Junior Digest

London [UK] July 28,2021: Economic prospects between rich and poor countries have had an even bigger gap due to different approaches to the COVID-19 vaccine, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said.
In a new assessment of the global outlook, the IMF stated that the world is increasingly divided into two blocs.
It has improved growth forecasts for developed economies for this year, including Britain, but forecasts for many developing countries are weaker than expected, reports the BBC.

The IMF states that there is a division between those countries “that can hope for further normalization of activities later this year (almost all advanced economies) and those that will continue to face recurrent infections and an increasing number of deaths from COVID-19”.
The report states that in rich countries, almost 40 percent of the population is fully vaccinated. In emerging market economies (more advanced developing countries) this is less than half and only a “small fraction” in low-income countries.
For rich countries combined, growth is projected at half a percentage point this year. But for the rest of the world, there is a compensatory decline, leaving the global forecast for 2021 unchanged at six percent. An upgrade to 4.9 percent follows next year.
However, the IMF warns that even in countries with a very low level of COVID-19 infection, economic recovery is not ensured as long as the virus is circulating in other countries.

Jul 27,2021:Senior journalists N. Ram and Sashi Kumar have moved the Supreme Court for an independent probe headed by a former or sitting top court judge into the mass surveillance of over 142 potential “targets”, including journalists, lawyers, ministers, Opposition politicians, constitutional functionaries and civil society activists, using military-grade Israeli spyware Pegasus.

“Such mass surveillance using a military-grade spyware abridges several fundamental rights and appears to represent an attempt to infiltrate, attack and destabilise independent institutions that act as critical pillars of our democratic set-up,” the petition said.

It has also sought a full disclosure from the government on whether it had authorised the snooping, which seems be an attempt to muzzle free speech and to chill dissent. The government, the petition said, had still not given a straight answer to whether the illegal hack was done with its blessings.

“Respondents [Ministries of Home, Information Technology and Communications] have not categorically ruled out obtaining Pegasus licences to conduct surveillance in their response, and have taken no steps to ensure a credible and independent investigation into these extremely serious allegations,” the petition highlighted.

The spying had caused serious dents on the rights to free speech and privacy. It had no legal basis. In fact, the legal regime for surveillance under Section 5(2) of the Telegraph Act had been completely bypassed. Civilians had become targets.

“Surveillance/interception is justified only in cases of public emergency or in the interests of public safety, and the existence of such conditions must be inferred reasonably and cannot be determined solely on the assessment of the government… The hack/interception/decryption occasioned by the Pegasus spyware constitutes a criminal offence,” the petition said.

The Pegasus software, manufactured by Israeli cyber-arms firm NSO Group Technologies Limited, is “extremely advanced and capable of infecting a mobile phone/device without any interaction with the owner (also known as a zero-click attack)”.

“It can conduct extremely intrusive surveillance, including tracking and recording calls, reading text and WhatsApp messages, collecting passwords, reading emails, accessing photos and videos, activating camera and microphone and enabling them to record events, and harvesting information from apps. It can be installed as simply as by placing a call on the targeted device, even if the call is not picked up,” the petition submitted.

The NSO Group claims to sell its products, including Pegasus, only to vetted governments to fight “crime and terror”. A forensic analysis of several mobile phones belonging to people targeted for surveillance by the Security Lab of Amnesty International has confirmed Pegasus-induced security breaches.

Bengaluru, Jul 28,2021: Basavaraj Bommai was unanimously elected as leader of Karnataka BJP legislature party on Tuesday evening. The 61-year old Bommai will succeed B S Yediyurappa as chief minister of Karnataka.

Mr Bommai was elected leader of BJP legislature party at a meeting which was attended by Arun Singh, who is incharge of BJP’s Karnataka unit and the party’s central observers Dharmendra Pradhan and G Kishan Reddy.

According to party sources, only Bommai’s name was proposed at the meeting which was also attended by the outgoing chief minister Yediyurappa and the state BJP president, Nalin Kumar Kateel.

The process of electing a new leader lasted for only a few minutes, the sources added.

Bommai would be sworn-in as chief minister of the state at 10 am on Wednesday at Raj Bhavan, the sources added.

