Indian groups in UAE miss deadline to suggest changes in new draft Immigration Act
Dubai, Jan 20 : Several Indian expatriate groups in the UAE have missed the deadline to recommend changes in India's new draft Immigration Act and demanded the extension of the last day for rasing concerns, said a media report.
The new draft bill is slated to replace the Immigration Act of 1983.
Indian Government had invited public feedback for the new draft law that proposes, among other things, mandatory registration of Indians going abroad for work, setting up of an Emigration Management Authority to ensure the welfare and protection of emigrants.
It also proposes strict regulations and penalties to prevent illegal recruitment, exploitation and human trafficking.
Indian organisations in UAE said that the Indian Government should have communicated well to its diaspora regarding the draft bill and the deadline to recommend changes till Sunday, the Khaleej Times reported.
AK Beeran Kutty, president of Kerala Social Centre, said he came to know about the draft bill just three days ago.
"The government should have circulated it through official channels and diplomatic missions. None of us even knew about the tweet put out by the Ministry of External Affairs seeking comments. I think we lost an opportunity to study the draft bill carefully and raise our concerns," he said.
President of India Social and Cultural Centre Ramesh Panicker aired similar concerns and said: "Not everybody is on Twitter. An important draft bill like this should have been made public through official channels".
Panicker hoped that the Indian Government will postpone the deadline for suggesting changes in the draft bill.
"I hope the government will postpone the deadline and allot more time for the diaspora to give their feedback," he said, adding that he would raise the issue at the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, which will begin in Varanasi on January 21.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Karnataka approves AI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru's Electronics City
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has approved the establishment of a CoE for AI in Biotechnology at IBAB in Electronics City (Phase 1), here.
The decision, taken by the state Cabinet on Thursday night, marks a significant step towards strengthening Karnataka’s leadership in emerging technologies, IT and biotechnology, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge said on Friday.
The centre will be established over four years with a total outlay of Rs 20 crore, in partnership with the Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology and the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP), according to a statement from the minister’s office.
"Karnataka has consistently been at the forefront of technological innovation. As we enter the decade of deep tech, our focus is on building future-ready capabilities at the intersection of artificial intelligence and biotechnology," Minister for IT and Biotechnology said.
"This Centre of Excellence will strengthen our research ecosystem, accelerate innovation and enable Karnataka to lead in high-impact next-generation technologies," he added.
Priyank added that the state government, through the Departments of Electronics, IT, Biotechnology, and Science & Technology, is actively investing in emerging technologies and taking steps to strengthen Karnataka’s AI and deep-tech ecosystem.
The minister said the Cabinet has also approved the transfer of a 51 per cent stake in the Karnataka Technology & Innovation Museum Foundation (KTIMF) to the Unboxing BLR Foundation.
KTIMF was established by the Government of Karnataka as a not-for-profit organisation to promote innovation, technological awareness, startup culture and public engagement in science and technology, aligned with the state’s vision of building a robust innovation ecosystem, he said.
The Technology & Innovation Museum will be developed at the NGEF campus in Baiyappanahalli, Bengaluru, under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, with a total project cost of Rs 100 crore. Of this, Rs 49 crore will be contributed by the state government and Rs 51 crore by the private partner, he said.
