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‘We meet people face-to-face, not via Facebook’: Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde slams MVA, says opponents will find themselves unemployed after elections

OpIndia Staff
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‘We meet people face-to-face, not via Facebook’: Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde slams MVA, says opponents will find themselves unemployed after elections

On Wednesday (6th March), Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde cautioned Mahayuti government opponents that they would find themselves ‘unemployed’ after the Lok Sabha polls. Shinde said this while launching a job fair in the Thane district of Maharashtra. 

Shinde criticized the former Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government for its failures and emphasized the need for fieldwork above social media activity. “You should have worked face-to-face rather than going live on Facebook,” he indicated.

Shinde remarked at the Namo Maharojgar Melava saying, “I’m told this job fair received nearly 30,000 applications, and more than 5,000 have been hired so far.” He declared the continuation of the employment fair around the state, in addition to measures to create more jobs for the youth of the state. 

“Work face-to-face rather than going live on Facebook,” CM said (Time Stamp- 9.45 minutes)

The Chief Minister also highlighted industrial development plans, such as incentives for enterprises along the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Motorway and the establishment of industries in Gadchiroli to counteract Naxalite activity. Shinde meanwhile asked Thane schools to establish skill development classes similar to those offered by BMC schools.

Shinde also went down memory lane by visiting Kopri’s Industrial Training Institute, where he received technical training while in school.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde further launched the Swachha Bharat Skill Academy during his visit to Kopri’s renovated Industrial Training Institute. He emphasized job creation, lauded the deep cleaning campaign, and announced plans to establish skill development centers around the state. He also revealed Thane City’s Heat Action Plan.

Sagarika Ghose downplays Sandeshkhali unrest as ‘local land dispute’ politicised by ‘outsiders’, goes on a deranged rant against PM Modi

OpIndia Staff
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Sagarika Ghose downplays Sandeshkhali unrest as ‘local land dispute’ politicised by ‘outsiders’, goes on a deranged rant against PM Modi

On Thursday (7th March), ‘journalist’ turned politician Sagarika Ghose took to X (formerly Twitter) to downplay the raging unrest in Sandeshkhali village in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal as a ‘local land dispute.’

She made the remarks soon after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee led a rally of Trinamool Congress’ Mahila Wing workers in Kolkata. The event, based on the theme of ‘Mahilader Adhikar, Amader Angikar (Women’s rights, our commitment)’, allegedly saw the participation of women from Sandeshkhali.

Sagarika Ghose, whom TMC recently gave a Rajya Sabha seat, tweeted, “Exhilarating experience on the women’s march today led by India’s only woman chief minister @MamataOfficial ahead of #InternationalWomensDay. A pleasure to meet @abhishekaitc on the march.”

“Meeting the women of Sandeshkhali was an eye-opener. They said local land disputes were being politicised by outsiders ahead of elections and Sandeshkhali’s own votes remained firmly with Trinamool Congress,” she brazened out.

Sagarika Ghose wasted no time in downplaying the unrest in Sandeshkhali village, which took place after scores of women took to the streets demanding justice for the atrocities committed against them by TMC goons.

She brushed off the raging controversy as a ‘local land dispute.’ OpIndia had reported the testimonies of several women of Sandeshkhali. They courageously narrated the sexual exploitation suffered by them at the hands of TMC leaders such as Sheikh Shahjahan and his aides Uttam Sardar and Shiba Prasad Hazra.

While illegal land grabbing by the Trinamool Congress was one of the concerns of the villagers, it wasn’t the crux of the issue. The former ‘journalist’ shrewdly dismissed key concerns of women’s safety and threats of gang rape received by the victims from her party leaders.

Interestingly, Sagarika Ghose mentioned that the villagers would continue to vote for the TMC. She however forgot to inform that the likes of Sheikh Shahjahan did not spare the women who voted for the party.

Besides denying the harrowing experiences of the women in Sandesghkhali as a ‘local land dispute’, Sagarika Ghose accused the ‘outsiders’ of politicising the issue. The use of the word ‘outsider’ to refer to the Opposition BJP in West Bengal is a well-thought-out move.

Since 2019, the TMC supremo Mamta Banerjee herself has blamed ‘outsiders’ for incidents of violence and unrest that took place in the State. The objective behind it was to evade responsibility for failing to provide safety and security to the residents of West Bengal.

