A farmer has been found dead under mysterious circumstances in Andhra Pradesh. Reportedly, the farmer, Koteswara Rao, from Guntur was tortured to death by the Guntur police for refusing to give his land at Kodaveedu in Guntur district to make a temporary helipad for Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. He was reportedly asked to fell his papaya crop to make way for the CM’s helipad. Koteswara reportedly had leased 14 acres of land.
Since then, Naidu has come under severe criticism from all quarters. BJP Andhra Pradesh took to Twitter to criticise Chandrababu Naidu. The official Twitter handle of BJP Andhra Pradesh tweeted, “What is the price for refusing to allow chopper landing of AP CM Chandrababu Naidu in AP? Death! Yes, a farmer was killed by Naidu govt. for refusing to allow his field for chopper landing. He was beaten by police which caused his death. Why do you hate farmers so much?”
What is the price for refusing to allow chopper landing of AP CM Chandra Babu Naidu in AP?
Death!
Yes, a farmer was killed by @ncbn Govt. for refusing to allow his field for chopper landing.
BJP has also written to the Union Home Ministry seeking a probe into the matter. YSR Congress also took strong cognisance of the alleged torture and death of farmer Koteswara Rao and formed a 3 member fact-finding committee. After the YSR Congress fact-finding committee visited Guntur, however, check posts were set up by police allowing people to enter the village only after showing their ID.
Despite the pressure, the family has stuck to its stand that Koteswara was tortured to death by the police. The police have been denying all such allegations. An investigation was on after a case had been registered under Section 174 of IPC. The police had even circulated a couple of where they were urging people not to believe in rumours.
“My father died after being beaten up by the police and he is not a cowardly man to commit suicide. The police are trying to hush up the matter by trying to portray it as suicide. Even if he had consumed poison, how could a man die instantly? We demand that the government take action against the policemen responsible for my father’s death,’’ said Veeranjaneyulu, Koteswara’s son.
The Pakistan army has started preparing for a possible conflict. After reports of the administrations issuing advisories for people residing in areas close to the LoC, it has been reported that the Pakistan army has instructed hospitals to be ready for emergency medical support.
As per a report in Times of India, the Pakistani army based in the Headquarters Quetta Logistical Area (HQLA) has written to the Jilani hospital on February 20 to arrange and plan for large scale medical support in the looming possibility of a conflict with India.
The letter also reportedly mentioned that in addition to army medical facilities, civilian hospitals have also been instructed to keep 25% of their bedding capacity ready for injured soldiers.
The hospital in Balochistan has been informed officially by Asia Naz, force commander, HQLA, that in case of an emergency war on the eastern front, the HQLA is expected to receive injured soldiers from civil and military hospitals in Sindh and Punjab. After initial treatment there, these soldiers will be shifted to civil hospitals in Balochistan until the availability of civil-military hospitals (CMHs).
In addition to this, the Pakistan government has already issued advisories to the local authorities in Neelum, Jhelum, Rawalkot, Haweli, Kotli, and Bhimber areas to warn the residents along the LoC about the possibility of an upcoming war.
It was also reported by Times of India that the Pakistan army has begun relocating the terrorists in the launchpads along the LoC.
Yesterday, the Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Bajwa also reportedly visited the Pakistani troops stationed along the LoC. In a press conference later, the army spokesperson stated that their PM Imran Khan has asked them to respond ‘strongly and decisively’ in case of any misadventure from India.
In India, the Kashmir valley has been rife with speculations and rumors after separatist leader Yaseen Malik was detained late last night. Earlier, the government had ordered the withdrawal of security cover provided to separatists leaders. Some reports say that his detention has been done keeping the crucial hearing over the article 35A in the Supreme Court on Monday. Malik was taken to the Kothibagh police station.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has reportedly given orders for moving 100 additional companies of paramilitary forces into the Jammu and Kashmir. These include 45 companies of CRPF, 35 of BSF, 10 of SSB and 10 companies of ITPB.
MHA last night gave orders to deploy 100 companies of Paramilitary forces to Kashmir which includes 45 Companies of CRPF, 35 Coys of BSF, 10 SSB & 10 companies of ITBP. Leaves and training also likely on hold, say sources. Forces to deal with law and order situation in Kashmir.
An official letter is on this order was cited by many media reports.
MHA letter, Image courtesy: Sakal Bhat on Twitter
There are also reports of a massive crackdown on Jamat-e-Islami leaders. Security forces have reportedly carried out raids and arrested dozens of Jamat-e-Islami leaders from Srinagar and around.
Some crackdown on Jamaat-e-Islami is underway in Kashmir Valley. In last few hours, many of its leaders have been picked up. Including: pic.twitter.com/JSoga88Luo
After the Pulwama attack of February 14 that claimed the lives of 40 CRPF soldiers, there have been expectations of a large scale retaliation from the Indian government against Pakistan sponsored terrorists and its army that sponsors them. Reports already inform that the military grade RDX used in the Pulwama blast was supplied by the Pakistan army.
PM Modi had stated earlier that not only India will take all necessary steps to isolate Pakistan internationally, but it has also instructed the security forces to plan and execute a suitable retaliatory action.
