Have you visited Atomium?
Embassy of Belgium in New Delhi ![]()
celebrating a birthday with Brussels at Atomium.
celebrating a birthday with The Atomium turns 60!![]()
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One of the most popular tourist attractions of Europe, the #Atomium is an icon of the Brussels World’s Fair in 1958 ![]()
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️. The nine spheres of the Atomium represent an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times as a sign of technical and scientific progression.
One of the most popular tourist attractions of Europe, the #Atomium is an icon of the Brussels World’s Fair in 1958 
️. The nine spheres of the Atomium represent an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times as a sign of technical and scientific progression.Last year, to mark the 70 years of Belgium-India relations and the State Visit of Their Majesties to India, the Indian National Flag ![]()
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️ was flown atop the Atomium on Oct 28, 2017.
️ was flown atop the Atomium on Oct 28, 2017.Recently Indian TV Actors from the #Ramayan series Gurmeet Choudharyand Debina Bonnerjee also visited this iconic symbol of peace. Take a look at the pictures!
Have you visited Atomium? Post your picture and tag us. We would love to share it on our page! ![]()
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China launches Yaogan-31
China launches Yaogan-31 remote-sensing satellites from Jiuquan center.
China today from Beijing launched the first group of Yaogan-31 remote-sensing satellites into space at 04:25 GMT on Tuesday from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China, Xinhua said.
China today from Beijing launched the first group of Yaogan-31 remote-sensing satellites into space at 04:25 GMT on Tuesday from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China, Xinhua said.
The satellites were carried by a Long March-4C rocket, the 271st mission of the Long March rocket family. The mission also sent a micro-nano technology experiment satellite into orbit, according to the report.
The satellites are intended for electromagnetic environment surveys and other related technology tests. The first “Yaogan” series satellite, Yaogan-1, was launched in 2006.
Delhi’s Urvashi Reaches Mrs. India UK 2018 Pageant Finals!
One of the finalists for the forthcoming Mrs. India UK pageant, Urvashi Salaria Chawla represents Indian married women in the UK.
Urvashi Salaria Chawla from Delhi, India is a finalist for “Colors TV UK presents Mrs. India UK 2018 organized by BrandWok”. Mrs. India UK is a unique pioneer pageant in the United Kingdom for British Indians and Asian married women residing in the United Kingdom.
Urvashi Salaria Chawla is a successful entrepreneur in the makeup industry who owns a beauty studio in India and is an esteemed Asian Bridal Makeup Artist in London.
Academically she’s a journalism graduate, worked in the aviation industry, a beauty blogger and now she’s representing married Asian women residing in the UK in such a massive platform. She has been married and residing in London for 4 years. She is an environmentalist by nature who believes in spreading awareness about climate change. She has been doing a lot of plantation drives and also has been closely associated with volunteering in environmental activities like WWF Earth Hour campaign. Urvashi believes in expressing the notion of “beauty with a purpose”. She will be competing with 30 other multi-talented finalists.
Mrs. India UK aims to encourage, empower women and provide opportunities to married women. It ensures learning, development, building confidence and strengthening the bond between diversified cultures of Indians abroad. Urvashi and all the other contestants of Mrs. India UK have been going through intensive training with various mentors. They’ve had sessions for fitness, catwalk, acting, photoshoot and much more during this journey. Urvashi tells, “Our mentors have been super helpful and supportive throughout our journey focusing on individual attention. Not just that – they’ve been mentoring us through online sessions too.”
Urvashi recently won the subtitle of Mrs. Glamorous at Mrs. India UK 2018. The finale of this beauty pageant is on 15th April at Hilton Tower Bridge, London.
Renewable Energy Can Build Prosperity and Improve Energy Security in Pakistan
IRENA assessment shows Pakistan’s abundant renewable resources can boost power generation and energy access
Islamabad, Pakistan, 10 April 2018 — Pakistan can spur social and economic development with renewable energy while increasing energy security and improving energy access, according to a new report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) prepared in co-operation with the Government of Pakistan. Renewables Readiness Assessment Pakistan provides a comprehensive analysis of the country’s energy sector and identifies key actions to accelerate renewable energy deployment.
While hydropower has traditionally been the most prominent source of renewable energy in Pakistan — making up almost a third of electricity generation with 7.1 gigawatts (GW) of installed grid-connected capacity — IRENA’s assessment finds that the country has up to 60 GW of economic and technical hydropower potential. The assessment also identifies 50 GW of theoretical wind potential in Pakistan’s southern Sindh and Baluchistan provinces and estimates that 25 million tonnes of biomass feedstocks from industrial and agricultural residue can be made available for use, per year.
“Pakistan is undergoing rapid economic and industrial development, which in turn is fuelling strong energy demand growth across the country,” said Adnan Z. Amin, IRENA Director-General. “To meet this demand Pakistan has a tremendous opportunity to cost-effectively tap its abundant solar, wind and hydropower resource potential. Doing so would support national prosperity and job creation, whilst enhancing security of supply, improving access and moving Pakistan towards greater energy independence.”
