Category: India

The India Conference at Harvard (ICH) announced on Sunday that Nita Ambani, a leader in charity, education, and culture, will headline its event on February 15-16, 2025, in Boston. As one of the most important figures in India, Ambani has changed the lives of over 80 million people through her social programs. She is also working hard to show the world India’s potential. A highlight of her recent work includes hosting the International Olympic Committee (IOC) meeting in India after 40 years and supporting India’s bid for the 2036 Olympics.

The India Conference at Harvard is one of the largest student-led gatherings focusing on India in the US. This annual event, held at Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School, encourages discussions about India’s growing role in the world. The 2025 conference will feature over 80 expert speakers from various fields, who will discuss how Indian ideas and innovations are changing global conversations.

One special event includes a fireside chat with Ambani, who chairs the Reliance Foundation, where she will share her vision of India’s place in the world. The conference will also include a policy Hackathon tackling climate challenges and improving financial support for rural areas, as well as a startup competition. Ambani’s speech fits perfectly with this year’s theme, “From India to the World,” which celebrates India as a new global leader in peace, prosperity, and innovation.

Ayush Shukla, one of the conference co-chairs, said, “The India Conference aims to expand discussions around India’s growth story. This year’s theme shows how India is changing from local ideas to global influence, celebrating our technology successes and lessons in community spirit, culture, resilience, and entrepreneurship.”

A fire started in a basement of an electronics company in Noida’s Sector 65 on Sunday morning. According to the police, about 15 fire trucks and 75 brave firefighters are working hard to put out the flames. Noida’s Deputy Commissioner of Police, Shakti Mohan Avasthy, reported the incident and said that emergency teams are doing everything they can to control the fire. More details will be shared as they come in.

Guwahati: The National Commission for Women (NCW) has asked the Manipur government for a detailed report within 10 days about the tragic deaths of six people, including three women and three children, last month. The NCW received a complaint from the Republican Party of India (Athawale) about the violent incident that took place in Jiribam, Manipur. On November 11, 2024, these six individuals were kidnapped and murdered in a very shocking manner. The NCW expressed deep concern and stated that such violent acts are very disturbing and require immediate action. They said, “As the main body working to protect women’s rights in the country, we are here to help ensure justice for the victims’ families and prevent such violence from going unpunished.” The Commission urged the State Government to prioritize actions to handle this serious issue and protect the rights and safety of women and children. Recently, there has been unrest in Jiribam after the bodies of the six victims were found. In gun battles, around 10 armed militants were killed, and two CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) personnel were injured. Kuki groups claimed that the deceased were village volunteers, not militants. Security advisor Kuldiep Singh mentioned that 258 people, including militants, have lost their lives since the violence began on May 3 last year. The conflict between non-tribal Meiteis and tribal Kuki-Zo groups started after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ opposed the Meitei community’s request for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

The Indian government wants to make Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport a busy hub for flights again. Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu announced that soon, 100 flights will take off from the airport every day!

At a special event celebrating the airport’s 100th birthday, the minister reminded everyone that the airport once had direct flights to big cities like London and Paris. Right now, there are only 15 international and 49 domestic flights. But the government wants to change that and make Kolkata one of the busiest airports in India.

Every day, more planes are flying in and out of the airport—up from 264 to 400! The goal is to boost the number of people using the airport from 2.6 million to over 4 million each year. To help with this, they plan to open a new terminal by November 2025.

During the celebration, the minister, along with MoS Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol, released a special coin and a coffee table book. He also announced a new café called ‘Uran Café’ that will be affordable for everyone. This will be the first of its kind in the country!

TMC MP Sougata Roy, who helps advise on airport matters, asked the ministers to add more international flights from Kolkata and to improve other airports in West Bengal, like those in Andal, Coochbehar, and Bagdogra. The minister agreed, saying that better airports will help the economy and create more jobs, especially in Bagdogra, which is in a very important location.

Uttar Pradesh (UP) is making great strides in increasing its forest and tree cover. According to a statement from the state government, UP recorded an increase of 559 square kilometers, making it the second-highest in the country! This news was shared during the release of the latest India State of Forest Report (ISFR) in Dehradun.

Arun Kumar Saxena, the Minister of Forests and Environment, praised Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for guiding everyone to plant more trees. Thanks to teamwork, UP achieved this impressive result, coming in second place for growing its green cover. Only Chhattisgarh did better!

As a whole, India’s forest and tree cover has increased by 1,445 square kilometers since 2021, now covering 25.17% of the country. This means a lot more trees are helping clean our air! The report also stated that India has added a carbon sink of 2.29 billion tonnes since 2005.

The country aims to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes by 2030 to meet its goals under the Paris Agreement. Currently, India’s forest cover stands at 715,343 square kilometers, which is 21.76% of the land. The tree cover has also gone up by 1,289 square kilometers, now accounting for 3.41% of the geographical area.

In summary, the major states that saw the biggest rises in forest and tree cover were Chhattisgarh (+684 sq km), Uttar Pradesh (+559 sq km), Odisha (+559 sq km), and Rajasthan (+394 sq km). This shows how much progress is being made in protecting our environment!

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has just arrived in Kuwait for a two-day visit. This is a big deal because it’s the first time in 43 years that an Indian Prime Minister has visited this Gulf country. Modi received an invitation from Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Emir of Kuwait.

During his trip, Modi plans to talk with the leaders of Kuwait to build a better partnership for the future. He also emphasizes the strong friendship between India and Kuwait that has lasted for many years. The two countries have a lot in common, including interests in peace and stability in the West Asia region.

Modi looks forward to meeting the Emir, the Crown Prince, and the Prime Minister of Kuwait. Plus, he will attend the start of the 26th Arabian Gulf Cup event.

Indira Gandhi was the last Indian Prime Minister to visit Kuwait back in 1981. Today, India is one of Kuwait’s top trading partners, with a trade amounting to around USD 10.47 billion in the financial year 2023-24.

The Indian community in Kuwait is very vibrant and large, making up 21% of Kuwait’s total population, which is about 1 million people. Indians also form 30% of the workforce in Kuwait, both in the private and domestic sectors. Indian exports to Kuwait recently reached USD 2 billion for the first time!

Kuwait is also important for India’s energy needs since it is the sixth-largest supplier of oil to India, meeting 3% of its energy supply. India and Kuwait’s friendship goes back to a time when trade by sea was crucial for Kuwait’s economy.

Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor, VK Saxena, has allowed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to take legal action against Arvind Kejriwal, the head of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and former Chief Minister. This decision comes just before the Delhi assembly elections.

On December 5, the ED asked for permission to prosecute Kejriwal after finding evidence of serious corruption related to the excise policy, which is about how liquor is sold in Delhi. They detailed their findings in a complaint submitted to a court earlier this year.

The ED claims that Kejriwal worked with a group called the South Group to receive Rs 100 crore (about $13 million) and gave unfair advantages to certain private businesses by creating a liquor policy just for them. They allege that this group was favored in several liquor shops and even allowed to manage multiple sales areas, breaking the rules designed for the Excise Policy 2021-22.

The agency also accuses Kejriwal of using around Rs 45 crore earned from criminal activities to fund AAP’s campaign in the Goa elections, showing he knew about this money. The ED states that AAP was the main recipient of these illegal funds and that Kejriwal, as a leader in the party, was responsible for handling them.

According to the ED, Kejriwal tried to hide this money by using illegal cash transfers, which is linked to money laundering defined by the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.

In July 2022, Saxena recommended that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) look into issues with how the Delhi Excise Policy was made and applied. Kejriwal was arrested in March this year on money laundering charges but was granted bail by the Supreme Court in September.