Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh had a telephonic conversation with U.S. Secretary of Defence, Dr. Mark T. Espertoday. Raksha Mantri congratulated Dr. Esper on his appointment as the U.S. Secretary of Defense.

The Indian Coast Guard held a High-Level Meeting (HLM) with the Sri Lanka Coast Guard at Coast Guard Headquarters here today. The Indian side was led by Director General, Coast Guard K Natarajan, while the Sri Lankan delegation was headed by Rear Admiral Samantha Wimalathunge.

Inaugurating the “Housing for all 2022: NAREDCO 15th National Convention: Real Estate Reflection Point: Readying for the future", the Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri said that “RERA has seen a  resounding success, RERA is here to stay & has begun to show effect.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare today wrotea letterto the Union Minister of Law and Justice, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad and the Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment,Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot, seeking amendment of the existing discriminatory laws against persons affected by leprosy.

A meeting of the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), chaired by the Cabinet Secretary, Shri PK Sinha, was held today to review the prevailing flood situation in the states of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Haryana and Delhi.

The second moon mission of India, the Chandrayaan-2 has been precisely inserted in defined orbit. It reached in defined lunar orbit at 09.02 am today. This was stated by the Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Dr K. Sivan, while addressing a press conference after the  Lunar Orbit Insertion of Chandrayaan-2, in Bengaluru, today.

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh today emphasised the need to progressively reduce dependence on foreign manufacturers and indigenously develop comprehensive capabilities in the defence sector. Delivering the inaugural address at the seminar on 'Modernisation and Indigenisation plans of the Indian Air Force' in New Delhi, Shri Rajnath Singh urged the private industry to take advantage of the policy initiatives of the Government and engage with defence services, Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) and Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) for meeting their indigenisation demands.

The High Level Committee (HLC), chaired by the Union Minister for Home Affairs Shri Amit Shah, met in New Delhi on 19th August 2019 to consider additional central assistance to three states, which were affected by drought (rabi) of 2018-19, avalanches, hailstorms, landslides and cyclone ‘Fani’ during 2019.

Natural resources form the backbone of any economic development. India, as one of the fastest growing economies with GDP at 2.6 trillion USD, has increased its material consumption to six times, from 1.18 billion tonnes (BT) in 1970 to 7 BT in 2015.

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, who is facing threat of arrest in the INX Media case, failed to get any immediate relief from Supreme Court today.

Indian men's hockey team won the Olympic Test event beating New Zealand 5-0 in Tokyo today.

In Jammu and Kashmir, situation remained peaceful across the State especially Kashmir Valley where restrictions were eased in some more areas.

The US has appreciated India’s position that the recent developments in Jammu and Kashmir are an internal matter of India.

The Delhi High Court today said the INX media case involving former Union minister P Chidambaram is a classic case of money laundering and it was of the prima facie opinion that his custodial interrogation is required for an effective investigation in the matter.

Karnataka Chief Minister B.S.Yediyurappa today expanded his Cabinet with the induction of 17 new Ministers.

They said the alert notice against the Congress leader, whose anticipatory bail was cancelled on Tuesday, has been sent to all land, air and seaports and law enforcement agencies at these facilities. It says the ED should be alerted in case the person is found on their premises.? It also asks them to not allow the Congress leader to cross the Indian border without the permission of the ED.?

The officials said this is a preventive measure exercised by the agency as Chidambaram's whereabouts are not known at present and he is required by them to take the probe forward in the INX Media case, being investigated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). 

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, who is facing threat of arrest in the INX Media case, on Wednesday failed to get any immediate relief from a Supreme Court bench which said his petition will be put before the Chief Justice of India for considering urgent listing.

Chidambaram's petition seeking protection from arrest was mentioned before a bench comprising Justices N V Ramana, M Shantanagoudar and Ajay Rastogi who said the case will be put before CJI Ranjan Gogoi. "I am sending it to the Chief Justice of India. He will pass orders," the bench told senior advocate Sibal, who appeared as lead advocate. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI and ED, told the bench that it was a case of money laundering of "monumental magnitude".

One of the law officers assisting Mehta said, "We are ready and fully prepared to oppose any move by Chidambaram". At the outset, Sibal told the apex court that Chidambaram's plea was dismissed by the Delhi High Court on Tuesday. He said Chidambaram was granted protection from arrest for more than a year in the INX case lodged by the CBI and ED.

