Tag: Director General

News

First time ever, entrepreneurs from skill ecosystem honoured as guests at Republic Day celebration

Jan 27, 2024 by Sujata Muguda 0 Comments #Director General, #Directorate General of Training (DGT), #Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), #National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), #President, #radhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)., #secretary, #Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, #Shri Narendra Modi, #Shri. Atul Kumar Tiwari, #Shri. Nirmaljit Singh Kalsi, #Smt. Trishaljit Sethi

Bengaluru, January 27, 2024– Aligned with the vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri. Narendra Modi to make Bharat a nation of job creators, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon’ble Minister of Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India interacted with over 100 entrepreneurs who have been trained under various skill development institutions like National Institute of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD), Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE) and Skill India’s flagship scheme— Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY). “This is the first time ever that entrepreneurs from the skill ecosystem are accorded the honor of being guests at the Republic Day celebrations, a testament to the visionary leadership of Hon’ble PM”, said Shri Dharmendra Pradhan.

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Shri. Nirmaljit Singh Kalsi, President, National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), Shri. Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and Smt. Trishaljit Sethi, Director General, Directorate General of Training (DGT) also graced the occasion with their presence.

During the event, the entrepreneurs shared insights into how skill training under the Skill India Mission has been instrumental in enhancing their capacities, problem-solving abilities, and establishing unique differentiators for marketing their products. They all extended gratitude towards Hon’ble Prime Minister and the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship for providing them with on-the-job training and invaluable industry exposure, empowering them to transform their lives and convert their aspirations into tangible realities.

Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon’ble Minister of Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India said “Today, I had the privilege of engaging in insightful conversations with the beneficiaries from our skill ecosystem. Witnessing their journey from entrepreneurship to self-reliance is truly inspiring. These small and micro entrepreneurs are set to contribute a new dimension to the country’s development journey. Under Modi ji’s government, a government dedicated to the poor and deprived, the #ModiGuarantee spans from essentials like food and housing to comprehensive skill development and socio-economic security. Empowering the deprived and weaker sections of society is the cornerstone of this administration, with the common citizen being Modi ji’s unwavering priority.”

A few entrepreneurs were also invited on stage to share their experiences, talk about the challenges and elaborate on how with proper skill training under the Skill India Mission, they were able to convert their trials into opportunities. Champions like Shital Tamang, a visionary female entrepreneur from Upper Gom, South Sikkim, is reshaping the country’s growth trajectory through her venture- Sikkim Handloom and Handicrafts. With 20 employees under her leadership, Tamang’s commitment echoes in changing lives—a true testament to her entrepreneurial spirit.

Republic dat celebration

Likewise, the bold steps taken by entrepreneurs such as Indrajit Sadhukhan were applauded, who established a flourishing business by doing a course in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning in 2020, serving as an inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs. Amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Sanjeet showcased exceptional resilience and determination, founding Shree Electrical in 2021, attaining success through skill development. An inspiring story is also of Jyotirmayee Sahu, a female entrepreneur hailing from Odisha. A graduate with a proactive approach towards self-empowerment, pursued a transformative course in Mushroom Grower Entrepreneurship and embarked on a remarkable journey into mushroom cultivation. Jyotirmayee’s startup flourished within a span of six months and achieved remarkable success.

Driven by the vision to make entrepreneurial ecosystem more outcome-driven, accessible, and holistic in its approach along with a focus on new-age, industry 4.0 and advanced technologies, several schemes are being introduced to equip entrepreneurs, students and other beneficiaries with relevant knowledge and skills that align with the rapidly evolving needs of the industries. To achieve this, schemes like PM Vishwakarma and a comprehensive digital platform – Skill India Digital (SID) have been launched to bridge the academia and industry gap and develop a range of entrepreneurial skills such as leadership, creative thinking, teamwork and business growth to transition India from 3rd largest to number one start-up ecosystem over the next few years.

