The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs(CCEA) chaired by the Prime Minister(PM) Shri Narendra Modi approved the following pacts/agreements with the foreign countries on January,8, 2020. The approval in detail are as follows,
Approval for MoU between India & UK for enabling energy self sufficiency for Indian railways
The Union Cabinet has gave its ex-post facto approval on an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Ministry of Railways & the Department for International Development (Government of United Kingdom-UK) for Enabling Energy Self-Sufficiency for Indian Railways. It was signed on January 2,2019.
Benefits of the MoU:
i.As per the MoU ,both the sides will take necessary steps to enable energy efficiency and energy self-sufficiency for Indian Railways as per the laws, rules, regulations and national policies.
ii.The Solar & Wind Energysector of Indian railways will get a boost from this agreement by the way of adopting energy efficiency practices, Enabling Fuel efficiency, Electric Vehiclecharging infrastructure deployment, Battery operated Shunting Locomotives.
iii.Both the nations agreed for the cooperation in matter like training programmes, industrial visits, field visits etc. or any other form.
iv.If any revision, modification / amendment of the MoU, this will be issued as revised MoU. Any of theses 2 sides can terminate this MoU by written communication & this will not affect the implementation of ongoing projects and / or programmes which were agreed before.
Approval for MoU between India & Sweden on cooperation in Polar Science
The Union cabinet has approved the signing an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on Cooperation of Polar Science between the Ministry of Education and Research of Sweden and the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) of India.
It was signed on 2nd December 2019 during the visit of King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia to India .
i.This MoU includes cooperation between the 2 sides in both Arctic and Antarctic regions ,so that it is called as Polar Science.
ii.Sweden as one of the eight “Arctic States” & India as the Observer Status in the Arctic Council, are members of Antarctic Treaty and to the Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty on Environmental Protection. So this MoU will help enable sharing of the expertise available with both Countries.
Approval for ratification of migration and mobility partnership agreement b/w India & France
The Union Cabinet has given ex-post facto approval for the ratification of migration and mobility partnership agreement between India and France.The MoU,which was signed in March 2018, is valid for 7 years and incorporates provisions for auto-renewal.
i.It will promote the people-to-people contacts ,mobility of students, academics, researchers and skilled workforce and strengthening cooperation on issues related to irregular migration and human trafficking.
Approval for agreement b/w India & Mongolia on cooperation in the exploration and uses of outer space
The Union cabinet has approved an Agreement between Government of the Republic of India and Government of Mongolia on Cooperation in the Exploration and Uses of Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes.
The MoU was signed on 20 September 2019 during the state visit of the President of Mongolia, Khaltmaagiin Battulga to India.
Benefits:
i.The MoU will help to develop a joint activity in the field of application of space technologies for the benefit of humanity It also enables the following potential interest areas of cooperation such as remote sensing of the earth, satellite communication &satellite based navigation, Space science and planetary exploration, use of spacecraft and space systems and ground system.
ii.This also helps to constitute Joint Working Group, drawing members from ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation )and the and Information Technology Authority of the Government of Mongolia, which will further work out the plan of action including the time-frame and the means of implementing this MoU.
Background:
applications’ on January 15, 2004, The Department of Space (DOS) and the Mongolian Ministry of Infrastructure signed an ‘Agreement for cooperation in space science, technology (S&T).
About UK:
Capital- London
Currency- Pound Sterling
Prime Minister- Boris Johnson
About Sweden:
Capital– Stockholm.
Currency– Swedish krona.
About France:
Capital– Paris
Currency– Euro
President– Emmanuel Macron
Prime Minister– Édouard Philippe
About Mongolia:
Capital– Ulaanbaatar
Currency– Mongolian tögrög