Sibal said the high court had also refused to grant any protection from arrest to Chidambaram to enable him to approach the apex court. "The matter should be heard. I (Chidamabaram) should not be arrested in the meanwhile," Sibal said. He also told the court that at 2 am on Wednesday the probe agencies pasted a notice on Chidambaram's house that he has to appear before them within two hours. When Sibal said they have got their petition numbered from the Registry, the bench said, "You finish all formalities". 

In his first engagement, Dr. Jaishankar will pay courtesy call on Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli. Later in the day External Affairs Minister will co-chair the 5th Meeting of India-Nepal Joint Commission with his Nepalese counterpart Pradeep Kumar Gyawali.

The Commission will review overall state of bilateral relations and various areas of cooperation. The main focus will be on economic partnership, trade and transit, connectivity, power, water resources and inundation. Nepal’s Minister for Foreign Affairs will also host a dinner in honour of Dr. Jaishankar.

In Delhi, the Yamuna river continued to swell and was flowing above the danger level.

Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha chaired a high-level meeting of top officials and reviewed the prevailing flood situation in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Delhi. 

He directed officials to provide immediate assistance as sought by the states to meet the crisis. 

As of now, 28 teams of the National Disaster Response Force are deployed in these states and resources from the Army and the Air Force, have been pressed into service. 

Cabinet Secretary also directed the officials to make necessary financial assistance available from the State Disaster Response Fund. Meawhile, in some good news, IMD has said that  the intensity of rain fall is likely to decline in the coming days.

Several parts in Northern India are facing the brunt of heavy rains and floods affecting normal life, however, with the decline in rain intensity there has been improvement in some parts. 

In hill states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, floods and landslides have caused heavy losses. At least 35 people have been killed in rain related incidents. In Punjab and Haryana too, many areas are facing a flood like situation. 

In Delhi, Yamuna river is flowing above the danger mark leaving many of the nearby areas and houses inundated. 

At around 1 pm on Tuesday, the water level was at 206.8 meter. In view of rising water levels, the old iron bridge over the Yamuna river has been closed for road and rail traffic. 

People living in the vicinity of the overflowing river have been shifted to more than 22,000 temporary camps set up by various agencies of the Delhi government. 

Worst hit is the state of Uttarakhand where all the rivers are overflowing due to incessant rains over past two days. 

The Ganges is flowing above the danger mark in Haridwar. Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat visited the areas battered due to cloudburst in Uttarkashi district and took stock of the situation. 

He directed officials to take necessary measures and pace up relief and rescue operation. The Chief Minister said that at least 15 people have lost their lives while 6 are still missing. Several others are injured. 

The ITBP carried out a search operation following the disaster in Uttarkashi. One body was recovered in Arakot area near Tikochi. Search for the missing persons is still on... Relief material is being delivered with the help of helicopters. 

In Himachal Pradesh, situation is getting back to normal with no rains reported. However, a building collapsed in Hamirpur due to floods. 

In Uttar Pradesh, its a flood like situation due to overflowing Ganga, Yamuna and Ghaghra rivers. This has led to the increase in water levels of rivers in neighbouring states... 

No casualties were reported from Punjab and Haryana on Tuesday, but due to incessant rains in the last few days, flood-like conditions continues in several parts. 

Several villages of Ludhiana, Rupnagar and Jalandhar are still submerged because of cracks in dams. Rescue operations were carried out in Jalandhar to evacuate stranded people...

Relief and rescue operations are being carried out in all the affected states. At the National Disaster Management Committee meeting, Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha reviewed the flood situation in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Haryana and Delhi. 

Apart from 28 teams of NDRF, army and air force teams are also continuously involved in relief and rescue operations. 

In another High Level meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, an announcement was made to provide assistance of Rs 4432 crore to Odisha, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh. 

The meeting also reviewed the situation in flood affected areas in other parts of the country. The Home Minister instructed all concerned agencies to remain vigilant and extend all possible assistance to the states.
 
Meanwhile, relief and rescue operations are underway in flood affected states and the priority is to ensure safety of the people.
 

A double whammy for Congress leader and former Union minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday...the Delhi High Court declined not just his anticipatory bail plea but also interim protection from arrest  for approaching the Supreme Court in the corruption and money laundering cases related to the INX Media scam.

