The COCK goes crowing ..... First Person :: An Open Letter from 'Cock' - the NPF symbol ..... :: Lest You Forget :::: Beating of a butterfly wings can unleash a Tsunami

 Dear all.... my masters... my followers.... my admirers and my critics -- 

All of you must know that under the title 'Lest we Forget' my 'regionalist ideologue' Shri Shurhozelie had penned a book a few years back. 

I am deliberately changing a word in the title for this Missive to one and all - in Nagaland and those 'outside' Nagaland state but very involved, engaged and interested in the Naga way of politics, life and power. The phrase 'Lest we forget' serves as a cautionary reminder -- what may we never forget.  

All Time Mr Clean of Nagaland Politics - Legendary Vizol 

The Naga peace talks - is a case study in complexity and failure. 

I am owned by 'regionalism'; but it is a fact of life that My Regionalism is not the solution in many ways.

In contrast, some of you may feel Cock and its political bosses are still the problem or a cause of multiple problems.  

First we all ought to understand the foundations of my owners/party. A Kevichusa or Vizol -- their form of leadership(s) is unrepeatable.  

The politics of Regionalism - was born in 1963, Oct 21 (about 40 days before the statehood). But it always regarded as a challenger of the status quo. 

An outfit of rebel leaders against established power. That's why one leader man years later (Vamuzo) - liked to describe them as "Fighting Cocks".

Today , both Regionalism in Naga polity and the Peace parleys in effect have given out 'many people to open multiple shops' in the name of Talks or facilitating the solution. At the same time; the Solution is kept at bay. 

And every other day new tricks are being played on to pin the blame on the centre or the negotiators of Delhi. It's like pinning jelly on the wall. 

A mark is left but the jelly would not stick. However, the business goes on. 

New walls, new bricks and fresh jars of jelly.

Now awaiting the merger; I, the Cock, hope that I could be the guiding light for what should happen next.

I say more so because - a powerful and influential Chief Minister of two decades stint is now my new owner. In Delhi - the refrain is the 'boy with the golden arm' is not doing enough to get enough wickets.

Or it's a case -- a student who can deliver 99 per cent marks and who has potentials -- is simply not doing/working hard enough.  

I hope to pursue him better after Oct 21, 2025.

Many of my stakeholders and even political rivals may easily say --- the Regonalism did not solve problems. In some ways, you all may be convinced that 'we the regionalists' have made things more difficult.  The NPF-BJP government came to power first in 2003 ousting the Congress veteran S C Jamir. The Naga talks were on already as things had started in 1997.

The Naga problem persists. The issues of Eastern Nagaland, developmental works, corruption, non-payment of salaries on time  - all have proved just as intractable. And most of the answers remain as elusive as were in the past.

Hokishe Sema with Rajiv Gandhi

But the politics of Nagaland also had the services of Congress party and their local stalwarts. Every Naga lives in this state "more deeply" made and marked by Congressism of the likes of Hokishe Sema and S C Jamir -- than by any other politician of the younger generation.

The impact or even fallout of these leaders is hard to miss but rarely fully acknowledged. 

Certain demerits or characteristics of changes are visible. The entire Naga polity if not the society by and large have been commercialised. It may not be erroneous to suggest that the present Naga governance and politics are completely detached from the people. 

Ask Mr Jamir - though a Congressman he was my patron too for a brief spell - and he would say --"all these because Nagas are wandering in political wilderness. And the entire show is being run according to whims and fancies of the underground leadership(s) and nearly 28 factions". 

But it is also a fact the Corruption menace was encouraged as the only way of life in Nagaland by the Congress regimes both in Kohima and in New Delhi.

At least two Ws -- Wealth and Wine were pushed by New Delhi as a tool to curb "insurgency". 

The same Congress party and the politics pursued by Delhi (even under BJP) has been the reason the people are so destructively divided. 

Blogger and Mrs and Mr S C Jamir 

Even today, the Congress leaders are seen the reasons -- why the Naga unity has not been ensured. 

The Naga psyche has been spoiled. One can say the Congressism in Nagaland and the BJP policies also following the same road maps are the reasons the forest, rivers and lakes are so polluted.

