Can Lalu Prasad, Nitish Kumar Stop BJP March in Bihar?

The Janata Dal (United), Lalu Prasad Yadav's RJD and the Congress today announced their new alliance in Bihar at a joint press conference in Patna.

Nitish Kumar of the JD(U) and Lalu Yadav gave the event a miss. Ever since it became known that the two Bihar stalwarts have buried the hatchet to fight important by-elections together next month, there has been intense curiosity on how the arrangement will work on ground.

Today's announcement was made by state unit heads of all the parties. By-elections will be held for 10 assembly seats of which the JD(U) and RJD will contest four seats each and the Congress will contest two as the junior partner.

The new alliance will be tested in assembly seats like Hajipur, which was won in 2010 by Nityanand Rai of the BJP, then a partner of the JD(U). Mr Rai, a Yadav leader had taken away a chunk of Lalu Yadav's votes. The new alliance now hopes to consolidate the Muslim, Yadav and backward caste votes.

They also hope that the development plank of Nitish Kumar, who was chief minister till two months ago, will work in their favour in urban seats like Hajipur. They do have to contend with the fact that Mr Kumar built that plank by steadfastly demolishing the credibility of his predecessor in Bihar, Lalu Yadav's RJD.

Nitish and Lalu have confirmed that during the campaign, they will share a stage for the first time in 24 years in a common mission to take on the BJP which trounced them both in the recent general elections. (Together Again. After 24 Years, Lalu and Nitish to Share Bihar Stage)

In the 1970s, the two were prominent young leaders of the Janata Party. After they launched their own parties they became fierce rivals and in 2005, Nitish Kumar partnered with the BJP to wrest power from Lalu's party.

Mr Kumar ended his alliance with the BJP last year, a decision that cost him dearly. Led by Narendra Modi, the BJP swept the general elections.Mr Kumar quit as Chief Minister owning responsibility. The state government is now supported by Lalu's party.

Maya Kodnani, Former Gujarat Minister Jailed For 2002 Riots, Granted Bail

Former Gujarat minister Maya Kodnani, who was sentenced to 28 years in jail for murder during the 2002 riots, has been granted bail by the Gujarat High Court on health grounds. She was the most high-profile figure to be convicted in connection with the riots.

Ms Kodnani, 60, is undergoing treatment at the Ahmedabad civil hospital for acute depression.

The former minister for women and child welfare was convicted in August 2012 for the Naroda Patiya massacre - one of the bloodiest episodes in the three-day riots in which over 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed. A gynaecologist and a legislator at the time, she had been charged with leading a mob which killed 97 people.  

Known to be close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was then Gujarat chief minister, Ms Kodnani was appointed as a minister in 2007. But she resigned the post after her arrest in March 2009.

In November 2012, Ms Kodnani was granted bail for three months on health grounds. But her condition deteriorated and in February, she was admitted to a government-run hospital, where she was given electric shock therapy. Doctors attending on her said she displayed suicidal tendencies and did not respond to aggressive medication. Her condition is yet to improve.

In February, Ms Kodnani applied for a six-month extension of the bail. Though the Gujarat High Court turned down the plea, the Supreme Court gave her some relief by giving her a week's bail.

 

PM Narendra Modi's mantra for raising farmers' income: Take lab technology to land

                               

Modi said the government's policy should be focused on increasing the farmers' income and asked scientists to use technology to field for raising productivity.

Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/39227908.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Pitching for greater use of research for boosting the agriculture sector, PM Narendra Modi on Tuesday gave the slogan 'Lab-to-Land', saying that farmers should be able to enhance production to increase their income and feed the country as well as the world.

He pressed for the use of scientific technologies to help raise the agricultural production in "less land, less time" as he expressed concern over the depleting natural resources and the challenge of climate change.

Modi also called for 'Blue Revolution' in fisheries sector on the lines of Green and White Revolutions.

"We have to prove two points. One is how we can make farmers capable of feeding the whole country and the world. Second is how we can make agriculture capable to fill the pocket of our farmers," Modi said at 86th Foundation Day of Indian Council Agriculture Research (ICAR).

He asked the scientific community to plan for the centenary celebrations of ICAR and achieve more in the next 14 years than what they have over the last 86 years of the existence of ICAR.

