MYANMAR’S MILITARY FINDS PLANE WRECKAGE, BODIES
Myanmar’s military said today it has found the wreckage of a plane in the Andaman Sea that went missing with around 120 people on board. Several bodies have also been recovered.
The country’s Commander in Chief confirmed in a Facebook post that the wreckage had been found off the coast of Launglon, in southern Myanmar, by a navy search team this morning. Nine navy ships and three air force planes had been dispatched to search for the aircraft, which disappeared yesterday as it flew from the southern city of Myeik to Yangon.
There was conflicting information on the number of people on board, but in the latest update the military said the plane was carrying a total of 122 people.
The plane lost contact with air traffic control yesterday, about half an hour after takeoff.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed sadness over the tragic loss of Myanmar’s military transport plane. In a tweet, Mr Modi said, India stands ready to help in every way in the recovery efforts.
MODI REACHES ASTANA TO TAKE PART IN SCO SUMMIT
17th summit of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation – SCO is beginning in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan today. India is set to join as full member in the SCO comprising six Central Asian Republics, namely China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reached Astana to take part in the SCO summit. He will take part in the summit deliberations on matters related to peace and security in the Central Asia region and world at large.
The Prime Minister will also discuss with the member countries about increasing cooperation in various fields for mutual benefit. Mr Modi will also hold bilateral talks with some of the heads of SCO member countries on the sidelines of the summit . Though bilateral meeting between Mr Modi and his Pakistan counterpart is not on the cards so far, the Prime Minister is likely to meet Chinese President XI Jinping. In addition, he will take part in the inaugural ceremony of world exposition christened ‘Asta Expo’ and also attend a concert at Astana Opera this evening.
SCO Secretary General Rashid Alimov said, a major issue on the summit agenda will be the accession of India and Pakistan as full members. He said, with India and Pakistan induction, the SCO will represent 44 per cent of the global population. He said, the summit will discuss the internal security in the light of recent developments in the region and elsewhere in the world and outline current aspects of strengthening multifaceted cooperation within the SCO. Stating that one of the Organisation’s driving forces is trade and commerce, the Secretary General said that the investment by member countries in joint projects was over 40 billion US dollars last year.
India which has been serving as Observor in the SCO is looking forward to strengthen its ties with central Asian countries through its induction into the group.
UK ELECTIONS 2017: POLLS IN BRITAIN
LONDON: Polling is under way for Britain’s snap general election which will shape the United Kingdom’s future as it leaves the European Union.
Prime Minister Theresa May, who came into power without a national vote last year after David Cameron´s resignation following the Brexit vote, called for a three-year-early election for June 8, saying she needed to strengthen her hand in divorce talks with the European Union by bolstering support for her Brexit plan.
If May does not handsomely beat the 12-seat majority her predecessor Cameron won in 2015, her electoral gamble will have failed. When she called the election, polls showed she was as much as 23 percentage points ahead. However, the lead has shrunk substantially since then.
The polls are open from 7am (0600 GMT) until 10pm (2100 GMT) on June 8. There are about 47 million registered voters across the United Kingdom.
Security for the voting day was reviewed following the recent London attack, which left at least eight dead, with the city’s Metropolitan Police force implementing a “specialist and highly flexible operation” which it said could be deployed as needed.
An exit poll will give an indication of the outcome, although final results will not emerge until early Friday.
May, Corbyn cast votes
Corbyn arrived at the Pakeman primary school in Holloway, North London, to cast his vote.
The politician appeared to be in an amiable mood as he smiled and waved to the media.
Speaking to the press, he said “Thank you very much, all of you, for coming here today. It’s a day of our democracy. I’ve just voted. I’m very proud of our campaign. Thank you very much.”
On the other hand, clad in white-and-black Theresa May also casted her vote at a polling station in Sonning, Berkshire.
According to media reports, she just greeted the media with a simple ‘hello’ unlike her opponent.
She was also holding a polling card in her hand even though voters didn’t need to show up with one to vote.
The options
The main parties across the whole of Britain are the Conservatives (centre-right), led by May, and Labour (left), led by Jeremy Corbyn, followed by the Liberal Democrats (centre-left), the UK Independence Party (populist) and the Greens (left).
The Scottish Nationalists (left), Welsh nationalists Plaid Cymru (left) and four parties from Northern Ireland also won seats at the last general election in 2015.
