Union Minister Kumaraswamy announces approval of proposals for EV charging infra
Bengaluru (PTI): Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Tuesday announced approval of proposals pertaining to electric vehicle charging infrastructure totalling Rs 503.86 crore across various states, including Rs 123.26 crore for Karnataka.
The Minister said the Ministry of Heavy Industries, the portfolio he holds, has initiated several schemes to make India’s automotive sector competitive at the global level.
“I am happy to announce approval of proposals for Karnataka involving 1,243 EV chargers with an outlay of Rs 123.26 crore. So far, EV charging proposals with a total financial outlay of Rs 503.86 crore have been approved, covering installation of 4,874 EV chargers across various states and CPSUs,” the Minister said after inaugurating a Conference on Enabling Nationwide EV Charging Infrastructure under the PM E-DRIVE Scheme in Bengaluru.
Kumaraswamy said the amount released in the first phase is Rs 20 crore.
He assured all help to the states, who are taking pro-active measure to set up EV vehicles and charging stations.
“In the second phase, whatever development proposals your state has shown today regarding EV vehicles and charging stations, I assure you from my department that we will support you fully and with confidence,” the Union Minister said.
According to him, the approved proposals include major CPSUs such as HPCL, IOCL, and BPCL, as well as states including Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala, Telangana, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
Kumaraswamy said the Ministry of Heavy Industries has initiated several schemes to make India’s automotive sector competitive at the global level.
Explaining in detail, the Minister said Production Linked Incentive for Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage (PLI ACC scheme), with an outlay of Rs 18,100 crore, encourages manufacturing of battery cells.
The PLI Auto scheme, with an outlay of Rs 25,938 crore, promotes auto components and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEMs) to make cleaner vehicles like EVs and hydrogen-based vehicles, Kumaraswamy said.
He was optimistic that the recently launched RE PM scheme, with an outlay of Rs 7,280 crore for manufacturing rare earth magnets, will make India self-reliant in this technology.
Noting that the automobile sector stands at a historic transition from conventional mobility to clean electric mobility, the Minister underlined that at the heart of this transformation lies the PM E-Drive scheme, with a total outlay of about Rs 10,800 crore to Rs 10,900 crore.
Kumaraswamy said Rs 2,000 crore has been specifically earmarked under PM E-Drive to support the deployment of EV charging stations across the country.
Highlighting that Bengaluru has emerged as one of India’s leading EV charging hubs, the Minister urged other states to actively participate and accelerate implementation, ensuring that this transformation reaches every corner of our nation.
The Minister said that under the FAME scheme, OMCs have installed 8,932 EV chargers with a total subsidy of Rs 8,735 crore disbursed by the Ministry. Of these, 721 EV chargers have been installed in Karnataka.
He said his Ministry is working on the National Unified EV Charging App—Unified Bharat e-Charge (UBC), which he said would be a game changer, enabling EV users to discover, access, and pay across charging networks of every operator through a single trusted platform.
Just as UPI revolutionised digital payments, UBC is set to revolutionise EV charging in India.
The Ministry of Heavy Industries, in close coordination with the Ministry of Power, state governments, and industry stakeholders, will ensure that grid readiness, standardisation, and digital integration keep pace with growing demand, Kumaraswamy said.
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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
