Category: Features

Making Significant Progress

This region’s history dates back to antiquity, beginning with the kingdom of Paeonia, and since then it has fought quite a number of battles before the modern territory of Macedonia came under the Serbian rule following the Balkan Wars of 1912 and 1913. Making rapid and significant progress, since its peaceful secession in 1991 from Yugoslavia, Macedonia is today a member of the UN and of the Council of Europe, has applied for NATO membership, and has emerged strongly as an open, market-based economy.

By His Excellency Sasho Tashevski, Ambassador of the Republic of Macedonia in United Arab Emirates

Republic of Macedonia is an upper middle-income country that has made great strides in reforming its economy over the last decade. The vision of the Government of Republic of Macedonia is full membership in European Union and NATO, to ensure economic stability and improvement in the life of its citizens.

Business-oriented

The Government is pro-business oriented, focusing on attracting FDI and making it easy for investors for doing business. In the “Doing Business Report 2018”, Republic of Macedonia is on 11th place in the world, and 5th in Europe for ease of doing business. “Business Insider” has ranked Republic of Macedonia No. 1 in the world for lowest taxation: average 7,4%. The corporate income tax is 10% flat rate. There are 13 free zones fully operating in the country, with tax holidays for 10 years (zero taxation for VAT, corporate & personal income tax, and zero custom duties for import of raw materials & machines). Areas of development include agriculture (fruits & vegetables), tourism, mining & minerals (especially marble), IT sector, textile industry, construction, healthcare, education, etc. When mentioning the marble, I am very proud to say that the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, is fully made of the white marble “Sivec”, coming from Republic of Macedonia.

Tourism Opportunities

Macedonia is cradle of culture with its old history of statehood for more than 3000 years, and its indepence since 1991. The biggest effort that Republic of Macedonia has made in the tourism industry is building new international airport in its capital, city of Skopje. In 2015, the airport was ranked No.1 airport in Europe for small airports, below 2 million passengers per year. The snowball effect is that world known hoteliers have opened their hotels all over the country, especially in city of Skopje and Ohrid, along the shore of Ohrid lake, where there is also an international airport fully reconstructed. Ohrid lake is the oldest lake in Europe and 2nd oldest in the world, over 4 million years old. The city as well is like museum with its unique architecture. Therefore, the lake and the city are both protected by UNESCO, as natural and cultural heritage to the world. Ohrid is the city with the 1st University in Europe, dating from 10th century AD, the University of Plaoshnik, where brothers Saint

Cyril and Method invented the cyrilic alphabet and spread it all over Eastern Europe and Russia. Nowdays, 314million people all over the world are using the cyrilic alphabet. The country is with picturesque valleys, mountains and lakes, tempered climate with four seasons and ~270 sunny days during the year, with excellent opportunities for alternative tourism like climbing, mount biking, skiing, speleology, scuba diving and paragliding. Great place to be discovered is Skopje, the capital of Macedonia with its old Bazaar, dating from 15th century AD, the town fortress of last roman Emperor Justinian from 6th century AD, who wrote the Roman Law, the memorial house of Saint Mother Theresa, canyon Matka with the cave Vrelo, the deepest underwater cave in the world. Macedonia is well known by the great hospitality of the people, as well as delicious cuisine. Republic of Macedonia and United Arab Emirates have established direct bilateral relations in 1996.

My Efforts towards Cordial Relations

Since 2014, we have established an Embassy in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and I am proud to say that I was elected as an Ambassador to improve and strengthen the political and economic relations between our two friendly countries. To be more precise, we have signed several important Agreements, such as the Agreement for Avoiding of Double Taxation, Agreement for Cooperation in the Security, Agreement for Cooperation between Ministry of Health of Republic of Macedonia and DHCC (Dubai Health Care City), Agreement for Air Traffic Regulation between our two countries. There are several more agreements in the pipeline ready for signing. Concerning the trade and business relations, I am proud to say that various companies from United Arab Emirates have already invested in different sectors in the Republic of Macedonia, and they call themselves Happy Investors. United Arab Emirates were No.1 FDI investor in the country in 2016, according to official reports from National Bank of Macedonia. Besides improving political and economic relations, the Embassy is constantly working on strengthening cultural relations.

Indo-macedonia relationship

Republic of Macedonia and Republic of India have great bilateral relations. We have our Embassy in New Delhi, and so far we have several FDI investments from Republic of India into our country, in the mining and steel sector. Indian companies have invested in two mines for production of Zinc, Copper and Lead, as well as in Steel factory. Republic of India, as world’s fastest growing economy is an example of great sustainable growth. Republic of Macedonia can be an entry point for indian companies to enter the European market. We have established direct bilateral agreements with all European countries, including Ukraine and Turkey. This means no double taxation and no trade barriers and free access to a market of 650 million customers.

Home to Advanced Civilizations

Pre-Columbian Mexico dates to about 8,000 BC, is identified as one of seven cradles of civilization, and was home to many advanced Mesoamerican civilizations, such as the Olmec, Toltec, Teotihuacan, Zapotec, Maya, and Aztec before first contact with Europeans. With the promulgation of the 1917 Constitution and the emergence of the country’s current political system, it has advanced quickly to become the eighth most visited country in the world, and is poised to become the world’s fifth or seventh largest economy by 2050

By Her Excellency Francisca E. Mendez Escobar, Ambassador of Mexico in United Arab Emirates

Mexico is one of the most open economies in the world through a network of free trade agreements making it one of the most competitive countries for productive investment. Actually, Mexico is an economic power on the global stage, being the 11th largest economy in the world (in terms of GDP measured by the purchasing power parity index).