Pakistani-British contesting polls
Pakistani-British contesting polls
More than 40 men and women of Pakistani origin are taking part in the elections. Of these, around 31 are from the mainstream parties such as Labour, Conservatives, Liberal Democrats while the rest are from smaller parties or contesting as independents.
A research by Geo News correspondents showed that the Labour Party has given tickets to 13 British Pakistanis; Liberal Democrats to 11 candidates; six candidates for the Conservative; one from Scottish National Party (SNP); three for the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) and one for the Green Party.
Labour has given tickets to the highest number of candidates with a high chance of winning on safe Labour strongholds or relatively safe seats.
´Little confidence´
It is the third time Britain has gone to the polls in two years, twice for a general election and once for the EU referendum, and voter fatigue appeared to be an issue among the early voters.
“I don´t think it has really been a campaign, we don´t know anything about what they are going to do about Brexit, it´s been pointless really,” said Joe Kerney, 53, at a polling station in Hackney, east London.
“I have little confidence in anybody,” added voter Simon Bolton, 41. “I think we lack quality in terms of who we can choose, it is very limited.”
The election is May´s first since taking office after Britons voted by 52 percent to leave the European Union.
Predictions
Opinion polls reveal the outcome could be a lot tighter than had been predicted when May announced the vote on April 18.
Although surveys show the gap between the main two political parties narrowing, May´s position as prime minister seems secure.
Polls initially supported her gamble, giving her Conservative Party a double-digit lead over its nearest rival, the main opposition Labour Party.
However, the Conservatives´ advantage has eroded over the campaign, with pollster Survation giving the ruling party just a one point lead over Labour on June 4.
Another poll, released a few days earlier by YouGov, even suggested the Conservatives could fall short of a majority, meaning they would need the support of another party to govern.
Electoral process
There are 650 constituencies across the UK, meaning 326 MPs are needed for an absolute majority in parliament´s lower House of Commons.
Each constituency is won on a first-past-the-post basis, meaning the candidate with the most votes in that seat becomes its MP. Despite the focus on the party leaders, voters are not directly choosing their prime minister, only their local MP.
A parliament is elected for a maximum of five years, meaning the next general election must be held by June 2022 at the latest.
SALMAN HAIDAR: THE RUSSIAN CONNECTION
Thursday, 8 June, 2017
The Russian connection
(Photo: AFP)
After a period of seemingly diminished mutual commitment, India-Russia relations have once more assumed their rightful priority and been strongly reaffirmed by the two countries.
The immediate occasion for this demonstration was the formal one of making suitable acknowledgement of seventy years of diplomatic relations, which in other circumstances might have been not much more than a calendar event, but this time it brought the two countries to revisit and reiterate the main features of what they consider to be a key international relationship.
To mark the occasion, President Putin himself put his signature to an article in a leading Indian newspaper on the value attached to bilateral ties, and to celebrate what the two countries have been able to do together. It came as a reminder of the Soviet, later the Russian, role in India’s economic development, especially in setting up centres of advanced technology that had to be built from scratch after Independence.
And to drive home the point that there is a special link between the two, Prime Minister Modi has just been to Russia on what has become an annual meeting of the top leaders, to work together in identifying new areas of cooperation for the future. The emphasis in these recent exchanges has been on matters of practical significance, economic and trade issues, supply of defence equipment, and other high-tech products.
These are indeed the most striking current areas of mutual interest, but a longer view of the relationship shows many other elements that need to be taken into account.
Most significant over the years has been the strategic convergence that created a community of interest between the two countries at the time of the Cold War, when Western countries were active at the UN to stand in the way of legitimate Indian interests in Kashmir.
The Security Council, weighted in favour of the West, was especially active in this regard, so that Soviet intervention became a greatly valued balancing factor on India’s behalf.
Strategic coordination with the then Soviet Union emerged as a pillar of Indian policy, and despite the vast changes since then this remains the bedrock.
The 70th anniversary and all that went with it can be regarded as a useful reminder of the essential features of the relationship.
One of the most valuable aspects of the relationship is in the supply of defence equipment, with Russia established as India’s most important source. This grew out of Soviet readiness to meet India’s defence needs at a time when Cold War pressures had severely constrained access and attached unacceptable conditions to alternative sources of supply, especially those from the West.
It is only recently that changing international realities have permitted India to look to alternative sources of supply, and until now Russian arms are the staple equipment of India’s armed services.
