Month: August 2022

India’s exports increased by 2.14 per cent year-on-year to $36.27 billion in July while imports surged by 43.61% to $66.27 billion during the month leading to an almost three-fold jump in the trade deficit, according to the official data released on Friday.

India’s trade deficit jumped from $10.63 billion in July 2021 to USD 30 billion in July 2022.

India’s overall exports (merchandise and services combined) in July 2022 are estimated to be $61.18 billion, exhibiting a positive growth of 11.51 per cent over the same period last year. Overall imports in July 2022 are estimated to be $82.22 billion, exhibiting a positive growth of 42.90 per cent over the same period last year.

Overall trade deficit, merchandise and services combined, surged to $21.04 billion in July 2022 as compared to $2.67 billion recorded in the same month last year.

Merchandise exports in July 2022 were $36.27 billion, as compared to USD35.51 billion in July 2021, exhibiting a positive growth of 2.14 per cent. Merchandise imports in July 2022 were USD 66.27 billion, which is an increase of 43.61 per cent over imports of $46.15 billion in July 2021, according to data released by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

The merchandise trade deficit in July 2022 was estimated at $30 billion as against $10.63 billion in July 2021, which is an increase of 182.10 per cent.

India’s overall exports (Merchandise and Services combined) in April-July 2022 are estimated to be USD 253.84 billion, exhibiting a positive growth of 22.85 per cent over the same period last year. Overall imports in April-July 2022 are estimated to be USD 317.40 billion, exhibiting a positive growth of 47.68 per cent over the same period last year.

Merchandise exports for the period April-July 2022 were $157.44 billion as against $131.06 billion during the period April-July 2021, registering a positive growth of 20.13 per cent.

Merchandise imports for the period April-July 2022 were $256.43 billion as against $173.12 billion during the period April-July 2021, registering a positive growth of 48.12 per cent.

The merchandise trade deficit for April-July 2022 was estimated at $98.99 billion as against $42.07 billion in April-July 2021, which is an increase of 135.31 per cent.

Non-petroleum and non-gems & jewellery exports in July 2022 were $26.62 billion, registering a positive growth of 1.55 per cent over non-petroleum and non-gems & jewellery exports of $26.21 billion in July 2021.

Non-petroleum, non-gems & jewellery (gold, silver & precious metals) imports were $38.45 billion in July 2022 with a positive growth of 42.91 per cent over non-petroleum, non-gems & jewellery imports of $26.90 billion in July 2021.

Non-petroleum and non-gems & jewellery exports during April-July 2022 was $110.47 billion, an increase of 10.81 per cent over non-petroleum and non-gems & jewellery exports of $99.69 billion in April-July 2021.

Non-petroleum, non-gems & jewellery (gold, silver & precious metals) imports were $147.56 billion in April-July 2022, recording a positive growth of 36.94 per cent, as compared to non-petroleum, non-gems & jewellery imports of $107.75 billion in April-July 2021.

The estimated value of services export for July 2022 is $24.91 billion, exhibiting a positive growth of 28.69 per cent vis-a-vis July 2021 ($19.36 billion).

The estimated value of services import for July 2022 is $15.95 billion exhibiting a positive growth of 40.02 per cent vis-a-vis July 2021 ($11.39 billion).

The services trade balance in July 2022 is estimated at $8.96 billion, which is an increase of 12.49 per cent over July 2021 ($7.97 billion). (ANI)

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday said that India-China relations cannot be normal unless border situation is and added that if China disturbs the peace and tranquillity in border areas, it will impact the relations further.

“We have maintained our position that if China disturbs the peace and tranquillity in border areas, it will impact our relations. Our relationship is not normal, it cannot be normal as the border situation is not normal,” EAM S Jaishankar said in Bengaluru on the India-China issue.

Jaishankar also said that the big problem is the border situation and Indian military has been holding on to the ground.

“We have made substantial progress in pulling back from places where we were very close to the LOC,” he added.

