NEW DELHI, Apr 5: “SHANTIR OGROSHENA 2021” (Front Runner of Peace), a nine-day Multinational Military Exercise began on Sunday at Bangabandhu Senanibas, Bangladesh, to commemorate the birth centenary of Bangladesh’s ‘Father of the Nation’ Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and to mark the 50 years of liberation.
From April 4 to April 12, an Indian Army contingent of 30 personnel is participating along-side the Royal Bhutan Army, the Sri Lankan Army and the Bangladesh Army. Military observers from the United States, United Kingdom, Turkey, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Singapore will also be present in the exercise.
According to an official press release of the Government of India, the aim of the exercise is to enhance procedures and improve interoperability among neighbouring countries in order to ensure robust peacekeeping operations in the region. All participating nations’ armies will share their useful experience and refine their exercises and procedures in peacekeeping operations, it said.
NEPAL:
Karun Bansal, Head of Administration at the Indian Embassy in Nepal, along with District Coordination Committee, Banke and the Fateh-Bal Eye Hospital Management Committee, inaugurated the Fateh-Bal Eye Hospital in Nepalgunj, Banke District Nepal on Sunday. The hospital building has been renovated with NRs 46.64 million in funding from the Government of India.
According to the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, the new hospital building has been constructed as part of the ‘Nepal-Bharat Development Cooperation.’ The project was undertaken up as a High Impact Community Development Project (HICDPs) previously known as Small Development Projects, under an agreement between the Governments of India and Nepal. Banke District Coordination Committee carried out the project.
Since 2003, India has funded 446 HICDPs in Nepal for less than NRs 50 million. The Government of India has also given INR 20.99 crores in grant to Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh (NNJS) for the conduct of 400 Diagnostic Screening & Treatment (DST) camps and surgery camps for Cataract in 52 districts.
(Venkatesh Iyer)