World is in state of crisis: PM modi at Voice of Global South summit
New Delhi (PTI): The world is in a state of crisis and it is difficult to predict how long this state of instability will last, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday as he stressed the need for the Global South to escape the cycle of dependency on systems and circumstances which are not of its making.
He also said that in the 21st Century, global growth will come from countries of the South.
In his opening remarks at the Voice of Global South virtual summit, Modi flagged concerns over rising prices of food, fuel and fertilisers, economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as natural disasters driven by climate change.
"We are meeting as a new year dawns and brings new hopes and new energy," Modi said.
"We have turned the page on another difficult year that saw war, conflict, terrorism and geo-political tensions. Rising food, fertiliser and fuel prices, climate change-driven natural disasters and lasting economic impact of the Covid pandemic," he said.
"It is clear that the world is in a state of crisis. It is difficult to predict how long this state of instability will last," Modi added.
The prime minister said the need of the hour is to identify simple, scalable and sustainable solutions that can transform societies and economies.
"Despite the challenges the developing world faces, I remain optimistic that our time is coming. And our time is coming. The need of the hour is to identify simple, scalable and sustainable solutions that can transform our societies and economies. With such an approach, we shall overcome the difficult challenges," he said.
"I am confident that together the Global South can produce new and creative ideas. These ideas can form the basis of our voice in the G20 and other forums. In India, we have a prayer...it means may noble thoughts come to us from all directions of the universe. This Voice of Global South Summit is a collective effort for gaining noble ideas for our collective futures," Modi said.
The prime minister noted that the Global South has the largest stakes in the future of the world.
"We, the Global South, have the largest stakes in the future. Three-fourths of humanity lives in our countries. We should also have an equivalent voice.Hence, as the eight-decade-old model of global governance slowly changes, we should try to shape the emerging order," he said
The 'Global South' largely refers to countries in Asia, Africa and South America.
The prime minister said that as India begins its G20 Presidency this year, it is natural that our aim is to amplify the voice of the Global South.
In his closing remarks at the Summit, Modi said the interventions at the conference brought out the common challenges that are on the top of all our minds.
"These mainly concern the lack of resources for our development needs, and increasing instability both in the natural climate and the geopolitical climate. Despite this, it is also clear that we developing countries are full of positive energy, full of confidence," he said.
Noting that in the 20th Century, the developed countries were the drivers of the global economy, Modi said today, most of these advanced economies are slowing down.
"Clearly, in the 21st Century, global growth will come from countries of the South. I think that if we work together, we can set the global agenda," he said.
"The Voice of the Global South needs to set its own tone. Together, we need to escape the cycle of dependency on systems and circumstances which are not of our making," the prime minister said.
India is hosting the two-day summit to bring together countries of the Global South and provide them a common platform to share their common concerns relating to various global challenges, including food and energy security triggered by the Ukraine conflict.
The theme of the inaugural leaders' session is "Voice of Global South - for Human-Centric Development" while the leaders' concluding session will be on "Unity of Voice-Unity of Purpose".
The summit envisages ten sessions out of which four sessions would be held on Thursday while six sessions would take place on Friday. Each session is expected to witness the participation of leaders and ministers from 10-20 countries.
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Several Gurugram schools receive hoax bomb threats
Gurugram (PTI): Several Gurugram schools received another hoax bomb threat emails on Wednesday morning, prompting police to launch searches on the premises.
Police said the email was sent by the 'Khalistan National Army', with threats issued to Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini to declare April 29 as the "40th Khalistan Declaration Day". It also threatened to bomb the Red Fort in Delhi.
Police said it was a hoax as no suspicious items were found after an intensive search.
Several schools, including Shri Ram, Amity, and the HDFC school, received threatening emails at 8.33 am, when classes had already begun, police said.
The school administrations became aware of the threats around 9 am and immediately informed the police, a senior police officer said.
The schools immediately implemented emergency protocols, with many declaring a holiday and asking parents to take their children home safely, the officer said.
A large number of anxious parents gathered outside the schools, as police and bomb squad teams reached the spots and started checks.
"Around 10 schools have approached the police from morning until now over bomb threats. Police teams are alert, and searches are underway on all the premises", the officer said.
As soon as the information about this email was received, police in Gurugram and Delhi swung into action and started investigation.
Schools immediately implemented emergency protocols upon receiving the mail. Many schools declared a holiday and sent messages to parents, asking them to take their children home. Large crowds of parents gathered outside the schools.
The schools were sanitised by sending a bomb disposal squad as well as a dog squad.
A senior police officer said that police teams thoroughly searched the school premises, classrooms, buildings, and surrounding areas. No suspicious objects or explosive materials were found during the investigation.
"Police teams are seriously investigating the entire matter. Cyber experts are being consulted to determine the authenticity of the email, its source, and the identity of the sender", added the officer.
This is the third time since January that schools have received fake bomb threats.
In March, at least a dozen schools in the city received bomb threat emails, which later turned out to be hoaxes.
Similarly, on January 28, as many as 13 schools received hoax bomb threats via email, forcing authorities to evacuate campuses and suspend classes.
Last month, police arrested a Bangladeshi national whose email ID was allegedly used to make a bomb threat for some payment.
