Shri S Sundar Rajan IRS currently Director- Election Commission of India given premature repatriation to his parent cadre on personal grounds .
IndianBureaucracy.com wishes Shri S Sundar Rajan the very best.
Anurag Bhardwaj IFS appointed as Addl PCCF, Development, Rajasthan, And Project Director, Rajasthan Forestry And Bio Diversity Project
Shri Anurag Bhardwaj IFoS (Rajasthan 1993)presently awaiting for posting order(APO), has been appointed as Additional Principal Chief Conservator Of Forests, Development, Rajasthan, Jaipur And Project Director, Rajasthan Forestry And Bio Diversity Project, Jaipur
IndianBureaucracy.com wishes Shri Anurag Bhardwaj the very best.
Swapnendu Kumar Panda selected as Director (Planning & Projects), NLC India Limited
Shri Swapnendu Kumar Panda presently Chief General Manager Group Head Bikaner, NTPC Limited, has been selected for the post of Director (Planning & Projects), NLC India Limited (Schedule A).
IndianBureaucracy.com wishes Shri Swapnendu Kumar Panda the very best.
Indian Railways observes World Environment Day
Indian Railways, like every year, observed World Environment Day on 5th June, 2024 keeping in line with the theme of this year’s World Environment Day “Our land, Our Future”. World Environment Day 2024 themes focus on land restoration, halting desertification and drought resilience. Smt. Jaya Varma Sinha, Chairperson & CEO, Railway Board and other senior officials of Railway Board graced the event. Chairperson & CEO, Railway Board motivated Railway officials to increase their efforts in further environmental protection activities.
This year, Indian Railways is also taking major outreach and advocacy activities for mass mobilization on ‘Mission LIFE’ with the aim to sensitize people about the impact of behavioral change on the environment during the month of June 2024. As of now, 249 awareness and 147 action events have been conducted across all Indian Railways in which 4921 participants have participated. A total number of 4395 ‘Mission LiFE’ pledges have also been administered across Indian Railways.
Indian Railways is an environmental friendly means of bulk transportation. For environment protection, Railways have been taking continuous initiatives that have positive impact on the environment by way of reducing pollution/GHG emissions, promoting resources and energy efficiency and contributing to sustainability. Some of the major policy initiatives taken by IR in order to be sustainable are as follows:
- Indian Railways has electrified 63,456 Route Kilometers (RKMs) upto April’2024 which is more than 96% of the total broad-gauge network of Indian Railways.
- A total of 2637 stations and service buildings have been provided with solar roof-top plants with a total power generation capacity of 177 MW.
- Energy efficiency guidelines for re-development of railway stations and other buildings have been issued with Super-ECBC compliance. These Super ECBC guidelines have been developed with a goal to minimize energy demand through climatic responsive building design and energy efficient technologies.
- For the Re-development of the Major Railway Stations, IR has provided guidelines in the form of Environment Management Plan. These guidelines have to be followed in the Zonal Railways in order to mitigate the effects of construction in surrounding areas.
- As a policy initiative, IR has introduced the concept of assigning Carbon Saving Points termed as “Rail Green Points” to its freight customers which give details of the expected saving of carbon emission. This initiative of customer participation in creating environmental impact will motivate them to transport more by train in future.
- Indian Railway has implemented comprehensive waste management strategies that emphasize recycling, reduction and its responsible disposal. Creation of green space, proper disposal of hazardous waste materials and recharging ground water aquifers can reverse the land degradation.
- Indian Railway has taken major steps in order to be Energy Efficient in its production process. At present all 8 PUs and 44 workshops are ISO-50001 certified which shows the commitment towards energy conservation and energy efficiency.
- Around 700 major railway stations have been certified for implementation of Environment Management System to ISO 14001. Further, Indian Railways have installed around 65 Effluent Treatment Plants, 86 Water Recycling Plants, 90 Sewage Treatment Plants, 18 Waste to Energy Plants, 186 Waste to Compost and 32 Solid Waste Management Plants. Around 208 stations have composting plants and 193 Railway stations have Material Recovery Facilities.
- Around 826 Plastic Water Bottle Crushing Machines have been installed at major railway stations.
- As a part of our Clean India movement, IR has taken a number of initiatives in order to provide the hygienic environment:
- IRs has ensured the fitment of Bio-toilets in all its coaches which has eliminated the problem of direct discharge of human waste from trains. Taking a step ahead, with an aim to reduce the water consumption in toilets, IR has started the fitment of bio-vacuum toilets in new coaches.
- A total of around 76 lakhs saplings have been planted across the railways in the year 2023-24.
Frauds in the Name of TRAI
It has been brought to the notice of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) that fraudulent WhatsApp messages, SMSs and voice calls are made to the citizen claiming to be from TRAI. Perpetrators are utilizing forged notices, designed to resemble official communication from senior officers of TRAI.
These notices falsely allege illegal activity associated with the recipient’s mobile number and pressure them into contacting law enforcement or face service termination. Citizens are also threatened that mobile numbers will be disconnected if they don’t respond. At times, Malicious actors may further attempt to trick individuals into installing malware or clicking on phishing links.
