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Monday, April 20, 2026 2:05 AM

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Prof. Himanshu Aeran, Vice Chancellor, Ras Bihari Bose Subharti University, Dehradun emphasizes on Industry-Academia Collaboration & Digital Empowerment at the ArdorComm Education Leadership Summit & Awards 2025 in Dehradun

Himanshu Aeran

We are delighted to welcome Prof. (Dr.) Himanshu Aeran, Vice Chancellor of Ras Bihari Bose Subharti University, Dehradun, thank you for joining us today. Thank you. It’s my pleasure to be here. Could you please tell us more about your university? Yes, certainly. We have two campuses—one in Meerut, named Swami Vivekanand Subharti University, and another in Dehradun, called Ras Bihari Bose Subharti University. We offer a wide range of programs. While we are primarily focused on medical faculties, we also offer courses in fashion designing, fine arts, hotel management, MBBS, nursing, pharmacy, and naturopathy. On the non-medical side, we are launching courses in mass communication, computer applications, business management, arts, liberal sciences, and more. In today’s context, where do smart skills and smarter workplaces come in? Do you see a gap between academia and industry? And how is your university addressing it? Yes, there is definitely a gap between academia and industry. To address this, we’ve been working on multiple fronts. I recently attended the VIKAS 2025 event organised by UGC, where the focus was on integrating industry with academia through apprenticeships and skill-based programs. UGC is now allowing universities to award academic credits for industry training, and we are actively implementing that. Being a medical university, our students are trained in our own hospitals and pharmacy companies. We are emphasizing industrial training in all domains to ensure our students are workforce-ready. Are there any digital initiatives or use of technologies like AI that your university has implemented? Also, how are you training your faculty? Yes, we’ve developed our own indigenous ERP system and digitized our records and administrative processes. Students are being trained on digital platforms, and we conduct regular faculty development programs to make them digitally competent. In the age of AI and tech advancement, we believe both students and faculty must be equipped to meet new challenges. At ArdorComm, we’re trying to create a unified platform from KG to PG, including representation from school education, higher education, skilling, government, and corporate sectors. How do you see this helping society? This is a wonderful initiative. I’m seeing such a platform for the first time in Dehradun, bringing together technical experts, reputed universities, and government stakeholders. It’s a great opportunity for collaboration. I’ve already interacted with several people here and we’re exploring partnerships. This is a step forward for improving education in Uttarakhand, especially given the unique challenges of our hilly regions. I congratulate you for this effort—it’s meaningful and much needed. We’ve recently completed four years of ArdorComm Media. As a growing media organization, do you have any words of encouragement for us? You’ve achieved so much in just four years—what a remarkable journey. If this is what you’ve done as a four-year-old, I can only imagine how you’ll shine as you grow. My best wishes to ArdorComm. I hope we can collaborate to create stronger bridges between academia and industry. Together, we can contribute to building a Viksit Bharat, as envisioned by our Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. And I want to say “Ham Jagat Guru the aur Jagat Guru rahenge”, that translates to “We were the world’s guru, and we will remain the world’s guru.”  

Prof. Himanshu Aeran, Vice Chancellor, Ras Bihari Bose Subharti University, Dehradun emphasizes on Industry-Academia Collaboration & Digital Empowerment at the ArdorComm Education Leadership Summit & Awards 2025 in Dehradun Read More »

Dr. Sunil Rai, President, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES), Dehradun, Shares Insights on Collaboration, Flexibility & Purpose at ArdorComm Education Leadership Summit & Awards 2025 in Dehradun

