GOVERNANCE & PUBLIC POLICY INITIATIVE (GPPI)

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The “Governance & Public Policy Initiative” (GPPI) was set up in collaboration with the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), India’s premier think tank in August 2012. GPPI has been established to develop through sustained discussions and debate - innovative approaches to effective and accountable governance, promote political and social entrepreneurship and foster a strategic community that brings together Indian law makers, eminent scholars and academicians, think tank analysts, the bureaucracy and civil society. GPPI takes no institutional positions on matters of policy. It aims to provide a cross functional international network of think tanks and academic institutions to continuously strengthen our public policy initiatives and rely on CPR’s excellent research facility supported by some of the most renowned scholars in India today. Set up with the objective of strengthening parliamentary diplomacy that binds India and the world, we intend to promote thoughtful debate and dialogue on issues which exemplify the key challenges on the global governance agenda. We hope to engage with Members of Parliament, key leaders from various Indian political parties, Members of the Indian Legislative Assembly, the country’s current and emerging leaders in our efforts to hone the governance and public policy discourse in India.

Overall Objectives – Roundtable discussions, conferences and seminars on thematic issues concerning - empowering citizens, revitalizing democracy, foreign policy and security issues, gender security and women in India, health, education, urban development and cyber-security amongst other issues. Such discussions provide Parliamentarians across party lines, a common platform to share and discuss the different views and concerns and engage with think tank analysts, civil society groups and consequently positively influence the policy making process. Where appropriate, GPPI will host ‘Track-Two’ type dialogues and seminars on internal conflicts that will seek to increase a sharper understanding of the disputes that remain complex points in our political discourse. Regular programs for lawmakers with renowned international academic institutions: Right now our current flagship programs include Yale University (US), Princeton University (US), and new programs in Australia with the Australia India Institute and the Lowe Institute which we have just concluded. We are exploring future opportunities in Australia with different universities. Our 3 year program with Oxford (UK) has recently concluded and a new program with King’s College is scheduled to commence in 2014. More such programs with reputed academic institutions are in the planning stage.

Interactive meetings - with visiting international parliamentary delegations; national and international thought leaders; renowned economists, strategic analysts and eminent academicians; as well as specialists from diverse fields. Series of round-table discussions involving lawmakers in various states across India – as part of its outreach program to study issues at the grassroots level GPPI will encourage a vibrant dialogue between our lawmakers and academicians, senior government officials, leading think tanks experts, business leaders and civil society at large, in raising issues at the grassroots level as well as those of bilateral and global concerns.

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The “Governance & Public Policy Initiative” (GPPI) was set up in collaboration with the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), India’s premier think tank in August 2012. GPPI has been established to develop through sustained discussions and debate - innovative approaches to effective and accountable governance, promote political and social entrepreneurship and foster a strategic community that brings together Indian law makers, eminent scholars and academicians, think tank analysts, the bureaucracy and civil society. GPPI takes no institutional positions on matters of policy. It aims to provide a cross functional international network of think tanks and academic institutions to continuously strengthen our public policy initiatives and rely on CPR’s excellent research facility supported by some of the most renowned scholars in India today. Set up with the objective of strengthening parliamentary diplomacy that binds India and the world, we intend to promote thoughtful debate and dialogue on issues which exemplify the key challenges on the global governance agenda. We hope to engage with Members of Parliament, key leaders from various Indian political parties, Members of the Indian Legislative Assembly, the country’s current and emerging leaders in our efforts to hone the governance and public policy discourse in India.