The TRAI does not initiate communication regarding mobile number disconnection through messages or official notices. It has not authorized any third-party agency to contact customers for such purposes. Therefore, any form of communication (call, message, or notice) claiming to be from TRAI and threatening mobile number disconnection should be considered a potential fraudulent attempt.
To prevent the misuse of telecom resources for cybercrime and financial fraud, citizens are encouraged to report suspected fraudulent communications through the Chakshu facility on the Department of Telecommunications’ Sanchar Saathi platform. This platform can be accessed at https://sancharsaathi.gov.in/sfc/. For confirmed instances of cybercrime, victims should report the incident at the designated cybercrime helpline number ‘1930’ or through the official website at https://cybercrime.gov.in/.
Rajiv Gauba chairs meeting of NCMC to review preparedness to deal with heat wave & forest fires
Union Cabinet Secretary Shri Rajiv Gauba chaired a meeting of National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) to review preparedness to deal with heat wave and forest fires.
National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) made detailed presentations on current situation of heat wave and forest fires respectively including steps being taken to deal with them, across the country.
Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) informed that 10-22 above normal heat wave days were observed in different parts of the country between April to June 2024. It was also informed that as per forecast for the month of June, above-normal heatwave days are likely over most areas of Northwest India and neighboring areas from north Central India. This year, the monsoon is likely to be normal and above normal in most parts of the country. Regular alerts on heat waves are being sent by IMD.
NDMA also informed that a series of preparatory meetings have been conducted, starting from October 2023, by Central Ministries / Departments and State Governments. Advisories have been issued to states to activate Control Rooms, enforce SoPs for heat wave, ensure drinking water availability, preparedness of health facilities including availability of essential medicines and ORS and uninterrupted power supply. States have also been advised to conduct fire safety audits of schools, hospitals and other institutions regularly and reduce response time in incidents of fire. State governments informed that the situation is being reviewed and monitored closely with relevant departments and District Collectors.
Cabinet Secretary requested the Chief Secretaries to regularly review and monitor the short term, medium term and long-term measures to ramp up preparedness to deal with heat waves. He emphasized that efforts to maintain and augment sources of water supply should be stepped up and fire safety audit of all institutions be ensured regularly.
On forest fire management, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change made a presentation, outlining the action plan and preparedness to deal with the forest fires in various parts of the country. It was informed that regular forest fire alerts are being disseminated through mobile SMS and emails. A Forest Fire Alert System portal named VAN AGNI, which provides pre-fire and near real time forest fire alerts, has also been developed by Forest Survey of India (FSI) to assist the states and other agencies.
Cabinet Secretary reiterated that during the review meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 02nd June, 2024, it was emphasized that the issue of forest fires should be given greater attention. A regular system of preparatory measures and annual drills to deal with forest fires, as done in case of floods etc. may be put in place. A comprehensive approach with a focus on prevention and quick and effective response should be adopted.
Cabinet Secretary observed that States & UTs need to be better prepared to meet the associated challenges related to heat wave and forest fires to ensure no loss of life and to minimize damage. He stressed the importance of preparatory measures as outlined by NDMA and MoEFCC.
Cabinet Secretary assured the States that Central Ministries/ Departments are closely engaging with them to ensure optimum preparedness and for implementing timely mitigation and response measures.
Union Home Secretary, Secretaries of Ministry of EF&CC, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Member & HoD, NDMA, CISC HQ (IDS), DG, NDRF, DG, IMD, DG, FSI, DG, Forest, Additional Secretaries of Ministry of Labour & Employment and MHA, Advisor NDMA, Director, NRSC attended the meeting. Chief Secretaries of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Odisha, NCT of Delhi, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand, and senior officials from Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, also attended the meeting through video conferencing.
MoD inks MoUs with four banks to onboard as SPARSH Service Centres
Defence Accounts Department (DAD), Ministry of Defence has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Bank of India, Canara Bank, Central Bank of India and Utkarsh Small Finance Bank in New Delhi to onboard them as SPARSH [System for Pension Administration (Raksha)] Service Centres across 1,128 branches of the four banks across the country. The MoUs will provide last-mile connectivity to pensioners, especially in remote areas where they do not have technical wherewithal to log on to SPARSH.
These Service Centres will become an interface for pensioners for SPARSH, providing an effective medium to update their profile; register grievances; digital annual identification; data verification, besides fetching detailed information regarding their monthly pension. The access to these centres would be provided free of cost, with nominal service charges being borne by the DAD.
With these MoUs, SPARSH Services would now be available at over 26,000 branches of a total of 15 banks across the country. This is in addition to 199 dedicated service centres of DAD, and more than 3.75 lakh Common Service Centers across the country.
SPARSH is an initiative of the Ministry of Defence which aims to provide comprehensive solution to the defence pensioners. It is a fundamental change in managing defence pensions as it focuses on bringing in efficiency, responsiveness and transparency.
STPI celebrates 33rd Foundation Day
Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) proudly celebrated its 33rd Foundation Day today, commemorating over three decades of unparalleled contributions towards the Indian technology sector in terms of software exports, as well as towards nurturing a modern tech startup ecosystem. The event held at the prestigious Ashok Hotel in New Delhi with the theme of “Positioning Bharat as a Tech Product Nation” was graced by Secretary of Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Shri S Krishnan and the Director General of STPI, Shri Arvind Kumar, as well as other dignitaries from both the government and technology industry, such as Shri Vishal Dhupar, MD of NVIDIA and Shri Tejas Goenka, MD of Tally Solutions, all of whom commemorated STPI on the landmark achievement and tremendous contribution over the past three decades.