The minister also appreciated and encouraged the entrepreneurs for undertaking vocational training, heralding a new dawn in skill development and entrepreneurship ecosystem in India. Entrepreneurs hailing from diverse corners of the nation including states like Odisha, Kerala, Sikkim, Manipur, Delhi, West Bengal, Telangana, and beyond converged the event and are attending the Republic Day Parade today. They all represent several industries like beauty & wellness, handmade, beauty therapist, tailor, sewing machine operator, and computer operator.

In recognizing that skilling India’s youth is instrumental for the startup ecosystem, MSDE’s initiatives are poised to create a conducive environment for growth, fuelling job creation, productivity, and efficiency for the betterment of society.

Business

“Exports through STPI units have grown from Rs. 17 crores in FY92 to Rs. 5.69 lakh crore in FY22” Shri Arvind Kumar, Director General, STPI

Jun 6, 2022 by Agency 0 Comments #Director General, #Exports, #Shri Arvind Kumar, #STPI

Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India working with the objective of encouraging, promoting, boosting Software Exports, and nurturing the startup ecosystem in the country celebrated 31st Foundation Day on the 6th June 2022.

“Exports through STPI units have grown from Rs. 17 crores in FY92 to Rs. 5.69 lakh crore in FY22, this has happened because we have been an enabler, we have never acted as a regulator. We have shown to this world that if you want to see the growth of industry, in place of regulating it, enable it,” underlined Shri Arvind Kumar.

In line with the resounding success of the Indian IT services industry, STPI is now also augmenting itself to become a catalyst to make India a Startup and Product Nation. In this endeavor, STPI has launched 20 Centres of Entrepreneurship and 12 NGIS centres across the country to accelerate innovation-led entrepreneurship in emerging technology domains.

Speaking on the inaugural address at the 31st Foundation Day ceremony Shri Arvind Kumar, Director General of STPI congratulated all the employees and said, “STPI has won the trust of all stakeholders including government & industry in STPI and this trust infuses transparency in the organization.”

STPI started its journey from 3 centers and now has 62 centers pan-India with 54 centres in Tier II and Tier III cities. Today, the US$200-plus billion IT industry, comprising 18,000-plus firms that directly employ 4.47 million-strong workforce, that contributes 8% of GDP is a testimony to the STPI’s resolute performance in transforming the Indian IT industry into a global outsourcing destination for software exports.

The first historic event that heralded the genesis of the IT Industry in India was the establishment of three Software Technology Parks at Bhubaneswar, Bengaluru, and Pune in 1989. Consequently, on 5th June 1991, these three STPs were merged to create a single entity Software Technology Parks of India.

Business

Large Industries celebrates Energy Conservation Week across India under “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”

Dec 21, 2021 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, #BEE, #Director General, #Energy Conservation Week, #Large Industries, #National Energy Conservation Week: 8th–14th December 2021, #The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)

The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) organised a webinar for Designated Consumers under the PAT scheme during the ongoing “National Energy Conservation Week: 8th–14th December 2021”, under “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”. The Designated Consumers belonged to energy-intensive sectors such as Cement, Iron & Steel, Textile, Pulp & Paper, Refinery, fertilizers, Chlor-Alkali, Thermal Power Plants, and Aluminium.

On this occasion, while delivering the keynote, the Director-General, BEE congratulated the Designated Consumers for celebrating the spirit of Azadi and Amrit Utsav by organizing various activities involving awareness, outreach and commitments towards inculcating values of energy conservation and engaging in energy efficiency activities.

The webinar was conducted to interact with DCs so as to share experiences of the celebration of the week and highlight their broad course of an action plan to contribute to the recent announcements by the Hon’ble Prime Minister at COP 26, Glasgow, UK.

During the webinar, the DCs under the leadership of the Plant Head/Energy Managers highlighted the activities performed during National Energy Conservation Week. The celebration of National Energy Conservation Week included the following main activates: Painting Competition/Essay Writing, Quiz/Competition/Debates, Vriksha Ropan (Tree Plantations), Road Shows on energy conservation in the nearby areas. The DCs of all 9 sectors conducted many activities for the employees and other staff to empower them, such as energy walks, online training, tree plantations, and many more where they used social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as internal communications. All the Designated Consumers took part in mass awareness campaigns and on this journey. The webinar aimed to promote awareness amongst its personnel and the civil society around them. Over 40 DCs belonging to said sectors shared their experiences and list of activities, and it was informed that through their activities more than 1.5 Lakh individuals including employees, their families, school children, and civil society surrounding such DCs.

