Governance Community

A WhatsApp chatbot called CoalMitra has been introduced by Maharatna PSU Coal India Limited (CIL). The chairman of Coal India, Pramod Agarwal, introduced the chatbot. The chatbot will be used to handle complaints, manage vendor bills using the “Vendor Bill Status” feature, and allow retired employees to download paperwork to handle benefits using the “Retiree’s Benefit” feature. The occasion was attended by Dr. B Veera Reddy, Director of Technical for CIL, Vinay Ranjan, Director of P&IR for CIL, and Mukesh Choudhary, Director of Marketing for CIL. Speaking on the app’s features, the PSU noted that CoalMitra operates around-the-clock and will help with faster complaint handling. Stakeholders can utilise it to file complaints and follow up on them. Additionally, merchants can use it to track the status of their invoices, and retired employees and their family members can use it to download the numerous paperwork necessary for their benefit. The PSU advised consumers to send a WhatsApp message with the phrase “Hello” to the mobile number 9477011383 in order to communicate with CoalMitra.

The e-Vidhan Sabha project, where MLAs will be able to ask questions online and perform other activities using tablets, would be operational within the next two months, according to Gujarat assembly speaker Shankar Chaudhary on Friday. To oversee project execution, a 15-member committee with the speaker as its head and members who are MLAs and officers from the relevant departments has been constituted. Through the e-Vidhan Sabha project, MLAs will be able to use tablets to submit questions, present issues from their various areas, and even upload data. The state government’s e-file system would be linked to the MLAs’ uploaded data, according to Chaudhary. The system would be operational by the next session of the Gujarat assembly, the speaker continued, adding that the process of updating the data is virtually complete and all other project modalities will be finished in the next two months. “We will be in a position to implement the project before the next session. It will ensure faster solution of peoples’ problems,” Chaudhary said. A team has been established to instruct MLAs on how to utilise the e-Vidhan Sabha module, he continued. These individuals, according to him, “will visit all constituencies, meet with MLAs, and train them in using all the features that will be made available under the project.” One meeting with representatives of the state government’s department of science and technology has already taken place, according to Chaudhary, and a second one is set for next week.

Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), according to Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, was established to democratise the nation’s current e-commerce environment. In his virtual address at the ‘ONDC Elevate’ programme on Monday in Bengaluru, Goyal stated that ONDC is a growth engine with the ability to totally redefine the e-commerce sector. The minister stated that the fact that there are so many merchants on the network attests to ONDC’s significance as digital commerce being reimagined. Throughout the open house, Goyal interacted with every network participant, taking note of their comments and offering advice on how to step up their efforts to democratise digital commerce in India. As a follow-up to participants’ questions, the minister added that “any marketplace joining ONDC should come with serious commitment, and not for namesake.” Additionally, he made the point that platforms joining ONDC should do so in a spirit of reciprocity rather than just taking advantage of the network’s resources without making a contribution to its development. With the goal of boosting collaboration by bringing together network participants and ecosystem players, ONDC Elevate celebrated ONDC’s one-year anniversary. It provided a platform for open talks about current successes and facilitated brainstorming sessions to help determine ONDC’s future course. Dilip Asbe, CEO of NPCI, Adil Zainulbhai, Chairman of the Capacity Building Commission, and Jaxay Shah, Chairman of QCI, members of the ONDC Advisory Council, also attended the occasion. According to a release from the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, participants had the chance to express their ideas during this interactive session and benefited from the minister’s and the advisory council members’ advice. As ONDC completes its first year of operations, T. Koshy, MD & CEO, stated that it is the perfect time to reflect on what has been accomplished thus far and make plans for the future. According to him, the network has consistently developed with the participation of a variety of companies from five cities to 236 cities. The panel also talked about the different achievements made by ONDC during the last 12 months. Since the beginning of beta testing on September 29, 2022, ONDC has expanded to 36,000 merchants, 45+ network participants, and 8+ categories. Weekly averages of 13,000+ retail orders and 36,000+ mobility rides each day have been achieved, with daily peaks of 25,000 retail orders. According to the statement, the session also covered the effects that ONDC is having, particularly on SHGs and non-digitized sellers.