But as a political symbol, I will not give up. I only hope my new masters after Oct 21st, 2025 start a new mission. The pledge - to deliver a lasting peace.

As a political symbol; I will not take sides. Some of my NPF workers and supporters may feel, their party could never be wrong. Our opponents may say we could do nothing right.

But the truth is always nuanced.  Truth may be complex and at times the Truth is stranger than fiction. The beating of a butterfly wings can unleash a Tsunami.

Yours sincerely – the Cock. 

Ends 

Story of 'Partition of India' now elsewhere ::::: 'Historic' ceasefire comes into effect !! :::: Palestinians displaced to southern Gaza begin "journey home" !!

Palestinians displaced to southern Gaza begin journey home as ceasefire comes into effect  

Hamas has 72 hours to return hostages

Thousands walk north along coastal road after Israel-Hamas agreement puts stop to fighting for first time in six months.  

Under the terms of the plan, Hamas is expected to release the 20 living Israeli hostages within 72 hours, after which Israel will release 250 Palestinians serving long terms in Israeli prisons, as well as 1,700 others detained in Gaza during the war.

The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, claimed credit for the hostage release, saying in an address on Friday that the “security of Israel” was what dictated his actions in Gaza.

                            Palestinians displaced by the war head back north to their homes

“I believed that if we applied heavy military pressure, combined with heavy diplomatic pressure, we would absolutely be able to return all of our hostages,” said Netanyahu, who also thanked the US president, Donald Trump, for his support to achieve the deal. 

According to an Israeli government spokesperson speaking on Thursday, Israeli forces will remain in control of 53% of Gaza in the initial withdrawal phase before the hostages are released. Israeli troops were seen pulling back from areas such as the eastern part of Khan Younis, southern Gaza, and the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, but troops were still visible in other parts of the strip.

With the announcement that a ceasefire had begun, a massive column of Palestinians began filing north towards Gaza City, the territory’s biggest urban area. Nearly half a million Palestinians living in north Gaza had been displaced by Israel’s military operation in Gaza City, and many of them were eager to return to their homes.

Footage showed huge crowds on the coastal road, which had been cut off for returnees just days prior.

“Thank God my house is still standing,” said 40-year-old Ismail Zayda in the Sheikh Radwan area of Gaza City. “But the place is destroyed, my neighbours’ houses are destroyed, entire districts have gone,” he told Reuters.

Story of Partition of India now elsewhere 

The completion of the withdrawal started a 72-hour countdown, during which Hamas is obligated to release all the living hostages and as many of the dead hostages that it can secure, according to the terms of the deal. That puts the deadline at noon on Monday. Hamas has said it will not be able to locate all the dead hostages in that time, and Israel is aware of this.

The IDF published footage of the pullback. US Envoy Steve Witkoff later said that the US military had confirmed that the IDF had completed its obligations. 

Israel’s toll in the ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza and in military operations along the border with the Strip stands at 472. The toll includes two police officers and three Defense Ministry civilian contractors.  

IDF Spokesman Brig Gen. Effie Defrin said the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip was “an emotional moment for the people of Israel and for the IDF troops and soldiers who have fought and acted over the past two years with courage, bravery, and out of a sense of mission and dedication.”  

Hamas’s Civil Defense agency also told Gazans not to approach the borders of the enclave until an official announcement is made about an IDF withdrawal. “Violating this warning puts your lives at risk,” the statement said.

Following the announcements, footage from Gaza showed hundreds of people beginning to move along the coastal al-Rashid Road moving back north toward Gaza City, the enclave’s main urban center which has been under Israeli assault for the past month.

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was announced in the early hours of the morning on Thursday and was ratified by the government later that evening. The hostages — some 20 living, at least 26 thought to be dead — are meant to come home within 72 hours of the completion of an agreed-upon withdrawal of the IDF.

ends 

In a mega snub to Trump, Venezuelan woman-politician María Corina Machado wins Nobel peace prize 2025 !! :::: A woman who defends democracy over a man who undermines it !!