Holding Many Strengths

During the last five years, we have just passed an important number of structural reforms that have helped to propel and prepare our country for a better growth and development in different areas including, education, energy, telecommunications, financial, tax, labour, judicial, political, anticorruption, transparency among others. We say that Mexico is tradition, culture and innovation, with many strengths; today we are the 11th most populated country with 124 million inhabitants, with a highly skilled young workforce. The 13th country with the largest international reserves; with a growing fiscal capacity and the lowest unemployment rate in the last ten years (3.4 % of the economic active population in 2017). On trade, Mexico is the 13th largest exporter in the world, (with 23% relative to GDP of medium tech and high tech manufacturing exports); and one of the most attractive destinations for foreign direct investment; just last year Mexico received around 29.6 billion dollars in FDI (from 2012 to 2017 Mexico has received more than 170 billion dollars in FDI). The twelve main products exported by Mexico to the world are light motor vehicles, auto parts & accessories, transportation vehicles, computers and computers parts, telephone and telephone parts, petroleum oils and bituminous minerals, tv sets, electricity conductive materials, medical and veterinary equipment, seats, tractors and gold.

Tourism Opportunities

Mexico has something to offer to every visitor; from cultural and natural assets, such as beaches, jungles, lakes, waterfalls, rivers, mountains, deserts, and impressive gastronomy, beautiful and historical monuments, museums, colonial buildings; but mostly a unique, rich, friendly and hospitable culture. It has a good services and a strong hospitality infrastructure (more than 750 thousand hotel rooms), airports (actually, a new airport in Mexico City is under construction to handle a capacity of 120 million passengers (when fully operational) with an investment of 13 billion dollars), ports and highways connecting every corner of our country. During the past years the private and public sectors have combined, coordinated and joined efforts to work on different tasks from hosting world events, festivals, international congresses and expos, to sports and include more SMEs qualified to generate better services and jobs, as well as the development of products such as medical, cultural and business tourism. In 2017, Mexico reached record highs with more than 39 million visitors from around the world, being one of the most visited countries (6th most visited nation according to the United Nations Tourism Organization). The tourism industry in Mexico is a significant contributor of income to our economy; just last year in 2017, Mexico received more than 21 billion dollars from international tourists.

My Efforts towards Cordial Relations

On trade and business, together with our commercial and investment promotion office of ProMexico in Dubai, we have been working on the attraction of foreign direct investment into our country through visiting specific companies, sovereign funds and participating in seminars, expos and congresses all over the United Arab Emirates, with the support of governmental institutions such as the Ministry of Economy, Dubai FDI and of course the Chambers of Commerce and Industry among other relevant actors. Likewise, we have achieved the execution of important agreements between both nations to protect and promote investments such as the APRI (Agreement for the Protection and Promotion of Reciprocal Investments, which just entered into force this year) and the Agreement to avoid Double Taxation. The promotion of reciprocal business missions and opportunities on a daily basis is our goal; likewise, it has been an important challenge since there is a lack of knowledge and awareness of the potential opportunities for the private sector on both sides of the equation. The United Arab Emirates is a new market for Mexico, our commercial office just opened less than three years ago; however, there have been significant advances in the participation in trade exhibitions such as Gulfood, Yummex, Arabian Travel Market, or ADIPEC which have brought important delegations from Mexico achieving satisfactory results in this regard. Likewise, Mexico has received trade missions from the UAE on a yearly basis since then, being single companies or delegations as the one headed by the Minister of Economy of the United Arab Emirates back in November 2016. On the connectivity, we have been working with the local airlines such as Emirates in achieving soon passengers’ flights to Mexico; today we only have cargo flights from Emirates, since we believe connectivity is a key to facilitate approaching and linking businesspersons and companies of both nations easily. Each day, more and more companies and individuals are becoming aware of the business opportunities that each nation offers to each other and that there is a lot of room to grow, but it is a process and takes time; that is the reason that in each official visit or each event that we, as representative of Mexico, have tried to include the business and economic topics on top of the agenda.

Rich Ancient Heritage

Bulgaria is known for its organized prehistoric cultures that began developing on the current Bulgarian lands as early as the Neolithic period. However, human activity in the lands of modern Bulgaria can be traced back to even Paleolithic period. Its ancient history has seen various famous clans and tribes: Thracians, Greeks, Persians, Celts, Romans, Goths, Alans and Huns. With beautiful topographical features such as the Danubian Plain, the Balkan Mountains, the Thracian Plain, the Rhodope Mountains, the highest point of the Balkan peninsula, Musala, and relaxing Black Sea resorts attract many visitors. Its geographical beauty is further accentuated by the Srebarna Nature Reserve – a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

By His Excellency Dr. Bogdan Kolarov, Consul General of Bulgaria to the UAE

I am extremely happy to be able to give you and your readers an idea about Bulgaria – one of the oldest European States with over 13-centuryold history and traditions. And not the least, a great tourism & investment destination, and a gateway to Europe. Together with the excellent climate, natural scenery, food and hospitality, Bulgaria can offer stable political environment & low country risk, macroeconomic & financial stability, highly skilled multilingual work force, Europe’s lowest operational costs, free movement of capital, no restrictions on after-tax repatriation of profits and Government financial support for priority investment projects. The Government has a number of steps to encourage investment. Bulgaria has one of the EU’s most favourable taxes, including 10% corporate income tax rate (0% in high-unemployment areas); 10% flat tax rate on personal income; and 2-year VAT exemption for imports of equipment for some projects. To mention a couple more – Government assistance through providing information and faster administrative servicing; preferential treatment; financial support for vocational training of employees for the needs of the investment project, and in some cases reimbursement of labor costs paid by the employer and, as mentioned previously, priority investment projects benefit from the special incentive package provided by the Government. Bulgaria’s strategic geographic location serves as a bridge between the EU and the rapidly growing markets of Russia, Turkey, the Middle East and CIS countries, placing the country in the centre of transit between these regions. Furthermore, five panEuropean corridors pass through our territory. The agenda of the Government includes emphasis on the modernization of infrastructure in the coming years, placing the country in a pole position for attracting new investors interested in expanding their businesses in these geographies. The focus areas for us are the food and agriculture, IT & outsourcing, energy & telecom, electronics, healthcare & medical tourism, BPO, transport & logistics, and chemical & related industries.

