Feb 17
- Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi met the Amir of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at Amiri Palace in Doha
- PM Modi thanks Qatar Emir for freeing 8 Navy veterans. Thereafter, both sides held delegation-level and restricted talks. The discussions covered a wide array of topics
- Prime Minister also invited the Amir to India as he wrapped up his visit to the nation
- Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi met the Amir of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at Amiri Palace in Doha
- PM Modi thanks Qatar Emir for freeing 8 Navy veterans. Thereafter, both sides held delegation-level and restricted talks. The discussions covered a wide array of topics
- Prime Minister also invited the Amir to India as he wrapped up his visit to the nation
- Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi met the Amir of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at Amiri Palace in Doha
- PM Modi thanks Qatar Emir for freeing 8 Navy veterans. Thereafter, both sides held delegation-level and restricted talks. The discussions covered a wide array of topics
- Prime Minister also invited the Amir to India as he wrapped up his visit to the nation
Feb 16
- Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi met the Amir of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at Amiri Palace in Doha
- PM Modi thanks Qatar Emir for freeing 8 Navy veterans. Thereafter, both sides held delegation-level and restricted talks. The discussions covered a wide array of topics
- Prime Minister also invited the Amir to India as he wrapped up his visit to the nation
- India will not go against the interests of its generic drugs industry in any of the Free Trade Agreements (FTA) it is negotiating with its partner countries, and has rejected the demand for ‘data exclusivity’ provision in the free trade pact with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) bloc for the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA)
- This clause, related to data exclusivity, could significantly impact India’s thriving generic drug industry, delaying access to affordable alternatives for patented drugs by a minimum of six years.
- EFTA stands for the European Free Trade Association. It is an intergovernmental organisation that was established in 1960. Currently, EFTA has four member states: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.
- Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) on Thursday signed and exchanged Terms of Reference (ToR) to integrate fast payment systems of India and Nepal through Unified Payments Interface (UPI) of India and National Payments Interface (NPI) of Nepal, respectively.
- The integration is aimed at facilitating cross-border remittances between India and Nepal by enabling users of the two systems to make instant, low-cost fund transfers, the RBI said in a press release.
Feb 15
- Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi met the Amir of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at Amiri Palace in Doha
- PM Modi thanks Qatar Emir for freeing 8 Navy veterans. Thereafter, both sides held delegation-level and restricted talks. The discussions covered a wide array of topics
- Prime Minister also invited the Amir to India as he wrapped up his visit to the nation
Feb 14
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addressed the Indian community in the UAE at ‘AHLAN MODI’, an event organized in his honour by the Indian community in the UAE.
The event drew participation from Indian Diaspora from across the 7 Emirates and included Indians from all communities. The audience also included Emiratis.
| Key pacts signed |
| Bilateral Investment Treaty Signed Bilateral Investment Treaty was signed by the two sides. This agreement will be a key enabler for further promoting investments in both countries. Energy cooperation A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has also been signed on cooperation in the field of electrical interconnection and trade. Fostering regional connectivity For the IMEC, first announced during the G20 Summit 2023, India and the UAE have formed an “Intergovernmental Framework Agreement. MoU on cooperation in Digital Infrastructure Projects This will create a framework for a wide-ranging cooperation, including investment cooperation, in the digital infrastructure sector. Agreement on interlinking of the instant payment platforms – UPI (India) and AANI (UAE):This will facilitate seamless cross-border transactions between the two countries. Agreement on inter-linking domestic debit/credit cards – RuPay (India) with JAYWAN (UAE):This will enhance the universal acceptance of RuPay across the UAE. Cooperation protocol between the National Archives of the two countries This protocol will shape extensive bilateral cooperation in this field including restoration and preservation of archival material. MoU for cooperation in the field of heritage and museums This would foster engagement between the two countries aimed at supporting of the Maritime Heritage Complex at Lothal, Gujarat. |
| Temple inauguration Done |
| On February 14, PM Modi will inaugurate the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Mandir. This is the first Hindu stone temple in Abu Dhabi. |
Feb 13
- Recently, Government of India launched Unified Payment Interface (UPI) services in Sri Lanka and Mauritius.
- About UPI
- Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is a system that powers multiple bank accounts into a single mobile application (of any participating bank), merging several banking features, seamless fund routing & merchant payments into one hood.
- NPCI launched the pilot programme of UPI in 2016.
- About NPCI
- NPCI was incorporated in 2008 as an umbrella organization for operating retail payments and settlement systems in India.