Pitching for greater use of research for boosting the agriculture sector, PM Narendra Modi on Tuesday gave the slogan 'Lab-to-Land', saying that farmers should be able to enhance production to increase their income and feed the country as well as the world.

He pressed for the use of scientific technologies to help raise the agricultural production in "less land, less time" as he expressed concern over the depleting natural resources and the challenge of climate change.

Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/39227908.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Pitching for greater use of research for boosting the agriculture sector, PM Narendra Modi on Tuesday gave the slogan 'Lab-to-Land', saying that farmers should be able to enhance production to increase their income and feed the country as well as the world.

He pressed for the use of scientific technologies to help raise the agricultural production in "less land, less time" as he expressed concern over the depleting natural resources and the challenge of climate change.

Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/39227908.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Modi said the government's policy should be focused on increasing the farmers' income and asked scientists to use technology to field for raising productivity.

Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/39227908.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

US Secretary of State John Kerry arrives in India for three-day visit

 

In what can be seen as President Barack Obama's attempt to strengthen ties with the new Indian government, US Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday arrived for his three-day visit in India.

Kerry, who arrived with his entourage, was received by the US chargé d'affaires to India, Kathleen Stephens. Before arriving to India, Kerry had said that the developmental plan of Prime Minister Narendra Modi reflected in his poll slogan of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas" is a great vision.

Meanwhile, in New Delhi, Modi on Tuesday held a meeting with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley ahead of Kerry's visit, where they are understood to have discussed the present status of relations between the two countries.

They also discussed issues expected to come up during the fifth annual India-US Strategic Dialogue which will be co-chaired by Kerry and Sushma Swaraj on July 31. Kerry in his address at the Center for American Progress (CAP), a major US think-tank, said on Monday evening, that he would be "emphasising the opportunities" in which the US and India can become indispensable partners when he touches base with the new Indian government.

Mentioning Modi's name 11 times in his address, he said: "The new Indian government's plan, 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas', together with all, development for all - that's a concept, a vision that we want to support. "We believe it's a great vision, and our private sector is eager to be a catalyst in India's economic revitalisation."

Kerry will be accompanied by Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker on the visit. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is to visit next month as part of preparations for the meeting between Modi and President Barack Obama in Washington.

State Department Spokesperson Jennifer Psaki said in a statement that in addition to holding the Strategic Dialogue, Kerry will meet Prime Minister Modi, "the first Cabinet-level meeting with a US official since the inauguration of the new Indian government".

She added that discussion will cover "the full range of bilateral issues, including expanding bilateral trade, tackling climate change, improving India's energy security through cooperation in clean energy and energy access, and expanding our already robust people-to-people ties".

The visit of the US' top diplomat "underscores the importance of the US-India partnership, and will lay the groundwork for Prime Minister Modi's September visit to the United States".

Deaths in Pune landslide saddening: Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday termed as "saddening" the loss of lives in a landslide in Pune, and said Home Minister Rajnath Singh would be visiting the spot to take stock of the situation.

"Loss of lives in landslide in Pune dist. is saddening. Spoke to Rajnath ji and he would be travelling to Pune to take stock of the situation," Modi tweeted.

At least 10 people died and over 150 were feared trapped after a landslide hit a village in Pune district in Maharashtra Wednesday morning.According to the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF), which has sent seven teams to the spot, the landslide was triggered by heavy rains.

Prime Minister Modi gets strict with BJP MPs over attendance

                             

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is reportedly unhappy with the performance of BJP MPs, especially over poor attendance record of some in Parliament.

Modi has directed Parliamentary Affairs Minsiter Venkaiah Naidu to keep a record of attendance of MPs in both houses of the Parliament.Another area of concern for Modi is absenteeism during meetings of the party's parliamentary party, reports said on Wednesday.

In view of a scheduled meeting of the parliamentary party tomorrow, PM Modi has reportedly directed Naidu to seek confirmation from each party MP on WhatsApp messenger. The MPs have to respond with a 'Yes' or 'No'.

Many MPs have already responded with a 'Yes' on their attendance during the meeting. The BJP also plans to create a separate page for its MPs on Facebook. Following the directive, those MPs who will continue to flout party decorum will get a warning from the Prime Minister himself, reports added.

