Tag: Government of Goa

Events in Goa

Goa to Host Grand Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan Event at Bambolim Stadium on February 27

Swara Bodke

Written by Intern Swara Bodke || Team Allycaral

The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, in collaboration with the Government of Goa, will organise a grand public event under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) at Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium, Bambolim, Goa, on 27th February 2026 at 9 AM.
A large number of citizens, especially youth, are expected to participate in this landmark event. More than 3,000 people are anticipated to join physically, making it one of the largest mobilisations under the campaign in the state of Goa.
The event will be graced by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment Virendra Kumar, along with other senior officials.
Key Highlights of the Event:
Massive youth rally against drug abuse
Administration of a mass oath (pledge) against drugs, both online and offline
Cultural programmes and performances
Felicitation of active participants and partners
Sharing achievements and success stories of the Abhiyaan
Participation is expected from school and college students, youth, parents, Self Help Groups (SHGs), volunteers, department officials, representatives of spiritual organisations, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), police personnel, civil society groups, and citizens.
Background of Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan
Launched on 15th August 2020 by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, the Abhiyaan was initially rolled out in 272 most vulnerable districts and has now been expanded to all districts across the country. The campaign focuses on mass awareness generation, with special emphasis on higher educational institutions, university campuses, schools, and community-level outreach.
Major Achievements (as on date):
More than 25.93+ crore people sensitized on substance use issues
Over 9.35+ crore youth reached
More than 6.38+ crore women sensitized
Participation of over 16.15+ lakh educational institutions, ensuring wide coverage among children and youth
Strategic Partnerships
To strengthen mass awareness efforts, the Department has signed MoUs with eight prominent spiritual organisations, including the The Art of Living, Brahma Kumaris, Sant Nirankari Mission, ISKCON, Shri Ram Chandra Mission, All World Gayatri Pariwar, Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Dhanwantari Ashram and University of Patanjali.
Digital Outreach
The Abhiyaan maintains active official social media handles on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, along with a dedicated NMBA website providing comprehensive information, dashboards, an e-pledge facility, discussion forums, and resources.
Recent Landmark Events
The 5th Anniversary Celebration was held on 13 August 2025 in Delhi in collaboration with the Government of NCT of Delhi, with over 1,000 students participating physically and lakhs joining nationwide.
A Grand National Event was organised on 18 November 2025 at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, where more than 10,000 people participated physically and over 6.3 crore people joined across the country through 2.10 lakh+ locations.
The upcoming Goa event aims to highlight the progress and achievements of the Abhiyaan, mobilise large-scale community participation, inspire and motivate citizens—especially the youth—to reject substance use, and reinforce the collective resolve towards building a Nasha Mukt Bharat.
The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment and the Government of Goa invite all citizens, particularly the youth, to actively participate in this significant movement towards a drug-free society.

Business

DPIIT Recognises Goa as Best Performer for Building a Strong Startup Ecosystem

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral Business Desk

Goa has been conferred the Best Performer award for developing a strong startup ecosystem under the States’ Startup Ecosystem Ranking – Category B, instituted by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Government of India. Considered one of India’s most comprehensive startup ecosystem assessments, the ranking evaluates states on policy frameworks, ecosystem maturity and measurable outcomes for startups.

The DPIIT ranking evaluates all States and Union Territories across defined categories based on population size and performance, assessing progress across multiple reform areas including policy support, institutional frameworks, infrastructure, access to funding, market linkages, capacity building and innovation-led growth.

The recognition was announced during the National Startup Day celebrations held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The Certificate of Appreciation was received on behalf of the Government of Goa by Dr. Milind Sakhardande, Joint Director, Department of Information Technology, Electronics & Communications (DITE&C), and D. S. Prashant, CEO, Startup & IT Promotion Cell (SITPC).

This achievement reflects the sustained and strategic efforts of DITE&C, through SITPC, in nurturing a robust, innovation-led startup ecosystem. Through progressive policies, strong institutional support and close collaboration with industry, academia and ecosystem partners, Goa has created an enabling environment that supports startups across the entire lifecycle, from ideation to scale-up.

The recognition was also highlighted in the Goa Legislative Assembly, where the Hon’ble Minister for Information Technology, Electronics & Communications, Shri Rohan A. Khaunte, acknowledged the collective efforts of the government, institutions and the startup community in achieving this milestone.

The award underscores Goa’s emergence as a dynamic startup hub and reaffirms the State’s continued focus on fostering innovation-led entrepreneurship that drives opportunity creation, economic impact and inclusive growth.

Social

Government of Goa Explores Collaboration with Starlink to Boost Statewide Digital Connectivity

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral

The Government of Goa has initiated strategic discussions with Starlink to explore collaborative opportunities aimed at strengthening digital connectivity and accelerating technology-led development across the State. The meetings were held on December 12, 2025, under the leadership of the Hon’ble Minister for Information Technology, Electronics & Communications, Shri Rohan Khaunte, as part of Goa’s broader vision for digital inclusion and resilient infrastructure.

The first meeting took place at the Mantralaya in Porvorim in the presence of Hon’ble Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant. The Starlink delegation included Ms. Lauren Dreyer, Vice President, Starlink Business Operations – Global Access & Operations, Shri Prabhakar Jayakumar, Head of Starlink India, and Shri Manoj Ladwa, Government Affairs Strategist and Chairman, India Global Forum.

Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister highlighted Goa’s rapid progress on its digital transformation roadmap and the State’s continued efforts to strengthen public service delivery through technology. He noted that Starlink’s interest in Goa could enable the State to leverage high-speed, low-latency satellite broadband to support infrastructure development and enhance connectivity in sectors such as tourism, education, industry, fisheries and rural communities that depend on reliable communication networks.

A second meeting was held at Taj Cidade de Goa, Dona Paula, attended by Shri Rohan Khaunte along with Dr. V. Candavelou IAS, Chief Secretary of Goa, Shri Kabir Shirgaonkar, Director of the Department of Information Technology, Electronics & Communication, Mr. Pravimal Abhishek IAS, Secretary Science & Technology and Managing Director of Goa Industrial Development Corporation, the Director of Transport, senior officials and the Starlink leadership team.

During the discussions, Shri Rohan Khaunte underscored Goa’s emergence as a preferred destination for global technology companies, stating that the State continues to witness growth in emerging technologies and innovation-driven enterprises. He emphasized that global players increasingly recognise Goa as an ideal hub for developing and scaling technology solutions.

The meetings explored how Starlink’s satellite network could complement Goa’s development priorities by strengthening rural and shadow-area connectivity, enhancing high-speed data access for industrial and electronic manufacturing clusters, supporting last-mile delivery under the Har Ghar Fibre programme and modernising maritime and fisheries operations with real-time communication capabilities. The discussions also touched upon advancing Goa’s Digital Nomad vision by ensuring seamless internet connectivity.

Additional opportunities were examined to support initiatives such as CCTV surveillance at beaches, AV and AR-based visitor guides, connectivity for schools in low-coverage regions under the CARES initiative and improved digital services for tourism, homestays, beach security and maritime experiences.

Through these engagements, the Government of Goa continues to advance a comprehensive connectivity roadmap focused on strengthening rural networks, enhancing maritime communication systems and expanding last-mile digital access, ensuring inclusive and seamless connectivity across the State.

TechPulse

Goa’s Department of ITE&C Screens New Startup Proposals Under Seed Fund Grant Scheme

allycaralgoa

Altinho, November 25, 2025: The Department of Information Technology, Electronics & Communications (DITE&C), Government of Goa, convened the 10th Expert Committee Meeting to evaluate a fresh round of Startup Seed Capital applications under the Goa Startup Policy. The meeting was held at the department’s Conference Hall at Altinho–Panaji.

The expert committee reviewed proposals submitted by early-stage ventures from a wide range of innovation-led sectors including information technology, AI/ML, healthcare technology, edtech, agritech, clean energy, fisheries, sports innovation, waste management, fintech, media solutions and aerospace & defence.

Rigorous Evaluation of Early-Stage Innovations

Committee members conducted a structured and comprehensive assessment, interacting with founders to understand their innovation potential, scalability, technical feasibility and prototype readiness. Several entrepreneurs showcased products that were built, tested and validated within Goa — a strong indicator of the growing confidence in Goa as a launchpad for startup innovation.

Many proposals addressed pressing real-world challenges such as digital accessibility, food distribution, clean energy adoption, fisheries tracking, healthcare delivery, smart construction and waste management. These submissions underscored the expanding depth and relevance of Goa’s emerging startup pipeline.

Supporting Homegrown Innovation

The Startup Seed Capital Scheme, a key pillar of the Goa Startup Policy, provides a one-time grant of up to ₹10 lakh to startups that have developed a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). The support aims to help early-stage ventures refine their products and accelerate towards market readiness.

As more founders choose Goa to build and test innovative solutions, the state continues strengthening its startup ecosystem through structured funding, policy-backed facilitation and initiatives designed to nurture early-stage entrepreneurship.

Human Interest

Dr. Sai Gautam Gopalakrishnan Wins Manohar Parrikar Yuva Scientist Award 2025

Tanisha Cardozo

The prestigious Manohar Parrikar Yuva Scientist Award 2025 has been conferred upon Dr. Sai Gautam Gopalakrishnan, Associate Professor of Materials Engineering at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. Dr. Gopalakrishnan, who leads a pioneering research group in computational materials science, was chosen for his outstanding contributions to advancing material discovery through computational methods and his commitment to mentoring young scientists.

This marks the third edition of the Manohar Parrikar Yuva Scientist Award, a unique initiative by the Government of Goa to encourage young scientific talent across India. The award aims to inspire innovation and scientific excellence that benefit humanity on a large scale. For the 2025 edition, a total of 50 applications were received from leading research institutions across the country. After an extensive evaluation process, 10 candidates were shortlisted for personal interviews. The final selection was made following rigorous scrutiny by an Expert Committee chaired by eminent scientist Dr. Anil Kakodkar.

Carrying a cash prize of ₹5 lakh and a citation, the Manohar Parrikar Yuva Scientist Award currently stands as the highest-value science and technology award in India. It celebrates not only individual achievement but also the spirit of scientific inquiry and national progress envisioned by the late Manohar Parrikar.

The award will be formally presented during the Manohar Parrikar Vigyan Mahotsav, to be held at the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) in Goa in December 2025.