Ashwini Vaishnaw

The Economic Survey 2023-24 as "Way forward in education" recognizes education as one of the most critical areas for India's development. To realize the same, unity of purpose and convergence of efforts across the Centre, State and Local Government is called for, as 'public education' is a Concurrent List subject.

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So which Indian states are best prepared to handle increased investigative workload with the new criminal code that aims to modernize the country's criminal justice system and ensure speedy justice to all? Odisha State Police seems to be leading the charge (along with Gujarat) by equipping their State Forensic Science Laboratory (SFSL) with cutting-edge bio-forensics tech "Rapid DNA" - an automated portable DNA testing tool that can be operated by non-scientist investigating officers to find a match in 90 minutes! This technology, which is revolutionising law enforcement the world over, will be able to help the Indian law enforcement agencies investigate serious and time sensitive crimes like rape, murder & terrorist attacks with lighting speed by swiftly by eliminating innocent suspects and identifying the real perpetrators. Salute visionaries like Keshav Kumar, IPS ( Retd ) and Arun Bothra, IPS for helping realise this project #DNAforJustice https://lnkd.in/g_y6rMJe

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Public Policy professionals.. here’s an insightful report from the Public Affairs Forum of India (PAFI) in collaboration with the Indian School of Public Policy presenting a comprehensive view on perspectives of stakeholders, industry experts, and outlining challenges such as talent retention and navigating regulatory complexities. Do look up! Indian School of Public Policy (ISPP) #Alert

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The Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi has identified the "mobility crisis" as the primary contributor to poor air quality in Delhi NCR. This crisis needs urgent focus on sustainable transport solutions including shifting the focus from motorization and road-building to investing in reliable public transport like buses and the metro, improving infrastructure for walking and cycling, promoting zero-emission mobility and enhancing last-mile connectivity. Let’s follow the "de-congest, de-motorize, de-carbonise" mantra and create a cleaner, healthier city for all. WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) Raahgiri Foundation Institute for Transportation and Development PolicyAnumita Roychowdhury Amit BhattGMDA (Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority) United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) TERI - The Energy and Resources Institute Shakti Foundation Change.org

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pleasure to discuss my book on #WestAsia and #India with General palepu ravi shankar on his famous podcast #Gunnersshot .Any one interested in the regions may like to see Ministry of External Affairs, India HowAcademics undefined https://lnkd.in/gkiPQCx7

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DPI has been a key driver of India’s digitalisation efforts. India leveraged the ‘India Stack’ – a set of foundational DPI namely digital ID, digital payments, and data exchange, to improve financial inclusion, increase formalisation in the economy, and improve public and private service delivery. While the whole world is trying to emulate our DPI Success, it is time to push DPI across the states within India by DPI ADOPTION INDEX- A PROJECT BY WORLD BANK AND MEITY. World Bank ViksitBharat Economic Diplomacy Division | Ministry of External Affairs, India Ministry of External Affairs, India @meity National Payments Corporation Of India (NPCI) digitalindia.com #dpi Open Network For Digital Commerce (ONDC) Centre for Digital Public Infrastructure - CDPI Pramod Varma #indiastack.org Parth Lawate EkStep Foundation #g20presidency G20 India Meenakshi Lekhi . Abhishek Singh Nitin Bhatia Jaxay Shah Saurabh Garg Vijay Vujjini Ricardo Mirón Torres Satyajit Suri Arvind Gupta Digital Public Goods Alliance NSN Murty https://lnkd.in/gwwVeA2p

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𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐛𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠-𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐮𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦  As election season approaches, the debate around state-sponsored freebies intensifies. While handouts like free electricity, water, and laptops provide short-term relief, they raise significant concerns about fiscal sustainability, regional disparities, and long-term viability. States like Delhi and Tamil Nadu, with higher per capita incomes, can afford these schemes, but poorer states like Bihar struggle to meet basic needs. Globally, over-reliance on such subsidies has led to economic crises, as seen in Greece and Sri Lanka. However, examples like Singapore demonstrate how targeted welfare policies, coupled with fiscal discipline, can ensure sustainable development. India doesn’t need to ban freebies but regulate them with transparency. Political parties should disclose funding sources and assess the economic impact of their promises. Instead of fostering dependency, the focus must shift to empowering citizens through investments in education, healthcare, and job creation. Let’s work towards policies that balance social welfare with economic stability. 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒖𝒆? Comment Below ⬇️ Mint #FreebiePolitics #FiscalResponsibility #SustainableDevelopment #EconomicPolicy #SocialWelfare #ElectionPromises #FinancialInclusion #IndiaGrowth #PolicyMatters #Empowerment #EconomicStability #TransparentGovernance #Price

