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Lack of hydrogen infra hurdle in expanding green public transport: Gadkari
'In the coming days, green public transport is our future. Hydrogen buses are currently running on routes such as Delhi–Agra, Pune–Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram–Kochi. However, the biggest problem is the hydrogen filling stations and transport of hydrogen in which there needs to be a lot of work done,' he said while addressing the 24th Darbari Seth Memorial Lecture organised by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in New Delhi.
Gadkari underlined the need to shift away from private vehicles by offering airline-like facilities in public transport at lower costs. He cited the example of Nagpur's flash-charging electric bus system, which he said is more comfortable and cheaper than diesel-fuelled buses.
The minister suggested that municipal waste could be converted to green hydrogen to make it cheaper and more viable. Gadkari also stressed that building 'smart villages' is as important as developing smart cities. Deploying new technologies in critical areas like water, land, and forests can ensure rural growth along with creation of employment opportunities, he said.
He also said India must strive to become energy self-sufficient, moving from being a net importer to a net exporter of energy. While traditional power companies are under financial stress, the expansion of solar energy and nuclear power could help strengthen the sector, he added.
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Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Amit Shah tables 3 bills in Lok Sabha, sent to JPC amid chaos
Union home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday introduced in the Lok Sabha three contentious bills that bar any minister, chief minister or prime minister from holding the position after getting arrested, amid a storm of Opposition protests and sloganeering that even saw the draft legislation torn up and pieces of paper flung at the minister. Home Minister Amit Shah speaks in the Lok Sabha during the Monsoon session of Parliament on Wednesday(Sansad TV) Tempers flared, copies of the bills were torn and members of the ruling and opposition coalitions came face-to-face and jostled in the Lower House, which eventually sent the three bills to a joint parliamentary committee, comprising 21 members of the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha. Some Opposition members charged towards the Well of the House and even headed towards Shah who was introducing the bill around 2pm, forcing a brief adjournment and admonishment from speaker Om Birla. When the House was reconvened at 3pm, 15 marshals were brought inside the House and the home minister introduced the bills from the fourth row, instead of the first, guarded by marshals. 'On one hand, PM Narendra Modi has introduced a constitutional amendment to bring himself into the ambit of law. On the other hand, under the leadership of Congress, the entire opposition has opposed it in order to remain above the law, run governments from jail, and cling to power,' Shah posted on X. The three bills – the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, The Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill and The Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill – propose that a sitting minister, chief minister or even the Prime Minister can lose their position within a month if they are arrested or detained for 30 consecutive days over an offence that carries a jail term of five years or more. Shah rose to introduce the three bills – which will require a two-thirds majority in the House to become a law – shortly after 2pm. Almost immediately, at least five opposition MPs opposed it, saying the members were not given time to read the bill, and alleged that the bill will empower agencies to settle political rivalry, target opposition parties and undermine constitutional safeguards. Congress leader KC Venugopal, who also tore a copy of the bill, asked the home minister if he had resigned after being arrested when he was the state home minister in Gujarat. 'The people in BJP are saying that this bill will bring back morality in politics. I want to ask the home minister. He had been arrested. Whether he took the morality of resigning…This bill is to threaten people like Nitish Kumar (Bihar chief minister) and N Chandrababu Naidu (Andhra Pradesh CM).' An irate Shah responded immediately. 'When the allegations were levelled and before the arrest, I resigned on moral grounds. Until the courts passed an order, I did not accept any constitutional post. I want to assure that this bill will ensure morality. We should not have a situation where there are grave allegations and yet the person continues to hold the post,' he said. Trinamool Congress's Trinamool's Kalyan Banerjee, who was standing in front of Shah, turned around and tried to use the minister's microphone to oppose the bill. Some other TMC members hurled papers in front of the minister. Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju, who was seated on the second row, rushed to stand between the protestors and Shah. Minister of state Ravneet Singh Bittu also came running down. The bill was finally introduced at 3.02pm after a voice vote and sent to a JPC by 3.05pm after another voice vote. Opposition MPs, including All India Majlis-e- Ittehadul Muslimeen's Asaduddin Owaisi, Congress's Manish Tewari and Venugopal, and Revolutionary Socialist Party's NK Premachandran, spoke against the introduction, terming the proposed law against the Constitution and federalism. Demanding that Shah withdraw the bills, Tewari said they were 'squarely destructive' of the basic structure of the Constitution and turned the fundamental principle of the rule of law that a person is innocent till proven guilty on its head. The bills gave due procedure a go-by and made an investigating officer the 'boss of the Prime Minister of India', he said. Later in the evening, the home minister defended the bills. 