Tag: Indias

India’s G20 Presidency: KU Set To Host C-20 Working Group Meeting On ‘Gender Equality And Disability’

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SRINAGAR: The University of Kashmir is set to host a two-day C20 Working Group Meeting on ‘Gender Equality and Disability’, a mega event that draws national and international experts to formulate Policy White Papers for discussions on the G20 platform.
Civil-20 or C20 is the Official Engagement Group of G20 providing a platform for civil society organisations, NGOs and policy-planners to engage important stakeholders and address the root causes of “gender inequality and disability”.
The event being held at KU’s Gandhi Bhawan on February 13-14 comes amid the University’s selection from amongst 15 premier institutions in the country to host Youth20 events as part of India’s G20 Presidency, a significant milestone in the varsity’s imprint and visibility on the national academic landscape.
The C20 GED WG Meeting focuses on policy dialogues concerning two sub-themes including “Women’s Safety” and “Engaging Men and Boys”, besides highlighting ‘Udharaan’ as a successful intervention to address gender inequality. It also envisions evolving a grassroots approach to create pathways for improving women’s access to legal aid and other social support systems. A special focus of deliberations will also be on gender concerns related to specially-abled women.
National and international Coordinators and Co-Coordinators of C20 GED Working Group are among 50 delegates expected to join deliberations in both online and offline modes. Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham is coordinating the event.
Vice-Chancellor KU Prof Nilofer Khan, who is personally monitoring the arrangements, said it is a historic occassion for the University to be associated with events related to the country’s G20 Presidency.
“It is recognition of the University’s commitment to not only promote our national policies and programmes but also to advance the country’s G20 goals and objectives,” she said.
The Vice-Chancellor has already constituted a task force of academics and officers to oversee arrangements for the February 13-14 event.

Notably, the University of Kashmir has been chosen amongst 15 premier institutions in the country to host a Youth20 event, marking a significant moment in its history and transition to come up as an institution of excellence in the country. Youth delegates from G20 countries are scheduled to attend the Youth20 event in the second week of May 2023 at the University’s main campus.

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#Indias #G20 #Presidency #Set #Host #C20 #Working #Group #Meeting #Gender #Equality #Disability
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

February 11, 2023
US needs to address India’s downward trend of democratic values: Senatorial report

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Washington: As the US focuses on the Indo-Pacific, in particular the Quad, the Biden administration needs to address India’s ties with Russia and its “downward trend of democratic values and institutions”, said a report by the Democratic Party of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee.
The report has called for supporting a strong and democratic India.
Senate Foreign Affairs Chairman Senator Robert Menendez Thursday said the US needs to approach the Indo-Pacific with a well-resourced, whole-of-government approach that synchronizes the military-security elements with diplomatic, economic, and civil society elements to ensure the greatest chance of success.
The “Strategic Alignment: The Imperative of Resourcing the Indo-Pacific Strategy”, a Majority Staff Report, was released by Menendez on Thursday.
“I believe that President Biden’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, released one year ago, adopts this whole-of-government approach. If fully equipped with the tools that it needs to be successful, this strategy will underpin the United States’ leadership in the most consequential and dynamic region of the world in the 21st century,” he said.
The report said the Biden administration was correct not to make its Indo-Pacific strategy solely about competition with the People’s Republic of China. But to succeed, it has to grapple with the realities of this competition for the US and the challenges it poses for its regional allies and partners, it said.
In its seventh and last recommendation, the Major Staff Report calls for supporting a strong and democratic India.
“Even as the administration rightly treats India as an important security partner, it will need to address the very real complications of India’s continued ties with, and dependence on, Russia for defence equipment and its recent downward trend of democratic values and institution,” it said.

