-->

Wednesday 5 May 2021

UK and India announce New Era in Bilateral Relationship

School News Network
United Kingdom, May 04 2021

 

· Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have agreed ambitious plans for the next decade of the UK-India relationship

· The ‘2030 roadmap’ includes commitments to deepen cooperation on health, climate, trade, education, science and technology, and defence.

 

The British and Indian Prime Ministers have made an historic commitment to strengthen work between the UK and India over the next decade, bringing our countries, economies and people closer together and boosting cooperation in areas that matter to both countries.

 


During a virtual meeting today, the two leaders agreed a
‘2030 Roadmap’ which will provide a framework for UK-India relations across health, climate, trade, education, science and technology, and defence. The Roadmap includes commitments to:

 

  • Expand the UK-India health partnership to enhance global health security and pandemic resilience. This includes firming up international supply chains to ensure critical medicines, vaccines and other medical products reach those who need them most.

 

  • Work together to ensure an ambitious outcome at COP26 and expand the UK-India partnership on tackling climate change, including by accelerating the development of clean energy and transport and new technology, protecting nature and biodiversity and helping developing countries adapt to the impact of climate change.

 

  • Deepen the economic relationship between the UK and India through an Enhanced Trade Partnership and confirming our intent to negotiate a Free Trade Agreement with a view to doubling UK-India trade over the next decade.

 

  • Increase cooperation between British and Indian universities on crucial research in areas like health, emerging technologies, and climate science – and bringing enterprises together to propel ground-breaking innovations to communities that need them most.  This includes the launch of a UK-India Global Innovation Partnership, which will co-invest in climate and health innovations from India to transform the lives of people across Africa, Asia and the Indian Ocean.  It also includes extension of the UK-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) to conclude its important work in bringing higher education and research sectors, and the people who work in them, closer together.

 

  • Cooperate closely to tackle threats to our shared security in all their forms. The UK’s Carrier Strike Group will visit India later this year to boost this work with our navies and air forces undertaking joint training exercises to enable future cooperation on operations in the Western Indian Ocean.

 

  • Enhance our migration relationship, to make it easier for British and Indian nationals to live and work in each other’s countries.

 

The two countries also agreed to elevate the status of the relationship to a ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’.

 

The breadth and depth of India’s relationship with the UK is underpinned by the living bridge between our people – with more Indian companies in the UK than in the rest of Europe combined and a vibrant Indian diaspora of 1.6 million Brits sharing deep connections between our countries.

 

During their meeting, the Prime Ministers undertook to work closely together in support of those values, including at next month’s G7 in Cornwall, which India is invited to as a guest nation.

 

Over the last week British business, civil society and the wider public have demonstrated the strength of the relationship between the UK and India by donating much-needed medical supplies to the country. During their call the Prime Minister and Prime Minister Modi agreed to continue to work together on our shared fight against coronavirus. They pointed to the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, currently being produced by India’s Serum Institute, as an example of the power of UK-India cooperation.

 

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “The UK and India share many fundamental values. The UK is one of the oldest democracies, and India is the world’s largest. We are both committed members of the Commonwealth. And there is a living bridge uniting the people of our countries.

 

“In the last week the British people have stepped up in their thousands to support our Indian friends during this terrible time in a demonstration of the deep connection between the UK and India.

 

“This connection will only grow over the next decade as we do more together to tackle the world’s biggest problems and make life better for our people. The agreements we have made today mark the beginning of a new era in the UK-India relationship.”  

 

British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis said: “The scope of the 2030 Roadmap makes absolutely clear how much the UK and India can and must do together.

 

This is a defining moment in the UK-India partnership, as we look to rebuild from the economic and health impacts of Covid-19, and lay the foundations for a secure and prosperous decade”

Tuesday 4 May 2021

IBEForuM Hosts QATAR DIGITAL LEARNING SUMMIT (Virtual) to Focus on the Key challenges of the Education Sector

School News Network
Qatar, May 03 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has just accelerated the growth of e-learning. This virtual conference is designed to bring together the digital learning solution providers from all over the globe that will cater to Qatar’s National Vision 2030 of modernizing and digitalizing the education sector and solve the challenges of digital learning.

