NEW DELHI, October 18 – Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to launch the ‘Karmayogi Saptah’ – National Learning Week – on Saturday, aimed at enhancing individual and organizational capacity development for civil servants, according to his office.

The initiative is part of the ‘Mission Karmayogi,’ which was introduced in September 2020 and has seen significant progress since its inception. The mission envisions a future-ready civil service that is deeply rooted in Indian ethos while embracing a global perspective.

National Learning Week (NLW) will be the largest event of its kind, designed to provide a fresh impetus for capacity development among civil servants. The initiative aims to foster a renewed commitment to learning and development, promoting a “One Government” ethos, aligning everyone with national goals, and encouraging lifelong learning.

Throughout NLW, participants will engage in various learning activities, committing to achieve at least four hours of competency-linked learning. These hours can be completed through a combination of individual role-based modules on the iGOT platform, webinars, and public lectures by distinguished speakers.

Eminent figures will deliver talks on their areas of expertise, guiding participants toward more effective citizen-centric service delivery. Additionally, ministries, departments, and organizations will host seminars and workshops to enhance domain-specific competencies during the week.

Washington, October 18 – Federal prosecutors in the United States have charged an Indian official with plotting to assassinate a Sikh separatist leader in the US during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit last summer. The indictment, filed in a New York court on Thursday, names Vikas Yadav, 39, who was allegedly employed by India’s foreign intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), as the key figure behind the plot.

Yadav, who is no longer believed to be employed by the Indian government, faces charges of murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit money laundering. His co-conspirator, Nikhil Gupta, was arrested in Czechoslovakia last year and later extradited to the US, where he remains in custody.

US Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized that the Justice Department will not tolerate efforts to threaten American citizens or undermine their constitutional rights. FBI Director Christopher Wray echoed this sentiment, stating, “The defendant, an Indian government employee, allegedly conspired with a criminal associate to assassinate a US citizen exercising their First Amendment rights.”

The Indian government has denied involvement in the plot and has established a committee to investigate the claims. A US State Department spokesperson confirmed that India has cooperated with the ongoing investigation, with recent meetings between Indian and US officials described as “productive.”

The unsealed 18-page indictment includes images of Yadav in military attire and evidence showing the exchange of money in New York, which prosecutors allege was a payment for the assassination. The intended target, a US citizen and vocal critic of the Indian government, leads an organization advocating for the secession of Punjab, India’s Sikh-majority state, to form a sovereign Khalistan.

The plot was allegedly disrupted by US law enforcement, and the indictment also links the case to the recent murder of another Sikh separatist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in Canada. Communications between Yadav, Gupta, and the hired assassin reveal coordination to kill the US-based Sikh leader, with instructions to delay the hit until after Modi’s state visit to the US in June 2023.

Sikh For Justice general counsel Gurpatwant Singh Pannun applauded the US government’s actions, calling it a reaffirmation of its commitment to protect the life and freedom of its citizens, regardless of external pressures.

US authorities are continuing to pursue Yadav, who remains at large.

Imphal, October 18 – The Manipur Congress has criticized the BJP-led state government for delaying the Autonomous District Council (ADC) elections for the past four years, accusing the administration of being “anti-tribal” and “anti-hill” people. Manipur has six autonomous district councils, and elections for these councils have not been held since 2020.

State Congress President Keisham Meghachandra took to social media platform X, stating, “The BJP government is anti-hill people, anti-tribal, as it has deliberately chosen not to conduct ADC elections for the last four years.” He also denounced the resolution passed by the Hill Areas Committee (HAC) on October 14, which urged the government to hold the long-pending ADC elections as soon as possible.

The HAC resolution proposed forming a temporary committee to manage the ADCs, comprising 20 members for each council, including 18 elected from former ADC members, local governance experts, intellectuals, and two government nominees. Meghachandra, however, slammed this resolution as “unconstitutional, illegal, and void,” asserting that the HAC lacks the constitutional authority to pass such a resolution.

He further criticized the BJP government for not holding the ADC elections since 2020, pointing out that the last elections were conducted by the Congress government in 2015, with the councils’ terms ending in 2020. The delay, Meghachandra claimed, has deprived the hill communities of crucial financial resources, including central grants, MGNREGS funds, and Finance Commission awards.

“The temporary arrangement of running the ADCs through illegal means of selection must stop immediately in the larger interests of the hill people of Manipur,” he added, urging the government to hold the elections without further delay.