26 JANUARY 2015: NAMOSTE OBAMA!!!

Ø  A hotline that will now connect Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Obama, a declaration of friendship, a renewed 10-year defence partnership, and the much-anticipated nuclear breakthrough marked the second summit between the two leaders, taking relations to what Mr. Modi called “a whole new level” and Mr. Obama referred to as “powerful symbolism backed by substance.” Announcing an end to the nuclear logjam, Mr. Obama said they had reached a “breakthrough understanding” that would allow nuclear contracts to be signed between U.S. firms and India. The agreement, including the completion of administrative arrangements, was a key highlight of the India-U.S. bilateral negotiations that marked the first day of Mr. Obama’s visit as chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations. While the two sides did not disclose how U.S. concerns over the Indian supplier liability law were addressed, officials said “the deal is done,” as far as the government’s work was concerned. The two sides signed a renewed Defence Strategic Framework, which covers all aspects of defence cooperation, including the Defence Trade Technological Initiative under which they could co-produce four “pathfinder projects” and study cooperation on aircraft carriers and jet-engine technology and are committed to upgrading joint military and naval exercises. The projects identified under the DTTI include next-generation Raven mini-unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), roll-on, roll-off intelligence kits for C-130 transport aircraft and mobile electric hybrid power source.

Ø  BJP patriarch L.K. Advani, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and actors Amitabh Bachchan and Dilip Kumar are among the nine Padma Vibhushan awardees, the second highest civilian award of the country. Senior advocate K.K. Venugopal, nuclear scientist M.R. Srinivasan, philanthropist Veerendra Heggade and Sanskrit scholar Rambhadracharya and Karim Al Hussiani Aga Khan are the other awardees of the Padma Vibhushan. Among the 20 names to be awarded the Padma Bhushan are senior advocate Harish Salve, journalists Swapan Dasgupta and Rajat Sharma, former Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami, constitutional expert Subhash Kashyap and Carnatic vocalist Sudha Raghunathan. Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda Gates, and Fields Medal winner Manjul Bhargava have also been named for the Padma Bhushan.

Ø  President Pranab Mukherjee said the people of India and the United States have always viewed each other as friends; and expressed happiness that the two nations are deepening strategic, security and defence cooperation.

Ø  Naik Neeraj Kumar Singh of the 57 Battalion of the Rashtriya Rifles will be posthumously awarded the Ashok Chakra, the country’s highest peacetime military decoration. President Pranab Mukherjee will also posthumously award the Ashok Chakra to Major Mukund Varadarajan of the 44th Battalion of the Rashtriya Rifles, which was announced on Independence Day last year for his show of exceptional courage while leading an anti-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir. On the eve of the 66th Republic Day celebrations, the President has approved 374 awards of gallantry, including three Kirti Chakras and 12 Shaurya Chakras, and other defence decorations to the armed forces personnel and others.

Ø   U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama, known for her impeccable fashion sense, got a Pashmina shawl with intricate embroidery as a gift from President Pranab Mukherjee’s wife Suvra Mukherjee. Michelle received the hand-embroidered shawl in ivory and turquoise colour when she and President Barack Obama met the Mukherjees at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Sunday evening. Mr. Mukherjee gifted her a specially designed tea set with the murals of the Rashtrapati Bhavan drawn by Sukumar Bose on it.

Ø  After meeting for close to five hours, including an extended lunch, tea on the Hyderabad House lawns, and delegation level talks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Barack Obama issued three separate documents: a declaration of friendship with a commitment to regular summits, a joint statement called “Shared Effort, Progress for all”, and a joint strategic vision statement for the Asia-Pacific and the Indian ocean region. The last document could raise eyebrows in China, when External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj visits Beijing next week, as it elaborates on the clauses in their previous joint statement for the disputed maritime region, and says, “We affirm the importance of safeguarding maritime security and ensuring freedom of navigation and over flight throughout the region, especially in the South China Sea.”