Siddaramaiah requests Foxconn to further invest in Karnataka, assures gov't complete support
Bengaluru, Aug 16: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday assured Taiwanese electronics major Foxconn of his government's complete support and commitment to ensure it gets all the assistance required and requested the company to further invest in the state.
The chief minister held discussions with Young Liu, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn) and his team, during the dinner meeting organised at a private hotel here.
"... we work together to deepen and strengthen the collaborative relationship between Foxconn and our state. This partnership is of immense importance, and I am honoured to be part of an initiative that holds such significant potential for mutual growth and success," Siddaramaiah said.
During his address at the dinner meeting, he said, Karnataka has established itself as a powerhouse in the Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) sector.
ALSO READ: Karnataka stands 3rd in country with Rs 54,427 cr FDI during 2023-24: CM Siddaramaiah
"With several leading ESDM players operating within the state, we are proud to be among the top contributors to India's electronics manufacturing output and exports."
Noting that to support and facilitate competitive electronics manufacturing, Karnataka offers a comprehensive range of advantages, the CM said, from efficient logistics and reliable power supply to a skilled workforce and a resilient vendor base, the state is well-equipped to meet the needs of this dynamic industry.
"It gives me immense pleasure to note that your project will create substantial employment opportunities within the state. This not only boosts the local economy but also empowers our workforce and enhances the overall prosperity of the region," he said.
"We (govt) assure you of our complete support and commitment to ensure Foxconn gets all the assistance required in this process. Our government is always ready to support you and I request you to further invest in Karnataka. Karnataka is a beautiful state and it has got the potential for investment," he added.
Foxconn is setting up an iPhone assembly plant (Project Elephant) in Karnataka. The company has acquired 300 acres of land in the ITIR Industrial Area, located in Doddaballapura and Devanahalli Taluk of Bengaluru Rural District. The project, with an investment size of Rs 22,000 crore, is expected to generate employment for 50,000 plus people.
"Currently, the work is progressing well in this project with construction in progress. The C&I (Commerce & Industries) Department, in collaboration with other relevant departments, is actively working on securing all necessary license approvals for the project. Additionally, power and water supply specific to the project are being planned and implemented," the government said.
Additionally, Foxconn is setting up a manufacturing and assembly facility for mechanical components in EV applications (Project Cheetah). The company has leased private land in Bengaluru District for this project.
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, Minister for Large and Medium Industries M B Patil, Minister for Information Technology Priyank Kharge, and senior officials were present at the meeting.
Earlier in the day, after receiving Young Liu at the airport, along with Kharge and officials, Minister Patil in a post on 'X' said, "Foxconn's forthcoming investments in the state are poised to significantly contribute to Karnataka's growth trajectory. I look forward to productive discussions."
Had a productive discussion with Mr. Young Liu, Chairman of Foxconn. Karnataka, with its rich cultural heritage and robust law and order, is well-positioned to create a synergy that will drive long-lasting growth and innovation.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) August 16, 2024
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Single higher education regulator bill tabled in LS; Oppn flags ‘centralisation,' JPC likely
New Delhi: A bill to set up a 13-member body to regulate institutions of higher education was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan introduced the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, which seeks to establish an overarching higher education commission along with three councils for regulation, accreditation, and ensuring academic standards for universities and higher education institutions in India.
Meanwhile, the move drew strong opposition, with members warning that it could weaken institutional autonomy and result in excessive centralisation of higher education in India.
The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, earlier known as the Higher Education Council of India (HECI) Bill, has been introduced in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The proposed legislation seeks to merge three existing regulatory bodies, the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), into a single unified body called the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan.
At present, the UGC regulates non-technical higher education institutions, the AICTE oversees technical education, and the NCTE governs teacher education in India.
Under the proposed framework, the new commission will function through three separate councils responsible for regulation, accreditation, and the maintenance of academic standards across universities and higher education institutions in the country.
According to the Bill, the present challenges faced by higher educational institutions due to the multiplicity of regulators having non-harmonised regulatory approval protocols will be done away with.
The higher education commission, which will be headed by a chairperson appointed by the President of India, will cover all central universities and colleges under it, institutes of national importance functioning under the administrative purview of the Ministry of Education, including IITs, NITs, IISc, IISERs, IIMs, and IIITs.
At present, IITs and IIMs are not regulated by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
Government to refer bill to JPC; Oppn slams it
The government has expressed its willingness to refer it to a joint committee after several members of the Lok Sabha expressed strong opposition to the Bill, stating that they were not given time to study its provisions.
Responding to the opposition, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government intends to refer the Bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for detailed examination.
Congress Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari warned that the Bill could result in “excessive centralisation” of higher education. He argued that the proposed law violates the constitutional division of legislative powers between the Union and the states.
According to him, the Bill goes beyond setting academic standards and intrudes into areas such as administration, affiliation, and the establishment and closure of university campuses. These matters, he said, fall under Entry 25 of the Concurrent List and Entry 32 of the State List, which cover the incorporation and regulation of state universities.
Tewari further stated that the Bill suffers from “excessive delegation of legislative power” to the proposed commission. He pointed out that crucial aspects such as accreditation frameworks, degree-granting powers, penalties, institutional autonomy, and even the supersession of institutions are left to be decided through rules, regulations, and executive directions. He argued that this amounts to a violation of established constitutional principles governing delegated legislation.
Under the Bill, the regulatory council will have the power to impose heavy penalties on higher education institutions for violating provisions of the Act or related rules. Penalties range from ₹10 lakh to ₹75 lakh for repeated violations, while establishing an institution without approval from the commission or the state government could attract a fine of up to ₹2 crore.
Concerns were also raised by members from southern states over the Hindi nomenclature of the Bill. N.K. Premachandran, an MP from the Revolutionary Socialist Party representing Kollam in Kerala, said even the name of the Bill was difficult to pronounce.
He pointed out that under Article 348 of the Constitution, the text of any Bill introduced in Parliament must be in English unless Parliament decides otherwise.
DMK MP T.M. Selvaganapathy also criticised the government for naming laws and schemes only in Hindi. He said the Constitution clearly mandates that the nomenclature of a Bill should be in English so that citizens across the country can understand its intent.
Congress MP S. Jothimani from Tamil Nadu’s Karur constituency described the Bill as another attempt to impose Hindi and termed it “an attack on federalism.”
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