WASHINGTON: “India is a part of me and I carry it with me wherever I go,” Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said, as he received the prestigious Padma Bhushan award from the Indian envoy to the US

Indian-American Pichai was awarded the Padma Bhushan for 2022 in the Trade and Industry category. The Madurai-born Pichai was named one of the 17 awardees earlier this year.

He received India’s third-highest civilian award in the presence of his close family members in San Francisco on Friday.

“I am deeply grateful to the Indian government and the people of India for this immense honour. It is incredibly meaningful to be honoured in this way by the country that shaped me,” 50-year-old Pichai said while accepting the award from India’s Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu.

“India is a part of me. I carry it with me wherever I go. (Unlike this beautiful award which I will keep somewhere safe),” he said.

“I was fortunate to grow up in a family that cherished learning and knowledge, with parents who sacrificed a lot to make sure I had opportunities to explore my interests,” Pichai said.

India’s Consul General in San Francisco, T V Nagendra Prasad, was also present during the event.

Sandhu said that Pichai represented the limitless possibilities of technology for transformation.

“He has been making commendable efforts towards making digital tools, and skills accessible to across various segments of the society in different parts of the globe,” he said.

Recalling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of technology that combines 3Ss – speed, simplicity and service, Sandhu hoped that Google would make full use of the digital revolution happening in India.

Pichai said that it had been amazing to return to India many times over the years to see the rapid pace of technological change.

The innovations created in India are benefitting people around the world – from digital payments to voice technology, he said.

“I look forward to continuing the great partnership between Google and India, as we work together to bring the benefits of technology to more people,” he said.

Businesses are seizing the opportunities for digital transformation, and more people have access to the internet than ever before, including in rural villages, Pichai said.

“Prime Minister Modi’s Digital India vision has certainly been an accelerator for that progress and I’m proud that Google continues to invest in India, partnering with governments, businesses, and communities over two transformative decades,” he said.

“Every new technology that arrived at our doorstep made our lives better. And that experience put me on a path to Google, and the chance to help build technology that improves the lives of people all over the world,” he said.

Pichai said he sees so much opportunity ahead.

On India taking over the G20 presidency, Pichai said: “It’s an amazing opportunity to build consensus on strengthening the global economy by advancing an internet that is open, connected, secure, and works for everyone. That’s a goal we share, and are committed to advancing with you.”

India formally assumed the G20 Presidency on Thursday. I am grateful for the opportunity to do this work together and bring the benefits of technology to more people,” Pichai said.

Google this year added 24 new languages to its translation service using a new advancement in machine learning.

Eight of them are languages native to India.

“It means so much to see how people can access information and knowledge in their preferred language, and see the world open up to them in new ways. That’s why I continue to be so optimistic about technology, and why I believe India can and must continue to lead,” he added.

By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Congress party, according to sources, has taken a big decision for the selection of a special day for Bharat Jodo Yatra. According to sources, the Congress has decided that the Bharat Jodo Padyatra, which started from Kanyakumari on September 7, will conclude on January 26 in Kashmir covering a distance of about 3500 km.

“In fact, the Congress was going to end this yatra by hoisting the tricolour in Srinagar on February 20, but now under the new strategy, Rahul Gandhi will conclude his yatra by hoisting the tricolour in Srinagar on Republic Day,” said sources.

According to Congress sources, after January 26, a plenary session of the Congress will also be held before February 7, in which the name of Congress Party President Mallikarjun Kharge will be approved, after which the new Congress Working Committee will be formed. Immediately after that major changes will also be made in the Congress organisation which have been postponed for a long time. A meeting of the Steering Committee is also scheduled to be convened on December 4 at Party Headquarters in Delhi.

AHMEDABAD: Facing flak from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has accused the ruling party of misusing his remarks for electoral gains in Gujarat, and said that politics is not about individuals but polls.

In his first reaction to the controversy, Kharge told PTI that he believes in “performance politics”, but the BJP’s style of politics often lacks the spirit of democracy as “they make it about one person only, who is everywhere”.