 Opponent of Maduro regime receives award and praise for keeping ‘flame of democracy burning’ 

Machado reacted to her Nobel prize in a video - “I can’t believe it! My God!”  

“Venezuela has evolved from a relatively democratic and prosperous country to a brutal, authoritarian state that is now suffering a humanitarian and economic crisis,” said the Norwegian Nobel Institute committee.

In choosing a woman who defends democracy over a man who undermines it, the committee reminded the world that peace prizes are earned by integrity and conviction, not bluster and self-promotion.

It shared a video of the moment its director, Kristian Berg Harpviken, woke Machado up with the news. “Oh my God!” she said. “I have no words ... But I hope you understand that ... I am just one person, I certainly don’t deserve this.”

The Nobel committee celebrated Machado’s long struggle for democracy in a statement that called her “one of the most extraordinary examples of civilian courage in Latin America in recent times”. It also paid tribute to the Venezuelan opposition’s “innovative and brave, peaceful and democratic” push for change during last year’s election, when hundreds of thousands of volunteers mobilised to observe the election and collect detailed tallies showing that González had won.

“But the regime refused to accept the election result, and clung to power,” the committee said, painting a dire picture of life in Venezuela, which has gradually sunk into dictatorship since Maduro was democratically elected in 2013 after the death of his mentor, Hugo Chávez.

Meantime, Grapes are sour:

It was a 'grapes are sour' moment for the White House as it slammed the Nobel Committee who chose Venezuela's main opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, as the rightful winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 2025, a recognition US President Donald Trump has been vying for and has long maintained that he deserved one for "ending eight wars". 

The Oval Office said that the Nobel Committee placed politics over peace by awarding the coveted prize to Machado.  

Also known as Venezuela's Iron Lady for her work in promoting democratic rights, Ms Machado found her name in Time Magazine's 'The 100 Most Influential People of 2025' list.  

"President Trump will continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives. He has the heart of a humanitarian, and there will never be anyone like him who can move mountains with the sheer force of his will," Steven Cheung, White House spokesperson, wrote on X.  

Machado, who many Venezuelans know simply as MCM or María Corina, has been involved in politics for more than two decades and was a member of Venezuela’s national assembly from 2011 to 2014. She famously clashed with Chávez over Venezuela’s economic tribulations in 2012, earning the rebuke: “Eagles don’t hunt flies.”

But it was in touring the economically devastated country in the lead-up to the 2024 election that she cemented her reputation as Chavismo’s most effective and influential adversary. Her rallies drew huge, ecstatic crowds, with many supporters declaring an almost religious devotion to the charismatic Catholic politician.

Machado had originally hoped to run for president, but Venezuela’s pro-regime supreme court banned her from doing so, leaving González, a little-known former ambassador, to fill her shoes.

The committee commended Machado as a “brave and committed champion of peace” who had kept “the flame of democracy burning during a growing darkness”. It also celebrated her as “a key, unifying figure in a political opposition that was once deeply divided”. For all her popular support, however, Machado is not universally liked.

Picking a relatively unknown person over the world's most powerful person, who has been unabashedly lobbying for the Peace Nobel, is a discreet message. Machado deserves the Nobel because she has made no big contribution to world peace by "stopping eight wars".  

Awarding it to Maria Machado for fighting for democracy is a succinct message. Trump has been anti-democratic, sending national troops into own cities against democratically elected state governments.

The US has seen backsliding of democracy in Trump 2.0 regime with executive aggrandisement and centralisation of power. Not only did Trump send B-2 bombers for warfare against Iran, he has used lawfare at home to harass those who dared to speak against him.

ends 

India-Taliban leaders bonhomie :::: Neither Islamabad, Delhi or Taliban anticipated that "so soon after 2021"; the Taliban's relations with Pakistan would deteriorate to such a degree

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar termed cross-border terrorism as a "menace" and said that India and Afghanistan must coordinate efforts to combat. 

He also called Afghanistan as a "contiguous" neighbour to send a strong message to Pakistan over its illegal occupation in Jammu and Kashmir.

India and Afghanistan share a narrow 106-km land border through the Wakhan corridor.  

