Modi's Birthday

Ahead Of Modi’s Birthday: BJP Worker Showcases His Portrait Using Grains, Millets

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s birthday on September 17, a BJP worker in Pune is showcasing PM Modi’s portrait using grains and millets.

BJP worker Kishor Tarwade said, “The size of the portrait is 10X18 feet and it has been created using around 60 kg of grains like wheat, lentils and millets (Jawar, Raagi). The portrait will be kept for display from September 16 to September 18 for visitors at the Budhwar Peth area of Pune city in Kalika Mata Mandir Bhavan. No fee would be charged to have a look out at the display.”

The portrait has been created by artist Ganesh Khare and his team in 18 hours.

Kishor Tarwade added, “Wheat, til, masoor daal, hari moong daal, jawar raagi, toor daal, and sarso have been used to make the portrait.”

Prime Minister Modi is going to celebrate his 73rd birthday on September 17. He was born in 1950. (ANI)

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Narendra Modi Praises Innovators On Engineers Day

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday extended his greetings on the occasion of Engineers Day, saying the tireless dedication of professionals in the field has been the backbone of the nation’s progress over the years.

PM Modi took to his official handle on the social media platform ‘X’ to pay homage to one of the country’s foremost civil engineers, M Visvesvaraya, whose birth anniversary is celebrated as ‘Engineers Day’.

“Greetings to all hardworking engineers on #EngineersDay! Their innovative minds and tireless dedication have been the backbone of our nation’s progress. From infrastructural marvels to tech breakthroughs, their contributions touch every aspect of our lives,” PM Modi posted on X.

Calling him a visionary engineer and statesman, PM Modi said he continues to inspire generations to innovate and serve the nation.

“On #EngineersDay we pay homage to Sir M Visvesvaraya, a visionary engineer and statesman. He continues to inspire generations to innovate and serve the nation. Here are glimpses from Chikkaballapura, where I paid homage to him during my visit earlier this year,” Modi said in another post.

Born on September 15, 1861, in Muddenahalli near Chikkaballapur, Visvesvaraya is considered one of the foremost nation-builders.

He designed several leading landmarks, which have, over the years, come to define and characterise modern India.

He also served as the 19th Dewan of Mysuru, formerly known as Mysore, from 1912 to 1918. (ANI)

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Modi Saudi Crown Prince

Modi, Saudi Crown Prince Hold Bilateral Talks

Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held a bilateral meeting in New Delhi.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and others were present in the meeting.

The Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, who arrived here on a three-day State visit to India attended the G20 Summit in the national capital over the weekend.

The two leaders will also co-chair the First Leaders’ Meeting of the Strategic Partnership Council. PM Modi and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince will review the progress made under the two Ministerial Committees of the Strategic Partnership Council i.e. the Committee on Political, Security, Social and Cultural Cooperation and the Committee on Economy and Investments Cooperation, according to a release from the Ministry of External Affairs.

PM Modi and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince will discuss all aspects of bilateral relations, including political, security, defence, trade and economic, cultural and people-to-people ties. Both the leaders will also discuss the regional and international issues of mutual interest.

The Saudi Crown Prince is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Ministers and senior officials.

Prior to his meeting with PM Modi, the Saudi Arabian Crown Prince received a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan PM Modi and President Droupadi Murmu welcomed the Saudi Arabian Crown Prince at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The Saudi Crown Prince then inspected a combined defence services Guard of Honour. In a brief statement, Mohammed bin Salman congratulated India for a successful G20 presidency.

Speaking to reporters, he said, “Well done India, a lot of announcements made that will benefit both our countries, the G20 countries and the whole world. So I want to say to India well done, and we will work to create a future for both countries.”

Later in the day, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince is scheduled to call on President Droupadi Murmu.

At the G20 Leaders’ Summit on Saturday, India, the United States, Saudi Arabia and the European Union announced a historic agreement to launch a mega India-Middle East-Europe shipping and railway connectivity corridor.

This is a historic and first-of-its-kind initiative on cooperation on connectivity and infrastructure involving India, UAE, Saudi Arabia, EU, France, Italy, Germany and the US.

