THE HEADLINES
- India and United States achieve breakthrough in implementation of civil nuclear deal, US to support India's full membership of the four international export control regimes; the two countries also decide to deepen defence cooperation.
- US President Barack Obama says, strengthening ties with India a top foreign policy priority of his government.
- India and US agree to set up hotline between the two top leaders.
- In his Republic Day eve address, President Pranab Mukherjee says enacting laws without discussion breaches the trust reposed by people in Parliament.
- Padma Awards announced; Padma Vibhushan for nine including L.K.Advani, Amitabh Bachchan and Dilip Kumar, 20 personalities to get Padma Bhushan and 75 Padma Shri.
- Saina Nehwal retains women's singles title at the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold Badminton tournament.
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India and the United States today reached a breakthrough on Civil Nuclear deal. The breakthrough was achieved during one-on-one meeting between the visiting US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Mr. Modi said in his media statement that the civil nuclear agreement is the centre-piece of the transformed Indo-US relationship.
The civil nuclear agreement was the centrepiece of our transformed relationship, which demonstrated new trust. It also created new economic opportunities and expanded our option for clean energy. In the course of the past four months, we have worked with a sense of purpose to move it forward. I am pleased that six years after we signed our bilateral agreement, we are moving towards commercial cooperation, consistent with our law, our international legal obligations and technical and commercial viability. President Obama has also assured me of strong U.S. efforts in support of India's full membership of the four international export control regimes at the earliest.
The Prime Minister said, India and the US renewed their ten-year Defence Framework Agreement to deepen cooperation on maritime security.
Today, we have also decided to take our growing defence cooperation to a new level. We have agreed in principle to pursue co-development and co production of specific advanced defence projects. These will help upgrade our domestic defence industry and expand the manufacturing sector in India. We will explore cooperation in the area of advanced defence technologies.
Maintaining that terrorism remains a principal global threat, Mr Modi said, the two countries decided to have a comprehensive global strategy to combat it.
We agreed that we need a comprehensive global strategy and approach to combat with it. There should be no distinction between terrorist groups. Every country must fulfil its commitments to eliminate terrorist safe havens and bring terrorists to justice. Our two countries will deepen our bilateral security cooperation against terrorist groups. And we will further enhance our counter-terrorism capabilities including in the area of technology.
In his remarks, US President Barack Obama said deepening of ties with India will remain a top foreign policy priority for his administration. He also thanked Prime Minister Modi for his continued efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapon. Mr Obama said strong relations with New Delhi is critical for Washington. The US President said, trade between the two economies has increased by about 60 per cent and there is a need for even more trade. He welcomed the reforms that Prime Minister Modi is pursuing to make it easier to do business in India.
(S/B: BARACK OBAMA)
We have agreed that trade and economic partnerships must focus on improving daily lives of our people. The Prime Minister, Mr. Modi described for me about his ambitious efforts to empower people, all Indians with bank accounts and to ensure clean water, clean air for the Indian people and we want to be partners in this effort.
Later, briefing reporters after the joint statements by Mr Modi and Mr Obama, Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh said that there is a general understanding that India's law is compliant with the Convention on Supplemental Compensation. Ms Singh said India has reached an understanding on two issues-civil nuclear liability and administrative arrangements for implementing 123 agreement.
India and the United States agreed to restart discussions on the Social Security Agreement and resume talks on Bilateral Investment Treaty to further strengthen bilateral economic ties. Our Correspondent reports that collaboration will also be deepened in science and technology, innovation, agriculture, health, education and skills.
Chemistry between US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was very much evident with Mr Modi calling the US President by his first name more than once during joint media interaction. Mr Obama displayed similar companionship addressing the Prime Minister as Modi. Mr Obama also made mention of Chai pe Charcha programme which Mr Modi had utilised for connecting with the voters during the Lok Sabha elections. On personal friendship with Mr Obama, Prime Minister Modi said, their chemistry has brought not only them closer but the Washington and New Delhi and also the people of the two countries. With Sant Bahadur, Shiela, AIR News, Delhi.