Overall Objectives – Roundtable discussions, conferences and seminars on thematic issues concerning - empowering citizens, revitalizing democracy, foreign policy and security issues, gender security and women in India, health, education, urban development and cyber-security amongst other issues. Such discussions provide Parliamentarians across party lines, a common platform to share and discuss the different views and concerns and engage with think tank analysts, civil society groups and consequently positively influence the policy making process. Where appropriate, GPPI will host ‘Track-Two’ type dialogues and seminars on internal conflicts that will seek to increase a sharper understanding of the disputes that remain complex points in our political discourse. Regular programs for lawmakers with renowned international academic institutions: Right now our current flagship programs include Yale University (US), Princeton University (US), and new programs in Australia with the Australia India Institute and the Lowe Institute which we have just concluded. We are exploring future opportunities in Australia with different universities. Our 3 year program with Oxford (UK) has recently concluded and a new program with King’s College is scheduled to commence in 2014. More such programs with reputed academic institutions are in the planning stage.

Interactive meetings - with visiting international parliamentary delegations; national and international thought leaders; renowned economists, strategic analysts and eminent academicians; as well as specialists from diverse fields. Series of round-table discussions involving lawmakers in various states across India – as part of its outreach program to study issues at the grassroots level GPPI will encourage a vibrant dialogue between our lawmakers and academicians, senior government officials, leading think tanks experts, business leaders and civil society at large, in raising issues at the grassroots level as well as those of bilateral and global concerns.

ACTIVITIES ROUNDTABLES

In collaboration with the German Foundation Friedrich

Interactive Discussion on “Media: Regulation vs Self Regulation”

-Ebert-Stiftung, GPPI in December 2012 organised a roundtable discussion on “Media: Regulation vs Self Regulation”. Late Justice J.S. Verma, Former Chief Justice of India, and Head, National Broadcasting Standard Association had an in-depth discussion on the issue with 18 Members of Parliament who attended the session. There have been vigorous discussions on the Indian media's credibility. The issues that have cropped up in recent times include instances of fabricated & manufactured stories, “paid news”, and credibility of sting operations. In the recently concluded 9th Media Nation Summit in Philippines, president of the organizing foundation, Bart Guingona said: “Media is the watchdog of the government, but who watches the watchdog?” In this regard, the session provided a lively platform to debate and discuss vital issues pertaining to the theme of “Media: Regulation vs Self Regulation”, which included, but was not limited to questions such as: Has internal self regulation failed? Should there be a reasonable amount of media restriction and monitoring? What constitutes responsible reporting?

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Interactive Discussion on “Illiberal Trends in India?”

series of incidents recently have raised questions of an emerging trend of intolerance in the country: Limits on speech, banning of artists, censorship of movies, all seem to suggest a growing intolerant trend. In this regard GPPI-CPR in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) organised a roundtable discussion on "Illiberal trends in India?" on March 18, 2013. Dr. Pratap Bhanu Mehta, President & Chief Executive, Centre for Policy Research (CPR) presided over the session. Cutting across party lines, 21 Members of Parliament participated in this interactive discussion. Besides various MPs, Ms Karuna Nundy, Advocate, Supreme Court of India who specializes in human rights litigation, also participated in this session. This

discussion was part of the ongoing collaborative series of roundtables with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) and GPPI-CPR.

Karuna Nundy, Dr. Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Rajeshawar Dyal and Dr. Felix Schmidt

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The ruling by the Supreme Court that will

Interactive Discussion on “The SC Verdict: Will it Help Cleanse Politics?”

compel the state and federal lawmakers to quit politics and be barred from contesting future elections if they are convicted of a crime that carries a sentence of at least two years in jail is evoking nation-wide interest. The same bench also struck down a provision in the Representation of Peoples Act that protects a convicted lawmaker from disqualification on the ground of pendency of appeal in higher courts. There is no denying that the health of the Indian

political system has degraded over the years. Though this landmark decision is set to change the face of Indian politics, it also raises concerns on its implementation. It requires broad based political consensus to sustain these reforms and overcome the challenges which includes, but is not limited to questions such as: How will the system be cleaned? How will they prevent the imminent misuse of the law by politicians for settling scores? To discuss this GPPI-CPR in association with the German Foundation Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, organised an interactive discussion on August 22, 2013. Ms. Aruna Roy, noted political & social activist and Nikihil Dey had an in-depth discussion on the issue with 17 multi-party Members of Indian Parliament.

