The relations between India and the United States, and the various pacts the two countries are working on together, were talked about at length during US secretary of State John Kerry's visit to the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi on Wednesday. Addressing students at the institute, Kerry also said Pakistan needs to work on pushing harder against its indigenous groups that're engaged in terrorist activities.
He landed in India on Monday, after which he met senior Indian leaders like External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Kerry was delayed for the townhall event on Wednseday as Delhi was lashed with rains. His visits to shrines such as the Sisganj Gurudwara, Jama Masjid and others were also cancelled due to heavy rains.
He began the event at IIT with a jibe at the transport system in Delhi. "Don't know how you all got here. You must've needed boats to get here," he said.
Here are the live updates of his interaction with the students:
12:02 pm - Keep showing what your society can do. The philosophy of Lashkar-e-Taiba, other terrorist organisations are nihilistic. Provide the alternative to young people, focus on the people who need education.
11:55 am - It happens to be an extraordinarily challenging moment on this planet. The world is moving in a profoundly transformative way, because of technology (it is a huge benefit and disruptor). Many things have changed because of it, the kind of work, all affected by robotics and artificial intelligence. It also moves change at a pace that different places have difficulty keeping up with. In many places, there's a clash with culture, religion. In some places, people distort it.
Lies can move around the world in a nanosecond. Just tweet it. Unfortunately, we are living in a world where even science is pushed aside.
Look at the multiplicity of the media, people will take from it what they want to. It is harder to build consensus now.
11:52 am - No military solution to South China Sea. US supports freedom of navigation. We have made it very clear that we don't have core interest in territorial claims. We want to support a code of conduct for management of South China Sea. We will stand up for our rights, we will stand with our allies. We will stand by legitimate claims.
11:50 am - We are supportive of India in the United Nations Security Council, but it will take time.
11: 47 am - We are working so positively on so many things. I would love for India to move away from coal, India right now is the only country in the world that would increase its coal use.
The regulatory structure of India, bureaucracy is a challenge to all governments.
We have a common interest to move faster.
11: 46 am - We have to work hard to get rid of the non-state disruptors. In fairness Pakistan has suffered greatly from this terrorism in their own country. More than 50,000 people have been killed.
11:45 am - It's clear that Pakistan has work to do in order to push harder against its indigenous groups that're engaged in terrorist activities...We have been urging Pakistan to crack down on terror camps...We have talked about the sanctuaries in the country. They must work with us to help clear sanctuary of bad actors who are affecting not only India-Pak relationship.
11:43 am - I have had many conversations with the prime minister of Pakistan. We have been talking about how to deal with Haqqani network, Al qaeda, and deal with the sanctuaries in the nation.
11:39 am - "We are cooperating in our approach to the tribunal, to the rule of law...we (US and India) are also both interested in not fanning the flames of conflict," Kerry said about South China Sea.
11:37 am - "What is happening is an open debate. Everyone is seeing what each person is saying. It's an unvarnished, open slug fest," said Kerry about US elections.
11:34 am - Polarisation is the opposite of everything I just talked about, it reflects intolerance, frustration with governance. There are a lot of people in the US and other countries who are angry because they don't see governance moving fast enough.
The age of information, when people have more access to everything going on. There's much more information than people can process. We need all of us to think about how to deliver services faster and effectively.
11:34 am - I can't comment on the [US] elections.
11:30 am - Journalist Shekhar Gupta opens floor to Q&A with John Kerry.
11: 26 am - Next year India will co-host global entrepreneurship summit, which will help showcase remarkable talent of Indian entrepreneurs.
Indian Government has passed GST bill and new bankruptcy laws, made changes in foreign investment regulations.
11:28 am - Beauty of India and the US is our history of making the impossible a reality. This is a country with remarkable ethnic, religious complexity. A lot of people thought it was impossible to make the largest middle class. Our two nation's possibilities are limitless. I look forward to what America and India can achieve together.
11: 25 am - "New ways to finance energy, US and India are part of nearly 200 countries who came together in Paris last year."
"I believe the private sector will save the climate, not governments."
"We are currently engaged in 70 different initiatives we are working on together."
11:19 am - John Kerry speaks about "energy transformation." Emphasises reducing health risks, and talks about climate change.
"I can't emphasise enough that the stake can't be higher."
"Last year was the hottest year in the human history."
"If you think coal is cheaper today, you are not accounting for health and other expenses."
"We support PM Modi's plan on renewable energy. India and US have a great partnership. Westing House will create half a dozen nuclear reactors that are emission free."
11:05 am - The US is now India's top export market...We have worked together with earthquake victims in Nepal, evacuated men and women trapped in violence in Yemen, and trained peacekeepers in Africa...The commonality of our endeavours across...Our peoples who are connected, our universities, and our governments are working more closely than ever before.
11:03 am - Wherever I go, I find a robust debate, and an ambitious vision of future. This is perhaps in Indian DNA.
10:58 am - Computer science students of India are so great that after being not taken by colleges here they are very gratefully accepted by MIT, he said.
