Bhubaneswar, Jan 9: Spotlighting the country’s march towards becoming a ‘Viksit Bharat’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday sought the participation of the diaspora in making India a developed nation by 2047.

“India got independence in 1947 and our diaspora played a big role in this. They contributed towards the freedom of India while living abroad. Now we have a target of making India a developed nation by 2047,” said Prime Minister Modi while speaking at the inaugural session of 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Bhubaneswar on Thursday.

Praising the Indian diaspora for its contribution in India’s growth, the PM said that it is due to their hard work that the country has become number one in the world in terms of remittances.

Asserting that India is not limited to big cities only, he mentioned that a large part of the population resides in tier-2, tier-3 cities and villages and the diaspora should promote ‘heritage tourism’ of India in the countries they are residing.

“There’s a lot of Indian culture there. We have to connect the world with this heritage,” stated PM Modi.

He appealed to the diaspora to visit the amazing tourist destinations located in small towns, villages of India and later share their experiences with friends and ensure they also visit India.

“You have to come forward to let the people of the country you are living in know the real history of India. Today’s generation in those countries does not know our prosperity in the past, the long periods of subjugation and our struggles. You all can let the world know the true history of India,” the PM said.

PM Modi noted that India is following the mantra of development along with heritage. He said that the Indian government during the G-20 event organised various meetings in every nook and corner of the country so that the world could get a first-hand experience of India’s diversity. He informed the gathering that the Indian government has decided to establish Thiruvalluvar Culture Centres to propagate the thoughts of Saint Thiruvalluvar.

Referring to the collection and digitisation of documents related to some people of Gujarati origin who settled in Oman centuries back, PM Modi said “the history of the Indian diaspora has spread across the world, the stories of how they reached that country and made their mark there is a significant legacy of India. You also have so many interesting and inspiring stories. It needs to be shown, heard and cherished. This is our shared legacy, shared heritage.”

In his address, the Prime Minister also urged the diaspora to popularise the local products produced in India in the countries they are living.

“You also have a big role in making India’s local products global. You must buy Made in India food packets, Made in India clothes and any such thing,” the PM appealed.

Calling the diaspora members as ambassadors of India, he assured them that the current government has always stood by them in times of crisis.

“Your safety and welfare are a top priority. We consider it our responsibility to help our diaspora during crisis situations, no matter where they are. This is one of the guiding principles of India’s foreign policy today,” said the PM.

Highlighting Odisha’s heritage, PM Modi said, “This land reflects India’s rich legacy, with sites like the Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves, the Konark Temple, and ancient ports such as Tamralipti and Manikpatna. These treasures evoke immense pride.”

New Delhi, Jan 8: At least 126 people were killed, 188 were injured and over 1000 houses collapsed after a powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck the Nepal-Tibet border region, according to media reports.

The National Centre for Seismology (NCS) confirmed that the earthquake occurred at 6:35 a.m. (IST) on Tuesday morning, with its epicentre at latitude 28.86°N and longitude 87.51°E, at a depth of 10 km. The location was identified as Xizang (Tibet Autonomous Region), near Nepal’s border.

News agency reported that the fatalities were concentrated in the city of Xizang, with many injuries and structural damage also recorded.

In Tonglai Village, Changsuo Township of Dingri in Xigaze (Shigatse), several houses have reportedly collapsed.

The earthquake also sent tremors across northern India, affecting areas such as Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, and Delhi-NCR, causing panic as residents rushed out of their homes. Fortunately, no casualties or property damage have been reported in India so far.

Two aftershocks followed the initial quake — a 4.7-magnitude tremor was recorded at 7:02 a.m. (IST), with its epicentre at latitude 28.60°N and longitude 87.68°E, at a depth of 10 km and another 4.9-magnitude quake struck at 7:07 a.m. (IST), with its epicentre at latitude 28.68°N and longitude 87.54°E, at a depth of 30 km.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) pinpointed the earthquake’s location 93 km northeast of Lobuche, near the Nepal-Tibet border. Lobuche lies near the Khumbu Glacier, approximately 150 km east of Kathmandu and 8.5 km southwest of Everest Base Camp.

Nepal, situated in a highly seismically active zone where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates converge, is no stranger to earthquakes. This tectonic activity, which forms the Himalayan region, often results in seismic events of varying magnitudes.

Authorities in Nepal and affected Indian regions remain vigilant, closely monitoring the situation. The earthquake has renewed concerns in an area historically vulnerable to devastating seismic activity.

New Delhi, Jan 6: External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Monday met US National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan in New Delhi to discuss a wide range of strategic, regional, and bilateral issues.

The meeting took place as Sullivan, the outgoing US NSA, embarked on a two-day visit to India, concluding one of the last high-profile engagements of the Biden administration before the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States on January 20.

Sullivan’s visit is aimed at reviewing the India-US Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET), a significant partnership framework to expand strategic ties between the two nations.

His itinerary includes meetings with NSA Ajit Doval and a visit to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, where he will interact with young Indian entrepreneurs and deliver a speech on the bilateral innovation alliance under iCET.

In his discussions with Doval, Sullivan is expected to delve into the implementation of iCET initiatives. These include cooperation in areas such as space, defence, strategic technology, and shared security priorities in the Indo-Pacific region.

Both NSAs have previously stressed the transformative potential of iCET in strengthening the India-US partnership. During a roundtable in June 2024, NSA Doval had underscored the importance of staying at the forefront of emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), semiconductors, and biotechnology, to protect shared value systems.

“iCET has achieved more than what we could imagine,” Doval remarked, highlighting progress in the defence innovation roadmap and the burgeoning semiconductor industry.

Sullivan had echoed similar sentiments, identifying innovation, production, and deployment as the three pillars of the technology partnership and emphasising the importance of government support for private sector initiatives.

The visit follows EAM Jaishankar’s recent six-day trip to the US, during which he met several senior officials of the Biden administration, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Jake Sullivan. The meetings reviewed the progress of the India-US partnership over the past four years.

“Good to meet US NSA Jake Sullivan in Washington DC this morning. A wide-ranging discussion on the progress of the India-US strategic partnership. Also exchanged views on current regional and global developments,” Jaishankar posted on X after their meeting.

The iCET, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden in May 2022, has been lauded as a defining element of the India-US strategic relationship, driving advancements in critical sectors such as defence, semiconductors, and Artificial Intelligence.

As Sullivan wraps up his visit, the discussions are expected to set the stage for continued collaboration under the Trump administration, with both nations poised to deepen their strategic and technological ties.