It also served another purpose of creating a magnified sense of fear among the Bengali community that their culture, language and safety were somehow being usurped by migrants from other states.

The regionalism and eventual polarisation have yielded great results for the TMC in the 2021 West Bengal elections. Now, Sagarika Ghose is following in the footsteps of Mamata Banerjee.

On Wednesday (6th March), the ‘journalist’ turned politician went on a vicious tirade against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Mr. Narendra Modi ji, you have again come to Bengal and you are talking about how the BJP is the face of Bengali women. Mr. Modi, let me remind you, it was your party who so mockingly caricatured our revered Maa Sharada. It was your party that fielded first as a candidate from Asasol, a singer who openly denigrates Bengali women in his videos,” Sagarika Ghose brazened out.

“It is your party who star MPs Brij Bhushan Saran Singh, who has been accused by Olympic medal-winning wrestlers of sexual harassment and has been charged under the POSCO Act. He is roaming free when all the accused in Sandeshkali, one by one, are being arrested. It is your party, Mr. Narendra Modi, which has at its local face, Shuvendu Adhikari, who is not known for being an exemplar of gender justice,” she claimed.

She had convincingly omitted the fact that the primary accused in Sandeshkhali Sheikh Shahjahan was only arrested after the intervention of the Calcutta High Court. “Mr. Narendra Modi, instead of denigrating Bengal, learn from the Bengal model of female empowerment. Learn from us. Don’t condemn us,” Sagarika Ghose concluded her deranged rant.

UP: Hindu girl assaulted by Sabir and his family, forced her to perform nikah and convert to Islam, case filed

OpIndia Staff
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UP: Hindu girl assaulted by Sabir and his family, forced her to perform nikah and convert to Islam, case filed

In Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda district, an alleged case of love jihad has been reported wherein a Hindu girl was lured to Lucknow by accused Sabir and converted to Islam.

Sabir took the girl to a maulvi, who converted her to Islam and the accused then performed nikah with the girl. A video of the incident is viral on social media.

The 20-year-old girl said that she was assaulted by her in-laws’ in Chhapia. After fleeing, the victim went to the office of Gonda Superintendent of Police and requested action against Sabir and his family.

A case was filed with the Chhapia police under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and investigation is underway. Additional Superintendent of Police Radheshyam Rai said that directions have been issued to take action.

Around two years ago, 21-year-old Sabir trapped a 20-year-old Hindu girl from a village near Chhapia police station. The accused is a resident of Narayanpur in the Chhapia police station area. After luring her into his love trap, Sabir persuaded her to flee and brought her to Lucknow.

The victim said that she was locked in a room for several days and beaten. During this time, the girl was put under pressure to convert to Islam. She further alleged that she was forced to perform nikah (Muslim wedding) to Sabir. A video showing the Hindu girl being converted and accepting the nikah has surfaced online.

Moreover, the girl said that even after the nikah, the physical assault and harassment continued. Not only Sabir but his father Abdul and mother Sirajul Nisha also beat her. As per reports, Sabir’s mother and a village head had told the victim that a court marriage will be arranged for them but instead they forced her to do nikah.

The victim said that after the nikah Sabir and his parents told her that if she wanted to live in their home, she must convert to Islam and only then may she could stay in their home. “We will not keep you unless you change your religion,” the accused reportedly told the victim.

The girl managed to escape to Lucknow and reach Gonda, where she filed a complaint against her husband Sabir, father-in-law Abdul, and mother-in-law Sirajul Nisha, accusing them of assaulting her, forcing to convert to Islam and making her perform nikah with the accused.

‘I have a roadmap for next 25 years’: PM Modi presents ’75-day report card’ at Republic Summit, lists infra projects worth ₹9 lakh crores

OpIndia Staff
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‘I have a roadmap for next 25 years’: PM Modi presents ’75-day report card’ at Republic Summit, lists infra projects worth ₹9 lakh crores

On Thursday (7th March), Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that this decade is the decade of making India. Participating in the Republic TV Summit, he said that before the beginning of the next decade, India’s economy will be the third largest in the world. PM Modi said that India is rising fast to lead the world. He listed the works of the last 75 days and said that in the last 75 days, projects worth more than Rs 9 lakh crore have been inaugurated, which is more than the total budget of many countries for the whole year.

