Air pollution in city down by 40%: AMC commissioner
He credited tree plantation drives, solid waste management, and dust control measures by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) for the improvement.
"Air pollution in Ahmedabad has dropped by 40%. Walk along the Sabarmati Riverfront road, and one won't feel the dust," Pani said, addressing the media after the meeting.
A statement from the AMC highlighted key sustainability initiatives, including projects generating 21 MW of wind energy and 2 MW of solar energy, LED streetlights, green building regulations, and promotion of waste segregation and composting.
AMC is also developing bio-CNG and waste-to-energy projects, he added.
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Ahmedabad now aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070, in line with India's goals. "Ahmedabad city is committed to the World Bank's Resilient and Inclusive Cities initiative. With technical support from the World Bank and global best practices, Ahmedabad is progressing towards becoming the world's best and most resilient and inclusive city," said Pani.
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The Hindu
13 hours ago
- The Hindu
MEA ‘nearly lost the plot' on Indus Treaty negotiations, says former Finance Secretary Subhash Garg
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) nearly 'lost the plot' over the Indus Water Treaty talks with Pakistan in 2016, as senior MEA officials entered into a tussle with the World Bank, before the issue was retrieved — the claim is made by former Finance Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg, India-appointed Executive Director at the World Bank (2014-2017), in his latest book, which recounts for the first time the tensions between the Modi government and World Bank President Jim Kim over the Kishenganga hydropower project. The point of contention was whether the World Bank, which has a limited role in guiding any disputes or differences between India and Pakistan, would decide to appoint the 'court of arbitration' Pakistan had asked for, or a 'neutral expert', as India wanted. After his controversial first book about his unceremonious exit from the Union Finance Ministry, Mr. Garg has now taken aim at the MEA in his new book, No, Minister: Navigating Power, Politics and Bureaucracy with a Steely Resolve, where he says he was sidelined during the initial stages of the Indus Water Treaty negotiations in 2016. He also claims that he was told to 'keep off the matter', and only attend meetings to be led by India's Deputy Chief of Mission Taranjit Sandhu (later the Ambassador to the U.S. before he retired and joined politics). '[However], by the middle of November, the MEA team was getting nervous. It was not able to nudge the World Bank team in the direction it wanted, i.e., to appoint a neutral expert and began to sense that the Bank was tilting towards Pakistan,' Mr. Garg wrote, in the chapter titled 'Bringing Indus Waters Arbitration Back From the Brink'. At this point, the book claims that Mr. Jaishankar made a visit to Washington and asked Mr. Garg to take charge of matters. Mr. Garg accepted the request, but insisted that no MEA official join the discussions, and even turned back then MEA Joint Secretary Gopal Baglay (now India's High Commissioner to Australia) from the meeting with Mr. Kim, although he had travelled non-stop for 20 hours to reach Washington. According to Mr. Garg, it was his own intervention, in a one-on-one meeting with Mr. Kim, that eventually helped ensure a neutral expert, Ian Solomon, was appointed, after the World Bank accepted Pakistan's demand for a court of arbitration at The Hague. The MEA did not respond to a request for comments on Mr. Garg's claims. The Hindu also reached out to Mr. Sandhu and Mr. Baglay for a comment, and they did not respond to or deny the claims. In Washington, World Bank officials privy to the negotiations confirmed the tussle between the World Bank and the Indian government, but said they could not comment on whether it was Mr. Garg's meeting with the World Bank chief or other interventions that eventually changed the course of events. The World Bank first ruled that having a neutral expert and court together could lead to 'contradictory outcomes'. However, subsequently, it facilitated the setting up of both an expert as well as a Chairperson to the Court of Arbitration. India has refused to attend the proceedings in the Court of Arbitration at The Hague. Pakistan has maintained that it is working within the terms of the treaty, whereas India says the treaty does not allow such parallel dispute mechanisms. When asked by The Hindu, Mr. Garg said this should not have been an 'institutional turf battle', and that he did not want India's case to be 'compromised' even as the World Bank, the U.S. and the U.K. had gone ahead with appointing experts to take the Pakistan application for arbitration forward. Allowing Pakistan's diplomats to continue the process unchallenged would have an impact on other negotiations, he added. After the Pahalgam terror attacks in April this year, India has decided to 'suspend' the Indus Water Treaty, but some of the book's revelations are significant