Archive IT News
UP Charts Bold Digital Future: MoS Jitin Prasada to Inaugurate ET Digital UP Conclave Today
In a dynamic push to position Uttar Pradesh as the country's next digital powerhouse, Union Minister of State for Commerce & Industry and Electronics & IT, Jitin Prasada, will inaugurate the ET Digital Uttar Pradesh Conclave 2025 today at The Centrum, Lucknow. The event will also include high-level discussions led by Brajesh Pathak, Deputy Chief Minister of UP and Nand Gopal Gupta Nandi, Minister for Infrastructure & Industrial Development, and Export Promotion, NRI and Investment Promotion, UP. The conclave, now in its second edition, is being organised by ETGovernment - The Economic Times in partnership with the IT & Electronics of Uttar Pradesh. With the theme "Towards a Digital Future: Empowering Governance through Technology", the event is expected to gather over 250 thought leaders from government, industry and academia.
Date - 23/05/2025
Architecting for Scalability: The Rise of Cloud-Native Practices in Modern Software Development
Innovation in cloud-native architecture continues to transform how enterprises design, deploy, and scale software systems in today's rapidly evolving technological landscape. Modern approaches to microservices, containerization, and distributed systems have established new standards for resilience, scalability, and operational efficiency across diverse business domains. These advanced methodologies combine technical sophistication with architectural vision, enabling organizations to rapidly deliver value while maintaining the flexibility to adapt to changing requirements. The evolution of enterprise software architecture has accelerated dramatically in recent years, with cloud-native principles fundamentally reshaping development practices and operational models. Organizations that effectively implement these architectural patterns gain significant advantages in deployment velocity, system reliability, and resource optimization. The intersection of domain-driven design, containerization, and automated operations represents a particularly powerful dimension of modern software engineering, enabling capabilities that were previously impractical while simplifying management of complex systems.
Date - 23/05/2025
Telangana Expert Group Finalises Methodology for Composite Backwardness Index Based on Caste Survey Data
NEW DELHI: The Telangana Governments Expert Group on Socio-Educational-Employment-Economic-Political-Caste (SEEEPC) survey has finalised the methodology for developing a Composite Backwardness Index (CBI) to assess the comparative backwardness of 243 sub-castes in the state. The decision was taken during the Groups fourth meeting, held on Thursday at the Constitution Club in New Delhi. The Expert Group, chaired by Justice Sudarshan Reddy, was constituted on March 7, 2025, and comprises nine full-time members with expertise in sociology, caste studies, economics, statistics, law, and public policy. Its mandate is to analyse data collected from the 2024 SEEEPC Survey, which covered 3.55 crore individuals and gathered 75 data points per person making it one of the most comprehensive caste-based surveys in independent India. The survey recorded detailed demographic and socio-economic indicators, including education, income, occupation, standard of living, financial access, and asset ownership, and enumerated 243 sub-castes, with additional categories for 'No Caste' and 'Others'. Notably, 73 sub-castes make up 96% of Telangana's population, encompassing groups from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes, and Other Castes.
Date - 23/05/2025
HORIBA India Partners with IIT Delhi to Support R&D Projects in EVs, Smart Fabrics, Green Hydrogen
NEW DELHI: HORIBA India, a subsidiary of the Kyoto-based HORIBA Group, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) to support three cutting-edge research and development projects under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative. The collaborative projects span key emerging technologies:
- Development of a low-cost, high-torque density EV motor using reduced rare-earth magnets.
- 3D printing of smart fabrics and innovative design prototypes.
- Development of a proton-conducting solid oxide electrolysis cell (H-SOEC) for green hydrogen generation at intermediate temperatures.
Date - 22/05/2025
Operation Sindoor: How India Leveraged AI, Drones, Satellites to Dominate the Digital Battlefield
The recent India-Pakistan military conflict has been a completely different picture as compared to the subcontinent's complex, uncertain, and largely turbulent history. The cutting-edge technologies predominantly played a decisive role, besides the sheer exhibit by the firepower play. This regional conflict posited a pivotal shift from the traditional fighting mechanism to much-needed strategic and tactical operations, assuaged with AI-guided drones, satellite-enabled surveillance, and support from advanced air defence systems defining the war theatre. It is here that the data, precision, and digital supremacy anchored the outcomes. Beyond the line of control (LOC), moving ahead from the confrontation format between the soldiers and the artillery, it was emboldened by a highly technological integration by the Indian forces. It employed real-time satellite imagery, powerful AI reconnaissance, and well-honed automated defence systems to neutralise threats with deadly speed and accuracy, a surprise to most!