Amity with the UAE

Effectiveness, transparency and benefits for our partners in business, culture and political cooperation. These are the three main principles my team follows in our work. Our main priority is to create the necessary conditions for steady bilateral growth in economic exchange and investments, tourism and cultural exchange, while upgrading on the bilateral political achievements and cooperation that will bring added value and a better quality of life for both Bulgaria and the UAE. Due to our efforts in the last 2 years, we now observe a rapid increase in the levels of bilateral trade, as well as in the representation of Bulgarian companies willing to enter the regional market through establishing regional offices in Dubai. A number of Emirati companies are setting up businesses in Bulgaria. Last year, Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, the UAE Minister of Economy highlighted the opening of a new chapter in economic relations between the two countries by leading the first official business and Government delegation to Sofia, comprising more than 40 representatives of the biggest UAE companies. The parallel Business Forum improved the bilateral interest for increasing the business ties between our countries. On the political vector, 2017 is also a breaking year as both the UAE and Bulgaria are setting up embassies in Sofia and Abu Dhabi by the end of the year. Work is in progress, and highlevel visits will follow. This move sends a strong political message and should help encourage further economic and trade relations by providing institutional support. I am also very satisfied that during my stay here I was able not only to open fully the doors of Bulgaria to the Emirati business, but also to share our unique Bulgarian culture and art with the people of this country through many cultural events organized by the Consulate.

Strengthening Ties with India

Indo-Bulgarian ties have traditionally been close and friendly. We do have a steady interest in further development and expansion of this cooperation built upon partnership. We can provide a solid base for Indian investors to enter the European market. Priority is given to strengthening the trade and economic ties, attracting Indian investment and stimulating the tourist flow from India. Aside from the general trend, I can focus on the significant number of Indian students in our medical universities, the Indian IT companies operating from Bulgaria and the Indian investments in the pharmaceuticals sector to Bulgaria.

Steadily Making a Statement

Over 8.2 million of foreign tourists visited Bulgaria in 2016. Our commitment is to furthering these results and making this a sustainable trend. By the end of this year, Bulgaria expects a 10% growth to these numbers. The image of Bulgaria is as a preferred year-round destination, offering a high-quality tourist product and attracting a greater number of tourists. At the same time, around 4 million Bulgarians travelled abroad last year. With a population estimating about 7.5 million, these are huge numbers. The direct contribution of tourism to GDP in 2016 was 3.4%. Our forecast is that these numbers would rise by 4.6% in 2017. This primarily reflects the economic activity generated by industries such as hotels, travel agents, airlines and others, while by 2027 we expect this direct contribution to grow by 4.9% per annum to 4.8% of GDP. I think these figures speak for themselves

Q. Sir, we at AsiaOne, really appreciate the various socially beneficial endeavors undertaken by your organization, ‘The Gautam Gambhir Foundation’ under your exemplary leadership. Please throw light on all the initiatives which your organization has undertaken especially during a pandemic, especially the recent ones.

A. See, first I want to start off with from where we started this foundation, the base of this foundation was to serve the martyrs family – children, because as you all know, I’ve always wanted to be in the army. So we started this foundation supporting 16 families of the Sukma victims, and then later on then, now we sponsor 100 children of all the paramilitary forces. So whether it is BSF, CRPF, CISF, all the paramilitary forces.

And at the same time, the second initiative which we took was to sponsor the 10 girls of the sex workers. And that is something which is very, very close to my heart, because the most important thing when you sponsor the education of a sex worker, the girl from the sex workers family is that you can’t disclose the identity. Me, myself doesn’t know the girl to be honest, I don’t even know the identity or anything. So that is something which is very, very satisfying.

And then the third thing which we did was started this community kitchen, which serves 1100 people every day at Rupee One. And the quality of food which we give is probably anyone can eat, I can eat, you can eat all of us can eat. And I go there randomly just to check the quality of food because exactly one that food should be served with respect. And that is the reason why we’ve kept one rupee. So that one, once someone enters that kitchen, or that canteen, he should feel proud of himself. Because self respect is probably the most important thing. Yes, you want to give free food you want to give free water, free electricity, but you got to give it with self respect as well. So that is the reason why we had kept one rupee for community kitchen. And at the same time during the pandemic, the foundation actually, what gave 50,000 odd kits, ration kits. So we had distributed five lakh kgs of ration, especially to people who were in desperate need of it. And then we had supplied PPP kits, we had supplied mask, sanitizers, all those things. That all happened through the foundation. So I think the base of the foundation is to Martyrs family, that we can support try to support as many children’s as we can, started with 16. Now, we have around 100-150 children, which we support from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. There are children from different places, and we look after their not only their studies until the time they want to study they can get into that education. Plus they can choose the school as well. It is not that 90% of these children’s are studying in convent schools or public school, or some of them are even studying in boarding schools. At the same time, we sponsor they’re stationary, we sponsor their uniform at the same time, we counsel their mother as well, because counseling the mother becomes equally important. So this is where this foundation started. And we are all very proud it is not, again, my individual effort, it is the team effort, which has actually taken this foundation to where it is now. But the most content thing is that when we started these two community kitchens, so that when we see nearly people come out there and eat quality food, and with respect that is something which is very, very satisfying.

Q. Sir, you are a social icon, a youth icon, in fact, the national icon. The youth of the nation, look forward to you for inspiration! As a youth icon, and a young leader dedicated to nation building, what’s your message to the youth of the nation?

A. See, my message has always been very clear. I think when people talk about good people should get into politics, I absolutely believe in it. They should get into politics. Till the time good people will not get into politics, I think this country will not change. When you get into the politics with only one mindset and intent is to give it back not taking anything from the people and that is something which is very important and get that contentment and satisfaction when you try and serve people because you can have loads and loads of money, but this effort or this belief of giving it back to your own people. This is what actual nationalism is all about when people talk about what is nationalism, nationalism is everywhere. Nationalism is serving someone food, nationalism is probably when you come, when you’re coming back from the airport at two o’clock in the morning or two o’clock at night, following the traffic rules, stopping on red light even when you know that there is actually no one looking at you. Not throwing litter on the road, respecting women, which is very important. Yes, we can make use of the CCTV cameras – all these technologies are very important. But behavioral change is far more important, I believe. We must respect women, whether it is at home. So all of us, we have to go to start respecting our mothers, grandmothers, wives, and children. So that is how behavourial change will happen. And that is when the crime against women will start going down.