“Pakistan is rich in renewable energy potential, and can with this assessment develop policies, investment opportunities and energy development actions to harness it,” said Abid Sher Ali, Pakistan’s Minister of State for Power. “Critical to this report has been IRENA’s valuable policy guidance and technical assistance to determine our best available renewable-based power options,” continued Minister Ali.
The report shows that declines in solar photovoltaic (PV) technology costs have supported the sector’s growth in Pakistan, with 400 megawatts of solar PV projects in 2015-2016, helping to create over 15,500 local jobs.
In recent years, Pakistan has seen a surge in providers offering a range of solar home system products including solar water pumping systems, solar lighting solutions and solar water heaters. With more than half of Pakistan’s total population residing in rural areas, millions remain reliant on traditional biomass use. Among Pakistan’s rural population, only half have access to electricity.
IRENA’s assessment presents options for Pakistan to strengthen its policy, regulatory and institutional framework in order to accelerate renewables deployment. It suggests ways to strengthen renewable energy targets, examines the constraints of existing grid infrastructure, highlights the best mechanisms to reduce costs and address technical challenges, and underlines the potential for private investment in renewables for off-grid and rural electrification.
To further utilise the country’s indigenous renewable energy resources, Renewables Readiness Assessment Pakistan finds that key challenges can be addressed by:
- Setting a target for renewable energy development;
- Co-ordinating the development and implementation of an integrated energy plan;
- Encouraging renewable energy zoning and competitive procurement to reduce overall system costs;
- Involving the private sector in the development of transmission infrastructure to enhance the grid;
- Devising a comprehensive distributed power generation plan;
- Developing policy and regulatory frameworks and implementation mechanisms that facilitate private-sector engagement in rural electrification.
To download the report, visit IRENA’s website.
Over 30 countries, spanning Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region, have undertaken the Renewables Readiness Assessment process since 2011.
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About the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is an intergovernmental organisation that supports countries in their transition to a sustainable energy future, and serves as the principal platform for international co-operation, a centre of excellence, and a repository of policy, technology, resource and financial knowledge on renewable energy. With 156 Members (155 States and the European Union) and 25 additional countries in the accession process and actively engaged, IRENA promotes the widespread adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy, including bioenergy, geothermal, hydropower, ocean, solar and wind energy, in the pursuit of sustainable development, energy access, energy security and low-carbon economic growth and prosperity.
ARTES successfully completed EU funded poject Plurivax
ARTES Biotechnology explored very effective in a SME consortium vaccine developments for veterinary applications
Langenfeld, Under the titel: “ERA-Net EuroTransBio-8: PLURIVAX, development of a virus-like-particle (VLP) based vaccine platform and stable formulation especially suited for the veterinary applications, the EU cooperation was part of the 8th EuroTransBio call and was funded in the time period from June 2014 to November 2017 by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Flanders (Belgium) agency for Innovation by Science and Technology (IWT).
For the development of vaccines for human applications it is state of the art to use virus-like particles (VLPs) as a vehicle. The use of these particles has the advantage that they as such not being infectious but that they transport foreign antigens in an ideal way to the immune system. These very effective and simple mechanism was the backbone of the PLURIVAX project.
“As initial nucleus our proprietary VLP platform METAVAX® was taken. This platform has already been applied to the development of adjuvant-free vaccine candidates against different human relating diseases like flu, malaria and HIV”, Michael Piontek, managing director of ARTES stated. “Our expression host, the methylotrophic yeast Hansenula polymorpha, is the preferred technology for affordable mass vaccination and is recommended by the WHO for mass vaccinations. Combination of our both platforms build an excellent approach to low-cost mass production of safe and effective vaccines.”
ARTES chose eight different, large molecular weight antigens derived from four animal‑ infecting viruses. The bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) as an important pathogen of cattle, also infecting sheep and pigs. The classical swine fever virus (CSFV), which is acknowledged as a global threat for swine and is listed as notifiable animal diseases by the World Organization for Animal Health. The feline leukemia virus (FeLV) as a retrovirus threatening domestic cats and the west nile virus (WNV) which is a mosquito vector transmitted zoonotic virus of the Flaviviridae family. WNV circulates in birds as natural hosts but can be transmitted to mammals including humans causing west nile fever.
First results were released in a scientific paper under the title “Establishment of a yeast-based VLP platform for antigen presentation” (Wetzel et al. Microb Cell Fact (2018) 17:17 )
and more information could be get on https://doi.org/…
and more information could be get on https://doi.org/…
Future steps are, that in close discussions with global veterinary vaccine manufacturer, ARTES’ explores the commercial application of the results and of the platform in general.
School scandal cover-up admission
Finance Ministry official says Moritomo Gakuen was told to lie about land sale
Financial Bureau chief Mitsuru Ota, center, appears in front of a Diet committee on April 9. (Photo by Uichiro Kasai)TOKYO — A Japanese Finance Ministry official admitted Monday that nationalist school operator Moritomo Gakuen was instructed to provide false explanations for a deeply discounted land sale, igniting further speculation over the role of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife in the 2016 deal.