Business

Paytm signs MoU with Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship to professionally train youngsters in fintech

Dec 3, 2021 by Agency 0 Comments #DGT, #Director General, #Narendra Yadav, #Neelam Shami Rao, #Paytm, #Senior Vice President

Hyderabad: India’s leading digital ecosystem for consumers and merchants Paytm has today signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Directorate of General Training, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship to train 6000 individuals over a period of three years in the rapidly growing Fintech industry. This is in continuation with Paytm’s dedication to building India’s technology ecosystem and driving financial inclusion in the country.

The selected individuals will undertake a six-month program, designed by Paytm, in consultation with the DGT. It will equip the trainees with fundamentals and knowledge of the latest Fintech IoT products and financial services. The trainees will also undergo professional skills, communications, sales and pitch, and on-the-job training.

DGT is actively taking an important role in transforming the country’s youth into an industry-ready workforce. The collaboration is part of DGT’s Flexi-MoU scheme wherein industry partners provide an opportunity to the youth to acquire skills related to industries with high job potential through a ‘Learn and Earn’ approach consisting of a mix of theoretical and on-the-job training. Paytm’s focus is on creating a highly skilled pool of human resources that can contribute to the growth of the Fintech and digital payments ecosystem. Paytm will also offer employment to the eligible trainees post completion of the course.

Narendra Yadav, Senior Vice President, Paytm said, “India’s strength lies in the talent and skilled youngsters, who will play an important role in shaping the future of the country’s economy. DGT plays a key role in the vocational and craft-based training of eligible youth in the country. We look forward to a fruitful partnership with the DGT that will enhance the quality and number of trained personnel in the Fintech industry.”

Neelam Shami Rao, Director-General, DGT, said, “The growth of digital payments has been phenomenal in India and it will continue to rise further in the future. Paytm is one of the pioneers in the digital payments service industry and our focus is to leverage their expertise to train the country’s youth in this field.”

Business

SIAM, ATMA & ITTAC organizes 2nd Series of virtual seminar on Road Safety Advocacy for Tyres

Sep 25, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Additional Secretary, #ATMA, #Director General, #Executive Director, #MoEF & CC, #Mr Prashant K Banerjee, #Mr Rajiv Budhraja, #Mr Ravi Agarwal, #SIAM, #the Chief Guest

New Delhi: The Indian apex automotive industry body, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) along with Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA) & Indian Tyre Technical Advisory Committee (ITTAC) today led its 2nd edition of ‘Road Safety Advocacy for Tyres’ on a virtual platform. The seminar themed ‘Technology & Environmental Challenges’, this 2nd Series is a part of a Tri Virtual Series.

Under the ‘Tri Series Seminar’, ATMA-SIAM is organizing three sessions to spread awareness on various aspects of tyre care, road safety, and sustainability to advocate the road safety mission by MoRTH, Govt. of India. While the first series focused on tyre and road safety, the second one is emphasising on technology and environmental issues, and the third series will be on standards, regulations and sustainability.

The 2nd edition of the virtual program witnessed the participation of government officials as well as industry leaders and subject experts, who deliberated upon topics such as Sustainable Mobility and Technology & Environmental Challenges.

In his opening remark, Mr Prashant K Banerjee, Executive Director, SIAM, said, “The tyre sector is one of the most regulated one, but the irony is that despite being one of the most critical component for a safe drive the tyres don’t get enough attention. I believe that tyres deserve to be dealt on priority and with more respect therefore, this is important to spread awareness amongst the users.”

