State lad youngest Indian to conquer Mt Everest
IMPHAL, May 18: Even though it was nearly five-decades back when New Zealander Edmund Hillary and his Nepali companion Tenzing Norgay scaled Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, on May 29, 1953, Nameirakpam Chingkheinganba became the youngest Indian .....
CM for decorum in Palace compound
IMPHAL, May 18: Strongly emphasising on protection, maintenance and renovation of historical monuments and sites to uphold Manipur's glorious past, chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh has called upon private land owners in Palace Compound to relinquish land .....
Burmese Language Studies programme
A resource persons speaks during the Burmese Language Studies programme organised by Meetei Council Moreh at the border town on May 18. The programme was conducted under the sponsorship of Bhuban Gems, whose propreitor Naorem Nabachandra is also the presi.....
Anti-AFSPA rally in Ukl
Ukhrul, May 18: The District social organizations and NGOs of Ukhrul today jointly organized a silent protest rally demanding repeal of AFSPA (Armed forces special powers) act 1958 from the region. Addressing the participants, president of Tangkhul you.....
Govt okays MoU with UPPK
IMPHAL, May 18: The State Cabinet has given its approval for the State Government to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UPPK which has given up arms and returned to the mainstream. In this regard, Ministry of Home Affairs, North East in-char.....
BJP alleges project anomalies, demands CBI probe
IMPHAL, May 18: Referring to comment in a local daily about the Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh charging some of his ministerial colleagues of depleting the State exchequer crores of rupees, the BJP Ma-nipur Pradesh today demanded a CBI inquiry on the matter.....
Leakages waste 60 Kls
IMPHAL, May 18: Around 60 Kls of SK Oil are wasted due to leakages every month out of 2080 Kls allocated to Manipur by the Government of India for a month. With the State Government accepting that 60 Kls of SK Oil are wasted every month due to leakages.....
Shija's Cleft Project goes on
IMPHAL, May 18: With the objective of faciliting formal education of all children with deformed lips and palates, Smile Train Shija SSA Cleft Project is going on in Shija Hospital as a joint project of the hospital and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. After 10 c.....
TNAL protests
IMPHAL, May 18: The Tang-khul Naga Aze Longphang (Southern Tangkhul Naga Union) strongly denounced the Cabinet decision which prohibited entry of both Sailent and Saijang villagers to the ‘disputed site.’ An emergency general bo-dy meeting of TNAL .....
UGs clash
IMPHAL, May 18: A suspected NSCN (IM) cadre died in a gunfight with ZUF rebels at Lunghshai Chiru, located at the border of Bishnupur and Chu-rachandpur districts at around 2 pm today. The gunbattle broke out at the bank of Thongjaorok riv-er under Upp.....
NPF, ATSUM flay vacate order
IMPHAL, May 18: An order from the state government was issued today (Saturday) asking the residents of Naga River Colony in Imphal to vacate by May 19 (Sunday). The government of Manipur is planning to construct a five-star hotel in the area. Registeri.....
Gym inaugurated
IMPHAL, May 18: Khurai AC MLA Dr Ng Bijoy inaugurated AL-UMMAH gym at Khabeisoi today. The MLA was the chief guest of the function while Mohtamin Principal MV Abdul Kareem Dasmi was the president. Animal Gym founder and Real Heroes 2012 awardee RK Vish.....
Dr NT Kom felicitated
IMPHAL, May 18: Civil Services Examination 2012 successful candidate Dr Neilenthang Telien Kom was feted in a reception function organised in his honour at Lower Kom Keirap Baptist Church today. Taking part at the function, IFCD Minister Ngamthang Haokip .....
Mayek Chatpa Numit
IMPHAL, May 18: Marking the 7th anniversary of State Government’s declaration to replace Bengali script with Meetei Mayek in the school syllabus of Manipuri subject, Meetei Erol Eyek Loinasillon Apunba Lup (MEELAL) today observed Mayek Chatpa Numit at .....
High tension electric wire falls on Ukhrul school
Ukhrul, May 18: A High Tension (HT) wire fitted across the campus of Sacred Heart Higher Secondary School, Hungpung Ukhrul, fell on the school today. The incident occurred at around 11 am while the cadets of Scouts and Guides were performing drill exe.....
Veterinary directorate
IMPHAL, May 18: The Directorate of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Services has invited candidates for undergoing one year Vety Field Assistant Training course for the academic session 2013-14. Intending applicants could have the detailed information from.....
Fishermen refute charges
IMPHAL, May 18: Refuting the charge that fishermen of Loktak Lake had used chemical to clear phumdis (floating biomass) on the lake, the All Loktak Lake Area Fishermen’s Union, Manipur has urged the Govt of India to institute prompt, independent, impart.....
