World Organisations – Pacts and Summits India to hold ‘offsite’ on Andaman as it prepares for G20 presidency As India is about to take over the G20 presidency formally, the Union government plans to fly diplomats from all missions of G20 countries, invitees and United Nations agencies to a resort on the Andaman Island for a special briefing by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the G20 Secretariat. The “offsite” for 30 to 40 diplomats will take place at Taj Exotica hotel on Havelock Island from November 25 to 27. At the event the G20 ‘Sherpa’ Amitabh Kant, ‘Sous Sherpa’ Abhay Thakur, and G20 National Coordinator and former Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla will give the diplomats a preview of India’s plans for the next year of its presidency. India has already announced that in a departure from the previous G20s, which stick to a single venue for most events, it hopes to hold the 200 or so G20 official meetings in about 50 locations, including all the States and Union Territories across India. Another key decision was to hold the G20 summit in September, rather than November, given the levels of pollution in Delhi due to crop burning at the later time. About G20 The G20 or Group of Twenty is an intergovernmental forum of major developed and developing economies comprising 19 countries and the European Union (EU). Formation - 26 September 1999. Chairman - Joko Widodo, President of Indonesia First Meeting in Cologne, Germany G20 Countries - Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union. Books and Author New Books on Siddha Medicine launched The book release ceremony of 'Sugam Tarum Siddha Maruthuvam' (சுகம் தரும் சித்த…