New Delhi: India’s inaugural FutureLABS facility at C-DAC Thiruvananthapuram was opened by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Skill Development, Entrepreneurship & Jal Shakti, on Tuesday. Named the “Centre for Semiconductor Chips & Systems for Strategic Electronics,” this center will play a pivotal role in fostering an environment for advanced chip design, production, and research.

Additionally, there were several notable announcements, including a partnership between C-DAC (T) and the Ministry of Railways for the advancement of electric locomotive technologies. An MoU was inked between C-DAC(T) and Tata Power for the advancement and implementation of microgrid technologies. Furthermore, there was news of the transfer of technology for an electric vehicle wireless charger, jointly developed by C-DAC(T) and VNIT Nagpur, to BelRise Industries Limited.

Accompanied by key industry collaborators, the Minister addressed over 100 students, elaborating on the opportunities this center will offer them.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, “You have seen the amount of silicon in Chandrayaan 3 and electronics in INS Vikrant, both have deep roots in Kerala. The idea of FutureLABS is a partnership between CDAC and the government system, industry, students, startups, and academia. Our vision is very clear in the government and in the industry that the world’s digitization and the digital economies of the world are expanding today at an unprecedented pace. Three areas have great potential for Indian startups and students — AI, Semiconductors, and the future of electronics. CDAC will be a willing and facilitating partner to create these labs within colleges and universities. This initiative will make Thiruvananthapuram India’s next innovation hub.”

The Minister also explained the inherent necessity for such collaborations and initiatives. He highlighted, “India has made tremendous strides in the semiconductors, for 75 years we had no presence in semiconductors at all, and in the last few years we have received 2.5 lakh crores of investments and we are now e creating an ecosystem that ranges from Fabs manufacturing, innovation, packaging, design, skills, and research. Digitization and digital technologies are accelerating at an unprecedented pace even in areas that are not intuitively digital, technology is making its presence felt. So clearly Digitization as a trend is increasing. The second trend is that Semiconductors and Artificial intelligence are two dominant technologies that are going to shape the future of what we know as Tech in the coming years. The third is that every system that you know today whether it’s the laptop, desktop or the serve, automotive, or railways is being redesigned and re-architected almost from scratch. So there is an opportunity today to completely re-architect and redesign systems. I call this the next wave of startups, the next wave of systems, and the next wave of innovation, it’s what the future of LABS is all about.

The industry partners in attendance highlighted how collaboration with C-DAC has bore fruit and therefore they will continue their support in enhancing Kerala’s tech innovation ecosystem.

Atul Deshmukh, VP of eMobility, Kalyani Powertrain Ltd said, “We have been able to scale and excel because of the continuous support and strong leadership of Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar. We look forward to more such partnerships through these initiatives.”

New Delhi: The President of India, through a warrant dated February 9, 2024, and by Section 4(1) of the Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003, has named AS Rajeev as the latest Vigilance Commissioner in the Central Vigilance Commission.

Taking his oath on March 11, 2024, before the Central Vigilance Commissioner, Shri AS Rajeev formally assumed his role as Vigilance Commissioner, with Arvinda Kumar, another Vigilance Commissioner, in attendance, duly authorized by the President of India as per Section 5(3) of the CVC Act 2003.              

With a distinguished career spanning over 38 years in banking across four prominent banks—Syndicate Bank, Indian Bank, Vijaya Bank, and Bank of Maharashtra—Shri AS Rajeev brings extensive expertise to his new position. Notably, during his tenure as Executive Director at Indian Bank, the institution witnessed significant growth, emerging as one of India’s strongest and most profitable banks, boasting low non-performing assets and a high capital adequacy ratio.

As MD & CEO of Bank of Maharashtra over the past five years, Shri AS Rajeev successfully steered the bank out of the RBI’s Prompt Corrective Action, transforming it from a small-sized bank to a robust midsized institution. Under his leadership, Bank of Maharashtra excelled as one of the top-performing PSBs in the country, excelling in various business and profitability metrics while maintaining exceptional asset quality.

Shri AS Rajeev’s contributions extend beyond banking, having served as Nominee Director in institutions like EXIM Bank, New India Assurance Co Ltd, and National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). Additionally, he held roles such as Vice Chairman of the Indian Banks Association and Member of the Core Group established by RBI for the implementation of Indian Accounting Standards.

The swearing-in ceremony witnessed the presence of senior officials from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), and the Central Vigilance Commission.

As per the Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003, the appointment of a Central Vigilance Commissioner and two Vigilance Commissioners is mandated. The tenure for Vigilance Commissioners spans four years or until the incumbent reaches the age of 65.

New Delhi: According to a recent directive issued by the Government of Uttar Pradesh, 6 IAS officers have been and transferred and appointed new roles.

Among notable transfers includes, Firozabad District Magistrate Ujjwal Kumar, IAS has been transferred and appointed as Special Secretary, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises(MSME) Department.

Whereas, Ramesh Ranjan, IAS  who is serving as Special Secretary in the Skill Development Department, has transferred and been appointed as  District Magistrate (Firozabad District Magistrate) of Firozabad.

Arun Prakash, IAS, Special Secretary in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Department, has been appointed as the Special Secretary of the Urban Development Department. Additional Director Cooperative Isha Priya, IAS has been made Special Secretary Tourism. Special Secretary Sugarcane Development and Sugar Industry Sheshnath has been made Special Secretary PWD. Special Secretary Youth Welfare Gaurav Verma has been made Special Secretary Secretariat Administration.

New Delhi: Expanding its business scope into both thermal and renewable power generation, Coal India Limited (CIL) has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (RRVUNL) for the exploration and implementation of 4,100 MW capacity power projects.

This initiative aims to utilize various energy sources including coal-fired thermal power plants, solar projects, pump storage plants, and wind projects. With Rajasthan seeking to address its increasing energy needs, the generated power will be utilized within the state.

The signing event was graced by the presence of Bhajan Lal Sharma, Chief Minister of Rajasthan, with  Pralhad Joshi, Minister of Coal, Mines, and Parliamentary Affairs, and  R K Singh, Minister for Power, New and Renewable Energy, joining virtually.  Amrit Lal Meena, Secretary of Coal, was also in attendance.

Dr. A K Samantaray, Executive-Director (Corporate Affairs and Business Development) of CIL, and Devendra Shringi, Chairman and Managing Director of RRVUNL, formally signed the MoU on behalf of their organizations.

The proposed projects include a 2×800 MW coal-based pit-head power plant, a 2000 MW solar power project within RRVUNL’s solar park, a 200 MW (2×100) pump storage project at Jawahar Sagar, a 250 MW solar project on land allocated for Banswara TPP by RRVUNL, and a 50 MW wind project at the existing Ramgarh gas project in Jaisalmer.

Under the terms of the MoU, RRVUNL will guarantee offtake from the projects and facilitate the acquisition, possession, and transfer of developed land parcels to the Joint Venture Company (JVC). CIL will conduct feasibility studies and financial viability analyses for each proposed project.