Bommai is considered as a close-confidant of the outgoing chief minister Yediyurappa, and had served as minister, handling various portfolios including Home, Cooperation, Water Resources and Law and Parliamentary affairs.

The 61-year-old Bommai comes from a political family, as his father and former union minister SR Bommai had served as the chief minister of Karnataka.

New Delhi, Jul 26,2021: After the passage of two Bills without discussion, proceedings of the Lok Sabha were adjourned for the day on Monday amid ruckus by the Opposition over various issues, including Pegasus row, inflation and new farm bills.

As soon as the House reassembled after the third adjournment at 1500 hrs, several members of the Opposition parties entered the Well of the House and started sloganeering.

Rama Devi, who was in the Chair, made repeated requests to the Opposition members to return to their seats.

Amid din, The Factoring Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2020 and The National Institutes of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management Bill, 2021 were passed by voice vote and without discussion.

As the Opposition members did not pay heed to Rama Devi’s repeated requests, she adjourned the House for the day.

Earlier, proceedings of the Lok Sabha were adjourned thrice on the similar issues.

As the House reassembled after the first adjournment, several members of the Opposition parties entered the Well of the House and started sloganeering over the said issues.

Amid din, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2021.

The Bill is further to amend the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.

Earlier in the day, as soon as the House assembled at 1100 hrs, the House paid tributes to the fallen heroes on the 22nd anniversary of the Kargil Vijay Diwas.

The House congratulated Mirabai Chanu for winning the silver medal in weightlifting at Tokyo Olympics 2020.

Moscow [Russia], July 28,2021: Russia has proposed to the United Nations to expand the number of internationally designated types of cybercrimes from nine to 23, Deputy Prosecutor General Petr Gorodov told Sputnik.
Russia submitted the world’s first-ever draft convention on countering cybercrime to the UN on Tuesday. The draft convention, presented by Gorodov in Vienna, “introduces new elements of crimes committed using information and communication”.

“The draft reflects 23 corpus delicti, including unauthorized access to personal data, illegal distribution of counterfeit medicines and medical devices, terrorism, extremism, rehabilitation of Nazism, illegal trafficking of drugs, weapons, involvement of minors in illegal activities and much more — all the most relevant in the world of cybercrime,” Gorodov said.
According to Gorodov, the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime of the Council of Europe is outdated as it was introduced in 2001 and determines “only nine types” of cybercrimes.
The draft convention pays great attention to procedural aspects, as well as emergency mechanisms of interaction, which increase the speed and efficiency of law enforcement agencies in investigating cybercrimes “of a cross-border nature and requiring an instant response,” the deputy prosecutor general added.

Bengaluru, Jul 26,2021: Karnataka Governor Thawarchand Gehlot has dissolved the council of ministers headed by Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa with immediate effect.

“In exercise of powers conferred on me under Article 164 (1) of the Constitution of India, I Thawarchand Gehlot, Governor of Karnataka, have accepted the resignation of Shri BS Yediyurappa, Chief Minister of Karnataka, and dissolved the Council of Ministers headed by him with immediate effect,” Gehlot said in a notification released to the press.

“BS Yediyurappa shall continue to function as Chief Minister till alternative arrangements are made,” he added.

Meanwhile, supporters of Yediyurappa shut down shops and commercial establishments in his hometown Shikaripura in Shivamogga district after he tendered his resignation.

Earlier in the morning, Yediyurappa tendered his resignation as chief minister to Gehlot at Raj Bhavan. He also said he had resigned on his own and there was no pressure from the central leadership.

“There was no pressure from Prime Minister Narendra, Amit Shah, and Nadda. This is my own decision. I have taken this decision to give the opportunity to others to become chief minister. I once again thank the people of the state for having given me a chance to serve as the chief minister,” he said.

Yediyurappa said he is determined to strengthen the party and bring it back to power.

Asked who will replace him, Yediyurappa said it is left to the central leadership to decide on the new chief minister.

“I would not propose anyone’s name. Whoever the central leadership makes the new chief minister, we all will work together and bring the party back to power (in the next election),” he said.

Yediyurappa is an eight-time MLA from Shikaripura constituency in Shimoga district and served as chief minister for a record four times.

He is the only man to serve as the CM four times in Karnataka and also the only one to serve 3 times as the leader of the opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly.