Speaking at the G20 Summit, Prince Mohammed bin Salman said, “… We look forward to the integration of the initiative and the Economic Corridor project which is announced in this meeting. I would like to thank those who worked with us to reach this founding step to establish this important economic corridor…”

PM Narendra Modi said the mega-deal would give a sustainable direction to connectivity and sustainability across the world. Earlier, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince visited India on a State visit in February 2019 and the current visit will be his second State visit to the country.

“India and Saudi Arabia have historically close and friendly relations with extensive people-to-people contacts. The trade between both countries reached all-time high of USD 52.75 billion in FY 2022-23, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in an earlier press release.

India is Saudi Arabia’s second-largest trading partner whereas Saudi Arabia is India’s fourth-largest trading partner. Both countries also have a strong partnership in the area of energy, according to an MEA statement released earlier.

Saudi Arabia also hosted a three-day event in conjunction with the G20 Leader’s Summit to provide an immersive and interactive experience of the Kingdom’s leading projects in various fields.

The event titled ‘Media Oasis’ was organized on September 9 and will conclude on September 11 in New Delhi. The event aims to provide an immersive experience of Saudi Arabia’s leading projects in the sectors of tourism, entertainment, technology, culture and sports. The overarching theme of the exhibit is ‘Vision 2030’, an initiative by Saudi Arabia aimed towards the diversification of the country economically, socially, and culturally. (ANI)

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Time For The Saheb To Go

Almost 75 in a nation of the young and aspiring, the cynics are of the considered view that the PM should perhaps consider joining the ‘Margdarshak Mandal’ of his party, along with luminaries like his mentor, LK Advani, and Murli Manohar Joshi. There is a time to arrive and celebrate, and there is a time to go, as the song goes. Or else, history might repeat itself in a pattern so predictable and pathetic that even immortality would seem commonplace, as Argentine poet and short-story writer, Jorge Luis Borges would say.

Not only the eerie silence on a ravaged Manipur, which continues to be trapped in tragedy till this day, and the hounding and harassment of our world champion women wrestlers while protecting a BJP bahubali from UP, all the trump cards seem to be collapsing for the Hindutva regime in Delhi. The ‘nafrat ka bazaar’ seems to have no buyers, and the ‘mohabbat ki dukaan’ seems to be resurrecting yet again in a country brutalized by the vicious ‘acche din’ — since the ill-fated, hate-filled, scorching summer of 2014.

The Uniform Civil Code card failed so abysmally that it did not even take off. The organized Nuh-Gurgaon communal polarization, in what has been a historically peaceful social co-existence, was yet again countered by the farmers, and so effectively, with their huge mahapanchayats, that the sublime synthesis of ‘Har Har Mahadev’ and ‘Allah-o-Akbar’ sweetened the air like the sweet smell of melting jaggery in the lush green fields of western UP. The farmers have yet again played such a resilient, path-breaking and visionary role in this era of hate politics that their contribution will be written in golden letters in the history of our times.

Now, they seem to be riding on the ‘double-engine’ of a ‘one-nation-one election’ syndrome, after their partisan ‘double-engine’ regimes have behaved with such grotesque and willful irresponsibility in Manipur and Haryana. So, is the fake messiah not sure of his one-dimensional, money and muscle powers anymore?

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav has responded with sound rhetoric: “Prime Minister Narendra Modi is talking about ‘one nation, one election’ now. He will later talk about just central elections and do away with the need for state elections. He will then assert, ‘one nation, one party’, ‘one nation, one leader’, ‘one nation, one language’, ‘one nation, one pehelwan (strongman)’, ‘one nation, one religion’. These are useless things. These will not be successful.”

So, will the PM also win Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Telengana – where the Congress seems poised for a decisive victory? Besides, will he also ride the glorious chariot of victory in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Delhi, Maharashtra and Kerala? And what about Jammu and Kashmir — where he and his party has played all their cards wrong, and unleashed such mass suffering — will he hold assembly elections out there, with or without Article 370? Indeed, without UP and Gujarat, what does the BJP have to score decisive victories against INDIA?

