British PM Rishi Sunak keen to clinch FTA with India by April: Report
London (PTI): British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is keen to clinch a free trade agreement (FTA) with India in time for Easter, which falls at the end of March 2024, according to a UK media report.
The India-UK FTA talks began in January last year, aimed at significantly enhancing the GBP 36-billion bilateral trading partnership. A new round of negotiations, expected to be the last, is set to start early in the new year after the thirteenth round concluded on December 15.
"Prime Minister Mr Sunak and India's premier Narendra Modi are said to be keen to get the deal wrapped up by April," reads a report in the Daily Express' newspaper updated on Saturday.
"It is hoped a deal can be signed and sealed before India's general elections begin on April 1," it claims.
The newspaper quoted a source close to the trade talks on the UK side to say that a lot of progress has been made, but some of the "hardest" aspects remain pending.
"We have made a lot of progress, but the last stuff to do is the hardest. We have negotiators out there most weeks going through the details, and we have a deadline of their elections," the source told the newspaper.
"Both Rishi Sunak and Modi remain keen, so it's just a case of seeing if we can get it over the line," the source added.
The UK hopes an FTA will open up its trade in Scotch whisky and cars to India, as well as services and investment opportunities. Meanwhile, India would seek better access to its manufactured goods and services and a deal on professional visas.
With both India and the UK heading into a general election year in 2024, signing off on a trade agreement has taken on particular urgency before leaders on both sides get into campaign mode.
A joint outcome statement released last week by the UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT) said: "The thirteenth round of negotiations for the UK-India Free Trade Agreement took place from 18 September to 15 December. The round included sessions, both in person, in London and Delhi, and virtual talks.
"As with round 12, these negotiations focused on complex issues, including goods, services, and investment. The UK and India will continue to negotiate towards a comprehensive and ambitious Free Trade Agreement. The fourteenth round of negotiations will take place in January 2024," the statement said.
Under the format so far, the fourteenth round is likely to be hosted by London, with talks taking place between officials in a hybrid format both in person and virtually.
"We have made substantial progress... I think both sides are very aware of the importance of the FTA and will make the utmost effort to get there. So, we have to take it as it happens," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told reporters after his meetings with Sunak and other senior Cabinet ministers during a UK visit last month.
There had been some speculation that cricket enthusiast Sunak would be following up his first India visit as British prime minister for the G20 Summit in September with some cricket diplomacy at the England versus India World Cup clash in Lucknow on October 29 when the highly anticipated FTA could be signed off.
However, the internal political turmoil of a Cabinet reshuffle within the Tory party and the Israel-Hamas conflict on the global front were said to have side-tracked focus.
"We are very close We will finish when we finish," UK Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch told a House of Commons committee when last questioned about timelines.
Officially, the Sunak-led government has held a firm "it's the deal, not the date" line to avoid setting firm timelines since former prime minister Boris Johnson's Diwali 2022 deadline for an India-UK FTA was missed.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
KMC Mangaluru team led by Dr. Haroon files patent for absorbent pads for elderly women
Aims to address urinary incontinence in elderly women
_vb_78.jpeg)
Mangaluru: Kasturba Medical College (KMC) has filed a patent application for “Absorbent Pads” designed to address urinary incontinence among elderly women, a condition that remains largely underreported despite its widespread impact.
Urinary incontinence does not command urgency like a heart attack, nor does it evoke the same collective response as more visible illnesses. However, for those living with it, the burden is constant, intimate, and often isolating.
There is a gradual and often unspoken impact on daily life. It begins with hesitation, declining invitations, avoiding travel, and choosing silence over conversation. Over time, this can lead to withdrawal, where fear of embarrassment starts shaping everyday decisions. For many elderly women, dignity becomes tied to small, often invisible compromises, including limiting outings or adjusting routines.
What makes this condition particularly poignant is not just its prevalence, but its invisibility. It is endured, not expressed. Accepted, not addressed.
It is in this context that the recent innovation assumes importance. The team at KMC, which includes clinicians such as Dr Haroon Hussain, has approached the issue not merely from a technical standpoint but from the perspective of lived experience.
The proposed solution, biodegradable, antimicrobial absorbent pads with improved fluid control and reduced irritation, aims to go beyond basic functionality, addressing comfort, safety, and dignity.
The development also reflects the role of academic institutions in addressing everyday health challenges. When research focuses not only on major diseases but also on conditions that affect quality of life, it reinforces the broader purpose of healthcare.
However, experts note that innovation alone cannot fully address the issue. Urinary incontinence continues to be underreported, often dismissed as an inevitable consequence of ageing. Many women do not seek medical help, not due to a lack of solutions, but because of stigma and discomfort associated with discussing the condition.
This creates a paradox, a widespread issue that is often experienced in isolation.
Medical professionals emphasise that greater awareness and open conversations are essential. Families must learn to speak about such issues without embarrassment. Healthcare providers must create spaces where patients feel heard without judgment.
The significance of this innovation lies not only in its technical aspects but also in what it brings into focus, that even the most private discomforts deserve public attention.
The patent application was filed by a team comprising Dr. Haroon Hussain, Dr. Sameena, Dr. Ritu Raval of Manipal Institute of Technology, Syed Ayaan Hussain Rizvi, and Suzanne Riya Dsouza.
_vb_49.jpeg)
_vb_90.jpeg)