Student delegation visits Delhi Assembly
In a vibrant dialogue, students explored various facets of public participation and institutional oversight within Delhi's legislative processes. They engaged actively with Speaker Gupta, asking insightful questions and exchanging views on the role of youth in strengthening democratic governance.
Addressing the delegation, Speaker Vijender Gupta emphasized the pivotal role of legislative institutions in a democracy and encouraged students to contribute actively to public life with integrity and a spirit of service. Applauding the participants' keen interest in planned and democratic governance, he answered their questions during a 20-minute Q&A session.
'This Assembly belongs to the people,' said Gupta. 'Your curiosity and participation are powerful symbols of India's democratic future.' He also informed the students about several reform initiatives currently underway in the Delhi Assembly, including the recent adoption of the Audit Para Monitoring System (APMS) developed by the Government of India. This system enables real-time tracking of audit objections raised by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), marking a significant stride toward greater transparency and accountability.
Further showcasing the Assembly's commitment to sustainable governance, Gupta shared that a 500-kilowatt solar power project is being installed within the Assembly premises, expected to be completed by July. Once operational, this initiative will reduce the annual electricity expenditure by approximately Rs 2 crore.
'This project reflects our commitment to environmental sustainability and economic prudence,' he added.
Delving into India's legislative history, Gupta recounted a significant moment from March 18, 1919, when the Rowlatt Act was passed in Delhi.
During the heated debate, Mahatma Gandhi was present in the visitors' gallery and later addressed the public outside the Assembly premises. Speaker Gupta described this event as a defining example of civil resistance and people's participation, marking the deep roots of India's democratic journey.
In conclusion, Gupta urged the youth to become future torchbearers of democratic values, transparency, and accountability, and to act as a bridge between citizen leadership and institutional governance.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
a few seconds ago
- Indian Express
‘Purchased' honorary titles, international web of shell firms: How Ghaziabad conman operated fake embassy for 9 yrs
A pristine white bungalow, four flashy sedans with blue and white diplomatic number plates parked in the driveway, national flags from across the world and a man posing as an 'ambassador'. When Uttar Pradesh Police's Special Task Force (STF) raided the 'Embassy of Westarctica' in Ghaziabad's upscale Kavi Nagar neighbourhood earlier this week, they came across an elaborate con job. Far from an an ordinary swindler, Harsh Vardhan Jain, the accused, had been running a fake embassy of a country that doesn't exist, without raising any suspicion for the last nine years. Jain had planned every detail meticulously to build this façade, according to the police. He had allegedly printed fake press cards, doctored photos with top dignitaries and even 'purchased' honorary titles from self-proclaimed micronations. The preliminary investigation, police say, has revealed that Jain was running a multi-nation scam. How did Jain manage to execute such a fraud, undetected for years, right beneath the vigilant gaze of the local Ghaziabad Police is yet to be revealed. How Jain's fake embassy operation was finally exposed is also unknown. According to the UPSTF, Jain is a Ghaziabad-born MBA graduate who claims to have studied in London. His father, JD Jain, was a once reputed industrialist, with marble export businesses operating in Rajasthan. In the early 2000s, Jain reportedly came in contact with self-styled godman Chandraswami, who allegedly introduced him to arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi and Ehsan Ali Syed, another conman posing as a businessman who was convicted in a fraud case in Switzerland. With their help, Jain is said to have established more than a dozen companies in Dubai, London, and Mauritius — many of them shell firms used to collect 'brokerage' for jobs and promises of huge loans before duping them. After a few years in London and Dubai, Jain allegedly returned to India in 2011 and began projecting himself as a diplomat. Police say he leveraged honorary titles from unrecognised micronations — Seborga, Westarctica, and Lodonia — to set up a fake embassy in his Ghaziabad home. He had also been posing as the ambassador of a fictional nation called Poulvia. When STF officers entered the Kavi Nagar bungalow on July 22, they found what appeared to be a diplomatic