“We are now more suspicious that the discount was made in consideration of the Abes,” Kiyomi Tsujimoto, head of Diet affairs for the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party, told reporters Monday. Akie Abe, the prime minister’s wife, was appointed an honorary principal of the elementary school to be built on the land.
The comments Monday from Mitsuru Ota, chief of the ministry’s Financial Bureau, also were cited by others as showing that the ministry knew of the dubious aspects of the sale and was actively involved.
The Japanese government agreed in 2016 to sell a plot in Osaka Prefecture valued at 956 million yen ($8.93 million at current rates) for just 134 million yen to Moritomo Gakuen. The steep discount ostensibly was intended to cover the cost of waste disposal at the site shouldered by Moritomo.
A Financial Bureau staffer called Moritomo’s lawyer around Feb. 20, 2017, and urged the school operator to claim the disposal process took a lot of money and “thousands of trucks,” Ota told a Diet upper house committee. Opposition parties at that time had noted Moritomo would need to move over 4,000 truckloads of waste to justify the roughly 800 million yen discount.
“I am very ashamed. I am very sorry,” Ota said repeatedly. The land sale and instructions to Moritomo Gakuen occurred before Ota became chief of the Financial Bureau.
His statement sparked commotion among opposition lawmakers at the meeting. Even members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party seemed shocked by the ministry’s actions. One legislator banged on her desk, while another loudly called Ota “an idiot.”
Ota also said someone from his office told a staffer at the Kinki Local Financial Bureau, which oversaw the land sale, to urge Moritomo to stick to the story. But neither the Kinki bureau nor Moritomo’s lawyer agreed.
Ota suggested that former National Tax Agency chief Nobuhisa Sagawa bore some fault. Sagawa, who led the Financial Bureau at the time, “spoke to a Diet committee without checking the facts” and “made comments that could be taken the wrong way,” he said.
Some suspect a comment by the prime minister pressured Financial Bureau staffers to ensure they had a plausible reason for the discount. “If I or my wife end up being involved, I will quit as prime minister and a lawmaker,” Abe had said on Feb. 17, 2017.
At a hearing last month, Sagawa said he lacked the power to manipulate land appraisals. But the Board of Audit of Japan in November found insufficient evidence to support the estimated waste disposal costs. Saeko Tani, then an aide to Akie Abe, was also found to have relayed questions from Moritomo to the Finance Ministry and sent the responses via fax.
The Osaka prosecutors office has agreed to investigate the case in response to complaints of possible government misconduct. The Financial Bureau’s apparent attempt to coordinate its story with Moritomo likely was uncovered as part of this process.
Income of BJP during FY 2016-17 was Rs 1,034 cr, increase of 81.18% since last year,INC second with Rs 225 cr, decrease of 14% since last year
10th April, 2018 ADR Report: Income of BJP during FY 2016-17 was Rs 1,034 cr, increase of 81.18% since last year, INC second with Rs 225 cr, decrease of 14% since last year:
Executive Summary
This report, prepared by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) focuses on Income and Expenditure of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Indian National Congress (INC), during the Financial Year 2016-17, as submitted by the parties to the Election Commission of India (ECI).
This report should be read in conjunction with the analysis of income and expenditure for FY 2016-17 declared by the other National Parties (less BJP and INC) which was released by ADR on 7th Feb, 2018. The report can be accessed from here.
Submission of audited reports by the National Parties
· The due date for submission of annual audited accounts for the parties was 30th Oct,’17.
· BJP submitted its audited report on 8th Feb, 2018 (99 days delayed).
· INC submitted its audited report on 19th March, 2018 (138 days delayed).
Total Income and Expenditure of BJP and INC for – FY-2016-2017
· 7 National Parties (BJP, INC, BSP, NCP, CPM, CPI and AITC) have declared a total income of Rs. 1,559.17 cr, collected from all over India.
· The 7 National Parties declared a total expenditure of Rs 1,228.26 cr.
· BJP declared the maximum expenditure of Rs 710.057 cr during FY-2016-17 while INC incurred a total expenditure of Rs 321.66 cr (Rs 96.30 cr more than its total income).
Comparison of total income of BJP & INC between FY 2015-16 and 2016-17
Between FY 2015-16 and 2016-17, the income of BJP increased by 81.18% (Rs 463.41 cr) from Rs 570.86 cr during FY 2015-16 to Rs 1,034.27 cr during FY 2016-17 while the income of INC decreased by 14% (Rs 36.20 cr) from Rs 261.56 cr during FY 2015-16 to Rs 225.36 cr during FY 2016-17.
· BJP and INC have declared donations/contributions as one of their 3 main sources of income. BJP– Rs 997.12 cr and INC– Rs 50.626 cr.