So my message to all the young people is that I think nationalism is everywhere. Just follow it and be proud to be called as Indians because this country is giving you the biggest thing that’s your identity, that’s your name. And no one else can give you that you go to anywhere in the world, you’re not known by your name, you know, but by the name of your country. And you feel proud when you call yourself as Indians. Every minute of my life, I feel proud to be called as an Indian. And I’m very, I’m very, very proud!

Q. AsiaOne Magazine has also forayed into the digital media from print during the pandemic, taking a cue from PM Modi ji’s call of ‘turning adversity into opportunity.’ So what’s your message for this Greatest Brands and Leaders Series by AsiaOne magazine in which we aim to bring to fore those leaders who have not only made an impact on the economies of India and Asia but also on their societies as well.

A. First, I want to congratulate AsiaOne for this new venture at the same time, I feel that it’s a great initiative when you try and bring leaders try and interview them try and get them into the main front, when they deliver for the people of this country, when they do something really impactful. So I really want to congratulate and I hope AsiaOne grows even stronger in future. And it’s just the start hopefully, there’s a lot of success in coming years. Thank you so much!

Q. Hon’ble minister sir, you are a minister to whom the youth of India looks up to. You are really popular on the social media where you consistently inspire and motivate the nation to adopt a healthier lifestyle. You are also working on some great initiatives under the Modi government to promote sports and youth empowerment. Please throw some light on your ministry’s strategy to contribute towards Fit India Movement.

A. Our objective is very clear; we have to engage the youth of India. We always say that youth are our assets but until or unless we engage them gainfully and utilise the energy of the youth, we won’t be able to reap the benefit, the… huge huge population, which we have in India into nation-building. So, we are looking forward to create an atmosphere where the youth will play a very critical role in nation-building. We have launched some important programmes like Khelo India, Fit India Movement, this will create an enormous situation in our country where the youth will drive all the important programmes of the government. And Fit India Movement is something, which I take very close to my heart. Honorable Prime Minister Modi ji had launched Fit India Movement and I am driving it. When I drive it, I enjoy it also because youth are becoming very conscious of their health, fitness. So, I think now majority of the youth are turning into fitness as a part of their daily regime. At the same time, Khelo India is the programme to create sports as a way of life, to make sports as a culture and which is very important and in the days to come – our aim to transform India into a global sporting powerhouse will be met with the sporting culture which we have able to create so far.

Q. What is your vision for Hon’ble Prime Minister Modi ji’s call for Vocal for Local and Aatmnirbhar Bharat? Under your able leadership, how the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports would be contributing to it?

A. See ‘Vocal for Local’ is basically to create confidence amongst ourselves. If we identify our own talent, our own potential, then only we will be able to strengthen ourselves. If we don’t identify or we don’t realise our potential, how do we drive ourselves? So, for example, we have indigenous games, we have to identify those indigenous games. I am trying to bring up the local Indian talents, coaches. Of course, right now we are dependent on the foreign coaches for the high-performance directors and for some of the coachings and subsequently, my aim is to have more or less, you know, Indian coaches in our system of training the educating the young athletes. So, these are some of the steps from my ministry where we will be contributing to the Aatmnirbhar Bharat, which Prime Minister had launched; means we have to be self-reliant, we have to depend on our own indigenous local talent. So, whether it is a product, commodities, or human resources, we have to ensure that we identify local talent, local products and on top of that, my ministry has 75 lakhs, youth volunteers, under the Department of Youth Affairs. So, I am utilising these 75 lakhs, youth volunteers, to drive the Aatmnirbhar Bharat launch by the Hon’ble Prime Minister. And our youth are going to the extreme level to all the nook and corner of the country, to galvanize the youth of the nation to reach out to every part of the country, to ensure that we all must become self-reliant and that is the theme of Aatmnirbhar Bharat.

Q. Sir, we, at AsiaOne, really admire you as a leader who leads by example. As I stated earlier, you are one big motivational force for the youth of India and we really appreciate your efforts towards motivating each and every citizen of the nation to adopt any physical activity of their choice and you have been so active at the social media platforms. You yourself post your physical activity videos and you have, Sir, off late, emerged as a really popular youth icon. What’s your message to the budding young entrepreneurs, aspiring sportspersons, and all others who look up to you for inspiration?

A. See, as a public person, we have to be an example to the younger generation. As a minister, as an elected person, we are something, so we have to show everything with our own right approach. So, I am trying to lead a very normal life and show it to the younger generation. For example, my daily routine life – despite my busy schedule, very-very intensive touring programmes and all, I try to show that no matter how busy, how occupied you may be but you can do certain things to make your life better, your life more disciplined and focused. So, there is a regime which you follow every day. So, I try to tell the youth that adopt, don’t forget to maintain your fitness level. So, that is all about, you know, making your health better, your thinking process positive, so that you can become a useful citizen for your country. A youth cannot be a burden to the nation. A youth has to be strength of the nation. So, there are certain things which I have done, for example, reaching out to the youth, interaction with the athletes, all the sportsperson, all the stakeholders. I make myself available to those who want to interact with a minister. So, I cannot be inaccessible to the people. So, I try to show that I lead a very simple, very-very easy life. So that, you know, people will learn something basic from a minister. And at the same time, I would like to tell the youth of country that problems are there, issues are there, challenges are a part of life, but that should not discourage in any manner in your progression in life or in fulfilling your dreams. All the problems and all obstacles are, if tackled in a positive manner, then you will overcome everything. That is how I have come from a very small remote village in Arunachal Pradesh and be in the parliament, I am able to convey my feelings in a bigger platform and at the same time I try to ensure that I remain relevant all the time, to new challenges in the life challenges before the nation. So, these are certain things. My message to the youth is that only think positive. Don’t bring negative thoughts in your life. Because there are positives, both and there are negatives. But if you think only positive then you will do positive things but if you start giving importance to all the negative things then you might end up doing all negative stuff. So, be positive and lead a successful life. When we talk about making India a great, prospering nation, it will only be possible if youth of India think positive and do positive.