Moreover, S Jaishankar while speaking on the Belt and Road Initiative noted, “There was a violation of our territorial integrity and sovereignty, the fact that third country is doing things on sovereign Indian territory occupied by another country.”

Earlier, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that the government has seen reports about third countries participating in projects of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Projects, and any such activity by any party directly infringed on India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

MEA spokesperson Arindam Baghchi said India firmly and consistently opposes projects in the “so-called CPEC, which are in Indian territory that has been illegally occupied by Pakistan”.

“Such activities are inherently illegal, illegitimate and unacceptable, and will be treated accordingly by India,” the official statement added.

Responding to media queries regarding the participation of third countries in CPEC Projects, the MEA spokesperson Bagchi said: “We have seen reports on encouraging a proposed participation of third countries in so-called CPEC projects.”

“Any such actions by any party directly infringe on India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said.

The response of the MEA comes amid reports that Pakistan and China have decided to invite any interested third country to join the multibillion-dollar infrastructure CPEC project which they termed as mutually beneficial cooperation.

The third meeting of the CPEC Joint Working Group (JWG) on International Cooperation and Coordination (JWG-ICC) was held on Friday, July 22 in virtual mode.

In 2015, China announced the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project in Pakistan worth USD 46 billion, of which Balochistan is an integral part.

CPEC is a part of China’s most ambitious project ‘Belt and Road Initiative’, aimed at renewing the country’s historic trade routes in the coastal countries of south-east Asia.

It would link Pakistan’s southern Gwadar port in Balochistan on the Arabian Sea to China’s western Xinjiang region. It also includes plans to create road, rail and oil pipeline links to improve connectivity between China and the Middle East. The Baloch have opposed China’s increasing involvement in the province.

The CPEC has not benefited the people of Balochistan while people of other provinces enjoy the fruits of the mega project. This has led to widespread protests as the Chinese are viewed as encroachers who are squeezing out all the wealth from the region.

Media reports said that Beijing has been using the CPEC to gain control of the Gwadar port and the region of Gilgit-Baltistan.

Gwadar port, located on the Arabian Sea, will allow China to have a say in global energy economics as the country can use a naval base to hold control over the maritime traffic passing between West Asia.

It is crucial for China to gain control over the Gilgit-Baltistan region (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir PoK), as the region borders the Xinjiang province of China.

Since 2010, there have been reports of the growing presence of China in the Gilgit-Baltistan region. It was believed that several Chinese soldiers were present in the region in 2010 to secure road links, and build infrastructure projects, including nearly two dozen tunnels.

China’s presence grew in the region three years later following the announcement of CPEC.

The Chinese mega projects are showing an adverse impact on Gilgit-Baltistan’s environment leading to uncontrollable pollution and irreversible depletion of aquatic ecosystems.

Under the banner of CPEC, Pakistan and China are initiating work on mega-dams, oil and gas pipelines, and uranium and heavy metal extraction in Gilgit-Baltistan.

CPEC has been a major cause of militancy and even terror attacks and a sore point with local populations from Gilgit Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the north to Sindh and Balochistan in the south, who feel neglected and marginalised, while their resources get transferred to Punjab and big cities and now to China.

Even Islamabad is facing rising unrest and protests from locals in Balochistan, Gwadar and other areas as they accuse the government of depriving them of basic amenities and rights. (ANI)

India ranks globally third in start-ups ecosystem and also in terms of the number of unicorns with the total number of privately held start-up companies valued at over $1 billion rising to 105, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science and Technology Jitendra Singh said on Friday.

Out of the total 105 unicorns in India, 44 were born in 2021 and 19 in 2022. Addressing the “DST StartUp Utsav”, the Minister said, the decade 2021-30 is expected to bring transformational changes for Indian Science, Technology and Innovation (STI).

Singh said, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has increased the Gross Expenditure on R&D (GERD) more than three times in the last few years. He said as per the latest data, India has over 5 lakh R&D personnel, a number that has shown a 40-50 per cent increase in the last 8 years.