According to the report, the United States and China vie for the position of India’s largest trading partner.
India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry reported in June 2022 that trade with the US exceeded that of China, an important marker in the increasingly close ties between Washington and New Delhi, the report noted
“Indeed, the relationship between the world’s two largest democracies has been on an upward trajectory for more than two decades, overcoming Cold War antagonism and division over India’s nuclear programme and the country’s testing of a nuclear device in 1998,” it said.
Security ties have deepened dramatically in recent years as both countries are increasingly concerned about the implications of a more assertive China, the report said.
“The US and India are now major defence partners and the two countries have launched a new Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies to enhance cooperation on quantum computing, 5G and 6G networks, space, semiconductors, biotech, and artificial intelligence.”
The report follows up on Chairman Menendez’s 2014 Democratic Staff report, which underscored the importance of increasing diplomatic and development resources in the region.
It offers a comprehensive examination of US diplomatic and development agencies’ investment in the Indo-Pacific region since 2014. It also makes a series of recommendations to advance the administration’s capacity to meet the IPS’ objectives and to enhance US national and economic security.
“In the nine years, two administrations, and numerous strategies since my last report, little progress has been made to advance US diplomacy and development efforts in the Indo-Pacific, all while the PRC continues to expand its influence through aggressive impositions on states’ sovereignty, localized disinformation campaigns, and predatory economic investments,” Menendez said.
“If we are serious about advancing US interests in Asia and competing with the PRC (People’s Republic of China), we must match ambitious policy with ambitious resourcing,” he said.
The report recommends that the Biden Administration must significantly increase funding for diplomatic and development agencies across the US government and dedicate a larger portion of the Department of State operating budget and Washinton’s foreign assistance to advance priorities in the Indo-Pacific.
Congress should be made an active partner to ensure sufficient allocation of resources to the Indo-Pacific, to provide new authorities if and when needed, and to engage in effective oversight, it said.
The Indo-Pacific Strategy must include a substantive and action-oriented economic agenda that is commensurate with US interests and responsive to our allies’ and partners’ calls for increased US economic engagement, it said.
Seeking to deepen engagement with the United States’ network of allies and partners across the region, the report says that the US and its partners must strive to provide alternative financing and economic development projects to compete with China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the Digital Silk Road.
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#address #Indias #downward #trend #democratic #values #Senatorial #report
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 10, 2023
Akshay’s walk on India’s map raises the hackles of Netizens

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Mumbai: Ahead of his North America tour, Bollywood star Akshay Kumar is facing the heat over a promotional video in which he is shown walking over the map of India.
The actor had uploaded the now-controversial video on his social media handles on Sunday. Akshay’s post, however, did not cut ice with Netizens who promptly labelled it as disrespect to the India map.
The video also features actresses Disha Patani, Mouni Roy, Nora Fatehi, and Sonam Bajwa. Fortunately for them, they were not walking on the India map and so they escaped Akshay’s fate.
The video was made to promote the North America Tour of the stars in March this year. Sharing the video, Akshay had tweeted, “The entertainers are all set to bring 100 per cent shuddh desi entertainment to North America. Fasten your seat belts, we’re coming in March!”
The backlash to the video was quite savage as some Netizens raised questions about Akshay’s loyalties by pointing to his Canadian citizenship.
The actor has earlier stated that he has decided to relinquish his Canadian citizenship and applied for an Indian passport.
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#Akshays #walk #Indias #map #raises #hackles #Netizens
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 7, 2023
Telangana announces India’s first new mobility focussed cluster

