India, Seychelles sign 6 MoUs on Seychelles President’s visit to India

  • Seychelles President Danny Faure, on his first bilateral visit to India, held talks with PM Narendra Modi on cooperation between the 2 nations. Here are the 6 MoUs signed between India and the Seychelles.
  • An agreement on Sharing White Shipping Information between the Indian Navy and the National Information Sharing and Coordination Center of Seychelles.
  • MoU for Indian Grant Assistance for Implementation of Small Development Projects through Local Bodies, Educational and Vocational Institutions.
  • Twinning Agreement on the Establishment of Friendship and Cooperation between the Corporation of the City of Panaji (Municipal Corporation) and the City of Victoria of the Republic of Seychelles.
  • A Cultural Exchange Programme between India and the Seychelles for 2018-2022.
  • An MoU for cooperation in the area of Cyber Security, between India’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-in) and the Department of Information Communications Technology of Seychelles.
  • An MoU between India’s Foreign Service Institute of the Ministry of External Affairs and the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Seychelles.

Deepika Kumari wins archery gold at Salt Lake World Cup

  • Indian archer Deepika Kumari has won gold at the Salt Lake World Cup in the USA.
  • She defeated Germany’s Michelle Kroppen 7-3 in the women’s recurve event.
  • With the win, she has qualified for the Archery World Cup Final in Samsun, Turkey, to be held in October 2018.
  • In her 6 previous appearances to date at the Archery World Cup, she has won 4 silver medals - in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015. This is the first time she has won the gold.

Saudi ARAMCO, ADNOC sign MoU for Ratnagiri Refinery project in Maharashtra

  • Saudi ARAMCO and ADNOC have signed an MoU to jointly develop and build an integrated refinery and petrochemicals complex at Ratnagiri in Maharashtra.
  • The project will be set up as a 50:50 joint partnership between the consortium from India and Saudi ARAMCO and ADNOC. It will be the single largest overseas investment in the Indian refining sector.
  • The strategic partnership brings together crude supply, resources, technologies, experience and expertise of these oil companies.
  • The project will be implemented by Ratnagiri Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd. (RRPCL).
  • The mega refinery will be capable of processing 1.2 million barrels of crude oil per day (60 million metric tonnes per annum).
  • The project cost is estimated at around Rs.3 lakh crore (USD 44 billion).

Ministry of Health signs MoU with IGNOU

  • The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has signed an MoU with Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) to scale up short-term healthcare courses through its platform.
  • Under the MoU, a curriculum for 10 courses, designed specifically for the health sector, will provide more than 14 lakh trained manpower by 2025.
  • With the setting up of 1.5 lakh Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) by 2022, there will be an urgent need for  such healthcare providers.

Indian, Bangladesh Navies institute Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT)

  • India and Bangladesh have agreed to institute Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) as an annual exercise between navies, and the inaugural edition is to take place this year.
  • The first edition of CORPAT was inaugurated by Indian Navy’s Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba during his visit to Bangladesh.
  • The commencement of CORPAT is major step towards enhanced operational interaction between both countries’ navies.
  • Naval cooperation between India and Bangladesh has traditionally been strong, and covers a wide range of activities which include operational interactions through Port Calls, Passage Exercises along with Capacity Building, Capability Enhancement and Training Initiatives.

Kalki Koechlin receives French honour, Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters

  • Actress Kalki Koechlin was conferred with the French distinction of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters – Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, in French – for her contribution to enhancing Indo-French ties in cinema.
  • Kalki has French roots, and the honour is a recognition for her striking roles in Indian cinema.

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