Delhi govt to provide subsidies to promote e-vehicles, says CM Gupta
Rekha Gupta
said on Saturday.
Delivering a valedictory address at Aironomics, 2025 convention, she highlighted Delhi government's different initiatives to combat air pollution.
Transformation of all the vehicles, including private ones, into electric vehicles (EVs) is a big vision for which Delhi government is coming up with a new EV policy, she said.
"We will urge people to purchase electric vehicles for which they will be provided subsidies," she said.
Gupta also said that air pollution is a year long problem that required sustained efforts for which her government is hiring 1000 water sprinklers to be used to combat dust on the roads through out the year.
"In view of traffic, these sprinklers will operate in early morning and late night hours so that no congestion is there on the roads," she said.
Further, the government is also deploying integrated machines across 70 Assembly constituencies in Delhi that will perform the task of mechanical sweeping of the roads, water sprinkling and litter collection, she said.
She urged the gathering to join the mission to ensure a clean green Delhi by contributing to government's initiatives to check biomass burning , expanding green cover cover and EV adoption.
Former New and Renewable Energy Secretary Bhupinder Bhalla speaking on air quality in the capital said that the Central government and Delhi government need to align their efforts to check pollution in the city.
According to a statement, several panelists discussed, 'Turning the Tide: Delhi's moment to lead on clean air' session held under the broader Aironomics 2025 convention, hosted by the Bharat Climate Forum (BCF), Dalberg Advisors and the Council for International Economic Understanding (CIEU).
"Earlier one would say not much is happening, but now there's momentum. Now there are two common governments with a common agenda in Delhi. Now even the local bodies are also on the same page. Therefore, anything that is decided will be implemented by everyone and at a much faster pace," Bhalla told PTI.
Also speaking at the session, Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) Chairman Sanjiv Kumar spoke about the need for cost-efficient, real-time pollution monitoring systems.
"We want to improve efficiency so that we can do more coverage and find better solutions. If we can identify whether a plant in a particular location is causing a surge, we'll be able to intervene more effectively," he said.
The summit also launched Phase 2 of the Air Quality Action Forum (AQAF), jointly announced by Paytm Foundation and UNEP. The platform will support cities and innovators with tools, data, and financing models to scale local clean air solutions, added the statement.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
12 minutes ago
- Hans India
Karnataka's ‘study abroad scheme' attracts over 5,000 aspirants
Bengaluru: Over 5,000 students have already registered for the Karnataka government's ambitious Study Abroad initiative through the Karnataka Vocational Training and Skill Development Corporation (KVTSDC), under the Department of Skill Development. Encouraging more participation, the department announced that students can still enrol by attending the day-long Study Abroad Expo at Hotel Lalit Ashok on August 17. Over 60 international universities, presenting attractive academic opportunities for Karnataka students, have already camped at the venue, the official statement in this regard said. To ease financial concerns, several public and private banks have set up stalls offering education loans at competitive interest rates. Public undertaking Karnataka Bank has assured the government of the most student-friendly financial packages, the statement said. 'Studying abroad is no longer a privilege reserved for the wealthy. With our government's initiative, even students from economically weaker backgrounds can now pursue higher education overseas without financial burden. This is the first-of-its-kind initiative in India, making global education accessible to all sections of society,' said Sharanaprakash Patil, minister for medical education, skill development, entrepreneurship and livelihood. Unlike private programmes that end support once students leave India, the government-backed scheme guarantees continued assistance abroad - covering welfare, academic progress, and legal aid. The expo also ensures transparency, offering free guidance from university selection to post-departure support, without agency fees, Minister Patil stated. The Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood, Government of Karnataka, through the Karnataka Vocational Training and Skill Development Corporation (KVTSDC), has organised the International Study Abroad Fair – 2025 on Sunday. The event will be inaugurated by Sharan Prakash R. Patil, Minister for Medical Education, Skill Development, and Livelihood. "The Study Abroad initiative by Karnataka Vocational Training and Skill Development Corporation (KVTSDC) is designed to simplify and secure the journey of youth of Karnataka towards global education. This Expo offers students a comprehensive platform to get complete guidance on turning their dream of studying abroad into reality. We aim to empower Karnataka's students with transparent, value-based, and personalised guidance for higher education abroad," states the KVTSDC. Individuals who are aspiring to pursue undergraduate, postgraduate, diploma, or professional courses in foreign institutions can apply.