mission: cars with blue number plates bearing phrases like 'Honorary Consul – Baron Westarctica', flags of different nations on the property, and signages that were creating the illusion of official legitimacy. Inside, they recovered over Rs 44 lakh in Indian currency, foreign currency from the United Kingdom, United States, United Arab Emirates, and Turkey, 20 sets of fake diplomatic number plates, 34 stamps and seals of various fake entities,12 passports (some from unrecognized nations), Fake IDs including press cards and two PAN cards, a laptop, phone, and over a dozen luxury watches. Jain had been running the operation, STF officials said, by posing as a diplomatic representative allegedly by using the fake IDs and doctored photos. His setup included 'morphed' images showing him with late President APJ Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, among other leaders, in an attempt to look credible. Through this lavish setup, he had allegedly been luring individuals and companies with promises of jobs and international business deals. To outsiders, the 'embassy' appeared credible, complete with red and green diplomatic license plates and signage that implied ties with multiple global institutions. Officials said he even issued bogus 'diplomatic passports' from micronations and collected money as 'fees' with promises of providing employment in these micronations. Micronations are self-proclaimed countries not recognised by any sovereign state. While any associations with these micronations are often symbolic, Jain had allegedly used his associations with them to create an aura of legitimacy. Seborga, one of the micronations of which he had been posing as an ambassador, is a self-declared principality in Italy. In its statement, it said that it appointed Jain as an honorary councilor in good faith after he had contacted them. The statement also clarified that it was a symbolic post with no legal or diplomatic standing. The principality said that over the years Jain had aso 'recommended individuals to represent Seborga in India' some of whom had been appointed by the micronation. Westarctica, which claims to be a non-profit organisation working towards the cause of preserving the Antarctic ice sheet, confirmed that Jain was given the honorary title of 'Consul to India' after he made a donation in 2016. However, he violated protocol by calling his residence an embassy and printing unauthorised materials like diplomatic number plates and passports, according to a statement. 'He was indefinitely suspended,' the group said in a statement. Ladonia, another micronation, which claims to provide a cultural identity for people who believe in free speech and artistic expression and has clear boundaries but mostly 'non-resident' citizens denied any ties with Jain. forged documents to claim he was its Ambassador to India and harassed officials after they refused to recognize him. In a detailed response to questions asked by The Indian Express, Ladonia's Press Officer, Julia Andersson, said Jain became a 'symbolic citizen' on November 12, 2016, and had 'purchased' an honorary barony title. The micronation alleged that in November 2017, Jain had forged a certificate falsely claiming to be Ladonia's Ambassador to India, backdating it to September 15, 2016, in an attempt to predate the symbolic appointment of another Indian individual and had been 'harrassing' its officials by spamming them with texts and mails requesting for Ladonian paraphernalia, a request that was denied by the micronation. According to STF and police officials, Jain's network spanned multiple countries. He alleegdly maintained 11 bank accounts in the UK, UAE, Mauritius, and India; set up shell firms like Island General Trading Co. LLC (Dubai), East India Company UK Ltd and State Trading Corporation Ltd (UK); claimed to help clients get international contracts or jobs abroad; charged hefty 'brokerage'and used these fake diplomatic affiliations that he had purchased to appear credible enough to seek business clients. Police sources said that he made over 30 trips to the UAE alone and visited over 40 countries in the past decade to build a globe-trotting con operation. Police are currently trying to determine the number of people defrauded. An FIR (No. 671/2025) has been registered at Kavi Nagar police station under sections 318(4), 336(3), 338, and 340(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, relating to forgery, impersonation, and cheating. Jain was remanded to judicial custody on July 23, where the STF seeked custodial remand to trace the full extent of his hawala network. Officials also said that the Income Tax Department would be informed about the seized cash and foreign currency. Further investigation is on into his multiple PAN cards, international accounts, and fake documentation.