To strengthen the tech startup ecosystem in terms of networking and affordable incubation space, STPI launched a networking and resource discovery platform (SayujNet) and STPI Workspace portal (STPI-Workspace). The STPI announced its initiative towards developing India’s sovereign cloud journey under the brand name “Ananta”, which will be a hyperscale cloud made by Indians for Indians. Apart from the conventional Compute Infrastructure Services (IAAS), Ananta will also offer PAAS, SAAS and GPU based services.
The event also saw the signing of two MoUs aimed at developing and nurturing a holistic ecosystem for fostering the next generation of tech start-ups in India. The first MoU was signed between Sabudh Foundation and STPI with the objective of creating skill-development initiatives and nurturing entrepreneurial training ecosystem in DeepTech for Engineering Graduates. The inauguration event also saw an MoU exchange between STPINEXT initiatives and DBS Bank India Pvt Ltd aimed at strengthening the tech startup ecosystem in India.
The momentous inauguration ceremony also saw, Shri Krishnan unveil the DeepTech Knowledge Report on, ‘Cutting-Edge Tech Forging India as a Software Product Nation’, which would serve as the apparatus for transforming India into the new hub of innovation and entrepreneurship. This report will provide strategic insights into the current state of cutting-edge technologies in India, as well as the challenges and opportunities for growth and innovation.
Sharing his insights, Shri S Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, said, “Today, STPI has a greater presence in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. That is a way that prosperity spreads. What we want to achieve is to help in aggregating talent and aggregating opportunity, through the possibilities of networking and digital connectivity. STPI as an organization is playing a pivotal role in engendering such an environment and putting together such an ecosystem, which is helping India to emerge as a product nation, both in software, software embedded products, and to some extent even in hardware. I would like to congratulate STPI for their contribution in making India truly a digital product nation. We look towards them in the coming decade to continue their good work, so that India truly achieves its growth ambitions.”
Following this, the Director General of STPI, Shri Arvind Kumar addressed the event, “Today is a proud moment for STPI. We have provided dedicated IT/ITES support since 1991, this has been made possible because of the hard work and perseverance of each and every member of the STPI family. We started our journey with three centres and today we have presence in 65 centres across the nation. Looking forward, our mandate from the Ministry is to nurture entrepreneurship and bolster IT/ITES industries in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. We have created 24 Centres of Entrepreneurship (CoEs) and implemented the Next Generation Incubation Scheme (NGIS), which have yielded significant breakthroughs in cutting-edge digital frontiers, while also nurturing over 1000 startups across domains such as Blockchain, AI, IoT, AR and VR. With these initiatives, STPI continues to advance the technology industry and provide a conducive environment for entrepreneurship to prosper in India. As we celebrate the spirit of collaboration and partnership, we will continue to build upon the strong foundation laid over the previous three decades, and aim to achieve greater heights in the future.”
Shri Tejas Goenka, Managing Director, Tally Solutions said, “Software products can have a tremendous Impact on the last mile when it comes to providing quality health and education services. We must all strive to create the right ambition, develop focused skillsets, and foster the dedicated attitude in our talent pool. This will create a multiplier-effect in bolstering the Indian economic growth story. I wish STPI all the very best in their journey ahead and look forward to seeing STPI achieve greater heights in the years to come.”
Sharing his insights, Shri Vishal Dhupar, Managing Director, NVIDIA South Asia said, “We are in the midst of the next industrial revolution, wherein AI intends to solve humanity’s greatest problem called perception. The day is not far when digital assistance will replace your mobile. Hence, I think it is imperative to realize the true potential AI. We are confident that AI will become the critical component of the next industrial revolution and will help usher in disruptive growth that we need to see in the digital economy. We are on the cusp of some extremely interesting and significant developments, which are to happen in this sector. This is a space that needs to be watched in the coming years and watched closely. And we need to be very, very active participants in this. And STPI has its role cut out in the days to come.”
The inaugural event was followed by two expert panel discussions, which had themes of, “Brand Bharat: Harnessing the Power of IT/ITES for AI and Deep Tech”, and “Brand Bharat: Accelerating Design and Development of Electronic Products in India” respectively. By empowering IT Industry and individuals, STPI has driven innovation and inspired the next generation of tech leaders, contributing to a brighter and more technologically advanced future for India. Through its dedication to innovation, inclusivity, and strategic partnerships, STPI has transformed India’s technological landscape and positioned the country as a global leader in technology.
About Software Technology Parks of India (STPI)
Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) was established and registered as an autonomous society under the Societies Registration Act 1860, under the then Department of Electronics (the present Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology), Government of India on 5th June 1991 with an objective to implement Software Technology Park (STP) and Electronics Hardware Technology Park (EHTP) schemes, set up and manage infrastructure facilities. STPI also provides High Speed Data Communication (HSDC) facilities, Incubation facilities, especially to local start-ups/ entrepreneurs. Further, STPI is nurturing pan India start-up ecosystem through its initiatives like Centres of Entrepreneurship (CoEs) & Next Generation Incubation scheme (NGIS).