PM Modi said, “A few years ago I had said that the coming decade belongs to India, then some people said that leaders keep saying such things. But today the whole world is saying that this decade belongs to India. I am happy that you have gone a step further and started the discussion of ‘India: The Next Decade’. This decade is the most important decade of independent India. I said from the Red Fort, this is the time, the right time.”

Prime Minister asserted, “This decade is the decade that strengthens the foundation of building a capable, strong and developed India. This decade is to fulfil those aspirations, which once seemed impossible to the people of India. It is very important to break the mental barrier. The aspirations of India belong solely to India, just as its potential does.”

India to be world’s third largest economy ahead of next decade

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “Before the next decade begins, we will see India becoming the third largest economy in the world. Before the next decade begins, Indians will have houses, toilets, gas, electricity, water, internet, and roads. They will have every basic facility. This decade will be the decade of building things like world-class expressways, and high-speed railways in India. In this decade, India will get its first bullet train. In the same decade, big cities of India would have been connected to the ‘NaMo Bharat’ network. This decade will be the decade of India’s high-speed connectivity, mobility and prosperity.”

India is a beacon of faith for the whole world

PM Modi said, “Friends, you also know that this is a time of global uncertainty. This seems to be the most volatile time since World War II. Its effect is happening all over the world. Many governments in the world are facing anti-incumbency. India as a vibrant democracy remains a beacon of faith, not just hope. These situations are seen at a time when we have done a lot of reforms in the country. We fulfilled the needs of the country and also fulfilled the dreams of the country.”

Detailing the development works that took place in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi further said, “We also recovered our lost time to build a developed India. Today, if you travel 25 kilometres in any direction of the country, you will see some development work being done. Today, something good is already happening in every sector. In just 75 days, I have inaugurated and laid foundation stones of projects worth Rs 9 lakh crore. That’s more than $110 billion. Many countries of the world do not even have this budget for a year and we have invested more than this on modern infrastructure in just 75 days.”

Report card of 75 days

Recounting the list of works completed or launched in the last 75 days, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “In the last 75 days, 7 new AIIMS have been inaugurated in the country. 4 medical and nursing colleges and 6 National Research Labs have started. The foundation stones of permanent campuses of 3 IIMs, 10 IITs, 5 NITs or facilities related to them have been laid or dedicated to the nation. Foundation stones of 3 IIITs, 2 ICAR and 10 Central Institutes have been laid or dedicated to the nation. Projects worth Rs 1800 crore related to space infrastructure have been inaugurated.”

He added, “In these 75 days, 54 power projects were either inaugurated or their foundation stone was laid. Two new reactors of the Kakrapar Nuclear Power Plant have been dedicated to the nation. The ‘core loading’ of the indigenous fast breeder reactor has commenced at Kalpakkam. And this is a very big revolutionary work. In Telangana, a 1600 MW thermal power plant has been inaugurated. A 1300 MW thermal power plant has been inaugurated in Jharkhand. The foundation stone of a 1600 MW thermal power plant has been laid in UP. The foundation stone of a 300 MW solar power plant has also been laid in UP. During the same period, the foundation stone of Ultra Mega Renewable Park has also been laid in UP itself. The foundation stone of the hydropower project has been laid in Himachal Pradesh. The country’s first Green Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vessel was launched in Tamil Nadu. UP’s Meerut-Simbhaoli transmission line has been inaugurated. Transmission lines have been inaugurated from the Wind Energy Zone at Koppal in Karnataka.”

PM Modi further said, “In these 75 days, India’s longest cable-based bridge has been inaugurated. The work of under-sea optical cable up to Lakshadweep has been completed and dedicated to the nation. The work of modernising more than 500 railway stations in the country started. 33 new trains have been flagged off. More than 1500 projects of roads, overbridges, and underpasses were launched. 7 metro-related projects have been inaugurated in 4 cities of the country. Kolkata has got the country’s first underwater metro. Foundation stones for 30 projects worth Rs 10,000 crore have been laid. In the last 75 days, the world’s largest storage scheme has started for farmers. The work of computerisation of 18 thousand cooperatives has been completed. More than Rs 21,000 crore have been transferred to farmers’ bank accounts.”

Concluding the list of works in the last 75 days, he said, “Let me remind you that these are the projects I have been involved in. And I have only talked about laying the foundation stone and dedicating it to the nation. And so much more. I am not telling you. Apart from this, the list of other ministers of my government, and the different works of other governments of BJP-NDA, if I keep speaking, it will be morning.”

