logo
Uttar Pradesh minister reviews welfare schemes in Gautam Budh Nagar

Uttar Pradesh minister reviews welfare schemes in Gautam Budh Nagar

Hindustan Times16 hours ago
Uttar Pradesh minister of state for public works and district in-charge Brajesh Singh on Saturday chaired a review meeting of the development and welfare schemes underway in Gautam Budh Nagar. Brajesh Singh at Child PGI in Noida Sector 30 on Saturday. (HT Photo)
Addressing the officials, Singh conducted a department-wise review of schemes being implemented across revenue, agriculture, animal husbandry, child development and nutrition, health, forest, basic and secondary education, women welfare, social welfare, backward classes, minority welfare, empowerment of persons with disabilities, Panchayati Raj, urban development, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, skill development, renewable energy, cooperative, labour, public works departments, among others, officials informed.
'Development projects must be completed on time and with utmost quality. Any negligence or delay will not be tolerated at any level. Government welfare schemes must reach the last person in the queue. It is our responsibility to ensure that benefits are delivered in a transparent and effective manner,' he said.
The officials were directed to act promptly on public grievances, ensure effective disposal of complaints on the IGRS (Integrated Grievance Redressal System) portal, and maintain active dialogue with citizens to implement schemes that truly address local needs.
'Public participation and coordination with elected representatives are crucial. Their insights help in shaping policies that are truly public-oriented,' he emphasised.
District magistrate Manish Kumar Verma assured that all directives would be implemented in letter and spirit through relevant departments, adding that efforts will be intensified to bring momentum and transparency in delivering welfare schemes to eligible beneficiaries.
'As directed, we will ensure strict implementation of all instructions. Our focus will be on speeding up execution and improving outreach of welfare schemes to all eligible beneficiaries. We are committed to transparency, timely delivery, and active coordination with all departments to fulfil the government's development agenda,' said DM Verma.
The meeting was attended by MP Dr Mahesh Sharma, Jewar MLA Dhirendra Singh, Dadri MLA Tejpal Nagar, Dadri Municipal Council chairperson Geeta Pandit, additional police commissioner Rajeev Narayan Mishra, and other dignitaries.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

The new battlefield: AI-based warfare in the ‘agentic' age, multi-domain ops and energy as a big constraining factor
The new battlefield: AI-based warfare in the ‘agentic' age, multi-domain ops and energy as a big constraining factor

Indian Express

time2 hours ago

  • Indian Express

The new battlefield: AI-based warfare in the ‘agentic' age, multi-domain ops and energy as a big constraining factor