ALSO READ: High Time Adani Group Was Investigated In India

Contrary to those perennial cynics who are actually playing a dubious game for the BJP, all seems to be well with the INDIA alliance. As for the contentious issue of one-to-one seat- sharing, this has been in the process of finalization since the early dialogue led by Nitish Kumar with opposition leaders. The Congress has constantly pushed forward the spirit of consensus and flexibility, and, even this time, Mamata Banerjee was seen engrossed in conversation with Rahul Gandhi, while, she, yet again, greeted Sonia Gandhi with great warmth.

Even Akhilesh Yadav seems to have upped his ante, including on social media, and with the participation of Jayant Choudhury, leader of RLD in western UP, they will once again give a tough time to the BJP, which, anyway, had no ground support among the farmers in this fertile, green revolution belt. It is only after the socially engineered, polarizing violence unleashed before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, that a peaceful western UP witnessed hate politics for the first time.

After the successful Mumbai meeting, Nitish Kumar said, “There is no problem with seat-sharing. We are talking among ourselves. Internally, everything will be done very soon. Don’t worry about these things. We will do it and then let you all know. We have decided to finalise everything this month.”

If anything, the recent assembly results for the bypolls are signs of an unhappy narrative unfolding for the ruling party. INDIA has won four, the BJP three, and that too in Tripura and Uttarakhand, which do not really count in the larger electoral battle. The Trinamool Congress has wrested back the Dhupguri assembly seat in West Bengal from the BJP. In Kerala, contesting against the strong and popular turf created by the late Oomen Chandy, the BJP has lost its deposit. And, most crucially, it has lost the bitterly contested seat of Ghosi in UP where the INDIA alliance fielded a joint candidate. 

Meanwhile, there is more bad news coming for the crushed Hindutva brigade in Karnataka. RSS strategist BL Santosh, who botched it up so badly in the assembly polls, called a meeting of the party and its state leaders. Significantly, former chief ministers BS Yediyurappa and Basavaraj Bommai, former deputy chief minister KS Eshwarappa, BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel, Padmanabanagar MLA R Ashok and Mahalakshmi Layout MLA K Gopalaiah, and other leaders from Shivamogga district did not turn up. Besides, several BJP leaders are tipped to be keen to join the ruling Congress, even while the party seems totally rudderless in the state and in the assembly.

More so, the Modani shadow has yet again loomed large on the sinking fortunes of the PM and his best businessman buddy. Two of the most prestigious newspapers in the UK have reported on more shady deals and Rahul Gandhi wasted no time in hitting where it really hurts.

The Guardian headline said: ‘Modi-linked Adani family secretly invested in own shares, documents suggest’. The report was categorical: “Since the Hindenburg report was published, Modi has faced difficult questions about the nature of his partnership with Gautam Adani and allegations of preferential treatment of the Adani Group by his government.”

The Financial Times headline said, ‘Adani shares slide and politicians demand action after reports on hidden investors’. The report said, “The reports have shone a spotlight on Indian institutions and the relationship between the conglomerate’s founder, Gautam Adani, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a febrile atmosphere ahead of elections early next year.”

Now, accusing George Soros’ Open Society Foundations, would be meaningless. The democrat-philanthropist-industrialist is not the only donor to the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), a collective of investigative journalists that worked with the Financial Times and The Guardian. Itsdonors include, yes, the US State Department, the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, the ministry of Europe & foreign affairs of France, and the ministry of foreign affairs of Denmark.

Hence, while Big Brother might be watching all over in India, the world, especially the West, too, is watching the rise and fall of a home-grown tyrant. While thousands of ordinary folks and daily-wagers might be losing their bread and butter during the lockdown unleashed due to the hyperbole around the G-20 summit in Delhi, there are transparent signals that the world powers are aware of a certain paradigm shift in India. While the poor people’s quarters were compelled to vanish, hidden with huge green sheets, even the streets were sanitised. Street dogs of Delhi were treated with such bestiality that it was heart-breaking. Wonder what they did with the holy cows of Hindutva wandering on the streets and eating all kind of junk from garbage bins?