On the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) prospects in the ongoing Gujarat elections, he alleged that it was working at somebody’s behest “to divide the Congress’s votes.”

Asked whether personal attacks, such as his own “Ravan” jibe, have become a key feature of the campaign, Kharge said, “They are misusing it for electoral gains. For us, politics is not about individuals. It is about policies, it is about their (BJP’s) performance, and it is about the type of politics they practice. They make it about only one person, who is everywhere,” the veteran Congress leader said.

“The BJP’s and PM’s style of politics often lacks the spirit of democracy. I gave so many instances regarding his style of campaigning at all levels of elections, but they are misusing my remark for electoral gains,” Kharge said.

“I don’t comment on any individual or make personal remarks because I also have experience of parliamentary politics for 51 years. I criticised (the BJP government) on the issues of development, inflation, unemployment, poverty,” he said.

Speaking at a rally in Ahmedabad earlier this week, Kharge had said PM Modi asks people to vote “looking at his face” in all elections.

“Are you 100-headed like Ravan?” he had said.

The BJP seized on the comment, calling it an insult to every Gujarati.

Speaking about the Prime Minister’s whirlwind campaign in Gujarat, Kharge said it reflects badly on the BJP government’s performance in the state.

“Did any PM (in the past) campaign like this? When I was a student, I used to see Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, then I saw Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, then I saw even Morarji Desai and leaders of other parties. Had the BJP government in the state worked for the people for the past 27 years, there would not have been the need to campaign so much,” he said.

Asked about the AAP’s aggressive campaign and the party contesting 181 of 182 seats in Gujarat this time, Kharge said its sole intention was to undermine the Congress.

“They are doing propaganda. Our feedback is that they want to disturb the Congress vote. I don’t want to say anything because even if I tell the truth, it will be used as propaganda against Congress. Some people have been sent to contest against Congress to divide the votes. So that is their main purpose. Otherwise, how many booths, how many villages, how many panchayats they have gone to? They have gone to only the cities,” he said.

Wondering where the Arvind Kejriwal-led party was getting funds for putting out full-page advertisements in all Gujarati and English newspapers, Kharge said it was a party born out of Anna Hazare’s (anti-corruption) movement.

Asked if he was insinuating that the BJP had brought in the AAP to eat into the Congress’s votes, Kharge said he had received feedback from party leaders which shows that AAP was working on “somebody’s instructions”.

“I won’t say that they (the BJP) have sent them. AAP’s work itself reflects that. The way they are working, and (going by) my feedback from my local leaders, district leaders, shows that they are working on somebody’s instructions,” he said. The Congress, which has been out of power in Gujarat for 27 years, carried out a “silent” campaign this time, Kharge said.

“The people are responding. In tribal, rural, and backward areas, Congress has got an edge. Even the upper caste people are fed up with this government due to inflation, unemployment, corruption, the economic growth which is falling daily,” he said.

“Silently, people are working against the BJP, they have made up their minds (to oust it). So our voters are invisible, but our people are working. Our voters are invisible for various reasons. The BJP has been (in power) in Gujarat for 27 years, and for nine years, Modi ji is in Delhi. Even the media is afraid, if anybody speaks the truth, they will be harassed in different ways,” the 80-year-old leader said.

Talking about the Congress’s subdued, door-to-door campaign, Kharge recalled Indira Gandhi’s comeback victory from Chikmagalur Lok Sabha seat in 1978 when the voters were not vocal about their choice but favoured the former prime minister.

“Why I am saying invisible voters?…if somebody says something in the open, an FIR will be lodged against him or her. Our work is going on silently,” he said.

Asked what would the Congress do to stop its MLAs from defecting to the BJP — which happened after 2017 elections — he said the BJP “bought over” those MLAs “by using central agencies and blackmail.”

“That is why we are saying, to save democracy, defeat the BJP,” the Congress president said.

Under the BJP’s rule, the public debt of Gujarat has increased enormously, Kharge claimed.

“When we went out of power in the 1990s, the debt was Rs 10,000 crore, now it is nearing 4,60,000 crore,” he said.