Emphasising the speed of the government

PM Modi said, “In the budget, our government had talked about installing solar panels under PM Surya Yojana. Cabinet approval was received in just 4 weeks. Surveys have also started. Today, the people of the country are feeling the speed and scale of our government. If you start paying attention to the negative campaign, then the work that has to be done will remain pending. I have presented a 75-day report card, but I am carrying out a roadmap for the next 25 years. Every second is precious.”

The opposition has no work to show, they have only slogans

PM Modi said, “In the election atmosphere, we are taking our work to the public. The Opposition, on the other hand, has no issue and no solution. This is because these parties fought elections only on slogans for seven decades. They kept talking about ‘remove poverty’, but did not remove it. At the same time, in this government, people have not seen slogans, but solutions to problems.”

USA: Little boys sexually assaulted, live-streamed to paedophiles for money, Florida woman, her son and boyfriend charged for gruesome torture

OpIndia Staff
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USA: Little boys sexually assaulted, live-streamed to paedophiles for money, Florida woman, her son and boyfriend charged for gruesome torture

In a shocking case of child sexual abuse, a Florida-based woman, her son and her boyfriend have been accused of filming and live streaming the crime to a paying audience. The accused are residents of suburban Boca Raton in South Florida.

Walquiria Cassinni, 38, her son Matthew, 20, and her boyfriend Ryan Londono, 42 sexually assaulted two children for at least five years. They filmed the abuse and live-streamed it on the internet for paedophiles who paid for the same.

One of the victims was only five years old when the abuse started and the other was nine.

“For the past 25 years, I’ve seen just about everything, so to shock the court’s conscience is frankly a difficult proposition at this point in the court’s career,” Palm Beach County Judge Donald Hafele said.

“The extent of this is probably never going to be known,” he added.

Walquiria Cassini is facing capital charges for sexually abusing the two children. According to her LinkedIn profile, Cassini is a licensed medical sonographer with a sub-specialisation in urology and erectile dysfunction and reproductive health.

Her boyfriend, Londono, an IT professional, is facing the same charges and is accused of performing on camera for anonymous viewers to watch on streaming platforms, as per reports.

Cassini’s son, Matthew also faces the same accusations. His lawyer pointed out that he was not charged with filming the abuse but the prosecutor countered saying, “he’s charged with actual intercourse with the child.”

According to an account on X, the minors would be dragged from their beds in the middle of the night and assaulted in front of an online audience who would pay to watch.

Additionally, the account also alleges that Matthew would use sex toys on the children. The minors were reportedly spat on, sworn at and physically beaten as well.

“(Matthew) always does stuff to me, he locks the door,” one of the children said.

The FBI raided Cassini’s home on 5th March and found cameras and tripods which were used by the accused to record the abuse along with Venmo and other financial transactions connected to the same.

However, no videos were found. 33 videos were erased from an online platform a day after the 4-month-long investigation began.

Cracks appear within the I.N.D.I.Alliance yet again, CPI to contest elections separately in Assam

OpIndia Staff
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Cracks appear within the I.N.D.I.Alliance yet again, CPI to contest elections separately in Assam

Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Congress party-led-I.N.D.I. Alliance suffered yet another jolt. Its alliance partner, namely, the Communist Party of India (CPI) has decided to contest election on its own from Assam.

As per a report by Times Now, the CPI would fight elections on 3 seats from the Northeastern State. The development comes days after the Janata Dal United (JDU) led by Nitish Kumar left the I.N.D.I. Alliance and joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Previously, the Mamata Banerjee-led-Trinamool Congress had also announced to contest elections separately in West Bengal and ruled out any possible scope of alliance with the grand-old-party.

In the meantime, the NDA alliance led by the BJP is becoming stronger as the elections are approaching. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the BJP are close to finalising their seat-sharing arrangement in the State of Andhra Pradesh.

At the same time, discussions are underway between the Biju Janta Dal (BJD) and the saffron party about the possible scope of alliance in Odisha.

TMC to go solo in 2024 Lok Sabha elections

On 23rd February this year, Trinamool Congress (TMC) politician Derek O’Brien announced that the party would contest from all 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal, thereby ruling out possible seat-sharing arrangements with I.N.D.I. Alliance partner Congress.

While speaking to PTI, the Rajya Sabha MP made it clear that there was ‘no change’ in the stand of the Trinamool Congress about fielding candidates on all seats in West Bengal.