A complaint has been filed against the Caravan magazine and journalist Ajaz Ashraf in the National Commission for Scheduled Caste in relation to an article published by the magazine which highlighted the castes of the CRPF soldiers martyred in the Pulwama terrorist attack. The complaint has been filed by Satish Vaid, head of the SC and ST Cell of Agniveer, an organisation committed to promoting the Vedic Dharma.
Head – SC ST Cell, Agniveer @VaidSatish has filed a formal complaint to National Commission for Scheduled Caste against an article written by Ajaz Ashraf and published in Caravan Magazine on 21.2.2019 on castes of slain jawans in Pulwama attack. pic.twitter.com/vyv5ZHwZfC
The complaint mentions how the article titled “Urban upper castes driving Hindutva nationalism have little representation among Pulwama’s slain jawans” written by Ajaz Ashraf is an insult to the martyred soldiers whose only identity was Indian. The complaint also states that such highlighting of castes of the slain soldiers will show their families in a bad light in this time of grief by giving out the impression that they are playing caste victims to seek caste-based benefits, which is not true. It is alleged in the complaint that the article is based on false allegations and has requested for the filing of an FIR against the author under the SC and ST Atrocities Act and removal of the article.
The headline of the controversial article, which reduced the Pulwama martyrs to their castes, itself suggests that the article was aimed at creating a caste divide in the Armed Forces. The article is laden with divisive language like urban middle-class, upper-caste Indians and so on. The author has also informed that he called the grieving family members of the martyrs to know their castes. The article has been highly criticised for its divisive undertones and false claims.
Global terror financing watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has condemned the Pulwama terrorist attack in its plenary meeting in Paris. It has decided to keep Pakistan in its Grey list considering that the country has failed to complete the actions plans having deadlines in January 2019, and had asked Pakistan to complete its action plan which is due in May 2019.
Financial Action Task Force (FATF): Given the limited progress on action plan items due in January 2019, the FATF urges Pakistan to swiftly complete its action plan particularly those with timelines of May 2019.
The organisation has also called out the country for failing to understand the risk posed by terrorist organisations like Al‑Qaida, Jamat‑ud‑Dawa, Lashkar‑e‑Taiba, Jaish‑e‑Mohammad and persons associated with the Taliban.
FATF: Pakistan does not demonstrate a proper understanding of the risk posed by terrorist groups AQ, JuD, LeT, JeM, and persons affiliated with the Taliban. Pakistan should continue to work on implementing its action plan to address its strategic deficiencies. https://t.co/4dtwx0mFyl
Seems like Pakistan’s farce of reinstating the ban on the terrorist organisation Jamat‑ud‑Dawa run by 26/11 terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and its charity Falah‑e‑Insaniyat did not help the country in saving its face before the international community. The country has been given the October deadline to complete its action plan to get out of the grey list, failing which it might be blacklisted. Being in the FATF grey list makes it difficult for a country to get international loans.
On 22 February 2019, the official Twitter handle of Youth Congress posted a tweet claiming that Rahul Gandhi’s popularity has increased among BJP workers also. They claimed that 9% BJP supporters said that Rahul Gandhi will be a better Prime Minister than Narendra Modi, and they will elect Rahul Gandhi as Prime Minister. Attaching an infographic, the organisation claimed that soon this 9% will convert into 100%, and asked Narendra Modi to keep watching.
But it seems that the Youth Congress is suffering from a severe comprehension problem. Because, the data they are quoting is from an online survey conducted among the general public, not just BJP supporters as they are claiming. The infographic they have used is from a mega Times Group online poll, which shows that 83.89% respondents prefer Narendra Modi as Prime Minister if general elections were held today. Rahul Gandhi comes in a distant second position with only 8.33% votes.
Embedded from Times of India
Somehow, Youth Congress interpreted it as positive news for the party, and also for some reason thought that Rahul Gandhi’s 8.33% popularity will increase to 100% very soon.
According to the Times of India, over 2 lakh responders took the survey, and 83.03% of respondents said the most likely outcome of the general elections is a Modi-led NDA election. Only 9.25% thought Congress-led alliance will win the elections.
The survey had a question specific to Rahul Gandhi, which asked whether the respondents consider Rahul Gandhi to be more popular at present compared to 2014, and 63.03% didn’t think so, while 31.15% said that Rahul Gandhi has improved in last 5 years. This question was only related to Rahul Gandhi’s improvement, and not a comparative opinion with Narendra Modi or any other leader.
Interestingly, the survey also finds that 65.51% of the respondents don’t feel more insecure under the Modi government, which contradicts the narrative of intolerance being built by the Congress party and the Congress-friendly media.
Embedded from Times of India
Overall, the poll projects a very positive results for the Modi government, which was done online among general public and not just BJP workers. Therefore, it is very intriguing to see Youth Congress getting so excited after seeing such a result, which shows that most people think that the party will perform poorly in the Lok Sabha elections.
Major General Asif Ghafoor, Director General (DG) of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces, in a press conference on Friday claimed that the Pulwama Terror Attack was “staged” by India.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WKrf_40L_Q]
Ghafoor claimed that India has blamed Pakistan for these “staged” incidents “whenever Pakistan is moving towards stability or some important event is to take place”.
“Whenever there is supposed to be an important event in Pakistan, or the country is moving towards stability, then there is always some sort of staged incident in either India or occupied Kashmir,” the DG ISPR said.