News18
36 minutes ago
- News18
Gilgit-Baltistan: A New Uprising In Pakistan's ‘Last Colony' Against Oppressive Rule
Last Updated: For decades, GB has sought autonomy, political representation, and development aligned with local needs and ambitions, but has faced growing neglect and exploitation from Pakistan A fresh wave of resistance against the Pakistani state's illegal occupation of the region is being witnessed in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). The local traders and business community of GB have launched a movement to oppose trade and travel between Pakistan and China via the Khunjerab Pass. This latest protest is the outcome of the relentlessly exploitative economic and political conditions imposed on GB by the Pakistani state. The protest by the traders has come close on the heels of a mass movement by the local residents of GB against the controversial Land Reforms Act, 2025, passed on May 21. For the last four weeks, traders have been continuing with a sit-in at the Karakoram Highway, bringing the region to a standstill. They are demanding recognition of local interests by Islamabad as well as its accountability. To understand GB's tumultuous relationship with Islamabad, it is important to look at the history of this asymmetric and oppressive power dynamic, which continues to disenfranchise, marginalise, and politically erase the identity, aspirations, and future of the people of this region. According to the US-based Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), Pakistan has treated GB more as a colony rather than as part of the federation. 'The region has long been regarded by Pakistan not as a cherished part of the federation, but as a distant and burdensome periphery. Successive governments have turned a blind eye to the fundamental needs of the humble inhabitants of Gilgit-Baltistan, relegating the region to an ad hoc governance framework administered from afar—governed not by participatory laws, but by decrees handed down from Islamabad," says a recent MEMRI report. The origins of this injustice lie in the 1949 Karachi Agreement. Under this 'agreement", the control of GB (then called Northern Areas) was transferred from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) to Islamabad without any representative from the region. Since then, Islamabad has directly ruled GB through the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs, using the draconian colonial-era Frontier Crimes Regulation. Its constitutional status remains in limbo as Pakistan has tried to use it to build another false narrative by linking it to the resolution of the Kashmir issue with India. But to deal with growing frustration among the local residents, it introduced limited self-governance reforms to the region, renaming it 'Gilgit and Baltistan' in 2009. However, this move was exposed as hollow; right from the beginning, the GB assembly was systematically populated by 'compliant figureheads or puppets, rather than leaders who dared to interpret their roles with independence and purpose," as emphasised in the MEMRI analysis. For decades, GB has sought autonomy, political representation, and development aligned with local needs and aspirations, but instead has faced growing neglect and exploitative policies from Pakistan. The Pakistani magazine Herald once described Gilgit-Baltistan as Pakistan's 'last colony", a phrase that aptly reflects Islamabad's governing attitude toward the region. Very recently, GB was engulfed in massive demonstrations against the forcibly passed Land Reforms Act, 2025. This legislation was opposed by the people, as it would enable land grabs by Punjabi landlords and the Pakistani military, displace the local population, and exploit natural resources. This law would also intensify military control. As GB is the only region under Pakistan's occupation that has a Shia and Ismaili majority, Islamabad has also undertaken a systematic campaign of altering the demography by opening up the region to outsiders. Now, fed up with increasing federal taxes and deliberate obstacles to local trade, GB traders—backed by a host of local political parties and religious groups—have sustained a resilient sit-in at Sost. This powerful show of solidarity and demand for justice compelled Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan and Governor Mehdi Shah to seek federal intervention, leading to the formation of a federal committee to make recommendations for the issue's resolution. The protestors' demands are simple: exemption from income, sales, and other federal taxes on commodities imported from China through the Khunjerab Pass—deemed illegal by traders considering GB's lack of constitutional status—and urgent customs clearance for 280 consignments stuck at Sost Dry Port under a one-time amnesty scheme. Ironically, while Gilgit-Baltistan is considered to be geographically very significant