I&B Ministry
‘Festivals of India’ to focus on Digital India & its gains: Culture Ministry
NEW DELHI: Digital India and its gains will form a highlight of the next round of ‘Festivals of India’ during 2015-16.
The Culture Ministry has set the ball rolling for holding the next round of ‘Festivals of India’ abroad with Culture secretary Ravindra Singh holding a video conference with Ambassadors/High Commissioners of South Korea, Australia, Mauritius and Myanmar in this regard. Similar festivals have already been organised successfully in various countries like Malaysia, China, Indonesia, South Africa and Japan among others.
The secretary emphasised that social media should be utilised to the maximum extent possible. Discussing the details with the Ambassadors and High Commissioners, the secretary pointed out that these festivals can be used to showcase Indian art, culture, life and achievements.
The Ambassadors and High Commissioners favoured the idea of projecting the face of modern India by showcasing the rise of Digital India and other modern technological developments in the field of space. They were also of the opinion of showcasing the journey of Indian civilization from 5000 years ago to the modern India. Singh shared the experience of the festivals held in other countries recently like South Africa and China and various themes of these festivals like Buddhism, Yoga, exhibitions on cricket etc. He also asked these countries to collaborate among themselves and schedule the activities in such a way that the artistic performances and exhibitions being run in a particular country can be presented in the neighboring countries too. Each country decides the events and themes of a festival. Ambassador to South Korea was in favour of festival theme based on Buddhism since it has a large Buddhist population.
Ambassador to Myanmar emphasised that the Yoga and Ayurveda can be of special interest in Myanmar. Representative of Indian High Commission in Australia favoured the theme based on Tribal Art. The ambassadors were of the opinion that the states should also be involved actively in these festivals.
Senior officials of the Ministry of Culture and representatives from National Museum, National Council of Science Museums, National Gallery of Modern Art and other organizations involved in these festivals were also present during the Video Conference.
I&B Ministry
Government sets up AI governance group to steer policy
AIGEG to align ministries, assess jobs impact, guide AI deployment.
MUMBAI: If artificial intelligence is the engine, the government is now building the dashboard and making sure everyone reads from the same screen. The Centre has constituted a new inter-ministerial body to coordinate India’s approach to AI, formalising a key recommendation from its governance framework and the Economic Survey. The AI Governance and Economic Group (AIGEG), set up by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, will act as the central platform to align AI-related policy across ministries, regulators and departments, an attempt to bring coherence to what has so far been a fragmented and fast-evolving landscape.
The group will be chaired by union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, with minister of state Jitin Prasada as vice chairperson. Its composition reflects both technological and economic priorities, bringing together the principal scientific adviser, the chief economic adviser, and the CEO of NITI Aayog, alongside key secretaries from telecommunications, economic affairs and science and technology. A representative from the National Security Council Secretariat is also part of the group, while the MeitY secretary will serve as member convenor.
At its core, AIGEG is designed to do two things: coordinate and anticipate. On the policy front, it will review existing regulatory mechanisms, issue guidance across sectors and ensure companies remain compliant with evolving legal frameworks. Beyond that, it will oversee national initiatives on AI governance, with a focus on enabling responsible innovation rather than merely regulating it.
The economic dimension is equally central. The group has been tasked with assessing how AI-driven automation could reshape jobs identifying which roles are most at risk, where those impacts may be geographically concentrated, and whether technology will augment or replace human labour. Based on these assessments, it will develop mitigation strategies and transition plans, signalling a more proactive stance on workforce disruption.
In parallel, AIGEG will work with industry stakeholders to chart a long-term roadmap for AI adoption, categorising use cases into “deploy”, “pilot” or “defer” buckets depending on readiness factors such as data availability, skill levels and regulatory clarity. The aim is to move from broad ambition to structured execution deciding not just what can be built, but what should be built now.
The group will function as the apex layer in India’s AI governance architecture, supported by a Technology and Policy Expert Committee that will track global developments, emerging risks and regulatory priorities. Together, the two bodies are expected to shape both the pace and direction of AI adoption in the country.
In a landscape where technology often outruns policy, the creation of AIGEG signals an attempt to close that gap ensuring that India’s AI journey is not just rapid, but also coordinated, accountable and economically grounded.