ECI | 65.79% voter turnout recorded at polling stations in GE 2024
In continuation of ECI two press notes dated 01.06.2024 and as per practice followed for release of voter turnout figures in earlier phases, voter turnout of 63.88% has been recorded at polling stations in phase-7 for 57 PCs in the General Elections 2024.
Overall, 65.79% voter turnout recorded in General Elections 2024 at the polling stations. Detailed statistical reports having number of postal votes and Gross voter turnout will be made available on the ECI website after finalisation of details, as received from States/UTs in due course as per standard practice. Postal Ballots include postal ballots given to service voters, absentee voters (85+, PwD, Essential Services etc.) and voters on election duty.
The gender wise voter turnout figures for phase 7 is given below:
| Phase | Male Turnout | Female turnout | Third gender turnout | Overall turnout |
| Phase 7 | 63.11 | 64.72 | 22.33 | 63.88 |
2. State wise and PC wise voter turnout data for Phase 7 is given at Table 1 and 2 respectively. The absolute number of voters for phase 7 is given at Table 3.
Table 1:
PHASE – 7
TABLE 1: STATE-WISE & GENDER-WISE VOTER TURNOUT AT POLLING STATIONS
| Sl. No. | State/UT | No. of PCs | VOTER Turnout (%) | |||
| Male | Female | Others | Total | |||
| 1 | Bihar | 8 | 54.09 | 52.42 | 8.19 | 53.29 |
| 2 | Chandigarh | 1 | 68.67 | 67.25 | 77.14 | 67.98 |
| 3 | Himachal Pradesh | 4 | 69.19 | 72.64 | 77.14 | 70.90 |
| 4 | Jharkhand | 3 | 68.10 | 73.75 | 57.58 | 70.88 |
| 5 | Odisha | 6 | 72.42 | 76.50 | 18.63 | 74.41 |
| 6 | Punjab | 13 | 63.27 | 62.28 | 36.22 | 62.80 |
| 7 | Uttar Pradesh | 13 | 53.47 | 58.56 | 10.96 | 55.85 |
| 8 | West Bengal | 9 | 77.88 | 75.69 | 31.04 | 76.80 |
| 8 States / UTs [57 PCs] |
57 | 63.11 | 64.72 | 22.33 | 63.88 | |
Table 2:
PHASE – 7
TABLE 2: PC-WISE & GENDER-WISE VOTER TURNOUT AT POLLING STATIONS
| Sl. No. | State/UT | PC | VOTER Turnout (%) | |||
| Male | Female | Others | Total | |||
| 1 | Bihar | Arrah | 50.44 | 50.08 | 6.06 | 50.27 |
| 2 | Bihar | Buxar | 55.85 | 54.89 | 35.29 | 55.39 |
| 3 | Bihar | Jahanabad | 54.98 | 55.21 | 6.25 | 55.09 |
| 4 | Bihar | Karakat | 55.75 | 53.52 | 12.86 | 54.68 |
| 5 | Bihar | Nalanda | 49.53 | 50.05 | 1.45 | 49.78 |
| 6 | Bihar | Patliputra | 61.04 | 57.26 | 7.14 | 59.24 |
| 7 | Bihar | Patna Sahib | 49.07 | 44.38 | 5.41 | 46.85 |
| 8 | Bihar | Sasaram | 58.06 | 56.18 | 14.81 | 57.16 |
| 9 | Chandigarh | Chandigarh | 68.67 | 67.25 | 77.14 | 67.98 |
| 10 | Himachal Pradesh | HAMIRPUR | 67.95 | 75.16 | 86.67 | 71.56 |
| 11 | Himachal Pradesh | KANGRA | 64.64 | 71.18 | 60.00 | 67.89 |
| 12 | Himachal Pradesh | MANDI | 72.13 | 74.19 | 100.00 | 73.15 |
| 13 | Himachal Pradesh | SHIMLA | 72.54 | 69.92 | 66.67 | 71.26 |
| 14 | Jharkhand | Dumka | 71.59 | 76.17 | 50.00 | 73.87 |
| 15 | Jharkhand | Godda | 65.02 | 72.51 | 64.71 | 68.63 |
| 16 | Jharkhand | Rajmahal | 68.62 | 72.94 | 50.00 | 70.78 |
| 17 | Odisha | Balasore | 74.93 | 78.67 | 27.27 | 76.77 |
| 18 | Odisha | Bhadrak | 68.66 | 78.07 | 20.21 | 73.23 |
| 19 | Odisha | Jagatsinghpur | 74.99 | 76.00 | 18.38 | 75.48 |
| 20 | Odisha | Jajpur | 73.49 | 75.51 | 13.24 | 74.47 |
| 21 | Odisha | Kendrapara | 68.91 | 73.70 | 11.11 | 71.22 |
| 22 | Odisha | Mayurbhanj | 74.41 | 77.14 | 7.84 | 75.79 |
| 23 | Punjab | Amritsar | 57.62 | 54.34 | 30.16 | 56.06 |
| 24 | Punjab | Anandpur Sahib | 60.88 | 63.18 | 48.44 | 61.98 |
| 25 | Punjab | Bathinda | 70.75 | 67.81 | 55.88 | 69.36 |
| 26 | Punjab | Faridkot | 64.74 | 61.77 | 32.10 | 63.34 |