GPPI, CPR since its inception has already done several programs with the Global Health Strategies (GHS) involving the Parliamentarians on pertinent issues focusing on child survival and childhood immunization –

Roundtable Series

in Collaboration with Global Health Strategies (GHS)

implementation of vaccines such as the low cost Rotavirus Vaccine that can be used to prevent a severe form of diarrhea caused by rotavirus. The meetings also focused on Pentavalent Vaccine which prevents fatality in children from diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis-B and Influenza-B. GPPI-CPR & GHS also organized a roundtable on health issues in London as well. Roundtable in New York, June 2013: GPPI-CPR in collaboration with GHS and John Hopkins University organized a similar roundtable in New York on June 26 during the visit of 11 Indian Members of Parliament to participate in the Yale Program. The objective of the meeting was to highlight the need to elevate the issue of childhood diseases such as diarrhea and pneumonia and how Members of Parliament can play a role in ensuring that life saving medicines, tools and technologies reach children who need them the most. The meeting also aimed to address questions that Parliamentarians might have around child survival issues and vaccines; and seek guidance on how Parliamentarians can be advocates for child health in India.

Noted Political & Social Activist Aruna Roy

Nikhil Dey, Rajeshwar Dyal, Aruna Roy,Dr. Felix Schmidt, Ramesh Chandran, Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Dr. Ajoy Kumar & Hamdullah Sayeed

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In consultation with GHS, GPPI-

Parliamentary Coalition on Child Survival

CPR helped create a Parliamentary Coalition on Child Survival with a group that could work towards bringing down child mortality rates. Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal, Lok Sabha MP from Bihar & Dr. Ajoy Kumar, Lok Sabha MP from Jamshedpur are the Convenors of the forum while a group of other Parliamentarians have joined as members. The inaugural meeting of the coalition was held on August 13, 2013. It was chaired by Mr. P D Rai, MP, Sikkim Democratic Front. Mr. Keshav Desiraju, Health Secretary of the Government of India also attended the session. Besides the Members of Parliament, the participants also included various NGOs who work closely with GHS. Such a Forum is aimed to spearhead campaigns within the constituencies of the legislators to increase access and demand for comprehensive child survival interventions for diseases that kill a large percentage of children in the country; create awareness and utilise platforms to raise the profile of child

survival. The members will engage with various experts such as doctors, civil society representatives and organisations working on child survival to strategise on how to make the issue more visible.

The

Symposium on Governing India’s Megacities: Organized by CPR Urban Team

Centre for Policy Research and GPPI organized a Symposium on “Governing India’s Megacities” on Dec 9, 2013. The focus of the Symposium was broadly grouped into four issues- as local issues that relate to the governance of the city; inter-local, i.e. issues between different cities in the region; issues relating to the metropolitan region; and issues of the region vis-à-vis the state governments. The discussion was chaired by Mr. Ajay Maken and Mr. K. C. Sivaramakrishnan, Chairman, Advisory Board, CPR and attended by a prominent multi-party group of Parliamentarians including Dr. E. M. Sudarsana Natchiappan, Minister of State for Commerce &

Ramesh Chandran, Health Secretary of GoI Keshav Desiraju, & P D Rai, MP

P D Rai addressing the session

Madhu Yaskhi, Saugata roy, Ajay Maken, K C Sivaramakrishnan, Dr. E M S Natchiappan, Priya Dutt, M S Gill, Ramachandran, Ramesh Chandran

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Industry, Mr. M. S. Gill, Ms. Priya Dutt, Mr. Ashok Ganguly, Mr. Jayant Chaudhary, Dr. Sanjeev Ganesh Naik, Mr. Neeraj Shekhar, Dr. G. Vivekanand and Mr. Manicka Tagore among others.