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For the first time, India and the US today agreed to set up a hot line between their top leaders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama. Prime Minister Modi announced this in his opening statement during the two leader's joint interaction with media in New Delhi today. He said that hot lines will be established between the leaders and national security advisers of both the countries. Mr. Modi said, the effort was part of their exercise to give the critical partnership between the two countries, a new thrust and sustained attention.
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Both the countries also signed three Memorandums of Understandings for building of smart cities in Visakhapatnam, Allahabad, and Ajmer.
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President Pranab Mukherjee said today that enacting laws without discussion impacts the lawmaking role of Parliament and is neither good for democracy, nor for policies relating to legislations. Mr Mukherjee said this in an apparent remark on the recently promulgated Ordinances including Land Acquisition. Addressing the nation on the eve of Republic Day, the President said, Ordinance route breaches trust of people and there can be no governance without a functioning legislature.
The legislature relfects the will of the people. It is the platform where progressive legislation using civilized dialogue must create delivery mechanisms for realizing the aspirations of the people. It calls for reconciling the differences amongst stakeholders and building a consensus for the law to be enacted.
Mr Mukherjee said that pluralism, tolerance and goodwill between diverse communities need to be preserved with utmost care and vigilance.
We have always reposed our trust in faith - equality where every faith is equal before the law and every culture blends into another to create a positive dynamic. Wisdom of India teaches us: unity is strength, dominance is weakness.
Expressing concern over women's safety in the country, Mr Mukherjee said, only a nation that respects and empowers its women, can become a global power.
Referring to recent ceasefire violations along the border, the President said, such incidents must be answered with incisive diplomacy and tough security mechanisms.
While peace, non-violence and good neighbourly intentions should remain the fundamentals of our foreign policy, we cannot afford to be complacent about adversaries who will stop at nothing to disrupt our progress towards a prosperous and equitable India.
Mr Mukherjee said, the last Lok Sabha election was remarkable as people of the nation voted to power a single party with a majority for a stable government after three decades. He said, outcome of the elections has given the mandate to the elected government to fulfill its commitment to the people by using its majority for formulating policies and making laws to implement those policies. He said it was a vote for clean, efficient, effective, gender-sensitive, transparent, accountable and citizen-friendly governance.
Mr Mukherjee said that the year 2015 is a year of hope and key economic indicators provide for much optimism.
Strengthing of the external sector, move towards fiscal consolidation, moderation, in price levels, early signs of rebound in manufacturing and record agricultural production last year augur well for our economy. Achieving five per cent plus growth rates each in the first two quarters of 2014-15 is a healthy sign for an early reversion to the high growth trajectory of 7-8 percent.
Talking about quality education, the President said, special stress should be laid on the culture of books and reading.
In his concluding remarks, the President said, the country is celebrating the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi's return to India from South Africa and his message of cleanliness should be followed by everyone.
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Padma awards have been announced today. Former Deputy Prime Minister and BJP veteran L K Advani, film stars Amitabh Bachchan and Dilip Kumar and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal are among the nine personalities who have been selected for Padma Vibhushan this year. Twenty personalities including former Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami, Constitutional expert Subhash Kashyap, lawyer Harish Salve, Microsoft Chief Bill Gates and his wife Melinda will be conferred with Padma Bhushan. Film maker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, writer Prasoon Joshi, badminton player P V Sindhu and woman cricketer Mithali Raj are among the 75 personalities who have been selected for Padma Shri.
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In Pakistan, 35 terrorists were killed in air strikes by security forces in North Waziristan at Datta Khel area today. According to Inter Services Public Relation, foreigners are also included among the killed terrorists.
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Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal has retained her title by winning the final of the Women's Singles tournament in 1,20,000 US dollar Syed Modi International Grand Prix Gold Badminton Championship in Lucknow today. Saina defeated world number one, Spanish Carolina Marin by 19-21, 25-23 and 21-16 in a tough match lasted for one hour twenty minutes.
In Mens' Singles final, India's P Kashyap defeated his compatriot K Srikanth in straight sets by 23-21, 23-21.
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