Justice Sunil Gaur, who dismissed Chidambaram's anticipatory bail plea in the corruption and money laundering cases related to the INX Media scam, said that granting bail in such cases will send wrong message to the society.

He also noted that the Congress leader was evasive in replies to the probe agencies when he was under protective cover given by the court.

This sent the senior Congress leader and his legal team into a tizzy. Senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Salman Khurshid rushed to the apex court following the high court order. They were asked to mention the case in the Supreme Court on Wednesday for urgent hearing.

CBI had registered an FIR on May 15, 2017 alleging irregularities in the FIPB clearance granted to the media group for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during Chidambaram's tenure as finance minister.  

The ED had in 2018 lodged the money laundering case in this regard and CBI summoned him for questioning. On 30th of May 2018, Chidambaram moved Delhi High Court seeking anticipatory bail plea in the corruption case of CBI. 

And on 23rd July he moved Delhi HC for anticipatory bail in the money laundering case of ED. He got interim protection from arrest in both cases on 25th July 2018. In January 2019, the High Court reserved his anticipatory bail in both cases.
 

He said our partnership has transcended strategic partnership and it had attained a new level. He said the purpose of this visit is to affirm the strong relationship between the two countries and also to prepare for the forthcoming visit of Prime Minister Hasina to India .Dr Jaishankar said that the partnership between the two countries will benefit by controlling terror,crime and extrmimism.

He was addressing the media after holding bilateral discussion with the Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Dr A K Abdul Momen in Dhaka on Tuesday. During the talks both the countries discussed a gamut of issues of mutual interest. Dr Jaishankar said increased connectivity in rail, road and air benefits both sides . India will step up the relationship in this sector and realise all the potential it offers. 

He said india and bangladesh will take forward their relationship in the energy sector as well .He said India looks forward to a mutually acceptable formula on water sharing of common rivers between the two countries. Talking about people to people ties he said India wants a seamless travel arrangement to be in place between the two countries.

Speaking about Rohingya refugees he said India wants a safe, sustainable and speedy return of the displaced persons whuch is in the interest of all three countries. He said India is ready to provide more assistance to the displaced persons in Bangladesh. 

He said India is wiling to help Bangladesh in realising it's development goals. He said India Bangladesh ties are in their golden phase thanks to the leadership of PM Modi and Sheikh Hasina.  Earlier visiting the Bangabandhu memorial museum in Dhaka the minister said in a tweet that India is proud to partner with Bangladesh to fulfill the vision of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Dr Jaishankar wil call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina later in the afternoon today. He will leave for Kathmandu tomorrow in the morning. 

Indian men's hockey team today booked a summit clash berth in the Olympic Test Event being held in Tokyo by trouncing hosts Japan. Striker Mandeep Singh struck a fine hat-trick to help the Indian team beat Japan 6-3. 

Mandeep hit the target in the 9th, 29th and 30th minutes while Nilakanta Sharma, Nilam Sanjeep Xess and Gurjant Singh were scored for India in 3rd, 7th and 41st minutes. From the Japan side, Kentaro Fukuda, Kenta Tanaka and Kazuma Murata scored the goals. India will face New Zealand in the summit clash tomorrow.

After this ion into the lunar orbit, four more orbit maneuvers will be carried out till September 1st to bring it closer to Moon’s surface in the proximity of 100 km of lunar orbit. Chandrayaan 2 was launched on July 22 by GSLV Mark III-M1 launch vehicle. Its ion into lunar orbit today is another milestone for ISRO, before Lander Vikram and rover Pragyan soft-land on the south pole of the moon on September 7.

The six day customized training course is organised on the request of Government of Nepal. The training is fully supported by Government of India under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme. It is yet another example of Government of India’s commitment to support the capacity development of Nepali officers.

A total of 60 officers from various regulatory agencies in Nepal will be trained under this latest initiative. The two batches of 20 officers each will be trained at NACIN in October and December 2019. This initiative is likely to enhance the capacities of agencies of Nepal on the matters pertaining to Anti Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism.

NACIN is the apex training institution of the Government of India in the field of financial investigations and anti money laundering matters. It is an accredited Regional Training Centre of World Customs Organization for Asia/Pacific Region and also works in collaboration with other international organizations like UNEP, UNODC and SASEC etc.

Jagannath Mishra was three-time chief minister of state. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has expressed grief on the death of Mishra. 

The government has declared a three-day state mourning in Bihar. The former CM will be cremated with state honours.
 

A bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra asked Goa's lower court to complete the trial preferably within six months in the case against Tejpal.

Tejpal is alleged to have sexually assaulted a former woman colleague inside the elevator of a five-star hotel in Goa in 2013.

Tejpal was arrested by the crime branch after his anticipatory bail plea was rejected by the court in November, 2013. He has been out on bail since May 2014.

The delegation discussed the issues relating to co curriculum design of a community based inclusive development course and joint leadership development programme.

Union Minister said that through MoU, the governments of  both the countries will move forward towards welfare and protect the interest of Divyangjan.
 

Addressing India-Lithuania Business Forum in Vilnius, he added that bilateral trade between the two countries is below potential and efforts must be made to improve it. 

The Vice President also invited Business delegation from Lithuania to participate in India-Europe 29 Business Forum. 

Vice-President Naidu also said India's growing market offers immense business opportunities & is the fastest growing economy in the world.
 

Australia survived with four wickets in hand to go into the third Test at Headingley, leading the series 1-0. For England, Archer and Leach were brilliant. This is the first draw at Lord's since June 2016.

Earlier, England declared their innings on 258/5 (lead by 266) after Ben Stokes slammed his 7th Test ton. For Australia the target was 267 in the remaining 48 overs. 

Stokes and Jos Buttler put up an unbeaten 61-run stand in the morning session to help England take lunch on Day 5 with score on 157/4. 

After declaring the innings on 258/5, the Three Lions came out all guns blazing to put Australia under immense pressure. However, somehow managed to survive and take their lead into the next match.
 

He will be holding meeting with his Bangladeshi counterpart Dr A K Abdul Momen tomorrow. He is also scheduled to call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday. India and Bangladesh enjoy excellent bilateral relations with a number of important projects in the field of railways, power and infrastructure sector being run in Bangladesh with Indian assistance and co-operation.

However, issues like river water sharing remain to be finalised. Both the leaders are expected to discuss issues of mutual importance during the visit of the External Affairs Minister to Bangladesh.It will be the first Bangladesh visit  of External Affairs Minister after the new government took oath in India in May.

In a statement, the External Affairs Ministry said perpetrators of the heinous terror attack as well as those providing shelter to terrorists must be brought to justice expeditiously. 

The MEA in a statement said that India strongly condemns the horrific bombing in Kabul on Saturday at a wedding hall in which innocent civilians lost their lives.
 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Bhutaan visit had been a packed, productive and futuristic one. Prime Minister Modi had about 13 programmes in his 27 hours that he was in Bhutan.

In a special gesture, Bhutanese Prime Minister  Lotay Tshering himself received as well as seen off Prime Minister Modi at the airport.

Prime Minister visit began with a grand welcome on the streets from Paro to Thimpu, where people from all walks of Bhutanese society, especially children, were out on the roads to catch a glimpse of Prime Minister Modi. The 45km long journey was virtually filled with people. 

CHANGING CONTOURS OF INDIA-BHUTAN RELATIONSHIP

Earlier, discourse around India-Bhutan friendship revolved mostly around hydro-power. Prime Minister Modi has added the dimension of people power by ensuring big outcomes in education, innovation and space.  The MoUs, inauguration of the Ground Space Station reflect Prime Minister Modi's emphasis on making this partnership about sectors that impact the common citizen more directly. 

ENGAGEMENT WITH ALL LEVELS OF BHUTANESE LEADERSHIP

Prime Minister had an audience with His Majesty the King of Bhutan, where the Queen also joined the meeting. He met the fourth King of Bhutan Jigme Singye Wangchuk, who came specially from overseas so that he could meet the Prime Minister. 

There were detailed talks with Prime Minister Tshering and a call on by the Leader of Opposition as well. Two elaborate banquets were also held in the honour of PM Modi.

On the 17th, the cultural programme highlighted the histories of India, Bhutan and even a performance on the life of Prime Minister Modi, from childhood to the transformative work done in the last five years.

ICONIC VISIT AND PRESS STATEMENTS AT SEMTOKHA DZONG

Later, PM Modi's visit to Semtokha Dzong, an important spiritual and cultural landmark in Bhutan was not an ordinary visit. Usually the joint press meet that leaders have is held in the same venue as the place where delegation talks are held but the joint press meet between PMs Modi and Tshering was held at Semtokha Dzong. 