The Hindu
2 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Rajasthan govt. announces ₹10 lakh each to kin of children killed in Jhalawar school building collapse
Amid demands for the resignation of State Education Minister Madan Dilawar, the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Rajasthan on Saturday announced an ex-gratia assistance of ₹10 lakh each to the next of kin of seven children killed in the school building collapse in Jhalawar district. One member of each family will also get a contractual job with the State government. The bodies of six children were cremated together in Piplodi village, where a portion of the government school in which they were studying collapsed on Friday morning, amid the cries of grieving families. The seventh child was cremated in Chandpura Bheelan village, situated nearby. The police stopped Congress MLA from Khanpur, Suresh Gurjar, and student leader from Jaipur, Nirmal Choudhary, on the Kota-Jhalawar road when they were going to meet the injured students admitted to the hospital. Another political leader, Naresh Meena, was detained when he staged a dharna outside the District Hospital in Jhalawar. Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma announced the formation of a permanent committee to review the safety of government schools, colleges, hostels and Anganwadi centres and undertake the repairing of dilapidated buildings. He also announced an increase from 15% to 20% in the permissible allocation for these buildings in the Dang, Magra and Mewat regions. Mr. Sharma said at a high-level meeting here that a provision of Rs.375 crore was made in this year's budget for repairing of schools and construction of new school buildings, besides the release of Rs.3 crore to each Assembly constituency for the purpose. 'The MLAs will also be entitled to recommend an expenditure of 20% of their annual allocation under the local area development fund in schools,' Mr. Sharma said. Civil rights groups in the State have termed Friday's mishap in Piplodi village an instance of 'gross administrative negligence' and demanded an immediate resignation of Education Minister Mr. Dilawar, holding him responsible for the deaths. The death of seven children and serious injuries to several others reflected the State government's utter failure, said the activists. People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL)-Rajasthan president Bhanwar Meghwanshi said there was a widespread danger to children studying in the dilapidated buildings amid the deterioration of school infrastructure. 'On the other hand, Mr. Dialwar's sole focus has been on communalising educational institutions,' Mr. Meghwanshi said. According to the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) 2023–24 data, 78 out of 94 students in the Government Upper Primary School in Piplodi belonged to tribal communities, as it is situated in the predominantly tribal area. 'This makes it clear that the government is not serious about the safety and education of children from tribal and backward regions,' Mr. Meghwanshi said. The PUCL urged the State government to learn from the Piplodi accident and immediately conduct a comprehensive safety audit of all school buildings. Mr. Meghwanshi said the dilapidated schools must be vacated, and children shifted to safe and secure learning environments without delay. The Opposition Congress also criticised the BJP government over the children's death, with Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi demanding a probe and strict punishment for the culprits. While pointing out that most of the victims were from the Bahujan community, Mr. Gandhi asked if their lives held no value for the BJP. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said in a post on X: 'A government that cannot even repair the roofs of schools for children, who are our country's future, despite complaints, shows big dreams of 'Viksit Bharat'.' The BJP, which boasts a lot about development, had ruined the country, Mr. Kharge said. (EOM)
Hans India
2 minutes ago
- Hans India
CM Fadnavis directs formation of committee to explore use of solar power in textiles sector
Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday directed the establishment of a committee comprising the textiles and energy departments to explore the use of solar power in the textiles sector to solve the power supply-related problems. Further, he instructed that a uniform criterion should be set for providing financial assistance to new cooperative spinning mills under the Social Justice, Tribal Development and Other Backward Classes Welfare Departments, saying that each department should make additional provision for the spinning mills under their jurisdiction. He chaired the review meeting of the textiles department, which was attended by Textiles Minister Sanjay Savkare, Legislative Council member Amrish Patel and senior officers from various departments. CM Fadnavis said that while extending the interest subsidy scheme on loans to cooperative spinning mills, they should be modernised and graded. A report should be prepared on the reopening of closed mills under the National Textile Corporation in the state. On that basis, action should be taken to submit a proposal to the Central Government for the reopening of closed mills. 'Necessary amendments should be made in the Integrated and Sustainable Textile Policy 2023-28. Along with this, a policy should be prepared regarding the recovery of government dues from cooperative spinning mills and cooperative power loom institutions. Further, the process of registering all power looms in the state should be completed. The process of obtaining a no-objection certificate from the Maharashtra State Khadi Village Industries Board for the repair of the building used by the Silk Directorate in Pune and the creation of other facilities should be completed immediately,' instructed CM Fadnavis. He also reviewed various issues relating to the creation of a new Maharashtra State Textiles Development Corporation, merger of Textiles Commissionerate and Silk Directorate to form Textiles and Silk Commissionerate, plan to allow sale of additional land from cooperative spinning mills, preparation of a new scheme for providing rehabilitation loans to spinning mills and a scheme for leasing spinning mills, action to revise the project report value of cooperative spinning mills from Rs 80.90 crore to Rs 118 crore and permanent acquisition of leased land from the Red Cross Society at Wai in Satara district for the District Silk Office.
