
Technology won't replace workforce, assures Labour Minister Mandaviya
Empower your mind, elevate your skills
Union Minister for Labour & Employment Mansukh Mandaviya assured stakeholders that artificial intelligence and emerging technologies pose no threat to India's workforce, emphasising that human operators will remain indispensable in the digital age.Speaking at the 3rd Global Industrial Relations Summit organised by FICCI-AIOE in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and International Organisation of Employers (IOE) in Geneva, Mandviya dismissed concerns about technology-driven job displacement."AI and technology cannot replace manpower or workforce. There is absolutely no threat to workforce or jobs due to technology or AI as technology will be operated by human only," the minister declared during his address to the international gathering of industry leaders and policymakers.Mandaviya's remarks come amid growing global concerns about automation potentially rendering millions of jobs obsolete across various sectors. However, the minister maintained an optimistic outlook, arguing that technological advancement will create new opportunities rather than eliminate existing ones."Even after the emergence of AI or technology, the requirement for workforce or manpower will always be there because the technology will be operated by humans only," he reiterated, highlighting the complementary relationship between human skills and technological capabilities.Dr Mandaviya further stated that industries need to change with time and adopt new developments. The government, he added, is taking a holistic approach to ensure economic growth along with new employment generation. Speaking on the new Employment Linked Incentive scheme , the Minister said that the government launched the scheme to ensure new jobs."It is a long-term plan, and India needs to establish its own parameters to meet global parameters. From 1st August, the scheme will be rolled out," he added.Roberto Suarez Santos, Secretary General of the International Organisation of Employers (IOE) in Geneva, acknowledged the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on modern workplaces. "AI and digitalisation are already transforming how we work, how we live, and how we govern. And one thing is clear: they are here to stay," he observed.Santos pointed to the expanding role of AI in human resources and management decisions, noting that "across industries, AI is now being integrated to support decision-making processes that directly affect people's lives. It can screen job applicants and evaluate employee performance."His comments underscore the rapid integration of AI tools in workplace management, from recruitment processes to performance evaluation systems, suggesting a fundamental shift in how organisations operate.FICCI Director General Jyoti Vij emphasised the need for industrial relations frameworks to adapt to changing work dynamics. "As we navigate unprecedented shifts in how, where and why work is done, industrial relations must evolve from a compliance-based approach towards a strategic enabler of competitiveness, social justice and long-term sustainability," she stated. (ANI)
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Mint
2 hours ago
- Mint
Govt races to build transmission firms amid push to meet 2030 clean energy goal
New Delhi: The government has accelerated efforts to upgrade India's electricity transmission backbone, which had been slacking amid a growing need to integrate the country's rapidly expanding green power capacity to the grid. In the first half of 2025, more than 30 power sector firms—mostly transmission companies and infrastructure investment trusts—were incorporated, ministry of corporate affairs data show. The number of power sector enterprises established this year by the Union government jumped from two in February to 10 in June. India has made rapid progress in adding renewable power capacity—its non-fossil fuel capacity of 242.8 GW accounts for about half of the total installed capacity of 484.8 GW—but the transmission infrastructure has not kept pace. India is targeting 500 GW of clean energy capacity by 2030. A wider and robust transmission network is required also because the addition of renewable power such as solar and wind energy increases chances of grid instability and largescale power outages as these are intermittent sources of power. In 2024-25, 8,830 circuit kilometres (ckm) of transmission network was added, nearly 38% lower than the 14,203 ckm added in FY24, show data from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA). But in the first two months of this fiscal year (April-May), transmission capacity addition has gained pace—with 620 ckm of transmission lines added, up from 391 ckm in the same year-ago period. Overall, India currently has a power transmission network of 495,405 ckm, and as per the National Electricity Plan. An additional 191,000 ckm of transmission lines would be required by 2031-32. According to the National Electricity Plan for transmission released by the CEA in October, this will require a cumulative investment of ₹9.15 trillion in India's power transmission sector to ensure steady power supply as well as add battery storage capacity. The plan entails integration of 10 GW of offshore wind capacity, 47 GW of battery energy storage systems, and 30 GW of pumped storage plants. Additional transmission capacity would also cater to the needs of green hydrogen and green ammonia manufacturing hubs. As India's transmission capacity addition gains pace, the focus will shift from inter-state transmission systems to intra-state transmission systems, leading to greater role of state agencies and companies, said Alok Kumar, former secretary in the Union ministry of power. As the 100% waiver of ISTS (inter-state transmission system) charges for renewable energy ended in June, and there would be a gradual decline in the waiver, the focus would now be more on the intra-state transmission and expansion at the state-level," he said. Inter-state transmission system charges are fees payable by developers to transmit electricity from one state to another. Renewable energy projects completed by 30 June are being offered a 100% waiver in ISTS charges for 25 years. Developers who complete their projects on or before 30 June 2026 will be offered a 75% waiver for 25 years, and projects commissioned by 30 June 2028 will get a 25% waiver. Projects that remain incomplete beyond 