· Grant/ donations/ contributions of Rs 997.12 cr declared by BJP forms 96.41% of the total income of the party during FY 2016-17. Declaration of Rs 115.644 cr under Revenue from issuance of Coupons by INC forms the top most income of the party, contributing 51.32% of the total income of the party during FY 2016-17.
● The maximum expenditure for BJP during FY 2016-17 was towards Election/ General Propaganda which amounted to Rs 606.64 cr followed by expenses towards Administrative Cost, Rs 69.78 cr.
● INC spent the maximum of Rs 149.65 cr on Election Expenditure followed by expenditure of Rs 115.65 cr on Administrative and General Expenses.
· 7 National parties have collected maximum 74.98% (Rs 1,169.07 cr) income from Voluntary contributions for FY- 2016-17.
· During FY- 2016-17, National Parties have received Rs 128.60 crincome from Interest from Banks & FD.
· 7.98% or Rs 124.46 cr was income generated through Revenue from Issuance of coupons by National parties during FY- 2016-17.
Observations and Recommendations of ADR
· 4 out of 7 National Parties (BJP, INC, NCP and CPI) have consistently delayed submitting their audit reports for the past five years. The top major parties, BJP and INC, have delayed submitting their audit reports by an average of almost 6 months.
· It is observed that the 7 National Parties’ total income has increased by 51%, in other words by Rs 525.99 cr. The total income of the 7 National Parties increasing from Rs 1,033.18 cr during FY- 2015-16 to Rs 1,559.17 cr during FY- 2016-17.
· 7 National parties have collected maximum 74.98% (Rs 1,169.07 cr) income from voluntary contributions for FY- 2016-17. In contrast, the parties had have received 60% (Rs 616.05 cr) of their income from voluntary contributions during FY- 2015-16.
· The Supreme Court gave a judgment on September 13, 2013 declaring that no part of a candidate’s affidavit should be left blank. Along the same lines, we recommend that the Election Commission India impose rules that no part of the Form 24A submitted by political parties providing details of donations above Rs 20,000 should be left blank.
· Full details of all donors should be made available for public scrutiny under the RTI. Some countries where this is done include Bhutan, Nepal, Germany, France, Italy, Brazil, Bulgaria, the US and Japan. In none of these countries is it possible for 75% of the source of funds to be unknown.
· According to the Finance Bill, 2017, Section 13A of the IT Act was amended to state that tax exemption will be given to registered political parties “Provided also that such political party furnishes a return of income for the previous year in accordancewith the provisions of sub-section (4B) of section 139 on or before the due date under that section.” Thus, any party which does not submit its IT returns on or before the due date, their income should not be tax-exempted and defaulting parties should be derecognized.
· Those parties not following the ICAI guidelines for auditing of reports should be scrutinized by the IT department.
· The National political parties must provide all information on their finances under the Right to Information Act. This will only strengthen political parties, elections and democracy.
Contact details
Media and Journalist Helpline +91 80103 94248 Email: adr@adrindia.org | Maj. Gen Anil Verma (Retd.) Head – ADR & NEW +91 11 4165 4200 +91 88264 79910 anilverma@adrindia.org | Prof Jagdeep Chhokar IIM Ahmedabad (Retd.) Founder Member– ADR & NEW +91 99996 20944 jchhokar@gmail.com | Prof Trilochan Sastry IIM Bangalore Founder Member– ADR & NEW +91 94483 53285 |
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KOLTE PATIL PRESENTS PUNE OPEN GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP 2018
KOLTE PATIL PRESENTS PUNE OPEN GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP 2018 TEES OFF ON APRIL 10
- Prize Purse of Rs. 30 lakh
- Field to feature a galaxy of Indian stars such as Ajeetesh Sandhu, Khalin Joshi, Rashid Khan, Chikkarangappa, Chiragh Kumar, Rahil Gangjee
Pune, April 9, 2018: The Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), the official sanctioning body of professional golf in India, will be staging the Kolte Patil presents Pune Open Golf Championship 2018 at the esteemed Poona Club Golf Course from April 10 – 13, 2018. The tournament which is the sixth event of the PGTI’s 2018 season, carries a prize purse of Rs. 30 lakh. The Pro-Am event is scheduled for April 14.
The Presenting Partner for the event is Kolte Patil Developers. The Official Rehydration Partner of the event is Fruitnik ORS. Hotel Crowne Plaza Pune City Centre is the Official Hotel Partner.
The tournament will play host to a galaxy of Indian stars such as Asian Tour regulars Ajeetesh Sandhu (a winner on the Asian Tour last year), Khalin Joshi, Rashid Khan, Chikkarangappa, Chiragh Kumar, Rahil Gangjee, Himmat Singh Rai and Viraj Madappa. The other prominent Indian names in the field are Shamim Khan (2017 PGTI Order of Merit champion), Udayan Mane, Harendra Gupta (2016 champion), Mukesh Kumar and Shankar Das.