Apart from being able to purchase what it needs from an advanced and reliable supplier, India has now entered into joint ventures with Russia for design and manufacture of new systems, the most important of them being the Brahmos missile system which has proved to be a success and has opened up a new range of possible collaboration between the two countries.
No less striking is the progress they have shared in developing nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. Here, too, Russia stepped in when other major powers were keen to impose sanctions and impede India’s progress on account of the PNE (Peaceful Nuclear Experiment) of 1974, and the nuclear tests of more than two decades later in 1998.
Russia refused to be swayed, and having already entered into an agreement with India, maintained its commitment and went ahead with its partnership offer.
This led to the setting up of a nuclear reactor and power plant at Koodankulam in Tamil Nadu, to be followed by several others, which serve an important purpose in meeting the energy requirements of that region. Interestingly, arrangements for the first collaborative nuclear power plant in India were in train at a time when Russia itself was in the throes of the post-Soviet financial crisis, making it necessary for special payment arrangements to be made for the project.
Thus at important moments the two countries have been able to provide mutual support and understanding in order to sustain their elevated expectations of each other. Shifting international priorities have now brought new challenges, and some of the consequences of change have raised unexpected questions in India-Russia ties.
Over the last few years, India’s almost automatic turn to Russia for defence supplies has been under challenge by the opening up of the hitherto closed supply routes from other sources, especially USA. Already defence purchases worth a great deal of money have been acquired from there and more are in the pipeline. Other contenders have also entered a scene that was once in many respects more or less reserved for Russia.
And, so far as India is concerned, development of relations between Russia and Pakistan has upset quite a few assumptions: New Delhi has been surprised by reports of Russian defence supplies to Pakistan, as part of a general warming of relations between these two countries.
Coming at a time when Indo-Pak ties are at a particularly low point this has led to considerable speculation about what it may portend.
Russian involvement in Asian affairs is on the increase and seems set to advance further. In its Near eastern environs Russia has become a potent, perhaps even a decisive, force in the unfolding of the Syrian civil war where its military forces have become actively engaged.
In other parts of Asia, too, the Russian role has expanded considerably: in his statement to Indian readers Putin commended the cooperation between the two countries in multilateral bodies like BRICS and SCO, and he was happy to note that India was set to become a full member of SCO, where China and Russia have emerged as the twin pillars. Russia is widening its Asian horizons, and as India engages in the same endeavour, the two can jointly play a full part in redesigning the regional strategic architecture.
Postscript: This is a moment to recall the signal services to India-Russia friendship of the late Ambassador Kadakin of Russia. He became a fixture in the Russian Mission in New Delhi, always at hand during major state events from the era of Indira Gandhi, and eventually rising to the top as his country’s Ambassador. During the unpredictable days of transformation and rebuilding in both countries, he was instrumental in maintaining bilateral stability and friendship. He is owed a great debt of gratitude by both India and Russia.
The writer is India’s former Foreign Secretary.
RUSSIA REVIEW BY AMBASSADOR P S RAGHAVAN
Ambassador P. S. Raghavan
Convenor, National Security Advisory Board
Former Indian Ambassador to Russia (2014-16)MAY 2017 | VOL 02 ISSUE 05 |
Convenor, National Security Advisory Board
Former Indian Ambassador to Russia (2014-16)MAY 2017 | VOL 02 ISSUE 05 |
• The Trump Administration sustained a dialogue with Russia, withstanding domestic furore on the relationship.
• De-escalation zones: a delicate balancing act in the Syrian conflict.
• Resumed Russia-Europe dialogue acquired further momentum.
• President Putin attended the Belt & Road Forum in Beijing.
Russia & USAThe American “deep state” continued a vigorous pushback against President Trump’s declared intention to re-set relations with Russia. Regular leaks of classified information by administration and intelligence officials sustained media reports of Russian “meddling” in US elections, revealed fired FBI chief James Comey’s internal memos and exposed contacts of senior Trump campaign officials with Russia.The administration struggled to counter this nexus of political, intelligence and media agencies against it.
Amidst this furore, President Trump accepted a telephone call from President Putin on 2nd May for a conversation described by the Kremlin as “business-like and constructive” and by the White House as “very good”. They talked mainly about Syria, agreeing that their Foreign Ministers would work on some ideas for a political settlement. Foreign Minister Lavrov’s visit to Washington on May 10 generated fresh controversies, as the media reported (again based on helpful leaks from intelligence sources) that President Trump shared with FM Lavrov sensitive intelligence about ISIS operations, thereby compromising the source of that intelligence (which later leaks identified as Israel).