30 June 2028 will not be offered any waiver. More power to state-run projects State-run power sector companies are allowed to spend ₹85,838 crore towards capital and operational expenditure this financial year, about 21% more than in FY25, Union Budget documents show. This includes debt and internal resources. The parent entities behind the 10 state-run power enterprises established this year include NLC India Renewables Ltd, which is the green energy arm of NLC India Ltd; NTPC Green Energy Ltd, a subsidiary of NTPC Ltd; Power Finance Corp.; Coal India Ltd; and Gail India Ltd, show data from the ministry of corporate affairs. In addition, PFC Consulting Ltd, a subsidiary of Power Finance Corp., set up multiple transmission projects, including Wagdari Transmission Ltd and Saswad Transmission Ltd. REC Power Development and Consultancy Ltd, a unit of state-owned REC Ltd, established special purpose vehicles Rajgarh Neemuch Power Transmission Ltd, Ananthapuram II Power Transmission Ltd, and Davanagere Power Transmission Ltd to step up India's power transmission capacity. Earlier this month, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved a special exemption for NLC India Ltd to invest ₹7,000 crore in NLC India Renewables Ltd. NIRL, in turn, would invest in various projects directly or through the formation of joint ventures without having to obtain approval. This investment is exempted from the 30% net worth ceiling stipulated by the Department of Public Enterprises for overall investment by central public sector companies in joint ventures and subsidiaries, allowing NLC India Ltd and NIRL greater operational and financial flexibility. The exemptions aim to support NLC India Ltd's ambitious target of developing 10.11 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030 and expanding this to 32 GW by 2047. NIRL Assam Renewables Ltd and NIRL Rajasthan Renewables Ltd, which were established in May and June, respectively, are focused on solar, wind, and hybrid renewable energy projects. NTPC-Mahapreit Green Energy Ltd, established in April, will focuson the development, operation, and maintenance of renewable energy parks, including ultra mega renewable energy power parks and other renewable energy projects in Maharashtra. These will comprise solar, wind, and hybrid technologies, with or without energy storage solutions, and have a cumulative capacity of up to 10 GW. NTPC-Mahapreit is a 74:26 joint venture between NTPC Green Energy and Mahatma Phule Renewable Energy and Infrastructure Technology Ltd.


Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
LS, not RS, will take up HC judge impeachment
The Union government on Friday said that the motion to impeach justice Yashwant Varma will be brought in the Lok Sabha, ending the ambiguity about the high-profile process created after two separate notices were moved in both Houses of Parliament earlier this week. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla chairs a meeting of the leaders of all parties to discuss the functioning of the House, in New Delhi on Friday. (ANI) People aware of the matter said that the notice in the Rajya Sabha, signed by 63 members and mentioned by former vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar, was only submitted and not admitted. They also said that there were procedural lapses in the notice submitted in the Upper House and that the report of the inquiry committee set up by the apex court was shared only with the Lok Sabha, not the Rajya Sabha. HT has reported that the former vice-president's move to kickstart the impeachment process of justice Varma in the Rajya Sabha took the government, which wanted the process to go through the Lok Sabha, by surprise, and it was the trigger that prompted the abrupt resignation on Monday night. '...There shouldn't be any doubt that the discussion and motion proceedings to remove justice Yashwant Varma will begin in the Lok Sabha,' said Union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju. He said the parties have agreed that the motion will be moved in the Lok Sabha and concurred in the Rajya Sabha, as per the rules. Rijiju also said that a special discussion on Operation Sindoor will begin in the Lok Sabha on Monday, for which 16 hours was allocated, and that the Rajya Sabha will take up the discussion a day later for the same duration. A notice for the impeachment of justice Varma, who is facing charges of corruption, signed by 152 lawmakers was submitted to Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla on Monday. But the same day, then chairman of the Rajya Sabha Dhankhar told the Upper House that another notice for the impeachment of the judge with the signatures of 63 Opposition members was submitted. Dhankhar went on to add that if the motion is presented in both Houses on the same day, the provisions for appointing the probe committee vary and the committee shall be constituted jointly by the speaker and the chairman. That evening, Dhankhar suddenly resigned from his position, citing health reasons. The formation of the committee was then put on hold. As per the Judges (Inquiry) Act of 1968, once a motion to remove a judge is admitted in any of the Houses, the speaker of the Lok Sabha or the chairman of the Rajya Sabha, as the case may be, will constitute a three-member committee to investigate the grounds on which the removal has been sought. The committee will comprise the chief justice of India (CJI) or a Supreme Court judge, the chief justice of one of the high courts, and a distinguished jurist. As per the procedure, the Speaker has to write to the CJI seeking suggestions for the names of the judges to be included in the panel. A senior government functionary said the decks have now been cleared for the formation of the committee by the Lok Sabha Speaker. 'The motion was not admitted in the Rajya Sabha. The chairman's statement itself makes it clear…he had directed the secretary-general to take steps in the direction. The secretariat has found that the notice submitted in Rajya Sabha is not in order,' said the functionary, speaking on condition of anonymity. The functionary also added that the President had forwarded the SC report to the Lok Sabha and not the Rajya Sabha. A senior government functionary said the decks have now been cleared for the formation of the committee in the Lok Sabha. 