Bengaluru, Feb 14 (IANS) Shashi Tharoor, author and Member of Parliament, said on Friday that even the United Nations has been grappling with inequality and disparity.
Speaking at the “Global Investors’ Meet (GIM-25),” Tharoor argued that only by realising such harsh realities can alternate global systems be considered.
In his address, Tharoor revealed how the COVID-19 crisis exposed shifts in global supply chains and stressed that post-pandemic, world leaders are focusing more on increasing their strengths within their own borders than tackling global challenges.
He also pointed to India’s poverty, where despite government efforts like free food for 80 crore people, the majority still lack purchasing power.
Tharoor called for a radical overhaul of India’s education system to prepare youth for the future job market, especially as AI and automation threaten to make 30 per cent of global jobs obsolete in the next five years. “India has the highest unemployment rate in the world, and to empower the youth, our education system needs a complete overhaul,” he said.
He also stressed the importance of critical thinking in education, urging educational institutions to focus on teaching students “how to think” rather than “what to think.”
Former Greek Prime Minister George A Papandreou, also speaking at the event, echoed Tharoor’s sentiments on democracy, emphasising the need for transparency and accountability in governance — qualities that were notably absent during Greece’s economic collapse. “In Greece, public funds were not invested in the welfare of the people. Politicians focused solely on retaining power, which inevitably led to the economic crisis,” he said.
The session was moderated by Lakshmi Praturi, founder and CEO of Ink Talk.
Meanwhile, Minister for Energy, K.J. George, on Friday unveiled Karnataka’s ambitious Clean Mobility Policy for the period 2025-30, aiming to position the state as a national leader in the Electric Vehicle (EV) and hydrogen vehicle manufacturing sectors.
Highlighting the policy at the GIM Invest Karnataka 25, he said that the policy outlines significant investments and initiatives to transform Karnataka into a hub for clean mobility.
Large and Medium Industries Minister M.B. Patil revealed that the policy will attract investments totalling Rs 50,000 crore in the next five years, generating approximately 1 lakh jobs. The state has already secured Rs 25,000 crore in investments for the entire EV value chain, including battery pack manufacturing, cell production, OEMs, charging infrastructure, and research and development. An additional Rs 15,000 crore is expected to be invested by August 31.
With around 2.5 lakh EVs already registered in Karnataka, the state ranks third in the country in terms of the number of electric vehicles. This policy aims to build on this success by further promoting the adoption of EVs and hydrogen-powered vehicles.
“The core of the new policy revolves around developing robust infrastructure for clean mobility, with an emphasis on charging stations, hydrogen hubs, and retrofitting existing vehicles to electric or hydrogen-powered alternatives,” the minister noted.
–IANS
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