Modi in Africa: PM meets South African alumni of Indian institutions

Durban: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday interacted with a group of South African alumni who studied in various Indian institutions under Indian government programmes. “Co-partners in the knowledge revolution. PM interacts with a group of South African Alumni of Indian institutions,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted along with pictures. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the alumni included those who went to India under the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) scholarships, the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme and the Know India Programme (KIP). [caption id=“attachment_2883936” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  PM interacts with a group of South African Alumni of Indian institutions in Durban. Image courtesy: Twitter/@MEAIndia[/caption] Prior to this, Modi visited the Phoenix Settlement near Durban that was set up by Mahatma Gandhi in 1904. Earlier on Saturday, he visited the Pietermaritzburg railway station, the same station where Gandhi was evicted from a train compartment in 1893 on account of his skin colour. Later on Saturday, Modi will attend a reception to be hosted by the Indian High Commissioner and the Mayor of Durban before leaving for Tanzania on the third leg of his four-nation African tour. Modi arrived in South Africa from Mozambique on Thursday night on the second leg of his African sojourn. On Friday, India and South Africa signed four agreements after bilateral discussions led by Modi and South African President Jacob Zuma in Pretoria. The Prime Minister also addressed an Indian diaspora rally in Johannesburg that was attended by over 11,000 people before leaving for Durban. This is Modi’s first visit to mainland Africa and is also the first prime ministerial visit from India to South Africa since then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived in 2013 for the G20 summit in Durban. Apart from Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania, Modi will also visit Kenya.