Barring the stooge media, this is clearly reflected in the mood of the nation, as much as in the manner in which the Opposition alliance seems confident before the countdown of 2024.

Indeed, you don’t need a full moon night to see that the tide is rising in the horizon. It’s once again time for ‘khela hobe’. Surely, it’s time to get onto the other side.

Trudeau Attacks India Again

We Are Always There To Prevent Violence: Trudeau On Khalistan

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that he had many conversations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of Khalistan extremism and “foreign interference”, and Ottawa will always defend freedom of expression, and at the same time will always be there to prevent violence.

He further emphasized that the “actions of the few” do not represent the entire community or Canada.

When asked about if the issues of Khalistan extremism and “foreign interference” did come up during discussions with PM Modi during the G20 Summit, he said, “Both the issues came up. Over the years, with PM Modi, we have had many conversations on both of those issues. Canada will always defend freedom of expression, freedom of conscience, and freedom of peaceful protest and it is extremely important to us. At the same time, we are always there to prevent violence and to push back against hatred”.

“I think on the issue of the community, it is important to remember that the actions of the few do not represent the entire community or Canada. The flip side of it, we also highlighted the importance of respecting the rule of law and we did talk about foreign interference,” he added.

Notably, multiple incidents of Khalistan extremism have been reported in Canada over the past few years. 

In June this year, a tableau parade was organised in Canada celebrating the assassination of former PM Indira Gandhi, which drew severe criticism from New Delhi. In March this year, Khalistan supporters held a protest outside the Indian Embassy in Canada. They raised pro-Khalistan slogans and allegedly assaulted Indian-origin journalists present on the spot.

Multiple temples have also been vandalised in Canada by pro-Khalistani protestors, with anti-India graffitis.

Earlier in July, India also raised concerns over threats to its diplomats in posters being circulated in Canada with information on a pro-Khalistan rally to be held on July 8. The posters contained threats to the Indian Ambassador to Canada and the consulate general in Toronto.

The posters purportedly circulated by Sikh extremists have named Indian High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma and the Consulate General of India, Toronto, Apoorva Srivastava accusing them of playing a role in the June killing of Khalistan Tiger Force chief and designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. (ANI)

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india G20 presidency

It Was Momentous: G20 Summit Chief Coordinator

The Chief co-ordinator of India’s G20 presidency Harsh Vardhan Shringla said that the adaptation of the Delhi declaration was momentous and has addressed the requirements and concerns of the global south.

He said, “We have ensured that the PM’s vision of an outcome-oriented presidency would be held and it has been seen in every aspect of the way we have conducted the Summit. We have achieved the objectives of the Global South. We have addressed the requirements and the concerns of the Global South”.

“It was momentous because, in a normal multilateral process, you have to go to the end of any Summit to attain a consensus on an outcome document. The fact that we have come up with the consensus document with the support of our G20 partners on the first day of our presidency is a tremendously positive news,” he added.

Shringla also welcomed the inclusion of the African Union in the G20 grouping and said, “We are very happy that PM Modi announced the advent of the African Union as the permanent member of the G20 under our presidency.”

On September 9, the Delhi Declaration was adopted. It called on nations to uphold international law, including territorial integrity, international humanitarian law and the multilateral system that safeguards peace and stability.

The declaration envisages a green development pact for a sustainable future, it endorses high-level principles on lifestyle for sustainable development, voluntary principles of hydrogen, the Chennai principles for a sustainable resilient blue economy and the Deccan principles on food security and nutrition among others

The biggest takeaway of the declaration was that all 83 paragraphs of the declaration were passed unanimously with a 100 per cent consensus along with China and Russia in agreement. For the first time, the declaration contained no footnote or Chair’s Summary.