Introduction of Hindi in DU NEFIS urges, cautions
IMPHAL, May 18: Urging the Prime Minister Office to effect scrapping of the set of 'reforms' introduced by Delhi University in its four-year undergraduate courses, the North East Forum for International Solidarity has cautioned of launching democratic agi.....
Vitiligo Day observed
IMPHAL, May 18: Vitiligo, a common pigmentary disorder of the skin also widely known as Leucoderma, is neither infectious nor has any similarity whatever with Leprosy, according to Dr Karam Lokendro, Manipur State Branch President of Indian Association of.....
Victim, sister called to Court of Inquiry
IMPHAL, May 18: Even as the warrant of arrest issued by Court in connection with the rape attempt on a sweeper by a CRPF personnel has been accepted by CRPF authority, they have asked police to send the victim and her elder sister to assist in their court.....
Headlines
By : Agencies
ASEAN : India rebuilds road, sea links
New Delhi, Nov 26:Connectivity is the buzzword in India’s relations with the 10-member Asean as it rebuilds road and sea links to boost trade and people-to-people ties with an economically vibrant region.
A Trilateral Highway - linking Thailand and Myanmar with India - called Friendship Road is slowly nearing completion, while a car rally kicks off from Yogakarta in Indonesia to finally end in India’s northeast. An Indian naval ship is docking at ports of the Asean countries, reviving and building on an ancient sea route link with the region.
“The Asean region is economically very important, especially in the context of Asia doing very well at a time of the global economic crisis,” a senior official said.
India’s 1.2 billion population, with its huge young workforce, combined with Asean’s 600 million people constitute 1.8 billion people, while India and Asean together have a GDP of $3 trillion.
The Asean region is expected to average an annual rate of 5.5 percent growth over the 2013-17 period, according to an Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) report.
“It is a very significant relationship and there is an identity of perspective and objective,” the official added, not wishing to be named as per norm.
India has built most of its stretch of the 1,400 km Trilateral Highway, which is to connect Moreh in Manipur, northeast India, to Mae Sot in Thailand. “A part of it is being built by Thailand and a part by India. India is building 160 km, of which 132 km has been completed,” the official added.
The highway is slated to be completed by 2016, and will provide “huge connectivity” for trade and people-to-people contact. During Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Myanmar in May this year, India committed to taking up the renovation of 71 bridges of World War II vintage in that country, including in the Kalewa-Yargi section, which is over 100 km long. The Indian government has already invested $257 million as grant-in-aid on this project.
Manmohan Singh, in his address at the 10th Asean-India summit at Phnom Penh Nov 19, said the working groups on the project and the highway are “welcome steps in implementing the vision of India-Asean connectivity.”
The Asean-India car rally, which kicks off on Nov 26 in Yogyakarta, will pass through eight Asean countries. The rally will traverse 8,000 km over 22 days. It will enter through Moreh, on the border between India and Myanmar, and pass through Nagaland and enter Assam. The rally will be flagged down Dec 17 in Guwahati in the presence of the trade ministers of Asean.
Various business and cultural events will be held along the route. “The cultural events will focus on the common cultural heritage, while the business will focus on different aspects,” the official added.
“Clearly a big focus is on connectivity and the northeast. Connectivity is an area of priority,” the official stressed. Manmohan Singh said the India-Asean car rally and the sailing expedition of Indian Naval Ship Sudarshini “highlight the importance and the potential for connecting India and Asean by sea, surface and air links.”
INS Sudarshini set sail on a six-month voyage Sep 15 from Kochi. It is to call on 13 ports in nine Asean countries and will end in March.
“During its port call, the ship will take on a few naval cadets for short stint training, as part of navy-to-navy cooperation; besides, cultural and business events will be held,” the official added. “INS Sudarshini is retracing the traditional trade route and also the current ones.” Tourism is also a major focus of road and sea links with Asean. India has a visa agreement with seven of the 10 Asean countries and India and Asean have also inked a MoU on tourism, the official added.
India is hosting a Commemorative Summit Dec 20-21 to mark the 20th anniversary of its ties with Asean and the 10th anniversary of the Asean-India Summit-level partnership.
India and Asean held several events this year to mark their association, including visit programmes by journalists and students.
As part of the people-to-people programmes, India has given 640 ITEC scholarships to low-income Asean countries so far.
Agriculture ministers of both sides met last year and this year. India and Asean have also started a newsletter on agriculture and an Agri Expo was held in northeast India this month.
“Exchange visits by farmers to study technologies are also planned,” the official said.
India and Asean have an FTA in goods, which was inked in 2009 but became fully operational in August last year. India-Asean bilateral trade is nearly $80 billion.
India is now negotiating an FTA on services and investment with the Asean countries which are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