New Delhi, Jul 23,2021: The Supreme Court on Friday rejected Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea and Tata Teleservices’ application seeking recalculation of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues that were paid by the telecom operators to the department of telecommunications (DoT).

A bench of Justices LN Rao and Hrishikesh Roy was hearing the matter, in which the telecos claimed “mathematical errors” on the part of DoT.

While turning down the pleas, the bench referred to an earlier order passed by the top court in the matter and observed that they said no re-assessment of AGR-related dues could be done.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, on behalf of DoT, also informed the bench that the department had not shared any instructions on allowing correction of errors.

Vodafone Idea’s counsel Mukul Rohatgi apprised the court of its financial situation due to the Rs 58,400-crore AGR dues and its surmounting debt of Rs 1.8 trillion.

According to DoT, Vi owes Rs 58,254 crore in AGR dues, including principal, interest, penalty, and penalty interest. However, according to Vi, it owes the government Rs 21,533 crore. Vi has so far paid Rs 7,854 crore.

DoT has demanded Rs 43,980 crore from Airtel, which is more than three times the self-assessed amount of Rs 13,004 crore. Airtel has so far paid Rs 18,004 crore to the DoT.

On September 1, 2020, the apex court allowed the firms to pay the AGR dues in installments over ten years.

They were told to begin by making an upfront payment of 10 per cent of the total dues.

The payment timeline started from April 1, 2021.

Tokyo,24,2021:India’s star weightlifter Mirabai Chanu created history on Saturday as she overcame her Rio heartbreak to become the first Indian weightlifter to win the silver medal at the Olympic Games. Chanu also became the first Indian to win an Olympic medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games in the Women’s 49kg category.

China’s Zhihui Hou won the gold medal in the women’s 49-kg weightlifting at the Tokyo Olympics, lifting a total of 210 kg, while Indonesia’s Windy Cantika Aisah won the bronze medal. Chanu managed to lift a total of 202 kg in the women’s 49kg category to become the second Indian weightlifter after Karnam Malleswari to win an Olympic medal. A new Olympic record was registered by Mirabai Chanu with a successful lift of 115kg in clean and jerk.

At the Tokyo International Forum, Mirabai Chanu began with an 84kg lift in her first attempt in the snatch segment. Later, the Indian ace improved with an 87kg lift that put her in an advantageous position in the competition. But Mirabai’s momentum was cut short once Hou Zhihui hit her strides with a 88kg lift in her first attempt. Hou Zhihui then set a new Olympic record in the snatch at 94kgs in her third lift.

5 years ago, Mirabai had headed to her maiden Olympic Games at Rio as one of the big Indian hopes, but she suffered a poor outing. Mirabai has the world record of 119kg in clean and jerk at the 2021 Asian Weightlifting Championships.

The lone Indian weightlifter in Tokyo roared back to form with world championships gold in 2017 and Commonwealth Games gold in 2018. She heads into Tokyo Games after having set the world record in clean and jerk in the women’s 49kg category.

WASHINGTON,23,2021: CIA Director William Burns in an interview with NPR said he is troubled by the advances the Taliban movement is making in Afghanistan.

“Well, the trend lines that all of us see today are certainly troubling. The Taliban are making significant military advances; they’re probably in the strongest military position that they’ve been in since 2001,” Burns said in the interview published on Thursday.

Burns added that the United States will retain significant capabilities in and around Afghanistan to gather information on terror groups.

Meanwhile, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid told Sputnik on Thursday that about 90% of the borders are under the control of the movement, including the entire border with Turkmenistan and Iran.

The war between Afghan government forces and Taliban militants, who have seized significant territories in rural areas and launched an offensive against large cities, is ongoing.

Peace talks kicked off between the Afghan government and the Taliban on September 12, 2020 in the capital of Qatar. The US administration has pledged to complete the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan in full coordination with allies by September 11.

In 2020, Washington and Taliban officials signed the first peace agreement in more than 18 years of war in Doha. It provides for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan in 14 months and the beginning of an inter-Afghan dialogue after the exchange of war prisoners.

However, in almost 10 months of negotiations, the sides of the conflict have not been able to agree on an agenda for the negotiations and cannot reach an agreement on key issues, in particular, on a ceasefire between government forces and the Taliban.