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday said that it has attached properties worth Rs 22.10 crore of firms in a Prevention of Money Laundering case relating to the BS-IV vehicle scam, and the role of Ashok Leyland was also being probed.

The properties are in the names of firms connected to Diwakar Road Lines and Jatadhara Industries Pvt Ltd. of former Andhra Pradesh TDP MLA J.C. Prabhakar Reddy, and another firm C. Gopal Reddy & Co and family members.

The Supreme Court had in 2017 ordered that vehicles that were not compliant to BS IV emission norms should not be sold in India by any manufacturer or dealer from April 1, 2017, and that the registering authorities were also prohibited.

However, Jatadhara Industries Pvt Ltd (JIPL) and C. Gopal Reddy and Co in contravention to the aforesaid Order purchased BS-III vehicles from Ashok Leyland Ltd at discount and fraudulently registered the same as BS-IV vehicles by fabricating the invoice copies. Investigation revealed that some of the registrations were done in Nagaland, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

“The ED has gathered evidence in the form of fabricated invoices from RTO authorities in Nagaland and original invoices issued by Ashok Leyland as scrap for some vehicles and established the crime. The crime proceeds generated by owning and selling these vehicles have been quantified as Rs 38.36 crore,” the ED said.

As a result of the investigation and searches, movable properties to the extent of Rs 6.31 crore consisting of bank balances, cash, jewellery and receivables as well as 68 number of immovable properties to the extent of Rs 15.79 crore belonging to accused and their family members have been attached.

Further investigation was in progress, including the role of Ashok Leyland in the entire scam.

BHADOHI: Seven children working as labour in a carpet factory in the Mirzapur District of Uttar Pradesh have been rescued by a team of police and Anti Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU), officials said on Thursday.ADVERTISEMENTAds by 

All the rescued children are from Araria, Bihar, they said. On a tip-off on Wednesday the AHTU team raided the carpet factory of Sunil Kumar Maurya, Labour enforcement officer Jai Prakash Singh said.

While Maurya managed to flee away with some of them, the police and AHTU team rescued seven children aged between 9-15 years.

They were presented before the child welfare committee and sent to a shelter home.

An FIR has been registered against the owner of the carpet factory under the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act.

A detailed probe is on into the matter.

DEHRADUN:  Three students of a management course run by a university in Uttarakhand allegedly forced a hostel inmate to drink alcohol and strip. They also reportedly filmed and blackmailed the student demanding Rs 60,000 to settle the ‘case,’ the police said on Wednesday, adding the suspects have fled. 
The university has expelled the three students

The police have registered a case of assault and blackmail against the three suspects. All the students are pursuing BBA from the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES), Bidhauli. The case was reported from Stanza Living Hostel in Bidhauli area of Premnagar. 

The police said it was not clear why the three assaulted the victim. Circle Officer Premnagar Pradeep Bisht citing the victim’s complaint said while he was studying in his room on Sunday night (November 27), the three suspects came to his room and forced him to drink alcohol with them. “The victim identified the three as Akarsh Gupta, Samsonjay Antony and Jeremy Malik,” he said. 

The complainant alleged that the three then started assaulting him. They also stripped him naked and made videos, he alleged. The suspects also demanded Rs 60,000 for deleting the video. The victim refused to pay up which led to a fresh assault on him, said Bisht. 

“Based on the complaint, a case has been registered against Akarsh Gupta (BBA first year), Jeremy Malik (BBA 2nd year), and Samanjoy Antony (BBA 2nd year),” said the officer. “Indiscipline will not be tolerated on the college campus,” UPES Registrar Manish Madan told this newspaper. “We have taken strong note of the matter and are dealing with it in a very strict manner,” said Madan.

The police said the victim was currently very scared. “He has only talked about assault and blackmailing. Information is being collected on whether he previously had an argument with the accused,” said Bisht.

‘Indiscipline won’t be tolerated on campus’
University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES) Registrar Manish Madan said that indiscipline will not be tolerated on the campus. “We have taken strong note of the matter and are dealing with it in a very strict manner,” said Madan.