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Hyderabad: Telangana today announced India’s first new mobility-focused cluster, Telangana Mobility Valley (TMV), at the first edition of Mobility Next Hyderabad Summit – part of the Hyderabad E-Mobility Week, to further accelerate the growth of sustainable mobility in India.
Sharing the details of the TMV, KT Rama Rao, Minister for IT E&C, MA&UD and Industries & Commerce, in his inaugural address, said, “Telangana Mobility Valley will create best-in-class infrastructure making Telangana the most competitive destination for both manufacturing and E R&D in India.”
“TMV aims to attract investments of around Rs 50,000 crore and generate more than 4 lakh jobs in the next 5 years. For this, the State is developing 4 Mega clusters in and around Hyderabad- EV Manufacturing cluster in Zaheerabad, an EV Manufacturing cluster in Seetharampur, Energy storage system (ESS) cluster in Divitipally and Innovation cluster at Yenkathala.
Each of the clusters will be equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure to reduce the cost of operations for their tenant,” the Minister added.
Rama Rao said, “Further, investments aggregating Rs 3,000+ Cr are in advanced stages and will be announced in the next 2 weeks. These investments will further strengthen Electric 3-wheeler, Electric 2-wheeler and charging equipment manufacturing ecosystem in Telangana.”
“TMV aims to facilitate companies across all segments of sustainable mobility including Electric 2Wheelers/ 3 wheelers/ 4 wheelers, Advanced Cell Chemistry and Hydrogen fuel cells, Tier 1 and Tier 2 Component manufacturers and Auto Engineering R&D companies among others,” the Minister added.
Rama Rao said that the Hyderabad E-Mobility Week would be held regularly to foster collaboration by bringing together the thought leaders, experts, and global automotive ecosystem players to chart a course for sustainable mobility.
As part of the event, the State also announced three Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) — ATS-TUV Rheinland MoU with Telangana Government; Bosch Global Software Technologies MoU with BITS Hyderabad, and Telangana Academy for Skill and Knowledge’s (TASK) MoU with Shell.

Delivering the keynote address, Hizmy Hassen, Chief Digital Officer, Apollo Tyres Ltd, said, “The E-Mobility Week along with other investments by the Government of Telangana is another show of great public sector commitment.
The broader automotive industry should take advantage of these incentives and excellent infrastructure to accelerate sustainability in mobility. The industry needs to come together along with policymakers towards the common goal of making it more sustainable for decades to come.”
Talking about the future of sustainable mobility, Christian Cahn von Seelen, Executive Director, Sales, Marketing & Digital, Volkswagen Group India, said, “Sustainable mobility is achievable through the right cooperation between all stakeholders, including the supportive government policies in India.
The G20 presidency of India offers a huge opportunity and there is a strong drive from various industries to address the challenges of climate change. With hard work and dedication, we can remain optimistic and see the realization of sustainable mobility in the future.”
Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary, Information Technology, Electronics & Communications, and Industries & Commerce Departments, Govt. of Telangana gave the vote of thanks.
The summit saw participation from government, academia, and industry including Kamal Bali, President and MD, Volvo Group India, Nikolaus Lang, Sr. Partner & MD, Global Leader- Global Advantage Practice, BCG, Prabhjeet Singh, President, Uber India & South Asia, Shrikant Sinha, CEO, Telangana Academy for Skill and Knowledge – TASK, Suman Mishra, CEO, Mahindra Last Mile Mobility Division, Dirk Adamczyk, SVP, Engineering Solutions ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Mamatha Chamarthi, SVP Business & Product Management, Stellantis, and Dr. Amaresh Chakrabarti, Chair, Centre for Product Design & Manufacturing, Indian Institute of Science, among others.
For more information and to register for Mobility Next Hyderabad 2023, please visit the event’s website at www.evhyderabad.in/mobility-next.
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#Telangana #announces #Indias #mobility #focussed #cluster
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 7, 2023
PM unveils India’s biggest helicopter manufacturing facility in Tumakuru

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Tumakuru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s helicopter factory the country’s largest chopper manufacturing facility in the Tumakuru district of Karnataka.
Bengaluru-headquartered HAL plans to produce more than 1,000 helicopters in the range of 3-15 tonne with a total business of more than Rs 4 lakh crore over a period of 20 years at this facility in Gubbi taluk, officials said.
The factory, spread across 615 acres for which the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone in 2016, would initially manufacture Light Utility Helicopters (LUH)).
It will enable India to meet its entire requirement of helicopters without import and giving a much-needed fillip to the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ in helicopter design, development, and manufacture, they said.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and senior officials of the Ministry of Defence were among those present on the occasion.
“It is a dedicated new greenfield helicopter factory which will enhance India’s capacity and ecosystem to build helicopters,” Singh said.
Assembly polls in Karnataka are due by May.
PM Modi unveiled the LUH, which has been flight tested. The LUH is an indigenously designed and developed three-tonne class, single-engine multipurpose utility helicopter. Initially, the factory will produce around 30 helicopters per year and can be enhanced to 60 and then 90 every year in a phased manner, according to the Defence Ministry.