Tokyo [Japan], July 23,2021: Twenty-five members from the Indian contingent will attend the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics scheduled to be held on Friday at the National Stadium amid the COVID-19 concerns in the Japanese capital.
Ankita Raina has been added to the list of players who will attend the event on Friday evening while Manika Batra and Sharath Kamal from the Table Tennis team will not attend the ceremony, IOA Secretary General Rajeev Mehta confirmed on Twitter. Amit, Ashish Kumar, Mary Kom are among the eight boxers who will be present at the function along with six Indian officials.
“Change in athletes list — Sharat Kamal and Manika Batra of Table Tennis are canceled and Ankita from Tennis is added,” Rajeev Mehta tweeted with an updated list of players and officials who are set to represent India in the ceremony.
Meanwhile, Indian hockey team skipper Manpreet Singh will also be there along with the above-mentioned athletes as he is the flag bearer along with Mary Kom.
Archers, shooters, shuttlers, and hockey players (except Manpreet) among others from the Indian contingent will not be attending the Tokyo 2020 Olympics opening ceremony.
Notably, all those who have been asked to skip the opening ceremony have their respective events the following day. In the ceremony, India is at serial number 21 in the march past. The sequence of march past is as per the Japanese alphabet and only six officials can participate from each participating nation.
A total of 127 athletes across 18 sports disciplines from India are participating in Olympics. This is the biggest-ever contingent India has sent to any Olympics. The 69 cumulative events across the 18 sport disciplines that India will participate in are also the highest ever for the country.

Jul 26,2021: President Kais Saied said he would assume executive authority with the assistance of a new prime minister, in the biggest challenge yet to the democratic system Tunisia introduced in a 2011 revolution.

Crowds of people quickly flooded the capital and other cities to support Saied, cheering and honking car horns.

As his supporters filled the central Habib Bourguiba Avenue, Saied joined them in the street, state television pictures showed.

However, the extent of backing for Saied’s moves against a fragile government and divided parliament was not clear, as Parliament Speaker Rached Ghannouchi called on Tunisians to come into the streets to stop what he called a coup.

Saied, in his televised statement announcing his move, had warned against any violent response.

“I warn any who think of resorting to weapons… and whoever shoots a bullet, the armed forces will respond with bullets,” he said in a statement carried on television.

Hours after the statement, military vehicles surrounded the parliament building as people nearby cheered and sang the national anthem, two witnesses said. Local media reported that the army had also surrounded the state television building.

Years of paralysis, corruption, declining state services and growing unemployment had already soured many Tunisians on their political system before the COVID-19 pandemic hammered the economy last year and coronavirus infection rates shot up this summer.

Protests, called by social media activists but not backed by any of the big political parties, took place on Sunday.

Disputes

Crowds numbering in the tens of thousands stayed on the streets of Tunis and other cities, with some people setting off fireworks, for hours after Saied’s announcement as helicopters circled overhead.

“We have been relieved of them,” said Lamia Meftahi, a woman celebrating in central Tunis after Saied’s statement, speaking of the parliament and government.

Saied said in his statement that his actions were in line with Article 80 of the constitution, and also cited the article to suspend the immunity of members of parliament.

“Many people were deceived by hypocrisy, treachery and robbery of the rights of the people,” he said.

The president and the parliament were both elected in separate popular votes in 2019, while Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi took office last summer, replacing another short-lived government.

Saied, an independent without a party behind him swore to overhaul a complex political system plagued by corruption. Meanwhile, the parliamentary election delivered a fragmented chamber in which no party held more than a quarter of seats.

Disputes over Tunisia’s constitution were intended to be settled by a constitutional court. However, seven years after the constitution was approved, the court has yet to be installed after disputes over the appointment of judges.

The president has been enmeshed in political disputes with Mechichi for over a year, as the country grapples with an economic crisis, a looming fiscal crunch and a flailing response to the pandemic.

Under the constitution, the president has direct responsibility only for foreign affairs and the military, but after a government debacle with walk-in vaccination centres last week, he told the army to take charge of the pandemic response.

Tunisia’s soaring infection and death rates have added to public anger at the government as the country’s political parties bickered.