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LWE Affected Districts Reduced to 38: Significant Progress in Tackling Left Wing Extremism The Government of India has announced a significant milestone in addressing Left Wing Extremism (LWE) with the reduction of LWE-affected districts to 38, spanning across nine states as of April 2024. This marks a major achievement in the implementation of the ‘National Policy and Action Plan to Address LWE,’ which was introduced in 2015. The policy adopts a multi-pronged strategy involving security measures, development interventions, and ensuring the rights and entitlements of local communities. The comprehensive approach has led to a remarkable decline in violence and a shrinking geographical spread of LWE activities. Key Achievements Reduction in Violence: LWE-related incidents have dropped by 73% from their peak in 2010. Resultant deaths, including civilians and security personnel, have seen an 86% decline—from 1,005 in 2010 to 138 in 2023. In 2024 (up to November 15), there was a further 25% reduction in incidents compared to 2023. Geographical Constriction: The number of LWE-affected districts has decreased significantly, from 126 across 10 states in 2013 to just 38 districts across nine states in 2024. Improved Security Situation: The number of police stations reporting LWE violence has reduced from 465 in 2010 to 171 in 2023, reflecting improved security conditions in many regions. List of Affected Districts The remaining 38 LWE-affected districts are distributed across nine states: 🔺Andhra Pradesh (1): Alluri Sitaramraju. 🔺Chhattisgarh (15): Including Bastar, Bijapur, Sukma, and others. 🔺Jharkhand (5): Giridih, Gumla, Latehar, Lohardaga, and West Singhbhum. 🔺Kerala (2): Wayanad and Kannur. 🔺Madhya Pradesh (3): Balaghat, Mandla, and Dindori. 🔺Maharashtra (2): Gadchiroli and Gondia. 🔺Odisha (7): Kalahandi, Kandhamal, and others. 🔺Telangana (2): Bhadradri-Kothagudem and Mulugu. 🔺West Bengal (1):Jhargram. Holistic Approach to Development: The Government’s strategy focuses not only on neutralizing LWE cadres but also on addressing the root causes of extremism. Initiatives such as infrastructure development, education, healthcare, and job creation in affected areas have contributed to empowering local communities and winning their trust. Way Forward: The Government remains committed to eliminating LWE entirely, with continued emphasis on security operations, community engagement, and development initiatives. The sharp decline in violence and the shrinking footprint of extremism demonstrate the effectiveness of the current strategy, offering hope for a peaceful future in these regions. Ministry Of Home Affairs (mha), GOI

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The recent news of Rs.10 crores being given by the Maharashtra Government to the WAQF Board has upset a lot of people, especially supporters of BJP. If any property is accepted as a WAQF property, it would then be impossible to sell it anymore even if such a property has been wrongfully claimed as WAQF property. Thousands of acres of land all over our country has been wrongfully claimed as WAQF property and the original owners of such land are incapable of fighting it off in the Tribunal or any other place of Law. When the WAQF Property Act itself has been claimed as being illegal, why can it not be done away with and the government use such land judiciously? When this BJP government could do away with Article 370 in J & K, can they not protect their own land from being swallowed by trespassers who claim it as their own even after being given about 1/3rd of the land during Partition? Is it not a travesty to keep paying more and more to them even if they do not contribute to the revenues of the Government? And is it not a crime to keep only Hindus away from the largesse that the State and Central Governments want to dole out only to Abrahamics for appeasement? Will digitizing it and putting the stamp of ownership not legalise the loot? Do read the writeup to know more ...

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Pahad Trust, an NGO based in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, is making significant strides in the realm of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) activities, while positively impacting the lives of small farmers in Chamba and the surrounding areas. Here's an overview of how Pahad Trust is driving change through its ESG initiatives: 1. Environmental Sustainability: Pahad Trust is committed to environmental conservation and sustainability practices. The NGO promotes organic farming techniques that minimize the use of harmful chemicals and pesticides, thereby reducing environmental pollution and preserving soil health. By encouraging farmers in Chamba to adopt eco-friendly cultivation methods, Pahad Trust is contributing to biodiversity conservation and mitigating the adverse effects of conventional agriculture on the local ecosystem. 2. Social Impact: Pahad Trust prioritizes social welfare and community development initiatives in the regions where it operates. By collaborating with small-scale farmers in Chamba, the NGO is empowering rural communities and providing them with sustainable livelihood opportunities. Through fair trade practices and equitable partnerships, Pahad Trust through their venture Pahad Organics ensures that farmers receive fair prices for their produce, thereby improving their economic prospects and enhancing their standard of living. 3. Empowerment of Small Farmers: Pahad Trust actively supports the empowerment of small farmers in Chamba by providing them with access to markets, training, and resources. The trust facilitates capacity-building workshops and skill development programs to enhance farmers' agricultural knowledge and productivity. Through its direct procurement model of Pahad Organics, the trust eliminates middlemen and enables farmers to receive a higher share of the value chain, thereby empowering them economically and socially. 4. Community Engagement: Pahad trust engages with the local community in Chamba through various outreach and awareness programs. The NGO collaborates with various government agencies, corporate houses and other stakeholders to address social issues, promote sustainable development, and enhance community resilience. By fostering a culture of inclusivity and participation, Pahad trust strengthens its bond with the community and fosters positive social change. In essence, Pahad Trust is not only championing ESG principles but also making a tangible difference in the lives of small farmers in Chamba. Through its holistic approach to sustainability and community development, the NGO is setting a commendable example for responsible best practices in the region and beyond.