The factory will be augmented to produce other helicopters such as Light Combat Helicopters (LCHs) and Indian Multirole Helicopters (IMRHs). It will also be used for maintenance, repair and overhaul of LCH, LUH, Civil Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) and IMRH in the future.
Potential exports of civil LUH will also be catered to from this factory, which is being equipped with state-of-the-art Industry 4.0 standard tools and techniques for its operations, officials said.
The proximity of the factory, with the existing HAL facilities in Bengaluru, will boost the aerospace manufacturing ecosystem in the region and support skill and infrastructure development such as schools, colleges and residential areas, it was noted.
The factory is fully operational after the establishment of facilities like heli-runway, flight hangar, final assembly hangar, structure assembly hangar, air traffic control and various supporting service facilities, officials said. PTI GMS RS
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#unveils #Indias #biggest #helicopter #manufacturing #facility #Tumakuru
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 6, 2023
India’s 140 cr people with Turkey in its crisis: PM Modi

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Bengaluru: Expressing concern and shock over the massive earthquake that hit Turkey on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that India’s “140 crore people are with the victims of the earthquake in Turkey”.
Speaking after inaugurating the India Energy Week, PM Modi said, “We are focusing on Turkey presently which has suffered from a huge earthquake. Large number of people have lost their lives and it has caused huge losses to the country.”
PM Modi further stated that the surrounding countries of Turkey also suffered heavy losses due to the impact of the earthquake. India is ready to help earthquake victims, he stated.
Anguished by the loss of lives and damage of property due to the Earthquake in Turkey. Condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon. India stands in solidarity with the people of Turkey and is ready to offer all possible assistance to cope with this tragedy. https://t.co/vYYJWiEjDQ
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 6, 2023
Earlier, in response to a tweet by Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Modi said, “Anguished by the loss of lives and damage of property due to the Earthquake in Turkey. Condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon. India stands in solidarity with the people of Turkey and is ready to offer all possible assistance to cope with this tragedy.”
Over 600 people were killed in Turkey and Syria after a massive earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale struck a wide area near the two countries’ border, according to authorities.
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#Indias #people #Turkey #crisis #Modi

( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 6, 2023
India’s economy already 10% more energy efficient than G20 average: IEA

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New Delhi: India’s economy is already 10 per cent more energy efficient than both the global and G20 average. India took less time to go from half to full electricity access than other major economies, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Monday.
Just hours ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating the three-day India Energy Week in Bengaluru to showcase India’s rising prowess as an energy transition powerhouse, the IEA said the adoption worldwide of the kinds of actions and measures targeted by LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), including behavioural changes and sustainable consumer choices, would reduce the annual global carbon dioxide emissions by more than 2 billion tonnes in 2030.
The LiFE initiative was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at COP26 in Glasgow in November 2021.
It aims to encourage the adoption of sustainable lifestyles in India and internationally to tackle the challenges of environmental degradation and climate change.
A new report, “LiFE Lessons From India”, by the IEA looks at how India’s G20 Presidency this year could strengthen the LiFE initiative internationally to help reduce emissions, energy bills, and inequalities in per capita energy consumption and emissions between countries.
According to the LiFE initiative, the global adoption of such measures would also save consumers globally around $440 billion in 2030.
LiFE measures can also help lower inequalities in energy consumption and emissions between countries. The reductions the measures could deliver in per capita carbon dioxide emissions in advanced economies by 2030 are three to four times greater than in emerging market and developing economies, it says.
The report says already the third largest national market globally for renewables, India has recently seen the growth of consumer-centric solutions like distributed solar PV take off, with rooftop solar growing 30-fold in less than a decade.