Ghafoor also remarked that certain Indian political analysts on social media have opined that Narendra Modi may attempt to escalate matters with Pakistan to help with his re-election bid. He said, “You are on social media as well, there are many Indians who have predicted such kind of an attack many months ago. That election campaigns are on, the possibility of such attacks have been mentioned in their social media.
It can be said with almost absolute certainty that Ghafoor was referring to tweets by Ashok Swain, a professor based in Sweden who is immensely popular and has great credibility in Indian liberal circles. As we had reported earlier, Swain had tweeted in December last year that the NDA government could trigger a conflict with Pakistan to reap electoral benefits ahead of the General Elections. In another tweet, he had claimed that the Kargil conflict was a ‘set up’ by the Vajpayee government. His tweets were picked up by Pakistani mainstream media and they had reported heavily on it.
Intriguingly, during his press conference, Ghafoor made a passing comment that appeared to be a repetition of the claims made in the incendiary caste analysis report of the martyrs by Ajaz Ashraf of The Caravan. He said, “You should also consider the class composition of the soldiers who were killed in the attack.” One could be an ostrich and argue that Ghafoor said class and not caste but its pretty clear what his insinuations were behind the remark.
Earlier today, we had reported how fueling caste division within our country has always been a Jihadist plot to destabilize our country. We had also mentioned that Ajaz Ashraf’s report could have been possibly published with that end in mind. After Pakistan’s comments where they made similar insinuations to that made in The Caravan report, one can only about the loyalties of Indian mainstream media.
Not only that, but Ghafoor also cited the video of the terrorist’s parents, which was widely reported by the Indian media, where it was insinuated that Adil Dar turned terrorist because of maltreatment by the Army. He said, “He was under arrest in 2017, security forces maltreated him, there is a video message by his parents as well. Please see that to realize how he was forced into a situation where he resorted to such a violent response.”
Ghafoor picked up the “minorities under threat” bogey as well. He stated, “You (India) are a secular nation. Then why have circumstances been created where minorities are hurt? After the Pulwama attack, what happened to Muslims and Kashmiris in India? This is not being secular.”
Ignoring the obvious irony of an Islamic state representative lecturing India about secularism, it is quite obvious from Ghafoor’s comments that Pakistan has been following Indian media outlets for new fictional narratives to attack India with. One wonders at this point the extent to which India has been infiltrated by Pakistani assets. It is certainly a matter of concern that after an Indian media outlet publishes a report that could hurt the integrity of the Indian Armed Forces, the Pakistani toe the exact same line in their press conference the very next day.
Navneet Gill is a dentist during the day, teaching at an Ahmedabad-based dental college and a restaurant ninja by night, being host to one of the most popular restaurants in the city, Nini’s Kitchen.
Navneet Gill is an army kid. Both her parents served in the army. While her father served India during the 1965 and 1971 wars, her mother, who was a nurse in the Indian Army served the country during the Kargil war.
Born in Taran Tarn, a remote border district of Punjab, into a family with long history of military service, Ms Gill studied till 12th at her village school and then joined the Military Nursing School in 1970, becoming the first woman in her village to do so. Her grandfather, too, had served the Indian Army and fought in the First World War. When the 1971 Indo-Pak war broke out, she was stationed at the Military Hospital in New Delhi and was still undergoing training. However, due to the contingency of the time, she was pressed into service immediately to take care of a large number of casualties pouring in.
Lt. Col. (Retd.) K K Gill
In 1988, she was posted at the Military Hospital Jalandhar where again she attended to a large number of casualties from the disastrous Indian Peace Keeping Force intervention in Sri Lanka. By this time, she was married and two young kids to take care of. When the 1999 Kargil War broke out, she was posted at the Chandimandir Military Station near Chandigarh which serves as the Head Quarters of the Western Command – the Indian Army’s largest operational command. The Western Command is responsible for India’s sensitive border along Punjab & Rajasthan.
Lt. Col. Gill oversaw the care of the numerous casualties that were airlifted every day from the conflict zone to the Command Hospital Chandimandir. Four years later, in 2003, she retired at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Lt. Col. (Retd.) K K Gill
Post her retirement, she chose to remain actively involved with the community. She worked as the principal of a government-run Nursing College in Punjab and has authored two books that are part of the nursing school curriculum.
Throughout her long career, she recalls the constantly smiling faces of the wounded she treated. “No matter the gravity of the injury they had suffered, the morale of the soldiers would always be high. A kind word and a laugh would always be on their lips,” she says.
The ghastly Pulwama terror attack has brought back the haunting memories. Navneet, who now lives in Ahmedabad and runs the restaurant with her husband, thought that it is not a time to just condole, but also to contribute.
Hence, from 20th to 26th February, the billing amount collected from table no. 21 and table no 12 from the two restaurants in the city will go to the Bharat Ke Veer foundation, a fund-raising initiative by the Ministry of Home Affairs on behalf of the members of Indian Armed Forces.
OpIndia reached out to Lt. Col. (Retd.) Gill, firstly to thank her for her service to the nation and secondly to ask her how she feels about being part of such a cause. “I am proud of what my daughter is doing. The family has had a long association with the Indian Armed forces going back 3 generations and with Navneet’s active involvement in the fund-raising initiative for the Bharat Ke Veer foundation, I see an extension of the service to the nation I dedicated my life to.”
