The EPFO, established in 1952, is one of the world's largest social security institutions, committed to social security for the financial future of India's workforce. EPFO is a managed provident fund, pension and insurance scheme for workers in the organised sector through its 3 flagship schemes — The EPF scheme (1952), The EPS (1995), the EDLI scheme (1976).
India's biotechnology sector has expanded significantly over the past decade, with the bioeconomy growing from $10 billion in 2014 to $165.7 billion in 2024, accounting for approximately 4.25% of GDP. And the target? $300 billion by 2030 (PIB, 2025)[2]. Recent global supply-chain disruptions, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, exposed India's dependence on imported biological inputs and reinforced the need for domestic biomanufacturing capacity. But strong science alone won’t make India an industry leader.
The growing use of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy (ASU&H) medicines has increased the need for effective mechanisms to monitor their safety and regulate their promotion. Two major concerns necessitate stronger surveillance: the under-reporting or delayed identification of Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) and the circulation of misleading or objectionable advertisements making unsubstantiated therapeutic claims. Without systematic reporting, documentation and analysis, potential safety signals may remain unidentified, while misleading claims can influence consumer decisions and expose patients to health risks. Addressing these concerns requires coordinated monitoring, reliable reporting mechanisms and timely referral of complaints to the appropriate regulatory authorities.
With the transforming age of technology and globally interconnected world, Artificial Intelligence has become an integral part of governance. India is playing a leading role globally in AI research, innovation and responsible policymaking. Thus, AI marks the need of the present.
Hence, it becomes important for the integration of Artificial Intelligence software across multiple domains of healthcare, education, agriculture, industry and policy making systems. AI is making disease diagnosis and treatment more accurate in healthcare, strengthening personalised learning in education, and helping farmers increase productivity, access better markets and add value in agriculture. Small and medium enterprises are enhancing their efficiency through AI and gaining competitive opportunities in global markets.
The rapid expansion of digital payments, online services, social media and connected technologies has created increasingly complex forms of cybercrime. Investigating such offences requires specialised capabilities in digital evidence collection, cyber forensics, electronic device examination, online financial trails and emerging technologies. However, cybercrime investigation also faces capacity-related challenges, including uneven access to specialised training, the need to keep investigative skills aligned with rapidly evolving criminal methods, and the requirement for coordinated capacity-building across State and Union Territory law-enforcement agencies. The Ministry of Home Affairs has recognised these needs through initiatives supporting cyber-forensic laboratories, specialised training and technical assistance to investigating officers (Ministry of Home Affairs, 2022; Ministry of Home Affairs, 2024).
India's electric vehicle and energy storage ambitions depend heavily on imported battery cells.
With the transforming age of technology and globally interconnected world, Artificial Intelligence has become an integral part of governance. India is playing a leading role globally in AI research, innovation and responsible policymaking. Thus, AI marks the need of the present.