Our extensive research with authoritative input from the key industry figures will provide an up-to-the-minute overview of the crucial issues faced by the various educational institutions and organizations on how to maximize e-learning for a sustainable future. This virtual Summit will bring together the key stakeholders and innovators of the digital learning industry for the betterment of the education sector. You can network with other e-learning professionals and gain the latest insights from the industry leaders featuring high-profile case studies and have an interactive discussions.

The decision-makers in this strategic virtual Summit are the Deputy Minister, Ministers, Chairmans, CEO, Director General, Deputy Director General Professor, Teacher, Lecturer, Principal/Dean, Education Technology Heads, etc. from Schools, Colleges, Universities, Higher Education Academies, Government and Semi-Government Entities.


We also have on board speakers from –

  • Qatar Foundation

  • Ministry of Education, Qatar

  • Qatar Academy

  • Qatar University

  • Qatar Medical Students Association

  • edX

Some of our Key Sponsors are -

  • Microsoft (Gold Sponsor)

  • Ensof (Gold Sponsor)

  • KaiT (Gold Sponsor)

  • Lexima (Gold Sponsor)

  • Intelliboard (Silver Sponsor)

  • Kestone – (Virtual Event Sponsor)


For more details, please visit https://www.qatarsummits.com/

Please Note: The virtual event will be held on the KESTONE platform. 
Here's the link : https://kestoneglobal.com/

Monday 3 May 2021

UT Administrator imposed new restrictions to fight COVID-19 in Chandigarh

School News Network
Chandigarh, May 03 2021


Governor of Punjab and Administrator, UT Chandigarh reviewed the covid situation in the city in a Special War Room held on 03/05/2021.  The meeting was attended by Manoj Parida, Adviser to the Administrator, Arun Kumar Gupta, Principal Secretary Home & Sanjay Beniwal, Director General of Police at Punjab Raj Bhawan. 

There was detailed discussion in the War Room regarding restrictive steps taken by the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana including lockdown measures to prevent spread of infection.  Keeping in view the fact that Chandigarh being the common capital of Punjab and Haryana, total sealing of borders will not be possible.  It was also felt that a total lockdown for long period will adversely affect the economy and may also lead to migration of labourers from the city, thereby causing massive disruption.  Hence, a considered decision was taken to have limited restrictive measures as follows :-




(i)      Night curfew will continue from 06:00 PM to 05:00 AM every day.


(ii)      There will be day time restrictions w.e.f. 05:00 PM on 04/05/2021 (Tuesday), till 05:00 AM on 11/05/2021 (Tuesday).  During these 07 days period, the following restrictions will be imposed :-


(a)     All shops selling non-essential items will remain closed.


(b)    All government offices and banks will work with 50% capacity.  As far  as possible, all private offices will ensure that their staff work from home.


(c)     Public Transport will run with 50% capacity.


(d)     The ban on Cinema Halls, Gyms, Spa, Bar, Swimming Pool, Coaching Centres will continue.


(e)    Sports Complexes will remain closed.  Special permission can be given by Secretary (Sports) to athletes preparing for Olympics etc.


(f)    Restaurants including hotels, Café, Coffee Shops, Eating Places will be allowed to function only for take away.  No seating arrangements will be allowed inside their premises.  Home delivery can be done upto 09:00 PM.


(g)    There shall be a complete ban on all social, cultural, sports and political gatherings.


(h)    Recruitment exams will be postponed excepting those like UPSC etc., especially permitted by Chandigarh Administration.


(i)    While there will be no restriction on inter-state movement, yet those entering Chandigarh without negative covid reports or vaccine certificates will be subject to random testing.


(j)    All Hospitals, Nursing Homes and Health related facilities like testing laboratories etc. will function normally.


(k)    Visitors entering government offices may be required to produce vaccination certificates or negative covid reports.


(l)    The gathering for the occasions like marriages will be restricted to 50 and for cremation/funeral, it will be 20 persons.


(m)    Crowded places like Sukhna Lake, Museums, Libraries, Rock Garden etc. will remain closed.


(n)    School, Colleges, Coaching Centres will remain closed.  However, teaching staff will be required to come as per detailed instructions to be issued by Education Department.