And, their performance on this front will form part of their 'record card', which may be taken into consideration while the party will look for candidates for important assignments in future.

Heavy rains in Ahmedabad disrupt normal life

                       

Heavy rainfall for almost three days has disrupted normal life in Ahmedabad with the rain pouring relentlessly throughout Tuesday.

Waterlogging in many parts of the city has left residents exasperated.Speaking to a news agency, a resident of Ahmedabad, Bhartendra Purohit said, "All the roads are either blocked or closed due to heavy water logging. There is an acute shortage of drinking water as the supply of drinking water has been stopped by municipality."

When Sharda Bhen Purohit of Ahmedabad was asked how her daily routine has been affected by the incessant rainfall, she said, "Municipal Corporation is not well equipped to tackle the problem as there are big potholes on the roads."

She also told a news agency, "Kids are unable to go to school and the corporation has made no arrangements for it. There is a lot of drinking water problem, electricity problems due to power cuts in certain areas. People are finding it hard to even go to office."

Despite problems in urban areas of Gujarat, such as water logging, traffic jams, power cuts, delayed flights etc, the rest of the state, especially farmers in rural regions, welcomed showers.

SPG commandos guarding Modi asked to maintain 'distance'

                                

The alleged bugging of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari's house seems to made others, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to exercise caution. 

A report in a Hindi daily claimed on Wednesday that Special Protection Group personnel, who are entrusted with protecting the prime minister, have been asked to maintain 'distance' from him.

The decision could have been provoked by an incident that took place some years back, wherein one of the SPG personnel used to listen to a former prime minister's private talk and pass on the same to others.
BJP leaders are reported to be happy at the development, as they would now be able to talk freely with the PM on sensitive matters.

The newspaper reported that instructions have been issued to SPG commandos so as to ensure no secret talks is overheard by them. 

John Kerry visit to set agenda for PM Narendra Modi's US trip: Akbaruddin

                               

India on Wednesday expressed hope that US Secretary of State John Kerry's visit to the country would set the agenda for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's trip to the United States later this year. 

Syed Akbaruddin, the spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs, said Kerry would meet External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj during his visit and that this would be the first high-level engagement between India and the US after the new government took charge.

“The PM will visit Washington later this year, effort will be made for enhancement of the relationship,” Akbaruddin added. Kerry, who arrives in India today, would lead a high-powered delegation to co-chair the fifth annual India-US Strategic Dialogue. 

Kerry, who will be in India for three days, would also meet PM Modi.

“US Secretary of State John Kerry will be visiting India for strategic dialogue with his counterpart Sushma Swaraj... John Kerry's visit would set the agenda for the PM's meet with (US President Barack) Obama in September,” Akbaruddin said. 

US Secretary of State John Kerry to arrive in India today

                                   

 US Secretary of State John Kerry will on Wednesday arrive in India on a visit expected to lay the groundwork for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's much-awaited September visit to Washington. 

With Kerry's visit, the US will seek to establish top-level contact with the new Indian government. John Kerry, heading a high-powered delegation, has left Washington for India. Ahead of visiting India, Kerry, in a major speech on Monday, stressed that the US and India have the potential to become indispensable partners for the 21st century and said Washington wants to support the Modi government's vision of "sabka saath, sabka vikas (together with all, development for all)".

They also discussed issues expected to come up during the fifth annual India-US Strategic Dialogue which will be co-chaired by Kerry and Sushma Swaraj on July 31. Kerry in his address at the Center for American Progress (CAP), a major US think-tank, said on Monday evening, that he would be "emphasising the opportunities" in which the US and India can become indispensable partners when he touches base with the new Indian government.

Mentioning Modi's name 11 times in his address, he said: "The new Indian government's plan, 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas', together with all, development for all - that's a concept, a vision that we want to support. 
"We believe it's a great vision, and our private sector is eager to be a catalyst in India's economic revitalisation." 

Kerry will be accompanied by Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker on the visit. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is to visit next month as part of preparations for the meeting between Modi and President Barack Obama in Washington. 

State Department Spokesperson Jennifer Psaki said in a statement that in addition to holding the Strategic Dialogue, Kerry will meet Prime Minister Modi, "the first Cabinet-level meeting with a US official since the inauguration of the new Indian government". 

