Cabinet approves India-Abu Dhabi bilateral air services agreement

The Cabinet on Tuesday approved the India-Abu Dhabi bilateral air services agreement enabling their airlines to fly 50,000 seats each week, up from the current level of 13,700.

The agreement, which had run into a controversy, received post-facto approval of the Union Cabinet at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi. The agreement would allow the designated carriers of India and Abu Dhabi to have 50,000 seat capacity each week. This increase of 36,670 seats would be carried out in a phased manner spread over a three-year period. While an additional 11,000 seats per week would be added to the existing 13,700 this year, another 12,800 seats per week would be added in 2014 and 12,870 more in 2015.

A number of MPs from various parties had objected to the massive enhancement in bilateral air traffic rights which had followed the signing of the Rs. 2,058 crore Jet-Etihad deal under which the latter would pick up 24 per cent equity stake in Jet Airways. Leaders including Jaswant Singh, Nishikant Dubey (both BJP), Dinesh Trivedi (TMC), Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI) and Subramanian Swamy (BJP), had shot off letters to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue.

Following the objections, the Prime Minister had asked the Civil Aviation Ministry on June 13 to revise the Cabinet note on the matter by making modifications to address the concerns flagged by these politicians. On June 29, the Jet-Etihad deal got the approval of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) with riders to maintain effective Indian control over Jet.

A bilateral air services agreement between two countries allows their designated airlines to operate and later increase or decrease the number of flights operating between them, the number of seats to be flown per week and even the aircraft type.

The Social Security Agreement between India and Canada Approved

The Union Cabinet of India on 29 August 2013 approved the Social Security Agreement between India and Canada. The agreement will benefit 40 thousand Persons of Indian Origin in Quebec province. India has similar agreements with countries including Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Malaysia and Belgium. The Social Security totalization agreement between India and Canada was signed on 6 November 2012. The Social Security Agreement between Canada and India is expected to enter into force in 2014, once both nations have completed their legislative procedures. 

China and Pakistan to hold Joint Air Exercise called Shaheen (Eagle)-2

The Chinese and Pakistani air forces on 28 August 2013 decided to hold a joint exercise next week in a region bordering Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The joint drill will be held during September 2013 in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The exercise, code-named Shaheen (Eagle)-2, is another cooperative project between the two air forces after the Shaheen-1 drill in Pakistan in March 2011. The drill between the two close allies is being held ahead of an India-China military exercise planned for November 2013.

The exercise, codenamed Hand-in-Hand, is scheduled to be held in China's Chengdu Military Command area from November 4 to 14 2013.
India and China are expected to field about 150 troops each for the exercise, which is likely to focus on anti-terrorism manoeuvres.

India plans Rs 5,000 crore in aid to Bhutan

India is working on a Rs 4,500-crore financial aid to Bhutan for the neighbouring country's 11th Five Year Plan.In addition, India will also contribute Rs 500 crore to a special Economic Stimulus Package (ESP) devised by Thimphu to facilitate loans for private sector from banks and enhance youth employment,as its newly-elected Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay is set to visit New Delhi from August 30 to September 2.

According to top government sources, New Delhi and Thimphu are chalking out the financial assistance in three categories — Rs 4,500 crore for the 11th Five-Year-Plan, Rs 500 crore as an "economic stimulus plan" and Rs 400 crore for spill-over activities from the previous 10th Five-Year-Plan.

Ministry of Rural Development signed MoU with NGO Pradan for development in Naxal Areas

The Ministry of Rural Development on 6 August 2013 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Pradan, a non-governmental organization. The NGO will serve as a resource and support organisation for the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), with specially focusing on Naxal-affected districts.

The scheme will be implemented in some of the Naxal-affected districts of Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha in the first phase.
Rural development ministry identified three goals in order to help women farmers groups under the Mahila Krishak Sashaktikaran Yojana 

INDIA AGREEMENTS IN 2013

1. India and Finland signed agreement on Solar energy.

2. India and sweden signed agreement on DTAA(Direct Tax Anti Avoidance).

3. India and Mauritius signed agreement on Medicine, Tourism, Senior Citizen.

4. India and Germany signed agreement on Higher Education.

5. India and Australia signed agreement on Energy and Food.

6. India and Portugese signed agreement on SSA(Social Security Act)

7. India and Colombia signed agreement on Bussiness Development.

8. India and Japan signed agreement on Stregthen on Tourism Sector.

9. India and Newzeland signed agreement on Education ( 5 MoU's)

10. India and Bangladesh signed agreement on Health.

11. India and Srilanka signed agreement on Drug and Terrorism. (8th India-Srilanka at New Delhi)

12. India and Spain signed agreement on Defernce Coperation.

13. India and Monaco signed agreement on Tax Exchange.

14. GAIL sign LNG supply agreement with Frances GDF suez.

15. Worlds first Mercury treaty adopted by 140 countries at Geneva.

16. India signed (SSA) social security agreements with 17 countries.

17. Super 30 tied up with university of Tokyo.

18. NACO signed MoU with Ministry of Health & Family welfare for AIDS.

Indo-Australian Joint Naval Exercise

India and Australia have agreed to continue bilateral Naval exchanges between Navies of both countries, including working towards a bilateral naval exercise in 2015 in order to build confidence and familiarity between both Navies.

India Signed Loan Agreement with World Bank for National AIDS Control Project-IV

India signed an agreement for loan of 255 million US dollars with World Bank for the National AIDS Control Project (NACP-IV) in New Delhi on 18 June 2013. The Objective of the project is to increase safe behaviors among high risk groups in order to contribute to India’s national goal of reversal of the HIV epidemic by 2017.