In the last 8 years, Singh said, women’s participation in extramural R&D has also doubled and now India occupies 3rd rank in terms of the number of PhDs awarded in Science and Engineering (S&E) after the USA and China. With the shifting global powers and technology becoming the epicentre of international engagements and rulemaking, India under PM Modi is living up to global benchmarks.

Referring to Prime Minister Modi’s launch of Start-up India from the ramparts of Red Fort in 2015, Singh said, India in its 75th year of Independence is now home to as many as 75,000 start-ups.

The minister said PM Modi’s special focus on Science, Technology and Innovation has fired the imagination of the youth in the country to innovate and solve problems with new ideas. He also pointed out that India’s start-ups today are not limited to only metros or big cities and added that 49 per cent of the start-ups are from tier-2 and tier-3 cities.

“We have start-ups emerging in the fields like IT, agriculture, aviation, education, energy, health and space sectors,” he said.

On the occasion, Singh released 4 publications featuring promising start-ups under various components of NIDHI including the flagship programme of Technology Business Incubator (TBI) and a coffee table book of 51 CAWACH funded start-ups.

The minister said India ranks third among the most attractive investment destinations for technology transactions in the world as it has a strong focus on science and technology. He said, India is among the topmost countries in the world in the field of scientific research, positioned as one of the top five nations in the field for space exploration and also actively engaged in emerging technologies such as quantum technologies, artificial intelligence etc.

Singh said that the Centre for Augmenting WAR with COVID-19 Health Crisis (CAWACH) programme carved out in a record time by DST just when COVID hit, was the first programme by any department of the Government of India to support start-ups working on COVID products and solutions.

He said, overall, the impact and outcome of DST’s programme on innovation and entrepreneurship has been significant: promoting 160 incubators, nurturing 12,000 start-ups including 1627 women-led start-ups, generating 131,648 jobs. (ANI)

Bollywood actor Ananya Panday dropped glimpses of herself and her Liger co-star Vijay Deverakonda acting out the famous scene from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge starring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol.

On Friday, the 23-year-old star took to her Instagram handle and shared these glimpses, As she and Vijay are in Chandigarh, and currently promoting their brand-new song, “Coka 2.0,” from their upcoming film, Liger. She added a caption along with the pictures, which read, “pyaar hota hai deewana sanam #DDLJmoment” from the song ‘Tujhe Dekha To’ from the movie ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’.

In her another post, she dropped another series from the same day and captioned wrote, “Coka 2.0 coming to u sooooooooonest.” She gave a hashtag as #Liger25thAugust on her pictures. One of her fans commented, “Your smile is so precious.” Another fan wrote, “You are looking beautiful.” Many fans dropped heart emojis on her posts.

Speaking about ‘Liger’, it is helmed by Puri Jagannadh. The film, which is a sports action film, is slated to release on August 25 this year, in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam.

After multiple delays due to COVID-19, the makers are currently promoting the film in full swing. Dharma Productions recently unveiled the trailer and two songs from the film which gathered positive feedback from the audience. The film marks Vijay’s debut in Hindi cinema and Ananya’s first multi-lingual film.

Apart from ‘Liger’, Ananya will be also seen in ‘Kho Gaye Hum Kahan’ along with Siddhant Chaturvedi and Gourav Adarsh. Vijay, on the other hand, will be also seen in a multi-lingual film ‘Khushi’ alongside Samantha Ruth Prabhu, which is slated to release on December 23, 2022. (ANI)

Terming China’s defence of Abdul Rauf Azhar, a top commander of Pakistan-based proscribed terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), as “unfortunate”, India on Friday said that when it comes to the collective battle against terrorism the international community has been unable to speak in one common voice.

This comes as while all other 14 members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Wednesday agreed to impose sanctions on Abdul Rauf Azhar, a top JeM commander, China stood out by coming to the defence of the terrorist and placing a hold on the proposal.
Addressing a media presser, Ministry of External Affairs Minister Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “I want to emphasize that it is unfortunate that when it comes to our collective battle against terrorism and the international community has been unable to speak in one common voice.”