Q. What do you feel about this new series by AsiaOne Magazine titled ‘Greatest Brands and Leaders,’ considering the fact that AsiaOne has been consistently promoting Asian brands and leaders throughout the world and our aim is to counter the perception that western brands are superior as compared to their Asian counterparts. And what’s your message for AsiaOne Magazine and Mr. Rajat Shukal?

A. First of all, I would like to compliment Rajat Shukal for coming out with this AsiaOne Magazine which is itself telling AsiaOne. We have to build the brands of our own, the Asian brand, the Indian brand and need to say that 21st century is going to be Asian century. So, the magazine is starting on a very very positive note and I think with this positive mindset and approach the magazine, your all the efforts, will bring a tremendous change in the way we look at things and to influence the youth. So, my best wishes to the entire team!

Q. Sir, under your able leadership, E-learning in the country is currently thriving by turning adversity into opportunity. We, at AsiaOne, appreciate the fact that for promoting innovation in the online education ecosystem in India you recently launched a week long ‘Bharat Padhe Online’ campaign for crowdsourcing of ideas from some of the best brains in India to overcome constraints of online education while promoting the available digital education platforms and reviewed the suggestions personally. Please share some insights on the success of this campaign.

A. The unprecedented crises of COVID-19 have led to a paradigm transformation in education. The education institutions were closed in the second week of March even before Lockdown was imposed. All Exams and evaluations got postponed. The Ministry of Human Resource Development came forth to mitigate the impact of school closures and found ways to make sure that ‘Learning doesn’t stop’. Adapting to the multi-modal delivery of transactions of the curriculum including digital learning helped us to lessen the impact of the crises. We stood advert to our commitment to provide education based on the foundational pillars of access, equity, quality, affordability, and accountability as outlaid in the Draft New Education Policy.

As a step forward, we initiated a campaign a week ‘Bharat Padhe Online’ for crowdsourcing of ideas for intensifying digital education in India. We have received more than 10, 500+ suggestions from students, teachers, academicians, and scholars. The suggestions have been analyzed by NCERT. The valuable suggestions are being incorporated into the guidelines and implementation of digital education. Recently, we have also launched PRAGYTA – guideless for digital education which provides a roadmap for carrying forward online education to enhance the quality of education.

Q. Sir, what are your views on PM Modi Ji’s call for “Vocal for Local” and “Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan.” How are you planning to further this agenda?

A. The ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ vision of the Honourable Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi will make India a self-reliant nation among the global powers. I along with the whole Ministry of Education will work for achieving his mission in a mission mode manner.

The higher education institutes have come forward to solve the myriad of challenges with innovative measures to tackle the pernicious situation which has made an unparalleled impact globally. From research to the rescue, our HEIs have shown a great degree of responsibility by contributing to different dimensions to combat the CoVID-19 challenge. To up strong the challenge and their participation, we are conducting various hackathons such as Drug Discovery Hackathon, ‘Fight Corona IDEAthon’, and Smart India Hackathon.

I am delighted to share that we have launched COROSURE – a testing kit of COVID-19. Researchers at IIT Delhi Kusuma School of Biological Science (KSBS) has developed a detection assay for COVID-19 which has been approved by ICMR. The assay has been validated at ICMR with a sensitivity and specificity of 100%. This makes IITD the first academic institute to have obtained ICMR approval for a real-time PCR based diagnostic assay. The frugal CoVID-19 testing kit developed by IIT Delhi is a great example of PPP.

Be it ventilators, testing kits, mask production, sanitizer units mobile-based contact tracking applications, various web portals for resource mobilization, our HEI have done world classwork. IIT Roorkee has developed a low-cost ventilator Prana Vayu. IIT Kanpur has started an indigenous mask production facility. Covid19 Test Bus developed by IIT Alumni has been launched in Maharashtra. I am certainly proud of the ample work being done across IITs, IIITs, NITs, and IISERs.

I am also thankful to the Union Finance Minister, Ms. Nirmala Sitaraman for announcing various transformative initiatives for transformative education under the Economic Relief Package. The initiatives include PM E- Vidya, Manodarpan, expansion of online education in higher education, and decision on the initiation of National Curriculum and Pedagogical Framework and A National Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Mission.

Q. Sir, you are a multi-talented leader with a Poet, Social Worker, and Writer all rolled into one. You have numerous publications to your credit and have also been actively associated with various social activities such as ‘Swaran Ganga’ drive. Despite hailing from a humble background, you have risen to a position of prominence, owing to hard work and dedication. You are an inspiration for umpteen aspiring students and others who aim to make it big. What’s your message for the youth of the nation who looks up to you for inspiration?

A. As propounded by Swami Vivekananda, education should not only be a collection of information, but something more meaningful; it should strive to achieve ‘satchitananda’ (existence, consciousness, and bliss). While gaining knowledge the students should widen their horizons to incorporate the learnings from the Indian traditions, culture, morals, and ethos. The righteous knowledge should be a blend of the traditional system and the advancement of the 21st century. I am sure that the teachers are working hard for the same.

Keeping a foresight on the global transformations that are taking place and abiding by our movement towards ‘Aatmnirbhar Bharat’ I am expecting a magnificent contribution from the youth for a prosperous development of the society. The youth of the country has to lead the country with solutions for the transformation of the education system, economic issues, climate change, poverty, health, and other traversed global issues.

Trust me, I am counting on you to emerge as the world leader!

Q. Sir, what do you feel about this new series by AsiaOne Magazine titled “Greatest Brands and Leaders” and what’s your message for AsiaOne Magazine and Mr. Rajat Shukal?