She added that discussion will cover "the full range of bilateral issues, including expanding bilateral trade, tackling climate change, improving India's energy security through cooperation in clean energy and energy access, and expanding our already robust people-to-people ties". 
The visit of the US' top diplomat "underscores the importance of the US-India partnership, and will lay the groundwork for Prime Minister Modi's September visit to the United States". 

Meanwhile, in New Delhi, Modi on Tuesday held a meeting with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley ahead of Kerry's visit, where they are understood to have discussed the present status of relations between the two countries. 

Kerry heads to India to end relationship rut

                                      

US Secretary of State John Kerry headed Tuesday to India on a mission to break the ice with new Prime Minister Narendra Modi and repair a rut in a once warming relationship. 

For the past two decades, the world's two largest democracies have described themselves as natural allies as they share similar concerns over China's rise and Islamic extremism. But incidents including the US arrest of an Indian diplomat last year sent relations plunging to their lowest point in years. The Hindu nationalist Modi had been treated as a pariah by Washington before he led his party to a decisive victory in April-May elections. 

Ahead of his visit, Kerry said that Modi's strong mandate opened up new possibilities for cooperation on issues from boosting trade to fighting climate change. "This is a potentially transformative moment in our partnership with India, and we're determined to deliver on the strategic and historic opportunities that we can create together," Kerry said. 

For some observers, Kerry's three-day trip is in itself a sign of India's importance. He has focused much of his tenure on crises in the Middle East and returned just Sunday from a grueling, unsuccessful mission to end the Gaza conflict. 

"It is significant that the secretary is able to stick to making time for the Strategic Dialogue with India when there are literally parts of the world in flames," said Alyssa Ayres, a former State Department official.Despite strong ties between their people, the Indian and US governments have frequently been at odds. After tensions during the Cold War and US sanctions over India's 1998 nuclear tests, former president Bill Clinton began reconciliation efforts. 

Former US president George W. Bush pushed through a landmark nuclear cooperation accord with India. But some Indian commentators saw President Barack Obama as less interested in the relationship, even though he threw US support behind New Delhi's leading goal of winning a UN Security Council seat.

Modi has little reason for gratitude toward the United States. In 2005, Washington refused him a visa over allegations of turning a blind eye to anti-Muslim riots as leader of the state of Gujarat. Other nations were quicker to embrace Modi, with British and French ambassadors courting him well before the election. Shunned until recently in the West, Modi traveled to Japan and China. D.H. Pai Panandiker, head of the Indian think tank the RPG Foundation, said that the United States was seen as unresponsive by cold-shouldering Modi for so long. 

And the diplomat's arrest showed that "America does not appreciate the sensitivities of India. And therefore, there is anger in India. There is a sense of resentment," Panandiker said.Obama has invited Modi to the White House in September. Modi does not appear eager to play up grudges and instead has shown pragmatism, meeting in his first months in office with the leaders of Pakistan and China despite his past hardline stances. 

But in an unexpected rift ahead of Kerry's visit, Modi's government warned it may hold up a global customs pact that must be ratified by Thursday unless the World Trade Organization approves India's food subsidy programs. 

US Trade Representative Michael Froman, without mentioning India by name, said Tuesday that blocking the pact would be "short-sighted" and put at risk "the credibility of the WTO as an institution." 
Ayres, now a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said that India's stance "cast a huge and very different kind of shadow" on trade issues, especially as Modi has billed himself as an economic reformer. 
India buys grain at inflated prices to sell at subsidized prices. The program is important for India's hundreds of millions of poor, but rich nations say that it distorts trade.

Relations took a sharp turn for the worse when US authorities in December arrested an Indian diplomat on allegations of mistreating her servant, leading New Delhi to retaliate against US personnel. 

Nepalese leaders favour more cooperation with India

                                            

Noting that Nepal could not make progress over the last 50 years due to anti-India nationalism, senior Nepalese politicians have said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit should be used for collaborating with India in a number of areas, including in the power sector. 

"Nepal cannot attain economic prosperity if we continue to be influenced by mentality of anti-India nationalism," president of Sadbhawana Party Rajendra Mahato said pointing to those elements who were against signing any agreement with India for the development of hydropower. 
He also asked the coalition government to seriously engage in necessary homeworks so that we could get real benefit from the visit of Modi, who came to power by promising economic development and prosperity to the people of India. 

