Latest news with #Panja
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Indian Express
‘Children should speak freely, we get to learn from them': West Bengal Minister Shashi Panja urges parents and teachers
Written by Debasmita Chowdhury 'Children should be able to speak freely. The more they speak, the more they will make mistakes and learn. We, as elders, also get to learn from them,' said Shashi Panja, West Bengal Minister of Women and Child Development and Social Welfare, on Monday. She was speaking at an event to held to celebrate Child Protection Day by the West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights at Kolkata's Rabindra Sadan. The Special Guest for the day was Sanghamitra Ghosh, Principal Secretary, Department of Women and Child Development and Social Welfare. The event was attended by over 400 students, teachers and officials from schools and NGOs across Bengal. Child Protection Day is observed annually on June 1, highlighting UNICEF's mission of protecting vulnerable children from abuse, exploitation, and human trafficking. An official emphasised this year's theme by stating that according to reports, children and elderly people both have been observed to spend more time on their electronic gadgets rather than talking about their feelings or issues. Only 'two percent' of children in Bengal tend to share their happy moments and problems with their parents. 'We have been working with different consultants about mental health throughout the year and we try to understand the emotional state of children,' said Tulika Das, Chairperson, West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights. She requested all the parents, teachers and others present to give more importance to their child's mental health. 'We should create a safe space for (children) to share things with us. This led us to deciding this year's theme. Our Chief Minister has decided that June 9 will be celebrated as the Child Protection Day,' said Panja. She thanked UNICEF for their active involvement in working for the welfare of children. She also highlighted the importance of creativity. 'Creativity is one of the most important things – the ability to bring together your thoughts and channelize them through different media, be it theatre, art, journalism, or any other medium is very important,' Panja added. The event saw the felicitation of various policemen for their dedication and work towards the rights and safety of children. This was followed by a series of performances by the students. (Debasmita Chowdhury is an intern with The Indian Express)
Hindustan Times
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Bengal govt to build awareness among boys, girls on harmful effects of child marriage
Kolkata, West Bengal Minister Shashi Panja said the state government will emphasise building awareness among girls and boys about the harmful effects of child marriage. Panja, the minister for women and child development and social welfare, said it is not just girls alone, boys also have to be educated about the ill effects of early marriage. "They should be demotivated from marrying before their legal age of marriage too," Panja said on Monday at a 'State Level Consultation on Adolescent Empowerment' attended by government officials from various departments working together to end child marriage. She urged the officials assembled in the programme to share their experiences in fighting the menace since the launch of the District Action Plan three years ago, and later the Child Marriage Reporting and Tracking Mechanism. The state reported more than 41 per cent of girls getting married underage in the National Family Health Survey-5 released in 2020-21. "Building awareness in society is the key to stopping this. Also include men and boys more in the meetings on child marriage with girls and women," Panja told officials after releasing 'Guidelines for Implementation of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006 in West Bengal'. The state government, in collaboration with UNICEF, prepared a District Action Plan in 2022 to counter child marriage. Panja, women and child development department's principal secretary Sanghamitra Ghosh, Dr Monjur Hossain, chief of UNICEF in West Bengal and other officials listened to the successes and challenges faced by the district officials, UNICEF said in a press release. The minister asked the officials from the departments of health and family welfare, school education, panchayat and rural development, technical education, training and skill development to deal with the problem more empathetically as present-day adolescents are exposed to many lures and distractions, including online and social media platforms on mobile phones, according to the release. Panja also emphasised that 'Kanyashree Prakalpa' has now been empowering adolescent girls on online safety, besides motivating them to remain in school and not get married. In NFHS-5, the maximum child marriages were reported from Purba Medinipur followed by Purba Bardhaman and Jalpaiguri being the lowest at 18 per cent. The state government, with the help of UNICEF, launched the Child Marriage Reporting and Tracking Mechanism in 2023 to collect data from the districts and portray the real-time situation, Ghosh said, urging the officials to use the resources regularly. Describing this consultation as "A renewed call to action", Hossain said the holistic development of adolescents requires concerted, coordinated and multi-sectoral actions by all stakeholders concerned. "The involvement of key community influencers, panchayat members, SHGs, religious leaders, teachers, students, youths and adolescents is necessary to challenge harmful norms and support girls' and boys' empowerment," he added.