This is the first time ever in the hundreds of years of history of the Semtokha Dzong that such a programme has taken place. It is also believed in Bhutan that such an honour will not be accorded to any other leader at all. 

IMPROMPTU WALK WITH MONKS

After the programmes at the Semtokha Dzong ended, a group of monks were waiting to greet PM Modi but instead of the formal greeting, PM Modi decided to walk with them and talk to them. He also told PM Tshering that he likes being in places associated with spirituality, while the two leaders were walking. 

PM'S INSPIRING UNIVERSITY ADDRESS

PM's speech at the Royal University of Bhutan was admired widely by the students. The children referred to PM's book Exam Warriors and how they were inspired by it.

MAN VS WILD A HIT IN BHUTAN

Apart from formal engagements, it is to be noted that the episode of Man vs Wild featuring PM Modi and Bear Grylls is a hit in Bhutan.

People including top echelons on Bhutanese politics, business and judiciary were heard complimenting PM Modi on the show. They liked the fact that the show was refreshing and gave out a positive message on climate change. 

The situation remained peaceful across the state on Sunday. Restrictions have been relaxed in 35 police station areas of Kashmir while 17 telephone exchanges out of 96 have been made functional. 

More than 50,000 landline phones have been operational now. The services will be restored in other areas in a calibrated manner. 

Briefing media persons in Srinagar on Sunday, Jammu and Kashmir Government Spokesperson Rohit Kansal said that government  will try to restore landline communication services as soon as possible in the valley.

J&K: 1ST BATCH OF 300 HAJ PILGRIMS ARRIVE AT SRINAGAR AIRPORT

The first batch of 300 Haj pilgrims arrived in two flights on Sunday at Srinagar International Airport after completing their pilgrimage.

The pilgrims were received at the Airport by the Advisor to J&K Governor Farooq Khan, who was accompanied by Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Baseer Khan, Inspector General of Police Kashmir SP Pani and other concerned officials. 

The Hajis expressed their satisfaction over the elaborate arrangements put in place by the government to ensure that they could perform their religious duties without facing any hassles. 

The Advisor also took stock of the arrangements put in place for the arrival of Hajis so that they could reach to their destinations without inconvenience.
 

Speaking at an event in New Delhi on Sunday, Shah defended the law criminalising triple talaq, asserting that it establishes gender equality.
 

The deal was signed by Hemeti and Lt-Gen Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan for the military council, and Ahmed al-Rabie for the Alliance for Freedom and Change umbrella group of pro-democracy protesters. 

The prime ministers of Ethiopia and Egypt and the South Sudanese president were among regional leaders attending ceremony. 

The agreement ushers in a new governing council, including both civilians and generals, to pave the way towards elections and civilian rule. 

Sudan has seen pro-democracy protests and repression since long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir was ousted in April.

Addressing a rally in Rohtak, Hooda also slammed the Congress party saying the party has lost its way and that he will compromise when it comes to patriotism and self-respect.
 

The 15,000 square feet underground bunker museum has virtual reality booths in which visitors can "time travel" to the 19th century. 

The bunker was created in the 19th century to fire cannons at approaching enemy ships. Another section depicts the history of Raj Bhavan. 

The museum will be opened for the general public with an online booking facility later this year.
 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has penned 'Exam warriors' a unique book that acts a a guide to life for students. Prime Minister Dr Lotay Tshering wrote a Facebook post about the book a few days before PM Modi's visit.

He wrote, I flipped through the pages of the book directed at young people, as he de-constructs the idea of exam which many view as "life determining".

Woven with personal anecdotes, the content is so simple for a child to comprehend yet so profound and practical.

Such is Shri Narendra Modiji. In this book, as he highlights many life's lessons, he says, "forget dreaming about becoming a prime minister, I was never even a class monitor".

He exudes so much positivity, not just in the book but even in person. For someone who has to think for billions of people and represent them on the global stage, he takes time out to prepare children on handling exams. Is it not empathy, an intrinsic quality of a good leader?

Prime Minister thanked Prime Minister Lotay Tshering for his Facebook post. He said that Buddhism was the inspiration behind the mantras he shared in the book.

Students at the Royal Bhutan University also appreciated both the book as well as Prime Minister Modi's address.

Prime Minister Modi's mantra of success for youngsters is simple. Find innovative solutions to over-come challenges. Let no limitation constrain you. Find your real calling and pursue it with full passion, for the larger good.