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Dr Sasmit Patra is an interesting parliamentarian to watch, bringing to the fore issues of an institutional nature. It may be the more reasoned deliberations at the back-end, of MPs like Dr Patra, that produces real work, in the absence of maturity and substantive depth in those leading the poor quality of the opposition's grouse mining narrative spins. Building congruency, needs a reasonable nod to reality, and that is compromised by the poor quality of legislative deliberations descending purely to exacerbating issues in the pursuit of vote-banks, rather than act as a check on government excesses. Even our institutional structures like courts, in many cases, appear to prefer moral posturing rather than building a bridge to better policy implementation, the decontextualized nature of their abstractions, and a procedural morass. where the fealty to procedural means have overtaken substantive and practical ends (tareek pe tareek!) - leads any resolution into an endless procedural maze. The tough task of "performing" in governance, making a careerist bureaucracy with its deep vested interests work, is difficult even for the strong willed, and may not even be in the agenda as the primary focus of those slanted by their electoral bargains.

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“A more balanced federal design across the three tiers of the Indian state would be a better reflection of the concerns of 21st century India.” writes @CafeEconomics, Executive Director at Artha Global, in LiveMint. https://bit.ly/4dhd3pT. Niranjan argues that there are three issues at the core of local Indian governments’ struggles with service delivery: financial challenges of local governments, clarity of purpose, and staffing issues. The Union government should focus on policy frameworks and national public goods; state governments should prioritise local public goods, and compete for investments, while local governments should concentrate on development programmes that impact citizens daily. Read more below:

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#FormalisationofWorkforce: Nearly 7️⃣ crore net subscribers joined Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) between September 2017 and 2024, said Labour Secretary @SumitaDawra in an interview📺 to @ANI. Declining📉 unemployment rate in 🇮🇳, growing📈 workforce👷, enhanced #SocialSecurity measures for #Gig & #PlatformWorkers🚴‍♂️ etc. More report on this: https://lnkd.in/gyQchmcV

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The Telangana Gig and Platform Workers’ Union @tgpwu has initiated a campaign to boycott cab aggregator services to the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport @rgiahyd TGPWU against cab aggregator services to airport https://lnkd.in/gzvJwWjm @telanganacmo @revanthofficial @ponnamprabhakar

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Small businesses in the economy plays a crucial role by supporting the bigger businesses and providing employment opportunities to a large and diverse section of the country. This informal sector of the Indian economy has been slowly transforming over the years and registration of these businesses has been one such parameter. Registration of an informal business is an important step towards improvement as it gives them an identity and enhances thrust for business transaction. I tried to pen down how the sector has fared in terms of getting registered and is still on its way of improvement. Do read this and share your thoughts! #small_business #formalization #registration #employment https://lnkd.in/dsh6SDm9

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**Uddhav Thackeray Under Pressure to Exit MVA Alliance** Amid a significant dip in Shiv Sena (UBT)’s assembly strength, with their tally now at just 20, **Uddhav Thackeray** is facing increasing pressure from party leaders to reconsider the **Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA)** alliance. Many MLAs are questioning the alliance’s **effectiveness**, expressing concerns about losing the party’s core **Marathi** and **Hindu vote base** to the rival **Shinde Sena**. This shift in sentiment could mark a crucial turning point in Maharashtra's political landscape. The next steps for Shiv Sena (UBT) and its leadership are closely watched as the situation develops. #UddhavThackeray #ShivSenaUBT #MVA #MaharashtraPolitics #PoliticalPressure #ShindeSena #MarathiVote #HinduVote #MaharashtraAssembly #PoliticalStrategy

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