I&B Ministry
Arun Jaitley bats for making printed material available in digital medium
NEW DELHI: Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley today stressed that books and other knowledge products presently in printed format ought to be made available through digital medium in view of the shift in technology paradigms.
The new digital medium would provide enhanced accessibility and affordability of information to a wider audience.
The publication India 2015 brought out by Publications Division and New Media Wing reflected a great tradition of authentic and updated information on different aspects of India’s development.
Jaitley said the digital version of ‘The Making of the Constitution of India’ documentary was a fine instance of utilizing the digital media for archival and preservation of knowledge traditionally held in printed form. Digitization of printed books having valuable information on India’s development would be useful reference material for the youth and to the audience worldwide.
Despite multiple platforms, the relevance of the traditional formats still existed as in the case of India/Bharat 2015 Reference Annual.
As a rich repository of relevant information, India/Bharat 2015 Reference Annual would be a good addition to all the libraries, the Minister added. Minister of State Rajyavardhan Rathore was also present on the occasion.
Speaking earlier, I&B secretary Bimal Julka said the unique feature of this year’s Reference Annual was the addition of a special chapter on flagship programmes of the Government such as Swachh Bharat Mission, Make in India and Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana. A diary of national events have also been added this year.
To ensure mobility and easy accessibility, the e-version of the Reference Annual would be made available in the next year. Digitizing, archiving, and preserving rich knowledge content available in print format would be given priority.
India/Bharat – 2015 holds place of pride among the annual publications of this genre as being an exhaustive and authentic repository of information about the activities, progress and achievements of various ministries and departments of Government of India during the year. The publication deals with all aspects of developments from rural to urban, industry to infrastructure, science and technology, art and culture, polity, economy, health, defence, education and mass communication.
The 59th year of publication of Reference Annual has seen an increase in its print order to 11,5000 copies this year up from 37,000 copies in 2007.
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.