A. I congratulate AsiaOne Magazine & Mr. Rajat Shukal for this new series titled “Greatest Brands & Leaders” which showcases awe-inspiring success stories of top Asian brands and leaders from across the globe who have enabled Asia to acquire a unique and distinguished status in the world.

This would certainly inspire and motivate the aspiring young Asian entrepreneurs, sportspersons, socialist activists, philanthropists, and achievers in various spheres to follow the footprints of these greatest leaders and enable the Asian continent to acquire a position of prominence on the world map.

Land of Natural Wonders

Rwanda offers an adventurous and exciting vacation to tourists from all over the world as they try to soak their spirits into the warmth of incredible experiences gathered in this marvelously beautiful country of thousand hills, exhilarating savannah, deep valleys, copious wildlife and soothing nature. Exceptionally beautiful, visitors love Rwanda for its numerous adventurous activities including safaris, and lake & beach adventures

By His Excellency Mr. Ernest Rwamucyo, High Commissioner of Rwanda, Mumbai

Gradually improving their economy, Rwandans are generally living healthier and wealthier lives, considering its past devastations. Rising up to fight all challenges, today it is one of the fastest growing economies in Central Africa, driven by construction, services, agriculture and manufacturing. Making big strides towards gender equality, it has also improved its life expectance, literacy, primary school enrollment and spending on healthcare.

Tourism Opportunities

Full of sights and delights, Rwanda is an ideal place for spiritual experiences as visitors move around to spectacular mountains, forests, ridges, rivers and lakes. Some of its main tourism destinations include the following:

Kigali:

It is beautiful with its mountainous and scenic landscapes along with exceptional national parks, and historical & cultural sites. In addition, tourists would love to visit its magnificent architecture, museums, mouth-watering cuisine, bustling markets and spice-scented street stalls.

Huye:

Founded in the earlier colonial era, it is a centre of academia today, and is still called by its old name by the locals – Butare. It has a respectful history, and is home to the National University and the National Institute of Scientific Research, in addition to countless other prestigious learning centers. Its cultural attractions are ample, and tourists like to hear tales of the old Tutsi monarchs at the National Museum of Rwanda, eat exotic food and buy mementoes from numerous stalls and handicraft emporiums.

Volcanos National Park:

Named after the chain of dormant volcanoes, it is said about these almost 15,000- feet tall volcanoes covered with rainforests that one would shiver more than sweat at the top. These are truly breathtaking with the expanse of lush montane forests and thick groves of African redwoods. The Park serves to protect the steep slopes the stunning mountain range, and is home to the endangered mountain gorilla, bamboo forest, open grassland, swamp and heath.

Musanze:

This city’s strategic location in the foothills of the Virunga Massif makes it attractive for not only tourists, but also businessmen and farmers. It offers activities such as gorilla tracking & caving, and heavenly experiences through its various boutique lodges that offer spectacular natural views.

Karongi:

As Rwanda is a landlocked country, Karongi is a very popular beach retreat that offers majestic vistas, tranquil atmosphere and, of course, easy access from Kigali. Not only are the hillsides covered in pines and eucalyptus have a great tranquilizing effect on tourist seeking to relax, but the singing of local fishermen during dawn and dusk makes one feel they are meant to live here forever. Birdwatchers always move from here to the Mukura Forest where over 150 recorded species are found. One may opt for kayaking or relishing Sambaza fish here.

Rubavu

It is a beautiful waterfront town on the shores of Lake Kivu, at a distance of about an hour from the Volcanoes National Park, visited by tourists moving over to Nyungwe after gorilla tracking and looking for a place to relax their senses. Lake Kivu here offers red sandy beaches and warm & clean water. While unwinding, visitors may watch the birds and enjoy various water sports. The city of Rubavu also houses old colonial buildings, palm-lined avenues, and marks the beginning of the Congo Nile Trail, which may be enjoyed on foot or by mountain bike, with endless lake views & friendly hamlets. It is also visited for its several tea and coffee plantations and the Gishwati-Mukura National Park.

Nyagatare:

It may be explored while on your way to the Akagera National Park or the Rusumo Falls.

Tea Garden:

Rwanda is one of the countries that produce tea in Africa, and is globally famous for the quality of tea, while offering the natural beauty of the tea garden and its surroundings to visitors. It may be found in the country’s highland region spreading on slopes and makes for a great spot for sightseeing.

Ethnographic Museum:

Received in gift from Belgium in 1989 to commemorate 25 years of independence of Rwanda, it’s a magnificent museum with a stunning architecture making it undoubtedly one of the most beautiful structures in the city and one that houses, in the form of seven exhibition halls, the best ethnological and archaeological collections in the entire region.

THE SUNNY SIDE OF LIFE!

The Maldives is an archipelago with more than a thousand coral islands scattered in the middle of the Indian Ocean. These coral islands with their white sandy beaches are encircled by its crystalclear waters, turquoise blue lagoons and vibrant reefs surrounded by the magnificent ocean.

By His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Jinah, Ambassador of the Republic of Maldives to the Kingdom of Thailand

Here, sun, sea and sand with spectacular underwater life stretching out miles position across the equator. Maldives is popularly known to travelers as paradise on earth.

STAYING IN THE MALDIVES

The Maldives offers different options and standards of stay catering to the specific needs and wants of travelers. Be it an exclusive high-end private island, a luxury resort island, a familyfriendly resort, a mid-range hotel, a simple guesthouse on a local island or an array of liveaboards from luxury safari yachts to diving or surfing safari boats.

RESORTS

Almost all the resort islands vaunt the tropical scenery with the lush green vegetation, and the attention given to the tiniest details adding to the ambience and the experience of the guests. One island – one resort; each resort hotel is on a separate individual island; with luxury facilities and caring staff attentive to guest requests throughout their stay, mindful of their privacy. For an exclusive stay, stay at a private island resort, most of these hideaways accessible only by private yachts. Romantic pool residencies, ultra-private residencies above the lagoons have some of their own private chefs and butlers.