Moreover, Bagchi highlighted that India will continue to pursue its principled position of bringing terrorists to justice including through the UNSC resolution.

He reiterated that India’s permanent representative in United Nations in New York during the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) open debate on August 9, had flagged this concern categorically to all members.

“We note with regret that a technical hold has been placed on the listing proposals,” Bagchi added.

Bagchi while quoting the Indian envoy to UN Ruchira Kamboj said, “There should be no double standards in dealing with terrorists. The practice of placing holds and blocks without giving any justification must end. It is most regrettable that genuine and evidence-based listing proposals pertaining to some of the most notorious terrorists in the world are being placed on hold. Double standards and continuing politicizations have rendered the credibility of the sanctions committee regime at an all-time low.”

“As you are all aware Abdul Rauf Azhar, the deputy chief of Jaish-e-Mohammad which is a UN proscribed entity was actively involved in terrorist acts such as the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC 814 in 1999 as well as the terror attacks on the Indian Parliament in 2001 and the terror attacks at Indian Army camps in Kathua in 2014 as well as the Indian Air Force (IAF) base in Pathankot base in 2016.”

Abdul Rauf Azhar “has been proscribed in Indian and US laws already therefore the placing of the technical hold against such unwanted terrorists is most uncalled for. India will continue to pursue its principled position of bringing these terrorists to justice including through the UNSC resolution 1267 sanctions regime.”

India and the United States wanted Azhar to be designated as an international terrorist and be subjected to a global travel ban and freezing of his assets, a proposal that would need to be agreed by all members in the 15-nation UNSC body but China, a permanent veto-wielding member of the UN and a close ally of Pakistan, delayed the move by putting a hold on it.

Reuters cited a spokesperson for China’s mission to the United Nations as saying that the delay was done as China needed “more time to study the case.”

“Placing holds is provided for by the Committee guidelines, and there have been quite a number of similar holds by Committee members on listing requests,” the Chinese spokesperson was quoted as saying.

Azhar has been under US sanctions since 2010 after the United States accused him of urging Pakistanis to engage in militant activities and organize suicide attacks in India.

On Tuesday, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ruchira Kamboj, in an apparent reference to China, said that the practice of placing holds and blocks on listing requests of terrorists without giving any justification must end.

India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ruchira Kamboj made these remarks during a UNSC debate on Tuesday on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts.

China on repeated occasions has put the listing of Pakistan-based terrorists under the UNSC Al-Qaeda and ISIL Sanctions Committee on hold. Earlier in June, India slammed China after it blocked the proposal to list terrorist Abdul Rehman Makki under the Sanctions Committee, also known as the UNSC 1267 Committee.

Ambassador Kamboj said India has suffered from the menace of terrorism for decades and has learned to counter this threat with resolve and firm determination.

“We hope that the international community will stand united in addressing this threat to humanity with zero tolerance,” she added.

A spokesperson of the US mission to the United Nations told Reuters, “The United States respects other countries’ needs to verify that a sanctions proposal meets their domestic evidentiary threshold to justify a listing at the UN.”

“The United States values cooperation with our Security Council partners to effectively use this tool in an apolitical way to stop terrorists from exploiting the global order to do their misdeeds,” the spokesperson added. (ANI)

On the occasion of Sara Ali Khan’s birthday, Kareena Kapoor posted a sweet birthday wish with an unseen picture on her social media account.

Taking to her Instagram stories, the ‘Jab We Met’ actor treated fans with a cute throwback picture of father-daughter duo Saif Ali Khan and a baby girl Sara.

Sharing the picture, Kareena wrote sweet birthday for Sara, “Happy Birthday darling Sara. Unlimited pizza and cakes for you today.”

In the picture, young Saif could be seen lovingly planting a kiss on her daughter’s nose. He was seen shirtless and in blue denim. On the other hand, Sara was dressed in a top and shorts. Both were spending quality time.

It’s in public knowledge that Kareena Kapoor shares a good bond with Saif and Amrita Singh’s kids – Sara and Ibrahim. On several occasions, Kareena and Sara have shared pictures from their get-together, dinner parties and vacations. Even during several chat shows and interviews, the two have maintained that they are very much cordial with each other.