| 27 | Punjab | Fatehgarh Sahib | 64.10 | 60.75 | 65.63 | 62.53 |
| 28 | Punjab | Firozpur | 68.68 | 65.16 | 35.42 | 67.02 |
| 29 | Punjab | Gurdaspur | 64.70 | 68.89 | 38.89 | 66.67 |
| 30 | Punjab | Hoshiarpur | 56.31 | 61.60 | 29.55 | 58.86 |
| 31 | Punjab | Jalandhar | 59.03 | 60.44 | 52.27 | 59.70 |
| 32 | Punjab | Khadoor Sahib | 61.65 | 63.56 | 20.90 | 62.55 |
| 33 | Punjab | Ludhiana | 61.97 | 58.01 | 26.87 | 60.12 |
| 34 | Punjab | Patiala | 65.33 | 61.77 | 35.00 | 63.63 |
| 35 | Punjab | Sangrur | 66.54 | 62.49 | 41.30 | 64.63 |
| 36 | Uttar Pradesh | Ballia | 50.36 | 54.02 | 1.59 | 52.05 |
| 37 | Uttar Pradesh | Bansgaon | 46.48 | 57.82 | 5.75 | 51.79 |
| 38 | Uttar Pradesh | Chandauli | 61.27 | 59.80 | 14.00 | 60.58 |
| 39 | Uttar Pradesh | Deoria | 49.75 | 61.99 | 13.76 | 55.51 |
| 40 | Uttar Pradesh | Ghazipur | 53.62 | 57.48 | 0.00 | 55.45 |
| 41 | Uttar Pradesh | Ghosi | 52.63 | 57.77 | 30.67 | 55.05 |
| 42 | Uttar Pradesh | Gorakhpur | 53.18 | 56.96 | 11.49 | 54.93 |
| 43 | Uttar Pradesh | Kushi Nagar | 51.90 | 63.86 | 8.33 | 57.57 |
| 44 | Uttar Pradesh | Maharajganj | 54.48 | 66.80 | 11.84 | 60.31 |
| 45 | Uttar Pradesh | Mirzapur | 58.01 | 57.83 | 8.70 | 57.92 |
| 46 | Uttar Pradesh | Robertsganj | 56.68 | 56.90 | 16.13 | 56.78 |
| 47 | Uttar Pradesh | Salempur | 47.38 | 55.93 | 4.48 | 51.38 |
| 48 | Uttar Pradesh | Varanasi | 58.73 | 53.85 | 10.29 | 56.49 |
| 49 | West Bengal | Barasat | 82.23 | 78.09 | 40.00 | 80.17 |
| 50 | West Bengal | Basirhat | 85.46 | 83.11 | 32.35 | 84.31 |
| 51 | West Bengal | Diamond harbour | 82.54 | 79.49 | 28.17 | 81.04 |
| 52 | West Bengal | Dum dum | 75.77 | 71.90 | 20.00 | 73.81 |
| 53 | West Bengal | Jadavpur | 78.79 | 74.62 | 25.83 | 76.68 |
| 54 | West Bengal | Joynagar | 81.24 | 78.87 | 19.54 | 80.08 |
| 55 | West Bengal | Kolkata Dakshin | 67.80 | 66.06 | 35.71 | 66.95 |
| 56 | West Bengal | Kolkata Uttar | 63.54 | 63.66 | 60.98 | 63.59 |
| 57 | West Bengal | Mathurapur | 81.43 | 82.64 | 39.39 | 82.02 |
| All 57 PCs | 63.11 | 64.72 | 22.33 | 63.88 | ||
Table 3:
Voter turnout data in absolute numbers for Phase 7
| Sl. No. | State | PC Name | Count of Elector* | **Poll (%) | Count of Votes*** |
| 1 | Bihar | Arrah | 2165574 | 50.27 | 1088685 |
| 2 | Bihar | Buxar | 1923164 | 55.39 | 1065290 |
| 3 | Bihar | Jahanabad | 1670327 | 55.09 | 920114 |
| 4 | Bihar | Karakat | 1881191 | 54.68 | 1028641 |
| 5 | Bihar | Nalanda | 2288240 | 49.78 | 1139006 |
| 6 | Bihar | Patliputra | 2073685 | 59.24 | 1228549 |
| 7 | Bihar | Patna Sahib | 2292045 | 46.85 | 1073847 |
| 8 | Bihar | Sasaram | 1910368 | 57.16 | 1091993 |
| 9 | Chandigarh | Chandigarh | 659805 | 67.98 | 448547 |
| 10 | Himachal Pradesh | HAMIRPUR | 1432636 | 71.56 | 1025237 |
| 11 | Himachal Pradesh | KANGRA | 1502514 | 67.89 | 1020026 |
| 12 | Himachal Pradesh | MANDI | 1364060 | 73.15 | 997833 |
| 13 | Himachal Pradesh | SHIMLA | 1346369 | 71.26 | 959445 |
| 14 | Jharkhand | Dumka | 1591061 | 73.87 | 1175294 |
| 15 | Jharkhand | Godda | 2028154 | 68.63 | 1391960 |
| 16 | Jharkhand | Rajmahal | 1704671 | 70.78 | 1206577 |
| 17 | Odisha | Balasore | 1608014 | 76.77 | 1234427 |
| 18 | Odisha | Bhadrak | 1770915 | 73.23 | 1296802 |
| 19 | Odisha | Jagatsinghpur | 1700814 | 75.48 | 1283700 |
| 20 | Odisha | Jajpur | 1545664 | 74.47 | 1151038 |
| 21 | Odisha | Kendrapara | 1792723 | 71.22 | 1276773 |
| 22 | Odisha | Mayurbhanj | 1542927 | 75.79 | 1169335 |
| 23 | Punjab | Amritsar | 1611263 | 56.06 | 903206 |
| 24 | Punjab | Anandpur Sahib | 1732211 | 61.98 | 1073572 |
| 25 | Punjab | Bathinda | 1651188 | 69.36 | 1145241 |