A day after Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala attacked the Modi government by holding it responsible for the Pulwama terrorist attack and called the JeM terrorist a “home-grown so-called terrorist”, now the Delhi Congress working president Haroon Yusuf has used the Pulwama terrorist attack to rake up the beef issue. Referring to the RDX which was used by the terrorist to carry out the attack on the CRPF soldiers, Yusuf tauntingly said that the Prime Minister could trace 3 kg of beef but could not trace 350 kg of RDX which was allegedly used in the Pulwama terrorist attack.
Yusuf’s remarks attracted sharp criticism for the BJP as Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad termed Yusuf’s comments as “scandalous and irresponsible”. Delhi BJP Vice-President Rajiv Babbar said that Yusuf’s remarks exposed his party’s double face. “They can not even wait for a few days and have started defaming security agencies. This exposes their double face. They claim solidarity with the government in all-party meeting and soon start seeking political gains through their shameful comments,” said Babbar.
Defending his statement Yusuf said, “What I have said is reality. Can you deny it? Lynching was done for polarisation. You can catch 3 kg beef, kill innocents, but not 350 kg RDX. Isn’t Modi informed by security agencies,”
Three Bharatiya Janta Party MLAs were forced out of the Delhi assembly, on the first day of state’s budget, for raising the issue of JNU sedition case while Lt Governor Anil Baijal was making an address.
The MLAs, Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta, OP Sharma, and Jagdish Pradhan, alleged CM Kejriwal’s government of delaying the prosecution in the JNU sedition case, by withholding sanctions, required by the Delhi police.
The budget session of Delhi assembly will last for a week. The budget will be presented by the state’s finance minister Manish Sisodia on February 26. Then it will be followed by two-day long discussions.
Speaker Ram Nath Goel tried to pacify the agitated MLAs by saying that Lt Governor’s speech is not part of assembly’s proceedings, so the issue cannot be raised. But, the MLAs did not relent. Vijender Gupta continued to charge the government with allegations of deliberately delaying the prosecution. Subsequently, the MLAs were marshaled out of the assembly.
In February 2016, the students of JNU had organized an event to mark the anniversary of a terrorist Afzal Guru who had attacked the Indian Parliament. Many slogans challenging the Indian State’s sovereignty and calling for its balkanization were raised. At the event, slogans like ‘Bharat Tere Tukde Honge’ and Áfzal hum sharminda hain, tere katil jinda hain’ were captured in news reports.
Delhi police’s special cell had submitted a 1200 page charge sheet in Delhi’s Patiala House Court regarding the case, last month. It contained names of that time JNUSU leader Kanhiaya Kumar, Umar Khalid and several others.
However, as we had reported earlier, the court had asked the Delhi police to get the charge sheet sanctioned by the AAP led- Delhi government. But, it was revealed before the court that the Delhi government did not respond to the charge sheet after receiving it. According to Delhi police, first request to sanction prosecution was sent in 2016, and another request was sent in January this year.
Foreign trips usually mean tourism, business or education but for a few, it means diplomacy, trade and international relations. These people occupy the highest chairs in their respective nations. Leaders often visit foreign countries and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is no different. But sometimes, unfortunately, these foreign trips become a pointless political debate. Whether it was the PM Modi’s visit to the white house or a surprise visit to Pakistan, he was often blamed of ‘wasting the country’s resources for photo-ops’ or ‘publicity’. His critics don’t seem to fully understand or appreciate the strategic importance of these visits. These debates claim that Modi has taken more trips during his 5-year tenure than what Dr Manmohan Singh has taken in 10 years of his tenure.
In this article, we will do an impact assessment of foreign trips by our current Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and evaluate their effectiveness for our country.
To study the effectiveness, apart from a number of trips, we need to look at other factors such as which PM has a higher count of signing MoUs, who had more impact on their visits and cost analysis of total trips. So we shall see both the reports presented and compare the statistics in conclusion.
Manmohan Singh Trips to Foreign Countries:
Mr Manmohan Singh served for two terms and made 200 trips to foreign nations. Many of these trips were either conferences or summits. The important ones are mentioned below. This includes an agreement with Ethiopia regarding tax policy and industrial development in Ethiopia.
Country: Ethiopia
Date: 23-25 May 2011
MoUs Signed:
Agreement between India and Ethiopia for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income
MOU between National Small Industries Corporation, India and Federal Micro and Small Enterprises Development Agency, Ethiopia for mutual cooperation for the development of small industries in Ethiopia
Country: Myanmar
Date: 27-29 May 2012
MoUs Signed:
MoU on India-Myanmar Border Area Development
MoU for Establishment of the Advance Centre for Agriculture Research and Education(ACARE), Yezin Agriculture University, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar
MoU on the Establishment of a Rice Bio Park (Paddy and Rural Prosperity) at
Department of Agriculture Research Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar
MoU on Establishing Border Haats across the Border between India and Myanmar
MoU on the establishment of Joint Trade and Investment Forum
Agreement on Cooperation between the Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA) and Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies (MISIS)
MoU regarding a USD 500 million Credit Line between Export-Import Bank of India and Myanmar Foreign Trade Bank.
