“The Contemporary Embassy – Paths to Diplomatic Excellence”

15 01 2015

Book Discussion on “The Contemporary Embassy – Paths to Diplomatic Excellence” with Ambassador Kishan S. Rana
EVENT DETAILS
DATE		Wednesday, January 28, 2015
TIME		4:00 PM  – 5:30 PM (Registration: 03:30 pm)
LOCATION		WWF Auditorium, 172-B, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi – 110003
SPEAKERS		Ambassador Kishan S. Rana, Former Indian Ambassador to Germany Dr. C. Raja Mohan, Distinguished Fellow, Observer Research Foundation (ORF)
CHAIR		Ambassador Eric Gonsalves, Former Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs and Ambassador to Belgium and to EEC and Luxembourg
ABOUT THE EVENT Embassies are at the cutting edge of the international system, agencies of the home system that transact with foreign countries. Past few years have witnessed evolution of purpose of diplomacy as set out in the Vienna Convention of Diplomatic Relations 1961, as a consequence of which the role of embassies has been extended to being that of a promoter, negotiator, communicator, manager, synthesiser, and service provider across the entire gamut of external affairs. This proactive and intensive involvement has lead to perceive embassies as the “CEO’s of multiagency missions reaching out to the entire society and not just the government”. In that context, Ambassador Kishan S. Rana raises the question whether embassies are likely to undergo evolutionary changes adapting to requirements of efficiency and tighter accountability in his book “The Contemporary Embassy – Paths to Diplomatic Excellence”. The book discussion session will have experts on diplomacy reflecting over the main argument of the book on the departure from formulistic rituals of diplomacy and on ways embassies could do better.
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SPEAKERS   AMBASSADOR KISHAN S RANA, Former Indian Ambassador to Germany Ambassador Kishan S. Rana is a career diplomat who joined Indian Foreign Service in 1960. He served as Ambassador/High Commissioner to Algeria, Czechoslovakia, Kenya, Mauritius, and Germany; also consul general in San Francisco and worked in China (1963-65, 1970-72). He also served on staff of PM Indira Gandhi (1981-82). In addition, Ambassador Rana is a Professor Emeritus, DiploFoundation, Malta and Geneva; Honorary Fellow, Institute of Chinese Studies, Delhi; Archives By-Fellow, Churchill College, Cambridge; Public Policy Scholar, Woodrow Wilson Centre, Washington DC; guest faculty, Diplomatic Academy, Vienna; Commonwealth Adviser, Namibia Foreign Ministry, 2000-01. Ambassador Rana authored number of books on diplomacy and international affairs such as Inside Diplomacy (2000); Managing Corporate Culture (co-author, 2000); Bilateral Diplomacy (2002); The 21st Century Ambassador (2004); Asian Diplomacy (2007); Diplomacy of the 21st Century (2011); India’s North-East States, the BCIM Forum and Regional Integration, (co-author, 2012); The Contemporary Embassy (2013). Ambassador Rana is fluent in Chinese and French. He holds a BA (Hons) and a MA in economics, St Stephens College Delhi. DR C RAJA MOHAN, Distinguished Fellow, Observer Research Foundation Dr. C Raja Mohan is a Distinguished Fellow at ORF and is leading the Strategic Studies Initiative of the Foundation. He is also a foreign affairs columnist for ‘The Indian Express’, a Visiting Research Professor at the Institute of South Asian Studies, Singapore, and a Non-Resident Senior Associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington DC. Earlier he was a Professor of South Asian Studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. He was the Henry Alfred Kissinger Chair in Foreign Policy and International Relations at the Library of Congress, Washington DC during 2009-10. Dr. Mohan served as the Diplomatic Editor and the Washington Correspondent of ‘The Hindu’ and the Strategic Affairs Editor of ‘The Indian Express’. His area of expertise includes India’s Foreign and Defence policies, Asian Security, Arms Control & Disarmament, and the Impact of Rising Powers on the Global Order.  CHAIR AMBASSADOR ERIC GONSALVES,   Former Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs and Ambassador to Belgium and EEC and Luxembourg Ambassador Eric Gonsalves is a career diplomat born on 5 May 1928. He joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1950 and served in various capacities including Counsellor, London; Deputy Chief of Mission, Washington; Ambassador to Japan and the European Union; Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs (Vice Minister). After retirement he served as Director, India International Centre, Delhi 1986-91, Director, Asian Relations Commemorative Conference 1987, Member, International Observer Group, Sri Lanka Elections 1989-94, Member, Board of Management MAHE (now Manipal University) 1994-2006, President, Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, New Delhi (till April 2008). Currently, he is Member of Governing Body, Centre for Policy Research, Delhi and Convenor Indian Delegation BCIM (Bangladesh China India Myanmar) Forum. Ambassador Gonsalves holds a B.SC (Hons) degree from Madras University.