Dr. Sunil Rai

Welcome to the event, Dr. Sunil Rai. What are your key takeaways from today’s Education Leadership Summit? Firstly, I would like to congratulate you and your entire team for putting together this event with a very timely theme—expanding education, skills, and employability. The major takeaway for me is the need for total collaboration between governance, industry, and educators. Only then can we build strong bridges and capitalize on each other’s resources effectively. In today’s era, sports seem to be vanishing from academic curricula. What’s your perspective on the role of sports in education? Sports are a crucial component of character and personality building. At UPES, sports are not considered extracurricular—they are incurricular. All students are required to follow a health routine, be it yoga, zumba, running, or trekking. Additionally, students must pick up a sport—field or individual. If they perform well at the district level, they even receive CGPA credits up to point 1 to point 5 which is quite substantial. So yes, sports should be embedded in the curriculum, not sidelined. The National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) emphasizes flexibility and inclusivity. What initiatives has UPES taken to align with this vision? We’ve implemented multiple NEP-aligned measures: Flexibility: Students can take up to 18 credits (6 exploratory courses) from any stream. For example, a law student can take a biotech course, or a biosciences student can explore design. Mobility: If a student realizes they’re in the wrong program (e.g., BTech X), they can switch as late as the end of the second year. Inclusivity: We ensure no student is denied education due to financial constraints. Financial support is arranged as needed. ArdorComm Media is celebrating its 4th anniversary. Any message or wishes for the team? Many congratulations on completing four impactful years. It doesn’t feel like just four years—you’ve already covered a remarkable distance. What stands out about ArdorComm is your sense of purpose. My advice is: don’t lose that. You’re not just another media company—you are making a difference. Stay true to your mission, and I wish you and your team continued success and impact.  

Dr. Sunil Rai, President, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES), Dehradun, Shares Insights on Collaboration, Flexibility & Purpose at ArdorComm Education Leadership Summit & Awards 2025 in Dehradun Read More »

Arpan Kumar Sharma, Principal, Samar Study Hall Girls School, Kashipur speaks on the Impact of Collaborative Education Events at ArdorComm Education Leadership Summit & Awards 2025 in Dehradun

Arpan Kumar Sharma

We’re pleased to have with us Arpan Kumar Sharma, Principal of Samar Study Hall Girls School, Kashipur, could you please introduce yourself? I’m Arpan Kumar Sharma, Principal of Samar Study Hall Girls School, Kashipur. I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the ArdorComm Media Group on completing its fourth anniversary. It’s a very well-organised event and an excellent platform for schools and universities. We get to interact with many stakeholders, vendors, and educators here. I truly want to thank you. How has your experience been so far to attend this event? It has been very good. I listened to all the panelists, and the discussions were extremely insightful. I learned a lot from the dialogues and perspectives shared. I sincerely hope such events continue in the future as well. ArdorComm Media celebrates its fourth anniversary, do you have any message or wishes for us? I see a very bright future for ArdorComm Media. I wish you all the best for your journey ahead. Please continue organising such impactful events and do invite us to be part of them again.

Arpan Kumar Sharma, Principal, Samar Study Hall Girls School, Kashipur speaks on the Impact of Collaborative Education Events at ArdorComm Education Leadership Summit & Awards 2025 in Dehradun Read More »

Anuj Bhatia, Principal, Samar Study Hall, Kashipur speaks on AI, Collaboration, and the Power of Knowledge Sharing at ArdorComm Education Leadership Summit & Awards 2025 in Dehradun

Anuj Bhatia

We’re glad to have with us Anuj Bhatia, the Principal of Samar Study Hall School, Kashipur, could you kindly introduce yourself? I am Anuj Bhatia from Samar Study Hall School, working as a Principal. I have 20 years of experience. How has your experience been so far at the ArdorComm Media event? Oh, it’s really wonderful. The speakers, the panelists—those who are speaking—they have lots of experience and knowledge. What they told us was full of insights and learning. They explained the importance of collaboration for students, the use of AI in education, it was really wonderful. ArdorComm Media is celebrating its fourth anniversary. Any message you’d like to share with us? I really want to thank ArdorComm for inviting us to this platform. And really, a big congratulations to them for achieving this 4-year milestone. I hope they’ll continue to flourish like this.  