MoU between Calcutta University, Kolkata, and Dagon University, Yangon
MoU on cooperation between the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) and Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies (MISIS)
Country: Germany
Date: 10-12 April 2013
MoUs Signed:
JDI between HRD ministry and the Federal Foreign Office of Germany regarding promotion of German as a foreign language in India
Intergovernmental MoU between India & Germany on Cooperation in the field of Higher Education
JDI on Indo-German cooperation in the area of Civil Security Research
JDI Department of Agriculture & Cooperation of India and the German Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection
JDI by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution of India and Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology of the Federal Republic of Germany on the Establishment of an Indo-German Working Group on Quality Infrastructure for Cooperation in Standardization, Conformity Assessment and Product Safety.
JDI between Germany and India on Indo-German Development Cooperation regarding the Establishment of Green Energy Corridors
Country: Thailand
Date: 29-31 May 2013
MoUs Signed:
Treaty Between The Republic of India and The Kingdom of Thailand on Extradition
MoU between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand on the Establishment of the India – Thailand Exchange Programme
MoU between Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency and Survey of India for cooperation in the field of Mapping and Geospatial Technology Applications
MoU between Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency and National Atlas and Thematic Organization for cooperation in the field of Mapping and Geospatial Technology Applications.
MoU between Financial Intelligence Unit, India and Anti Money Laundering Organization, Thailand on Cooperation in the exchange of Intelligence related to Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing
MoU between Indian Council for Cultural Relations and Thammasat University on the establishment of the ICCR Hindi Chair of Indian Studies (Hindi Language).
Country: Indonesia
Date: 11-12 October 2013
MoUs Signed:
MoU between the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia on Health Cooperation
MoU between the Central Vigilance Commission of the Republic of India and Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi of the Republic of Indonesia for International Cooperation on Combating Corruption
MoU between the Narcotics Control Board of the Republic of India and the National Narcotics Board of the Republic of Indonesia on Combating Illicit Trafficking in Narcotics, Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and their Precursors
MoU between the National Disaster Management Authority of the Republic of India and the National Agency for Disaster Management of the Republic of Indonesia on Cooperation in the field of Disaster Management
MoU between Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie, India and National Institute of Public Administration, Jakarta, Indonesia
MoU between Indian Council of World Affairs, India and the Indonesian Council of World Affairs, Indonesia
Country: China
Date: 22-24 October 2013
MoUs Signed:
Agreement on Border Defence Cooperation
MoU on Nalanda University
MoU to Strengthen Cooperation on Trans-Border Rivers
MoU on Cooperation in Road Transport and Highways
MoU on Power Equipment Service Centres in India
Agreement between Delhi-Beijing on the establishment of Sister City Relationship
Agreement between Bengaluru – Chengdu on Establishment of Sister City Relationship
Agreement between Kolkata – Kunming on Establishment of Sister City Relationship
Country: Myanmar
Date: 3-4 March 2014
MoUs Signed:
MoA on the Establishment of the BIMSTEC Permanent Secretariat
MoA Among BIMSTEC Member Countries Concerning Establishment of a BIMSTEC Centre for Weather and Climate
MoU on the Establishment of the BIMSTEC Cultural Industries Commission (BCIC) and BIMSTEC Cultural Industries Observatory (BCIO)
Manmohan Singh had managed to construct a solid framework within which foreign policy initiatives were pursued by his government. Some of the major steps taken during his tenure included the civil nuclear cooperation with US, India-ASEAN free trade, border talks with China and negotiations on Kashmir with the then President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf. The India-Japan relations had lost some of its momentum after Shinzo Abe was out of power.
Manmohan Singh was of the opinion that India’s economic rise and its regional and global profile would increase India’s standing within the international community. Manmohan Singh also stressed that the foreign policy should evolve from time to time in response to the changing realities of the world. He emphasized on India’s economic interests, its economic relations with the other Asian economies, other developing and developed economies to shape Indian Foreign Policy
One notable observation in the above table is that Manmohan Singh had signed multiple MoUs with Myanmar regarding Trade, Border security and agriculture. But this wasn’t effective to keep out Rohingya refugees and created a massive refugee crisis within Indian borders.
MoUs were signed with China for border security, trans-border rivers and development of sister relations of Indian cities with Chinese cities. These cities included Delhi, Bangalore and Kolkata. However, these cities continue to face the challenges of pollution, traffic congestion and encroachments irrespective of any pacts being associated with them.
If we analyze the visits of the former prime minister, he has travelled a lot but much of his overseas trips have failed to create any association with the foreign nations. Considering his reign of 10 years, his work could have tilted towards Asian Summits which deals with more important matters like climate control, peace treaties and global policies.
We can say that Manmohan Singh has failed to create an impact that India needed to convert with benefits from other nations. We are talking here about the most qualified prime minister across the World, who once changed the financial policies of our nation to provide us stability in distressed times.
Modi Wave
The onset of the Modi government saw a great appeal for overseas relationships. We will be including only the major ones below.
MoUs signed by Narendra Modi in 2014
Country: Myanmar
Date: 11–13 Nov
MoUs Signed:
MOA on the Establishment of the BIMSTEC Permanent Secretariat
MOA Among BIMSTEC Member Countries Concerning Establishment of a BIMSTEC Centre for Weather and Climate
MoU on the Establishment of the BIMSTEC Cultural Industries Commission (BCIC) and BIMSTEC Cultural Industries Observatory (BCIO)
Country: Fiji
Date: 19 Nov
MoUs Signed:
MoU on Cooperation on the exchange of information on structure and content of training programs for diplomats
MoU on earmarking of land for the Diplomatic Missions in respective capitals.