The foreign challenge will be led by defending champion Anura Rohana of Sri Lanka as well as his compatriots N Thangaraja (2018 PGTI Order of Merit leader) and K Prabagaran, Bangladesh’s Md Zamal Hossain Mollah, Australia’s Kunal Bhasin and South African Damian Naicker.
The host city of Pune will be represented by professionals Gurki Shergill (winner of 8th TATA Open 2009), Pravin Pathare, Sameer M Shaikh, Akshay Damale and Sagar Raghuvanshi as well as amateurs Jay Shirke and Pratik Nirmale.
This is a 72-hole stroke-play tournament featuring a field of 125 professionals. The cut will be applied after the first 36 holes. The top 50 players and ties will make the halfway cut and continue to play for another 36 holes.
Ms. Nidhi Srivastava, VP, Kolte-Patil Developers Ltd., said, “We are overwhelmed and excited on being associated with Pune Open Golf Championship 2018. There’s an incredibly strong alignment between our two organizations’ commitments to promoting health, fitness and sport. We at Kolte-Patil Developers firmly believe that sport is an important piece of a balanced livelihood, thereby ensuring all our spaces have interactive sporting facilities. We look forward to being associated with many such renowned events in the near future.”
Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI, said, “We are delighted to be back in Pune for the Kolte-Patil presents Pune Open 2018. Pune is today an important golfing centre in Western India and this event gives us an opportunity to further popularize the sport in the city. We thank Kolte-Patil Developers Ltd. and the Poona Club Golf Course for partnering with us in staging the third edition of the Pune Open and look forward to yet another successful tournament.”
The Poona Club Golf Course, the venue for the event, is spread over 100 acres and dotted with majestic banyan trees and other flowering trees. The course, which is one of the top championship venues in the country, is well appreciated for its water bodies and fast and true greens. The course has staged many National level professional, amateur and junior events over the years.
Delhi’s Urvashi Salaria Chawla, in the final of ‘Mrs. India UK 2018’
Delhi’s Urvashi Salaria Chawla, in the final of ‘Mrs. India UK 2018’ organized by Colors Channel and ‘Brandwok
Urvashi Salaria Chawla from Delhi, India is a finalist of Colors TV UK Presents Mrs India UK 2018 organised by BrandWok .Mrs India UK is a unique pioneer pageant in United Kingdom for British Indians and Asian married women residing in United Kingdom.Urvashi Salaria Chawla is a successful entrepreneur in the makeup industry who owns a beauty studio in India and is an esteemed Asian Bridal Makeup Artist in London. Academically she is journalism graduate, worked in aviation industry, a beauty blogger and now she is representing married Asian women residing in the UK in such a massive platform. She has been married and residing in London for 4 years. She is an environmentalist by nature who believes in spreading awareness about climate change. She has been doing a lot of plantation drives and also has been closely associated with volunteering in environmental activities like WWF Earth Hour campaign. Urvashi believes in expressing the notion of beauty with a purpose. She will be competing with 30 other multi-talented finalists.
Mrs India UK aims to encourage, empower women and provide opportunities to married women. It ensures learning, development, building confidence and strengthening the bond between diversified culture of Indians abroad. Urvashi and all the other contestants of Mrs India UK have been going through intensive training with various mentors. They’ve had sessions for fitness, catwalk, acting, photoshoot and much more during this journey. Urvashi tells, “Our mentors have been super helpful and supportive throughout our journey focusing on individual attention. Not just that – they’ve been mentoring us through online sessions too.”Urvashi recently won the subtitle of Mrs Glamorous at Mrs India UK 2018. The finale of this beauty pageant is on 15th April at Hilton Tower Bridge, London.
Prime Minister to inaugurate 16th International Energy Forum Ministerial
Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas
Prime Minister to inaugurate 16th International Energy Forum Ministerial-Largest gathering of Ministers from energy consuming, producing and transit countries, heads of top organizations to attend
Marking the growing prominence of India in the global energy map, the 16th International Energy Forum Ministerial (IEF16) is being hosted by India and will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on Wednesday. IEF16 is the largest gathering of Energy Ministers from across the globe, industry leaders and heads of key international organizations who will debate the future of global energy.
Prominent among those attending the Ministerial Meeting this year are Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, India, Mr. Khalid Al-Falih, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Saudi Arabia, Mr. Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Industry, UAE, Mr. Bijan Namdar Zangeneh, Minister of Petroleum, Iran, Dr. Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada, Minister of Energy and Industry, Qatar, Mr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Nigeria, Mr. Kosaburo Nishime, State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan, Mr. Li Fanrong, Deputy Administrator of National Energy Administration, China, Mr. Pavel Sorokin, Deputy Minister of Energy, Russia, Mark Wesley Menezes, Under Secretary of Energy, USA, among others.
Apart from them, Dr. Sun Xiansheng, Executive Director, IEF, Mr. Fatih Birol, Executive Director, IEA, Mr. Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, Secretary General, OPEC and heads and senior officials from international organizations like CNPC, Total, VOPAK, Exxon Mobil, etc. will also attend the event.