"As a contiguous neighbour and a well-wisher of the Afghan people, India has a deep interest in your development and progress. Today, I reaffirm that our longstanding partnership that has seen so many Indian projects in Afghanistan stands renewed. 

We can discuss the maintenance and repairs of finished projects as well as steps to complete others to which we have already committed. Beyond that, other development priorities of Afghanistan can be discussed by our teams," the Minister said. 

"India has long extended support for the health security of Afghanistan, including during the Covid pandemic. 

We are now ready to commit to six new projects, whose details can be announced after the conclusion of our talks. 

A gift of 20 ambulances is another gesture of good will and I would like to handover 5 of them to you personally as a symbolic step. India will also provide MRI and CT scan machines to Afghan hospitals and deliver vaccines for immunization and cancer medicines. 

We have also supplied drug rehabilitation materials through UNODC and are open to doing more," he said. 

Dr Jaishankar said in his opening remarks during the meeting with Afghanistani counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi in Delhi.

: "As a first responder, Indian relief materials were delivered to the earthquake sites within hours of the disaster last month. We would like to contribute to the reconstruction of residences in the affected areas." 

Afghan Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi arrived in India for a week-long visit - which had been previously unimaginable.

India's arch-rival Pakistan, which historically had close ties with the Taliban, will have reasons to keep a close watch. 

It is the Taliban's highest-level visit to the country since seizing power in 2021, and Muttaqi is due to discuss diplomatic, trade and economic ties with Indian officials during an eight-day stay.

The visit is being seen as a ramping up of India's Afghan policy. On Friday, after Muttaqi met Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, Delhi said that it will reopen its embassy in Kabul which was shut four years ago when the Taliban returned to power.  

Muttaqi - who was granted a temporary exemption from UN sanctions allowing him to travel - flew into Delhi from Russia, the only country so far to fully recognise the Taliban government.

"The astonishing fact is that neither Islamabad, Delhi or the Taliban could have anticipated that so soon after taking power, the Taliban's relations with Pakistan would deteriorate to such a degree, while India would establish a multilateral relationship with the new government in Kabul," says a report in BBC website. 

New Delhi used to support the Western-backed Afghan government, which the Taliban drove from power, and this visit illustrates pragmatism and realpolitik on both sides, indicating they are serious about upgrading diplomatic, political and trade links.

Muttaqi, accompanied by Afghan trade and foreign ministry officials, held talks with India's Jaishankar in Delhi on Friday.

"Closer cooperation between us contributes to your national development as well as regional stability and resilience," Jaishankar said. 

Meanwhile, Muttaqi called India a "close friend" and added that his visit would improve relations between the two countries.

The Afghan delegation will also meet representatives of the Indian business community.  

This particular trip comes against a backdrop of worsening ties between both India and Pakistan, and Pakistan and the Taliban government.

"The deterioration in ties with Pakistan also allows them [Taliban] to hedge their bets and show how it is no longer dependent on Islamabad for its survival - carving out an identity separate from their over-dependence on Pakistan," Harsh V Pant and Shivam Shekhawat, of the Observer Research Foundation think tank, wrote in a piece for NDTV news channel.

ends 

Manipur Power Politics :::: Timing of Biren Singh and his MLAs camping in Delhi is wrong ::: BJP leadership is smart enough to learn from Congress mistakes !!

What's the recipe for a successful career ? 

Often you take a well known story and there is no suspense. 

Yet when you tell it; the readers and listeners may be in a different mind-space and may presume you have created a masterpiece. This happened with two mythology based TV serials in India - Mahabharat and Ramayan. 

In politics and also in life;  truth is most often stranger than fiction. The beating of a butterfly wings can unleash a Tsunami. At times there is not even a proper dream to become an author just because one may have nothing to write about -- yet the glories may come. 

Talking about glories and politics - the BJP's journey in north east India has been an interesting one. It did not imagine even around 2015-16 abut such successes. 

But the saffron party has penetrated deep and could capture power in states such as Manipur.

And the journey was going pretty well too until it hit the roadblocks in 2023. At present Manipur is under President's Rule. As expected, the legislators of the suspended assembly are not quite happy about it. Over 20 of them recently landed in Delhi under the leadership of former Chief Minister N Biren Singh.  