Interactive Discussion on the Calibre and Merits of our Political Discourse; Questions Raised on Campaign Finance of Political Parties; and Impact & Relevance of Opinion Polls As part of the ongoing collaborative series of roundtables with the FES, GPPI-CPR organized a three-segment discussion that enlivens our present political landscape -

Calibre and Merits of our Political Discourse: Has it reached a new low? The tone and tenor of our political oration and debate by party leaders have often been categorized as undignified and lacking in substance. Do the speeches lack clarity and vision for the country’s future? Why don’t national leaders publicly speak more substantively on issues relating to development and governance rather than resort to personal attacks and embroider speeches with sentimentality. Questions Raised on Campaign Finance of Political Parties How to usher in more transparency? For instance questions have emerged over Aam Aadmi Party’s overseas funding sources. Is it

time to also investigate other major political parties such as Congress and BJP as well as smaller regional parties? Should Congress’ and BJP’s foreign funds be a matter of public interest? Will bringing them under the RTI scanner prove to be a step forward in that direction? Opinion Polls: Should they be regulated and not banned? How far ahead of elections should they be allowed? Opinion polls have been under severe criticism by some parties as being erroneous and manipulated. Are they true in disregarding such polls by claiming that they lack credibility? Can we find a middle ground for formulating regulations instead of banning them? 15 prominent Members of Parliament including Mr. Shantaram Naik, Mr. Bhubaneswar Kalita, Mr. H K Dua, Mr. Bharat Kumar Raut, Mr. Neeraj Shekhar and Mr. Ponnam Prabhakar had a candid discussion on the theme with Mr. J M Lyngdoh, Former Chief Election Commissioner who participated in the session.

Rajeev chandrasekhar, H K Dua, Dinesh Trivedi, Piyush Goyal, Hamdullah Sayeed, Sanjay Jaiswal, Shivakumar Udasi

The Discussion in Progress

Bhakta Charan Das, V P S Badnore, Rajeshwar Dyal, J M Lyngdoh & Ramesh Chandran

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Industry, Mr. M. S. Gill, Ms. Priya Dutt, Mr. Ashok Ganguly, Mr. Jayant Chaudhary, Dr. Sanjeev Ganesh Naik, Mr. Neeraj Shekhar, Dr. G. Vivekanand and Mr. Manicka Tagore among others.

Interactive Discussion on the Calibre and Merits of our Political Discourse; Questions Raised on Campaign Finance of Political Parties; and Impact & Relevance of Opinion Polls As part of the ongoing collaborative series of roundtables with the FES, GPPI-CPR organized a three-segment discussion that enlivens our present political landscape -

Calibre and Merits of our Political Discourse: Has it reached a new low? The tone and tenor of our political oration and debate by party leaders have often been categorized as undignified and lacking in substance. Do the speeches lack clarity and vision for the country’s future? Why don’t national leaders publicly speak more substantively on issues relating to development and governance rather than resort to personal attacks and embroider speeches with sentimentality. Questions Raised on Campaign Finance of Political Parties How to usher in more transparency? For instance questions have emerged over Aam Aadmi Party’s overseas funding sources. Is it

time to also investigate other major political parties such as Congress and BJP as well as smaller regional parties? Should Congress’ and BJP’s foreign funds be a matter of public interest? Will bringing them under the RTI scanner prove to be a step forward in that direction? Opinion Polls: Should they be regulated and not banned? How far ahead of elections should they be allowed? Opinion polls have been under severe criticism by some parties as being erroneous and manipulated. Are they true in disregarding such polls by claiming that they lack credibility? Can we find a middle ground for formulating regulations instead of banning them? 15 prominent Members of Parliament including Mr. Shantaram Naik, Mr. Bhubaneswar Kalita, Mr. H K Dua, Mr. Bharat Kumar Raut, Mr. Neeraj Shekhar and Mr. Ponnam Prabhakar had a candid discussion on the theme with Mr. J M Lyngdoh, Former Chief Election Commissioner who participated in the session.