Day two of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bhutan visit began with an address to students at the Royal University of Bhutan.

He said Bhutan's past, present and future share common and constant threads of deep spirituality and youthful vigour.

He also described India and bhutan as natural partners who are close not just due to geography but also the great attachment people of both countries share with each other. 

Prime Minister said the history, culture and spiritual traditions of India and Bhutan have created unique and deep bonds between our peoples and nations.

The Prime minister of the world's largest democracy addressing what is perhaps the World's smallest University.....the Royal Bhutan university....the sentiment beautifully put by this young student

The bond of education that India and Bhutan share is an ancient one and remains a central to the ties the two nations share.

This is evident from the fact that out of the 9 MoUs inked on Saturday, 7 were in the field of education.

The inter-connection between Indian National Knowledge Network and DrukRen was also inaugurated. This will enable collaborative research, development and enable knowledge and information sharing.

Addressing the young minds a the Royal Bhutan University, Prime Minister said that the bond of learning between India and Bhutan is as modern as it is ancient.

Another aspect of India Bhutan ties that has seen a filip is space co-operation.

The Thimphu Ground Station of the South Asia Satellite was also jointly inaugurated. Prime Minister Modi said that India and Bhutan are moving beyond the traditional sectors of cooperation and are exploring new frontiers for collaboration, from schools to space, digital payments to disaster management.

Through satellites, benefits of tele-medicine, distance education, resource mapping, weather forecast & even warning of natural disasters and reach even remote areas.

Prime Minister Modi spoke of India's moon mission, Chandrayaan two and expressed hope that Bhutan's space scientists will benefit from our experiences and learnings.

Prime Minister hailed Bhutan as a land of happiness, harmony, togetherness and compassion. He said that Bhutan is known across the world for the concept of Gross National Happiness. Prime Minister said that this very spirit radiated from the adorable children who lined the streets to welcome him on Saturday.

Prime Minister Modi's message over his two day visit was clear. As Bhutan soars high in its endeavours, 1.3 billion Indians will partner with the land ofthe thunder dragon....share with nation of happiness and and learn from it.

The hide traders and tanners are blaming each other for the worst rawhide season the sector has seen in a decade.

The price of raw hide slumped this year after Eid-Ul-Zuha during which over 1 crore animals were sacrificed across the country.  A large part of the demand for leather in Bangladesh is fulfilled through the rawhides of animals sacrificed on Eid-Ul-Azha.

Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) accused the government that its decision to allow for export of raw hide will destroy the leather industry. 

The leather industry is the second largest export-earning sector of Bangladesh garnering over 1 billion dollar annually. The domestic demand for leather goods is above 16,000 crore Taka.

The leather industry generates employment for close to 8,50000 people in Bangladesh out of which 70 percent are women.

Addressing the students of the Royal University of Bhutan, Prime Minister Modi said the world had a lot to learn from Bhutan where development, environment and culture are not at loggerheads but in synergy.

"In any part of the world, if we ask the question what do you associate with Bhutan, the answer will be the concept of Gross National Happiness. I am not surprised. Bhutan has understood the essence of happiness," PM said.

"Bhutan has understood the spirit of harmony, togetherness and compassion. This very spirit radiates from the adorable children who lined the streets to welcome me yesterday. I will always remember their smiles," PM Modi said.

PM Modi arrived in Bhutan on Saturday on a two-day state visit. This is his second visit to the country and the first since his re-election. Gross National Happiness is a term coined by the fourth King of Bhutan Jigme Singye Wangchuck in 1972. The concept implies that sustainable development should take a holistic approach towards progress and give equal importance to non-economic aspects of wellbeing.

"Bhutan's message to humanity is happiness. Happiness which springs from harmony. The world can do with a lot more happiness. Happiness, which shall prevail over mindless hate. If people are happy, there will be harmony, where there is harmony, there will be peace. And it is peace that will help societies achieve progress through sustainable development," PM Modi said.

PM said in a time where development is often seen in conflict with traditions and the environment, the world has much to learn from Bhutan.

"Here, development, environment and culture are not at loggerheads but are in synergy. With the creativity, energy and commitment of our youth, our nations can achieve all that is required for a sustainable future, whether it is water conservation or sustainable agriculture or making our societies free of single-use plastic," PM Modi said.