He added that TMC would also contest one seat in Meghalaya and a few others in Assam in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

“A few weeks ago…West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stated that TMC is fighting all the 42 seats in Bengal. We are also in the fray in a few seats in Assam and the Tura Lok Sabha seat in Meghalaya. There is no change in this position,” emphasised Derek O’Brien.

In the meantime, a desperate Congress was seen clinging to the hope of having some level of seat arrangement with the TMC.

Veteran Congress leader Jairam Ramesh told ANI, “Discussions are underway. Our doors are always open for TMC. Mamata Banerjee and TMC have said that they want to strengthen INDIA Alliance and the biggest motive is to defeat the BJP”

He further added, “Heated discussions keep taking place between the two parties but we respect Mamata Banerjee.”

Modi govt extends Ujjwala cooking gas cylinder subsidies for 2024-25, LPG prices reduced by Rs 100 on Women’s Day

OpIndia Staff
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Modi govt extends Ujjwala cooking gas cylinder subsidies for 2024-25, LPG prices reduced by Rs 100 on Women’s Day

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the extension of a targeted subsidy of Rs 300 per 14.2 kg cylinder for up to 12 refills per year for the beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) for the financial year 2024-25.

As of March 1, 2024, there are more than 10.27 crore PMUY beneficiaries. The total expenditure will be Rs 12,000 crore for the financial year 2024-25. The subsidy is credited directly to the bank accounts of the eligible beneficiaries, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said in a statement.

To make liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), a clean cooking fuel, available to rural and deprived poor households, the government launched the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana in May 2016, to provide deposit-free LPG connections to adult women of poor households, the statement said.

India imports about 60 per cent of its LPG requirements. To shield PMUY beneficiaries from the impact of sharp fluctuations in international prices of LPG and to make LPG more affordable to PMUY consumers, thereby ensuring sustained usage of LPG by them, the government started a targeted subsidy of Rs 200/- per 14.2 kg cylinder for up to 12 refills per annum (and proportionately pro-rated for 5 kg connections) to the PMUY consumers in May 2022.

In October 2023, the government increased targeted subsidies to Rs 300 per 14.2 kg cylinder for up to 12 refills per annum (and proportionately pro-rated for 5 kg connections). As of February 1, 2024, the effective price of domestic LPG for PMUY consumers is Rs 603 per 14.2 kg LPG cylinder (Delhi).

The average LPG consumption of PMUY consumers has increased by 29% from 3.01 refills in 2019-20 to 3.87 refills (till January 2024) prorated for 2023-24.

All PMUY beneficiaries are eligible for this targeted subsidy.

On March 8, PM Modi also posted that on the occasion of Women’s Day, the LPG prices have been reduced by Rs 100.

“Today, on Women’s Day, our Government has decided to reduce LPG cylinder prices by Rs. 100. This will significantly ease the financial burden on millions of households across the country, especially benefiting our Nari Shakti”, PM Modi posted on X.

“By making cooking gas more affordable, we also aim to support the well-being of families and ensure a healthier environment. This is in line with our commitment to empowering women and ensuring ‘Ease of Living’ for them”, PM added.

(With inputs from ANI)

Supreme Court stays Telangana Congress govt’s order to take over Sri Veerabhadra Swamy Temple by appointing Executive Officer, issues notice

OpIndia Staff
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Supreme Court stays Telangana Congress govt’s order to take over Sri Veerabhadra Swamy Temple by appointing Executive Officer, issues notice

The Supreme Court on 7th March stayed the attempts of the Congress govt in Telangana to take over the Sri Veerabhadra Swamy, known as the Machileshwarnath Temple, at Ranga Reddy District. A Bench of Justices M M Sundresh and S V N Bhatti stayed the appointment of the Executive Officer for the temple by the State government on a plea filed by the temple.

The apex court also issued notice to the state government over the petition challenging the constitutional validity of the Telangana Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act 1987. The petition was filed on behalf of the priests of the Sri Veerabhadra Swamy Temple. Apart from challenging the constitutionality of the Act, the petition also challenged order of the commissioner of endowments to appoint an Executive Officer of the temple.

The petition claimed that through the appointment of the Executive Officer, the Telangana government is attempting to take over the Hindu temple and remove the current administrators and priests. They argued that the government order violated the Articles 14 (Equality before law), 25 (Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion), and 26 (Freedom to manage religious affairs) of the Indian Constitution. The petition said that the management and administration of a temple are an essential part of the right to religion.