Even before China's DeepSeek model triggered a frenzy in the AI (artificial intelligence) world, its People's Liberation Army had started to deploy AI across its major warfighting functions under a somewhat gawky banner called 'intelligentised warfare'. Beijing is learnt to be taking a graded approach by starting with applying AI to improve the performance of battlefield equipment such as artillery systems by cutting the interval needed between each shot while improving accuracy, as well as integrating generative AI with military drones to automatically target opponents' radars with better precision as soon as they come on. The DeepSeek advances could only help China build on its military AI diffusions. Should that be a cause for worry for India? Yes, say experts, considering that the Chinese are actively aiding Pakistan with its Centre of Artificial Intelligence and Computing of the Pakistan Air Force that was established in 2020, which now has an elaborate Cognitive Electronic Warfare programme aiming to use AI and machine learning for 'effective analytical and tactical decision-making'. During the Operation Sindoor, some of this could have been used by that country, given that it was backed by China behind the scenes, as testified to by Lt General Rahul R Singh, Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Capability Development and Sustenance). Pakistan, he said, was aware of vectors being primed on a real-time basis, which meant it was likely getting live satellite updates from China, with some data crunching likely happening at the backend to enable all of this. Gen Singh's emphasis on the importance of C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) and the need for civil-military fusion translates into the need for a certain expertise on the virtual domains, including the electromagnetic spectrum, and the domains of space and cyberspace. China is clearly a leader here, and a lot to be done in this area by India to catch up. Lt Gen Amardeep Singh Aujla, the Army's Master General Sustenance, said wars are becoming 'increasingly intense and complex' due to evolving geopolitical dynamics and rapid technological advancements, which are transforming war-fighting practices and the control over new age technologies. This is being read as a recognition of the multi-domain approach being put into practice by China, and implemented in part by Pakistan. 'Modern armed forces must analyse large volumes of data from even more domains —land, air, sea, space and cyberspace—to decode enemy movements and devise deterrence strategies,' according to Alexandr Wang, Founder CEO at Scale AI. The volume of information is all but impossible to handle with current technologies, and the ability to harness data and AI could mean the big difference in the next engagement. And while AI advances are important, there is another limiting factor in all this: energy. Fields such as Big Data analysis, machine learning, predictive analysis, and natural language processing need a lot of energy, including vast spinning reserves of grid power. The electricity grid needs new electricity sources to support AI technologies and countries are increasingly turning to nuclear sources of energy to supply the electricity used by the huge data centres that drive AI. 'At this point, India is clearly short of nuclear power, with (an installed capacity of) only about seven and a half gigawatts… South Korea, a much smaller country that has around three times India's installed nuclear capacity. So while opening up the sector to private participation is the only way to bring in new technologies into sectors such as nuclear, I think that there is a defence dimension too. Ten years from now, think of the next war… If it were to occur, it will be fought by robots and AI… That means you must have AI; you must have data crunching capability, and the ability to run big data centres… So, the investment in AI data centres and robotics is going to underpin the future defence posture of the country. And for that, the single most important ingredient is enormous amounts of electricity generation. If you don't generate power, all this would not be possible,' Kris P. Singh, the Indian-American promoter and CEO of Holtec International told The Indian Express. Camden, New Jersey-based Holtec, one of the world's largest exporters of capital nuclear components and a frontrunner in the emerging small modular reactor (SMR) space, is in the running to set up proposed SMR-based projects in India. 'Put the SMRs right next to data centers, and then you have defence capabilities right there. And from there, you can, can do missiles, drones, smart soldiers and robots. And you're not too far away, maybe just 10 years. So, I am basically asking that the country become aware that it needs enormous amounts of energy to clean energy to support the future in defense of the country,' Singh said. India's current energy woes have multiple triggers: a focus on rapid expansion of renewables in the absence of energy storage systems, especially over the last decade, that is now resulting in increasing instability in the country's electricity grid. This issue is compounded by a policy decision from roughly ten years ago to scale down thermal expansion, which provides critical baseload support to the grid during evenings in summer months, when solar generation dips and demand remains high. SMR-based nuclear projects of the kind that Holtec International is proposing are now being viewed in India's policy circles as solutions to scale up baseload capacity, alongside renewed efforts to draw the private sector back into thermal generation. On the battlefield use of AI, India's defence establishment was notably an early mover, given that the the Defence Research and Development Organisation's (DRDO) Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR) came up in 1986 with the specific objective of developing autonomous technologies in the domains of combat, path planning, sensors, target identification, underwater mine detection, patrolling, logistics, and localisation etc. 'They are making progress,' a senior government official said about the CAIR project. The problem for India, though, is the combination of China's burgeoning AI prowess and its willingness to help out the PAF with its Centre of Artificial Intelligence and Computing and in possibly meeting that country's energy needs at the backend. 'In the fast-changing landscape of warfare, the first nation to fully incorporate AI into military decision-making will shape the history of the 21st century. Humanity is entering a new era of 'agentic warfare', in which we will see some of the world's strongest armies beaten by rivals that are better at harnessing AI agents—autonomous intelligent systems that can perform a multitude of tasks,' Scale AI's Wang said in a piece dated March 4 that he wrote for The Economist. The new AI systems, according to Wang, will allow the most technologically advanced armed forces 'to outthink and outmanoeuvre' even very capable opponents by hooking up a military network of sensors, weapons and human decision-makers in a bid to sharply increase the speed at which tactical moves can be proposed, and allow battlefield advantages to be acted upon before humans are even able to survey the situation. AI is set to rapidly transform the landscape of warfare, with deep tech being deployed for tasks ranging from autonomous weapons systems to intelligence gathering and cybersecurity, according to a research report by Delhi-based Centre for Joint Warfare Studies, an autonomous think tank raised at the initiative of the Ministry of Defence in 2007. This includes the development of autonomous weapons systems that can select and engage targets without human intervention; analysing vast amounts of data to identify potential threats, tracking enemy movements, and forecasting future attacks; and creating realistic battlefield simulations to enable field evaluation trials as well as allowing soldiers to train in virtual environments to prepare for real-world combat scenarios. AI use in warfare is also spreading rapidly, with reports suggesting that Ukraine has equipped its long-range drones with AI that can autonomously identify terrain and military targets, using them to launch successful attacks against Russian refineries. Israel has also used its 'Lavender' AI system in the conflict in Gaza to identify 37,000 Hamas targets. As a result, the current conflict between Israel and Hamas has been dubbed the first 'AI war', according to Kristian Humble, an Associate Professor of International Law in the School of Law and Criminology at the University of Greenwich, London. As much as the AI-led battlefield is a now a looming reality, a robust energy back-end is key to powering this future. Anil Sasi is National Business Editor with the Indian Express and writes on business and finance issues. He has worked with The Hindu Business Line and Business Standard and is an alumnus of Delhi University. ... Read More

NCW organises AI training programme for women in Jodhpur
NCW organises AI training programme for women in Jodhpur