Cooperation on Syria continued largely below the news radar. US criticism of Russia’s role in Afghanistan was muted. President Trump’s pronouncements at the NATO and G7 Summits and readouts of his discussions with European leaders indicated attenuation of the anti-Russian rhetoric. The agitation in the Western media on President Trump’s omission to reiterate US commitment to Article V of NATO’s founding treaty (under which an attack on any NATO member will be treated as an attack on all) was precisely because Article V was drafted specifically in the context of the Soviet threat. In his speech at a NATO event in Brussels, President Trump clubbed “threats from Russia” with those from “NATO’s eastern and southern borders”.The White House readout of his meeting with the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission said they agreed to deepen security cooperation “in fighting ISIS, combating radicalization, and responding to other common threats” – with no mention of Russia, Ukraine or Crimea.
Developments in and around Syria and on Russia’s relations with major EU countries seemed to reflect this change in US emphasis. However, on the experience of the Trump Administration’s record so far, it is too early to predict what it means for a more comprehensive re-set of USA’s Russia policy. The Russians themselves have been circumspect: while occasionally criticizing aspects of US policy, Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) spokespersons have been careful to avoid any criticism of President Trump. In a number of interviews, President Putin has acknowledged President Trump’s genuine interest in improving relations and has shown cautious optimism about it, even while hinting that the “deep state” (without using the term) might sabotage it.
Russia & SyriaThe fourth round of the “Astana Process” talks on Syria on May 3-4 ended with signing of a document by Russia, Turkey and Iran, envisaging the creation of four “de-escalation zones” in Syria, where no military activity (including aerial) would be allowed and conducive conditions for humanitarian access would be created.The four zones are the city of Idlib, north of the city of Homs, the eastern Damascus suburb of Al Ghouta and Deraa in southern Syria. In effect, it recognized the areas of influence of various rebel groups, seeking to freeze the conflict in them and allowing the fight against the Islamic State to be pursued elsewhere in Syria.
The UNSG’s Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, attended the talks and endorsed the outcome as a positive step for de-escalation of the conflict. It is clear that President Putin’s telephone call to President Trump on May 2 was specifically to brief the latter on this initiative and to seek his concurrence to it. For the first time, a senior State Department official, Assistant Secretary Stuart Jones, attended the Astana talks. The State Department later cautiously welcomed the Astana outcome, expressing the hope that it would “contribute to de-escalation of violence … and set the stage for a political settlement of the conflict”, while at the same expressing reservations about Iran’s involvement in the process and stressing the need for Russia to ensure compliance by the Syrian government. The statement significantly added, “we look forward to continuing our dialogue with the Russian Federation on efforts that responsibly end the Syria conflict”.
Though the major external stakeholders in the Syria conflict – US, Russia, Iran and Turkey – endorse the de-escalation zones, arrangements to enforce them will require further delicate negotiations. The rebel groups in the safe zones have different external sponsors. The role of Iran in Syria will remain contentious. The question of how to deal with the Al Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra, which has an entrenched presence in Idlib, will need to be addressed. Turkey’s fierce opposition to Kurdish militia involvement in the US-led anti-ISIS coalition creates another complication. Turkey cannot prevent even the Russians from coordinating with the Kurds. President Putin said frankly in a press conference on May 15 that since the Kurds are the best-trained and most combat-ready force in the anti-ISIS coalition, it is impractical to exclude them. He added that he had told President Erdogan this.
A Russian draft of a UN Security Council resolution, seeking endorsement of the Astana outcome, remains under discussion. Council members – mainly the US and France – are apparently seeking clarifications.
In the ultimate analysis, the US posture will be a critical factor in determining the direction of this initiative – a fact that President Putin has publicly – and repeatedly – acknowledged.
Russia & Europe
Following on the visit of the EU High Representative to Moscow (April 24; see Review, April 2017), there were major Russian interactions with Germany (May 2), Italy (May 17) and France (May 29) during the month. The emphasis in all these exchanges was on political and economic re-engagement.Though Western economic sanctions and financing restrictions on Russia remain in place, all three countries noted significant increase in bilateral trade and investment. Russia’s bilateral trade with Germany grew by 43% in January-February 2017. Germany is Russia’s largest foreign investor with FDI of over US$ 16 billion. Similarly, Russia-France bilateral trade increased by 14% in 2016 and by 23.7% in the first quarter of 2017. About 500 French companies operate in Russia and direct French investment in Russia increased by $2.5 billion in 2016. With Italy, bilateral trade grew 28% in January-February 2017 and about 600 Italian companies operate in Russia. Over the past year and a half, European companies have increasingly found ways around trade and financing restrictions to continue business with Russia. In the past six months, they have been engaging much more openly.
