Union Minister Virendra Kumar inaugurates Shilp Samagam Mela in Ahmedabad

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Ahmedabad, Feb 26 (IANS) Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Virendra Kumar on Thursday inaugurated the Shilp Samagam Mela-2026 at ‘Vallabh Sadan’ on the Sabarmati Riverfront here, describing it as a celebration of self-reliance, dignity and social empowerment.

The Minister informed that since 2014, nearly 100 Shilp Samagam Melas have been organised or participated in by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment to promote the products and livelihoods of marginalised artisans. During 2025-26, five such melas have been organised, and more are planned for 2026-27.

He noted that Ahmedabad, known for its association with the freedom movement, Mahatma Gandhi’s Sabarmati Ashram, and as the karmabhoomi of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, is an appropriate venue for hosting such an inclusive event aimed at empowering artisans.

He said under the SEED Scheme for the empowerment of De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes, 5,581 Women Self-Help Groups have been formed across eight states to strengthen economic independence and entrepreneurship.

These groups are being provided revolving funds, entry point funds, and skill training to enhance their livelihood opportunities. Under the health component of the scheme, approximately 75,000 Ayushman Cards have been distributed to eligible beneficiaries, he said.

The Minister stated that on March 13, 2024, Prime Minister Modi dedicated the ‘PM-SURAJ Portal’ to the nation, enabling transparent and accessible delivery of concessional loan schemes of the Ministry to targeted beneficiaries.

The ‘PM-DAKSH Portal’ has been developed for skill training, and the ‘SFMP Portal’ for scholarships, aimed at improving access to welfare schemes. These digital initiatives have significantly enhanced transparency and efficiency in implementation, he said.

He said that under the Ministry’s ‘VISVAS’ yojana, eligible beneficiaries are provided a 5 per cent interest subvention on bank loans to support economic activities and entrepreneurship.

The ‘NAMASTE’ scheme ensures safety and dignity for workers engaged in septic tank and sewer-related work by promoting mechanised sanitation and providing welfare support.

The apex corporations under the Ministry have so far extended loan assistance to nearly 60 lakh individuals and their families and provided skill training to more than 6 lakh youth, contributing to livelihood generation and economic empowerment.

Expressing confidence, the Minister said that the Shilp Samagam Mela in Ahmedabad will not only boost the sales of artisans’ products but also connect them with new opportunities for self-reliance, dignity and sustainable livelihoods.

The mela, being held from February 26 to March 4, features 75 stalls allocated to artisans from 14 states, showcasing diverse traditional crafts and products.

A wide range of handicraft products are on display, including Lucknowi chikankari, Banarasi sarees, Chanderi and Maheshwari textiles, Bhagalpuri tussar silk, Jaipuri and Kolhapuri footwear, agate stone work, bamboo products, Kota Doria fabrics, and carpets.

The Minister said that for artisans who are unable to participate directly, the Ministry has developed the ‘Bharat Tulip’ online platform to facilitate the sale of their products, which has been integrated with various e-commerce platforms to expand market access.

A ‘Bharat Tulip Showroom’ has also been launched at the mela to connect more beneficiaries with market opportunities and strengthen their access to consumers, he said.

–IANS

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The gang’s operations were exposed following a well-coordinated raid on Sunday, continuing late into the night.

Sheikhpura SP Baliram Kumar Chaudhary confirmed the arrest on Monday during the media interaction.

He said, “Gorlal Yadav, the kingpin, was arrested from Harinarayanpur village under Govindpur police station in Nawada. Prahlad Kumar alias Commando, the second-in-command, was nabbed from Babhanbigha village under Barbigha police station. 13 other members were arrested from examination centres in Sheikhpura, including Islamia High School, DM High School, and Usha Public School,” Chaudhary said.

Chaudhary revealed that the gang operated by replacing candidates with “solvers”, using fake Aadhaar cards and manipulated biometrics, with the alleged involvement of supervisors and biometric operators deployed by TCS, Patna, whose role has come under suspicion.

The deal for passing an examinee was fixed at Rs 3 lakh, with half paid during the exam and the rest upon clearing it.

“Supervisors would send video recordings of question papers to the gang, which would prepare the answers and send them back to be passed on to the candidates during the exam,” Chaudhary said.