On the occasion, the Chief Guest, Mr Ravi Agarwal, Additional Secretary, MoEF & CC, said, “This initiative by SIAM, ATMA and ITTA will go a long way in creating awareness about tyre-maintenance and safety. Also, there is no doubt about the fact that automobiles are the true indicators of economic well-being of the country. There is a lot of potential for research in this area as it has a widespread impact on the environment as well as the economy. Also, a practical and sustainable model for extended producer economy in the domain of tyres must be constituted. The concept of a circular economy is important for the management of tyres from the design stage to the end of product lifecycle.”

Mr Rajiv Budhraja, Director General, ATMA, said, “Road safety and tyre-care are very much part of the inner core functioning of our association. In first phase, we connected closely with the users, further in second phase, we touched product, sustainability and environment and in the third and final phase, we will be connecting with influencers and policy makers. Life-safety is of utmost importance and deserves more attention in awareness campaign. And now the time is RIPE for tyres and safety elements that are associated. We call this RIPE, where R stands for Respect, I for information, P for practice and E for educate.”

During inaugural session Mr Ravin Kurian, Chairman, ITTAC also highlighted the commitment of industry along with the challenges to attain low rolling resistance and improving hostile environment for tyres.

Today, followed by inaugural session, the first Presentation session on ‘Scenario towards Sustainable Mobility’ was hosted by Mr Tom Thomas, Ex. Executive Director, R&D, Technology and Projects, CEAT; Dr K Rajkumar, Director, IRMRA; Mr V K Misra, Director Technical, J K Tyre & Industries Ltd. They respectively presented technical papers on sustainable- mobility: emerging new raw materials scenario, role of rubber industry in environment sustainability and end of life: Tyre Management. The session was moderated by Mr P K Mohamed, Chief Advisor – R&D, Apollo Tyres.

The second presentation-session was conducted on Technology & Environmental Challenges. In this session, Dr D Balakrishnan, General Manager, Ashok Leyland Ltd presented on the Challenges pertaining to commercial vehicle tyres. Another expert, Dr Cyrille Roget, Innovation and Scientific Communication Director, Michelin (Europe) shared his thoughts on Sustainable Mobility: Technology Trends & Development. Mr Anand Kulkarni, Vice President (Product Line EV), Tata Motors Ltd presented on ‘Tyre Requirement for EVs – Future Perspective. The second presentation session was moderated by Mr Renji Issac, VP (R&D) and Technology, CEAT Ltd.

As aforementioned, SIAM-ATMA and ITTAC will continue the endeavours and organize one more remaining session due under the Road Safety Advocacy Tri Series on the “Regulation and Sustainability” in October 2021.

Business, News

With the latest hike in petrol and diesel price in Delhi, this is the right time to make a switch towards the cleaner fuel

Aug 12, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Cabinet Minister for Petroleum, #Director General, #Indian Auto LPG Coalition, #Mr. Hardeep Singh Puri, #Mr. Suyash Gupta

New Delhi: With extreme weather events becoming more frequent the world over, including in India, the urgency to address climate change issues and global warming has never been greater. India in particular has been at the receiving end of these recurring extreme weather conditions. From unexpected and untimely torrential rains to floods to landslides to cyclones, the country has been continually ravaged by a spate of extreme weather events in recent times. Now with the onset of the unlock phases post-second Covid wave and the consequent return of private vehicles back on Indian roads, vehicular pollution, one major contributor to climate change is set to not only test people’s breathing organs but also further upset the already faltering weather cycles in the country. One of the ways to stem this vehicular pollution known for a heavy carbon footprint is to curtail the traditional liquid fuels of petrol and diesel and opt for cleaner alternatives such as auto LPG. Even the newly appointed Cabinet Minister for Petroleum, Mr. Hardeep Singh Puri would have a goal to address the pressing issue of air pollution in the urban areas, making sufficient use of cleaner energy to fight severe weather conditions.

With Delhi in the north, registering record temperatures and rainfall, to Bengal and Odisha suffering devastating cyclones and calamitous floods in the east in Assam, to Maharashtra witnessing both record-breaking droughts and floods in the west, to Hyderabad experiencing record rainfall in 24 hours, and Kerala enduring deadly landslides in the south, there is no part of this country which has been immune to these extreme weather events.

