India urges ADB to focus on West Asia, South Asia
New Delhi, May 6: India has urged the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to focus more on the West and South Asia regions after successful East Asia interventions by the multilateral lender and has said there is no case for increasing cost of its loan instruments as it has no capital deficiency, an official statement said on Sunday.
In his intervention on Saturday at the ADB's annual meeting in Manila, Economic Affairs Secretary S.C. Garg also made a strong case for ADB to adopt "country systems" for procurements and environmental safeguards and called for increasing lending for the private sector in developing countries, a Finance Ministry release said here.
Garg, who is an Alternate Governor on the ADB Board, the ADB "strategy should focus more on West Asia and South Asia as interventions in East Asia are already done fairly well," the statement said.
"He emphasized that the private sector operations of ADB as envisaged in the strategy should be enhanced and there should be more focus on equity participation.
"He also stated that there is absolutely no case for increase of cost of of various loan instruments as there is no capital deficiency in ADB," it said.
"Garg also argued that there is a strong case for ADB to adopt Country Systems for procurements and environmental safeguards and called for concerted efforts towards increasing lending for the private sector in developing member countries," it added.
According to the statement, he also highlighted the need for taking into account the likely impact technical advancements such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics, so that ADB can equip the member countries to reap maximum benefit.
The Indian delegation to the ADB also held bilateral meetings with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation.
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"Sir, aapne galat kiya” Papparazi confronts Virat Kohli at Mumbai Airport
Mumbai, May 14: Virat Kohli’s sudden decision to retire from Test cricket has taken the cricketing world by surprise, and the reaction on the ground was evident when the former Indian captain was spotted at the Mumbai airport on Tuesday. Just a day after announcing his retirement through an Instagram post, Kohli was met with emotional responses and probing questions from fans and photographers.
As he walked out of the arrival gate, a swarm of paparazzi gathered to capture Kohli’s first public appearance following the announcement. While the cricketer maintained his composure, the emotional reactions of the photographers highlighted the impact his decision had on fans.
One paparazzo was heard telling him, "Sir, aapne galat kiya. Aapne retirement kyun liya? Ab hum cricket hi nahi dekhenge. Aapke liye main Test cricket dekhta tha" — expressing disappointment and saying he would no longer watch the game without Kohli.
Kohli, taken aback by the comment, appeared visibly surprised. His reaction, coupled with the emotional exchanges, quickly went viral on social media. Amid the frenzy, Kohli politely asked photographers to give space to his wife, actress Anushka Sharma, so she could get into their car comfortably.
As the couple prepared to leave the airport, the paparazzo added, "Virat Sir, hum cricket nahi dekhenge, wait karenge. ODI dekhenge. Is baar RCB jeetega," reflecting hope and support for Kohli’s continued presence in limited-overs cricket and the ongoing IPL season.
Kohli’s Test retirement has come just ahead of India’s squad announcement for the five-match home Test series against England, starting June 20. With 123 Tests to his name, Kohli bows out as India’s fourth-highest run-scorer and one of the most celebrated batters in red-ball cricket. He also holds the record as India’s most successful Test captain, having led the team in 68 matches and winning 40 of them.
Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma at Mumbai Airport ✈️
— Virat Kohli Fan Club (@Trend_VKohli) May 13, 2025
- Paps to Virat : Virat sir why did you take retirement? We will not see cricket any more! 💔 pic.twitter.com/rXY8k4iqN4