During the multiple raids, police recovered 12 mobile phones, four fake Aadhaar cards, fake ID cards of biometric operators and supervisors, slips with names and roll numbers of beneficiary candidates, pieces of impact sheets used for cheating, and copies of admit cards.

“A total of 18 people were involved in this solver gang. Out of these, 15 have been arrested while three are still absconding. Continuous raids are underway to nab the remaining accused,” Chaudhary said.

Among those arrested are identified as Sachin Kumar, Nitish Kumar, Avtar Kumar, Sudhir Kumar, Sikandar Kumar, Chintu Kumar, Aditya Kumar, Dharmendra Kumar, Amarjeet Kumar, Abhishek Kumar, Amod Kumar, Preeti Kumari, and Poonam Kumari, apart from kingpin Gorlal Yadav and Prahalad Kumar.

This exposure raises serious concerns over the integrity of the recruitment examination system in Bihar, highlighting the potential complicity of contracted service providers.

The police are expanding the investigation, focusing on TCS staff involvement and the financial transactions of the gang.

–IANS

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India’s macros remain on strong foothold, growth to pick up further: HSBC

New Delhi, June 9 (IANS) Amid all the tariff uncertainty, India’s macros remain on a strong foothold, an HSBC Mutual Fund report said on Monday, adding that it remains constructive on Indian equities supported by the more robust medium-term growth outlook.

Due to the tariff war and global outlook, demand for safe-haven assets has led to capital outflows and weighed on emerging market (EM) currencies, including India.

“India’s exposure to the US, its trade diplomacy, and the RBI’s steady hand and its policy approach have put India on the leaderboard amid the tariff concerns that have eclipsed business and growth outlook, globally,” said the outlook report.

India’s cooling inflation has provided the RBI MPC to focus on supporting growth by way of front-loaded policy easing. The MPC’s shift to a neutral stance implies that the scope for future cuts might be limited and also that it will remain data-dependent.

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“We believe the growth cycle in India may be bottoming out. Interest rate and liquidity cycle, decline in crude prices and normal monsoon are all supportive of a pick-up in growth going forward,” the report suggested.

Although global trade-related uncertainty remains a headwind to private capex in the near term, “we expect India’s investment cycle to be on a medium-term uptrend supported by government investment in infrastructure and manufacturing, pickup in private investments and a recovery in real estate cycle”.

The report also expected higher private investments in renewable energy and related supply chain, localisation of higher-end technology components, and India becoming a more meaningful part of global supply chains to support faster growth.

Industry capacity utilisation based on RBI survey data is at a reasonably high level and indicates potential for an increase in private capex going forward. Also, continued expansion of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme is likely to further increase private investments in targeted sectors.

“We also expect higher private capex in renewable energy,” the HSBC report mentioned.

Real estate remains another strong medium-term growth driver, having weathered the impact of higher interest rates. Demand trends in top metro cities remain strong, and inventory levels have declined, it added.

–IANS

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Artificial intelligence to control traffic congestion in Rajasthan’s Udaipur

Jaipur, Oct 10 (IANS) Udaipur has taken a decisive step towards easing its traffic woes — Artificial Intelligence (AI) will now manage traffic signals at the city’s busy Fatehpura intersection, officials said.

The AI-driven traffic management system began its trial run on Friday, marking a new era in intelligent urban transport in Rajasthan.

The system uses high-resolution cameras and sensors to monitor vehicle movement across all four lanes.

Based on real-time traffic flow, the AI will automatically give a green signal to the lane with the highest number of vehicles, ensuring smoother movement and shorter waiting times.

If no vehicles are detected in a lane, the system will switch signals within five seconds, avoiding unnecessary delays that commonly occur with fixed-timer lights.

In a major innovation, the AI is designed to recognise the sound of ambulances and fire brigades.

Upon detecting these sirens, it will instantly turn the signal green on that route to allow emergency vehicles to pass without hindrance.

The entire setup is connected to a mobile app, allowing real-time monitoring and control by traffic authorities.

According to Traffic Deputy Superintendent of Police Ashok Anjana, traffic pressure increases sharply during morning and evening hours.

“The AI system will automatically clear congested lanes and streamline movement. Based on the results from the Fatehpura intersection, we plan to expand it to other key junctions across Udaipur,” he said.

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–IANS

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