| 26 | Punjab | Faridkot | 1594033 | 63.34 | 1009637 |
| 27 | Punjab | Fatehgarh Sahib | 1552567 | 62.53 | 970783 |
| 28 | Punjab | Firozpur | 1670008 | 67.02 | 1119167 |
| 29 | Punjab | Gurdaspur | 1605204 | 66.67 | 1070267 |
| 30 | Punjab | Hoshiarpur | 1601826 | 58.86 | 942766 |
| 31 | Punjab | Jalandhar | 1654005 | 59.7 | 987508 |
| 32 | Punjab | Khadoor Sahib | 1667797 | 62.55 | 1043248 |
| 33 | Punjab | Ludhiana | 1758614 | 60.12 | 1057274 |
| 34 | Punjab | Patiala | 1806424 | 63.63 | 1149417 |
| 35 | Punjab | Sangrur | 1556601 | 64.63 | 1006048 |
| 36 | Uttar Pradesh | Ballia | 1923645 | 52.05 | 1001317 |
| 37 | Uttar Pradesh | Bansgaon | 1820854 | 51.79 | 943007 |
| 38 | Uttar Pradesh | Chandauli | 1843196 | 60.58 | 1116673 |
| 39 | Uttar Pradesh | Deoria | 1873821 | 55.51 | 1040178 |
| 40 | Uttar Pradesh | Ghazipur | 2074883 | 55.45 | 1150496 |
| 41 | Uttar Pradesh | Ghosi | 2083928 | 55.05 | 1147213 |
| 42 | Uttar Pradesh | Gorakhpur | 2097202 | 54.93 | 1152057 |
| 43 | Uttar Pradesh | Kushi Nagar | 1875222 | 57.57 | 1079573 |
| 44 | Uttar Pradesh | Maharajganj | 2004050 | 60.31 | 1208589 |
| 45 | Uttar Pradesh | Mirzapur | 1906327 | 57.92 | 1104186 |
| 46 | Uttar Pradesh | Robertsganj | 1779189 | 56.78 | 1010277 |
| 47 | Uttar Pradesh | Salempur | 1776982 | 51.38 | 913009 |
| 48 | Uttar Pradesh | Varanasi | 1997578 | 56.49 | 1128527 |
| 49 | West Bengal | Barasat | 1905400 | 80.17 | 1527620 |
| 50 | West Bengal | Basirhat | 1804261 | 84.31 | 1521154 |
| 51 | West Bengal | Diamond harbour | 1880779 | 81.04 | 1524138 |
| 52 | West Bengal | Dum dum | 1699656 | 73.81 | 1254452 |
| 53 | West Bengal | Jadavpur | 2033525 | 76.68 | 1559330 |
| 54 | West Bengal | Joynagar | 1844780 | 80.08 | 1477298 |
| 55 | West Bengal | Kolkata Dakshin | 1849520 | 66.95 | 1238256 |
| 56 | West Bengal | Kolkata Uttar | 1505356 | 63.59 | 957319 |
| 57 | West Bengal | Mathurapur | 1817068 | 82.02 | 1490299 |
| All 57 PCs | 100653884 | 63.88 | 64296221 | ||
*As informed through ECI Press Note No 109 Dated May 25, 2024
**Continuously available on the Voter Turnout App
***As manually entered by field officers. Does not include Postal Ballots
Table 4: State wise Voter turnout figures at polling stations for all phases of GE 2024
| Sl. No. | State/UT | No. of PCs | VOTER Turnout (%) | |||
| Male | Female | Others | Total | |||
| 1 | Andaman & Nicobar Islands | 1 | 64.41 | 63.77 | 50.00 | 64.10 |
| 2 | Andhra Pradesh | 25 | 81.04 | 80.30 | 44.34 | 80.66 |
| 3 | Arunachal Pradesh | 2 | 75.62 | 79.67 | 40.00 | 77.68 |
| 4 | Assam | 14 | 81.42 | 81.71 | 18.81 | 81.56 |
| 5 | Bihar | 40 | 53.28 | 59.39 | 6.40 | 56.19 |
| 6 | Chandigarh | 1 | 68.67 | 67.25 | 77.14 | 67.98 |
| 7 | Chhattisgarh | 11 | 73.40 | 72.23 | 29.92 | 72.81 |
| 8 | Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | 2 | 69.99 | 72.73 | 71.31 | |
| 9 | Goa | 2 | 75.42 | 76.66 | 75.00 | 76.06 |
| 10 | Gujarat | 25 | 63.52 | 56.56 | 30.77 | 60.13 |
| 11 | Haryana | 10 | 65.97 | 63.49 | 18.20 | 64.80 |
| 12 | Himachal Pradesh | 4 | 69.19 | 72.64 | 77.14 | 70.90 |
| 13 | Jammu and Kashmir | 5 | 60.69 | 56.38 | 31.33 | 58.58 |
| 14 | Jharkhand | 14 | 63.79 | 68.67 | 38.48 | 66.19 |
| 15 | Karnataka | 28 | 71.12 | 70.16 | 21.47 | 70.64 |
| 16 | Kerala | 20 | 70.63 | 71.88 | 40.87 | 71.27 |
| 17 | Ladakh | 1 | 71.44 | 72.20 | 71.82 | |
| 18 | Lakshadweep | 1 | 82.88 | 85.47 | 84.16 | |
| 19 | Madhya Pradesh | 29 | 69.37 | 64.24 | 47.17 | 66.87 |
| 20 | Maharashtra | 48 | 63.45 | 59.04 | 25.35 | 61.33 |
| 21 | Manipur | 2 | 77.63 | 78.72 | 46.77 | 78.19 |
