Nepal govt tables Constitution amendment bill in parliament amidst border row with India
Kathmandu: The Nepal government on Sunday tabled a Constitution amendment bill in parliament aimed at altering the country's map amid a border dispute with India.
Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Shivamaya Tumbahangphe, on behalf of the government of Nepal, tabled the bill, a day after the main Opposition Nepali Congress also backed the legislation. It will be the second amendment to the Constitution.
Nepal recently released the revised political and administrative map of the country laying claim over the strategically key areas of Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura.
India reacted angrily to the move saying such "artificial enlargement" of territorial claims will not be acceptable and asked the neighbouring country to refrain from such "unjustified cartographic assertion".
The bill seeks to amend the political map of Nepal included in Schedule 3 of the Constitution. The new map will be used in all official documents including the coat of arms after the amendment bill is endorsed through parliament.
Parliament will now deliberate on the proposal before endorsing the bill. After its endorsement by both the Houses of parliament, the President will order issuance of the bill.
The central committee of the main Opposition party Nepali Congress on Saturday decided to back the bill.
Last week, the proposed bill was removed from the business schedule of parliament at the last minute at the request of Minister K P Sharma Oli.
The discussion on the Constitution amendment bill was delayed as the Nepali Congress asked for more time to discuss the matter in its high-level body.
Similarly, the Samajbadi Janata Party Nepal and the Rastriya Janata Party Nepal demanded that their long-standing calls for Constitution amendment also be incorporated.
It requires a two-thirds majority to endorse the Constitution amendment bill.
During an all-party meeting on Tuesday, Prime Minister Oli urged the top leaders of all political parties represented in parliament to unanimously endorse it.
The ties between India and Nepal came under strain after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated an 80-km-long strategically crucial road connecting the Lipulekh pass with Dharchula in Uttarakhand on May 8.
Nepal reacted sharply to the inauguration of the road claiming that it passed through Nepalese territory. India rejected the claim asserting that the road lies completely within its territory.
Nepalese Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali earlier this month summoned Indian Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra and handed over a diplomatic note to protest against India inaugurating the key road.
However, Gyawali last week said that he was confident that the Kalapani issue between the two neighbours will be resolved through talks.
India on Thursday indicated its readiness to engage with Nepal to resolve the festering border row based on mutual sensitivity and respect.
India is monitoring the current situation in Nepal, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said referring to Kathmandu deferring a plan to bring in a constitutional amendment to validate a new map that depicted Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura as its territory
"India is open to engaging with all its neighbours on the basis of mutual sensitivity and mutual respect, in an environment of trust and confidence. This is a continuous process and requires constructive and positive efforts," Srivastava said.
The Lipulekh pass is a far western point near Kalapani, a disputed border area between Nepal and India. Both India and Nepal claim Kalapani as an integral part of their territory -- India as part of Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh district and Nepal as part of Dharchula district.
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AI chatbot 'MahaChatur' to offer skills, jobs, entrepreneurship support on 1 platform: Fadnavis
Mumbai (PTI): An artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbot developed by a Maharashtra government department will provide skill training, employment avenues, entrepreneurship support and guidance to youth on a single platform, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Monday.
He called the AI chatbot, 'MahaChatur', a "transformative initiative" and noted it will make the transition from education to employment easier for young people while helping industries access skilled manpower quickly.
The chatbot, developed by the Skill, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Department, is the first such initiative by any state government in the country, the CM said.
Fadnavis was speaking at the launch of the chatbot and the signing of multiple MoUs here.
Skill Development Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha, senior officials, diplomats and representatives from industry and academic institutions were present at the event, an official release said.
Highlighting India's demographic advantage, Fadnavis said nearly 65 per cent of the population is below 35 years of age, and equipping this workforce with relevant skills is critical to economic growth.
He said the MahaChatur chatbot, a digital assistant built to converse with users, will act as a bridge between job-seeking youth and industry requirements.
The AI-based platform will function as a one-stop solution, offering information on skill training, job opportunities, entrepreneurship guidance, application processes, assessments and market linkages. It will be easily accessible through WhatsApp, enabling wider outreach, he stated.
The chief minister emphasised the initiative will be particularly useful for employment-oriented youth seeking guidance.
He said efforts such as setting up centres of excellence, modernisation of ITIs (Industrial Training Institutes), increased participation of women in skill programmes and global partnerships will help strengthen the skill ecosystem.
Speaking on the occasion, Lodha said the state government aims to bring together the unorganised skill sector on a single platform to strengthen Maharashtra's growth.
He noted that while AI may disrupt some jobs, it will also create new employment opportunities, and the Skill, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Department is working to connect youth from the state to global job markets.
The department has also launched the chatbot to streamline apprenticeship processes under the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and the Maharashtra Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (MAPS). The platform enables registration in about 15 minutes, significantly reducing the earlier time of two to three days, Lodha maintained.
Developed in partnership with the Right Walk Foundation, 'MahaChatur' operates on government servers using open-source AI and ensures data security. It will provide end-to-end information -- from training to placement -- for both rural and urban youth, officials said.
In the CM's presence, MoUs were signed with several organisations, including IPE Global Ltd, National Skill Training Institute, Mumbai, Shrimad Rajchandra Educational Trust, Shri Shri Rural Development Programme Trust and UN Women for collaboration in areas such as women's skill training, data security, prison skill development and youth employment initiatives, the release said.
Representatives of several industry partners, including Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt Ltd, Bajaj Auto Ltd, Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd and others, were felicitated for their contribution to skill development.
Six ITI students selected for apprenticeships in Germany were also honoured and presented offer letters at the event.
Panel discussions on "Industry Leadership Dialogue" and "AI for Public Service Delivery" were held, focusing on emerging opportunities in skill development and AI-driven services.
The initiative is expected to significantly improve transparency, grievance redressal and access to employment-linked services, the release said.