Date - 22/05/2025
Gujarats Power Play: 100 GW Ambition, Digital Connectivity, and Green Collaboration
At the Rajasthan Renewable Energy Conclave 2025, Jai Prakash Shivahare, Managing Director of Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (GUVNL), outlined Gujarats strategic approach to advancing renewable energy deployment and grid infrastructure. His remarks focused on the states initiatives aimed at scaling up capacity, improving transmission networks, and fostering greater integration of clean energy into the power ecosystem. Both Gujarat and Rajasthan currently have an installed renewable energy capacity of approximately 35 GW. Shivahare emphasized Gujarats efforts to strengthen its renewable energy framework through targeted investments in grid modernization, policy-driven reforms, and structured public-private collaborations designed to support India's broader renewable energy goals.
Date - 21/05/2025
Next-Gen Cloud Data Architectures Drive AI, Financial Innovation, and Green Accountability
In an era dominated by data, cloud architecture has become the backbone of digital transformation across industries. From real-time analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) to sustainability reporting and customer experience, every facet of a modern enterprise relies on how well it can store, manage, and activate its data. Traditional on-premises data centers are rapidly being replaced by flexible, cloud-native solutions that support scale, agility, and continuous innovation. At the forefront of this transformation is Salesforce, a company not only known for its CRM dominance but also for its growing influence in data infrastructure, cloud computing, and AI. Cloud data architecture is no longer just a technical concern - it is a strategic asset. Organizations that invest in intelligent cloud data architecture are better equipped to meet market demands, scale rapidly, personalize customer experiences, and make data-driven decisions. The convergence of cloud, AI, Sustainability and financial services is driving a new wave of business transformation, and Salesforce is building the platforms that make it possible.
Date - 21/05/2025
AI Pragya Initiative Equips Govt Officials with AI Skills, Cybersecurity Knowhow in UP
LUCKNOW: In a significant step toward modernising governance, the Uttar Pradesh government launched a high-level training initiative under its AI Pragya programme to empower senior bureaucrats with advanced skills in artificial intelligence (AI), digital safety, and cybersecurity. A day-long workshop for Joint Secretary-level officers was held on Tuesday at Bapu Bhavan, under the leadership of Principal Secretary, Secretariat Administration Department, Amit Kumar Ghosh. Organised by the Centre for e-Governance, Department of IT and Electronics, the training aimed to enhance administrative efficiency and familiarize senior officials with the transformative role of AI in public service. The session covered a wide range of topics, including real-world AI applications, generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft CoPilot, language translation, and prompt engineering. It also focused on core areas of digital safety, including cybercrime prevention, phishing, malware threats, online harassment, and best practices for maintaining data confidentiality in government operations.
Date - 21/05/2025
Data-Driven Decision Making Redefines Risk, Compliance, and Efficiency in Fintech
Excellence in financial technology leadership continues to transform how financial institutions operate in today's complex regulatory and technological landscape. Modern approaches to business analysis and technology integration have established new standards for compliance, efficiency, and innovation across the banking and financial services sector. These advanced methodologies combine deep domain knowledge with strategic vision, enabling solutions that address regulatory requirements while enhancing operational performance and customer experience. The financial services sector has undergone significant evolution, with increasing emphasis on risk management, anti-money laundering compliance, and digital transformation initiatives. Organizations that effectively implement robust analytical frameworks gain significant advantages in regulatory compliance and operational efficiency. The intersection of financial expertise and technological innovation represents a particularly powerful dimension of modern fintech leadership, enabling capabilities that were previously impossible while streamlining critical processes.
Date - 20/05/2025
PM Modi Lauds New OCI Portal as a Major Step Toward Citizen-Friendly Digital Governance
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has praised the launch of the new OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) portal, calling it a significant advancement in India's push toward citizen-friendly digital governance. The portal is designed to offer improved accessibility and streamlined services for OCI cardholders across the globe. In a post on social media platform X, responding to a message by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the Prime Minister stated: "With enhanced features and improved functionality, the new OCI Portal marks a major step forward in boosting citizen-friendly digital governance."