The International Energy Forum (IEF) aims to foster greater mutual understanding and awareness of common energy interests among its members. Its 72 Member Countries are signatories to the IEF Charter<https://www.ief.org/about-ief/ief-charter.aspx>, which outlines the framework of the global energy dialogue through this inter-governmental arrangement. Apart from them, 20 countries are also participating in this meeting as special invitees.
Covering all six continents and accounting for around 90% of global supply and demand for oil and gas, the IEF is unique in that it comprises not only consuming and producing countries of the IEA<http://www.iea.org/> and OPEC<http://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/>, but also Transit States and major players outside of their memberships, including Argentina, China, India, Mexico, Russia and South Africa.
Hosted by India and co-hosted by China and Korea, IEF16 aims to focus on how global shifts, transition policies and new technologies influence market stability and future investment in the energy sector. Dialogue among Ministers and industry leaders on how energy security and system resiliency will evolve along energy transition pathways, and meet global economic, demographic, and environmental challenges, will help secure an energy future that remains affordable, productive, sustainable and fair to all.
IEF16 delegates are invited to consider how global market shifts and energy transition will shape the future of energy security. Participants engage in an energy technology neutral dialogue to strengthen energy market stability and achieve global goals through enhanced market transparency, trade, and investment among producing, consuming and transit countries.
NET Agent Workshop about Study in Czechia and Poland
NET Agent Workshop about Study in Czechia and Poland
ON 11 APRIL AT 9:30
System of higher education in the Czech Republic, possibilities of study programs for Indian students and ways how to submit application for student visa will be presented at NET Agent Workshop organized on April 11, 2018 in New Delhi.
This workshop is primarily for Indian agents who are offering differents possibilities of studies abroad to Indian students.
Program:
09:30 Registration
10.00 Opening, presentation of NET platform
10.30 How to study in the Czech Republic
– Presentation of Roman Masarik, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of the Czech Republic in New Delhi
– Presentation of Marie Sramkova, Student Visa specialist, Embassy of the Czech Republic in New Delhi
– Presentation of Jiri Smejkal, Deputy Director of Prague educational centre ASSOCIATION which organizes language courses
13.00 Lunch
14.00 How to study in Poland
– Presentation of Warsaw University of Humanities
– Presentation of Warsaw University of Business
– Presentation of WSB University in Poznan
16.00 Certificate ceremony and time for individual meetings
If you are interested to attend please send email to the following three email IDs:
newdelhi@embassy.mzv.cz
netconference.agents@gmail.com tdanilenko@neweducationaltrend.com
newdelhi@embassy.mzv.cz
netconference.agents@gmail.com tdanilenko@neweducationaltrend.com
WED, 11 APRIL AT 9:30
NET Agent Workshop about Study in Czechia and Poland
CAIT IS HOLDING ALL PARTY TRADERS PARLIAMENT ON SEALING
SEALING WILL BE A PRIME PLANK IN 2019 ELECTIONS
Taking sealing agitation to a new direction, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) is holding an ” All Party Traders Parliament ” on sealing issue on 10th April at New Delhi which will be attended by leaders of prominent political parties.and will held serious discussion to understand the gravity of the issue and will suggest remedial measures through mutual dialogues. The political parties will also make their stand clear on this issue.
CAIT Secretary General Mr. Praveen Khandelwal said that BJP State President & MP Mr. Manoj Tiwari, Congress State President & former Union Minister Shri Ajay Maken and Chief of Aam Aadmi Party & Delhi CM Mr. Arvind Kejriwal have been invited to the event beside Delhi Deputy CM Mr. Manish Sisodia, all Delhi MPs of both LokSabha and RajyaSabha, Spokesman of AAP & MLA Shri Saurabh Bhardwaj, Leader of Opposition in Assembly Shri Vijender Gupta & Deputy Leader Shri Om Prakash Sharma and all three Mayors of MCD have also been invited.
Mr. Khandelwal said that about 200 prominent Trade Leaders of leading Trade Associations of Delhi will be attending the event. The CAIT will present a Traders Charter on Sealing to all parties and will seek their opinion. If through a mutual understanding something concrete is evolved, the CAIT will take an All Party delegation to Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh and others as a follow up exercise.
The sealing issue is now becoming one of the most critical issue among the trading community since it has vital bearing on livelihood of lakhs of people in Delhi. Sealing of one shop is disturbing livelihood of about 20 families. Gradually this issue is inching towards 2019 Elections as the traders are minutely assessing the role of political parties and in mutual conversation of traders it is becoming an Election issue for 2019. There are about 8 lakh commercial,establishments in Delhi providing employment to nearly 40 lakh people. The families of traders and their employees are also attached to establishments. On the other hand about 10 lakh people like Courier, Transporter, Hand Cart Owner, artisans etc. are also dependent upon the traders for their earning.