Recently spilling some beans on ‘Koffee With Karan season 7’ episode 5 that how Sara (who was a kid) had a fangirl moment during the ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham’ trials, Kareena recalled an incident on the show. She said, “I remember at the K3G trials, she was hiding behind her mum…Amrita was like Sara wants a picture because she’s such a big fan. She loved Poo in K3G and You are my soniya so much! But I don’t understand why people discuss it so much. We are a family and like Aamir said if there is love and regard, this is it. They are Saif’s children, they are his priority.”

Speaking further on Saif’s equation with Ibrahim and Sara, Kareena added, “Sometimes we’re all together, and it’s great. Sometimes if he wants to have time alone, like a coffee or like an hour or two alone with Sara he’ll always tell me. They’ve been on holidays together. I think it’s important for them to bond. A friend just said they have everything, but they have just one father. And it’s so important for Saif also to give time to each of his children. I don’t know why it’s thought also. It’s never crossed my mind the way people discuss it. It’s not that difficult.”

Meanwhile, on the work front, Kareena’s ‘Laal Singh Chadha’ that clashed with Akshay Kumar’s ‘Raksha Bandhan’ was released this Thursday.

On the other hand, Sara will be seen sharing screen space with Vikrant Massey and Chitrangada Singh in ‘Gaslight’. The film is being directed by Pawan Kriplani who earlier helmed ‘Bhoot Police’ and is bankrolled by Ramesh Taurani. She has also recently finished shooting for an untitled project alongside Vicky Kaushal. (ANI)

As many as 24 Chinese aircraft and six vessels were detected by the Taiwan Defence Ministry near its territory on Friday, two days after China halted its large-scale military drills near the self-ruled island.

“Six PLAN vessels and 24 PLA aircraft around our surrounding region were detected today (August 12, 2022) until 1700(GMT+8). #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and responded to these activities with aircraft in CAP, naval vessels, and land-based missile systems,” Taiwan Defence Ministry said in tweet.
After US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi paid a visit Taiwan against China’s wishes, Beijing started holding large-scale military exercises while threatening to take over the self-ruled island. After more than a week-long training near Taiwan, China on Wednesday announced that it has concluded its military drills, simulating an attack on the island.

PLA’s Eastern Theater Command said it had successfully completed various missions during recent drills around Taiwan and effectively tested the troops’ joint operation combat capacity, state media outlet Global Times reported.

The Chinese military said they will regularly organize combat readiness patrols in the Taiwan Strait.

In response to the Chinese threat, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence said it remains on high alert following an announcement by the PLA to halt the drills.

“While PLA Eastern Theater announced that they have finished their joint military operation and will conduct routine patrol, ROCArmedForces will adjust how we deploy our forces considering multiple factors including troop morale and threats, without letting our guard down,” the ministry said in an earlier tweet.

On Tuesday, Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said China used the military drills to influence the international community’s freedom of navigation in the waters and airspace of the Taiwan Strait and to prepare for an invasion.

Wu said China’s decision to carry out military exercises in areas surrounding Taiwan is a gross violation of Taiwan’s rights under international law and gravely threatens regional peace and security.

Justifying its large-scale military drills and airspace violations in the East and South China sea, China on Tuesday said that after Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, the country is now preparing itself for every possible scenario.

Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying said that Pelosi’s Taiwan visit is a major provocation that upgraded US-Taiwan relations and a real threat to China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity adding that China has to prepare itself for every possible scenario. (ANI)

Tales of valour of Indian soldiers would soon be made part of the school curriculum to inculcate a sense of “responsibility towards the nation” among children from an early age, Union Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Friday.

“To strengthen the sense of responsibility towards the nation from an early age, the education ministry in consultation with the defence ministry will work to include the valour of our soldiers shown during the last 75 years into the school curriculum and our textbooks,” the Union Education Minister said.
He was speaking at the felicitation ceremony of 25 winners of the Veer Gatha contest in New Delhi.