MoU for extending a Line of Credit for establishing a Co-Generation Plant in Fiji
Country: Nepal
Date: 25 Nov
MoUs Signed:
MoU on Nepal Police Academy (NPA)
MoU on Tourism
MoU Traditional Medicines
MoU on Youth Exchange
LoC US$ 1 billion Agreement
Motor Vehicle Agreement (MVA)
MoU on PDA for ARUN III
Twin City Agreement between Ayodhya-Janakpur
Twin City Agreement between Kathmandu-Varanasi
Twin City Agreement between Lumbini-Bodh Gaya
Few of the notable initiatives started included the establishment of a permanent secretariat, Centre for weather and climate and Cultural Industries Commission and Observatory with BIMSTEC. Memorandums of Association were signed for same at East Asia summit at Myanmar in Nov 2014. Additionally, few twin city agreements were signed with Nepal to provide aid and cooperation between Nepalese and Indian cities.
MoUs signed by Narendra Modi in 2015
Country: Seychelles
Date: 10–11 March
MoUs Signed:
As part of “Indian Ocean outreach” program to strengthen maritime ties and enhance bilateral development and cooperation
Country: Mauritius
Date: 11–13 March
MoUs Signed:
MoU between India and Republic of Mauritius in the field of Ocean Economy
The protocol between the concerned Agricultural departments of two nations for the importation of fresh mango from India
MoU for the Improvement in Sea and Air Transportation Facilities at Agalega Island of Mauritius
MoU on Cooperation in the field of Traditional System of Medicine and Homeopathy
Country: China
Date: 14–16 May
MoUs Signed:
MOU to jointly setup Photovoltaic (PV) Industry Park in India.
Tripartite MoU in the renewable energy sector
MoU to set up a Solar Cell and module manufacturing facility
MoU to generate 5,000 MW of solar power in the next five years as well as manufacturing of solar modules.
Master plan MoU on 2000 acre Industrial Park in Kakinada SEZ for hi-end Chinese equipment manufacturers
MoU for project financing
MoU for the credit facility
MoU on the development of potential projects
MoU to jointly build “China-India Information Service Industry Corridor”
MoU for cooperation in IT Sector Partnership MoU
Country: Mongolia
Date: 16–17 May
MoUs Signed:
MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Traditional Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy
MoU on Establishment of Cyber Security Training Centre
MoU on Establishment of India-Mongolia Joint Friendship School in Mongolia
MoU for Cooperation between the National Security Council of both the nations
MoU on Cooperation between the Ministry of External Affairs of both the nations
MoU between the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy of both the nations
MoU between the 2 countries on enhancing cooperation between the border guarding forces
MoU between the Tata Memorial Centre of India and the National Cancer Center of Mongolia for Gifting Bhabhatron-II Tele-therapy Unit along with a Radiotherapy Simulator
MoU between the Foreign Service Institute of the Ministry of External Affairs of the Republic of India and the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia
Country: South Korea
Date: 18–19 May
MoUs Signed:
MoU for Cooperation between the National Security Council Secretariat of the Republic of India and the Office of National Security of the Republic of Korea.
MoU between both the nations concerning Cooperation in the field of Electric Power Development and New Energy Industries.
MoU between both the nations on Cooperation in Youth Matters.
MoU between both the nations on Cooperation in the Fields of Maritime Transport and Logistics
Country: Turkmenistan
Date: 10–11 July
MoUs Signed:
MoU on the supply of Chemical Products between ‘Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Limited’ and ‘Turkmenhimiya.’
MoU regarding the Foreign Service between both nations
MoU between both the Governments on Cooperation in Yoga and Traditional Medicine.
MoU between both the Governments on Cooperation in the field of Tourism.
Country: Kyrgyzstan
Date: 12 July
MoUs Signed:
Memorandum of Mutual Understanding and Cooperation in the field of Elections
MoU between the Ministry of Economy of Kyrgyzstan and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) on cooperation in the sphere of Standards.
Country: Singapore
Date: 23–25 November
MoUs Signed:
MoU on Cooperation in the area of Cyber Security.
MoU between Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE) in Civil Aviation
MoU between NITI Aayog and Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE) on Cooperation in the Field of Planning
MoU between the Narcotics Bureaus of both the nations to Combat Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substance and their Precursors
MoU between the between Planning Organizations of both the nations in the Field of Urban Planning and Governance
Country: Russia
Date: 23–25 November
MoUs Signed
MoU between the Ministry of Railways of the Republic of India and the Joint Stock company “Russian Railways” on technical cooperation in the railway sector
MoU between Solar Energy Corporation of India and Russian Energy Agency regarding construction of solar energy plants in the Republic of India
MoU for cooperation between HEC & CNIITMASH for development of Centre of Excellence for heavy engineering design at HEC
MoU for cooperation between HEC & CNIITMASH for upgradation and modernization of HEC’s manufacturing facilities
MoU Between Prasar Bharati and Digital Television Russia on Cooperation in the field of Broadcasting
MoU in the field of investment cooperation in the Russian Far East
MoU for Cooperation for geologic survey, exploration and production of hydrocarbons onshore and on the continental shelf of the Russian Federation
MoU for Cooperation for geologic survey, exploration and production of hydrocarbons onshore the Russian Federation between Rosneft oil company, Oil India Limited and Indian Oil Corporation Limited.
