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India Gazette
36 minutes ago
- India Gazette
Bangalore University clarifies allegations of discrimination against Dalit faculty
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India] July 12 (ANI): Bangalore University has issued a clarification through an official letter to the SC/ST Teachers Association, stating that the allegation of following an anti-Dalit policy is not true. The university highlighted that it has always given due representation and priority to teachers from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, in an official statement. The response was made with reference to a letter from the Association that raised concerns about discrimination in statutory appointments, violation of reservation norms, and delay in filling backlog posts. The university clarified that appointments of statutory posts such as Vice-Chancellor, Registrar, Finance Officer, and Registrar (Evaluation) are made directly by the Government. Therefore, the university has no role in these appointments. It is unfortunate that these appointments are being viewed as discriminatory. At the university level, wherever appointments are within its control, SC/ST faculty members have been given preference. Out of 30 administrative positions like Directors, Coordinators, Special Officers, and Nodal Officers, 22 posts are held by SC/ST teachers. Further, four faculty members were transferred to Bangalore University from other universities by the State Government with the Governor's approval, considering the shortage of permanent teaching staff. Currently, out of 126 teaching staff at the university, 80 belong to SC/ST communities, which is 63.5% of the total faculty. The university also pointed out that no other public university in Karnataka has filled backlog vacancies to the extent that Bangalore University has. Out of the 55 backlog posts identified by the Social Welfare Department, 35 have already been filled, and the process to fill the remaining is underway. In the academic year 2024-25, 44 faculty members were promoted as Associate Professors, out of which 29 belong to SC/ST categories. The university reaffirmed its commitment to social justice and equal representation in all appointments. (ANI)
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
For India to be a real player in the AI race, Parliament must step up
As the US and China drive a new era of AI competition, and the EU asserts leadership on AI regulation, India has articulated its ambition to lead in technology and shape global AI governance. With its democratic legitimacy and digital capacity, India is positioned to represent the Global South in AI forums. However, without a comprehensive, politically grounded national strategy, it risks falling behind in technological capability and managing the attendant strategic and social transformations. The IndiaAI Mission, approved last year with a budget of over Rs 10,000 crore, is a welcome step. But it is a mission without a mandate. Housed as a division of a Section 8 company under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, it is led by a bureaucrat. Operating without a Cabinet-endorsed national strategy, it lacks both the political heft to drive whole-of-government coordination or signal the long-term political commitment required to align public and private action. The US, China, the UK and the EU anchor their AI efforts in formal, Cabinet-endorsed national strategies with clear roadmaps and timelines. This governance gap is critical because India faces structural deficits that impede its AI ecosystem, which cannot be overcome through incremental approaches. The Indian R&D base remains relatively shallow. Our universities are underrepresented in global AI rankings; the pipeline of AI-specialised PhDs is limited; collaboration between academia and industry is weak. India continues to lose top-tier AI talent to global hubs. In the private sector, India's IT industry remains oriented toward services. Research investments are modest relative to international companies, and to the extent that the Indian IT industry has engaged with AI, it has been largely in deployment — downstream of frontier innovation. India lacks AI-first national champions and the deep-tech industrial ecosystem seen in global leaders. Venture capital majors are frank: They see India as a consumer market, not a deep-tech innovator. Funding remains skewed towards consumer tech, not foundational research. Bridging these deficits will require a coordinated transformation, guided by a national strategy, anchored in political consensus and designed to provide long-term policy stability. That consensus is what India's current approach lacks. Parliament's role goes beyond regulation; it is the primary forum for signalling bipartisan political consensus .Yet, Parliament has remained extraneous to shaping national AI governance. Less than 1 per cent of questions are on AI and there is no dedicated institutional mechanism for oversight. In other leading democracies, legislative processes have built bipartisan support for AI strategies, ensured transparency, and aligned governance with public values. Without parliamentary anchoring, India's AI governance risks remaining fragmented and vulnerable to administrative shifts. The consequences of this democratic deficit are evident. Important debates around strategic autonomy, use of public data, energy demands and national security implications have received short shrift in the largely technocratic policy discussions. This absence also undermines India's international credibility. While India's leadership of the Global Partnership on AI signals global ambition, other democracies will look at whether its domestic governance aligns with its aspirations abroad. The path forward is clear. India needs a Cabinet-endorsed National AI Strategy — presented to Parliament — that sets out a vision, an actionable roadmap, and mechanisms for democratic accountability. This strategy must establish an empowered coordinating authority with a whole-of-government mandate; align R&D, industrial policy, and security strategy, and create frameworks for public engagement and parliamentary oversight. AI is not just another technology. It is a general-purpose transformation that will reshape national security, economic structures and the social contract itself. Managing that transformation requires policy stability and legitimacy — built through broad-based national deliberation. India's strengths are undeniable: A young population, a competitive digital economy, and the world's largest democracy. These assets position India to chart an AI trajectory that combines innovation with inclusion. But that future will not emerge by default. The window for action is closing. As global AI governance frameworks take shape and capabilities advance rapidly, India must move beyond piecemeal initiatives toward a comprehensive strategy. AI governance must be treated as a national strategic priority — grounded in democratic consensus — if India is to shape an AI future aligned with its national interests and global leadership aspirations. Gupta is executive director of Future of India Foundation. This article draws from the Foundation's report, 'Governing AI in India: Why Strategy Must Precede Mission'
United News of India
4 hours ago
- United News of India
Hungarian PM Viktor Orban slams Ukraine, EU for 'pretending' they can win their 'long-lost war' with Russia
Budapest, July 11 (UNI) Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, slamming the leadership of both Ukraine and the EU, said that both know that Kyiv lost its war with Russia long back, but both parties are afraid to admit it and instead are pretending that they can win even though they know it's impossible, reports TASS. Speaking to Kossuth Radio, Orban said, 'This kind of war has no solution, and the Ukrainians have practically lost it. Ukraine has lost this war together with Europe, but no one has the courage to admit it and draw the necessary conclusions. Instead, they pretend this war can be won on the battlefield.' Stating that a diplomatic resolution is the only way forward to ensuring peace, Orban slammed the EU for spending a 'horrific' sum of €310 billion ($362 billion) for Ukraine's defence, noting that this money could have greatly benefitted the European economy, which is currently facing a big economic crisis amid declining growth, inflation, high public debt, energy problems, and geopolitical uncertainty amid other factors. Orban noted that EU leaders still aim to "defeat Russia on Ukrainian territory" and, toward this goal, continue to provide Kyiv with both military and financial support. "This is our war, they say in Brussels," Orban remarked, stressing that Europe should have never become embroiled in the conflict in the first place. Orban further slammed Ukraine's reported forced enlistments, brutal beatings, and forced mobilisation of its minority Trans-Carpathian Hungarian minority community, stating that a country such as this could never be allowed to become an EU member. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto also heavily criticised Kyiv, stating that the Ukrainian authorities have not responded to accusations of harassment of Transcarpathian Hungarians for years, and now many of them are being mobilised by brute force into the Ukrainian troops. The forced mobilisation of ethnic Hungarians into the Ukrainian army violates human rights, the minister said. UNI ANV RN