Such a big chunk of people if converted into a Vote Bank could bring mandate to its own choice. Some kind of deliberations and discussions are underway among traders in Delhi. If traders also have to face the wreath of sealing then Traders and their employees can easily convert themselves into a Vote Bank. Even otherwise, the traders are disillusioned from the current business scenario. Beside sealing, the complexities of GST, 100% FDI in single brand retail, No use of Mudra Yojna for traders and over and above gross neglect of traders by the Government are some of the burning points which can damage political fabric to a great extent.
The sealing issue is also important to trade of Delhi and its economy as well. If situation continues, there will be sharp decline in Delhi trade in coming days and huge loss of revenue to the Government. In last 3 months trade has declined to about 40% in Delhi. The important question is what is the fault of traders ? When Government Agencies proved utterly failed in development of Delhi why only traders are being penalised and traders and their employees are being deprived of their earning by sealing the business establishments.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived in Beijing on Saturday on a four-day visit.
World-Class Houseware and Home Textiles
“Based on our research and analysis on the sociological and marketing trends, we have developed the four key trend concepts for spring/summer 2019, namely ‘Colonial Chic’, ‘Vital Vibe’, ‘Magnetic Mix’ and ‘Super Solarium’, to highlight the Hong Kong Houseware Fair’s main theme ‘L.I.F.E.’, which stands for its four major themed zones: Lifestyle, Interior, Feast and Enrich respectively. ‘Colonial Chic’ represents the most sophisticated and luxurious theme. ‘Vital Vibe’ is all about eco-friendly and natural concepts. ‘Magnetic Mix’ is a design theme that shows how technology can bring nice solutions into the home. ‘Super Solarium’ mixes things together to play with colours and shapes. I am happy to see that the HKTDC has interpreted the four main trends and captured the key messages in such a nice way and presented interesting exhibits in the four trend concept displays.”
It’s the first time I come especially for this show and I must say it’s a nice surprise. You can not only find what you need but also a lot of suggestions in decoration, healthcare, pet care and hardware. They are classified very clearly and easy to identify. The buyers can immediately find what they are looking for and attracted by all these different items which can also help them to find plenty of new ideas to complete the sourcing for their business. What I really like is the lifestyle "feeling" I found everywhere and it makes the fair so pleasant to visit.
“In business for 20 years, Abrasive Technologies is a leading manufacturer of kitchen sponges, cloths, wipes and other household cleaning items in Russia and the CIS. Russia has been our main market. As Hong Kong is a trading hub in Asia, we think the Hong Kong Houseware Fair is a good place for us to meet with buyers from around the world. That’s why we are exhibiting here for the first time to look for distributors and buyers and to develop international markets. We have talked to new buyers from Africa, Asia and the Middle East who have shown their great interest in our products and already asked for our quotations. Some of them may become our distributors.”
“Kam Wing has more than 10 years of experience in manufacturing welding machines under our MITECH brand and we are also one of the distributors of BOSCH power tools and measuring tools in Hong Kong. This is the first time that we are promoting our MITECH-brand welding machines and BOSCH products in the World of Building & Hardware at the Hong Kong Houseware Fair. We have received many enquiries about our welding machines from Indian and South American buyers. We have also connected with more than 10 new buyers who are very interested in BOSCH products. For example, a Russian buyer plans to buy 5,000 sets of power tools. We are happy with the results so far.”
“This is our first exhibition in the Startup Zone at the Hong Kong Houseware Fair. The Startup Zone provides a cost-effective way for us to promote our new products. At the fair, we are introducing our home-based healthcare products and household products such as Bicit mini gym bikes, palm-sized massagers, smart ceramic cups and portable air coolers.Buyers from Japan, Taiwan and the US are very interested in our gym bikes and portable air coolers. In addition, the Startup‧Smart Launch session arranged by the HKTDC provides an interactive platform for us to present the concepts of new products to international buyers. Buyer traffic in the Startup Zone has been quite good. We’ll join again next year.”
“Shoppers Stop is one of the biggest department stores in India. Currently, we have 83 stores and we’ll open three to six more stores this year. I visit the Hong Kong Houseware Fair regularly because there is a good mix of branded products and OEM manufacturers. The fair also provides a good place for me to look for design ideas. At this year’s fair, the trend concept displays outside each exhibition hall are very interesting and give me lots of design inspirations. I am here looking for new brands and OEM manufacturers for our own brands. Up till now, I have identified about 10 potential suppliers of glass bottles and containers, kitchen linen, table linen and bathroom accessories. I’ll place orders soon and our order size is at least one container.”
“In business for more than 20 years, Adil Grup is one of the biggest wholesalers of building materials and hardware in Turkey. There is a strong demand for building materials and hardware in Turkey because many hotels and apartments are under construction. This is the first time that I have come to the World of Building & Hardware at the Hong Kong Houseware Fair to look for hardware. I have found about six suitable suppliers of torx drives, mosquito nets and hand tools. I plan to buy 50,000 pieces per order. ”
The "Hong Kong Smart Design Awards" (HKSDA), organised by The Hong Kong Exporters’ Association, has successfully reached its 7th edition in 2018 with funding support under the CreateSmart Initiative (CSI) of CreateHK. The Awards has motivated local manufacturers as well as exporters to enhance their business strategy in attaining the ultimate goal "Design x Strategy x Technology = Smart Business". In addition, it had successfully introduced and nurtured young talents into the creative market. This year, the Awards have attracted over 300 participants of both Corporate and Conceptual Group.
