Guwahati, Sep 27: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday visited Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi to review arrangements for the grand closing ceremony of the centenary celebrations of the legendary singer, composer and cultural icon Bharat Ratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika.

CM Sarma took stock of the facilities and preparations at the venue ahead of the concluding programme, which is being planned as a major tribute to Hazarika and his enduring contribution to Indian music and culture.

Sharing details of his visit on X, the Assam Chief Minister said the preparations were aimed at creating a memorable tribute befitting the legacy of the celebrated artiste, popularly known as ‘Sudhakantha’.

“Visited Bharat Mandapam today to review the facilities and preparations for the grand closing ceremony of the centenary celebrations of Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhupen Hazarika. We are curating an unforgettable tribute, one truly befitting the legacy of Sudhakantha,” CM Sarma posted.

The centenary celebrations have been organised to commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of Hazarika, whose music and literary works have had a lasting influence not only in Assam and the Northeast but across India and beyond.

Hazarika, who was born on September 8, 1926, in Assam, was known for his distinctive musical style and compositions that drew extensively from the cultural traditions and social realities of the Northeast.

His songs often addressed themes of humanity, social harmony, equality and the lives of ordinary people. The artist was conferred the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, posthumously in 2019. He had earlier received several other major national honours, including the Padma Vibhushan and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.

The concluding ceremony at Bharat Mandapam is expected to mark the culmination of a year-long series of programmes celebrating Hazarika’s life, music and cultural legacy.

The Assam government has been highlighting the centenary as an opportunity to showcase Hazarika’s contribution to Indian cultural heritage and to introduce his works to younger generations. The final event is expected to bring together cultural personalities, dignitaries and artistes for a large-scale tribute to the legendary musician and filmmaker.

Ahmedabad, Sep 27: India’s first LNG-powered train was flagged off from Sabarmati on Sunday by Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, marking the introduction of LNG as an alternative fuel for railway operations in the country.

The initiative is aimed at reducing dependence on conventional diesel fuel and promoting the use of alternative energy sources in railway operations.

The train uses a diesel-plus-LNG dual-fuel system developed for its Driving Power Cars (DPCs). Two 1,400 HP DPCs at the Sabarmati Integrated Coaching Depot have been converted to the dual-fuel system, allowing LNG to be used alongside diesel.

More than 2,000 km of field trials have been completed on the two converted DPCs to assess the performance and reliability of the technology.

Under the system, LNG can replace up to around 40 per cent of diesel consumption. According to trial data released by the Railways, the use of LNG is expected to reduce fuel expenditure and emissions, including carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter.

The earlier railway assessment estimated annual savings of around Rs 11.9 lakh from one DPC and around Rs 23.9 lakh from an eight-coach rake.

The dual-fuel system allows the engine to switch between LNG and diesel depending on fuel availability, providing operational flexibility.

The system has been designed to retain the power and operational capability of the conventional diesel engine while enabling partial substitution of diesel with LNG.

Each converted DPC has an LNG tank with a capacity of around 2,200 litres, capable of holding approximately 850-900 kg of usable LNG. A full LNG fill is expected to provide sufficient fuel for around 1,600 km of operation, reducing the need for frequent refuelling.

The launch was part of a series of railway projects inaugurated and launched during HM Shah’s visit to Ahmedabad.

The package includes projects worth more than Rs 1,542 crore covering railway safety, signalling, line capacity and freight infrastructure.

Earlier in the day, HM Shah inaugurated the Rs 700-crore WAG-12 locomotive maintenance shed at Sabarmati and flagged off a WAG-12 electric locomotive.

The programme also included the commissioning of the indigenous Kavach train protection system on the Ahmedabad-Palanpur and Ahmedabad-Samakhiyali sections, automatic signalling on two railway sections and the launch of doubling work on the Sabarmati-Sarkhej section.

The LNG train launch marks another step by the Railways towards using alternative fuels in its operations, with the technology being tested for its potential to reduce fuel consumption and operating costs while maintaining train performance.

United Nations, Sep 27: India has defended every nation’s right to develop its own artificial intelligence models as countries at the UN warned that control over the technology must not remain concentrated among a few governments and corporations.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar told the UN General Assembly that AI could become “a transformational driver” of human empowerment and economic prosperity.

He also cautioned that the misuse of AI was sharpening bias and eroding mutual respect. Countries should be free to create their own models in line with their national priorities, Jaishankar said during the General Debate on Saturday.

His remarks were part of a wider discussion at the UN over who controls AI, who writes its rules and whether developing countries will have a meaningful role in shaping the technology.

Malaysia warned that nations in the Global South could not be reduced to hosting infrastructure while governments and companies elsewhere controlled the technology.

“The Global South cannot simply become a destination for data centres while decisions about AI are made elsewhere,” Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Haji Hasan said.

Developing countries must become “partners in innovation, not merely customers and markets”, he said.

Hasan said a small number of private actors now had considerable influence over how billions of people communicate, work, conduct transactions and receive information. The benefits of AI were enormous, he said, but so were the risks.

He also called for attention to the demands that data centres and other technology infrastructure place on water, energy and land. Those costs should not be imposed on developing countries while the principal economic gains flow elsewhere.

Germany raised a related concern about the concentration of AI ownership.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said most global AI patents were held by companies in only two major countries. “Whenever power becomes global, responsibility must become global, too,” he said.

Wadephul urged countries to agree on common safety requirements for the most capable AI models. The technology was advancing faster than international institutions were responding, he warned.

“AI is not waiting for our institutions to catch up. Our institutions have to catch up with reality,” he said.

Belize Prime Minister John Briceño said AI could improve public services and widen access to knowledge if governed properly.

“Poorly governed, it can deepen inequality, expose critical systems, displace workers and leave developing countries dependent on technologies and rules designed elsewhere,” Briceño said.

National legislation alone could not regulate technology that crossed every border, he added.

Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan described AI as “the most urgent frontier”. He called for investments in science, infrastructure and skills, alongside safeguards that would keep people in control of the technology.

Laos said AI must support human development, build local technical capacity and respect national development priorities. Saudi Arabia highlighted its work to establish an international network of AI capacity-building centres and an AI research and ethics centre in Riyadh.

Cameroon also called for technological advances to benefit all humanity. It linked access to new technology with wider demands for reform of the international financial system so that developing countries receive a fair opportunity.

The UN adopted the Global Digital Compact in 2024 as part of efforts to encourage international cooperation on AI, close digital divides and promote safe and human-centred technology. Governments are still debating how global principles should be translated into enforceable rules.