Anuj Bhatia, Principal, Samar Study Hall, Kashipur speaks on AI, Collaboration, and the Power of Knowledge Sharing at ArdorComm Education Leadership Summit & Awards 2025 in Dehradun Read More »

Prof. (Dr.) Shankar Ramamoorthy, Vice Chancellor, Jigyasa University, Dehradun Highlights Future-Ready Education at ArdorComm Education Leadership Summit & Awards 2025 in Dehradun

Prof. (Dr.) Shankar Ramamoorthy

We have a very senior academician with us, Prof. Dr. Shankar Ramamoorthy. He’s the Vice Chancellor of one of the finest universities of Uttarakhand, Jigyasa University, Dehradun. We welcome you to today’s event. Welcome and thank you very much. I think this has been a very wonderful journey, Mr. Anand, and I am pretty much honored to be part of the initiative that Mr. Anand has started—the ArdorComm Media. I think Ardor’s ensemble of putting all the people together in terms of industry and academia has been a very wonderful thing. We are enjoying this whole experience since morning. We’ve been hearing from all the educational leaders, we’ve been hearing from academicians, we’ve been hearing from industry experts—I think this has been a very wonderful journey. Personally, I must say that I feel that I’m a learner today. And after spending 35 years in the industry and academia, when I come back here, I say that what Mr. Anand is doing is very important because what we are teaching is something that is happening here. And we are going to factor the learnings from today and see that the curriculum is getting more and more enriched. I’ve been a very strong supporter of the job description model. In a job description model, I go to Naukri.com, I go to Shine, I go to Indeed, I see what are the job profiles. I tell my people to look at the job profiles, make curriculum, and make sure that you backfill all the knowledge that you have—from the industry to academia. Personally, spending in industry for 28 odd years in different cities like Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune—when I came back to academics, I really found that a lot has to be done here. And forums like this are a very, very enjoying experience. Thank you very much, Mr. Anand, for this.   Where do smart skills and a smarter workforce play a role? Do you really feel there is a gap here, and how should we overcome it? Absolutely. There is a lot of—a very big hiatus, a very big gap persists between the rubber and the ground. And the rubber has to hit the ground at the end of the day. So whatever rubber—or the students—we generate, they are working hard, but they’re not smart. They’re not industry-ready. They’re half-baked. And I think the moment has arrived that we have to make sure that we have industry-ready professionals. So it’s going to be a very different way of teaching them. It’s not going to be pedagogy—it has to be andragogy. It has to be more about micro-teaching, it has to be peer learning, it has to be activity-based learning. I think the formats—even of our benches in the classroom—have to undergo a sea change and a big overhaul. We need to have, you know, places where a conference-like setup is there, people think, people share, and people are able to give back to the class. Things like flipped learning, things like new forms of pedagogy have to come—and that’s the new normal future.   You very well said that the infrastructure of the school and university campuses also has to be changed. Do you feel there should be budget allocation or investment in infrastructure to be future-ready and digitalized? Exactly, I think when we start a school or a university or an education system, the most important thing they say is—like the six M’s of management—Men, Money, Material, Methods, Market, and Motivation. I think apart from having the right faculty (Men) and the Money, the most important thing is the Material. When I say material, I’m talking about infrastructure. I’m talking about digital infrastructure—right from smart classrooms, right from smart learning, right from everything. We need a good ERP, a good LMS, a good recruitment management system, faculty management system. I think we have to make sure that educational institutions’ workflow dynamics are becoming more optimized, more agile, and faster.   How is Jigyasa University growing, and what’s the vision of Jigyasa University? I am almost seven months old in Jigyasa University. I’m from Galgotias and Sharda before. So when I came to this university, I found that there’s a lot of things to be done. This university is trying to go up slowly in terms of its presence, visibility, and recognition. But the most important thing Jigyasa University has to do is—it has to make sure, apart from building a brand, it has to do the fundamental thing well: what happens in those 50 minutes of the class. I think that’s exactly where the lights, action, and the camera is. If you’re able to do that job well—the teaching and learning—I’ve told everyone, all will fall in place. That’s why I’m hiring the best faculty, I’m making sure that I have the best people, I pay the best possible remuneration to my faculty. And more important is—I’m developing a passion in the real teacher who has come to be an educator and not just for a job. So I’m telling them—I’m going to hire people who don’t want to do a job with us. And we really handpick students and faculty both for the same. I’m very pleased to share with you that we recently completed our fourth year of existence—this is our fourth anniversary as a media group. Any message or good wishes you’d like to give to ArdorComm Media Group? I think ArdorComm Media, in its last four years, has done a very wonderful job. I was going through your website before coming here and before I was selected to be a speaker here. I think in the last four years, you have been evolving continuously. And I have seen that the type of people you bring—right from the government, right from the policymakers, right from the academicians—I think the cast, ensemble, and the galaxy of people you bring is very perfect. And I wish all the best and good luck for the ArdorComm Media Group. Lots of