| 22 | Meghalaya | 2 | 74.35 | 78.80 | 100.00 | 76.60 |
| 23 | Mizoram | 1 | 58.15 | 55.67 | 56.87 | |
| 24 | Nagaland | 1 | 57.55 | 57.90 | 57.72 | |
| 25 | NCT OF Delhi | 7 | 59.03 | 58.29 | 28.01 | 58.69 |
| 26 | Odisha | 21 | 73.37 | 75.55 | 22.92 | 74.44 |
| 27 | Puducherry | 1 | 78.64 | 79.13 | 69.54 | 78.90 |
| 28 | Punjab | 13 | 63.27 | 62.28 | 36.22 | 62.80 |
| 29 | Rajasthan | 25 | 62.27 | 60.72 | 53.03 | 61.53 |
| 30 | Sikkim | 1 | 79.93 | 79.84 | 66.67 | 79.88 |
| 31 | Tamil Nadu | 39 | 69.59 | 69.86 | 32.08 | 69.72 |
| 32 | Telangana | 17 | 66.07 | 65.29 | 30.25 | 65.67 |
| 33 | Tripura | 2 | 81.29 | 80.57 | 56.52 | 80.93 |
| 34 | Uttar Pradesh | 80 | 56.65 | 57.24 | 12.22 | 56.92 |
| 35 | Uttarakhand | 5 | 55.96 | 58.58 | 29.49 | 57.22 |
| 36 | West Bengal | 42 | 78.43 | 80.18 | 31.98 | 79.29 |
| All India | 542 | 65.80 | 65.78 | 27.08 | 65.79 | |
UNESCO & MeitY organise National Stakeholder Workshop on Ethics of AI
United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) South Asia Regional Office, in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, hosted the National Stakeholder Workshop on Safe, Trusted and Ethical AI at the Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi.
The event was held at a crucial juncture, following the Government of India’s recent approval of the IndiaAI Mission, which has been allocated more than Rs 10,000 crore, marking a significant step towards bolstering India’s AI ecosystem. The workshop provided a platform for critical discussions intended at integrating safe, trusted and ethical AI considerations into the national and state-level AI strategies and programmes, ensuring that the deployment of AI technologies aligns with public welfare and adheres to international norms and standards.
The Workshop featured participation from senior level officials from various Central Line Ministries, State Governments, NITI Aayog and Industry partners such as NASSCOM, ensuring a broad representation of perspectives. Extensive dialogue on the concept of safe and trusted AI, its ethical implications and the societal impact of AI technologies were deliberated upon through panel discussions with breakout group sessions on India harnessing ethical implementation of AI.
The inaugural session was graced by eminent dignitaries –Prof Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India; Shri Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, MeitY; Mr Tim Curtis, Director, UNESCO South Asia Regional Office and Ms Gabriela Ramos, UNESCO Assistant Director General for Social and Human Sciences.
The Workshop was also attended by Ms Debjani Ghosh, President NASSCOM; Shri Prakash Kumar, CEO at Wadhwani Centre for Government Digital Transformation; Mr James Wright, Programme Specialist, Section for Bioethics and the Ethics of Science and Technology, UNESCO Headquarters; Mr Joe Hironaka, Regional Advisor for Communication and Information, UNESCO Regional Office, Bangkok; Mr Jian Xi Teng, Programme Specialist, Education, UNESCO South Asia Regional Office and Ms Eunsong Kim, Programme Specialist, UNESCO South Asia Regional Office.
In his inaugural address, Prof Ajay Kumar Sood, PSA said, “As AI raises concerns on ethics and its societal implications, India aims to adopt a balanced approach on AI. India has launched several initiatives including, the India AI mission to foster the development and adoption of AI. Globally, UNESCO has played a commendable role in promoting ethics of AI across the world and getting UNESCO Member States to support the UNESCO Recommendation on Ethics of AI is a great example.”