According to him, there can be no better celebration of Amrit Mahotsav than honouring India’s bravehearts.

He thanked Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for initiating the ‘Veergatha Project’. He said that it is vital to developing a strong patriotic fervour and a sense of gratitude towards our jawans.

“The Super 25 and Veergatha Project have brought out young India’s patriotism and respect for our heroes in the most creative ways,” he said. He assured that the Education Ministry will soon develop an institutional mechanism for awarding academic credits for certificates received under this initiative.

He also suggested renaming this contest ‘Sena Super 25’ in the honor of our soldiers.

“This time Super 25 was conducted among 8 lakh students from 5,000 schools. We will work to take this initiative to all schools in India and to over one crore students going forward,” he added. (ANI)

Amid the race for the Conservative party leadership, British Prime Minister hopeful Rishi Sunak has vowed to support the most vulnerable people of the UK amid the rising energy crisis in the country.

“People need reassurance now about what we will do and I make no apology for concentrating on what matters most. Because whatever the ‘boosterish’ talk of others, you can’t heat your home with hope,” he wrote in an opinion piece for the British daily The Times.
As the campaign to be the next prime minister continues, Sunak said that he totally focused on tackling household challenges like inflation that his country faces today. However, several analysts and successive surveys point out that the most pressing challenge that Sunak faces is the way to 10 Downing Street.

The Conservative party leadership results are just a few weeks away but it looks like Liz Truss’s victory over Rishi Sunak is imminent. The result of the vote to decide who will replace Boris Johnson as the next British Prime Minister is due on September 5.

Last week’s poll showed how a significant number of Conservative party members who were polled back Liz Truss against Rishi Sunak. A survey of members of the governing Conservative Party showed that Truss is firmly ahead of rival Sunak in the race to replace Boris Johnson as the UK PM.

“YouGov gives her a 34 point lead which extends, on a forced choice, to a 38 point lead (69 per cent to 31 per cent). Divide our 16 points of don’t know and others evenly between the candidates and, lo, Truss has a 32 point lead (66 per cent to 34 per cent),” the survey said.

Not only this, independent surveys and polls have shown Truss consistently scoring ahead of Rishi Sunak. As the final date of the results is approaching, the UK Foreign Secretary is even stretching her lead.

“Those interested in polling and the recent past will note that we originally found Truss ahead of Sunak by 17 points (July 12) and that the gap then closed to seven points (July 17). YouGov had Truss ahead of Sunak by 24 points (July 13) with the gap then closing to 18 points (July 20) – on an unforced choice in both cases,” ConservativeHome survey said.

Sunak needs a massive game-changer to turn this contest round if new ConservativeHome findings and YouGov’s are right. (ANI)

A policeman was injured after terrorists fired at a joint naka party of the police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in the Bijbehara area of Anantnag in Jammu and Kashmir, informed the Jammu and Kashmir police on Friday.

The injured policeman was immediately evacuated to a hospital for treatment.
Following this, the area was cordoned off and a search is in progress.

“Terrorists fired upon joint naka party of police/CRPF in #Bijbehara area of #Anantnag. In this terror incident, one police personnel got injured who was immediately evacuated to hospital for treatment. Area cordoned off. Search in progress,” tweeted the Jammu and Kashmir police.

Earlier, three Indian Army personnel on Thursday succumbed to injuries received while neutralising two terrorists carrying out a suicide bomb attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri.

Subedar Rajendra Prasad, Rifleman Manoj Kumar and Rifleman Lakshmanan D made the supreme sacrifice for the country during the operation Thursday morning.

The Army managed to foil the suicide bomb attack on its base here and killed both the terrorists.

A labourer from Bihar was fired upon by terrorists at Soadnara Sumbal in Jammu and Kashmir’s Bandipora district on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, following which he succumbed to his injuries, police said.

The deceased labourer was identified as Mohd Amrez, hailing from Bihar’s Madhepura.

Soon after being shot, he was shifted to the hospital for treatment where he died. (ANI)