Alarmed by these recurring extreme weather events, Indian Auto LPG Coalition or IAC, the apex body of Auto LPG stakeholders in India has drawn the government’s attention towards the issue suggesting that the mass adoption of auto LPG replacing existing liquid fuels, to be one potent countermeasure towards controlling carbon emissions and thereby moderating the extreme weather phenomena.

“Extreme situations demand extreme and instant measures. With extreme weather conditions becoming an everyday reality impacting millions of Indians regularly now, we must hold the bull by its horns. And a part of the solution lies in addressing the vehicular pollution part of climate change with utmost urgency. For years, the liquid fuels of petrol and diesel have caused immense damage to health and the environment. At a time when cleaner and cheaper alternatives such as auto LPG are readily available, the policy persistence with petrol and diesel is simply inexplicable.

Further, the policy optimism on electric vehicles, something which is technologically and financially still decades away – is misplaced and premature. With the most recent emission tests confirming that the tailpipe emissions from auto LPG are even lesser than BS-VI compliant petrol, the government should not waste any time in giving a policy push to mass adoption of auto LPG. Remember, there are nearly 300 million vehicles, including two-wheelers plying there on Indian roads. While the current scrappage policy and the Green tax must be appreciated, the government needs to do more and do it quickly. In fact, the frequent occurrence of extreme weather events impacting the country must be treated as a due warning. And so the government right away needs to introduce policy incentives such as reducing GST on conversion kits along with subsidy support which would go a long way in ensuring mass conversion of existing vehicles into those that could be used on cleaner alternative fuels. The resultant reduction in air pollution would definitely help to a great extent in stemming the tide of extreme weather events that we have witnessed in the country and beyond in the recent past,” said Mr. Suyash Gupta, Director General, Indian Auto LPG Coalition.

“A credible report by a London-based international relief and the humanitarian agency has revealed that India suffered the highest loss of lives in a single event globally on account of climate change-driven events last year. This is ominous enough. On an equally grim note, the same report not only described cyclone Amphan to be the costliest cyclone of the year but also triggered the biggest displacement due to an extreme weather event anywhere in the world in 2020. These are dire signs and the authorities must take note of these,” further added Mr. Gupta.

Business, News

Pandemic creates opportunities to enhance Indo-US tech ties…

Aug 2, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Director General, #Director of North India, #Dr. Omkar Rai, #Government of India, #Indo-American Chamber of Commerce-NIC, #Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, #Mr. Michael Rosenthal, #STPI, #US Embassy

Pandemic creates opportunities to enhance Indo-US tech ties

New Delhi: As the online and technology space witnessed great strides amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the India-US relations in terms of information & technology have scope to growth further in much greater pace.

Speaking at the 2nd Indo-US Services Summit organised by Indo-American Chamber of Commerce-NIC on Information & Technology (IT) and digital transformation, Dr. Omkar Rai, Director General, STPI, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, noted that technology is a major binding force in the Indo-US relations.

“India and US relationship is so complementary. Their interest is also technology-based, our cultivation, collaboration lies in technology,” Rai said.

Saying that amid the lockdown India witnessed transformation and disruption, he added that the digital readiness of the nation was tested during the time.

The leap in terms of digital economy and online processes which India has achieved in the past one month is because of the robust IT services sector in India, he added.

“As we saw the pandemic’s impact in hospitality, tourism, we also saw great progress in other sectors such as education as we started online classes immediately,” he said, adding that going ahead much more immersive and animated content will need to be created.

Such efforts are going to create a lot of opportunity in the technology to digitise the entire ecosystem.

Mr. Michael Rosenthal, Director of North India, US Embassy, noted that IT is a vital sector as digitalization has become important for inclusive and sustainable development of both Indian and US economies.

Noting that India’s digital economy annually generates $20 billion dollar, he said: “In the US Embassy, it is considered that in terms of businesses, US is the largest partner of Indian IT players.”

Stressing on India’s standing in the global front in terms of IT, Rosenthal added that India offers major scope for global players.

Highlighting India’s booming digital technology space, Arun Karna, Regional Vice President of IACC, observed that since the pandemic has seen the adoption of digital technology has increased rapidly.