The petitioners challenged the Act on the basis that it gives the government unfettered power, as it can replace the management of any temple without any reason. “Under the said Act, the Respondent Government has unfettered powers to supersede the administration of any temple and to replace the management of any temple with a board of trustees of their choice, run by an Executive Officer, under the directions of the Respondent Government. This power can be exercised under the Act, without the need for any cause, or reason, in a completely arbitrary fashion,” the plea stated.

The petition further stated that the government has misused the provisions of this Act and appointed an Executive Officer to take charge of the Temple without prescribing any cause and in perpetuity.

The plea filed through Advocate-On-Record Rashi Bansal argued that the government can only take over the management to cure financial maladministration. Therefore, the management of the Machileshwarnath temple has to be returned as it is not facing any such financial issues.

Cabinet Committee on Security clears around ₹15,000 crore project to design and develop 5th generation stealth fighter jet AMCA by DRDO

ANI
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Cabinet Committee on Security clears around ₹15,000 crore project to design and develop 5th generation stealth fighter jet AMCA by DRDO

In a major development, the Cabinet Committee on Security has cleared the project to design and develop the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft fifth generation stealth fighter jet project to be undertaken by the DRDO.

Under the around Rs 15,000 crore project, Defence Research and Development Organisation’s Aeronautical Development Agency would develop the stealth fighter jet and its technologies in partnership with various private and public sector agencies and build around five prototypes in around five years, government sources told ANI.

The project would see the prototype manufactured by industry including the public sector unit Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, they said.

The government has been working towards the development of indigenous technologies and the military industry.

The Defence Ministry envisages that the fifth generation aircraft project would generate lakhs of jobs and the Indian Air Force orders can generate business worth lakhs of crores for Indian entities and also generate jobs at a mass scale.

The indigenous fighter aircraft projects have received a major boost from the Indian Air Force under the Narendra Modi government as the government has ordered over 200 Light Combat Aircraft along with clearance for engines for the LCA Mark-2 project.

The AMCA is expected to start getting inducted in operational roles beyond 2030 and the first two squadrons are planned to be powered by the GE-414 engines while discussions are still on to codevelop more powerful engines for the remaining squadrons.

India is likely to induct over 200 of these powerful fifth-generation fighters and the planes would also help India to develop future generations of fighter jets within the country.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Union Cabinet approves over ₹10,300 crore for IndiaAI Mission, to establish a comprehensive ecosystem catalysing AI innovation

OpIndia Staff
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Union Cabinet approves over ₹10,300 crore for IndiaAI Mission, to establish a comprehensive ecosystem catalysing AI innovation

The Union Cabinet on 7th March approved an allocation of ₹10,371.92 crore for the IndiaAI Mission, marking a significant step towards bolstering India’s AI ecosystem, and to further the vision of Making AI in India and Making AI Work for India. The IndiaAI mission will establish a comprehensive ecosystem catalysing AI innovation through strategic programs and partnerships across the public and private sectors.

A statement issued by the union cabinet said that the approved IndiaAI Mission will propel innovation and build domestic capacities to ensure the tech sovereignty of India. It will also create highly skilled employment opportunities to harness the demographic dividend of the country. IndiaAI Mission will help India demonstrate to the world how this transformative technology can be used for social good and enhance its global competitiveness, the press release said.

This substantial financial infusion of over ₹10,300 crore, slated over the next five years, is poised to catalyse various components of the IndiaAI Mission, including initiatives like the IndiaAI Compute Capacity, IndiaAI Innovation Centre (IAIC), IndiaAI Datasets Platform, IndiaAI Application Development Initiative, IndiaAI FutureSkills, IndiaAI Startup Financing, and Safe & Trusted AI.

The aim of this financial outlay is to ensure a structured implementation of the IndiaAI Mission through a public-private partnership model aimed at nurturing India’s AI innovation ecosystem. By democratizing computing access, improving data quality, developing indigenous AI capabilities, attracting top AI talent, enabling industry collaboration, providing startup risk capital, ensuring socially impactful AI projects and bolstering ethical AI, it will drive responsible, inclusive growth of India’s AI ecosystem.

A cornerstone of this effort is the IndiaAI Compute Capacity, envisioned to erect a cutting-edge, scalable AI computing infrastructure by deploying over 10,000 Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) through strategic public-private collaborations.