The G20 meeting on Saturday also saw the African Union being inducted as the new permanent member of G20 thereby offering developing nations a greater say in global decision-making

PM Narendra Modi on Saturday also launched the Global Biofuels Alliance in the presence of US President Joe Biden, President of Brazil Luiz Inacio, President of Argentina, Alberto Fernández and Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni. The Global Biofuel Alliance is one of the priorities under India’s G20 Presidency.

Another major takeaway from Day 1 of the summit, was the announcement launch of a mega India-Middle East-Europe shipping and railway connectivity corridor by India, the US, Saudi Arabia and the European Union. (ANI)

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G20 Day2 Mega Conclave

G20 Day2 : Full Schedule Of Mega Conclave

After a successful first day of the G20 summit being held under India’s presidency in New Delhi, the G20 summit now heads to day 2 of the world leader’s conclave.  

Day 2 of the G20 summit started with the leaders visiting Delhi’s Raj Ghat to lay wreaths at the Samadhi of the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi. A musical tribute featuring favourite hymns of Mahatma Gandhi was also played at the wreath laying function. 

The leaders will head for the Bharat Mandapam where a Tree planting ceremony will take place at the South Plaza. This will be followed by the the third session of the G20 summit ‘One Future’ which will be held at Bharat Mandapam. 

A G20 exhibition for spouses of World leaders is also scheduled for the 2nd day of the summit.   

Earlier on Saturday the Delhi Declaration was adopted. It called on nations to uphold international law, including territorial integrity, international humanitarian law and the multilateral system that safeguards peace and stability.

The declaration envisages a green development pact for a sustainable future, it endorses highlevel principles on lifestyle for sustainable development, voluntary principles of hydrogen, the Chennai principles for a sustainable resilient blue economy and the Deccan principles on food security and nutrition among others

The biggest takeaway of the declaration was that all 83 paras of the declaration were passed unanimously with a 100 per cent consensus along with China and Russia in agreement. For the first time, the declaration contained no footnote or Chair’s Summary.

The G20 meeting on Saturday also saw the African Union being inducted as the new permanent member of G20 thereby offering developing nations a greater say in global decision-making

PM Narendra Modi on Saturday also launched the Global Biofuels Alliance in the presence of US President Joe Biden, President of Brazil Luiz Inacio, President of Argentina, Alberto Fernández and Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni.

The Global Biofuel Alliance is one of the priorities under India’s G20 Presidency.

Brazil, India, and the United States, as leading biofuel producers and consumers, will work together during the next few months towards the development of a Global Biofuels Alliance along with other interested countries.

Another major takeaway from Day 1 of the summit, was the announcement launch of a mega India-Middle East-Europe shipping and railway connectivity corridor by India, the US, Saudi Arabia and the European Union. (ANI)

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Sunak With Wife At Delhi’s Akshardham

Sunak With Wife Offer Prayers At Delhi’s Akshardham

United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty on Sunday offered prayers at Akshardham Temple in Delhi. 

Sunak, who is on an official visit to the city for the G20 Summit arrived with wife Akshata at the Akshardham Temple early this morning to offer prayers before heading to Rajghat. Akshata was seen in a traditional salwar kurta and both she and Sunak were photographed barefoot inside the temple premises. 

Earlier on Friday, Sunak had in an interaction with ANI called himself “a proud Hindu” and said he wished to visit the Mandir during his stay in the capital.

Elaborate security arrangements were put in place in and around the temple.

In a post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, Akshardham Temple stated, “Honoured to welcome Prime Minister @RishiSunak and #AkshataMurthy to celebrate the shared cultural heritage between India and the UK.”

PM Sunak and his convoy arrived at 6.45 in the morning and were warmly welcomed in a traditional Hindu manner symbolising goodwill and friendship, the BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple said in a statement.

Sunak was then greeted by swamis, as well as senior leaders from the Temple who relayed a special message on behalf of Mahant Swami Maharaj, spiritual leader of BAPS.

The spiritual leader extended his personal wishes and prayers for Sunak and the other delegates, the temple authorities said.

“In the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, we pray for you and all the attendees: May the summit be a resounding success in collectively helping the whole world towards peace, righteous prosperity, and global harmony,” the message from Mahant Swami Maharaj, spiritual leader of BAPS read.