Rajeev chandrasekhar, H K Dua, Dinesh Trivedi, Piyush Goyal, Hamdullah Sayeed, Sanjay Jaiswal, Shivakumar Udasi

The Discussion in Progress

Bhakta Charan Das, V P S Badnore, Rajeshwar Dyal, J M Lyngdoh & Ramesh Chandran

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INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

The India

India -

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Yale Parliamentary Leadership Program

Yale Parliamentary Leadership Program is a collaborative program between Yale University and GPPI- CPR designed to provide Indian Parliamentarians with opportunities to critically think about the current global issues and leadership challenges in a neutral environment. With some of the world renowned experts of Yale as well as specialist scholars from Think Tanks and research institutes, the parliamentarians get an opportunity to interact with them on a wide spectrum of global issues as well as on issues relating to leadership and management. Lectures, discussions and seminars with renowned practitioners in their areas complement the curricular activities of the Yale Program. The recently concluded seventh India-Yale Program was

held from June 19-27, 2013. The participants of this year’s program included a group of eleven Members of Parliament from across party lines. Some of the topics which dominated the discussions include- The Changing Role of Business, Negotiation & Strategy, Perspectives on the Arab Uprising & Prospects of Democracy, China’s Rise amongst Rising Tension, Women, Work & Politics, Constitutional Theory of Campaign Finance Reform and Leadership & Control: Paradoxes & Practices of Leadership, among others. The program was complemented by a series of meetings, discussions, and interactions in New York City, ranging from the New York Stock Exchange, Journalists from the US media, and the architect of President Obama's high successful social media strategy in his 2012 re-election campaign. Over the last six years the sessions at Yale led by distinguished scholars have explored various significant topics pertaining to rural health, education, poverty and issues relating MDGs besides bilateral and strategic issues. So far 75 Members of Parliament have participated in the Yale program over a span of seven years.

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Oxford-Chevening - GPPI-CPR Parliamentarians’ Program

n eight-member multi-party delegation led by Mr. H K Dua, MP, Rajya Sabha, visited the UK from April 13-21, 2013 to participate in the third leg of the Oxford-Chevening—GPPI-CPR Parliamentarians’ Program. This Program launched in April 2012 is a collaborative initiative undertaken by the GPPI-CPR, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Oxford University. The focus of the program is to expose Parliamentarians to the UK’s top opinion formers and decision-makers in a wide range of fields. The delegation held a series of broad based discussions with some of the finest academicians and

2014 Group of Parliamentarians with Yale President Richard C Levin

Members of Parliament at the Oxford Campus

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scholars of the Department of Politics and International Relations at Oxford. The week-long series of tailor-made sessions focused on leadership, international relations, public policy and tackling key issues of the 21st century that affect both India and Britain. Among other subjects which dominated the discussions were Capital Controls & their Implications on Emerging Economies; Global Financial Crisis & its Implications for India; China After the Succession; Climate Change; Energy Security; Perils of Parliamentary Democracy; and Police Accountability & Democracy, besides other issues of topical relevance.

After the sessions at Oxford, the delegates attended meetings at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and other UK Government departments as well as Parliament. They also visited the renowned International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London where they had a roundtable on ‘Current Political and Security Issues in South Asia’.

The second Chevening –

Oxford-Chevening -

GPPI-CPR Parliamentarians’ Program

GPPI-CPR program commenced on October 14, 2012 led by Professor Stephen Whitefield, Academic Director; Mr. Richard Briant Programme Director; and Ms. Genevieve J. Garrido, Programme Manager.

A multi-party group of nine Members of Parliament participated in the program. The delegation was led by Mr. Ajay Maken, former Minister for Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation. Academic presentations ranged from parliamentary ethics to climate change, from China to the US, and from extremist parties and scepticism within Europe to the importance of emerging global powers. Broad themes of 21st Century Challenges, Climate Change and Global Governance were discussed while other talks focussed on specific issues including Indian foreign investment flows (in both directions) and leadership styles.

