Now, Delhi Assembly runs solely on sunlight, first in the country
Alongside this, the Assembly launched the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA), marking a shift towards paperless legislative functioning.
The two initiatives were inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal, who called the Assembly's transition a model for sustainable and digital governance. 'This is not just an infrastructure upgrade, but a shift in institutional values,' he said, adding that the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs will provide all possible assistance to the efforts and initiatives of the Delhi Legislative Assembly in this regard.
Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta emphasised that the solarisation of the Assembly is a cornerstone in a broader institutional shift towards sustainable and digital transformation.
'The present Assembly building was constructed in 1912 and was home to the country's first Parliament,' Gupta said.
Highlighting the balance between tradition and progress, he remarked, 'Virasat aur Vikaas saath chalega (Legacy and development go together).'
Gupta added that the solar power plant, installed on the rooftop, is expected to reduce the Assembly's monthly electricity bill by around Rs 15 lakh, or approximately Rs 1.75 crore annually. The savings, he said, would be redirected to developmental work.
It will also potentially generate surplus electricity through net metering.
The NeVA platform, developed under the Centre's 'One Nation, One Application' initiative, will be fully implemented from the upcoming Monsoon Session.
A successful trial run was conducted with MLAs ahead of the inauguration. The trial offered firsthand experience of the digital interface, which includes smart delegate units with microphones and voting panels, RFID/NFC access, multilingual support, real-time document access via iPads, an automated AV system with HD cameras, and a secure, power-backed networking environment.
The House will also see the introduction of the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025, by Education Minister Ashish Sood.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta is also scheduled to table the Finance and Appropriation Accounts for 2023-24, which will present the financial position of the national capital.
Gupta will also present two audit reports from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG): one on state finances for 2023-24 and a separate report on the welfare of building and construction workers in 2022-23.
Sood, who also holds the Power portfolio, will also lay the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission's annual accounts and a notification on Green Energy Open Access regulations.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
24 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Intelligent textiles, desert warfare systems among key deep tech projects in pipeline: Defence Ministry
INTELLIGENT TEXTILES, desert warfare systems and wargaming technologies are some of the key areas that have been identified by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) as part of the Deep Tech research under Technology Development Fund (TDF). A separate allocation of Rs 500 crores has been made for these advanced technology projects with defence applications, informed Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth in a written reply to MP Naveen Jindal in the Lok Sabha recently. Jindal had sought to know if the government had approved the new Deep Tech and Cutting-Edge policies under the Technology Development Fund (TDF) Scheme and if so, sought details of the projects along with their key features and objectives. Seth said in his reply, 'An additional grant or corpus of Rs 500 crore has been approved by the Defence Minister to cater for deep-tech and cutting edge projects as separate verticals under TDF. The process of the selection and identification of Deep Tech projects has been initiated. Currently, nine projects are launched under this initiative by TDF.' He added that nine industries are engaged in four projects sanctioned through DRDO Industry Academia Centres of Excellence (DIA-CoEs) under the grants in aid scheme of DRDO. Seth told the House that the projects cover research areas such as Intelligent Textile Technologies, Desert Warfare Technologies, War-gaming Technologies, Powder Metallurgy, High Power Microwave Sources and Devices, Advanced Ballistics, Photonic Technologies, Aerospace Systems and Materials, Micro and Nano Systems Science and Technology, Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, Quantum Technology, Naval Systems and Naval Technologies, High Power CW Laser Source, Additive Manufacturing, Advanced Materials and Processing, Advanced Nano Materials and Sensors based on Semiconductors. Intelligent Textiles are fabrics that can sense, react, or adapt to environmental conditions or user input. Desert Warfare systems are military equipment and mechanisms specifically designed for effective combat operations in hot, arid, and sandy desert environments. Wargaming Technologies and essentially simulation tools are softwares used to model military operations for training, planning, and strategic decision-making. Seth also provided a list of 55 institutes from 20 states in India that have undertaken a total of 302 projects in these areas. These include two institutes from Pune including Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT) and the College of Engineering, Pune (COEP). He added, 'DRDO has a Long Term Directed Research Policy (LTDRP) for engaging academia. Projects are monitored at three stages in regular intervals throughout the year. Technical evaluation committee (TEC) evaluates the new project proposals and does regular technical progress monitoring. Research Advisory Board (RAB) reviews the new projects recommended by TEC and also monitors sanctioned projects for their progress and addresses the techno managerial issues of Centre of Excellence (CoE) and the projects. The Governing Council approves the projects, oversees the overall functioning of the Centre and projects sanctioned through the Centre.'