The UK Prime Minister was given an overview of the 100-acre spiritual and cultural complex that portrays the traditions and ancient architecture of India and promotes the timeless Hindu spiritual messages of faith, devotion and harmony, the statement read.

Sunak and his wife paid their respects to the sacred images in the and admired the art and architecture. The couple also performed abhishek (ritual pouring of water) on the murti of Shri Nilkanth Varni Maharaj, and offered prayers for world peace, progress and harmony, the BAPS said.

Speaking to ANI, the Akshardham Temple Director Jyotindra Dave said Sunak had an “extraordinary experience” at the temple.

“He enjoyed every minute here. He went on extending the time and the people were really worried that he had so many programs but nobody can say that we have to go out. It is he who decides and his wife also was very happy. He performed the Pooja and Aarti with a lot of faith…We showed him the temple and also gave him a model of the temple as a gift.”

While speaking to ANI on Friday, Rishi Sunak had expressed his hope that he will find time to visit a temple, here in India, during his stay for the G20 Summit.

“I am a proud Hindu. That’s how I was raised, that’s how I am. Hopefully, I can visit the Mandir while I am here for the next couple of days. We just had Rakshabandhan, so from my sister and my cousin, I have all my Rakhis,” Rishi Sunak said.

“I didn’t have time to celebrate Janmashtami. But hopefully, as I said I can make up for that if we visit a Mandir this time,” he added.

He further said that faith is something very important as it gives strength and resilience during stress.

“It is something that is important to me. I think faith is something that helps everybody who has faith in their lives, particularly when you have these stressful jobs like I do. Having faith gives you resilience, gives you strength that is important and it provides an outlook on life which I find particularly valuable,” Sunak added.

Rishi Sunak along with his wife Akshata Murty arrived in New Delhi on Friday to attend the G20 Summit hosted by India under its Presidency. (ANI)

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G20 Japan First Lady in Saree

G20: Delegates Embrace Indian Fashion, Japan First Lady Dons A Saree

From Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s wife Yuko Kishida to IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva, several top foreign dignitaries donned traditional Indian ensembles at the G-20 Dinner hosted by President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday night.

For the special occasion, all guests were dressed to the nines. Many opted to embrace Indian fashion in special ways.

IMF Chief Georgieva arrived at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi for the G-20 Dinner in a purple ethnic suit that she paired with a golden dupatta.

She looked exquisite in Indian wear.

Japanese PM Fumio Kishida’s wife Yuko Kishida wore a beautiful green saree. She complemented her outfit with a pink blouse.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s wife Tshepo Motsepe donned an Indo-western outfit. She tied her hair in a bun and accessorised it with a gajra.

Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Kumar came for the dinner in a black bandhgala suit. His wife Kobita Jugnauth looked gorgeous in a saree.

Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, exuded ethnic charm in a saree teamed with a pearl necklace.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s wife Akshata Murty added a traditional touch to her modern outfit. 

Before the start of the dinner, President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi warmly welcomed world leaders at a dias, set against a backdrop depicting the ruins of the Nalanda University in Bihar and India’s G20 presidency theme — ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – One Earth, One Family, One Future’.

PM Modi wore a white kurta and churidar. He elevated his look with a blue V-neck striped jacket. President Murmu donned a traditional beige saree with a contrasting turquoise border.

Prior to the dinner, PM Modi met world leaders at the inaugural session of the two-day G20 Summit. (ANI)

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G20: African Union Becomes Full Member

G20: African Union Becomes Full Member

In a landmark development, the African Union was made a full member of the Group of Twenty under India’s presidency of the G20.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his inaugural address of the first session of the Global Leaders’ Summit, announced that the African Union has been made a full member of the G20 on Saturday.

“Honoured to welcome the African Union as a permanent member of the G20 Family. This will strengthen the G20 and also strengthen the voice of the Global South,” wrote PM Modi on X.

In his opening remarks at the 18th G20 Leaders’ Summit, PM Modi invited the AU, represented by Chairperson Azali Assoumani, to take a seat at the table of G20 leaders as a permanent member.

