 2022 Diamond League Final trophy in Switzerland last September, beat a star-studded field with a best throw of 88.67m to begin his season in style. Chopra hit his straps in his first attempt itself with a world-leading throw of 88.67m, which was his fourth career-best effort, to position himself on the top of the pile. He maintained the lead till the end to win the event in his second appearance at the Qatar Sports Club.  Read more 

India wins three bronze medals at 2023 IBA Men’s World Boxing Championships

While Deepak Bhoria and Nishant Dev went down fighting in the semifinals, Mohammed Hussamuddin withdrew before his bout due to a knee injury but they ensured India’s best-ever medal count in the men’s event. The Indian challenge at the World Boxing Championships came to an end with Deepak Bhoria (51kg), Mohammed Hussamuddin (57kg) and Nishant Dev (71kg) settling for bronze medals in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on May 13, 2023.Read more 

‘World Health Assembly’ PM Modi addresses 76th Session in Geneva, Switzerland

The Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, addressed the 76th Session of the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland. He congratulated the World Health Organization (WHO) on serving the world for 75 years and expressed confidence that the WHO would set goals for the next 25 years as it reaches its 100 year milestone. Read more 

Papua New Guinea, Fiji confer their highest civilian award to PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the highest honours of Papua New Guinea and Fiji, an unprecedented acknowledgement of a non-resident in the two Pacific island nations. During his maiden visit to Papua New Guinea, Modi hosted a significant summit between India and 14 Pacific island countries to bolster bilateral ties. Governor-General of Papua New Guinea, Sir Bob Dadae, awarded Modi with the Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu (GCL), which is the country’s highest civilian award.  Read more 

New Parliament building for India

In a significant milestone during the 75th year of Independence, Prime minister of India unveiled new Parliament building. Designed and constructed by Indians, this architectural marvel encapsulates the culture, pride, and spirit of the entire nation and looks forward to fulfilling the longstanding need of Indian democracy to have more spacious parliament as the number of seats and MPs will increase in the coming time. The new parliament building, developed as a part of Central Vista Redevelopment project, takes care of infrastructural hurdles in parliamentary functioning. Prime minister inaugurated the parliament and placed ‘Sengol’, the symbol of power transfer to India from the British. Read more 

India Conducts Asia’s First Demonstration of Performance-Based Navigation for Helicopters

India recently achieved a significant milestone in aviation technology by conducting Asia’s first demonstration of Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) for helicopters. PBN is a satellite-based navigation system that enhances the safety and efficiency of air travel. This demonstration marks a major step forward in modernizing India’s aviation infrastructure and highlights the country’s commitment to adopting advanced technologies. Read more 

9th Annual International Day of Yoga led by Prime Minister

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi led the 9th annual International Day of Yoga celebrations on 21 June 2023, at the iconic North Lawn of the UN Headquarters in New York City. The theme for this year is ‘Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’. "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” or "One Earth · One Family · One Future”. The event witnessed an overwhelming response from thousands of yoga enthusiasts from over 135 nationalities, setting a Guinness World Record for participation by maximum number of nationalities in a Yoga session. A video message by UN Secretary-General Mr. Antonio Guterres was played as well. Read more 

Surat creates world record for largest gathering on Yoga Day

In the State-level ‘International Day of Yoga’, Surat made a Guinness world record for the largest gathering of people for a yoga session in one place with more than 100,000 people taking part in the event. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 22, 2023 congratulated Surat for creating the world record. Responding to the tweet of MoS Home in Gujarat, Harsh Sanghavi, the Prime Minister tweeted: “Congratulations Surat! A remarkable feat.” Read more 

Egyptian President El-Sisi confers PM Narendra Modi with ‘Order of the Nile’ award

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, on June 25, conferred the country’s highest state honour “Order of the Nile” award on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Instituted in 1915, the ‘Order of the Nile’ is conferred upon Heads of states, Crown Princes, and Vice-Presidents who offer Egypt or humanity invaluable services. This is the 13th such highest state honour that various countries across the world have conferred upon PM Modi. The ‘Order of the Nile’ is a pure gold collar consisting of three-square gold units comprising Pharaonic symbols. The first unit resembles the idea of protecting the state against the evils, the second one resembles prosperity and happiness brought by the Nile and the third one refers to wealth and endurance. Read more 

India records highest ever defence export during FY 2022-23 at approx Rs 16,000 crore

India has achieved a remarkable milestone as the country witnessed an all-time high level of defence export worth approx 16,000 crore rupees to over 85 countries. In only six years defence export surged over 10 times amid number of reforms and policy initiatives taken by the government. In a tweet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the achievement as a clear manifestation of India’s talent and enthusiasm towards ‘Make in India’. Mr Modi said, it also shows the reforms in this sector over the last few years are delivering good results. He said, Government will keep supporting efforts to make India a defence production hub. Read more 

Big Breakthrough For India! ISRO’s Reusable Launch Vehicle’s Success

SRO accomplished the autonomous landing of a Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission (RLV LEX) on April 2, 2023 during a test at the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) in Chitradurga, located in Karnataka, in the presence of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Chairman S. Somanath. At 7.10 am India time, an Indian Air Force’s (IAF’s) Boeing-made Chinook helicopter took off with the RLV stowed beneath its belly. It climbed to 4.5 kilometers in the air (above Mean Sea Level). The vehicle landed in Hypersonic Flight Experiment (HEX) on a makeshift runway high over the Bay of Bengal. The HEX mission did not require any practice landings on real runways to complete. Read more