Meanwhile, Mechichi was attempting to negotiate a new loan with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that was seen as crucial to averting a looming fiscal crisis as Tunisia struggles to finance its budget deficit and coming debt repayments.

Disputes over the economic reforms, seen as needed to secure the loan but which could hurt ordinary Tunisians by ending subsidies or cutting public sector jobs, had already brought the government close to collapse.

New Delhi , July 26,2021: Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched the ‘Nadi ko Jano’ app during an online webinar organised by the Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal on the occasion of Vyaas Pooja Mahotsav on Sunday.
As per a release, the ‘Vyaas Pooja Mahotsav’ webinar was hosted by Dr Sachidananda Joshi, President, Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal, to shed light on the role of Bhartiya ethos and teachers in the implementation of New Education Policy.
Speaking on the occasion, Education Minister said that nature is the first teacher of man and the role of the teacher is paramount in Indian society.
“Indians have survived for thousands of years because of the Indian tradition of imparting knowledge to future generations,’ he said.

Speaking on the role of Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal, the Minister said, “Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal is a thread, which is connecting past and present to our future.”
“Things are changing rapidly in this tech-enabled world. Science is changing the world how we see it. But the basis of these scientific innovations is the self-awareness that resides within us,” Pradhan said.
He added that intellectual property is the biggest asset of Bharat. “Today, as the country is entering a new era, the new education policy, science, technology, creative thinking, logical decision making and innovation will help Bharat to become a knowledge economy,” he said.
As per the release, the purpose of the app is to gather information about rivers across India. The initiative is a part of research for the Resurrection Foundation with the aim of creating a database on Indian rivers
“The application will collect geographical local, water level, and pollution level of the rivers. Any student for Indian can upload the information,” the release said.

Washington [US], July 28,2021: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its mask guidance on Tuesday (local time) to prevent further spread of the Delta variant in the United States, by mandating vaccinated people to wear masks in certain situations.
The recommendation urges fully vaccinated people to wear masks indoors when in areas with “substantial” and “high” transmission of COVID-19, which includes nearly two-thirds of all US counties.
“In recent days I have seen new scientific data from recent outbreak investigations showing that the Delta variant behaves uniquely differently from past strains of the virus that cause COVID-19,” CDC Director Dr Rochelle Walensky told reporters on Tuesday (local time).
Soon after the announcement made by CDC, a statement issued by the White House stated that President Joe Biden and White House officials will resume wearing masks indoors when traveling to parts of the nation with high Covid transmission rates. “I hope all Americans who live in the areas covered by the CDC guidelines will follow it; I certainly will when I travel to these areas,” Biden said.
Tuesday’s regulations mean that even people who have been completely inoculated will once again need to mask up in public indoor spaces in parts of the country where the virus is ascendant.
In schools that plan to reopen this fall, health officials now recommended universal masking, regardless of vaccination status and community transmission of the virus, and additional precautions for staff, students and visitors. But they should still plan on returning to in-person learning.
Two months ago, the CDC told fully vaccinated people that they no longer needed to wear masks in most settings, and the White House had pitched the lead up to the July 4 holiday as a “summer of freedom” to celebrate progress made fighting the virus.
The Biden administration is set to recommend indoor mask use for anyone in areas of high transmission.
Cases have risen across the country in recent weeks with the spread of the delta variant, causing alarm among many public health experts that the US is regressing in its fight against the pandemic.
The US is on track to witness 200,000 daily COVID-19 cases in the coming weeks, the former U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director told CNN.
“We’re heading into a rough time. It’s likely, if our trajectory is similar to that in the United Kingdom, that we could see as many as 200,000 cases a day,” Tom Frieden said on Monday.

Jul 23,2021: Government says deaths from days of violence revised up to 79 in Gauteng province and 258 in KwaZulu-Natal.

Rioting in South Africa this month has claimed 337 lives, the government said on Thursday, marking a further jump in the death toll from the 276 announced the previous day.

“The South African police has revised the total number of deaths in Gauteng [province] to 79 and KwaZulu-Natal to 258 as related to the unrest,” said Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, a minister in the president’s office.

She added that some of the latest deaths were of people succumbing to injuries sustained during the riots.

Widespread looting and burning of businesses broke out earlier this month, a day after former President Jacob Zuma began serving a 15-month jail term for ignoring a corruption inquiry.