Shri Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, MeitY elucidated, “When it comes to the use of the word ethics, we prefer to define it in terms of building a safe and trusted AI which will not result in user harm; which will result in ensuring a framework that will promote innovation and that will restrict the risks that are related to AI.”
The AI is expected to add nearly $500 billion to India’s GDP by 2025, driven by advancements in various sectors such as healthcare, financial services, and telecommunications. To support this vision, MeitY has been entrusted with the responsibility of leading the IndiaAI Mission. This mission is set to further catalyze technological self-reliance across the nation through its key components, including the IndiaAI Compute Capacity, IndiaAI Innovation Centre (IAIC), IndiaAI Datasets Platform, IndiaAI Application Development Initiative, IndiaAI FutureSkills, IndiaAI Startup Financing, and Safe & Trusted AI.
The workshop’s comprehensive agenda included sessions on AI fundamentals, Ethical Dimensions of AI, UNESCO’s Role in AI ethics and the current AI policy landscape in India.By collectively enhancing understanding and preparing for challenges and opportunities presented by AI. The workshop aimed to establish a foundation for informed policy development that promotes equitable and sustainable AI adoption nationwide.
“AI has immense potential to contribute in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); it also poses significant ethical and practical risks if deployed without proper frameworks ensuring ethical development and use. UNESCO aims to support the Indian government in integrating ethical considerations into the national and state-level AI strategies and programmes, ensuring that the deployment of AI technologies aligns with and adheres to international norms and standards outlined in the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence,” Mr Tim Curtis, UNESCO Representative to India and the Director of UNESCO South Asia Regional Office said in his remarks.
As a panellist on the discussion on AI in India: Policy and Practice, NASSCOM President, Ms Debjani Ghosh opined, “First, humans need to adhere to ethical standards, and then extend those principles to AI. Ethics is about equity and inclusion; we cannot afford a closed sytem where only a few companies control AI.”
The ‘Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence’ was unanimously adopted in November 2021 by all 193 UNESCO Member States and is the first international standard setting instrument on the ethics of AI. The protection of human rights and dignity is the cornerstone of the Recommendation. This is largely based on fundamental principles such as transparency and fairness as well as to ensure the critical role of human oversight in maintaining checks in AI systems.
UNESCO is working with the Ministry of Electronics and IT, Government of India, to ensure that the core values and principles of the Global Recommendation is translated into concrete policy action with respect to data governance, environment and ecosystems, gender, education and research, and health and social wellbeing, among many other spheres.
DoT launches initiative to support MSMEs & Startups in Industry 4.0 transformation
Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is planning a new initiative aimed at aiding organisations and startups through the adoption of Industry emerging technologies. It has called for a proposal for “Industry 4.0 a baseline Survey among MSMEs” that aligns with the broader vision of fostering digital transformation and preparing industries for the advent of 5G and 6G technologies.
Initiative Overview | The survey will be targeted on understanding the challenges faced by MSMEs in adapting to Industry 4.0 and utilizing advanced technologies. The survey will aim to lay the groundwork for a robust ecosystem capable of capitalizing on the capabilities offered by AI, IoT, cloud computing and the integration of 5G and 6G networks. This would include identifying sector-specific needs – in at least 10 sectors – and preferences, recognizing the diverse landscape of MSMEs and providing targeted support to foster innovation and competitiveness.
The survey will, over a 60-day period, seek to cover five sectors each in North and Southern parts of India. The key recommendations will form the platform for policy interventions to achieve the transformative adoption of Industry 4.0 leading to enhanced competitive positioning and survivability of MSMEs.
Call to Action | Organizations and Startups are invited to submit proposals by 11 June 2024 to participate in this transformative survey. For submission guidelines and more details one can visit the link below.
https://tcoe.in/include/Call_of_Proposal_Baseline_Survey_of_MSMEs.pdf
CBIC initiates electronic disbursal of duty drawback amount directly to exporter’s bank accounts via PFMS
In an effort to facilitate trade, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) will electronically disburse duty drawback amount directly to exporter’s bank account in a transparent and efficient manner with effect from today, 5th June, 2024.
The payment of duty drawback amounts into the exporters’ accounts will be facilitated through the Public Finance Management System (PFMS) automatically. This is another initiative of the CBIC towards paperless Customs and enhanced trade facilitation.
This new functionality is expected to reduce time taken for payment of drawback amount by eliminating manual intervention in the drawback disbursal mechanism and increase transparency.
Duty Drawback under section 75 of the Customs Act, 1962 rebates customs duty chargeable on any imported materials or excisable materials used in the manufacture of export goods. Duty Drawback claims are processed through the Customs Automated System (CAS), enumerated in a scroll, Computerised Customs Drawback Advice (CCDA) is printed and sent to the Authorised Bank branch along with supporting single cheque of consolidated amount for payment of duty drawback amounts into the exporters’ accounts. This contributes to the delay in the disbursal of duty drawback.
The CBIC continues to play a key role in India’s efforts to improve ease of doing business through trade facilitation and having fully implemented the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), CBIC now aims to undertake next generational Trade Facilitation reforms adopting the TFA plus approach.