for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Islamabad's treatment of local traders sends a clear message that it is least bothered about the interests of the local population and is only interested in exploiting the strategic position and resources of the region. All routes connecting Pakistan to China, including the critical Karakoram Highway, pass through GB, which should ideally have brought more economic opportunities for the local population. However, in contrast, it has resulted in increased Chinese military presence. This reinforces the fact that Pakistan follows the template of exploiting the region while keeping the people underdeveloped. If the locals dare to express their aspirations, they are handled brutally by the Pakistani military and its death squads. Therefore, the traders' blockade in GB represents more than an economic conflict—it is the roar of a voice silenced for decades from a region long suffering under the thumb of Islamabad's colonial and oppressive policies. The writer is an author and columnist. His X handle is @ArunAnandLive. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views. Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google. tags : China Kashmir pakistan view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: August 16, 2025, 22:02 IST News opinion Global Watch | Gilgit-Baltistan: A New Uprising In Pakistan's 'Last Colony' Against Oppressive Rule Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
2 hours ago
- Business Standard
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta thanks PM Modi for Urban Extension Road-II project
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday for the construction of the Urban Extension Road (UER) II, saying it will contribute to the "Viksit Delhi" vision. Accompanied by Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva and local MP Yogender Chandolia, Gupta inspected the venue for the inauguration of the UER-II at Rohini Sector 37, from where the road will be inaugurated by the prime minister on Sunday. Describing the project as a "historic gift" for the city, the chief minister said the inauguration of the UER-II will not only move Delhi closer to becoming a traffic-free capital but also strengthen connectivity across the National Capital Region (NCR). "The UER-II is not just an infrastructure project, it is an investment in the future of Delhi. It will improve the traffic flow, cut travel time drastically and uplift the quality of life for lakhs of people living in Delhi and NCR," she said. The corridor will start at National Highway-44 (Alipur), traverse through Mundka, Bakkarwala, Najafgarh and Dwarka, and terminate at National Highway-48, near Mahipalpur. Highlighting its utility, Gupta said one of the most significant advantages of the road is the reduction in travel time from the Singhu border to the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport. It will now take just 40 minutes to cover the distance, compared to almost two hours earlier. "The pressure on Inner and Outer Ring Roads will be substantially reduced, while major junctions such as Mukarba Chowk, Madhuban Chowk, Peeragarhi Chowk, Dhaula Kuan and NH-9 will no longer face heavy congestion. This will be a huge relief for lakhs of daily commuters," she noted. The UER-II will also act as a critical link connecting major highways, including NH-44 (Alipur), NH-9 (Bahadurgarh) and NH-48 (Mahipalpur). This improved connectivity will also expand industrial and logistics opportunities, the chief minister was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the Delhi government. The project will connect the industrial hubs of Sonipat and Bahadurgarh through dedicated link roads, giving a direct boost to industry and facilitating faster movement of goods. Gupta said this will not only accelerate economic activities in Delhi-NCR, but also strengthen the region's role as a hub of trade and commerce. "With smoother traffic flow and shorter travel time, fuel consumption will decrease significantly, contributing to lower emissions. The UER-II will directly aid in reducing air-pollution levels and improving the overall environment of the capital," she underlined. The route will also integrate with the Delhi-Jaipur national highway, the KMP Expressway, the Gurugram-Rewari highway and the Gurugram-Sohna highway. Notably, the Gurugram-Sohna stretch is directly linked to the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, the statement said. With this network, the UER-II will emerge as a backbone of high-speed connectivity, linking Delhi not just with the NCR but with the entire country, Gupta said. Travelling to Chandigarh, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Jaipur and even Mumbai will become much faster and more convenient. It is truly a "transformative" project for the people of Delhi and beyond, the chief minister said.