The Rs 2,000 banknotes will no longer be in circulation, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced on Friday, May 19. The Rs 2,000 banknotes will still be accepted as legal tender. The people can also exchange Rs 2,000 notes for notes of other denominations at any bank branch or deposit them into their bank accounts. The RBI said that beginning on May 23, 2023, any bank will allow the exchange of Rs 2,000 banknotes into banknotes of other denominations up to a ceiling of Rs 20,000 at a time in order to maintain operational ease and prevent disruption of routine activities of bank branches. Additionally, starting on May 23, the 19 Regional Offices (ROs) of the RBI with issuing departments will offer the ability to swap Rs 2,000 bank notes up to the maximum of Rs 20,000 at a time. The introduction of the Rs 2,000 denomination banknote in November 2016 was primarily done to quickly satisfy the economy’s need for money following the loss of the legal tender status of the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 bank notes that were in use at the time. After sufficient supplies of notes in other denominations became available, the goal of launching Rs 2,000 banknotes was achieved. As a result, the printing of Rs 2,000 banknotes was discontinued in 2018–19, according to the RBI. The expected life time of the Rs 2,000 banknotes is about 4-5 years, and 89 percent of them were printed before March 2017. According to the apex bank, the total value of these banknotes in circulation has decreased from Rs 6.73 lakh crore, which represented 37.3% of notes in circulation at their peak on March 31, 2018, to Rs 3.62 lakh crore, which will make up only 10.8% of notes in circulation on March 31, 2023.

Anurag Thakur, the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, urged the Indian Information Service (IIS) officers and members of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Wednesday to push the boundaries of public communication and use new technologies in doing so. The Minister was speaking to an audience in New Delhi as he opened the day-long “Chintan Shivir” conclave on “Citizen Centric Communication as a Tool for Good Governance.” According to Thakur, both the media landscape and how information is consumed by individuals are rapidly changing. In order to address those needs, he continued, it is necessary to adapt new information transmission techniques. The minister noted that the Indian Information Service (IIS) is an essential component of the government and that this year’s Chintan Shivir has given the staff members a special opportunity to work together, reflect on their own behaviour, and promptly alter their course. He encouraged the officers to aim towards greater effectiveness through improved resource management, teamwork, collaboration, and information sharing. The minister asked everyone in attendance to set a deadline for themselves and to regularly review and update both the ministry’s and their own organization’s priorities and deliverables. The minister urged the officers to periodically assess their ability to serve the country to the best of their abilities, referring to Karmayogi Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. As the government is focused on the welfare of the impoverished, the minister outlined a clear priority for the ministry’s communication aim and stated that the Antyodaya mantra should direct the officers’ everyday activities. He emphasised how a substantial portion of India lacks access to television and newspapers and lives in the media shadows.

On May 16, 2023 at 10:30 AM via video conference, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will give around 71,000 appointment letters to newly inducted recruits. The Prime Minister will also speak to these new hires at the event. There will be 45 Rozgar Mela events across the nation. State governments and UTs supporting this programme, as well as departments of the central government, are all recruiting. The newly hired individuals, chosen from applicants across the nation, will fill a variety of roles and posts, including Gramin Dak Sevaks, Inspector of Posts, Commercial-cum-Ticket Clerk, Junior Clerk-cum-Typist, Junior Accounts Clerk, Track Maintainer, Assistant Section Officer, Lower Division Clerk, Sub Divisional Officer, Tax Assistants, Assistant Enforcement Officer, Inspectors, Nursing Officers, Assistant Security Officers, Fireman, Assistant Accounts officer, Assistant Audit officer, Divisional Accountant, Auditor, Constable, Head Constable, Assistant Commandant, Principal, Trained Graduate Teacher, Assistant Registrar, Assistant Professor, among others. The Rozgar Mela is a step in the direction of fulfilling the Prime Minister’s promise to give employment creation first priority. The Rozgar Mela is anticipated to serve as a catalyst for increased job creation and give young people worthwhile possibilities for empowerment and involvement in national development. The newly appointed individuals will also have the chance to train on their own through Karmayogi Prarambh, an online orientation programme for all new hires in different government departments.

The BJP has “not been able to make a mark,” Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai conceded, as the Congress was winning or leading in 136 of the state’s 224 assembly seats, comfortably exceeding the magic number of 113. According to the most recent trends on the Election Commission website, the BJP is leading in 64. The JD-S, which hoped to be the kingmaker, was leading in 20 seats. “Once the results come we will do a detailed analysis. As a national party, we will not only analyse but also see what deficiencies and gaps were left at various levels. We take this result in our stride,” stated Basavaraj Bommai. Exit polls had indicated that it would be a close contest, with the Congress emerging as the single-largest party but lacking sufficient support to surpass the 113-seat mark. According to the state’s chief election officer, Karnataka voted in a single phase and had 73.19 percent voter turnout. One of the main causes of the right-wing party’s defeat in the Karnataka assembly election in 2023, according to CM Bommai, was that the Congress began its election preparation much earlier than the BJP. “I take responsibility for this debacle. There are multiple reasons for this. We will find out all the reasons and strengthen the party once again for Parliament elections,” he told reporters. A party must win 113 seats in the 224-seat Karnataka assembly in order to form the government. Who the Congress chooses as their candidate for chief minister will now be the center of attention. Both DK Shivakumar, President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), and senior leader Siddaramaiah are eyeing the position. Rahul Gandhi of the Congress congratulated the people of Karnataka, where his party appears to have won a landslide win and would likely form the next government. At the Congress office in New Delhi, he said to the ecstatic party members that “the market of hate has been shut, and shops of love have opened.” According to him, “the power of poor people” won in the elections in Karnataka. This will happen again in other states as well. He continued, assuring that the party will keep the five promises it made during the first cabinet meeting of its government. “The Congress has fought for the issues of the poor,” he said.  