Prof. (Dr.) Shankar Ramamoorthy, Vice Chancellor, Jigyasa University, Dehradun Highlights Future-Ready Education at ArdorComm Education Leadership Summit & Awards 2025 in Dehradun Read More »

Arvind Mahajan, Chairman & MD, Spring Dales English School, Kathua shares insights on NEP, Innovation, and Global Collaboration in Schools, at ArdorComm Education Leadership Summit & Awards 2025 in Dehradun

Arvind Mahajan

We have an esteemed educationist with us, Mr. Arvind Mahajan. He’s the Chairman and MD of Spring Dales English School, Kathua. We welcome you to today’s event. Thank you so much. And at the outset, I would like to heartily congratulate you for organizing such a wonderful event which is a platform for networking for all of us. Not only networking, but we get to learn so much and we collaborate with other co-educators. It’s a wonderful initiative you have started, and kudos to you and hats off to you. You’re giving certificates of achievement here, but I think you deserve the best achievement award for organizing such a wonderful event. I’m pleased and honored to hear that from you, Arvind. We’d like to know more about your schools. What are the key highlights? So we started in 1991 and we’ve been ranked among the top 10 state board schools of the country for four years by Education Today. The school is known as Spring Dales English School. We have a strength of around 1,100 students, and we have an Atal Tinkering Lab by NITI Aayog. We’ve produced state board toppers, IIIT-JEE 99.99 percentile scorers, and the like. The school boasts of excellent academic results. Recently, we also had a collaboration with Woosong University, South Korea, wherein students have a chance to study for their degrees online in India with opportunities to go abroad—multiple pathways across the US, UK, Canada, Australia, South Korea, etc. In terms of NEP implementation, what are the initiatives you are taking in your school? So one initiative came even before NEP—we got the gift of the Atal Tinkering Lab where project work, collaboration, and brainstorming began. Our students started preparing projects. One of our students got selected in Toycathon as one of the top 10 finalists of J&K and received an award from the Lieutenant Governor for creating a state locator game. Then our students went to IIT Delhi after winning the Budding Scientist McMillan Program. We also had Bhumika representing the Atal Innovation Marathon—her project was on a smart shopping cart. There are many achievements—many of our students have started creating innovative projects in school, and they’re getting highlighted. They’re presenting at exhibitions like IIT Jammu, National Startup Festivals, and more. How do events like this, with representation from KG to PG and from both government and corporates, help the education sector? I think it is very insightful. For example, the Ministry of Skill Development’s IAS, C. Ravi Shankar sir was here and gave a great insight into what the outlook is for the coming years. Connecting with universities—like Sunil Sir shared his view that education shouldn’t just stay in the institutions but must reach the student. That struck a chord with me. When we connect with such eminent educationists and learned persons, we also get many ideas that we can take back and implement at our schools. So I think you are creating a platform where educators are not only sharing their knowledge but also learning from others—and going back to implement that learning. It’s a learning opportunity for all of us. Though I’ve come here as a panel speaker, I treat it as a learning opportunity. I’m getting so many ideas and so much exposure to take back and implement for our students. ArdorComm Media recently completed its fourth year of existence. It’s our fourth anniversary. Any message or good wishes for the ArdorComm Media Group? I think you are doing a great job. Keep doing what you are doing. Your team is excellent—I’ve seen regular follow-ups from your team, educating me and guiding me. I think you guys are doing a brilliant job. Keep doing it. My best wishes are with you, and I hope to see you growing big—maybe at the international stage, going abroad and expanding. I wish you all the best for that.

