PM Modi holds talks with SA President Ramaphosa, discusses cooperation in trade, critical minerals
Johannesburg (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday met South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on the sidelines of the G20 Summit here and the two leaders discussed cooperation in various areas, including trade, investment, mining, critical minerals, AI and food security.
“PM @narendramodi held a warm and productive meeting with President @CyrilRamaphosa of South Africa,” Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on social media after the meeting.
He said the discussions focused on further cooperation in trade, investment, mining, critical minerals, AI, Digital Public Infrastructure, skill development and food security.
"The leaders discussed initiating exchange of youth delegations for enhancing technology and people to people ties,” Jaiswal added.
Modi also congratulated the South African leader on the successful presidency of the G20 summit this year.
“PM congratulated President Ramaphosa & South Africa for the successful presidency of @G20,” Jaiswal added.
South Africa is hosting the first G20 Summit being held in Africa. The African Union became a member of the G20 during India’s presidency in 2023.
This is PM Modi's fourth official visit to South Africa, following his bilateral visit in 2016 and later for the two BRICS summits in 2018 and 2023.
South Africa is the largest trading partner of India in the African region. Bilateral trade between India and South Africa stood at USD 19.25 billion in 2023-24.
Indian businesses have invested over USD 1.3 billion in South Africa from April 2000 to September 2024. These investments traverse diverse sectors, encompassing pharmaceuticals, IT, automotive, banking, and mining.
On Saturday, upon reaching the G20 Summit venue in Johannesburg, Modi thanked South African President Cyril Ramaphosa “for the warm welcome and for organising this important Summit”.
Addressing the opening session of the G20 Leaders’ Meeting, Modi called for a profound rethink of global development parameters and proposed the establishment of a G20 initiative to counter the drug-terror nexus and a global healthcare response team.
Modi is visiting Johannesburg from November 21 to 23 to attend the 20th G20 Leaders' Summit.
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West Bengal Class 12 results declared; overall pass percentage 91.23%
Kolkata (PTI): The West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education on Thursday announced the results of its Class 12 examination, which recorded an overall pass percentage of 91.23 per cent.
The results included those of the candidates from the fourth semester under the new system, supplementary candidates of the third semester, and students appearing under the old annual examination pattern.
While the pass percentage among girls stood at 92.47 per cent, boys recorded a pass percentage of 89.71 per cent.
As many as 64 candidates -- including 56 boys and eight girls -- featured in the top 10 list. Adrito Pal of Narendrapur Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya secured the first rank in the state by scoring 496 out of 500 marks.
Jishnu Kundu of Ramakrishna Mission Vidyapith Purulia and Ritobrata Nath of Narendrapur Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya secured the second rank with 495 marks each.
Candidates dissatisfied with their fourth-semester results would be allowed to reappear in the examination next year after surrendering the current year's result.
According to official data, a total of 7,10,811 candidates appeared for the higher secondary examination this year.
Of them, 6,35,864 students appeared in the final semester examination under the new system, 59,452 candidates took the supplementary examination for the second semester, and 15,495 students appeared under the old annual examination pattern.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari congratulated all students who have passed the higher secondary examination in a post on X.
"Your hard work, perseverance, and self-confidence have taken the form of success. May the success inspire you to dream even bigger on the path ahead. I wish that your future be bright, that you get success in every field and that you bring glory to your family, society, and state," he wrote on social media.