(o)    While movement of vehicles have been allowed during day time, the residents are requested to stay at home and avoid unnecessary travel.


(p)    The shops selling essential items like milk, bread, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, eggs, meat, mobile repair will remain opened.


(q)    It is clarified that total weekend curfew on Saturday and Sunday will continue.


Administrator appealed to the residents to strictly follow the covid protocol like wearing of masks and maintain social distance, so that the infection could be contained.

Keeping in view the nature of work being done by the mediamen, the Administrator decided that all accredited journalists will be included in the official list of frontline workers in UT, Chandigarh

UK sends further LIFE-SAVING support to INDIA

School News Network
United Kingdom, May 03 2021



·       The UK will send 1,000 more ventilators for use in India’s hospitals


·       The Chief Medical Officer, Chief Scientific Adviser and NHS staff have given help and advice to their Indian counterparts


·       Fresh assistance follows medical relief sent by the UK last week and a surge in support from the British people to India


·       On Tuesday the Prime Minister will hold a virtual meeting with Indian Prime Minister Modi to discuss deepening cooperation between the UK and India



India’s fight against a surge in coronavirus cases will be reinforced by new UK Government support announced by the Prime Minister. 1,000 ventilators will be sent from the UK’s surplus supply to Indian hospitals to help the most severe Covid cases.

This is in addition to 200 ventilators, 495 oxygen concentrators and 3 oxygen generation units the UK announced we were sending to India last week.


Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance have also spoken to their Indian counterparts to provide advice, insight and expertise to the Indian healthcare system as it deals with the world’s worse surge in Covid levels.


NHS England is also establishing a clinical advisory group led by Chief People Officer Prerana Isaar to support India’s Covid response. The group will work with Indian institutions such as the All India Institute of Medical Sciences to share experience on managing Covid outbreaks. The group will include researchers in public and global health, alongside nursing and other health professionals who have experience of the Indian healthcare system.


In a powerful demonstration of what Indian Prime Minister Modi has called the ‘living bridge’ between our countries, over the last week British people have come to the support of India in huge numbers. Businesses, civil society and the wider public have responded to appeals for help and launched funding drives.


This includes the British Asian Trust’s ‘Oxygen for India’ emergency appeal, which is raising funds for oxygen concentrators to be rapidly deployed to Indian hospitals. The BAT appeal, which has been personally backed by the Prince of Wales, has raised more than £1.5m in the last week.


Virgin Atlantic also flew 200 boxes of oxygen concentrators to Delhi on Saturday, after partnering with Khalsa Aid. Further cargo space will be given free of charge on 6 flights to India in the next week, in association with The Red Cross.


India has also provided support to the UK throughout the coronavirus pandemic. As the ‘pharmacy of the world’ the country has kept its borders open to supply the UK with vital medicine and PPE – exporting over 11 million face masks and 3 million packets of paracetamol over the course of 2020.


On Tuesday the Prime Minister will hold a virtual meeting with Prime Minister Modi to agree a huge range of commitments to deepen cooperation between the UK and India, including on fighting the coronavirus pandemic.


Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “The terrible images we have seen in India in recent weeks are all the more powerful because of the close and enduring connection between the people of the UK and India.

“I am deeply moved by the surge of support the British people have provided to the people of India and am pleased the UK Government has been able to play our part in providing life-saving assistance. “The UK will always be there for India in its time of need.”


The world is safer and stronger because of work between the UK and India. The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, for example, was developed in the UK, is currently being produced in the millions by India’s Serum Institute and will be distributed to the world at cost through COVAX.

It is those shared values of openness and the pursuit of knowledge and scientific advancement for the betterment of our societies that lie at the heart of the relationship between the UK and India. During his call with Prime Minister Modi, the Prime Minister will emphasise the importance of working with India to promote our shared values.

India is the largest democracy in the world, a fellow Commonwealth country and in June Prime Minister Modi will travel to the UK to attend the G7 Summit as a guest – one of four world leaders invited to join the Summit of leading democracies.


 Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: “This support will help urgently meet some of India’s acute needs, particularly oxygen for patients. We are determined to help our Indian friends in their hour of need. “We need to all work together to defeat Covid-19. No one is safe until we are all safe.”