I&B Ministry
Delays in decision on power usage by AIR Aligarh led to loss of Rs 1.78 crore
NEW DELHI: Delays in assessing contracted load of power supply and seeking approval of the competent authority to reduce load resulted in an avoidable payment of 1.78 crore by All India Radio in Aligarh, according to a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).
CAG reported the matter to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B), but failed to get a reply until the presentation of the report to the Lok Sabha.
AIR Aligarh had a contracted load of 3000 KVA with the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation (UPPCL) for its power supply. Under the agreement with UPPCL, demand charges are levied on actual maximum demand recorded in a month or 75 per cent of the contracted load, whichever is higher, along with charges of actual energy consumed at the rates applicable from time to time.
Audit analysis of electric load revealed (April 2011) that actual consumption during 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 ranged between 558 KVA and 1116 KVA, 544 KVA and 1008 KVA and 572 KVA and 760 KVA respectively, and showed declining trend over these years.
However, AIR Aligarh made no efforts to re-assess the demand and get its contracted load reduced. Consequently, it continued to pay demand charges for 2250 KVA per month (calculated at 75 per cent of the contracted load of 3000 KVA).
AIR Aligarh while accepting (August 2011) the audit observation, stated that low demand was on account of existing transmitters working on lower capacity and new transmitters expected to be installed. The reduction in load would be taken up with the State Electricity Board after installation of new transmitters.
It subsequently informed (May 2014) that reduction in load to 1250 KVA was approved by the Director General, on 21 April 2014 and the matter has been taken up with UPPCL.
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.