In 2015 Narendra Modi went on to explore new countries with which India didn’t establish a prior relationship. Modi went to Seychelles and started the Indian Ocean Outreach program to strengthen maritime ties and extended relationship with Mauritius for improvement in Sea Transportation facilities.
Later Narendra Modi visited China. The visit to China saw some crucial MoUs being signed which included association in setting up solar energy module manufacturing facility at India and manufacturing of hi-end Chinese device manufacturing. This was followed by a visit to adjoining countries that included Mongolia and South Korea. In Mongolia, the deals signed focused on the field of Medicine, Modern education and border security. The MoUs signed here geared strategic influence considering the location of Mongolia with bordering nations. To establish an association in the Far East, Narendra Modi struck up a deal with South Korea for Cooperation on national security and Electric power generation. To establish an association with Superpower Modi also signed MoU with Russia, on Technical Cooperation in the railway sector, and technology in oil extraction.
MoUs signed by Narendra Modi in 2016
Country: Saudi Arabia
Date: 2–3 April
MoUs Signed:
MoU between Financial Intelligence Unit of both nations concerning Cooperation in the Exchange of Intelligence related to Money Laundering, Terrorism Financing and Related Crime
Country: Iran
Date: 22–23 May
MoUs Signed:
MoU between Foreign ministres on Policy Dialogue between Governments and Interaction between Think Tanks
MoU between Foreign Service Institute, MEA and the School of International Relations, Iran’s MoFA
MoU between Indian Council for Cultural Relations and Islamic Culture and Relations Organizations of the IR Iran
MoU between EXIM Bank and Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization [PMO] on current specific terms for the Chabahar Port project
MoU between ECGC [Export Credit Guarantee Corporation] Limited of India and the Export Guarantee Fund of Iran (EGFI)
MoU between National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) and the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO)
MoU between IRCON and Construction, Development of Transport and Infrastructure Company (CDTIC) of Iran
MoU for cooperation between the National Archives of India and the National Library and Archives Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Country: Qatar
Date: 4–5 June
MoUs Signed:
MoU on Cooperation and Mutual Assistance in Customs Matters between both Governments
MoU concerning cooperation in the exchange of intelligence related to money laundering, terrorism-financing and related crimes
MoU for Cooperation in Skill Development and Recognition of Qualifications
MoU on cooperation in Tourism between both Governments
MOU between India & Qatar for Cooperation in the field of Health
The First Executive Programme for MoU in the field of Youth and Sports between both the governments
Country: Mozambique
Date: 7 July
MoUs Signed:
MoU between India and Mozambique on drug demand reduction and prevention of illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances
MoU between both governments in the field of Youth Affairs and Sports
Long-term agreement for the purchase of pulses from Mozambique.
Country: South Africa
Date: 8-9 July
MoUs Signed:
MoU on ICT
MoU on Tourism
MoU on Grass Root Innovation (S&T)
Country: Tanzania
Date: 10 July
MoUs Signed:
MoU on Cooperation in the field of water resource management and development between the two countries
MoU on Visa waiver agreement for Diplomatic/Official passport holders between the two countries
MoU between both the Governments for Establishment of Vocational Training Centre at Zanzibar
Country: Kenya
Date: 11 July
MoUs Signed:
MoU on Defence Cooperation
MoU on Cooperation in the field of standardization, expertise sharing and mutual trade between Bureau of Indian Standards and Bureau of Kenya Standards
MoU on Cooperation in the field of National Housing Policy Development and Management
Country: Japan
Date: 11-12 November
MoUs Signed:
Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) on the Manufacturing Skill Transfer Promotion Program
MoC on Cooperation in Sports
MoU between ISRO and JAXA concerning Cooperation in the Field of Outer Space
MoU on Mutual Collaboration in Marine and Earth Science and Technology
MoC in the Field of Agriculture and Food Related Industry
MoU for Transport and Urban Development
MoU between concerned Field of Textiles
MoUs signed by Narendra Modi in 2017
Country: Spain
Date: 30–31 May
MoUs Signed
MOU on Technical Cooperation in Civil Aviation
MOU on Cooperation in organ transplantation
MOU on Cooperation in Cyber Security
MOU on Cooperation in Renewable Energy
MOU between the Foreign Service Institute and Diplomatic Academy of Spain
Country: Russia
Date: 31 May–2 June
MoUs Signed
Memorandum of cooperation between ALROSA Joint Stock Company (Public Joint Stock Company) and the Council for the Promotion of the Export of Precious Stones and Jewellery of India
Country: Israel
Date: 4–6 July
MoUs Signed
MoU For setting up of India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund (I4F).
