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8.5 per cent GDP growth needed over several years for India’s transformation: Speakers at Swadesh Conclave 2025

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11 months ago

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Retired JNU Economics Professor Arun Kumar on Wednesday said India needs high rates of growth over the next few years at 8.5 per cent to become a developed nation by 2047.

Speaking at Swadesh Conclave 2025’s Transforming Bharat through Commerce, Industry & Technology in New Delhi, Kumar said the income per capita should be $14000, it is around $2700 in India now. “We need high rates of growth at 8.5 per cent to grow demand and jobs and all of this has to be equitable.”

Speaking on the economic structure, he said employment is a big issue. Women also face unemployment. Only 6 per cent people work in organised sector, the rest in unorganised sector, and it is not contributing to demand. This is why the disparity.

If demand from unorganised sector goes up, even organised sector will grow fast. Currently, growth is dependent on 10 per cent of organised sector.

Decades ago, China focused on the rural areas and unorganised sector so that demand can be constant and drive growth. It has invested heavily in R&D and has reaped great growth. We need to do that also. For this, we need a good education, Kumar said.

US President Donald Trump is showing the raw, tough face of capitalism. The West won intellectual property rights through the WTO but the soft face of capitalism is gone. Now, the tough face will face a market crash like they did in the late 1920s.

Transformation through technology is being hastened by AI. It has changed blue-collar jobs in technology such as car factories and will threaten white-collar jobs now, such as journalists, doctors and more.

Physicist & JNU Professor of Econophysics Anirban Chakrabarti said an interdisciplinary approach is needed to combat challenges, including climate change which is causing cloudbursts and droughts at the same time. This will need experts from various sciences to come together.

He said there has been a boom in AI with students taking admission in courses to study it. It is important to understand all aspects of the entire system.

Explaining how AI can help, he said one can record data and use machine learning to see trends. “If we can predict price volatility via ML tools, it will help small farmers to decide what crops to sow. I can tell how market is moving and the volatility the farmers can face, help them make well-informed choices.”

He said many regulatory bodies including RBI, SEBI using AI-ML to predict trends etc so that India can be transformed into a developed nation by 2047.  

OTBL Chairperson (retd) Sushma Rawat thanked the organisers for holding the Conclave in an effort to bridge the gap between people over the transformation technology and AI can bring about.

She said she joined ONGC in 1989 as a geologist, was in ONGC to explore oil reserves and other group companies. Recalling the story of oil in India, she said oil was first in Assam’s Digboi in 1889 when they found sticky substance on elephants’ legs. It was a held belief in the West and among people that oil was only in Assam, India. After Independence, we struck oil off Gujarat in 1959 under the ONGC, she said.

Rawat called upon the dignitaries and attendees at the gathering to have belief in oneself and one’s nation. Recalling the transformation in technology across the ages, she said, “I had a 386 computer in 1990, then Sun Microsystems, now all talk is of AI, IoT, data analytics. The changes have been gradual and not sudden. For instance, the mobile phone is a guru and can answer almost all our queries. It will grow further exponentially.”

She told the youngsters at the event to remain curious and keep on learning.

Differing with Prof Arun Kumar’s AI predictions, Supreme Court Senior Advocate Shri Pradeep Rai said AI will not take away all the core functions of doctors, lawyers and journalists. AI will be of help but cannot investigate, for instance, like journalists can, he said.

Blinkit, Google Pay etc were things which could not be imagined in earlier times, all innovations brought through by technology, said Rai.

The virtual hearings in courts during the pandemic were done because of the availability of technology. It has become commonplace now, making distances a remote thing of the past, Rai noted.

The Senior Advocate said the monopoly of US companies will be a problem. He cited an instance where Google refused to share data with Apple until the court forced them to. Without data, there is no AI, he added.

Kerala State Financial Enterprises Ltd (KSFE) Managing Director SK Sanil said micro-finance institutions are needed for the welfare of the poor. Bangladesh’s Mohammad Yunus and his Grameen Bank have been a success in that country. The innovation which made a great impact won him the Nobel Prize. Micro financing can help the poor and the needy in the drive to transform the country.

In her address, Balaji Foundation Chairperson Smt. Rajshri Rai introduced the Swadesh Conclave, saying it is a platform for collective dialogue. She said this year is the sixth edition of Swadesh Conclave. Swadesh is the platform to talk about national interests. This year’s theme is Transforming India. She quoted Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s Bol, saying everybody is entitled to airing their opinion and welcomed them to the Conclave.

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Pralhad Joshi appointed Education Minister after Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation

Pralhad Joshi has been entrusted with the additional charge of the Education Ministry after President Droupadi Murmu accepted Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation amid the prolonged student protests over alleged examination paper leaks.

