Teachers in India will now get to learn Chinese under an agreement reached between the Indian education board and China's overseas language institute. The Confucius Institute Headquarters and India's Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) have agreed to promote Chinese language training in India, reported Xinhua.

The secretary for public affairs is expected to be a nodal post dealing with visa issues, Haj issues and other publicity and public diplomacy matters. The new secretary would also be responsible for aligning the four divisions within the ministry to ensure smooth functioning.

Reciprocity is the first principle of diplomacy, and India has walked the extra mile to befriend neighbours, as underscored by its record on land and water disputes. Yet today, India lives in the world’s most-troubled neighbourhood. India’s generosity on land issues has been well documented.

The American Center in New Delhi organized an interactive session for a young group of professionals and students from India with Ms. Heather Smith, President of the American non-profit, Rock the Vote, a unique opportunity for the participants to learn about RTV’s “Democracy program” that uses music, popular culture, new technologies and grassroots mobilization to motivate young people to participate in election.

Last week, the American Center in New Delhi organized an interactive session for a young group of professionals and students from India with Ms. Heather Smith, President of the American non-profit, Rock the Vote. This was a unique opportunity for the participants to interact via digital video conferencing with Ms.

Brands from Brazil are capturing global attention and allegiance, while their Asian counterparts among the 'BRIC' countries, China and India lag behind, writes Jerry Clode, who leads cultural insight in Asia-Pacific for brand-development consultancy Added Value.

“Like India, we have a passion for fashion and Holland’s creative industry is ranked in the top ten of the world,” remarked Marielle van Miltenburg, head of political affairs and public diplomacy, Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands, as she formally announced the “Dutch Fashion Here and Now India” programme at the ongoing Delhi Couture Week.

On August 15, at President Pranab Mukherjee's first official 'At Home' in Rashtrapati Bhavan's Mughal Gardens, the menu will remain drearily unchanged: samosas, idlis, sandwiches and tea-coffee. Contrast that with the White House, where food is an important tool of US public diplomacy, with everything from its executive chef to its kitchen garden and banquet menus carefully selected and promoted.