24-Aug-2019: UAE honours PM Modi with highest civilian award
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was honoured with the ‘Order of Zayed’, the UAE’s highest civilian award, as a mark of appreciation for his efforts to boost bilateral ties between the two nations.
The award has earlier been bestowed on several world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Queen Elizabeth II and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Modi thanked the UAE government for the honour and dedicated the award to the skills and abilities of 1.3 billion Indians. I am humbled to get the ‘Order of Zayed’ a while ago. This award is not for an individual but for the spirit of Indian culture and is dedicated to the skills and abilities of 1.3 billion Indians. I thank the Government of the United Arab Emirates for this honour.
The award in the name of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE, “acquires special significance as it was awarded to Prime Minister Modi in the year of the birth centenary of Sheikh Zayed”.
India and the UAE enjoy warm, close and multi-faceted relations underpinned by cultural, religious and economic linkages which, during the prime minister’s previous visit to the UAE in August 2015, stood elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership.
With an annual bilateral trade of about USD 60 billion, the UAE is India’s third-largest trade partner. It is also the fourth-largest exporter of crude oil for India. A 3.3 million-strong vibrant Indian community in the UAE nourishes the vibrant people-to-people contacts between our two friendly countries.
8-Aug-2019: NITI Aayog to launch the Fourth Edition of Women Transforming India Awards
The NITI Aayog will launch the Fourth Edition of Women Transforming India (WTI) Awards in the capital tomorrow on 9 August 2019. Shri Amitabh Kant, CEO NITI Aayog, Ms. Renata Lok-Dessallien, UN Coordinator in India and partners of Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) will be present during the launch.
The Women Transforming India (WTI) Awards is being organized in collaboration with the United Nations to recognize women entrepreneurs from across India. This year’s theme is ‘Women and Entrepreneurship’, in continuation of the theme for WTI Awards 2018.
Nominations for the awards will be opened immediately after the launch. WhatsApp has collaborated with NITI Aayog for WTI Awards 2019 and will be providing support amounting to US$100,000 to the award winners.
The Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) is a Government of India initiative by NITI Aayog to promote and support aspiring as well as established women entrepreneurs in India, assist and handhold them in their journey from starting to scaling up and expanding their ventures.
It has more than 5,000 women entrepreneurs registered on the platform, more than 30 partners and, has committed funding of more than US$10 Mn for these startups.
8-Aug-2019: President of India Presents Bharat Ratna Awards
The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, presented Bharat Ratna Awards to Shri Nanaji Deshmukh (posthumously), Dr Bhupendra Kumar Hazarika (posthumously) and Shri Pranab Mukherjee at an Investiture Ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan today (August 8, 2019).