The Hindu
23-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
‘Bengal actively transitioning to renewable energy, seeks private sector participation'
West Bengal's Minister-in-Charge for Industry, Commerce and Enterprise, Dr. Shashi Panja, along with senior bureaucrats of the State's power sector, discussed the State's push for transition to clean energy, estimating that 'opportunities in energy transition alone in the State would be to the tune of ₹70,000 crores over the next five years.' 'West Bengal is proud to be at the forefront of India's energy transition… Our strategic location, competitive costs, and infrastructure make us a natural hub for industry and renewable energy,' Dr. Panja said at the East and North East India Energy Conclave hosted by the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Kolkata on Thursday (May 22, 2025). This comes amidst a nationwide push for a transition to clean energy sources, with a target of achieving 500 gigawatts (GW) of energy from non-fossil sources by 2030. Additionally there were recent reports of the Union government considering amendments to laws pertaining to the country's nuclear energy sector. According to A.K. Saxena, senior director of the Electricity and Renewables Division of TERI, solar energy accounts for almost two-thirds of the assessed potential of 88GW of clean energy generation in the eastern region of the country. 'West Bengal is actively transitioning to renewable energy sources to reduce our dependence on thermal power. The State is seeking active participation from the private sector as well…West Bengal possesses about 19,000 MW of ground-mounted solar potential, with the average renewable energy tariffs dropping to almost ₹3 per kilowatt hour. Solar power has emerged as an economically viable solution to meeting the State's growing energy needs and sustenance of the energy department,' Dr. Panja highlighted. She added that there is an estimated 'floating' solar photovoltaic potential of 3,567 megawatts (MW) across 30 major dams. She also highlighted the 125 MW solar PV farm in Goaltore in Paschim Medinipur, jointly funded by the State (₹150 crore) and the German Development Bank (₹600 crore). Notably, in February this year, the State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party said that West Bengal has installed solar projects of only 0.31 GW, which is only 5% of its estimated solar capacity of 6.26 GW. Meanwhile, Dr. Panja added that the State has a potential of about 20,000 megawatts (MW) of wind power at a hub height of 100 metres above the ground level, and 23,000 MW of wind power at 150 metres above ground level, assuming full utilisation. Meanwhile, the State's biomass potential is estimated at 2,864 MW, with districts like Paschim Midnapore, South 24 Parganas, and Purba Bardhaman accounting for half of this assessed potential. However, the Minister declined to comment on whether the State is exploring the possibility of nuclear energy. Notably, in response to a question in the Lok Sabha, the Department of Atomic Energy said on March 12 this year that construction work has not yet started for the Haripur Nuclear Power Plant project in West Bengal, which was accorded 'in principle' approval of the government in 2009. Several paths to energy transition 'It is estimated that the opportunities in energy transition alone in the State of West Bengal would be to the tune of ₹70,000 crores over the next five years or so. So I see that as a huge opportunity for investing in Bengal for various new technologies related to renewable energy and energy transition,' Barun Kumar Ray, additional chief secretary of the State's non-conventional and renewable energy sources department, said on Thursday. Mr. Ray added that the government is considering extending the life of vehicles switching over from internal combustion engines to battery-powered and electric motors, to improve the penetration of electric vehicles. 'We, in the renewable energy department, are in talks with some utilities to set up some battery energy storage in West Bengal… As far as other areas are concerned, we are thinking in terms of agrophotovoltaics, which would be interesting in the State of West Bengal,' Mr. Ray said. Agrophotovoltaics refers to an innovative system in which the same piece of land is used for the production of food as well as energy. Mr. Ray added that the State government is prioritising the solarisation of all agricultural pumps in the State and providing a 'solar cold chain' to help farmers increase the shelf life of harvested fruits and vegetables
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Bengal to use clean coal gasification at Deocha Pachami
Kolkata: At the ICC East and Northeast Energy Conclave held in the city on Thursday, state industry minister Sashi Panja announced plans to use clean coal gasification technology to tap into the vast Deocha Pachami coal reserves. The move is part of the govt's push towards sustainable energy solutions and energy security. The Deocha Pachami coal block will see 30% of its reserves used for underground coal gasification in areas where conventional mining is unfeasible. The remaining 70% will be mined through open-cast and underground methods. Panja emphasised the state's commitment to energy transition and openness to private investments in electric vehicle infrastructure, including lithium battery production and e-mobility. She highlighted Bengal's renewable energy potential—over 19,000 MW in solar, 23,000 MW in wind and nearly 2,900 MW in biomass. Policies like the West Bengal Green Hydrogen Policy 2023 and the New and Renewable Energy Manufacturing Policy are designed to increase the renewable share to 20% by 2030. "Our GSDP grew by 6.8% in FY 2024–25, outpacing the national average. Industrial growth stood at 7.3%, while power consumption per capita rose from 594 kWh in FY13 to 819 kWh in FY23, signaling growth in both living standards and industry," Panja said.