"Nepal could not make progress over the last fifty years mainly due to the anti-India nationalism" adopted by some vested interest groups, pointed out the senior Madhesi leader adding the country will never progress if we continue to pursue such an ill mentality. Mahato said the recently concluded visit by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to Nepal was an unprecedented success. 

He was addressing an interaction programme organised by Madhesi Journalists Society in Kathmandu on the theme of 'Evaluation of Sushma Swaraj's visit and expectations of Modi's visit'. President of Rastriya Madhes Samajwadi Party, Sahrad Singh Bhandari said that "Nepal cannot reduce its huge trade deficit with India without generating abundant hydropower and exporting it to India". "We need to immediately sign a 'Power Trade Agreement' with the government of India and 'Power Development Agreement' with Indian companies engaged in developing hydropower in Nepal for the purpose," he pointed out. "There is no other option than forging cooperation and collaboration with India for the development of hydropower sector," he said. 

"The government needs to do lots of home works and political consensus should be forged among various political parties for signing a hydropower deal with India for the best interest of the country," he said.

Nepal is most likely to sign Power Trade Agreement and Power Development Agreement with India during the visit of Modi and the government is engaged in necessary home works including forging national consensus in the matter, said the Nepali Congress leader. He said that India is likely to announce gifting a middle-sized hydropower to Nepal during Modi's visit.

Nepali Congress Lawmaker Amaresh Kumar Singh said that India is likely to announce separate assistance packages for the development of Lumbini, the birth place of Lord Buddha, Pashupatinath Temple and Janakpurdham during Modi's visit.

India needs to increase farm output: Narendra Modi

                        

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said India needs to increase its per hectare productivity of crops to meet the growing demand for food.

"The land area in the country is not going to increase... So we need to increase per hectare productivity," Modi said at a function at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.

"Similarly, we must find out how the crop which matures in 45 days can mature in 35 days without compromising with its quality," he said.

The prime minister also emphasised on water intensive agriculture, and said there should be "more crop per drop".

"We need to ensure scientific management of water cycle keeping in mind the (changing) weather cycle."

Modi called upon agricultural scientists to develop technology to achieve this goal.

"The challenge is how to get what is done in the lab to the land, to the farmer.

"Results of scientific research must reach farmers," he said, adding that agriculture colleges could operate radio stations to propagate knowledge in the region they are located.

PM Modi directs all BJP spokespersons to meet Jaitley every Monday

                                     

As part of his efforts to ensure better coordination between the government and the party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed all BJP office-bearers to hold a discussion with Union Finance and Defence Minister Arun Jaitley at least once in a week. 

Reports on Tuesday said that the Prime Minister's Office had asked all BJP and government spokespersons and TV panelists to meet Jaitley every Monday. 
The move is part of Modi's efforts to prevent lack of communication between the party spokespersons and the government on a wide range of issues. 

The move will also help the party office-bearers to convey the government's stand on various issues and its decisions to the grass-roots level with more ease and clarity. Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will also be there at such meetings besides some other ministers, who will brief the party spokespersons and leaders.

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Cabinet ministers and party leaders last month, it was decided that a minister will visit the party headquarters every day to hear grievances of party workers. Ministers have been asked to go to party offices during their visits to other parts of the country. 

The effort is also aimed at strengthening the party's communication network. The BJP Parliamentary party has recently announced five spokespersons for both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, who will speak on the party's position on key issues concerning Parliament.

Need to equip farmers with better farming technology: Narendra Modi

                              

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the farmer has made a big contribution towards the development of the country.

Addressing the 86th foundation day of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in New Delhi, PM Modi said that it is very important to ensure that the farmer of the country gets prosperous.

Emphasising on the need to improve the productivity, Modi said that it is important to give advanced farm technology to the farmers.

Stating that technological up-gradation and technological intervention has added to better farm produce, Modi said that the greatest challenge before India is to bring "lab to land" invention to the farmers.

The PM asked agri scientists to work towards increasing crop productivity at fast pace without compromising on quality. 

Modi also stressed upon progressive farming. He added that the agriculture universities should address the concerns of farmers by making a data bank of young educated farmers. 

