Canada-based Babbar Khalsa activist Landa declared 'individual terrorist'
New Delhi (PTI): The government has declared Lakhbir Singh alias Landa, a Canada-based activist of the banned Babbar Khalsa International, an "individual terrorist" under the anti-terror law.
According to an official notification, Singh was involved in the May 2022 Rocket Propelled Grenade attack on the Punjab Police's intelligence branch headquarters, besides supplying IEDs, arms, sophisticated weapons and explosives from across the border to carry out terror attacks in the country.
Singh hails from Harike in the Tarn Taran district of Punjab and currently resides in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He is an activist of the banned Babbar Khalsa International.
He has also been involved in various criminal cases related to the raising of terror modules, extortion, killings, planting IEDs, smuggling of weapons and narcotics and using funds or proceeds for terrorist acts in Punjab and other parts of the country.
The government said Singh and his associates have been conspiring to disrupt the peace, law and order in Punjab by carrying out targeted killings, extortions and other anti-national activities in different parts of India.
An open-ended warrant and a look out circular have also been issued against him.
"The central government believes that Lakhbir Singh @ Landa is involved in terrorism and the said Lakhbir Singh @ Landa is to be added as a terrorist in the Fourth Schedule to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act," the notification said.
Therefore, by exercising the powers conferred under the UAPA, he has been declared as an individual terrorist, it said.
Singh is the 55th individual who has been designated as a terrorist under the law.
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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.