“With everyone’s approval, I request the AU head to take his seat as a permanent G20 member,” Modi said in his address.

Following PM Modi’s announcement, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar accosted the President of the Union of Comoros and Chairperson of the African Union (AU), Azali Assoumani as he took his seat among world leaders.

Adding the African Union as a member of G20 was among India’s key aims to achieve during the ongoing G20 summit. African Union is a continental union consisting of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa.

The move to include the African Union in the G20 grouping was proposed by PM Modi earlier this June.

“Before we start the proceedings of G20, I want to express my condolences over the loss of lives due to an earthquake in Morocco. We pray that all injured recover at the earliest. India is ready to offer all possible assistance to Morocco in this difficult time,” PM Modi said in his inaugural address.

In June 2023, Prime Minister Modi said that he had written to G20 counterparts to provide the African Union with full membership at this G20 Summit. PM Modi had proposed that AU be given full membership on their request.

In a recent editorial that has been published in newspapers, PM Modi wrote “The voice of Global South Summit, which witnessed participation from 125 countries, was one of the foremost initiatives under our Presidency. It was an important exercise to gather inputs and ideas from the Global South. Further, our Presidency has not only seen the largest-ever participation from African countries but has also pushed for the inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member of the G20.”

Prior to the first session of the G20 Leaders’ Summit, PM Modi welcomed the global leaders at the G20 venue, Pragati Maidan’s Bharat Mandapam. It was an occasion of all hugs and handshakes.

Later, PM Modi addressed the inauguration of the first G20 Leaders’ session, where he welcomed AU to join G20.

“Before we start the proceedings of G20, I want to express my condolences over the loss of lives due to an earthquake in Morocco. We pray that all injured recover at the earliest. India is ready to offer all possible assistance to Morocco in this difficult time, PM Modi said in his inaugural address.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called upon the international community to transform the global trust deficit into one of trust and reliance. He stressed that it is time for the world to move together. 

In his address at Session-1 on ‘One Earth’ during the G20 Summit being hosted under India’s Presidency, PM Modi said, “Following the COVID pandemic, the world faced a new challenge of trust deficit and unfortunately, the wars have further deepened this. But we must remember that if we can defeat a pandemic like COVID, we can also win over the challenge of this trust deficit. Today, as the President of the G20, India calls upon the entire world to transform this global trust deficit into trust and confidence. This is the time for all of us to move together.”

He further said, “In this time, the mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas’ can be the torch bearer for us. Be it the divide between North and South, the distance between East and West, management of food and fuel, terrorism, cyber security, health, energy or water security, we will have to find a solid solid solution to this for future generations.”

PM Modi also invited the head of the African Union to take his seat as a member of the G20 as the first session of the Summit started in Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan. Following this President of the Union of Comoros and Chairperson of the African Union (AU), Azali Assoumani took his seat as the Union and became a permanent member of the G20.

Before the start of the proceedings of the G20 Summit, PM Modi offered condolences over the loss of lives due to an earthquake in Morocco. PM Modi said, “We pray that all injured recover at the earliest. India is ready to offer all possible assistance to Morocco in this difficult time.”

Before the G20 Summit commenced, PM Modi welcomed world leaders, including US President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, UK PM Rishi Sunak, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. 

As the leaders arrived one by one, they were greeted by PM Modi, in the backdrop showcased the Konark Wheel from Odisha. The Konark wheel was built during the 13th century under the reign of King Narasimhadeva-I. The wheel with 24 spokes has been adapted into India’s national flag embodying India’s ancient wisdom, advanced civilisation, and architectural excellence.

The rotating motion of the Konark Wheel, symbolizes time, Kalachakra as well as progress and continuous change. It serves as a powerful symbol of the wheel of democracy that reflects the resilience of democratic ideals, and commitment to progress in society.

The theme of this year’s G20 Summit, which is taking place under India’s presidency is “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” or “One Earth · One Family · One Future.” Notably, India assumed the G20 Presidency on December 1 last year. (ANI)  

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