An MOU establishing a Chair on Contemporary Indian Studies has been signed in Moscow by H.E. Mr. Ajai Malhotra, Ambassador of India to the Russian Federation, on behalf of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), New Delhi, and Prof. Efim I. Pivovar, Rector of the Russian State University for Humanities (RSUH), Moscow. The MOU envisages that the Russian State University for Humanities will host a Visiting Professor from India to teach courses in contemporary Indian studies for a semester during each academic year and also deliver a public lecture (to be called the ICCR Lecture). The MOU would cover the academic sessions from 2011-2012 to 2014-2015.

Ambassador Ajai Malhotra noted that: “Contemporary India is witnessing a rapid and exciting transformation and the enhanced availability in Russia of assessments and perspectives on recent developments about India would be very timely. The new Chair would help build on the well-established and strong Indological tradition in Russia.”

Moscow , June 8, 2011

A delegation of senior officers from the prestigious National Defence College, New Delhi visited Russia from 21 May to 27 May as part of the Foreign Countries Tour of the training curriculum. The delegation comprised of officers of the rank of Brigadier and equivalent from the armed forces, police and paramilitary forces and administrative services of India as well as foreign student officers from friendly foreign countries such as Egypt, Vietnam, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and USA. During the visit to Russia which was meant to acquaint officers with first hand knowledge of the strengths and areas of concern for Russia with regard to security, foreign policy , economic and socio-political issues, the officers met senior officials and experts in concerned fields to get a first hand knowledge of the contemporary issues facing Russia.

A new Talwar Class stealth frigate built for the Indian Navy at Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad Russia, was launched by Mrs Ira Malhotra , wife of HE Ajai Malhotra, Ambassador of India to Russia, at a ceremony held on May 25, 2011.

The newly launched ship was named “Trikand”, meaning a mythological arrow consisting of three arrowheads.The naming ceremony was attended amongst others, by Mr Savenko, Deputy Head of the Defence Committee of the State Duma, Vice Admiral V.P. Kravchuk, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Baltic Fleet and top officials from ROSOBORONEXPORT, United Shipbuilding Corporation, Federal Service for Military Technical Cooperation, Russian Industry and public representatives.

H.E Mr. Ajai Malhotra, Ambassador of India to the Russian Federation, visited School No. 1279 in Moscow on 20 May 2011 as the Chief Guest of a programme organised by its Tagore Club to commemorate the 150th Birth Anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. He was welcomed by Ms. Raisa Anisimova, Director of the School, and students with a traditional 'breaking of the bread' ceremony

In her opening speech, the Director of the School welcomed the Ambassador and fondly remembered the support and cooperation that its Tagore Club had received from the Embassy of India over the years. She also highlighted the fact that more than an author, artist and philosopher, Tagore was a great educationist. She observed that Tagore was very close to the people of Russia and continued to live in the hearts of Russians even today.