Exercise Hand-in-Hand is conducted annually as part of military diplomacy and interaction between armies of India and China. The joint exercise for the year 2018 will be conducted from 10 to 23 December 2018 at Chengdu, China. The aim of the exercise is to build and promote close relations between armies of both the countries and to enhance ability of joint exercise commander to take military contingents of both nations under command. The exercise will involve tactical level operations in an International Counter Insurgency/ Counter Terrorist environment under UN mandate.
Troops from the Indian side have been selected from 11 SIKHLI of Indian Army, while troops from a unit of Tibetan military district will be taking part. Exercise Hand-in-Hand 2018 will go a long way to further cement relationship between both the nations and will act as a catalyst in bringing bonhomie at grassroots levels between the armies of both countries.
The exercise will be conducted from 11 December 2018 in which both the contingents will establish a Joint Command Headquarter and conduct joint exercise on anti-terrorist operations . The opening ceremony for the exercise will be conducted on 11 December 2018 which will consist of a ceremonial parade and address by head of both contingents.
FAO Council also approves India’s membership to the Executive Board of the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) for 2020 and 2021
Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shri Radha Mohan Singh has said that the 160th session of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Council, currently underway in Rome, approved India’s proposal to observe an International Year of Millets in 2023. On behalf of all countrymen the minister conveyed his gratitude to the countries who voiced their support. He added that this will enhance global awareness to bring back these nutri-cereals to the plate, for food and nutrition security and hence increase production for resilience to challenges posed globally by climate change.
The Minister said that in the Modi regime, India’s prowess in agriculture diplomacy has grown. This international endorsement comes in the backdrop of India celebrating 2018 as the National Year of Millets for promoting cultivation and consumption of these nutri-cereals. This is further supported by increase in Minimum Support Prices (MSP) of millets. Millets consists of Jowar, Bajra, Ragi and minor millets together termed as nutri-cereals. The MSP of Jowar has been increased to Rs 2450 per quintal from Rs 1725, Bajra to Rs 1950 from Rs 1425 and Ragi to Rs 2897 from Rs 1900 per quintal from 2018-19. Through the Department of Food and Public Distribution, State Governments are allowed to procure jowar, bajra, maize and ragi from farmers at MSP.
In addition, the FAO Council also approved India’s membership to the Executive Board of the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) for 2020 and 2021 for which the Minister expressed his deepest gratitude to other member countries for their support.