Supportive policies and awareness campaigns in India have also driven electric passenger vehicles to a market share of almost five per cent in 2022 – with sales tripling from 2021.
India’s example shows the importance of behavioural change and consumption choices in driving energy transitions.
The IEA has analysed the impact of measures like those proposed by the LiFE initiative, such as buying an EV or taking public transport, as part of comprehensive energy transition strategies.
IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol told IANS, “India’s G20 Presidency this year represents a unique opportunity to globalise the LiFE initiative — providing a knowledge-sharing platform for other leading economies to realise the impact that LiFE’s recommendations can have in the fight against climate change, air pollution and unaffordable energy bills.
“Since the G20 makes up nearly 80 per cent of global energy demand, meaningful changes by its members can make a big difference.”
The International Monetary Fund estimates that India will be the world’s third-largest economy by 2027, and India is already on course to become the most populous country this year.
Its critical challenge is to ensure secure and affordable energy for growth while advancing its net-zero transition over the coming decades.
To meet these challenges, India has embarked on a dynamic new phase in its energy transformation, which spans three broad areas.
Firstly, it has launched important initiatives to bring down the prices and increase the supply of clean energy. These include a target of non-fossil fuel sources contributing to 50 per cent of India’s power generation capacity by 2030; a National Green Hydrogen Mission with the ambition of establishing annual renewable hydrogen production of 5 million tonnes (Mt) by 2030; and biofuel mandates that target 30 per cent blending of ethanol in petrol by 2030.
Secondly, India seeks to domesticate parts of the global supply chains that will be critical to its new energy economy. This includes the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme that promotes the domestic manufacturing of solar PV, advanced batteries and electric vehicles.
Thirdly, the government has focused on demand-side measures, including taking the first steps towards the creation of a national carbon market, an energy efficiency trading scheme for industries, incentivising the purchase of electric vehicles, bulk procurement of electric buses for public transport, standards and labelling of appliances, and most recently, the Lifestyles for Environment (LiFE) initiative that aims to nudge behaviours and individual consumption choices towards cleaner alternatives.
These measures have immense potential but need global support. The IEA estimates that India will need $145 billion per year until 2030 in clean energy investment to put it on a path towards net-zero emissions by 2070. This is triple the current level of annual clean energy investment in India.
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#Indias #economy #energy #efficient #G20 #average #IEA
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 6, 2023
Wealth of one person does not represent India’s pride: Mahua Moitra at MBIFL

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Thiruvananthapuram: India’s pride should not be represented by the wealth of an individual and authorities like SEBI should make it clear what kind of role they play in the economic sector, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra said here on Saturday.
She was apparently referring to the Adani saga that has rocked the country’s stock market.
Speaking at the Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters (MBIFL 2023), the opposition MP said she has been raising concerns about the rise of some particular business houses from 2019 but SEBI failed to even provide a reply.
“When Hindenburg, the short seller from the US, asked SEBI why they have not replied to my questions, they said they were yet to reach a logical conclusion to provide answers. This was to my questions in 2019,” the West Bengal MP recalled.
Earlier addressing the issue of “Women in Power Politics”, she said it is unfortunate that a law was needed to ensure that women who make up 50 percent of the population get a proportional representation.
Pointing to gender inequality that exists in today’s world, she said that in politics, like in every other field, qualities that are seen as admirable in men are a disadvantage for women.
“If you are tough, know your mind, have a clarity of vision…You are called depressive. You are called bossy. But the same qualities in a man are qualities to be lauded,” she said, eliciting a round of applause from the audience with a sizable section of women.
Answering questions about her transition from the corporate world to politics, Moitra said it was a steep learning curve for her.