Arvind Mahajan, Chairman & MD, Spring Dales English School, Kathua shares insights on NEP, Innovation, and Global Collaboration in Schools, at ArdorComm Education Leadership Summit & Awards 2025 in Dehradun Read More »

India’s IT Sector Employs Over 6 Million; Govt Unveils Comprehensive AI Strategy

India’s thriving information technology sector now employs over 6 million professionals and generates annual revenues exceeding $250 billion, the government informed Parliament on Wednesday. Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Jitin Prasada, shared these insights in a written response to the Lok Sabha, emphasizing the country’s expanding footprint in cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence (AI). India ranks among the global leaders in AI capabilities, policies, and talent, according to international benchmarks such as the Stanford AI Index. The country also holds the position of the second-largest contributor to GitHub’s AI projects, underscoring its dynamic developer ecosystem. Prasada highlighted that India’s AI strategy is inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of democratizing technology. The overarching aim is to solve India-specific challenges while fostering inclusive economic growth and employment opportunities. To achieve these goals, the government launched the IndiaAI Mission in March 2024. This initiative is designed to build a robust and inclusive AI ecosystem aligned with national development priorities. The mission operates under a seven-pillar framework: IndiaAI Compute Capacity – Offers affordable high-performance computing resources (including GPUs) to startups and MSMEs. IndiaAI Foundation Models – Focuses on developing indigenous large multimodal AI models trained on local datasets and languages, ensuring technological sovereignty. AIKosh – A unified platform integrating government and private datasets for training AI systems. IndiaAI Application Development Initiative – Targets the development of AI solutions for Indian challenges in sectors like climate resilience, agriculture, public health, governance, and learning assistance. IndiaAIFutureSkills – Aims to create a large pool of AI talent by expanding graduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs in AI, while setting up Data and AI Labs in smaller cities. IndiaAI Startup Financing – Provides financial backing to AI-driven startups to scale innovations. Trusted AI – Promotes safe and ethical AI use by embedding governance and accountability into innovation. This holistic approach reflects India’s ambition to emerge as a global powerhouse in AI while ensuring the benefits of technology reach every segment of society. Source: IANS

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Over 4.7 Lakh Pirated NCERT Books Seized Since 2024, Says Education Ministry

In a significant crackdown on textbook piracy, the Ministry of Education revealed that over 4.7 lakh pirated NCERT textbooks have been confiscated across India since 2024. This update was shared in a written response by Union Minister of State for Education, Jayant Chaudhary, during a Rajya Sabha session on Wednesday. “Reports of NCERT textbook piracy have emerged from various parts of the country. From 2024 to 2025, enforcement teams seized around 4.71 lakh counterfeit books in multiple operations carried out in different states,” said Chaudhary. He emphasized that piracy is largely driven by the profit motives of unauthorized operators. NCERT’s mission, Chaudhary reiterated, is to provide high-quality educational resources at minimal cost to students across India, functioning on a no-profit, no-loss model. Highlighting recent efforts to combat the menace, he informed that in the past year alone, NCERT conducted raids on 29 locations linked to the production and distribution of pirated books. These included premises using unauthorized NCERT watermarked paper and illegal printing setups. Assets and equipment worth over ₹20 crore were seized during these raids. To address the root causes of piracy, several measures have been implemented, including a 20% price cut on textbooks, improved paper and print quality with advanced machinery, faster and timely textbook production, and expanded online availability through e-commerce channels. In a tech-driven approach, NCERT also tested an innovative anti-piracy mechanism—developed and patented by IIT Kanpur—on one million copies of a Class 6 textbook, aiming to deter counterfeit reproduction through secure tracking technology. Source: PTI Image Credit: iStock  

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Chikungunya Risk Grows: WHO Warns of Possible Global Outbreak