MoU on National Campaign for Water Conservation in India
MoU on State Water Utility Reform in India
MoU between the ISRO) and the Israel Space Agency (ISA)regarding cooperation in GEO-LEO Optical Link
MoU between the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the Israel Space Agency (ISA) regarding cooperation in Electric Propulsion for Small Satellites
MoUs signed by Narendra Modi in 2018
Country: United Arab Emirates
Date: 10–11 Feb
MoUs Signed
MOU between Indian Consortium (OVL, BPRL & IOCL) and ADNOC
MoU between Ministry of Railways, India and Federal Transport Authority-Land & Maritime of UAE
MoU between Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX)
MoU between Government of Jammu and Kashmir and DP World
Country: Oman
Date: 11–12 Feb
MoUs Signed
MoU on Academic and Scholarly cooperation sectors between Defence Institutes
MoU in the field of Tourism cooperation between India and Oman
MoU on Cooperation in the field of health
MoU on Cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space.
MoU on Cooperation between Foreign Service Institute, Ministry of External Affairs, India and Oman Diplomatic Institute.
Country: Indonesia
Date: 29 May
MoUs Signed
MOU between India and Indonesia on Scientific and Technological Cooperation
MOU between India and Indonesia on Technical Cooperation in the Railways sector
MOU between India and Indonesia on Health Cooperation
MoU between Indian and Indonesia on Pharmaceutical, Biological and Cosmetics Regulatory Functions
MOU on Policy dialogue between two Governments and Interaction between Think Tanks
Country: South Africa
Date: 25–27 July
MoUs Signed
MoU on Cooperation in Agricultural Research and Education.
MoU regarding the Setting up of the “Gandhi Mandela Centre of Specialization for Artisan Skills” in South Africa.
MoU on Cooperation in the Exploration and uses of Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes.
MoUs signed by Narendra Modi in 2019
Country: Saudi Arabia
Date: 20 Feb
MoUs Signed
MoU on Investing in National Investment and Infrastructure Fund
MoU on Cooperation in the field of Tourism
MoU on Cooperation in the field of Housing
MoU on Cooperation of Broadcasting for the exchange of audio-visual programme
Countrywise comparison
In 2016 Narendra Modi covered the majority of Arab countries and the African continent. In Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Modi signed MoU concerned with Financial Intelligence between two nations in order to curb financial malpractices and reduce terrorism. While MoUs with Iran involved Development of Port infrastructure and Trade exports. The step was a crucial boost in promoting trade with Iran. During the same time, Modi signed MoUs between India and Mozambique for cooperation and mutual assistance with customs on the reduction of drug demand and narcotics drug prevention. MoUs were signed with Kenya regarding the strengthening of defence and mutual trade corporation. The year ended with a visit to Japan where Modi signed MoUs in areas like skill development, Sports, earth science and technology and outer space technology
In 2016, Modi signed some crucial MoUs with Spain and Russia. MoU with Spain included cooperation in civil aviation, organ transplantation, cybersecurity and foreign services. A crucial MoU with Russia was established for the promotion of export of precious stones and Jewelry from India.
In 2017 Narendra Modi created history by being the first ever Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel. The MoUs signed at Israel included enlightened some essential relations between India and Israel. This included areas like Technical innovation. Research and Development, Water conservation reforms and space technology.
Lastly, In 2018, Modi started with a visit to UAE and Oman. The MoUs with these nations between Oil trade, railway trade, stock exchange policies and defence cooperation. In South Africa, Modi signed MoU regarding agricultural research. Another MoU was also signed to set up Gandhi Mandela Centre in Africa specializing in artisan skills.
Conclusion
We present a table below comparing the number of total trips and countries visited by Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi. The table below gives region wise breakup of trips made by Manmohan Singh during his two terms and by Narendra Modi in during his present term.
Trips to countries
As we conclude, there are a few key points every Indian and every voter must be cognizant of:-
Total number of trips made by Modi is 94 which is in fact even lower than the total trips made by Dr Singh in UPA-2’s regime
In his tenure, Narendra Modi has ensured that he clubs the visit to nearby nations saving the country immense time and money. For instance, in 2015 Modi visited China between 14th-16thMay but also covered South Korea and Mongolia in the same week unlike others who made no such attempt
In terms of signing international deals, Narendra Modi has delivered 322% more than Manmohan Singh (Narendra Modi- 129 MoUs and Manmohan Singh – 40 MoUs) at only 18% additional costs (Narendra Modi 42 Cr and 35.4 Cr).
In his trips, Modi has covered 30% more nations further expanding and enriching India’s global presence and footprint
The past 4 years have seen a drastic improvement in India’s bilateral ties with major nations such as the US, UK, Russia, Israel and Japan.
Countries visited by both the PMs
6. Apart from the numbers or the quantitative aspect (number of trips, countries visited etc.), Modi has achieved remarkable success at the qualitative aspects of the trips measured by our bilateral relations, international support, number of MoUs, trade ties etc.
There are 10 countries including major economies such as Spain, Australia, Switzerland that have been visited after 10 years by an Indian Prime Minister
It is for the first time that an Indian PM visited Israel- a country whose intellectual prowess, strategic importance and global influence, even the US takes note of. Modi’s visit to Israel yielded multifarious benefits including but not limited to collaboration in the startup ecosystem, defence ties, improved relations and cooperation.
(Note: We have tried to cover all the important MoUs signed by both the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Prime Minister Modi. We have not included the recent MoUs signed by Prime Minister Modi in his visit to South Korea. We have sourced our information from publicly available references. If we have missed an important MoU signed either by former PM Manmohan Singh or PM Modi, we would be obliged to incorporate the information in this article if brought to our notice.)