“All parameters that one holds as success are not applicable in politics and it is not a level playing field. A person who has achieved a lot in his or her professional career may think that it would help them. But those accolades mean nothing if a class ten dropout or someone with criminal cases against them are more capable in winning elections,” she added.
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#Wealth #person #represent #Indias #pride #Mahua #Moitra #MBIFL
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 4, 2023
‘The first step is crucial for everyone’, says India’s youngest Everester Poorna Malavath

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Thiruvananthapuram: Taking the first step is very important and one should have the courage to move away from one’s comfort zone, said mountaineer Poorna Malavath, the youngest Indian to climb Mount Everest.
On 25 May 2014, Poorna climbed the Mount Everest aged 13 years and 11 months to become the youngest Indian and the youngest female to have reached the summit. Purna also climbed Mount Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe in July 2017.
Speaking at the Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters (MBIFL 2023) here, the climber from Telangana recalled her journey to the top of the world.
Poorna said she had no idea about mountain climbing when she grew up in Pakala in Telangana, which was part of Andhra Pradesh when she was born.
“My village was so remote that even to get a matchbox, we had to travel 7 km to the nearest shop. The nearest hospital was 60 km from my village,” she said.
Poorna recalled that the first rock climbing training had her literally shivering when one of the participants from her group fell down and suffered head injury which needed medical attention.
But the successful completion made her determined to continue her journey in adventure sports.
“Many people were questioning me about my choice and they were wondering why anyone, let alone a girl, would want to go climbing mountains. For them, a girl was supposed to go to school for a while, then get married and settle down,” she said.

The champion climber, who features in the elite group of climbers to conquer the seven summits (seven highest peaks across the globe), said her decision to continue despite the scary rock climbing training she got initially changed her life trajectory.
“At 13, I decided to pursue rock climbing and here I am, standing in front of you as a postgraduate who has climbed Mt Everest and the seven summits. My friend who got married at 13 now sends her children to the same school where we studied together,” she said.
Poorna said she got her parents to support her passion by instilling confidence in them about her ability and seriousness.
“Make your parents confident about your ability to achieve your aim and then they will support you,” she told a 30-year-old who said she was struggling to gain confidence of her parents even for routine chores.
The mountaineering expert said she wants to set up a system which will support young enthusiasts, especially girls, to venture into adventure sports like mountain climbing.
Poorna, who was listed on the Forbes India list of self-made women in 2020, said she plans to personally help anyone who wants to know about adventure sports.
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#step #crucial #Indias #youngest #Everester #Poorna #Malavath
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 3, 2023
IIH to provide higher education, foster research on India’s heritage, conservation: Govt

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New Delhi: The government has decided to set up the Indian Institute of Heritage in Uttar Pradesh’s Noida which will provide higher education and research on country’s heritage and conservation, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday.
Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy was asked whether the government is establishing new central universities of culture in the country, to which he replied, “no” in a written response.
“However, the government has decided to set up ‘Indian Institute of Heritage’
(IIH) as a deemed to be university as per UGC (Institutions Deemed to be Universities)
Regulations, 2019 at Noida, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh.
“It will be one of its kind in the country providing higher education and research in the fields of Indian heritage and conservation,” he said in his response.
In July 2021, Reddy had said in a written response in Lok Sabha that the IIH will be a “world-class university” that would focus on the conservation and research in India’s rich tangible heritage, while offering research, development and dissemination of knowledge, excellence in the education of its students and activities associated with heritage that contribute to the cultural, scientific and economic life of India.
The minister was also asked whether it is possible for the government to convert the Manipur Cultural University as a full-fledged central varsity.
Replying to the query, he said, “Ministry of Education has confirmed that there is no such proposal under consideration to convert Manipur Cultural University as a full-fledged central University”.

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#IIH #provide #higher #education #foster #research #Indias #heritage #conservation #Govt
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 2, 2023