India needs to create 8 to 10 million jobs annually: PM's Principal Secretary Mishra
Sambalpur (Odisha), Apr 19 (PTI): Highlighting the need to create 8 to 10 million jobs annually in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Principal Secretary PK Mishra on Saturday urged students to equip themselves with both technical knowledge and practical skills.
Speaking at the 9th convocation ceremony of IIM Sambalpur, Mishra said, "There is a need to create 8 to 10 million jobs annually. The central government has therefore launched initiatives like Digital India and Skill India to meet this goal. You need technical knowledge along with skills."
He also informed the students that India has secured a strong position on the global stage.
Mishra said this is a crucial period not only for students, but also for the country.
"Today, India holds a strong global position, with a growing economy, a young population and strategic partnerships. The country’s increasing influence will help achieve the goal of Viksit Bharat, as envisioned by the Prime Minister," Mishra said.
Mishra said India's digital infrastructure is getting stronger by the day and there are 8,000 million internet users in the country.
"The digital economy is growing. Around 185 million UPI transactions were made in 2024-25," he said, adding that the country has now entered the era of ‘Amrit Kal’.
"Modi has set a goal to make the country prosperous. There is a need for everyone to work together towards building a developed India by 2047," Mishra added.
Encouraging students, Mishra said, "We are grappling with tectonic shifts in geopolitical alignments while simultaneously witnessing technological breakthroughs at an unprecedented pace. Climate and sustainability are central to this conversation. Disruptions in global supply chains, protectionist policies, heightened geopolitical tensions and changing global trade patterns are contributing to this complexity."
"You must take the initiative to shape your own future and focus on achieving many more milestones, building upon the solid foundation you have established today," he said.
Expressing happiness over IIM Sambalpur’s gender ratio — where women make up 60 per cent of MBA students — he encouraged the institute to aim for 80 per cent.
He praised the world-class campus infrastructure and said, "IIM Sambalpur in its decade of existence has earned a reputation for integrating various activities. The institute upholds core values of innovation, integrity and inclusiveness. It has incorporated artificial intelligence into its educational framework, which is a significant initiative. I commend IIM Sambalpur for launching the Master Weavers program for the weavers of Western Odisha; this is a commendable effort and contributes to the regional development."
Padma Shri Arundhati Bhattacharya, chairman, Board of Governors, IIM Sambalpur, and Chairman and CEO, Salesforce India & South Asia, encouraged the graduating students and said, "The world is evolving rapidly and you will face both opportunities and challenges. However, with the knowledge and skills that you have gained, you are well equipped to navigate any obstacle that can come your way."
In the welcome address, Prof Mahadeo Jaiswal, Director, IIM Sambalpur, highlighted the achievements of the institute over the past decade.
He said, "This year, during the convocation, we celebrate 10 years of IIM Sambalpur’s establishment. This is the first time that we have students from five different programmes — MBA, Executive MBA, MBA for Working Professionals, PhD and PhD for Working Professionals — receiving their respective degrees".
Prof Jaiswal further said, "We are in an advanced stage of being triple crowned IIM including AACSB, EFMD and BGA. We hope to achieve these accreditations within the next two years, positioning us among the few Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) with these prestigious international recognitions."
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Strict security measures in place in Mumbai for Messi's events at 2 venues Dec 14, say police
Mumbai (PTI): In view of Argentine superstar footballer Lionel Messi's visit to Mumbai on Sunday, the city police are implementing stringent security measures, like not allowing water bottles, metals, coins inside the stadiums and setting up watchtowers to keep an eye on the crowd, officials said.
The police also said taking extra care to avoid any stampede-like situation and to prevent recurrence of the chaotic situation that unfolded in Kolkata during Messi's visit on Saturday as thousands of fans protested inside the Salt Lake stadium here after failing to catch a clear glimpse of the football icon despite paying hefty sums for tickets.
Messi is expected to be present at the Cricket Club of India (Brabourne Stadium) in Mumbai on Sunday for a Padel GOAT Cup event followed by attending a celebrity football match. He is expected to proceed to the Wankhede Stadium for the GOAT India Tour main event around 5 pm.
"In view of Lionel Messi's visit to Mumbai, the police are geared up and have put in place a high level of security arrangements in and around the stadiums located in south Mumbai. Considering the chaos that prevailed in Kolkata and the security breach, we have deployed World Cup-level security arrangements at Brabourne and Wankhede stadiums," an official said.
Expecting heavy crowd near the stadiums during Messi's visit, the city police force has deployed more than 2,000 of its personnel near and around both the venues, he said.
As the Mumbai police have the experience of security 'bandobast' during the victory parade of ICC World Cup-winning Indian team and World Cup final match at the Wankhede Stadium, in which over one lakh cricket fans had gathered, we are prepared to handle a large crowd of fans, he said.
"We are trying to avoid the errors that occurred in the past," the official said.
There is no place to sneak inside the stadiums in Mumbai like the Kolkata stadium, according to him.
The police are also asking the organisers to provide all the required facilities to the fans inside the stadium, so that there will be no chaos, he said, adding the spectators have purchased tickets in the range of Rs 5,000 to 25,000. After paying so much of amount, any spectator expects proper services, while enjoying the event, he said.
The police are expecting 33,000 spectators at the Wankhede Stadium and over 4,000 at Brabourne Stadium. Besides this, more than 30,000 people are expected outside and around the stadiums just to have a glimpse of the football sensation, he said.
The organisers responsible for Messi's India visit recently came to Mumbai to discuss security arrangements. During the meeting, the Mumbai police asked them not to take the event lightly, according to the official.
After those requirements were fulfilled, the final security deployment was chalked out, he said.
Police has the standard procedure of the security arrangements inside the Wankhede Stadium, where people are barred from taking water bottles, metals objects, coins. Police are setting up watch towers near the stadiums and there will be traffic diversions, so that there is maximum space available to stand, according to the official.
Police are also appealing to the spectators to use public transport service for commuting and avoid personal vehicles to reach south Mumbai.
To avoid any stampede-like situation, police are also taking precautionary measures and will stop the fans some distance ahead of the stadium and public announcement systems will be used to guide the crowd. Barricades will be placed at various places to manage the crowd.
In case the crowd swells up beyond expectation, the police will divert people to other grounds and preparations in this regard underway, he said.
Additional police force has been deployed in south Mumbai to tackle any kind of situation, he said.
