Latest news with #WorldBank-backed
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Pakistan writes fourth letter to India, requests revival of Indus pact amid water crisis
Pakistan has written to India for the fourth time, requesting it to reconsider its decision to put the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) on hold, according to multiple reports. The IWT was suspended following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that resulted in the death of 26 civilians. Pakistan is on the verge of a water crisis and appears to be desperate, according to reports. Reports stated that Pakistan wrote to India on the IWT even after Operation Sindoor. Prime Minister Modi had earlier underlined the government's uncompromising position that "water and blood cannot flow together" and "terror and talks cannot happen at the same time". According to government sources, India is currently not interested in holding talks with Pakistan on this issue, and the treaty will remain suspended. The four letters sent by Syed Ali Murtaza, Secretary of Pakistan's Ministry of Water Resources, were addressed to the Ministry of Jal Shakti, which has since then forwarded them to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), sources indicated. In the letters, Murtaza has urged India to reinstate the agreement. Invoking its national security powers, India has stated that the treaty will stay suspended until Islamabad "credibly and permanently" stops supporting cross-border terrorism. This decision was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), the highest body for strategic matters. This marks the first time New Delhi has paused the World Bank-backed agreement.
India Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- India Today
Education and sports get a major boost in Nagaland with new infrastructure projects
In a move poised to reshape educational and athletic landscapes, Nagaland's Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio, has launched a series of transformative projects. On Wednesday, he virtually inaugurated nine new Lighthouse School Complexes (LSCs) and six sports facilities, marking a leap that is significant in developmental efforts. These projects are integral to the World Bank-backed Nagaland Education Project - The Lighthouse (NECTAR).advertisementThe LSCs will be constructed across nine districts, including Chumoukedima, Phek, Kiphire, and Dimapur, serving as academic sanctuaries for underprivileged communities. The comprehensive plan for all 16 institutions carries an estimated cost of Rs 198.57 the event, Rio praised the Department of School Education and the NECTAR team for their work in uplifting the educational environment in Nagaland. He remarked, "These initiatives equip our students to engage competitively on broader platforms." Acknowledgements were extended to the Union Ministry of Education and funding allies for their support. Simultaneously, Rio unveiled six new sports and recreational venues, among them a wrestling facility in Dimapur and a mini stadium in projects align with government efforts to foster sports and develop local talent. Rio conveyed via social media, "These amenities will support local talents and offer avenues for physical growth."advertisementFunding stems from central schemes, including the North Eastern Council and the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment. Such initiatives are set to rejuvenate local communities by providing essential educational and sporting developments place Nagaland on a path to bolster both educational frameworks and sports facilities, aligning with broader endeavours to enhance living standards and opportunities for its people.(WITH PTI INPUTS)Must Watch
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Business Standard
6 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Choice Int'l arm secures Rs 63.47 cr govt projects in Maharashtra, Odisha
Choice Consultancy Services, an arm of Choice International, on Thursday said it has secured project management contracts worth Rs 63.47 crore across Maharashtra and Odisha. The company has been awarded a Rs 52.80 crore work order from the Maharashtra Institution for Transformation (MITRA) under the World Bank-backed MahaSTRIDE programme to set up District Strategic Units in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Division, the company said in a statement. In Odisha, the firm emerged as the top-ranked bidder for a Rs 10.67 crore project floated by the State Urban Development Agency to provide engineering consultancy in 58 urban local bodies, it added. "These project wins further validate our strategic direction and reinforce our positioning as a trusted execution partner in high-value public sector initiatives," Choice International's CEO and Executive Director, Arun Poddar, said.
