Dalit woman thrown into hot cauldron for protesting against molestation in UP
Baghpat (UP) (PTI): A young Dalit woman was allegedly thrown into a hot cauldron of a jaggery-making unit for protesting against molestation in the Budaun district, police said on Sunday.
The 18-year-old woman, who sustained serious burn injuries, is undergoing treatment at the GTB Hospital in Delhi, police said, adding that three accused, including the cauldron owner, have been arrested.
Inspector in-charge of the Binauli police station M P Singh said that the woman, a resident of Muzaffarnagar, worked at Pramod's cauldron in a village.
Lodging a complaint at the Binauli police station on Saturday, the woman's brother said that on Wednesday, she was working at the cauldron when Pramod, Raju and Sandeep allegedly molested and misbehaved with his sister. When she protested, the accused allegedly threw her into the hot cauldron with the intention of killing her, and also hurled "casteist words" towards her. After this, the three accused fled.
Singh said that on the complaint of her brother, police have registered a case against accused Pramod, Raju and Sandeep under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC and under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and arrested all three accused.
He said that further action is being taken in the matter.
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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.