They want to 'return' to the days of popular government. But they easily seemed to have forgotten that the President's Rule was imposed only after the regime had turned much 'unpopular'. And after the politics of changing loyalties started and Biren Singh voluntarily quit.

The Congress with modest single digit strength is not in a position to do anything. Hence, the grand old party could not take advantage. 

N Biren Singh wants to come back as the chief minister. But a smart political operative like him is unable to appreciate a simple thing that the masters in Delhi do not have any good excuse to oblige him.  

Biren Singh's ouster in Feb 2025 looked imminent as the ethnic violence that started on May 3, 2023, did not quite end and tension still prevailed at an unexpected scale. Kukis cannot come to the Imphal-belt where Meiteis dominate and Hindu Manipuris (Meiteis) cannot go to Churachandpur’s hilly region at all.

The most important thing expected of a Chief Minister in office is that he has strategies and vision for how to fix some of the entrenched problems of his state. Here Biren Singh failed.

But Biren Singh's removal from the position of authority in Imphal left  a big political vacuum. 

As state’s Chief Minister and blessed with high command's blessings Biren Singh had tried to emerge as a champion of the Meitei-cause. But his plans have boomeranged. After Congress veteran Okram Ibobi Singh was voted out of office in 2017, many thought Biren will inherit the legacy and emerge as a champion of the Meitei cause.

For some time, it appeared Biren was able to do so. Under Biren Singh, the BJP with support from smaller and regional parties could return to power in 2022. 

    

Now, the best option for Biren as of October 2025 would be to show patience and cooperate with all three - Governor Ajay Bhalla, state authorities including Assam Rifles and police and also the BJP high command so that there is improved situation on ground. 

But Patience in politics is not only linked to an individual's characteristics. He or she may be under pressure on multiple scores. 

These days people are talking about Manipur’s connectivity story. This is being "redefined" with all weather concrete roads spanning 547.281 km across four packages worth over Rs 2883.05 crore. The bitter fact of political life is such projects coming and going under President's Rule means the Neta class is left helpless onlookers.

Leaders with the long habit of overlordship cannot bear to remain an onlooker. Ask leaders in Nagaland - what about 'Naga Solution' --- they turn back in the room and see whether their chairs are in place or not !!

The Babus in Manipur as of now may be laughing in the wings. One can only sympathise with the politicians as whenever elections are held by 2027 or before or after .... they cannot fight it out purely on the basis of political ideologies.

Biren Singh : Second from left with three other CMs of NE India 

The BJP poll strategists appreciate this fact but as of now they too can only sympathise. 

The policy makers in the Lotus party and the election strategists also appreciate that nothing 'solid' has happened in Manipur since the imposition of President's Rule in Feb 2025 that would warrant to announce return of a popular regime.

Things are more critical than being assumed.

If any policy maker asks friends and bloggers in Delhi on how things should progress in Manipur - one easy refrain will be -- 'Please work harder to improve relations and social bonds between Kukis and Meiteis'.

Secondly, the so-called scheme of "installing" a new/old popular dispensation in Imphal cannot leave out Kukis. We are not telling any rocket science here. 

Any new dispensation or so-called popular government without participation of Kuki MLAs will only reinforce the ethnic divide.  

The Congress party and its eco system will exploit such a situation to carry out anti-BJP campaign in other states as well. In fact, to suggest that Amit Shah is busy with the Bhar elections is not entirely falsehood.

That way the timing of Biren Singh and his MLAs camping in Delhi is wrong. Polls are also due in Assam and West Bengal and in these two states also lot of noises may be made about the situations in Manipur. Shah and the BJP's election team need to be cautious about all these.

The BJP leadership is smart enough to learn from Congress mistakes. One BJP insider said recently that -- 

"Having fallen on evil hands and evil days in the eighties if not earlier the downhill slide of the Congress party was visible much before 2014 ..... we do not want to walk that path".

The statement is loaded and very practical.

 

That also means ex-Congress leaders and now in the BJP -- means the likes of Himanta Biswa Sarma and N Biren Singh - will have to learn some of the hard lessons of the new party too.  