The violence escalated into the worst unrest since the end of apartheid, prompting President Cyril Ramaphosa to label it an attempted “insurrection”.

Violence spread through Zuma’s home province KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng – the two most populous provinces, which together account for half of South Africa’s economic output.

Zuma was on Thursday allowed to briefly leave jail in the southeastern town of Estcourt to attend the funeral of his brother Michael, who died from an illness several days after the ex-president was put behind bars.

The violence has abated, and six people including a radio DJ have so far been arrested on charges of incitement to commit public violence.

Several thousand more are being held for looting and arson.

The scale of the destruction and loss of life, which was fuelled by poverty and inequality that have persisted for almost three decades since the end of apartheid in 1994, is still becoming clear.

Authorities have managed to bring the violence under control. But the economic cost is estimated at 20 billion rand ($1.36bn) in KwaZulu-Natal alone, as 161 shopping malls, 11 warehouses and eight factories were extensively damaged.

New Delhi, Jul 28,2021: The US said it supports India’s “emergence as a leading global power and vital partner” in efforts to ensure the Indo-Pacific is a region of peace, stability and economic inclusion, as Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday evening on a two-day visit that will see both sides discuss a host of issues, including the Indo-Pacific, regional security and Afghanistan.

The two sides will also discuss continued cooperation on Covid-19 response efforts, “shared democratic values”, and addressing the climate crisis”, the US State Department said in a statement, as Blinken landed in New Delhi. He is to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and also National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Wednesday.

The US State Department said Blinken’s visit will reaffirm the US’s “commitment to strengthening our partnership and underscore cooperation on our shared priorities”.

It said the US and India have a strong strategic partnership founded on shared values and a commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region. The statement termed India as “a leading global power and a key US partner in the Indo-Pacific and beyond”.

Blinken’s visit comes as US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman was in China for two days during which she met the Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

On cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, it said that at the inaugural Quad Leaders’ Summit in March, President Biden and Prime Minister Modi joined their Japanese and Australian counterparts “in pledging to respond to the economic and health impacts of Covid-19, combat the climate crisis, and address shared challenges, including in cyber-space, critical technologies, counterterrorism, quality infrastructure investment, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and maritime security.”

U.S.-India defense cooperation is reaching new heights, including through information sharing, liaison officers, increasingly complex exercises like Malabar, and defense-enabling agreements, such as the secure communications agreement COMCASA.

As of 2020, the United States has authorized over $20 billion in defense sales to India.

Through the U.S.-India Defense Technology and Trade Initiative, the United States and India work together on co-production and co-development of defense equipment.

The United States and India are also closely coordinating on regional security issues, such as Afghanistan.

In October 2020, India hosted the third 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, and the United States looks forward to the next 2+2 later this year, it said.

The US and India are working to expand cooperation in international organizations, the statement said.

On the Covid pandemic, which is to be on the talks agenda, the statement said the US stands with the people of India as they continue to battle the pandemic. The US has contributed more than $200 million for India’s Covid-19 relief and response efforts since the pandemic began, including more than $50 million in emergency supplies and training for more than 218,000 frontline health workers on infection prevention and control, benefitting more than 43 million Indians.

Earlier this year, both countries initiated renewal of a MoU to collaborate through an International Center of Excellence in Research focused on infectious diseases, including Covid-19 and other emerging threats.

Both nations are partnering to strengthen the global response to Covid-19, on issues ranging from addressing infectious disease outbreaks to strengthening health systems to securing global supply chains.

US pharma companies have coordinated with Indian companies since the beginning of the pandemic. This cooperation includes voluntary licensing and technology transfer agreements to increase global manufacturing capacity for Covid-19 vaccines, therapies, and conducting clinical trials.

On cooperation on climate change, it said that US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry during his meeting in April with Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed the importance of two of the world’s largest economies leading together to address the climate crisis.

At the Leaders’ Summit on Climate in April, President Biden and Prime Minister Modi launched the US-India Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership to strengthen cooperation on strong actions in the current decade to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and help each country achieve its respective climate and clean energy goals.

The US looks forward to further cooperation with India on tackling the climate crisis and raising global ambition ahead of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, UK, in November, it said.