Hindustan Times
24 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Utilise Chenab river water, shelve SYL canal issue: Punjab CM to Centre
Chandigarh, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday urged the Centre to utilise the waters of the Chenab River to resolve the water-sharing dispute between his state and Haryana and sought the scrapping of the Sutlej Yamuna Link canal project. Utilise Chenab river water, shelve SYL canal issue: Punjab CM to Centre Mann participated in a meeting called by Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil in Delhi over the SYL canal issue, in which Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini was also present. The Punjab chief minister said in the last meeting held on July 9, the Union government informed that the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan has been suspended and it opens up an opportunity for India to utilise water from the Chenab River, one of the western rivers earlier given to Pakistan under the treaty. An official statement quoting Mann said the Centre should now divert Chenab's waters to Indian dams like Ranjit Sagar, Pong, or Bhakra, adding that to carry this extra water, new canals and infrastructure would be required, which would be built in Punjab. Mann said these canals and infrastructure can be first used to meet the needs of the state, and after Punjab's requirements are met, the water can be supplied to Haryana and Rajasthan through the same canal system. He said using Chenab water will reduce Punjab's dependence on groundwater, revive surface irrigation and support the farming community, which is the backbone of the state's economy, besides saving groundwater of the state for future generations. Punjab, which is currently facing groundwater depletion, must be prioritised in any future strategies for the usage, diversion, or allocation of these river waters, he said. Mann also said the waters of the western rivers should be allocated to Punjab on a priority basis, adding that new storage dams upstream of existing Bhakra and Pong in Himachal Pradesh should be constructed, which will significantly enhance the storage and regulation of western river waters. Seeking the shelving of the SYL project, Mann unequivocally said that the Sharda-Yamuna Link for transfer of surplus Sharda River water to the Yamuna River and diversion of Chenab water to Beas River through the Rohtang tunnel should be done to eliminate the need for the SYL canal. He said the long-conceived project of Sharda-Yamuna Link should be taken up on priority and surplus water be transferred to the Yamuna River at a suitable location. Mann said the additional water available could offset the balance water requirement of Haryana from the Ravi-Beas system, apart from addressing the ever-growing drinking water requirement of Delhi and the availability of the Yamuna water to Rajasthan. Batting for the Yamuna-Sutlej Link canal, he said that the memorandum of understanding of May 12, 1994, of allocation of Yamuna waters between Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Rajasthan is to be reviewed after 2025. Therefore, Punjab should be included as a partner state in the allocation of Yamuna waters, and 60 per cent of the surplus water of the Yamuna River should be considered for the state, he said. Haryana has enough scope to get additional water from other sources, which also needs to be accounted for, said Mann. He said that Haryana is also receiving 2.703 million acre-feet of water from the Ghaggar River, Tangri Nadi, Markanda River, Saraswati Nadi, Chautang-Rakshi, Nai Nalah, Sahibi Nadi, Krishna Dhuan, and Landoha Nalah, which has not been accounted for so far when deciding the water allocations between the states. Mann reiterated that the SYL canal is an "emotive issue" for Punjab and its construction could trigger "serious" law and order challenges in the state and escalate into a national crisis, with neighbouring Haryana and Rajasthan also feeling the impact. The total water requirement of Punjab is 52 MAF, and water available with the state of Punjab is only 26.75 MAF , said Mann. Talking to reporters in the national capital after the meeting, Saini said a significant step forward was made on the ongoing dialogue over water-sharing between Haryana and Punjab. The talks were held in a cordial and cooperative atmosphere. The issue has been under discussion for a long time, and earlier deliberations held on July 9 had already indicated a positive shift, he said. This time, we have moved a step further. The discussions were held in an even more constructive environment, Saini added. Saini asserted that Haryana will present its case in a "positive and solution-oriented" manner before the Supreme Court on August 13 and expressed confidence that a fair and favourable resolution will be achieved. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
MP Waje seeks immigration checkpoint at Nashik airport
Nashik: Nashik MP Rajabhau Waje recently met with Union aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu to push for significant developments at Nashik airport ahead of the upcoming Simhastha Kumbh Mela in 2026-2028. Waje submitted a memorandum requesting an immigration checkpoint and a major airport expansion to handle the expected influx of devotees. The proposed expansion includes constructing a new terminal building with seating for 1,000 passengers, developing new taxiways, and increasing the number of aircraft parking bays. Waje also called for the construction of separate helipads at the airport, in Nashik city, and in Trimbakeshwar to manage the massive crowd. Naidu has assured Waje that he would look into these requests. Additionally, Waje proposed that the airport be named after Yashwantrao Chavan, Maharashtra's first chief minister who was instrumental in bringing the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) unit to Nashik. Currently, the Nashik-Delhi flight has been reduced from daily to four days a week. This service should be made daily again. Waje also requested a slot at Delhi airport for the second Nashik-Delhi flight at night. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Do you have a mouse? Desert Order Undo The MP also called for expanded air connectivity to Nashik airport, specifically requesting new routes to major cities like Kolkata, Varanasi, and Chennai. All these demands come ahead of the upcoming Kumbh Mela, where the airport expects a significant increase in passenger traffic. The airport, a joint venture between the state government and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), was developed between 2013 and 2014 at a cost of Rs 94 crore. The current terminal can only accommodate 300 passengers at a time. With the footfall expected to reach 1,000 passengers per hour during the Kumbh Mela, HAL has submitted a proposal to state govt for a much-needed upgrade. However, a decision on the development plan is still pending.