Other speaker in the session was Mr. Anup Purohit, Executive Council Member & Global Chief Information Officer, Wipro Ltd, Ms. Mamatha Madireddy, Centre Director GSC Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Vizag, HSBC and Mr. Rajesh Thakur, CEO, MothersonSumi INfotech & Designs Ltd (MIND).

The virtual summit 2nd Indo-US Services Summit on Leveraging Services Sector to Trigger Post –COVID 19 Economic Recovery”, which involves stakeholders from India and the US is a step towards creating newer ideas to ensure recovery of the sector. It is also an attempt to discern the present state, compile challenges and to evolve a consensual roadmap for inducting dynamism in those segments in a time bound manner.

Select segments that were focused during discussions were travel, tourism & hospitality, healthcare, energy, media & entertainment.

Business, News

Sweden Joins The International Solar Alliance

Jul 24, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Ambassador Klas Molin, #Director General, #Dr. Ajay Mathur, #International Solar Alliance., #ISA, #Prime Minister Löfven, #Prime Minister Modi

New Delhi: Sweden has ratified and deposited the framework agreement of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), and its Membership of the International Solar Alliance entered into force on 17 July 2021

Speaking about Sweden’s membership, Ambassador Klas Molin said, “Sweden is happy to join the International Solar Alliance. Prime Minister Löfven reiterated to Prime Minister Modi the need for enhanced global cooperation at their last meeting. The creation and development of the ISA as an instrumental framework, in which India plays a leading role, is an important step in this direction. Sweden hopes to bring its expertise and its experience in renewable energy and clean energy technologies to discussions in the ISA and hopes to contribute in meeting the challenges related to climate change.”

Dr. Ajay Mathur, Director General, ISA, said, ” I am extremely delighted to welcome the Kingdom of Sweden. This is the starting point of a strategic partnership between ISA and Sweden. I am sure we can achieve sustainable, equitable and more prosperous future for all through solar energy.”

Business World, News

Government’s ‘Green Tax’ must be supplemented by incentives to switch to clean fuels

May 18, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Director General, #Indian Auto LPG Coalition, #Mr. Suyash Gupta

New Delhi: With the Government imposing a Green Tax on old polluting vehicles, India’s Auto LPG sector is advocating the need for this deterrent to be accompanied by incentives to people shifting to cleaner alternative fuelssuch as Auto LPG.

The Union Ministry for Road Transport and Highways recently approved a proposal to levy a ‘green tax’ on old vehicles in a bid to curtail pollution and push consumers to switch to environmental-friendly alternatives. Notably, hybrid vehicles and vehicles running on clean alternative fuels such as LPG, CNG and ethanol will be exempt from this tax. The initiative aims to make polluters pay for environmental pollution in India’s choking cities.

While welcoming the move as a step in the right direction, Indian Auto LPG Coalition has suggested that penalisation for polluters be accompanied by reward for users of clean fuels.

“The decision to impose a tax on people using old and polluting vehicles is a highly welcome step as it seeks to penalise the polluters. The move will motivate and push consumers to switch to cleaner alternatives like Auto LPG that can help bring about a significant improvementin air quality. India’s choking cities need to shift a large number of their private vehicles to clean alternative fuels immediately and pushing consumers to switch their existing vehicles to clean alternatives is the quickest way to achieve this. This is why a penalty for polluters must also be accompanied by reward or incentivesfor citizens switching to clean fuels to make it more impactful,” said Mr Suyash Gupta, Director General, Indian Auto LPG Coalition.

Petrol/diesel vehicles includingcars, two-wheelers and three wheelers can easily be converted to Auto LPG or CNG by installing conversion kits. Conversion kits that currently cost up to Rs 25,000 can be made significantly moreaffordable with GST cuts and subsidy support.

Notably, these conversion kits are taxed at a prohibitive GST rate of 28%, a policy that is dichotomous to the government’s commitment to clean energy.

