Those who did injustice to society now thinking of 'nyay yatra': Nadda
Lucknow (PTI): Targeting the Congress, BJP president J P Nadda on Sunday said those who spared no effort in doing injustice to society are now thinking about holding a 'nyay yatra'.
Addressing a public gathering here, Nadda also hit out at the opposition INDIA bloc, saying it is bent on dragging the country down while Prime Minister Narendra Modi is taking it forward.
Nadda was here to participate in the 'Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra', which aims to spread the word about the central government's flagship schemes ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. He also flagged off a half-marathon for women.
"Those people who spared no effort to break India over the last so many years had set out on Bharat Jodo Yatra. Those people who spared no effort in doing injustice to society are thinking about holding a 'nyay yatra' these days.
"Those people who never thought of anyone outside their family are talking about the country today," the BJP chief said.
Last week, the Congress announced it will hold from January 14 a 'Bharat Nyay Yatra' led by Rahul Gandhi from Manipur to Mumbai, passing through 14 states. The exercise is being seen as the party's attempt to rally support ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Targeting the INDIA bloc, which also includes the Congress, Nadda said the opposition coalition is working to stop the country's growth.
"On one side, we have Modi ji who is taking the country forward and on the other side, we have the INDI Alliance that is bent on stopping the country (from growing). They are competing to drag the country down and we are competing to take India forward under the leadership of Modi ji," he said.
Praising the development work of the double-engine government of the Centre and the state, the BJP president said, "When Modi ji and Yogi (Adityanath) ji talk, they talk about how India should move forward."
But when Akhilesh (Yadav) talks, when Rahul (Gandhi) talks, they only talk about their families, he said.
"Prime Minister Modi empowered the youth of the country through many schemes like 'Startup India', 'Khelo India' and 'Fit India'. This year, India gave its best performance in the Asian Games and won the maximum number of medals," he said.
"Modi ji has said he considers only four castes and these are women, farmers, youths and the poor. If we strengthen these four castes, then the dream of a developed India will come true," he added.
The BJP chief also praised his party's government in Uttar Pradesh for taking the state forward.
"There was a time when Uttar Pradesh was known as a state of goons. It was difficult for women to come out of homes during night. At that time, Uttar Pradesh was a backward state. Today, with the blessings of Modi ji and the hard work of Yogi ji, Uttar Pradesh is moving forward at a fast pace," he said.
Later, Nadda also addressed the Sankalp Yatra in the state capital.
"The objective of Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra is that no beneficiary should be left out. The benefits of the welfare schemes of the Central government should reach the people. Therefore, the government is reaching out to every person to make them aware of the schemes," he said.
He also said if 'ujaala' (light) has to be understood, then first 'andhera' (darkness) should be identified.
Recalling the days when he was MLA, Nadda said, "In 1993, I had won the election in my region. At that time, the BDO used to come to my office and would say: 'Nadda sahab, this time you are getting two houses under Indira Awas Yojana in one panchayat. Tell me whom should I give?' I would say, brother I leave it to you. And today, I can say with pride that Prime Minister Modi ji has given four crore houses under the PM Awas Yojana. This is the difference between light and darkness."
Then he gave another example of an elderly woman of a village who lost her hair as she had to walk three kilometres with earthen pots on her head to bring water. "Today, under the Jal Jeevan Mission, every household is getting tap water," he said.
"The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is saying that in India, 13.50 crore people have moved above the poverty line," he said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
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.