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Categories : CSR, culture, Education

18th National Conference of IORA in collaboration with Gokhale Institute

15 01 2015

Dear Sir/Madam, I am happy to bring it to your kind notice that BIMTECH is organizing 3 days 18th National Conference of IORA in collaboration with Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune at Greater Noida. In view of your knowledge and expertise, I request you to kindly contribute a research paper for the conference. I also request you to kindly share the information with your colleagues and research scholars. Your contribution is envisaged to enrich the proceedings.  Brochure of the conference is attached. Abstract may be also submitted on http://bimtech.ac.in/iora-2015/upload-abstract/ With profound regards Dr. Shri Prakash Prof. of Eminence Centre for Research Studies Birla Institute of Management Technology Knowledge Park-II, Plot No-5 Greater Noida.Pin-201306 Tel:-0120-2323001-10, Extn -365 Direct Number: 0120-3239654 Email: iora.conference@bimtech.ac.in Conference Website: www.bimtech.ac.in/iora-2015/

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Categories : Business

‘Hamare Yatraon ke Madhyam se Himalaya ko Samajhna:

15 01 2015

Nehru Memorial Museum and Library

cordially invites you to a Public Lecture

(in the ‘Samaj, Itihas aur Sahitya’ series)

at 3.00 pm on Monday, 19^th January, 2015

in the Auditorium, Library Building

on

‘Hamare Yatraon ke Madhyam se Himalaya ko Samajhna:

Askot-Aaraakot Abhiyan 1974-84-94-2004 aur 2014 ka anubhav’

by

Prof. Shekhar Pathak,

Former Fellow,

NMML.

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Categories : Business

RBI slashes Repo rate by 25 bps

15 01 2015

• The policy Repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) has been reduced to 7.75% from 8%;
• Cash reserve ratio (CRR) of scheduled banks kept unchanged at 4% of net demand and time liabilities (NDTL);
• Continue to provide liquidity under overnight repos at 0.25% of bank-wise NDTL at the LAF repo rate and liquidity under 7-day and 14-day term repos of up to 0.75% of NDTL of the banking system through auctions; and
• Continue with daily one-day term repos and reverse repos to smooth liquidity.

Consequently, the reverse repo rate under the LAF will be 6.75% and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate at 8.75%

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Categories : Business

Europe on high alert

15 01 2015

German federal security agencies  currently examining a possible threat of copycat attacks by local sympathizers to the last week’s attack in Paris that left 12 people dead, Die Welt newspaper reported Wednesday. Investigators registered suspicious Internet activity, such as open calls for terror attacks.
According to a 25-page secret document, a copy of which was obtained by the newspaper, “The attack could also work as a spark for people living or staying in Germany who are predisposed to such acts.” However, German security agents have no “concrete intelligence or evidence” that any attack is in preparation. Many European countries are on high alert, boosting security measures in the wake of last week’s deadly terror attacks in Paris. Denmark, Norway and Germany have already detected various threats. Thus many European countries are on high alert, boosting security measures in the wake of last week’s deadly terror attacks in Paris. Denmark, Norway and Germany have already detected various threats.
On Tuesday, a controversial mosque in Denmark’s Aarhus has requested the police assistance in the grim atmosphere of various threats and the aftermath of the recent tragedy in Paris.
“They don’t feel threatened and they don’t want to press charges but they have pointed out that people are talking about them in a very, very ugly way and we are following the situation,” Commissioner Allan Aarslev told Metroxpress.
In a recent documentary aired on local TV the leadership of the Grimhøj Mosque leadership claimed “We want the Islamic State to come out on top. We want an Islamic state in the world,” according to The Local.
Norway’s TV2 reported on Friday that Norwegian security officers were investigating a terror threat against two Scandinavian countries, that was previously posted on a French website.
“We are aware of the threat and are now working on trying to clear up whether it is real,” Siv Alsén, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) told Norway’s TV2.
According to The Local, the Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET) said it could neither confirm nor deny the reported French threat.