GUESTHOUSES

With currently more than 500 guesthouses scattered across the island, a Maldivian guesthouse is an underrated blessing allowing you to experience the beauty of Maldives on a low-budget. Maldivians are friendly people with their own traditions and culture. The local island guesthouses provide the opportunity to share the simple lives of the local Maldivians without the frills. The stay options are great with stunning views of the seaside, try local dishes and enjoy a number of water sports options while observing the local culture up close on a modest budget. Serenity will surround you on the secluded sandbanks, excursions to nearby islands, and the fishing trips will provide a homely feel.      

LIVEABOARDS

The liveaboard cruises the stunning Maldivian waters, offering desirable itineraries especially to divers enthusiastic to dive alongside popular pelagic like mantas. These liveaboards come with complimentary bars, hot tubs and even spa packages. Be mesmerized by the shades of the sky and the seas all day long.

EXPERIENCES AND ACTIVITIES IN THE MALDIVES

Numerous activities can be enjoyed in the country depending upon your requirements:

FOR THE ROMANTICS

Seclusion and privacy being a priority, a resort can cater as a private ‘love nest’. Elegant over-water villas are sought after by couples, especially honeymooners, due to its secluded location. The villas are secluded surrounding lush vegetations or even above an isolated lagoon, some even come with glass-bottomed floors through which you can view marine life. The veranda provides a panoramic view of the beauty of nature; waves lapping the beach with coconut palms just waving in the breeze. Most villas come with opento-the-stars bathrooms, private plunge pools and steps directly down into the lagoon. This is ideal for those in love, celebrating an anniversary or merely just spending some quality time together away from the humdrum of daily life with may be a candlelit dinner under the starry skies.

FOR THE FAMILY

Maldives have a number of accommodation options catering to families. Exclusive kids’ clubs cater to children’s entertainment offering age appropriate activities such as sand-filled playgrounds and shallow swimming pools. There are cooking classes, painting and even reading time to keep the younger ones entertained. The older kids will love jumping off the deck straight to the ocean and go scuba diving. Onsite marine biologists in a number of islands provide educational activities such as learning about the fragile environment through a coral-planting session or planting a commemorative coconut palm tree.

FOR THE ADVENTURE SEEKERS

Secluded in the ocean is rewarding for the country by being one of the world’s leading water sports hubs with almost a minimal effect on the environment. It could be paddling in a canoe around the lagoons to just gliding high above on a parachute. Almost every resort and even the inhabited islands with guest houses have a fully-equipped sports centre to enjoy various waterbased adventures.

DIVING

Maldives is the seventh largest coral reef in the world. The unique coral formations with a diverse marine life make it one of the most famous diving locations here. The southern atolls are renowned for spotting sharks and barracudas while the northern atolls house amazing coral formations. Famous points include the Manta Point for the manta enthusiasts, Furana Thila for caves frequented by sharks and Colosseum is the home to schools of eagle ray, whitetip reef shark, leopard shark, batfish and an occasional Whale shark can be spotted.

SPA

The spas in Maldives are achieving global recognition for their impeccable services. The design of the spa matches the luxurious standards of the resorts. Built over lagoons, surrounded by lush vegetations or even on the beach, the ambience reflects on peacefulness of both body and mind. More spas are now catering to adults and children alike, providing unforgettable memories to the whole family through creativity and organic spa treatments.

FLIGHTS TO THE MALDIVES

Maldives is easily accessible since numerous scheduled and chartered flights fly to the Maldives every day. The airport near the capital Male’ is the Velana International Airport which has become an international hub in recent years. There are a number of flight connections available from different parts of the world; including many alliances and non-alliance airlines. Major scheduled flights operate directly from Dubai, Singapore, Istanbul and Doha. Notably, Singapore Airlines, Bangkok Airways and Sri Lankan operate direct daily flights and many other flights connect from Middle East and Europe daily. For a more luxurious experience, a chartered flight would be desirable. The ability to land on smaller airports scattered along the atolls would reduce the need for local transfers. Along with this flexibility, private flights fly at a much faster speed.

INCREDIBLY PROGRESSIVE & RECEPTIVE

A country with one of the best benefits in the world, in terms of universal healthcare and education, it has also been reported by the World Economic Forum as the most advanced country for women, and has developed one of the most comprehensive public transportation systems in the world. It’s also a country where you can really enjoy yourself through swimming, kayaking, walking, or picknicking, and be yourself

By Her Excellency Ms. Ulrika Sundberg, Consul General of Kingdom of Sweden in India

Sweden is a powerhouse of ideas and innovations, and is ranked as no. 1 in the EU and as no. 2 globally by the World Economic Forum. The economy is strong and exports to Asia went up with 28% in 2017. The Swedish Government’s overarching priorities are job creation, lifelong learning, sustainable development and fighting climate change. Sweden has also pledged to be the first fossil-free country in the world by 2030 and zero CO2 emissions by 2045.

HOLISTIC AND SUSTAINABLE GROWTH

To achieve these goals, it is focusing on Industry 4.0, life science and health, digitalization, start-ups and SME, research and development, environmentally sustainable production as well as fighting climate change. Our industries are constantly incorporating new technologies like AI or blockchain and have adopted the circular economy. The Swedish Government is a strong supporter of United Nations Agenda 2030 and the realization of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She was among the first countries to present an implementation report in June 2017. Sweden was the first country in the world to adopt the Climate Act, which binds future generations and governments to attain the goal of keeping global warming at maximum 2 degrees Celsius as set out in the Paris Agreement.

TOURISM OPPORTUNITIES

Tourism from India to Sweden has steadily increased in the last decade. In August 2017, Air India introduced a direct line New Delhi-Stockholm. Their Dreamliner airplane flies four times per week. In 2017, 220,000 hotel nights were registered by Indian tourists. This figure does not cover house rentals or Air B&B. Many Indians come to experience our wild beautiful and green nature, our archipelago and the Northern light. The fact that we have “Allemansrätten” – a right to room freely – has attracted a lot of attention. globally. This unique right allows you to set up a tent for 24 hours on other people’s property anywhere in the country as long as you stay out of sight from any permanent dwelling or house. Another recent development is that Sweden is now 99% cash free. You need to bring your credit card and other smart payment solutions like Klarna or Izettle.

