As John Kerry began his term as the new Secretary of State, the US said people-to-people and public diplomacy relations with India are extremely important going forward. Kerry had yet to make any calls to his Indian or Pakistani counterparts, State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland reporters Monday.

The U.S. Consulate General Mumbai, in association with the Department of Culture, Madhya Pradesh, proudly presents “The Fastest Feet in Rhythm” in Bhopal, featuring the Kathak dancer and maestro Pandit Chitresh Das and Emmy award winning tap dancer Jason Samuels Smith. Part of a nation-wide tour sponsored by the U.S. Government, the visit of the artists is designed to promote mutual understanding and cultural exchanges.

India and Pakistan are back to their familiar game of mutual hatred. The latest flash point has come over repeated violations of the cease-fire along the Line of Control. The two adversaries have accused each other of violating the cease-fire, which came into place in 2003. This has been the longest cease-fire in the history of India and Pakistan. Put in place during the tenure of Pakistani General Pervez Musharraf, this is among the few confidence-building measures to last so long despite repeated violations, minor or major.

While referring to the recent border row between India and Pakistan, a panel at the Jaipur Literature Festival blamed the media for feeding people with "petty prejudices" instead of playing a positive role. The panelists, while holding discussion in the session 'Neighbours: Walls and Bridges', appealed to work on the "commonalities" present in the two countries.

The recent slowdown in India's exports calls for a re-examination of policies essential to propel India's foreign trade. One such policy is the recognition of geographical indications (GIs). What is currently under debate is the 'unequal provision or treatment' meted out to developing countries. As a result they are unable to capitalise on the true potential of GIs.

ndia Brand Equity Foundation (http://www.ibef.org), whose immediate focus is the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos with its India Adda - akin to a cafe, is responsible for promoting the Made in India label both domestically and overseas. Working closely with the Ministry of Commerce, IBEF lends branding and marketing support for creating greater awareness of the number of success stories germinating and blooming in India.

Vice President Hamid Ansari has announced here that India plans to open a cultural centre in the Vietnamese capital this year to promote interchange of ideas and greater interaction between the people of the two nations. “We wish to bring together the exchange of ideas and culture, with a contemporary face, to our ancient bonds of friendship. To facilitate these ties and promote people-to people contacts, we plan to open the Indian cultural centre in Hanoi this year.”

Bringing students together from across the globe, the 12th edition of International Children's Festival of Performing Arts (ICFPC) was initiated at Ryan International School, Ludhiana, on Tuesday. As a part of the Russian cultural exchange programme, around 18 students from Russia came to India under the theme "One World of Children" and participated in a month-long festival.