Media reported that the Merkel-Putin exchanges were cold and formal. President Macron was aggressively blunt in his public statements. In contrast, the Russian-Italian exchanges were cordial – Italy has been among the strongest critics of sanctions on Russia.
However, all three EU leaders emphasized the importance of cooperation with Russia in the fight against international terrorism, supported the Astana process and advocated an intensification of bilateral educational, cultural and civil society links. France and Germany reiterated commitment to the “Normandy Four” mechanism to expedite implementation of the Minsk agreements in Ukraine. While the Italian Prime Minister was forthright in his criticism of sanctions on Russia, Chancellor Merkel said she would like them lifted “upon implementation of the Minsk agreements”.
In his listing of Russia-France bilateral issues at the joint press conference, President Macron gave top billing to the treatment of LGBTs in Chechnya and of NGOS in Russia, saying he had told President Putin “in no uncertain terms” what France expects on these issues. He went on to describe the Russian news agencies RT and Sputnik as “bodies of false propaganda”. President Putin chose not to respond to these broadsides.
The “Trump effect”, Brexit and the fallout of the West Asian conflicts may be nudging Europe to more pragmatic accommodation with Russia. Its course will depend on how the faultline between “new” and “old” Europe on this issue is addressed.
Russia & BRIPresident Putin attended the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) in Beijing on May 14 & 15, at which he was accorded the treatment of a principal guest. He has expressed support for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) since 2015 and has talked about cooperation between the Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB – the land component of BRI) and the Eurasian Economic Union. For Russia, BRI presents both major challenges and attractive opportunities. The latter is exemplified by the acquisition of nearly 10% stake(worth US$1.2 billion) in Russia’s Yamal LNG project by China’s Silk Road Fund (SRF), set up to promote BRI projects. SRF had earlier, in December 2015, extended a loan of about $1 billion to finance the project. The challenges come from the increased Chinese economic and political influence in Central Asia – historically Russia’s backyard – that would result from the establishment of the Eurasian Economic Corridor of the SREB.
By endorsing BRI, President Putin seeks to avail of Chinese investment and financing for projects of his interest. However, he also struck a cautionary note in his speech at BRF: while accepting that connectivity and economic integration were important objectives, he emphasized that these new initiatives should be based on “universal and generally recognised foundations”, should take into account “specifics of member states’ national development models” and should be developed “openly and transparently” – much the same points as were made by India’s spokesperson on BRI. President Putin was asked by a Russian journalist whether Russia would not be economically “swallowed” by China. He responded, “we agree only to those proposals that benefit us, and if something benefits us and our economy, what is there to fear?”
******* ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… (The views expressed are personal)
The Author can be reached at raghavan.ps@gmail.com
The Author can be reached at raghavan.ps@gmail.com
PUNJAB TEAMS END LEAGUE STAGES ON HIGH
Noida, 8th June 2017: The final day of the league stages at the 68th Junior National Basketball Championship threw no major surprises. The Punjab boys continued to dominate outclassing the defending champs Tamil Nadu. Role players Mandeep Singh (20 points) and Gurwinder Singh (18 points) stepped up to lead the charge for Punjab. 6-foot 10-inch Punjab centre Princepal Singh held the fort in the middle and put up 12 points. Despite Tamil Nadu staying within reach for the first three quarters, the fourth period was a one-sided affair with Punjab outscoring TN 32 to 7 on their way to a 68-45 win.
The Rajasthan boys handed Chhattisgarh their fourth straight loss, knocking them out of the tournament. Chhattisgarh’s Salim Ali fought hard with his 25 points, but he had little support. Rajasthan’s Rajeev led all scorers with 28 points and helped to cement his team’s place in the quarterfinals tomorrow.
The Punjab girls pulled off a close win against Rajasthan, who fell to a 71-69 defeat. Forward Rajandeep was on fire with 30 points in the game. She was ably supported by Punjab centre Aakarshan who put up 14 points. Despite Rajasthan’s 31 points fourth quarter, Punjab held on to a slim lead to clinch a decisive victory, placing them in the quarterfinals tomorrow.
