Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the U.N. climate summit in Glasgow, Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav said on Thursday, in a boost for efforts to agree steeper emissions cuts to tackle global warming. India is the world’s third-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases after China and the United States, and Modi’s participation in the COP26 summit, which runs from Oct. 31 to Nov. 12, was seen as critical amid uncertainty over whether Chinese President Xi Jinping would attend, reports Hindustan Times. Both India and China, which have not yet made stronger pledges to cut emissions, known as nationally determined contributions or NDCs, face pressure to do so at the conference. “The prime minister is going to Glasgow,” Yadav said in an interview, adding that India was doing its bit to help tackle climate change. Summit host Britain welcomed Modi’s decision to attend. “India plays an important role in this and the prime minister has had a number of conversations with Modi on the importance of climate change, so we look forward to discussing it with them further,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman told reporters.  Growing public pressure for action on climate change has spurred promises by countries and companies worldwide to contribute to the effort, which will be reviewed and amended at Glasgow. U.S. climate envoy John Kerry has visited India twice in the past few months to urge the Modi government to raise its climate ambition and consider a net zero commitment as scores of other countries have done. Net zero means balancing out greenhouse gas emissions with actions such as planting trees, restoring soil and using technology to prevent emissions reaching the atmosphere. But energy-hungry India, which still relies heavily on fossil fuels, says it should not be expected to make deep carbon cuts like rich countries because it is a developing economy. India’s Cabinet, chaired by Modi, will decide the position to be taken at COP26, most probably within a week, an environment ministry spokesperson said. Yadav said India was doing its part to cut emissions. “India’s NDCs are quite ambitious,” he said. “We are doing more than our fair share. Our NDCs are more progressive than major polluters.” The country is on track to increase green energy capacity to 450 GW by 2030, he said. It has installed more than 100 GW of renewable energy, which accounts for more than 25% of overall capacity. Read: G20 leaders to tackle energy prices, other economic woes India has not yet committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, considered a vital goal in limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Government sources have told Reuters that India is unlikely to bind itself to that goal, as tougher deadlines would hit demand growth that is projected to outstrip that of any other nation over the next two decades. Last month, India’s chief economic adviser K.V. Subramanian said rich nations should commit much more than $100 billion to help poor countries fight climate change, due to their high historical share of emissions. Read: No pathway to reach the Paris Agreement’s 1.5˚C goal without the G20: UN chief “Even today, India’s per capita greenhouse emission is one-third of the world average,” Yadav said. About 120 countries have submitted revised NDCs, but there is a lack of consistency with no common timeframe for meeting pledges.

Forty more ambulances -- a gift from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- arrived in Bangladesh through the Benapole land port on Thursday morning. Additional Commissioner of Benapole Customs House, Neyamul Islam said that the 40 ambulances entered Bangladesh in the morning from the Petrapole border on the Indian side. Read: India sends 40 more ambulances to Bangladesh "Necessary paperwork is underway to get the clearance done. Once complete, the ambulances will leave for Dhaka later in the day," he said. According to the Indian High Commission, Prime Minister Modi announced the gift of 109 ambulances to Bangladesh during his state visit on March 26-27, to help bolster healthcare, especially in the shared effort to contain the Covid pandemic. All the ambulances have ventilation support, said sources. Read: 30 ambulances arrive in Bangladesh from India So far, 71 ambulances have arrived in Bangladesh and the remaining are expected to come by mid-September. Of these, the first ambulance arrived on March 21, 30 more ambulances arrived on August 7, and 40 on Thursday.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on Friday morning on a two-day state visit, aiming to seize the opportunities lie ahead for both Bangladesh and India. The trip is treated by both sides with a "very special significance" which they say will serve to highlight the celebration of “unique and rock-solid” bilateral relations. Prime Minister Modi is going to be the key attraction of the ongoing twin mega celebrations – birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and 50 years of Bangladesh’s Independence. The two “time-tested” friendly countries plan for taking the historical relations to a new height with focus on all areas of cooperation. Bangladesh and India are likely to sign a range of bilateral instruments in the areas of health, railway connectivity, border development and startups. Also read: India to play leading role in global revival: Modi The two countries are looking at a comprehensive trade related agreement and the two countries will continue discussions on a comprehensive economic partnership. Briefing reporters at the Foreign Service Academy on March 24, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said the biggest attraction is “Mujib Borsho” and 50 years of Bangladesh’s Independence and the visit will mainly focus on the joint celebrations. He said they are still in negotiations and a number of MoUs have been finalised on major issues. “I can’t tell the exact number at this moment.” Also read: Delhi to bolster defence ties with Dhaka during Modi's visit Responding to a question on the Teesta issue, the Foreign Minister said the two countries agreed on signing the Teesta Water sharing deal in 2011 but it could not be signed, delivered and implemented. “You know the reason.” He said they always remain hopeful that the Teesta deal will be signed one day. During the virtual Summit in December last year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina highlighted the need for early signing of an interim agreement for sharing the Teesta waters, as agreed upon by both the governments in 2011. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated India’s sincere commitment and continued efforts of the government of India to that end. Foreign Minister Dr Momen said they are working to make the relations stronger saying any issue can be resolved if the relations remain good. He said Bangladesh and India share 54 common rivers and they are now discussing six major rivers apart from Teesta. Bangladesh and India stressed the need for early conclusion of Framework of Interim Agreement on sharing of waters of six joint rivers, namely, Manu, Muhuri, Khowai, Gumti, Dharla and Dudhkumar. Hasina to Receive Modi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will receive her Indian counterpart Modi at the VVIP tarmac of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) upon his arrival by a special flight in the morning. The Indian Prime Minister will receive 19 Gun salutes and will be given the guard of honour. He will visit National Martyrs Memorial at Savar and Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi in the city to pay tributes to Liberation War martyrs and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Modi will place wreaths and plant a sapling at the National Martyrs Memorial and will sign the visitors’ book there. He will also place wreaths on the portrait of Bangabandhu at Bangabandhu Memorial Museum and sign the visitors’ book there. The Indian Prime Minister will attend the National Parade Ground programme on Friday afternoon. President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, among others, will join. He will jointly inaugurate Bangabandhu-Bapu Museum and attend a state banquet preceded by a cultural programme hosted by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Modi will have a one-to-one meeting with his Bangladesh counterpart and hold bilateral talks at the Prime Minister’s Office. He will also meet President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban.  The Indian Prime Minister is scheduled to visit Orakandi temple and Jeshoreshawri temple by helicopter, according to his tentative programme schedule. The Indian Prime Minister is scheduled to leave Dhaka on Saturday evening. Bangabandhu & Gandhi Peace Prize The government of Bangladesh acknowledged with deep gratitude the decision of the government of India to confer the Gandhi Peace Prize 2020 on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, posthumously for the first time. "It’s an honour for Bangladesh and its people for the Father of the Nation to be bestowed with this prestigious award," said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here. The Gandhi Peace Prize recognises the immense and unparalleled contribution of Bangabandhu in inspiring the liberation of Bangladesh, bringing stability to a nation born out of strife, laying the foundation for the close and fraternal relations between India and Bangladesh, and promoting peace and non-violence in the Indian subcontinent. Ahead of his visit to Bangladesh, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Bangabandhu's vision continues to light the Bangladesh-India friendship. "I had the privilege of honouring his memory during my previous Bangladesh visit," he tweeted. Modi said he will again pay homage to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, alongside Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, during the ongoing Mujib Borsho celebrations. Modi has said that Bangabandhu was a champion of human rights and freedom, and is a hero to Indians as well. He also said that the legacy and inspiration of Bangabandhu has made the heritage of both countries more comprehensive and deep-rooted, and that the path shown by Bangabandhu has laid a strong foundation for the partnership, progress and prosperity of both countries over the last decade. As Bangladesh celebrates Mujib Borsho, India said it is honoured to be commemorating his legacy jointly with the Government of Bangladesh and its people. The Jury for Gandhi Peace Prize is chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and comprises two ex-officio members, namely the Chief Justice of India and Leader of the single largest Opposition Party in Lok Sabha, according to the Press Information Bureau of India. The Jury unanimously decided to select Bangabandhu as the recipient of the Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2020, in recognition of his outstanding contributions towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violent and other Gandhian methods. The government of Bangladesh said the honour assumes special significance on the 50th year of Bangladesh’s independence when the country is on the verge of becoming a developing country, through political, economic and social transformation, the foundations of which were laid by Bangabandhu. The award is also a befitting tribute to the ever-deepening Bangladesh-India relations in a year when both countries are jointly celebrating the Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh’s Independence, 50 years of diplomatic relations and the birth centenary of Bangabandhu, MoFA said. As Bangladesh commemorates the legacy of Bangabandhu, the award comes as a recognition of the life long struggle of this enduring leader to ensure the freedom, rights, aspirations and emancipation of his people and towards building a world free from hunger, poverty and exploitation, Bangladesh says. On the occasion, the people of Bangladesh pay homage to the two great leaders Bapuji and Bangabandhu, whose values and ideals remain even more relevant today for building a world of peace, free from oppression, injustice and deprivation.