Hans India

time9 hours ago

  • Hans India

NCW organises AI training programme for women in Jodhpur

The National Commission for Women (NCW) organised an AI training programme in Jodhpur in which hundreds of women participants took part, an official said on Sunday. "The objective of Yashoda AI is to digitally empower women," said an official in a post on the social media platform X. Yashoda AI, also known as "Your AI SAKHI for Shaping Horizons with Digital Awareness," is a nationwide campaign by the NCW that empowers women, particularly those in rural and semi-urban areas, with digital and AI literacy, cybersecurity skills, and digital safety. According to the NCW, the programme focuses on providing training in local languages to ensure accessibility and promote women's participation in a technology-driven future. Earlier on Saturday, NCW chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar held a meeting with administrative and police officials of eight districts of the Jodhpur division and officials from various departments to review the progress of women and child rights, laws, and schemes. She said in a post on X that some important topics discussed in the meeting included a review of more than 10 schemes related to women. She said the discussion emphasised on making schemes like 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao', 'Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana', 'Standup India', Lakhpati Didi, Maternal Health Scheme, eliminating female dropouts in education, skill development, self-help groups, women entrepreneurship, digital education, and services, more effective. The NCW chairperson also highlighted delays in police reports – leading to delays in grievance redressal. The need for an updated database of all police officers and helpline officials, to ensure effective communication and coordination, was also highlighted, she said. Emphasis was also laid on awareness programmes on various topics, including the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) enacted to protect children from sexual assault, sexual harassment, and pornography, she said. Effective implementation of 'One Stop Centre' - intended to support women affected by violence - and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana were also taken up for discussion, said Rahatkar. She said the officials were sensitised to ensure the benefits of Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana reach the last mile with the cooperation of public representatives. She said protection officers and local committees should work in coordination with the police administration. The officials were also asked to initiate Pre-Marital Communication Centres, review cases related to heinous crimes against women, such as dowry, rape, and cybercrime and strengthen women's police stations. The need to appoint trained counsellors and arrangement of proper infrastructure was also stressed, she said.

UP madrassa reform panel seeks 3-month extension
UP madrassa reform panel seeks 3-month extension

The Print

time10 hours ago

  • The Print

UP madrassa reform panel seeks 3-month extension

Singh said the committee was initially directed to submit its report by June 30. However, the assignment requires detailed deliberations on several aspects, including proposed amendments to the Uttar Pradesh Madrassa Education Act and relevant regulations. Accordingly, a request has been made to extend the panel's term by at least three months. 'The committee, constituted on May 30 this year to propose reforms in madrassa education, has been unable to submit its report within the one-month deadline due to the extensive nature of the task,' Registrar of the Uttar Pradesh Madrassa Education Board, R P Singh, told PTI on Sunday. Lucknow, Jul 6 (PTI) The implementation of the Uttar Pradesh government's ambitious project aimed at reforming and modernising madrassa education may face further delay, as the committee entrusted with drafting recommendations has sought a three-month extension of its tenure. The six-member committee, headed by the Director of the Minority Welfare Department, includes Special Secretaries from the Minority Welfare and Waqf Department, Basic Education Department, Secondary Education Department, Finance Department, and Law Department. Based on its recommendations, the government plans to amend the Uttar Pradesh Madrassa Education Act, 2004, and the Uttar Pradesh Non-Governmental Arabic and Persian Madrassa Recognition, Administration and Service Regulations, 2016. The committee is also tasked with suggesting revisions to subjects and curricula for classes 9 to 12 in madrassas. Further recommendations are expected to cover rationalisation of the teacher-student ratio, formulation of recruitment and transfer policies for teachers, alignment of qualifications with subject requirements, provision of training and bridge courses in modern subjects, redefinition of madrassa recognition norms, and structural reforms to enhance functioning and improve future prospects for students. Minister of State for Minority Welfare Danish Azad Ansari told PTI that the primary objective of forming the committee is to align madrassa education with the needs of a rapidly evolving world and equip Muslim children accordingly. 'The committee's recommendations will play a crucial role in shaping the future framework for madrassas,' he said. However, concerns have been raised over the composition of the committee. Maulana Kaab Rashidi, Legal Advisor to Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind (AM), flagged the absence of representatives from madrassas, questioning how core issues would be addressed without input from the community directly involved. Rashidi also challenged the notion that madrassas solely offer religious instruction, noting that many already provide modern education and have produced students who have qualified for prestigious institutions such as the IITs. Diwan Sahab Zaman Khan, General Secretary of the Teachers Association Madaris Arabia Uttar Pradesh, expressed hope that the reforms would not interfere with religious teachings. He also cautioned against overburdening students with additional subjects and highlighted the absence of madrassa education experts in the committee, given the magnitude of its mandate. Khan further stated that even six months may prove insufficient for the committee to complete its work. He also raised concerns over the government's inaction following the Supreme Court's declaration of Kamil and Fazil degrees as invalid, which has left pathways for higher education uncertain for madrassa students. Since 2017, the Yogi Adityanath-led government has initiated several steps to modernise and regulate madrassa education, including launching a dedicated portal for registration and conducting a comprehensive survey of all madrassas. The formation of this committee marks the latest move in that direction. According to official data, there are around 25,000 madrassas in Uttar Pradesh, of which approximately 13,000 are recognised by the state's Madrassa Education Board. Out of these, only 561 receive government aid, while the remainder operate without formal recognition. PTI SLM ABN HIG This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store