It's not only being a vocal pro-Hindutva proponent. In Assam; overdoing certain anti-Muslim policies and even anti-healing Bills have boomeranged. In Manipur, the RSS and the BJP were slammed for anti-Christian (anti-Kuki) violence sometimes for no reason or rhyme.

DGAR Lt Gen Vikas Lakhera with Home Minister Shah

Shah has his priorities drawn out.

Notwithstanding Bihar polls and other engagements, the Home Minister knows the importance of a force like Assam Rifles in the north east.

Hence, on Oct 9th, Lt Gen Vikas Lakhera, D G, Assam Rifles, called on him and had a "meaningful interaction" on ongoing initiatives aimed at enhancing operational effectiveness, inter-agency coordination and welfare measures within the force.

Left to the security forces and also the police in Manipur; less political interference is something they would always prefer. 

Recent ambush on Assam Rifles flood relief workers has left people hurt and angry. 

Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla being an ex Home Secretary makes it clear that there is a very strong element of Amit Shah-stamp in things happening and not happening in the region. 

ends 

"What India is doing gives hope to many countries, especially in Global South," says PM Modi :::::: More UK universities will open campuses in India : UK PM Keir Starmer

What India is doing gives hope to many countries, especially in the Global South. India wants to increase Digital cooperation and Digital partnership in the world through its Digital innovations. That’s why we are sharing our experiences and open-source platforms as a global public good, PM Narendra Modi said. 

"The MOSIP (Modular Open-Source Identity Platform) developed in India is a prime example of this. Today, more than 25 countries are adopting it as part of developing their sovereign digital identity systems. 

We are not only sharing technology with other countries but also helping them develop it. And this is not digital aid. Many around the world like to say that we are giving aid, but let’s just say, the wise will understand. This isn’t aid; it’s digital empowerment," he said addressing the Global Fintech Festival in presence of UK PM Keir Starmer. 

Earlier Keir announced more UK universities would be opening campuses in India, which the government said would bring a boost to the economy.

Confirming that the University of Lancaster and the University of Surrey had been given approval for new campuses, he said: "I'm delighted that more Indian students will be able to benefit from a world-class British education in the near future – strengthening the ties between our two countries while pumping millions back into our economy and supporting jobs at home."

The UK has a growing network of international campuses in India, with the University of York, University of Aberdeen and Queen's University Belfast among those expected to open campuses from as early as next year.

On his first day, Sir Keir met the founder of India's digital ID system - Nandan Nilekani - in the wake of plans to introduce a digital ID for people working in the UK.

The UK government's plan to introduce compulsory digital ID for people to prove their right to work in the UK has seen more than 2.8 million people signing a petition against the idea. But Downing Street is determined to press on, claiming it will curb the ability of migrants to work illegally.

The UK  government says the yet-to-be-implemented UK-India trade deal has already led to higher investments and almost 7,000 jobs being created in the UK.

Under the deal the UK will cut taxes on goods imported from India including clothing, footwear, jewellery and frozen seafood, while India will reduce duties on the import of Scotch whisky, cosmetics, medical devices and luxury cars.

On UK PM's visit, Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri said the talks pertained to four focused areas.

"The first major area is obviously trade and investment. 

The Free Trade Agreement that was signed in July is now undergoing the process of ratification in both the countries and both leaders in fact remarked on, while even as this process is going on, how excited the trade, business and investment communities in the two countries are at the prospects of the full implementation of this agreement. 

And in fact much of the time ybetween the business leaders of the two countries was spent on making plans for future investment, future trade cooperation between the two sides," he said.

Misri said:

"So, this visit has in fact given both sides the opportunity to discuss deepening their strategic economic engagement in order to derive the full benefits from tariff reduction under the FTA. As I mentioned, the first meeting of the reconstituted India-UK CEOs Forum has just taken place. 

And in fact the UK Secretary of State for Trade and Investment Business and Trade and the Indian Commerce and Industries Minister took stock of the trade and investment relationship between the two countries and also had discussions on the Joint Economic and Trade Committee which has been reconstituted and will reset and determine long-term India-UK trade and investment relationship. 