Time of India
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
India suspends Indus treaty: When Modi said ‘blood & water can't flow together'
India suspends Indus treaty: When Modi said 'blood & water can't flow together' Team TOI Plus Updated: Apr 24, 2025, 11:42 IST IST India's latest move to suspend the Indus treaty will impact irrigation and drinking water supply in two of the four provinces of Pakistan during the peak of summer when it needs water the most India has suspended the over six-decade-old Indus Water Treaty (IWT) and downgraded diplomatic ties with Pakistan in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed the lives of 26 civilians, mostly tourists. The move is seen as significant as the World Bank-backed treaty had survived three wars – 1965, 1971 and Kargil — and multiple terror attacks, largely on humanitarian grounds despite the pact being in focus as a key tool to punish Islamabad for its nefarious acts.
Time of India
23-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Strengths of missions cut to 30, Pak defence advisors expelled
NEW DELHI: Asserting that India will be unrelenting in its pursuit of those who commit terrorist attacks against the country, the govt announced a series of measures to impose costs on Islamabad for its support to cross-border terrorism , including the suspension of World Bank-backed Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) until Pakistan "credibly and irrevocably" abjures its support for cross-border terrorism. The govt also shut down the Attari border with Pakistan in Amritsar, expelled the Pakistani air, navy and army advisors declaring them persona non grata and cut down the strength of the high commissions from the already downgraded 55 to 30. The posts of defence advisors were annulled by India and five support staff of the service advisors withdrawn from both high commissions. India had last downgraded diplomatic ties in 2020 by reducing the mission strength to half of what it was earlier. After a CCS meeting chaired by PM Narendra Modi, foreign secretary Vikram Misri also announced that Pakistani nationals will not be permitted to travel to India under the Saarc Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) visas. "Any SVES visas issued in the past to Pakistani nationals are deemed cancelled. Any Pakistani national currently in India under SVES visa has 48 hours to leave India,'' he said. In the CCS meeting, Misri said, the cross-border linkages of the Pahalgam terrorist attack were brought out and was noted that this attack came in the wake of the successful holding of elections in the Union Territory and its steady progress towards economic growth and development. Speaking about India's response to the attack, which came in the middle of important Indian engagements with the US and Saudi Arabia, govt sources suggested the actions announced were only indicative and not exhaustive, as all options, including "kinetic action", remained on the table. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Upto 15% Discount for Salaried Individuals ICICI Pru Life Insurance Plan Get Quote Undo All P5 countries, including China, condemn attack In the absence of any substantive bilateral engagement with Pakistan for almost a decade, exchanges between the two countries had been limited to talks under the IWT framework for irrigation and hydropower development and cooperation at the SCO forum. India had not discontinued engagements under the IWT mainly because of the involvement of the World Bank, a co-signatory to the treaty, but it had twice issued notice to Pakistan in the recent past for a review and modification of the treaty. Last year, it cited the effect of persistent cross-border terror attacks as one of the reasons for seeking a review of the treaty. President Donald Trump in a conversation with Modi condemned the attack and offered full support for efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice. The support for India from the international community so far has been overwhelming, with all countries, including China, condemning the attack Pakistan denied any link with the worst attack on civilians in India in years, choosing to describe it as "home-grown". Pakistan's defence minister Khawaja Asif said the top civilian and military leadership will meet on Thursday to formulate an appropriate response to India's move to suspend the IWT and downgrade diplomatic ties. "A session of the National Security Committee will be held under the chair of PM Shehbaz Sharif," he said. Misri said strong expressions of support and solidarity were received from many govts around the world, which unequivocally condemned the terror attack, and the CCS recorded its appreciation for such sentiments, which reflect zero tolerance for terrorism. "The CCS condemned the attack in the strongest terms and expressed its deepest condolences to the families of the victims and hoped for the early recovery of the injured,'' Misri said, adding that the CCS also reviewed the overall security situation and directed all forces to maintain high vigil. "It resolved that the perpetrators of the attack will be brought to justice and their sponsors held to account. As with the recent extradition of Tahawwur Rana, India will be unrelenting in the pursuit of those who have committed acts of terror, or conspired to make them possible," Misri said.