He also suggested that an agricultural radio station can be opened at the agricultural institutions and young students can be encouraged to do research and do a talk show on the topic. He said that such an initiative will be more credible and popular. 

Rating agency Crisil has said that the country's agriculture growth is likely to remain muted at 1 percent in FY'2015 largely due to strong statistical base-effect.

Monsoons are currently 24 percent below the long period average, which is worse than the deficiency seen in fiscals 2009 or 2012. While 2009 turned out to be a drought year, rains recovered sharply in the latter half of the season in 2012.

This year, too, if rains pick up in the coming weeks, foodgrain output may not be severely impacted. But the high growth of last fiscal will mean the statistical Y-o-Y trend in farm output will be flat - just the way it was in 2012-13, when production recovered but agricultural growth came in at 1.4 percent following up on a 5 percent growth in 2011-12.

After a bumper agricultural growth last year, fiscal 2015 has been tepid. In June, IMD forecast a 33 percent probability of deficient monsoon and 38 percent chance of a sub-normal one.

PM Modi greets people on occasion of Eid

  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday greeted people on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr and hoped that the festival strengthens the bond of peace, unity and brotherhood in the country. 

"Greetings on Eid-ul-Fitr. May this auspicious day strengthen the bond of peace, unity & brotherhood across our Nation," the Prime Minister said in his message.

Ramzan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, is observed as a fasting period by Muslims who abstain from food and water from sunrise to sunset and it culminates in Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations.

Eid-ul-Fitr, which marks the culmination of the fasting month of Ramzan, is being celebrated across the country today. 

Narendra Modi`s `Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas` is a great vision: John Kerry

                                  

Two days before arriving in India, US Secretary of State John Kerry, Monday, heaped praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and laid out a roadmap for a long-term strategic partnership between Washington and New Delhi. 

Addressing an audience at the Center for American Progress here, Kerry said the US' ties with India will most affect the direction of the 21st century. 

Noting that the India-US ties is yet to "blossom" together, Kerry said, "The US and India can and should be indispensable partners for the 21st century.” 
He also said the two countries can work together to tackle global challenges from climate change to clean energy and others. 

Noting that deepening relationship with India is a strategic imperative, Kerry said it was time to renew dialogue with a new government, with a new set of opportunities, new possibilities. Kerry was referring to election of Narendra Modi, who won an historic mandate to “deliver change and reform”. 
“This is a potentially transformative moment in our partnership with India, and we’re determined to deliver on the strategic and historic opportunities that we can create together,” the US Secretary of State added in a major foreign policy speech on India. 

Acknowledging that India is going to have different partners, Kerry insisted that there are unique opportunities for just United States and India. “The dynamism and the entrepreneurial spirit of Mumbai and Bangalore, of Silicon Valley and of Boston – that is precisely what is required in order to solve some of the world’s greatest challenges,” Kerry added. 
US President Barack Obama is absolutely right to call this a defining partnership for the 21st century, Kerry said. 
“The United States and India can and should be indispensable partners for the 21st century, and that is, I assure you, the way we approach the Modi government and the way we view this particular time.” 
He also said that the US wants to support the new Indian government’s plan, “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas”, together with all, development for all. 

India also wants to build a more competitive workforce, and already 100,000 Indians study each year in American universities, he said, adding US community colleges actually set a remarkable standard for 21st century skills training. 

"We should be expanding our educational ties across the board, increasing opportunities for young people in both of our nations. I know Prime Minister Modi drew from that energy of India's youth during his campaign. He repeatedly pointed out that while India's one of the world's oldest civilisations, it has the world's youngest population.” 
"Prime Minister Modi has said that young people have a natural instinct to rise like a flame. And he has spoken about India's duty to nurture that instinct, and we believe, frankly, that's a duty for both of our nations," he said. 

"And that means strengthening the exchange in technical education, in vocational programs for high-skilled trades, and especially in areas where we can build on the entrepreneurial and innovative spirit of both of our nations," he said, adding that everyone knows about the extraordinary work ethic that people in India have and the capacity to be able to do this and seize this opportunity," Kerry said. 

"One of the marked contrasts of this moment is this juxtaposition to parts of the world where young people demanded a participation in this world they see around them, and rose up against leadership that had stultified over the course of years, decades even Tunisia, Egypt, Syria.” 