A wooden-puzzle designed in the form of an owl, it is both a night lamp at bedside and an art deco at home. The structure and its unique USB LED module are patented. It is easy to assemble without tools and glue. Its primary material -- eco-friendly Beech wood, also makes it paintable. Start creating your own unique owl lamp. It is your perfect guidance at night!
“PT Indah Jaya is showcasing our quality towels at Hong Kong International Home Textiles and Furnishings Fair for the fourth consecutive year. This fair offers an exceptional platform for us to gain exposure and promote our Terry Palmer brand to international customers. As a leading towel manufacturer in Indonesia, we are keen to expand our business and grow the sales of Terry Palmer collections in Europe, USA and Asia. Last year, Terry Palmer successfully made entry into the Korean market with the first-ever trial order. We are now shipping the brand’s collections regularly to meet customers’ demand in Korea. We also concluded OEM orders with some new customers from the Philippines and the Chinese mainland at last year’s fair. The buyers’ response has been even better this year. Some new buyers from Argentina and Brazil looking for hotel-related textiles have expressed interest in sourcing our towels. Samples are being delivered to them and further negotiation will be conducted. We will continue to exhibit here to pursue more business development opportunities.””
“Hung Hang Shing specialises in the production of yarns and fabrics in Taiwan. In business for over 30 years, we are committed to providing high quality fabrics for various applications. This is our debut presence at Hong Kong International Home Textiles and Furnishings fair to promote our eco-friendly PE coated mesh fabrics and TPE elastic mesh fabrics. The fabrics are durable, waterproof, breathable, toxic-free, PVC-free and plasticiser-free, and can be used for making indoor and outdoor furniture. An international brand uses our fabrics to make table placemats. The exhibition response has been positive. Many buyers from different places like India, the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines and Indonesia have expressed sourcing interest. This is an excellent fair with exceptional service. The business matching service enables effective and fruitful exchanges with serious buyers.”
“Samsung C & T is establishing its home furnishings operation in Korea to tap business opportunities in the growing market. In a franchise cooperation with Swedish lifestyle brand Granit, we are looking to set up a 15-store home furnishings chain in Korea. The first four stores are expected to come into operation by the end of 2018. Hong Kong International Home Textiles and Furnishings Fair is a solid platform to source bedding, cushions and home textiles items. Hong Kong Houseware Fair also offers interesting products like kitchenware and bathroom items. I’ve got in touch with a number of potential suppliers from the Chinese mainland, the Philippines, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia and New Zealand for different products. The amount of orders will be subject to product specifications and further negotiation. I’m pleased to be here meeting so many new suppliers so as to enhance our sourcing capability for business development. In anticipation of a rising demand for home furnishings in Korea, we also hope to open a retail network under our own brand eventually.”
“In business for 14 years, IP Lasitsa is a retailer of home furnishing products in Kaliningrad in the western region of Russia. We operate two retail stores and a showroom. At present, we source mainly from suppliers in Poland. This is my first-ever visit to Hong Kong International Home Textiles and Furnishings Fair to find new sourcing opportunities. So far,I’ve found three new suppliers for various items. One of them is Korean exhibitor Decowin Textile who provide well-designed blinds that block sunlight. Talks are also underway with a Chinese mainland exhibitor for carpets and waterproof mats and an Indian supplier for a selection of towels and home textile products. This fair is well organised and easy to navigate. Staff has been very helpful. I’m very satisfied with the results.”
“In business for 18 years, Neowin is engaged in the retailing business of home furnishings in Singapore. Through sister company JunWe Design, we supply interior textiles and furnishings items for hotels. Hong Kong International Home Textiles and Furnishings Fair offers a lot to see and choose from. This is our first-ever visit and we’ve found something interesting to purchase. Negotiation is underway with Korean exhibitor Decowin Textile for blinds in different styles and a Taiwanese exhibitor for table placemats made of special fabrics. This is a good fair. We hope to visit the exhibition again to find more suitable products.”
“Softhome specialises in the provision of curtains, blinds, wallpapers and solar films for customers in Singapore. We help individual homeowners and commercial clients to match different designs of home furnishings to ensure interior harmony. At present, we source products mainly on Internet with major suppliers from Japan, Korea and Turkey. I am visiting Hong Kong International Home Textiles and Furnishings Fair to explore new sourcing opportunities. I’ve established contact with Korean exhibitor Decowin Textile and found its roller blinds very suitable for our customers and I will place orders soon. This is a well-organised exhibition offering a diversity of products. The visit yielded good results.”
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