Late last evening, the Chandigarh boys picked up another win, this time against Delhi (61-54). Former youth international Amit top scored once again for Chandigarh with 24 points.
Results from 8th June 2017 till 2 pm
Women:
Level 1
Group B
- Punjab (Rajandeep 30, Aakarshan 14) bt Rajasthan (Ishika 21, Yashvani 16, Yashika 11, Kanika 11) 71-69 (19-20, 15-10, 13-8, 24-31)
Loser Knockout Semi-Finals
- Odisha (Lipramayee 33) bt Telangana (Nashita 15, BS Rivani 10) 53-39 (17-8, 6-12, 14-7, 16-12)
- Chandigarh (Amrit 18, Nisha 16) bt Himachal Pradesh (Arunima 4) 61-12 (27-4, 11-2, 9-2, 14-4)
Men:
Level 1
Group A
- Punjab (Mandeep Singh 20, Gurwinder Singh 18, Princepal Singh 12) bt TamilNadu(Shanmugam M. 15, Arvind Kumar 10) 68-45 (12-6, 9-17, 15-15, 32-7)
- Rajasthan (Rajeev 28, Ataol 16, Ashish 12) bt Chhattisgarh (Salim Ali 25, Jatin Kumar 14) 68-52 (16-8, 24-15, 11-16, 17-13)
Group B
- Maharashtra bt Chandigarh:24-15 – MATCH STOPPED
Loser Knockout Semi-Finals
- West Bengal (Binod 20, Saddam 16, Aditya 13) bt Himachal Pradesh (Jatin 20, Gurkaran 12) 75-54 (15-19, 26-14, 23-15, 11-6)
- Gujarat (Karan 17, Harsh 15, Krishna Pal 7) bt Jammu and Kashmir (Sumit 18, Abhinav 11) 68-44 (32-9, 8-8, 15-17, 13-10)
Results from 7th June 2017 after 7 pm
Women:
Loser Knockout Quarterfinals
- Odisha (Lipramayee 18, Anuradha 12) bt Tripura (Aarju 13) 52-23 (23-6, 15-5, 8-8, 6-4)
- Chandigarh (Nisha 28, Amrit 19) bt Uttarakhand (Diksha 9, Srishti 7) 67-26 (19-4, 21-3, 18-5, 9-4)
Men:
Level 1
Group B
- Chandigarh (Amit 24, Rahul 14, K. Vishal 13) bt Delhi (Aditya 14, Abhishek Sharma 13) 61-54 (22-11, 24-10, 6-16, 9-17)
Loser Knockout Quarterfinals
- Gujarat (Karan 23, Yash 11, Harsh 8) bt Goa (Shaun Arango 8, Kabir 8) 68-35 (25-10, 22-5, 10-15, 11-5)
About the 68th Junior National Basketball Championship 2017
The 68th Junior National Basketball Championship for Men and Women is being held at Shiv Nadar University in GautamBudh Nagar District, Noida, Uttar Pradeshfrom 4th to 11th June 2017. The Championship features 25 men’s teams and 24 women’s teams in the U18 age group, from various Indian States and Union territories, and is being played in a league cum knockout format. Tamil Nadu boys and Karnataka girls are the defending champions from the previous edition held in Puducherry in May 2016.
The teams are grouped into two levels –Level 1 features the top 10 teams from the previous championship divided into two groups of five teams each (Group A and B), while Level 2 features the remaining teams divided into four groups (Group C, D, E, F).
In the league stages, all the teams play each of the other teams in their group once. The top three teams from each of the groups in Level 1 advance directly to the quarterfinals, while the fourth placed teams play pre-quarterfinal games against the top two teams from Level 2.
Over the years, this Championship has provided a platform for the country’s best players in the U18 category to showcase their talents. This allows selectors to identify and shortlist the most promising players and coaches to parachute into national team training camps with an eye towards participation in international events.
EUROPEAN UNION FILM FESTIVAL DEBUTS IN DELHI ON 9TH JUNE @ SIRIFORT AUDITORIUM
For all the movie buffs – European Union Film Festival debuts in Delhi on 9th June @ Sirifort auditorium with the Estonian movie “Cherry Tobacco”.
Screening schedule: https://eeas.europa.eu/…/delhi-euff2017-screening_card.pdf.…
The festival is organized in Delhi in collaboration with Directorate of Film Festivals, Government of India
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