"They all began without one flake of religious extremism involved in the revolutions that brought change. It was all about young people gathering and forcing the notion that they wanted something more to life. They wanted opportunity, education, respect, dignity, jobs, a future," Kerry noted. 

"So this possibility I've just defined between India and the United States, which fits very neatly into Prime Minister Modi's vision that he expressed in a campaign which was ratified overwhelmingly by the people of his country is exactly the vision that we need to embrace now, and that's why this opportunity is actually so ripe," Kerry said. 

"This area of cooperation is particularly exciting, I think, and I'm particularly confident about these opportunities, because only countries that reward creativity the way the US and India do could have possibly launched Hollywood and Bollywood.”

"Only countries that celebrate the entrepreneur the way we do could have launched Silicon Valley and Bangalore as global epicentres for innovation," he said. 

"Innovation and entrepreneurship are in both of our DNA, and they not only make us natural partners; they give us natural advantages in a world that demands adaptability and resilience. The US and India cannot afford to just sort of sit back and rest on these currently existing advantages. We have to build on them and we have to build on them by investing more in one another," he said. 

"If India's government delivers on its plans to support greater space for private initiative, if it creates greater openness for capital flows, if it limits subsidies that stifle competition, if it provides strong intellectual property rights, believe me, even more American companies will come to India. They may even race to India. And with a clear and ambitious agenda, we can absolutely help create those conditions," he said. 

"So as we work with our trading partners around the world to advance trade and investment liberalisation, India has a decision to make about where it fits in the global trading system. India's willingness to support a rules-based trading order and fulfil its obligations will help to welcome greater investment from the US and from elsewhere around the world. 
"The greater transparency and accountability that Prime Minister Modi put in place during his time as chief minister tells us he has already provided a model of how raising standards can actually increase economic growth," Kerry said. 

The US and India should continue to reach for the ambitious target that Vice President (Joe) Biden laid out last summer in India, to push from USD 100 billion to USD 500 billion a year in trade. 
"And whatever impediments we may face along the way, we need to always be mindful of the opportunities and the bigger picture around this.” 

"It is completely in our mutual interest to address those obstacles that kind of raise their head here and there as you go along the way and to remember that a lot bigger opportunities will come from more robust ties, so we need to keep our eye on the prize out there and not get dragged down by one small or lesser particular aspect of a restraint. The bigger picture has to guide us and the end game has to guide us," Kerry said. 
Both India and the US pride ourselves on science and innovation, Kerry said. He further backed PM Modi's call for a Saffron Revolution, because “the saffron colour represents energy”. He further quoted the Indian PM as saying “this revolution should focus on renewable energy sources such as solar energy, to meet India’s growing energy demand.” 

Kerry in his speech supported India's vision of an integrated South and Central Asia and that with the South East Asia. 
The Obama Administration is ready to help India in this regard, Kerry said as he praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his initiatives to establish peace and improve relationship with the neighbouring countries. 
By inviting Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to his inauguration, Kerry said Modi has taken the "first step" to establish peace and friendship with its South Asian neighbour. 

Supporting the move to increase India-Pak economic relationship, Kerry said improved trade is a win-win for both the countries. 
Reiterating support for India's place in the UN Security Council, Kerry in his speech said India is a global power. 

The Secretary of State listed out the progress made between the two countries in various areas including economy, clean energy, and counter-terrorism. The India-US collaboration on counter terrorism, in particular real-time information sharing, helps confront common threats and bring terrorists to justice, he said. 

Describing climate change as a biggest challenge not only for the world, but also India, Kerry called for increased collaboration between the two countries on this issue. 
Kerry said US President Barack Obama would welcome the Indian Prime Minister at the White House in November. 

Kerry will visit India July 30-August 01. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will host Kerry in New Delhi and the duo will co-chair the fifth India-US Strategic Dialogue on July 31. 
This will be Kerry's first visit to India since the inception of the new government and his first meeting with Sushma Swaraj since the two leaders assumed office. 

Kerry is expected to meet Indian leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He will also visit Bangalore. "American companies lead in exactly the key sectors where India wants to grow: in high-end manufacturing, in infrastructure, in healthcare, information technology, all of them vital to sort of leapfrogging stages of development so you can provide more faster to more people," he said.