According to the Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and Jal Shakti, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, this approval will benefit Indian citizens and contribute to the expansion of India’s economy.

Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, “AI is going to be the kinetic enabler for India’s digital economy. Prime Minister Modi ji has always said that India is going to fully exploit the power of AI for the benefit of its citizens and for the expansion of its economy. I am grateful and thankful to the Hon’ble PM for the approval of more than 10,000 crores for the India AI program, which will catalyze India’s AI ecosystem and position it as a force shaping the future of AI for India and for the world. This will benefit states like Kerala which, for years, missed the bus in creating a robust tech ecosystem. There is immense potential among Young Indians in Kerala and with this financial outlay will help realise their ambitions.”

This financial outlay will fortify the IndiaAI Startup Financing mechanism, facilitating streamlined access to funding for budding AI startups and catalyzing their journey from product development to commercialization. The proposal also includes funding provisions for industry-led AI projects aimed at fostering social impact, propelling innovation and entrepreneurship.

The IndiaAI Innovation Centre (IAIC) which will be a leading academic institution, ensuring streamlined implementation and retention of top research talent. Funds approved by the Cabinet will enable IAIC to spearhead the development and deployment of foundational models, with a specific emphasis on indigenous Large Multimodal Models (LMMs) and domain-specific models, leveraging edge and distributed computing for optimal efficiency.

The IndiaAI Datasets Platform, which will be developed by the Independent Business Division (IBD) of IndiaAI, is slated to receive a boost to enhance accessibility, quality, and utility of public sector datasets, in order to ensure data-driven governance and catalyzing AI-based innovation and research.

Simultaneously, the IndiaAI FutureSkills program will focus on expanding the reach of AI education by increasing the accessibility of graduate and post-graduate AI programs, while also establishing Data and AI Labs that will not just be spread across major Indian cities but also smaller towns and cities to impart foundational-level courses in Data and AI.

Aligned with the broader vision of the IndiaAI Mission, these initiatives aim to bolster India’s global leadership in AI, foster technological self-reliance, ensure ethical and responsible AI deployment, and democratize the benefits of AI across all strata of society.

 The Mission will be implemented by ‘IndiaAI’ Independent Business Division (IBD) under Digital India Corporation (DIC) and has the following components:

1.    IndiaAI Compute Capacity: The IndiaAI compute pillar will build a high-end scalable AI computing ecosystem to cater to the increasing demands from India’s rapidly expanding AI start-ups and research ecosystem. The ecosystem will comprise AI compute infrastructure of 10,000 or more Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), built through public-private partnership. Further, an AI marketplace will be designed to offer AI as a service and pre-trained models to AI innovators. It will act as a one-stop solution for resources critical for AI innovation.

2.    IndiaAI Innovation Centre: The IndiaAI Innovation Centre will undertake the development and deployment of indigenous Large Multimodal Models (LMMs) and domain-specific foundational models in critical sectors. 

3.    IndiaAI Datasets Platform – The IndiaAI Datasets Platform will streamline access to quality non-personal datasets for AI Innovation. A unified data platform will be developed to provide a one-stop solution for seamless access to non-personal datasets to Indian Startups and Researchers.

4.    IndiaAI Application Development Initiative – The IndiaAI Application Development Initiative will promote the AI applications in critical sectors for the problem statements sourced from Central Ministries, State Departments, and other institutions. The initiative will focus on developing/scaling/promoting adoption of impactful AI solutions with potential for catalyzing large scale socio-economic transformation.

5.    IndiaAI FutureSkills – IndiaAI FutureSkills is conceptualized to mitigate barriers to entry into AI programs and will increase AI courses in undergraduate, masters-level, and Ph.D. programs. Further, Data and AI Labs will be set-up in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities across India to impart foundational level courses.

6.    IndiaAI Startup Financing: The IndiaAI Startup Financing pillar is conceptualized to support and accelerate deep-tech AI startups and provide them streamlined access to funding to enable futuristic AI Projects.

7.    Safe & Trusted AI – Recognizing the need for adequate guardrails to advance the responsible development, deployment, and adoption of AI, the Safe & Trusted AI pillar will enable the implementation of Responsible AI projects including the development of indigenous tools and frameworks, self-assessment checklists for innovators, and other guidelines and governance frameworks.

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