Sunil Bharti Mittal conferred honorary knighthood by King Charles III

New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS)

Bharti Enterprises Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal has become the first Indian citizen to be awarded a honorary knighthood by the United Kingdom.

He has been made Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE), by King Charles III “for services to UK and India business relations”.

The KBE is among the highest honours conferred by the British sovereign to civilians. It is awarded in an honorary capacity to foreign nationals.

Sunil Bharti Mittal said: “I am deeply humbled by this gracious recognition from His Majesty, King Charles. UK and India have historical relations, which are now entering a new era of increased cooperation and collaboration.”

“I remain committed to working towards strengthening the economic and bilateral trade relationships between our two great nations. I am thankful to the Government of UK, whose support and keen attention to the needs of business has been critical in making the country an attractive investment destination.”

In 2007, Sunil Mittal was bestowed the Padma Bhushan, one of India’s highest civilian honours, awarded to individuals for demonstrating distinguished services of high order.

Prince Harry loses appeal over personal security downgrade while in UK

London, Feb 29 (PNA)

LONDON – Prince Harry has lost his High Court challenge against the British government regarding the level of security protection he received while in the United Kingdom.

According to the British media, the legal battle stemmed from a decision to downgrade Prince Harry’s security status after he stepped back from his role as a “working royal.”

Despite efforts by his legal team to contest the ruling, arguing unfairness in the decision-making process, the High Court ultimately upheld the government’s stance.

The Home Office, responsible for security arrangements, maintained that Prince Harry’s security would be determined on a case-by-case basis, with bespoke arrangements tailored specifically to him rather than automatic provisions granted to full-time working royals.

During the legal proceedings held in December, much of the discussion surrounding security arrangements for senior figures was conducted in private.

The ruling concluded on Wednesday that there was no unlawfulness in the decision to downgrade Prince Harry’s security status.

The court found the decision rational and devoid of procedural unfairness, affirming the government’s position. (Anadolu)

Jaishankar’s Korea visit: A further step to enhance ties with diaspora

Tel Aviv, Feb 1 (IANS)

New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS)

Continuing with his endeavours to further cement India’s relations with its diaspora, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is set to meet the small but significant Indian community in the Republic of Korea as he begins his first visit to Seoul on March 5.

While one is well aware of the Korea-based Indian actor Anupam Tripathi who became a household name after ‘Squid Games’, the nation is home to around 15,000 Indians with many professionals contributing to the country’s IT, shipping, and automobile sectors.

Some other notable Indian names in the country include Aria, originally named Gauthami, a member of a global K-pop girl group called X:IN.

The visit of EAM Jaishankar, who has always thanked and praised the diaspora while calling them ambassadors of India, comes at a time when a significant number of Indians are choosing the nation as a study-abroad destination.

According to recent MEA estimates, more than 1,300 Indian students are studying in South Korea and a large number of them are pursuing post-graduate and Ph.D programmes, mostly in pure sciences.

With popular education destinations like the UK and Canada tightening immigration rules, many Indian students are considering Korea owing to its quality education, affordable tuition fees, and the cost of living.

For instance, a Korean D-2 Student Visa permits working up to 20 hours per week and after graduation, students can apply for a D-10 visa and start looking for jobs.

In September last year, Minister Lim Sang Woo (Deputy Head of Mission), Embassy of the Republic of Korea, said Korea is keen on more students, researchers, and highly skilled workers, and aims to attract 3,00,000 international students by 2027.

The two countries were also continued on pg. 2

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