- It is an initiative of the RBI and Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) under the provisions of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, for creating a robust Payment & Settlement Infrastructure in India.
- It has been incorporated as a “Not for Profit” Company under the Companies Act 2013.
| All Countries with UPI Services in Sequence of Year [Must See] |
| Bhutan 13 July, 2021 United Arab Emirates 21 April, 2022 Malaysia 2021 Singapore 21 February, 2023 Qatar 15 March, 2023 Nepal December 2023 Oman December 2023 Russia April 2023 France 2 February, 2024 Sri Lanka 12 February, 2024 Mauritius 12 February, 2024 United Kingdom Ongoing |
Feb 12
The first trial movement of vessels between Maia Port in India and Sultanganj Port in Bangladesh on Indo Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) Route no. 5 & 6 took place on February 12, 2024.
Importance of the port:
- The waterway route from Maia (IBP route) to Dhubri (NW-2) via Aricha will reduce the distance by around 930 kilometers compared to the existing waterway route from Dhulian-Maia-Kolkata-IBP-Dhubri.
- The riverine distance between Port of Call Maia in India and Port of Call Sultanganj in Bangladesh is 16 kilometers, out of which 4.5 kilometers of waterways are in India and the rest 11.5 kilometers are in Bangladesh.
Feb 11
The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $200 million loan to strengthen flood and riverbank erosion risk management along the 650 kilometres (km) long main stem of the Brahmaputra river in the state of Assam.
The project interventions include stabilising 60 km of riverbanks, installing 32 km of pro-siltation measures, and building 4 km of climate-resilient flood embankments in five high-priority districts (Dibrugarh, Goalpara, Kamrup Rural, Morigaon, and Tinsukia).
| About ADB |
| • About: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank headquartered in Manila, Philippines. • Origin : The bank was set up in 1966 under the leadership of Japan as one of the first industrialized states in Asia. The ADB finances development projects in its member states across Asia. • Objective: The ADB aims to provide for sustainable and inclusive economic growth by financing projects in areas like education and health, while also helping improve the capital markets and business infrastructure in target countries. • Members and Share : It has 67 members from the Asia Pacific region. This bank was modeled on the lines of the world bank. Japan holds the largest share in ADB with 15.677%, followed by U.S.A (15.567%), China (6.473%), and India (5.812%). |
| Recent Loans approved By ADB |
| • India, ADB sign $250 million for Delhi-Meerut RRTS • India, ADB sign $250 million loan for Industrial Corridor Development in India • India, ADB signed $200 million loan agreement for Uttarakhand power system project • India, ADB signed $175 million loan deal to improve Madhya Pradesh roads • India, ADB approved $181 Million to Improve Ahmedabad’s Peri-urban Areas • ADB and Fourth Partner Energy Collaborate for Solar Power Plant worth Rs 120 cr in Tamil Nadu |
Feb 9
The Deputy Prime Minister of Fiji, Biman Prasad, is set to embark on a week-long visit to India starting Sunday
Fiji Deputy Prime Minister Biman Prasad will visited Ram Temple in Ayodhya Thus becoming the the first top foreign govt minister to visit the temple since the Pran Pratishtha ceremony on 22nd Jan .
Feb 2
Recently, Unified Payments Interface (UPI) was formally launched at India’s Republic Day celebration in Paris, France, at the iconic Eiffel Tower.
This event marks a significant step towards globalizing UPI and promoting digital payments,
The partnership between NPCI’s subsidiary, NPCI International Payments (NIPL), and France’s Lyra Collect has led to an agreement to introduce UPI in France and Europe.
Feb 1
In Peru, deforestation poses a threat to the diverse species of stingless bees in the Amazon, putting native pollinators at risk of extinction.
Key Provisions of the India-UAE BIT
- National Treatment and Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) Treatment: Both countries agree to grant investments from the other country treatment no less favorable than that given to their own investors or investors from any other country, whichever is more favorable.
- Fair and Equitable Treatment: Investors from each country will be accorded fair and equitable treatment, including protection from arbitrary and discriminatory measures.
- Transparency: Both countries agree to publish their laws and regulations related to investments in a timely manner.
- Dispute Settlement: The BIT provides for mechanisms for settling investment disputes, including arbitration.
Jan 8
India and Mauritius signed agreement for joint development of a small satellite, set to be launched by ISRO in early 2024.
Project timeline estimates realization within 15 months, with an estimated cost of Rs 20 crores borne by India.
Collaboration ensures continued support for ISRO’s ground tracking station in Mauritius and signals potential for future bilateral space projects.