This joint economic and trade committee will also support the implementation of the India-UK FTA.

The leaders also announced new joint investments to boost the Climate Technology Startup Fund for supporting entrepreneurs in sectors of climate technology and Artificial Intelligence and this will also help in supporting the FTA chapter on innovation which also ties in with some of the initiatives that we are discussing under the Technology Security Initiative.

"Speaking of technology, technology and innovation was the second major pillar, I would say, that was in focus during the ongoing visit. This is a very important pillar of the bilateral relationship. You would be aware that during Prime Minister's visit, the progress that was made on this particular pillar and under TSI. 

Major announcements have been made during the ongoing visit with regard to the establishment of the India-UK Connectivity and Innovation Centre, the India-UK Joint Centre for Artificial Intelligence and a Critical Minerals Industry Guild to secure resilient supply chains and promote green technologies. Both sides also agreed to launch phase two of the UK-India Critical Minerals Supply Chain Observatory and the establishment of a new satellite campus at IIT, the Indian School of Mines in Dhanbad.

"A third very important pillar of the ongoing visit is education. Both the leaders discussed increasing collaboration in the education sector between the two countries. Indian students, as you might be aware, form the single largest cohort of foreign students in the UK. During the ongoing visit, the University of Lancaster and the University of Surrey were given their respective approvals for opening their campuses in India under the New Education Policy," the foreign secretary said.

"So far with this, there are nine leading UK universities that have now received approvals for opening their campuses in India. This is literally a silent revolution in the field of education that is taking place under the NEP. 

You might be aware that some months ago in July, Southampton University became the first university to actually open a physical campus in India and has already taken in its first cohort of students.

So, it was only appropriate that during this visit, there are nine vice chancellors or ten vice chancellors, I think, accompanying the UK Prime Minister and both the Prime Ministers had the opportunity to engage with them and exchange views with them on this very important area of our cooperation.

A fourth very important area of collaboration between the two countries, growing in significance every day, is the defense sector. 

He said, Keir's visit gave the opportunity to the two Prime Ministers to review cooperation in this sector, which has seen considerable expansion in recent years. 

"As you might be aware, the UK Carrier Strike Group is currently off the western coast of India exercising with the Indian Navy under Exercise KONKAN. The two leaders discussed the possibility of collaboration in electric propulsion technology and the implementation of the Defense Industrial Roadmap, which was announced during Prime Minister Modi's visit to the UK earlier this summer.

The two leaders also discussed cooperation in the maritime domain, including in the Indo-Pacific, and welcomed progress made in establishing a Regional Maritime Security Centre of Excellence to further our cooperation under India's initiative of setting up the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative." 

ends 

Netanyahu pauses security cabinet meeting on Gaza deal to talk with Narendra Modi

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paused the security cabinet meeting discussing the ceasefire and hostage-release deal in Gaza to speak over the phone with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, according to 'Times of Israel'.

“Prime Minister Modi congratulated Prime Minister Netanyahu on the agreement reached for the release of all the hostages,” reads an official statement from Israeli authorities. 

Modi “noted that Netanyahu has always been a close friend and that their friendship will remain strong.” Netanyahu thanked his Indian counterpart “for his support of Israel, and the two agreed to continue working in close cooperation,” the readout concludes.

                                                                            Modi and Israeli PM Netanyahu waves to the media in New Delhi Jan.15, 2018 

Later, Prime Minister Modi, in a post on X, said, "Called my friend, Prime Minister Netanyahu, to congratulate him on the progress made under President Trump's Gaza peace plan. 

We welcome the agreement on the release of hostages and enhanced humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza. Reaffirmed that terrorism in any form or manifestation is unacceptable anywhere in the world."

The Office of the Prime Minister of Israel also posted on X, "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu just spoke with the Prime Minister of India. Narendra Modi conveyed his congratulations to Prime Minister Netanyahu on the agreement achieved for the release of all of the hostages."

Meanwhile, the Israeli government has voted in favour of a ceasefire and hostage release agreement under US President Donald Trump's 20-point Gaza Peace Plan. 

ends