PM Modi, US First Lady Jill Biden to visit National Science Foundation

Washington |Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US First Lady Jill Biden will visit the National Science Foundation on Wednesday where they would interact with Indian and American students, the White House has said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill. He will celebrate the International Day of Yoga at the United Nations Headquarters with the UN leadership and members of the international community.

The visit also includes an address by the prime minister to the joint session of the US Congress on June 22.

A visit to the National Science Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia is likely to be the first public engagement of the prime minister, which would be hosted by the First Lady, the White House said on Tuesday.

“The First Lady will highlight career-connected learning and workforce training programmes and partnerships between high schools, community colleges, and universities with employers," it said in a statement.

"During the visit, the First Lady and the Prime Minister will meet with students from the US and India and participate in a moderated conversation,” it said.

National Science Foundation is headed by Indian American Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan.

In the last year or so, several Indian Cabinet Ministers have visited its headquarters in Virginia. Prominent among them are Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health.

“The President and the First Lady will welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the Republic of India to the White House,” the White House said.

The arrival ceremony would take place on the South Portico of the White House. Soon thereafter, Biden and the First Lady would host the dinner, it said.

The prime minister will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at the White House on Thursday for which more than 8,000 invitations have been sent. Indian Americans from across the country are expected to attend the historic event, the White House said.

Later in the night, the president and the First Lady would host the prime minister for a State Dinner in the presence of more than 400 guests. A big tent is expected to be pitched on the South Lawns of the White House for this, it said