Individual tutorials provided the MPs with an opportunity to explore their personal interests and to experience Oxford’s tutorial system. The delegation also met with members of the Indo-British APPG and other prominent UK parliamentarians to discuss UK-India relations, trade and parliamentary relations. Members also examined parliamentary practice and procedure, with specific focus on the role of select committees, the relationship between Parliament and the media and challenges for new and young parliamentarians. Following the discussions delegation viewed proceedings in the House of Commons and House of Lords Chambers.

Members of Parliament at the Q & A session at Oxford

Members of Parliament at Oxford - October 2012

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scholars of the Department of Politics and International Relations at Oxford. The week-long series of tailor-made sessions focused on leadership, international relations, public policy and tackling key issues of the 21st century that affect both India and Britain. Among other subjects which dominated the discussions were Capital Controls & their Implications on Emerging Economies; Global Financial Crisis & its Implications for India; China After the Succession; Climate Change; Energy Security; Perils of Parliamentary Democracy; and Police Accountability & Democracy, besides other issues of topical relevance.

After the sessions at Oxford, the delegates attended meetings at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and other UK Government departments as well as Parliament. They also visited the renowned International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London where they had a roundtable on ‘Current Political and Security Issues in South Asia’.

The second Chevening –

Oxford-Chevening -

GPPI-CPR Parliamentarians’ Program

GPPI-CPR program commenced on October 14, 2012 led by Professor Stephen Whitefield, Academic Director; Mr. Richard Briant Programme Director; and Ms. Genevieve J. Garrido, Programme Manager.

A multi-party group of nine Members of Parliament participated in the program. The delegation was led by Mr. Ajay Maken, former Minister for Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation. Academic presentations ranged from parliamentary ethics to climate change, from China to the US, and from extremist parties and scepticism within Europe to the importance of emerging global powers. Broad themes of 21st Century Challenges, Climate Change and Global Governance were discussed while other talks focussed on specific issues including Indian foreign investment flows (in both directions) and leadership styles.

Individual tutorials provided the MPs with an opportunity to explore their personal interests and to experience Oxford’s tutorial system. The delegation also met with members of the Indo-British APPG and other prominent UK parliamentarians to discuss UK-India relations, trade and parliamentary relations. Members also examined parliamentary practice and procedure, with specific focus on the role of select committees, the relationship between Parliament and the media and challenges for new and young parliamentarians. Following the discussions delegation viewed proceedings in the House of Commons and House of Lords Chambers.

Members of Parliament at the Q & A session at Oxford

Members of Parliament at Oxford - October 2012

The Princeton -

Princeton – GPPI-CPR International Relations & Strategic Affairs Program GPPI-CPR International Relations &

Strategic Affairs Program is a specially designed program for the Parliamentarians at the prestigious Woodrow Wilson School of Public & International Affairs at Princeton University which focuses exclusively on strategic and non-proliferation issues. This program is being organized by the GPPI-CPR and co-sponsored by Princeton University. For this tailor made program, Princeton organizes renowned scholars such as Daniel Ahn, Edward Felten, Bernard Haykel, John Ikenberry, Martin Krmaer, Robert Lieber, Stephen Rosen, Anne-Marie Slaughter and Daniel Markey amongst other fine group of speakers to hold discussions on wide ranging topics.

The recent program was held in February 2013 which was participated by a group of six Members of Parliament including Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman, National Spokesperson, BJP. The delegation was led by Mr. Dinesh Trivedi, former Union Minister for Railways.

GPPI-CPR Delegation of Indian MPs

GPPI

to Australia

-CPR in collaboration with the Australian High Commission co-organized a delegation visit of a multi-party group of six Indian Parliamentarians to Australia from May 29 – June 6, 2013. The visit was interspersed with a roundtable meeting hosted by the renowned Australia India Institute with Melbourne-based academics, policy makers and business leaders. A wide range of issues were discussed during the meeting on themes such as India’s Education Challenges and engagement with Australia, India’s Health Challenges and opportunities for collaboration in this sector, Australian Perspective on Energy Security Challenges in India, and Indian Ocean & Maritime Security. We are exploring future opportunities in Australia with different universities.