'On account of the Modi government's commitment to restoring moral standards in politics and in view of the public resentment towards the menace, today with the Lok Sabha speaker's permission, I tabled constitutional amendment bills that will prevent people from holding important constitutional positions like Prime Minister, chief minister, or Union or state minister while in jail,' Shah later posted on X. He also attacked the Congress. 'I want to remind Congress that I had resigned even before being arrested. I did not hold any constitutional position, even after being released on bail, until the court fully acquitted me…The BJP and the NDA have always stood for moral values. On the other hand, the Congress party continues to carry forward the unethical tradition started by Smt. Indira Gandhi,' he said. The three bills propose an entirely new legal framework that will be applicable to ministers and CMs in states and Union territories such as Jammu & Kashmir, and Union ministers and the PM at the Centre. To be sure, the bills suggest that a dismissed minister, CM or PM can be appointed again after their release from custody. There is currently no provision to remove a sitting minister if they are accused of a crime. Only a Member of Parliament or legislative assembly can lose their seat (and if they're a minister, effectively their ministership) if they are convicted for a crime that carries a punishment of two years imprisonment or more. Owaisi said the bill violated the principle of separation of powers, undermined the elected government and gave executive agencies a free run to become a judge, jury and executioner based on flimsy allegations. 'Only when an offence is proved without reasonable doubt then only you can leave the post and membership. But here a mere accusation, allegation has the punishment of losing a minister post…This amendment will leave the CM and ministers at the mercy of the agencies,' he said.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Armed forces veterans to engage students at VNIT on Aug 22 & 23
Nagpur: India's some of the most decorated military leaders will converge at the Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT) on August 22–23 for a national conference on 'Role of Youth in Security and Development'. The event will be inaugurated virtually by Union minister Nitin Gadkari. Leading the panel of distinguished speakers will be former advisor to defence ministry Lt Gen (retd) Vinod Khandare, who was instrumental in strategic planning of Operation Sindoor. He will be joined by Lt Gen (retd) Shokin Chauhan, former director general of Assam Rifles and Lt Gen (retd) VK Chaturvedi, who had held key operational commands in the Indian Army. Vice admiral (retd) Raman Puri, founder-director of the College of Naval Warfare and former commander of fortress of Andaman and Nicobar, will speak on issues concerning maritime security. VNIT director Premlal Patel, addressing the media on Wednesday, said the highlight of the event would be the opportunity for students to engage directly with veterans who have shaped national security policies. He said the conference aims to develop policy-level recommendations with inputs from youth, ensuring that their perspective is integrated into strategic planning. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Market Volatility with Confidence Titan FX Sign Up Undo "In most discussions on security, the youth factor often gets sidelined. Through this conference, we want to bring it to the forefront," Patel said. Deliberations will cover a wide spectrum of issues, including internal security, economic resilience, and the growing importance of cybersecurity. "The presence of senior defence leaders will provide participants with a first-hand understanding of how complex security challenges are managed at the highest level," he said. Registration fees has been set at 2,000 for academicians and industry professionals, and 500 for students. Organisers believe the conference will set a benchmark for youth-driven contributions to national security and development strategies. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Delhi Confidential: First-hand Learning
Even Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has first-hand experience of traffic logjam on the Manesar route. At The Energy and Research Institute's (TERI) 24th Darbari Seth Memorial Lecture on Wednesday, Gadkari said he was once stuck for three hours on his way to Manesar to attend a wedding. Gadkari jokingly said that he swore that day not to take the route again. He also recounted that when he was new to Delhi, he would often get stuck in traffic at Dhaula Kuan near the airport, and after becoming a minister, he had to put in a lot of effort to decongest traffic at the spot. Deputy head of Russia's Mission in India, Roman Babushkin, on Wednesday began his 90-minute-long media interaction in New Delhi with 'shuruaat karenge', quickly adding 'Shree Ganesh karenge'. On being asked about Russia's support to India's air defence system, he said 'you mean Sudarshan Chakra' as declared by PM Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech. 'Next time, ask in Hindi, I can answer better,' he told the mediapersons. Amid the uproar over the Constitution amendment Bills tabled in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, the internal dynamics of the TMC were also on display. The party was the first to storm the well of the House when Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the Bill. TMC member Kalyan Banerjee rallied the party's MPs on to the Opposition side of the well. TMC MP Mahua Moitra and a few party MPs entered the well on the Treasury side. A few minutes later, Banerjee, too, came to the Treasury side and it was at this moment that papers were thrown at Shah by some women MPs, leading to a near scuffle between TMC and BJP MPs. Not long ago, a war of words between Moitra and Banerjee had ended up with TMC chief Mamata Banerjee replacing the party's leader in the House and also its chief whip.