for future decisions on similar issues. The book recounts Pakistan's campaign against the Kishenganga and Ratle hydropower projects in Jammu-Kashmir; India's objections to the International Monetary Fund/World Bank funding of the Gulpur hydropower project in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir; and China's objections in 2010 to multilateral funding for a hydropower project in Arunachal Pradesh, leading Mr. Garg to conclude that the government and the World Bank needed better communication between themselves. Mr. Garg also pointed out that Mr. Kim and Mr. Modi had a good relationship, and Mr. Kim's plan to fund schemes for 'stunted' or malnourished children had not gone down well with Mr. Modi. In Parliament this week, the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development said that about 37% of children under five years registered on their tracker were found to be stunted. 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Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Saudi Arabia unveils 'Skills Week' to sharpen youth talent in line with labour market needs
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National Vision & Strategic Framework Led by the newly established Skills & Training Deputyship, Skills Week underscores collaboration between government institutions and private-sector stakeholders. Operating under the national Labour Market Strategy (approved in 2020) and the National Skills Strategy, the campaign seeks to foster a sustainable skills ecosystem embedded in lifelong learning and market alignment. Flagship Initiatives & Milestones Waad Training Initiative Phase I exceeded targets, delivering 129% of planned training via collaboration with 14 private firms. Phase II aims to deliver 3 million training opportunities by 2028 through partnerships with over 65 public-private entities. Sector Skills Framework & Councils Introduced a Sector Skills Framework mapping over 8,500 technical skills across 12 priority sectors. Supported by 13 Sector Skills Councils with more than 200 industry experts, guiding curriculum and training design. 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Broader Reform Agenda Skill Accelerator Program : Targeting the training or retraining of over 300,000 Saudis by 2027, focusing on seven high-growth sectors through more than 3,000 national training offerings with local and global partners. Professional Verification Program : Expanded to cover over 160 countries and 1,000+ professions, verifying qualifications of foreign talent before entry to ensure quality standards in crucial sectors such as engineering, education, and healthcare. Education Reform Linkage : Aligned with the Human Capability Development Program, spanning from early education to higher learning and adult education initiatives, to close gaps between academic outcomes and labor market needs. Significant competitiveness gains have already been recorded: Saudi Arabia climbed 11 places globally in workforce training rankings (IMD), rose to 9th in labor productivity per employee, and ranked 5th in ease of finding skilled talent (INSEAD) in 2024. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Why It Matters Labour Productivity Boost : With productivity among the highest in G20 economies as mentioned in AlArabiya (4.9% increase in 2022), these reforms signal systemic impact. Reduction of Skills Mismatches : Mapping clear skill requirements across sectors helps ensure training aligns with real market demands. Youth Empowerment & Employment : The campaign directly supports Saudi youth by linking education, training, and career opportunities. Private Sector Integration : Deepening collaboration between government and industry optimises employment pipelines and workforce planning. Expat Perspective National reforms like Skills Week benefit not only Saudis but also expatriates and foreign investors: Career Alignment : Clearly defined skill frameworks mean better opportunities for professionals seeking work in Saudi mega‑projects. Transparent Standards : The Validation Programme and standardized taxonomy ensure credential visibility for foreign workers. Investment Appeal : A skilled, productive workforce enhances Saudi Arabia's attractiveness for international collaboration under Vision 2030. With Skills Week as a focal point, Saudi Arabia is confidently spearheading a shift toward a skills-first labor model. Anchored by data-driven policy making, sectoral collaboration, and technology-enabled standards, the Kingdom is accelerating its Vision 2030 goals, positioning Saudi youth, workers, and stakeholders for success in an increasingly competitive global economy. These coordinated reforms, from surveying workforce gaps to launching classification systems and accelerators, reflect a commitment to building a future-ready labor market. As the demand for talent grows in sectors like giga-projects, tourism, and technology, Skills Week stands as a benchmark initiative: aligning education with opportunity, and ambition with capability.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
Ludhiana: Consumer forum directs firm to pay ₹5k for deficient service
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