GPPI-CPR in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert

GPPI-CPR Delegation of Indian MPs to Germany

Stiftung (FES) organized a delegation visit of six Members of Parliament to Germany from 8 - 13 September, 2013. The delegation was led by Senior BJP leader and former Finance and Foreign Minister Mr. Yashwant Sinha.

The delegation had a packed six-day visit which included interactive discussions with experts on topics ranging from political, economic and bilateral relations. During the course of meeting on day one, the delegation discussed the pros & cons of the upcoming “German election campaign" which was followed by an expert talk on "Building the Economy of Tomorrow-

Nirmala Sitharam, Kalikesh Singh Deo, Dinesh Trivedi, Madhu Yaskhi, Jayant Chaudhary & Piyush Goyal at Princeton

Indian MPs’ delegations to Germany led by Yashwant Sinha

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Indian's Response to the Economic, Ecological and Social Challenges of Today". The delegation also had brief round of interactions with the Vice-President of the German Bundestag, Mr. Wolfgang Thierse; and Dr. Oliver Schmolke, Head of the Parliamentary Group's Policy Planning Unit of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) of Germany during which they talked about "The paths to Sustainable Economic Activity and Social Progress in the Social Market Economy". "Social Democratic Foreign Policy"; "Sustainability & Decent

Capitalism"; and "Perceptions & Opportunities of German-India Relations" are few other topics they touched upon during the various discussion sessions with experts. The visit was interspersed with a Roundtable meeting with the Representatives of the Ministry of Finance and Economics; and guided tours of the German Bundestag; the Robert Bosch Stiftung; and the Bosch GmbH and Bosch Factory.

GPPI-CPR Delegation of Indian MPs to

Israel

A five member multi-party group of Parliamentarians visited Israel from September 28 – October 4, 2013. The visit was jointly organized by the Israeli Foreign Ministry and GPPI-CPR. During the six-day visit, the delegation headed by BJP’s senior Rajya Sabha Member, Dr. Chandan Mitra, participated in discussions on a range of topics (such as Water Management, India-Israel Defence Ties, Bilateral Economic Relations and Status of Women in Israel) with experts at Hebrew University. They met senior officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Centre for Political Research and discussed upon the situation in Syria and on Iran.

The delegation attended a presentation on Command and Control System in Public Order and Counter Terrorism by the Jerusalem Police Command and Control Centre Mabat 2000. A luncheon discussion was organized with the Head of Israel-India Parliamentary Friendship Association, Ms. Yifat Kariv MK and separately with the Chairperson of Knesset Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee, Dr. Ronnen Hoffman MK. The delegation also met Author and Israel Prize laureate in literature Mr. A B Yehoshua in Tel Aviv. The meetings were interspersed with guided tours to the Israel’s Agricultural Training Facility and Advanced Dairy Farm; Takkadu Advanced Urban Water Management Company; Netafim Drip Irrigation Plant; and IDE Desalination Plant to understand Israeli capabilities in agriculture, water and dairy technologies. The MPs also visited the Yad va Shem Memorial Museum in Jerusalem. On 1 October, the Members participated in a ceremony at the Indian Soldiers Memorial in Haifa City to commemorate the Indian soldiers who lost their lives during World War I.

Guided tour to the Bosch Plant

2nd from Left: Dr. Anup Kumar Saha, Ponnam Prabhakar, Jose K Mani, Agatha Sangma, Ramesh Chandran, Dr. Chandan Mitra, Shimon Mercer-Wood

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GPPI activities in pictures..

CONTACT US

Mr. Ramesh Chandran Director, GPPI & Senior Fellow, CPR Email: chandran_ramesh2004@yahoo.co.in

Governance & Public Policy Initiative (GPPI) Centre for Policy Research Dharam Marg, Chanakyapuri New Delhi-110021 Telephone: 91-11-24106720 Email: gppi@cprindia.org Website: http://gppi.cprindia.org