The day of the results has arrived following intense election campaigning and record voter turnout in Karnataka. As counting begins today, all eyes are on the JDS, BJP, and Congress. Congress has jumped out to an early lead in the polls, but BJP is not far behind. The election was peacefully concluded on May 10 with a record voter turnout of 73.19%, higher than the previous record of 72.36%. The incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Indian National Congress (INC), and the Janata Dal (Secular) (JDS) fought it out in the election on three different sides. The counting will take place in 36 different centres throughout the state. By noon, it should become evident what the outcome will be. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party won 104 seats in the 2018 assembly elections, making it the single-largest party. The Congress came in second with 78 seats, and the Janata Dal (Secular) came in third with 37 seats. This time around, 2,615 candidates ran for election in the 224 Assembly constituencies. Notably, four exit polls gave the Congress party a full majority in Karnataka, and some predicted a hung assembly that would favour the party. A few exit polls also indicated that the BJP is leading in the race to form the government. According to ECI, the Congress leads in 85 seats, the BJP in 62 seats, and the JDS in 18. Leading in two seats are independents.

The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued an advisory to all mobile phone manufacturers in India, requesting that they make sure that the FM radio receiver function is not disabled in phones sold in the country. This is done in order to clear up any confusion regarding compliance standards regarding the government-backed digital information network, the FM radio. The advisory comes only weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 91, 100-watt FM transmitters to improve radio connectivity throughout the country. The new phone manufacturers who do not already offer the FM radio feature have also been instructed by the Union government to add it to the mobile handsets that will be sold in India. All mobile phone manufacturers and brands are to get an advisory, according to a directive from the Union government to the Indian Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) and Manufacturers’ Association for Information Technology (MAID). The advisory was issued in response to concerns that certain cell phone makers were omitting the FM radio from their newest models. All phones in the past, including smartphones, have an FM radio built in. The Union governance has insisted that the FM broadcast is a dependable communication system, especially during natural disasters when it acts as an essential link between local government and the general people. Using FM broadcast is also thought to be the most efficient way to spread early warnings and encourage people to take precautions for their own safety. The Centre has also stressed the significance of the huge FM transmitter network and FM radio that are accessible in India, which were crucial in that nation’s attempts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The network of transmitters with All India Radio has expanded from 524 to 615, covering 73.5 percent of the country’s population. The recently launched FM Transmitters are located in 91 places throughout 84 districts in 20 states. A proposal to place 63 additional FM transmitters across the nation has also been approved by the Centre in addition to the aforementioned. The Centre asserts that the expansion of FM services in rural areas is due to the extensive reach of FM radio service and the accessibility of mobile phones with FM receivers.  

India is prepared to upend the current technological order by showcasing its cutting-edge digital infrastructure, which has just become a major economic driver. The Union government reportedly requested international technology experts to evaluate India’s telecom stack in accordance with global standards at the recently concluded G7 Digital and Tech Ministers’ Meeting held in Japan. India highlighted the accomplishments of its major digital programs, including Aadhaar, UPI, and Cowin, at the G7 summit under the direction of Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. Vaishnaw asserted during the conference that the surge of digitization sparked by the Digital India programme has not only assisted in building a robust digital infrastructure throughout the nation but has also aided in its widespread acceptance. The Union minister said on Thursday that India is emerging as a technology powerhouse and is garnering global attention for its growth journey in technological development. He expressed his satisfaction over the increased interest the world has in the Indian technology industry. According to Vaishnaw, India’s success may be due to initiatives like Digital India and Make in India, as well as to its advancements in creating domestic 4G and 5G telecom stack and digital public infrastructure. According to Vaishnaw, there is a lot of interest in finding out more about India’s telecom infrastructure and 5G rollout, which is thought to be the quickest in the world. In a statement made on Thursday, the Union Minister further attributed India’s technological progress to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s innovative initiatives. Vaishnaw, who was representing India at the meeting, presented a presentation on the country’s digital public infrastructure and highlighted how it is being built to offer large-scale solutions. “India is clearly emerging as a technology powerhouse and a trusted partner because of PM Modi ji’s visionary programs like Digital India and Make in India. Today globally, there is a strong interest in learning from India’s growth journey as technology developers,” Vaishnaw said in a statement.