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a global health alert about the rising threat of a chikungunya epidemic, warning that the virus could soon spread across continents if swift preventive measures are not taken. The warning, issued on Tuesday, highlights signs similar to those observed before the large-scale outbreak of 2004–05. Dr. Diana Rojas Alvarez, a medical officer at the WHO, revealed that approximately 5.6 billion people across 119 countries are potentially vulnerable. Speaking at a press conference in Geneva, she emphasized the virus’s ability to trigger severe fever, debilitating joint pain, and long-lasting health issues, particularly among older adults. Outbreak Timeline and Spread The ongoing surge began in early 2025, primarily affecting regions in the Indian Ocean, including La Réunion, Mayotte, and Mauritius—where nearly one-third of La Réunion’s population has been infected. The virus has since made inroads into Madagascar, Somalia, Kenya, India, and other parts of Southeast Asia. Alarmingly, southern Europe is now reporting isolated locally transmitted cases in France and Italy. Understanding Chikungunya Chikungunya, first identified in Tanzania in 1952, is a mosquito-borne viral illness transmitted mainly by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. These vectors also spread other diseases like dengue and Zika. Common symptoms include: Sudden onset of high fever Severe joint and muscle pain Headache Fatigue Rash Although the infection is rarely fatal, many patients suffer prolonged joint discomfort that can persist for months. There is currently no specific antiviral treatment. Supportive care—hydration, rest, and pain relief—remains the primary approach. While two vaccines have been approved or recommended in select countries, widespread access and deployment remain limited. The WHO is assessing safety data and global needs to determine the potential for broader rollout. Global Numbers and Trends The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reports that, as of June 2025, Brazil leads with over 141,000 cases, followed by Argentina (2,521), Peru (46), and Bolivia (605). The French territory of La Réunion has documented over 51,000 cases by May-end. In South Asia, more than 33,000 infections have been reported in India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka since June. Notably, regions that were once free from local chikungunya transmission are now witnessing occasional local outbreaks—a shift attributed to global warming and the changing habitats of mosquito species. WHO’s Call to Action To prevent chikungunya from escalating into a full-scale global epidemic, the WHO has urged governments and health agencies to: Enhance mosquito surveillance and vector control Strengthen healthcare infrastructure for better outbreak detection and response Increase public awareness on mosquito bite prevention Accelerate vaccine research and availability The WHO stressed that delaying action now could result in a wider, more difficult-to-control health emergency in the near future. Source: Business Standard

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India Set to Become World’s 3rd Largest Economy by 2028: Morgan Stanley

India is on course to become the third-largest economy in the world by 2028 and is expected to more than double its GDP to $10.6 trillion by 2035, according to a new report by Morgan Stanley released on Wednesday. The report highlights that several Indian states — notably Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Karnataka — could individually near the $1 trillion GDP mark, placing them among the globe’s top 20 economies by the next decade. “Currently, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Telangana lead the economic race among states,” the report noted, adding that states like Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh have climbed significantly in economic rankings over the past five years. India to Drive Global Growth Morgan Stanley projects that India will account for roughly 20% of global economic growth over the next ten years. As a result, the country is positioned to become a major growth engine for global corporations and investors. The report underscores the pivotal role of India’s federal structure — with 28 states and eight Union Territories — in propelling economic progress. It points out that each state manages its fiscal policies independently and competes to attract business and investment through favourable industrial policies and ease-of-doing-business reforms. “Every investment decision, factory setup, or enterprise ultimately lands in a particular state,” the report explains. Competitive Federalism as a Growth Catalyst The study places strong emphasis on “competitive federalism” — a model in which states innovate and vie with one another for economic advancement. This approach, Morgan Stanley argues, will be critical for India to become a global manufacturing powerhouse, significantly raise per capita income, and maintain a robust capital market performance over the coming years. As India moves toward its projected $10.6 trillion economic size, the role of states will become even more vital. Their ability to legislate independently and shape business environments allows them to create conducive ecosystems for growth. Infrastructure Boom Underway The report also points to a decade of strong infrastructure development. Central government capital expenditure has surged, growing from 1.6% of GDP in FY15 to 3.2% in FY25. This investment has led to a 60% increase in national highway length, a doubling of airports, and a fourfold expansion of metro rail systems. National-level programs such as PM Gati Shakti, the National Infrastructure Pipeline, Bharatmala, Sagarmala, and UDAN have all complemented state-led initiatives in infrastructure, energy, water, and urban development. For India to realize its long-term economic aspirations, the report concludes, continuous collaboration between the central and state governments will be essential. Source: IANS

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