'Raj Bhavan Chalo' to save MGNREGA: Shivakumar
Bengaluru (PTI): The Congress will hold a 'Raj Bhavan Chalo' programme on January 27 to protest against replacing the MGNREGA with VB-G RAM G, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said on Monday.
In order to save Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Congress leaders and workers will take out foot march in all the taluks of the state, he said.
"We should have actually carried out BJP Office Chalo as they were responsible for repealing the MGNREGA but we are doing Raj Bhavan Chalo (March towards the Raj Bhavan)," he told reporters here.
According to him, a 'Padayatra' (foot march) of at least five km will be held in every taluk of the state. Protests will also be organised at the panchayat level.
Shivakumar said there was an attempt to destroy MGNREGA, which came as a constitutional right introduced 20 years ago by the Manmohan Singh government.
The scheme, launched in the name of Mahatma Gandhi, guaranteed the right to employment for people in rural areas but that right has now been curtailed. Therefore, a nationwide agitation has been planned on this issue, he said.
"We are prepared to protest and pass a resolution on this issue even in the Legislative Assembly. Under the leadership of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, the agitation will continue until MGNREGA is restored," the Deputy CM said.
When asked about the resolution that would be passed, Shivakumar said, "We will demand the withdrawal of the law that seeks to destroy MGNREGA. Just as the black farm laws were withdrawn, this too must be repealed. The struggle will continue until it is withdrawn."
Shivakumar was apprehensive about the success of the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajivika Mission (Gramin) VB-G RAM G, the recently passed rural employment Act.
"It is not possible to implement the new law. Speaking from my experience as a representative of rural people, its implementation is impossible. Who will provide funding for this scheme. Let the Centre provide the funds."
"Some leaders have said they are ready for a discussion. We are prepared to respond to their arguments in the House," he said.
Asked about the Governor writing to the President regarding developments in the Karnataka Assembly during his customary speech to the legislature on January 22, Shivakumar said, "I have no information about that. The Governor could have stayed till the speech was read and the national anthem was completed."
On January 22 during the joint session of the Karnataka Legislature, Thaawarchand Gehlot read just three lines from the 122-paragraph Governor's address. There were references condemning the Centre for repealing the MGNREGA and introducing VB-G RAM G in the Governor's address.
The Congress legislators protested and tried to Gherao the Gehlot.
Congress leaders charged that Gehlot insulted the National anthem as he did not wait for it to be played.
The opposition BJP defended the Governor saying that the ruling party insulted the Governor and sought action against the Congress legislators.
Reacting to a question, Shivakumar said, "If the Governor did not wish to read the speech related to MGNREGA on January 22, that is his choice. There were also many other options. Reading the government-provided speech is a constitutional duty of the Governor. This has happened not only here but in other states as well."
Greeting people on the occasion of Republic Day, the Deputy CM said the Congress is working to protect the Constitution of the country.
"The reading of the Preamble of the Constitution has been made mandatory in all schools in Karnataka. Through this, our government has worked to create awareness about the Constitution among the new generation. Our government is committed at every level to safeguarding the Constitution," he said.
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Not UN’s role to regulate AI, says Guterres as world body plans annual global dialogue
United Nations (PTI): It is not the UN’s role to regulate AI, Secretary General Antonio Guterres has emphasised as he pointed to an annual global dialogue being planned at the international organisation on AI with participation from all countries, governments, private sector as well as civil society.
Guterres will soon be arriving in New Delhi to attend the India AI Impact Summit, the first-ever summit on Artificial Intelligence hosted in the Global South.
In an exclusive interview to PTI ahead of his visit to India for the Summit, Guterres outlined efforts by the international organisation aimed at global cooperation on Artificial Intelligence (AI), emphasising that these are “perfectly in line” with the strategy demonstrated by India in its leadership of the AI summit.
Guterres highlighted three key areas under the Global Digital Compact initiated at the UN to contribute towards the global AI architecture.
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The first is the creation of a new high-level Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence comprising 40 experts from around the world.
The UN General Assembly last week appointed the 40 members recommended by Guterres to the independent panel.
Head of the Department of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DSAI) at IIT Madras Balaraman Ravindran is among the global group of 40 distinguished experts recommended by Guterres to serve on the panel for a three-year term from date of appointment.
Guterres said that through the panel, “We will have a totally independent and universal…scientific body (that will be) able to tell the world at each moment where are we in relation to AI? What are the advances that were made? What are the discoveries that were established? What are the risks of (various) mechanisms or instruments, and to do it in a totally independent way.”
He described this as a “fantastic source” of information for governments to take the right decisions in policies and measures in relation to AI and “for the people at large to know public opinions, in democratic countries like India that is very important.”
Guterres also pointed to an annual global dialogue being planned at the UN on AI with participation from all countries, governments, private sector as well as civil society.
Emphasising that it is not the UN’s role to regulate AI, Guterres said the global dialogue will be a “platform where everybody can come and everybody can discuss, and where we can learn with each other and eventually come to some possible consensus on the best way to maximise the opportunities of AI and minimise its risks.”
Lastly, he expressed hope that his proposal of a fund will be approved.
“There was an agreement in the General Assembly in order to support developing countries to build capacity to be able to benefit from AI. So these are three very important contributions of the UN and I believe that these contributions are perfectly in line with the strategy that India has demonstrated in the leadership in the preparation of the present Summit,” he said.
The UN chief has proposed a voluntary global fund of up to three billion dollars to support countries in the field of AI capacity building.
The Global Digital Compact, adopted at the 2024 Summit of the Future, had set out a shared vision for an open, safe and inclusive digital future.
Among its commitments was the creation of an Independent International Scientific Panel on AI to advance scientific understanding and ensure that international deliberations are informed by the best available evidence, the UN has said.
Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, told reporters that Guterres is scheduled to participate in the Summit’s opening ceremony, a plenary with heads of state and government, as well as a session on the role of science in international AI governance.
The Secretary-General will have bilateral meetings with President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will also meet with other global and tech leaders attending the Summit, as well as members of the International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence.
While in India, Guterres is also scheduled to take part in a roundtable organised by the UN to discuss renewable energy and energy transition.
"With India emerging as a global leader in renewable energy expansion, the discussion will bring together senior figures from industry, finance, policy and civil society to identify concrete steps to further accelerate renewable energy deployment, strengthen grids and storage, and mobilise investment at scale.
“This engagement is part of the Secretary-General’s continued efforts to advance a faster, fairer and more inclusive global energy transition, aligned with the Paris Agreement,” Dujarric said.
United Nations India said in a statement that over 30 events organised by the UN system are scheduled during the five-day summit, and will include sessions on AI for resilient agriculture, health systems innovation, ethical AI governance, women’s leadership in technology, digital capacity-building in the Global South and responsible business practices.
The statement by the UN in India said that discussions will focus on “how AI can accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals while safeguarding human rights and addressing emerging risks”.
At the Summit, Guterres will be joined by senior UN leaders, including UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk; Under-Secretary-General and UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology Amandeep Singh Gill and Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction Kamal Kishore.
Also participating are Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Kristalina Georgieva; Director-General of the International Labour Organisation Gilbert Houngbo and Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union Doreen Bogdan-Martin.