MY EFFORTS TOWARDS CORDIAL RELATIONS

The India-Swedish relations are excellent and I would argue that we are at an all-time high. Former President Mukherjee paid an official visit to Sweden in 2015. Swedish Prime Minister Löven visited the “Make in India” in Mumbai in 2016. Sweden hosted the first “Make in India” outside of India in Stockholm in October 2017. Prime Minister Modi visited Prime Minister Löven in April 2018, and he also met with the other Nordic Prime Ministers in Stockholm. We have signed over twentyfive MoUs in key areas like health, environment, sustainable development and smart cities. A Joint Declaration with an accompanying Action Plan has been signed by our two prime ministers. A joint strategic innovation partnership was also signed in 2018 and the implementation modalities are being worked out.

STRENGTHENING STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

There is a lot of complementarity between India and Sweden and a long-term commitment exists on both sides. Sweden and India have mutual interests and share many values. A very close partnership is of mutual benefit. Both countries can learn from each other. We make a very good match despite the differences in size.

POTENTIAL IN INDIA

India is among the fastest-growing economies and is poised to be the most populated country in the world in the next decade. The choices which India makes will have a global impact. Sweden stands ready to share its lessons learnt, e.g. in transforming a society into a green and sustainable one. Best practices need to be exchanged. Sweden looks forward to setting up joint projects with the aim of creating future-proof solutions and life styles, based on life cycle costs and circular economy principles. Many key reforms have been enacted in India in recent years, like Aadhaar and GST, which will allow India to strive economically and plan appropriately for the future. Still more reforms are needed. Some are being pushed by the private sector like connectivity and ICT. Currently, there is an important debate about public sector reform, also an area where Sweden has experiences from its transformation in the 1990-ties.

UTTERLY FASCINATING, PEACEFUL & SAFE

Famous for Kuwait Towers and the Grand Mosque, people in Kuwait own fanciest clothes, some of the most expensive cars in the world, and love to travel to Europe, while holding close to their heart their own traditions of the desert. It’s a truly captivating country where the traditional meets modern, and creates an incredibly charming and engaging culture

By His Excellency Mr. Mansour Saad Al-Olaimi, Consul General of State of Kuwait in India

The futuristic vision for the State of Kuwait speaks about the measures being undertaken by the State to develop all sectors, including the tourism sector. In view of its importance, the State has made provision for more jobs to promote and cater to this sector, which will in return contribute to increase in GDP by 2% to 4%, and will attract Foreign Investments, in line with the promising development plan, namely (Kuwait 2035). For example, one of these promising projects is the Islands development project. This huge project is estimated to cost more than 450 Billion Dollars. As well as tourism sector is one of the bases which contribute on making Kuwait a Financial & Commercial hub.

TOURISM OPPORTUNITIES

Kuwait established The Kuwait Hotels Company in 1962 a year after getting its independence, and joined the World Tourism Organization a year after. It initiated building infrastructures required to set up a number of economic projects in that period, which are still going on, and in addition to other projects which are established subsequently. Some examples are as follows: Kuwait Towers – Cinema Halls – Theaters – Public gardens – Green Island – Commercial Complexes – Al Mubarakiya Market – Amusement City – Pool Complex and Ski lounge – Museums – Scientific Centre along an Aquarium with a wide variety of fish, and a museum of ancient ships – Liberation Tower which is considered the second-largest tower in the world with a height of 372 meter. There are some ancient monuments around Kuwait, such as Old Gates of Kuwait City, whose walls have been demolished and gates kept as witness of events which occurred in the State of Kuwait. Red Palace in Jahra city, and Seif Palace in addition to Failaka Island which were formally called (Icarus) and which have some archeological sites. As the State of Kuwait is interested in environmental tourism, it has established Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmed Natural Reserve (reservoir) and Shaikh Jaber Al Ahmed Marine Reservoir.

MY EFFORTS TOWARDS CORDIAL RELATIONS

India and Kuwait traditionally enjoy friendly relations, rooted in history and have stood the test of time for about hundred years. India has been a natural trading partner of Kuwait, and Kuwaiti Commercial ships have been frequenting India, especially to Mumbai city and other states for trade. Until 1961, Indian Rupee was the legal tender in Kuwait. We take this opportunity to specify some of the steps taken by the Consulate in this regard: Speeding up the process of approval documents of the Indian companies regarding Export & Import from and to Kuwait. Holding regular meetings with Senior Officials in Mumbai city to see their points of view regarding matters related to both the countries (Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Police Commissioner and Customs Commissioner and Indian Chamber of Commerce). Participating in a number of seminars & meetings related to economy, so that we can be aware of the new investment opportunities and can take part in it. The consulate also attends a number of other formal & informal functions. It arranges and facilitates trade delegations and assignments from both the countries using measures to get the required visas and other required diplomatic formalities. It facilitates measures of Work agreements for Indian workers who are interested to travel to Kuwait. The mission carries out this particular work at present to further develop and strengthen relations between both the countries.

STRENGTHENING STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

Indo-Kuwait relation is considered as one of the best and has a historical significance to it, because Kuwait had significant relations with India during different political eras of India. For example, volume of trade exchange between the countries reached to (15000) million dollars in 2017, and trade balance continues to flourish.

POTENTIAL IN INDIA

To speak about India’s prospects, we can say that these prospects speak on their own, and are quite clear to all that India has a highly trained level of manpower. India has a distinguished geographical site, and is a mega global market; hence, we find that a number of global companies are choosing India as their headquarters like Amazon Company, etc. In addition, we find a number of countries and a Consortium of companies that are keen to reach to an understanding by sorting out economic problems in India. In brief, we can say many great prospects are available at present in India. India is among the Asian countries which play a pioneering role in the region, and especially in the Asian continent. As India has developed economically, technically and commercially, the trade balance for India has been considered to be very high in comparison with its population. Due to these facts, the future of Indian growth looks promising and flourishing for the decade.