CEPA agreement provides permanent safeguard mechanism in trade sector

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the government is committed to provide a convenient, safe, and modern travel experience to all its rail commuters. He was speaking after inaugurating the newly constructed two additional railway lines between Thane and Diva on Mumbai’s busy suburban rail network on Friday.  Modi said these two lines will not only enhance ‘ease of living’ but also accelerate the development of Mumbai Metropolitan Region, on the whole. These much-awaited additional lines have been built at the approximate cost of 620 crore rupees and feature 1.4 km long rail flyover, 170-meter long tunnel, 3 major bridges, and 21 minor bridges. Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray also attended the inaugural ceremony virtually. With the commissioning of this 9.44-kilometer railway line between Diva and Thane, the entire 36-kilometer long route between Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and Kalyan Junction will now have six lanes, two for running slow locals, two for fast trains, and the new ones for long-distance and goods trains.

-Union Home Minister  Amit Shah on Friday held a review meeting in New Delhi on the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. According to the Home Ministry, during the meeting, Shah appreciated the efforts of the security agencies which have led to the reduction in terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir over the last few years. The number of terror incidents has declined from 417 in 2018 to 229 in the year  2021. While the number of security forces personnel martyred has reduced from 91 in the year  2018 to 42 in 2021. He also directed that the security grid should be further strengthened to ensure zero cross-border infiltration and to eliminate terrorism. Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and  Kashmir,  Manoj Sinha,  National Security Advisor,  Ajit Doval, and other senior officers of the Government of India, including the Army and Jammu and Kashmir Government, attended the meeting.

-Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh has said that India is emerging as world’s preferred Start-Up destination due to its vast unexplored potential. Dr. Singh was speaking as chief guest at India First Tech Start-Up Conclave-2022 and Awards Summit in New Delhi. He said, the robust ecosystem of Startups will play a critical role in ensuring that India achieves its goal of a five trillion dollar economy by 2025. The Minister said, due to various schemes, focus, and support systems provided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ten thousand Start-Ups got registered in the country in 2021 alone. He said, India now has 50 thousand plus start-Ups providing more than two lakh jobs in the country.

-Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has said that India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement is a complete and comprehensive economic partnership agreement that was finalized in the shortest possible time. Addressing the India-UAE Joint Press conference after the virtual summit in New Delhi, Goyal said, the agreement has also provided a permanent safeguard mechanism, which will safeguard exporters and businesses from both countries from any unwarranted surge in volumes of any particular product. He said, the India UAE CEPA agreement will become a template for other negotiations and it is truly reflective of the deep engagement between the two countries. 

-Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K.Stalin has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take action concerning the disposal of spent nuclear fuel at Kudankulam Nuclear Project in Tirunelveli District in the interest of the public safety, health, and welfare of the people of the State. In a letter to the Prime Minister the Chief Minister said that it would be better to transport it back to Russia as per the agreement. Informing that proper disposal of nuclear waste should be planned for units 1 &2 and also for the subsequent four units, Stalin said that if there are no feasible options, the spent fuel may be permanently stored in a deep geological Repository in an uninhabited and ecologically non-sensitive area. He referred to the earlier agreement was to collect and store the spent fuel temporarily within the Unit's premises and then send it back to the Country of origin, Russia. He pointed out that the decision to store the spent fuel in the Reactor was taken without consulting the State Government.