France, Austria, Belgium and Spain also are on “high alert,” relying on a general threat level. Transportation hubs, such as airports, seaports and train stations, energy networks and nuclear power plants have now tightened up security. Media agencies

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Categories : Business

AIRASIA INDONESIA FLIGHT QZ 8501 UPDATE AS PER 14 JANUARY 2015 22:00 HRS

15 01 2015

 AIRASIA INDONESIA FLIGHT QZ 8501 UPDATE

AS PER 14 JANUARY 2015 22:00 HRS LT (GMT+7)

SURABAYA, 14^TH JANUARY 2015 – The National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) Republic of Indonesia this evening confirmed to have located the fuselage of QZ8501 in the second focused primary area. The confirmation followed the visual confirmation captured by a SAR vessel’s Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) showing the main wreckage of QZ 8501 aircraft as well as the right wing on the seafloor of the Java Sea. Sea divers from SAR team will be deployed tomorrow morning for recovery operations.

In addition, BASARNAS also confirmed to have recovered two additional passengers’ remains which were located near Sembilan Island, approximately 70 miles southwest from Kota Baru, South Borneo. The two remains will be transported to Pangkalan Bun and then to Bhayangkara Hospital in Surabaya for identification.

Meanwhile in Surabaya, Simon Djidrovski Coordinator EDPS, DVI Unit Police Forensics Sub-Directorate INTERPOL visited the crisis center at the East Java Region Police Headquarter this morning. During his visit, Simon also supervised the overall identification process led by the Disaster Victim Identification Police Department Republic of Indonesia (DVI POLRI) and he extended his appreciation on how the on-going DVI process has been conducted in accordance with INTERPOL DVI guidelines.

In addition, DVI POLRI announced that two more passengers have been identified as: Jie Stephanie Gunawan (female) and Christanto Leoma Hutama (male) today.

To date, BASARNAS has confirmed to have recovered a total of 50 remains of which 38 have been identified by DVI POLRI, 10 are still being identified and 2 have yet arrived at Bhayangkara Hospital.

AirAsia Indonesia would like to take this opportunity to urge the public seeking progress on the search and evacuation; and identification process of QZ 8501 passengers to refer solely to official information from BASARNAS and DVI POLRI.

You may also obtain substantiated information only from authorised AirAsia social media accounts: Facebook (www.facebook.com/AirAsia) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/AirAsia)

Our thoughts and prayers remain with the families and friends of our passengers and colleagues on board QZ 8501.

Note to Editors: We ask that members of the news media do not call the AirAsia Emergency Call Centre, as this line is reserved for family members seeking information about those who may have been on board.

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Categories : Business, Transport

Press Conference Invite National Consultation on ‘Youth Voices for Beijing+20’

15 01 2015

Centre for Social Research Press Conference Invite National Consultation on ‘Youth Voices for Beijing+20’

Date: 14th January 2015
Time: 12:30 to 13:00
Place: Magnolia Hall, India Habitat Centre

Dear Madam, SirCentre for Social Research would like to invite you to the National Consultation between civil society organisations and the government officials.The consultation will serve as a feed for the Beijing+20 Global Review scheduled in March’15 in New York during the 59th Commission on the Status of Women. This would be the first time when representatives from Indian government, United Nations, European Union Delegation, and German Embassy will be having a direct dialogue and brainstorm with the members of the civil society. The programme aims at developing concrete strategies to accelerate growth and progress in women’s lives and to seek accountability for implementing the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Also, we will be sharing the recommendations integrated through ‘Youth Contribution to the Beijing+20 Review Debate’, a programme which is being run with the support of The Asia Foundation. Opportunity to interact with: The programme which is being run with the support of The Asia Foundation, aims to collate recommendations from the youth under the twelve critical areas of concern identified by the Beijing Platform for Action. CSR has been contributing to the Beijing+20 programmes since its inception in 1995 and the university consultations are facilitated to review and accumulate the recommendations that youth can suggest for holistic development and advancement of women. Dr. Ranjana Kumari, Director, Centre for Social Research Dr.Lalitha Kumaramangalam, NCW Chairperson Dr. Rebecca Reichmann Tavares, Representative, UN Women Dr.Sunitha Krishnan, Social Activist, Co-Founder Prajwala Looking forward to see you at the event. Best Regards Dr. Ranjana Kumari, Director Centre for Social Research