Udaan scheme getting very good response in J&K: Anant Kumar Hegde
Kolkata, June 20: The 'Udaan' programme to provide skills training to the educated unemployed youth in Jammu and Kashmir, has received a "very good response" from the people there, said Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Anant Kumar Hegde on Wednesday.
"A scheme named Udaan is going on in Kashmir. The state government, Home Ministry and our Ministry are jointly working towards implementing it.
"So far it has received a very good response from the people there," Hegde told the reporters in the sidelines of a session on 'Human Resources Development for Socio-Economic Development' here.
Asked about his Ministry's initiative to upskill the unemployed youth of Kashmir, who are getting involved in criminal activities like throwing stones at the Indian armed forces personnel, the minister said the Udaan scheme is uniquely designed for the youths of Kashmir to bring them back to the mainstream.
"It is a unique scheme for Jammu and Kashmir. It is primarily for the youths and also the people who surrender to the administration there. They are given skills training for one or two years during their rehabilitation programme," Hedge added.
However, the minister refused to comment on the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir after the Bharatiya Janata Party pulled out of ruling coalition with the Peoples Democratic Party on Tuesday, stating it can be best answered by the Home Ministry.
Udaan is a special industry initiative for Jammu and Kashmir in the nature of partnership between the corporates of India and Home Affairs Ministry and implemented by National Skill Development Corp.
It aims to cover 40,000 youth over a period of five years and Rs 750 crore has been earmarked for its implementation.
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OpenAI to open first India office in New Delhi
New Delhi: OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, on Friday announced plans to open its first office in India later this year, selecting New Delhi as its base. The decision comes as India emerges as the company’s second-largest user base after the United States and one of its fastest-growing markets, with weekly active users rising more than fourfold over the past year.
The office will support the government’s IndiaAI mission and strengthen partnerships with local stakeholders. It will also help OpenAI serve students, educators, developers, and businesses who rely on its AI tools for learning, creativity, and problem-solving.
“The level of excitement and opportunity for AI in India is incredible. India has all the ingredients to become a global AI leader, amazing tech talent, a world-class developer ecosystem, and strong government support through the IndiaAI Mission,” said Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI. “Opening our first office and building a local team is an important step in our commitment to make advanced AI more accessible across the country and to build AI for India, and with India.”
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw welcomed the move, calling it a recognition of India’s leadership in digital innovation and AI adoption. “With strong investments in digital public infrastructure, AI talent, and enterprise-scale solutions, India is uniquely positioned to drive the next wave of AI-led transformation,” he said.
While the exact location of the office is yet to be finalised, OpenAI has registered an entity in India and begun building a local team. The team will focus on collaboration with government, businesses, developers, and academic institutions, as well as on designing features tailored to India to make AI more affordable and accessible.
OpenAI’s technology is already being used in India across sectors including agriculture, recruitment, and governance. To deepen engagement, the company will host its first Education Summit in India this month, followed by its first Developer Day later this year.
Recruitment for various roles is underway, with further details on the office and upcoming initiatives expected in the coming months.