“Rationalising this prohibitive GST rate on conversion kits to 5% has been a long-pendingplea of the Auto LPG sector. Reducing this GST rate will make conversion kits more affordable for mass usage. The government must also consider subsidizing conversion kits for consumers as a move towards incentivizing personal vehicle users to shift to clean gaseous fuels at a mass level. The Green tax on polluting vehicles together with incentives for consumers shifting to clean fuels can have a quick and remarkable effect on India’s urban air quality,”added Mr Gupta.

Auto LPG is the world’s third most widely used automotive fuel which emits almost 50% lesser PM emissions as compared to petrol and up to 80% lesser than diesel. Vehicles using Auto LPG as fuel also emits much lower CO2, making Auto LPG one of themost eco-friendly fuels available today. The Government must also include Auto LPG under the ambit of the city gas distribution project.

Under the green tax being levied by the Ministry for Road Transport and Highways, personal vehicles will be charged with green tax at the time of renewal of registration certification after 15 years. Also, a higher tax of up to 50% of road tax has been proposed for vehicles being registered in highly polluted cities.

Education

ImaginXP launches India’s first Virtual ECM – Education Counseling Mela 2021: Understanding careers and higher education opportunities in future skills for university aspirants and their parents

Apr 30, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments #Director General, #Education Counselling Mela, #ImaginXP, #Prof (Col) Shishir Kumar

New Delhi, April 30th, 2021: ImaginXP one of India’s leading providers of university embedded and partnered future skills degree programs has launched India’s first Virtual ECM (Education Counselling Mela) 2021. The event mission is to help guide and counsel lakhs of Indian undergraduate and post-graduate aspirants in discovering lucrative career opportunities in future skills and explore available degree programs in these skills. In the absence of erstwhile physical education fairs, conclaves, and university visits, students are finding themselves at a loss to make the right career and education choices which ImaginXP hopes to bridge with this virtual event.

Participated by over 80 corporates, 100+ industry experts, recruiters, startup founders, policymakers, and 30+ universities from across the country, this is a unique opportunity for students to get their queries answered on careers, recruiter expectations, degrees, and skills that are valued in the industry and impact of the pandemic on the job market. The India Skills Report 2019 states that only 46.2% of students were found employable or ready to take up a job after completing higher education.

In 2019, 53% of Indian businesses were unable to hire candidates due to a lack of future skills. The ImaginXP virtual ECM will help students explore future skills degree programs in streams such as UX design, product management, HealthTech, FinTech, RPA, Data Science, IoT, Cybersecurity, and more which are required in the modern digital economy. Students will get to interact with experts such as Smitha Suryaprakash – President & CDO Moon Raft, Yaduvendra Mathur – Ex. IAS Officer & CMD Rajasthan Financial Corporation, Ankush Tiwari – CTO Quest Digital & IIT Kanpur Incubation, Anand Jha – CDO Miko, Patanjali Somajayi – CTO CAPITAL Float, Vidhika Rohatgi – Founder FCUX Design & CDO EY INDIA, Vivek Singh – Ex UX/UX Director CarDekho & GirnarSoft, and many more.

Commenting on the same, Prof (Col) Shishir Kumar, Director General, ImaginXP says “We want to support the PM’s vision of making India a $5trillion dollar economy. This will require our youth to be ready with the future skills required for the digital economy. It is extremely important for the young aspirants and their parents to discover the amazing opportunities available and strive towards choosing education and degree which will enable them to make lasting careers. Our mission is to provide these students with the right mentorship, guidance, and counseling needed to make this decision through experts, recruiters, universities, faculty members, and students.”

Additionally in May ImaginXP will also be launching an augmented reality (AR) counseling experience to support the ECM where students can take virtual tours of partner universities, explore degree programs and programs provided by them and have personalized sessions with select counselors and mentors to clear doubts and answer any queries. Mohit Chitkara – Vice President Chitkara University commenting on the Virtual education counseling mela says “This is a unique opportunity for students to interact with and hear from industry experts, recruiters, and educationists and receive much-needed counseling to choose career paths and degrees. It is commendable that ImaginXP has set up such a counseling platform which connects students and their parents with the university, industry, and peers to take guidance from.”