Published

40 mins ago

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July 25, 2026

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Union Minister Pralhad Joshi has been given the additional charge of the Ministry of Education after President Droupadi Murmu accepted the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan.

The President’s office confirmed the appointment through an official communique issued on Saturday evening. Joshi will continue to hold his existing portfolio as Union Minister of Food and Consumer Affairs while also overseeing the Education Ministry.

Dharmendra Pradhan resigns amid prolonged protests

Dharmendra Pradhan submitted his resignation on the 35th day of the student protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar over alleged examination paper leaks.

In his resignation letter, the 57-year-old leader said he chose to step down to prevent anti-national forces from exploiting the situation.

“For over four decades, I have dedicated myself to the cause of students, teachers, and educational reform. I have always believed that a robust, inclusive, and visionary education system forms the cornerstone of a strong nation,” Pradhan said.

CJP ends protest after Centre’s assurance

Hours after Pradhan’s resignation, CJP spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, during a joint press conference with Union ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh, announced that the organisation was ending its protest in good faith after receiving assurances from the Centre that its demands would be addressed.

The resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan had been the principal demand of the organisation founded by Abhijeet Dipke, a Boston University graduate who returned to India to lead the campaign against alleged examination paper leaks.

Joshi reiterates government’s stand on students

A day before taking charge of the Education Ministry, Pralhad Joshi said the Centre remained committed to protecting students’ interests and ensuring strict action against irregularities affecting examinations.

He also alleged that anti-social elements were attempting to exploit the CJP-led protests and urged students to remain vigilant while continuing peaceful demonstrations.

“The Modi government has always stood with students and the youth. It remains committed to taking strict action against any irregularities or injustices that affect their future,” Joshi had said.

He added that while students have every right to protest peacefully, they should ensure that their genuine concerns are not misused by anti-social elements.

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Dharmendra Pradhan submits resignation to PM Modi amid student protests

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hours before the third round of talks between the Centre and the Cockroach Janta Party.

Published

7 hours ago

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July 25, 2026

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Dharmendra Pradhan

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking a major development amid the ongoing student protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.

Pradhan announced the decision through a post on X, just hours before the Centre was scheduled to hold the third round of talks with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which has been leading the agitation over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations.

The resignation of the Education Minister had remained the primary demand of the protesters, who have been camping at Jantar Mantar for more than a month seeking accountability and reforms in the examination system.

The latest development comes at a crucial time as both sides prepare for another round of discussions aimed at resolving the prolonged standoff.

As of now, there has been no official announcement from the Prime Minister’s Office on whether Pradhan’s resignation has been accepted. Further details are awaited.

Resignation comes before key Centre-CJP meeting

The announcement was made only hours before representatives of the Centre and the Cockroach Janta Party were expected to meet for the third round of negotiations.

The talks are being closely watched as the government attempts to end the month-long protest, with the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan remaining one of the protesters’ central demands.

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CJP says Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation non-negotiable ahead of third round of talks

CJP has hardened its stand before the third round of talks with the Centre, insisting that Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation remains its primary and non-negotiable demand.

Published

11 hours ago

on

July 25, 2026

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The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has reiterated that the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan remains its top demand, just hours before the third round of discussions with the Centre on Saturday.

CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said the organisation would see little purpose in continuing negotiations if the government was unwilling to remove the minister.

In a post on X, Ranka said Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation was “non-negotiable” and added that there was no point in holding further discussions if the government rejected the demand.

The third round of talks is scheduled for Saturday afternoon after Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh met CJP representatives for nearly two hours during the second round of discussions on Friday.

According to the CJP, it has placed three key demands before the Centre:

  • Resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
  • A guarantee that no legal action will be taken against protesting students.
  • Compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of students who allegedly died by suicide following the NEET paper leak.

During Friday’s meeting, the Centre agreed in principle to two of the demands — ensuring no legal action against protesting students and providing compensation. However, the demand for the Education Minister’s resignation remains unresolved.

Speaking after the meeting, JP Nadda said the protesters had also submitted five suggestions for reforms to the examination system. He said the government would hold internal discussions before responding during Saturday’s meeting.

Government sources, however, indicated that Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation is not under consideration. According to the sources, the government believes resignation is not the appropriate course of action and continues to back the minister.

Meanwhile, the Centre has announced several measures aimed at tackling examination paper leaks. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced the establishment of fast-track courts to hear paper leak cases, while the government is preparing amendments to strengthen the law with stricter punishments and higher fines.

The Centre has also replaced the Education Secretary and removed 47 officials of the National Testing Agency (NTA), while promising broader reforms within the examination body.

Responding to the action against NTA officials, Ashutosh Ranka said the move alone was insufficient. He maintained that accountability ultimately rests with the Education Minister and reiterated that Dharmendra Pradhan must resign.

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