'The motion was not admitted in the Rajya Sabha. The chairman's statement itself makes it clear…he had directed the secretary-general to take up the issue. The secretariat has found that the notice submitted in Rajya Sabha is not in order,' said the functionary, speaking on condition of anonymity. The functionary also added that the President's report was sent to the Lok Sabha and not the Rajya Sabha. Based on a three-member committee's report, then Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna in May recommended to the President and the Prime Minister to initiate proceedings to remove justice Varma from office. Rijiju declined to comment on Dhankhar's statement but said the government was making efforts to build a consensus between political parties to support the motion for impeachment as the issue of corruption in the judiciary should be taken up not just by the government but the entire political class. To a question on whether there will be consultation between the Lok Sabha speaker and the deputy chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, Harivansh, on the formation of the committee, Rijiju said, 'All parties have agreed that the removal has to be a joint call… once we have agreed (to the impeachment) in the Lok Sabha, it will be concurred in the Rajya announcement about the formation of the committee should come from the chair.' He did not rule out the possibility of a discussion between the speaker and the deputy chairman and said, '..That will be our internal issue.' The people cited above said the notice submitted in the Rajya Sabha was not admitted as it was found to have 'procedural lapses'. 'While he (Dhankhar) mentioned the Supreme Court's report on justice Varma and the recommendation made by the President, there were no relevant documents attached in the annexure because correspondence related to these was not shared with the Rajya Sabha Secretariat or the vice-president's office,' said the functionary quoted above. The entire process of impeachment must be completed in the monsoon session that ends on August 21. Justice Varma will get up to three opportunities to defend himself before Parliament. Parliament proceedings have been disrupted this week with the Opposition demanding a discussion on the special intensive revision in Bihar and a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Operation Sindoor. Rijiju said a consensus was reached between the ruling coalition and the Opposition on taking up a special discussion on Operation Sindoor in the Lok Sabha on Monday and in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. The discussion will not be under any rule, which means there is no need for voting at the end. The controversy began after wads of charred cash were allegedly found at the residence of justice Varma, then a Delhi high court judge, on March 14 following a fire. On March 22, the top court formed an inquiry committee, comprising then high court chief justices Sheel Nagu (Punjab & Haryana), GS Sandhawalia (Himachal Pradesh), and justice Anu Sivaraman (Karnataka high court). The 64-page inquiry report cited 'strong inferential evidence' to conclude that justice Varma had 'covert or active control' over the charred cash. While admitting that no direct evidence linked him to the currency, the panel held that his conduct 'belied the trust' reposed in a constitutional judge and warranted impeachment proceedings. The committee concluded that even if the money had been stored without his explicit knowledge, its presence in his official residence 'eroded public trust' and constituted judicial misconduct of a grave nature. The findings of the report were submitted to then CJI Khanna on May 3. Five days later, he wrote to the PM and President.


Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Ex-deputy Chief Minister among six names shortlisted for UP BJP chief's post
The Uttar Pradesh unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has sent a shortlist of six names – two Brahmins, two from the backward community and two from the Dalit community, all men – to the national leadership that is set to pick the next chief of the state unit, a senior party leader said on Friday. The BJP, which has already picked state chiefs in over 25 of 37 organisational units, is also gearing up to name its next national president.(File Photo / Representational Image) India's most populous state is set to go to the polls in early 2027 and the choice of the state unit chief is considered among the key decisions in front of the BJP, which will look to reverse its Lok Sabha setback in the state and secure a third consecutive term in Lucknow. The BJP, which has already picked state chiefs in over 25 of 37 organisational units, is also gearing up to name its next national president. The new state chief will replace Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, a Jat leader from western Uttar Pradesh, said the BJP leader. The names suggested include former deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma and former Basti MP Harish Dwivedi (both Brahmins), sitting UP minister Dharampal Singh and sitting Union minister of state BL Verma (both OBCs), and former Union minister Ram Shankar Katheria and sitting MLC Vidya Sagar Sonkar (both Dalits). 'On our part, we have suggested to the central leadership suitable names that can be considered for the post of UP BJP chief and the leadership is actively evaluating them. A decision is likely within the next two weeks, possibly earlier,' said the leader. Sharma, a Brahmin leader known for his clean image and academic credentials, enjoys the confidence of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the top leadership. Dwivedi, also a Brahmin, brings youth and parliamentary experience, having served as an MP from Basti and a national secretary in the party. Both Dharmpal Singh and BL Verma are from the influential Lodh community. Singh, a senior minister in the UP cabinet, has decades of legislative and ministerial experience. Verma, currently Union minister of state, is seen as a disciplined and low-profile organiser with deep RSS links. He enjoys trust within the organisation. Katheria, a former Union minister and ex-chairman of the National Scheduled Caste Commission, is known for his aggressive articulation of Hindutva and Dalit identity. Sonkar, an MLC, is a low-key but loyal party worker with influence in eastern UP. UP BJP chief Bhupendra Chaudhary said, 'We have apprised the high command of our views. Now, it is for the central leadership to declare the name of the new president for the state and this, we hope will happen very soon.'