Category: India

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised a special wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center called Vantara. This center was opened by Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) and the Reliance Foundation in Jamnagar, Gujarat. Vantara is a huge facility, covering 3,000 acres, and it helps more than 150,000 rescued animals from over 2,000 different species.

During his visit to Gujarat, Modi opened Vantara on Sunday and spent time getting to know the animals there. He thanked Anant Ambani and his team for their kind work in creating this center. “Vantara is a great example of how we should protect our planet’s animals,” Modi said in a post on X.

While visiting, Modi saw many animals that had suffered from cruelty. For example, he met an elephant that had been hurt in an acid attack and other elephants that lost their eyesight due to their handlers. He emphasized how important it is to treat animals with kindness and not be careless.

Modi also saw a lioness that had been hit by a car and was getting the care she needed. He mentioned a leopard cub that was abandoned by its family but is now being well taken care of at Vantara. He applauded the staff for their dedication to helping animals.

When he toured the center, Modi interacted with many animals. He petted an okapi, played with chimps, and hugged an orangutan. He also fed a giraffe and a rhino calf and saw various other amazing animals, like snow tigers and giant otters.

A special part of Vantara is the elephant hospital, which is the largest in the world. Modi also learned about hydrotherapy pools that help elephants recover from injuries, showing how Vantara cares for its animals.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has announced that China is ready to collaborate with India to improve their relationship this year, which marks 75 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries. At a press conference, Wang Yi expressed optimism about past progress and highlighted a meeting last year between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a key moment for strengthening their connection.

Wang stated, “China and India are each other’s largest neighbors. We should work together as friends to help each other succeed.” He emphasized that both nations have important roles as major developing countries and should support one another instead of competing.

Wang also mentioned their shared goal of maintaining peace, especially concerning their borders, and urged that their relationship shouldn’t be defined by disagreements over borders. Both countries, he said, should stand together against global power struggles and work towards a better future for both nations and the world, especially for the Global South.

Meanwhile, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had a positive meeting with Wang Yi at the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting in South Africa. He appreciated the chance to discuss cooperation, noting the importance of working together during difficult times. Their talks have led to better communication and efforts to manage their relationship, including discussions about border issues.

On Thursday, the Telangana cabinet approved a new bill to classify Scheduled Castes (SCs) for better education and job opportunities. The meeting was led by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who discussed a preliminary report from Justice Shameem Akthar, a retired judge. This report suggests splitting SCs into three groups to help improve their access to benefits.

The deadline for final recommendations from Justice Akthar has been extended to March 10. After this, the final bill will be ready and introduced during the upcoming state assembly budget session.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister asked officials to ensure the final bill is clear of legal issues. The cabinet also talked about the upcoming budget session and the bills that will be presented.

Additionally, the cabinet agreed to set up a new board for the Future City project at Mucherla, which is near Hyderabad. They also formed a special committee to address river water problems. Another important decision was to launch a new land revenue portal named ‘Bhoo Bharati,’ replacing the old Dharani portal, starting on the Ugadi festival on March 31.

Other key decisions included hiring 10,950 Village Level Officers, approving 217 jobs for new revenue divisions and mandals, and adding 55 positions in 10 district courts. Lastly, the cabinet approved the Endowments Amendment Bill to create a temple board for Yadagirigutta, similar to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that the new tariffs planned by the US could affect India. However, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal is currently speaking with US officials, including the Trade Representative, about this issue. Sitharaman spoke at a post-budget event in Visakhapatnam and mentioned that India wants to protect its exports.

She said India will make decisions based on the results of these talks. “Tariffs are something the US President is discussing. Piyush Goyal has gone to the US to talk to officials about this,” she explained.

Recently, President Donald Trump stated that starting April 2, he will impose tariffs on countries that have high taxes on US imports. Indian officials believe there might be a way to resolve this issue, possibly leading to a trade deal by this fall.

Trump’s strategy aims to tackle unfair trade practices, such as subsidies and high taxes, to encourage other countries to lower their tariffs on US products. However, Trump’s tariffs on countries like Canada and Mexico have caused a lot of uncertainty, making businesses worried and affecting consumer confidence and investments.

Although these tariffs began on Tuesday, Trump quickly rolled some back when the stock market fell. The halt, which will last until April 2, gives some relief to car manufacturers.

Trump sees tariffs as a way to earn money for the US government and to fix trade imbalances. Recently, the US trade deficit reached a record high of $131.4 billion, a big jump compared to last year. Analysts believe that this increase was driven by a rise in gold imports, but also by businesses trying to prepare for the new tariffs.

External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar recently talked about the long-standing issue of Kashmir, saying that the problem would be solved when Pakistan returns the part of Kashmir it currently controls, known as Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). He spoke at an event in London and explained that India has made progress on the Kashmir issue by doing three main things:

1. Removing Article 370: This removed the special privileges that Jammu and Kashmir had in India.
2. Restoring Growth: By improving economic activities and social justice in the region, the government aimed to help the people.
3. Holding Elections: Jaishankar mentioned that elections were held recently in which many people voted.

He believes that once Pakistan gives back the part of Kashmir it holds, the Kashmir issue will be resolved completely.

India has always insisted that Jammu and Kashmir is an essential part of the country. Since India changed Article 370 on August 5, 2019, the relationship between India and Pakistan has worsened, and trade between the two countries has stopped.

The head of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference, Sajjad Lone, responded to Jaishankar’s comments by saying this is a matter for both countries to discuss. He believes in peaceful talk rather than violence but stated that it is up to the central government to decide.

Pakistan’s Response:
A spokesperson from Pakistan, Shafqat Ali Khan, urged India to stop making false claims about Kashmir. He said that instead of talking about returning parts of Kashmir, India should give back the territories it has held for 77 years. He also stated that the United Nations has said that the final status of Jammu and Kashmir should be decided through a fair vote. He dismissed the elections held in Indian-administered Kashmir, arguing they do not allow people to truly choose their future.