Date - 20/05/2025
Govt Amends Rule 8 of Securities Contracts Rules to Boost Ease of Doing Business for Brokers
NEW DELHI: In a move aimed at enhancing regulatory clarity and ease of doing business, the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) under the Ministry of Finance has amended Rule 8 of the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Rules, 1957. The change, notified via Gazette Notification G.S.R. 318(E), is expected to streamline compliance requirements for brokers and strengthen market efficiency. The amendment comes in response to concerns raised by stakeholders over certain provisions in the existing rules. In September 2024, the DEA had issued a Consultation Paper inviting public feedback on the matter, reflecting the government's commitment to a transparent and participatory regulatory process. Aligning Regulation with Market Evolution The ministry noted that the scale and interconnectedness of India's financial sector have expanded significantly in recent years, and the nature of brokerage operations has evolved. In this context, it was deemed necessary to review the existing safeguards to ensure they remain fit-for-purpose and do not inadvertently impede legitimate business activities.
Date - 20/05/2025
From Learning to Livelihood - Bridging the Education-to-Employment Divide
In the ancient centers of learning, be it Nalanda's monastic universities, Europe's guild schools, or the Aztec calmecac, education was seen as a force to build not just knowledge, but character, identity, and social and economic value. Students learned directly from practitioners, with knowledge transferred through apprenticeship as much as instruction. The boundaries between education and work were intentionally permeable. However, the industrial age introduced artificial separations between education and employment, youth and adulthood, academic and practical knowledge. Access to education has improved globally, yet the promise of education remains unfulfilled for many. Even when accessible, education often lacks relevance, disconnected from the opportunities it should unlock in industry. We've expanded schooling but not holistic development; achieved certifications but not confidence. Education today feels out of sync with the working world.
Date - 20/05/2025
CERT-In SAMVAAD 2025: National Conference Deliberates Emerging Cybersecurity Threats, Audit Innovation
MAHABALIPURAM: The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), inaugurated the three-day national conference CERT-In SAMVAAD 2025 on May 19, 2025, at Radisson Blu Resort Temple Bay, Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu. Organized in collaboration with SkillsDA, the conference aims to strengthen India's cybersecurity audit ecosystem by engaging key stakeholders from government, industry, and empanelled auditing organizations. S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, delivered the keynote address, emphasizing the importance of innovation in auditing practices, better risk assessment models, capacity building, and the need to focus on emerging technologies. He stated that the conference is a platform for audit organizations to upgrade practices and collaborate toward building a more cyber-resilient India.
Date - 20/05/2025
AI for Bharat: MeitY Backs Sarvam AI to Build LLM with 4000 GPUs, Indian Languages and National Vision
In a move to position India as a global AI powerhouse, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has selected Sarvam AI homegrown startup based in Bengaluru to develop Indias first sovereign large language model (LLM). This initiative is being executed under the ambitious 10,000 crore IndiaAI Mission, a multi-pronged effort to foster indigenous AI research, infrastructure, and innovation. Sarvam AI's selection marks not just a technological milestone, but a strategic assertion of India's determination to create foundational digital infrastructure that is deeply rooted in its linguistic, cultural, and democratic context. As Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw declared, "We are confident that Sarvams models will be competitive with global models a 70-billion-parameter model can compete with some of the best in the world."
Date - 19/05/2025
UIDAI Releases Anonymized Aadhaar Dashboard Data to Boost Transparency and Data-Driven Policy
NEW DELHI: In a significant push toward greater transparency and data-driven governance, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has begun sharing non-personal, anonymized datasets from the Aadhaar Dashboard on the government's open data platform, data.gov.in. The datasets include aggregated information on Aadhaar enrolments, updates, and authentication trends, categorized by geography, age group, and other demographic parameters. The release was facilitated by UIDAI's Chief Data Officer and Deputy Director General. "This data initiative aligns with India's vision for evidence-based policy and the use of open data for public good" UIDAI said in an official statement on Monday.
Date - 19/05/2025
IIT Delhis Manasvi STEM Mentorship Program Empowers 100 Schoolgirls with Skills, Confidence and Inspiration
NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) recently hosted the fourth edition of its flagship initiative, Manasvi: STEM Mentorship Program for High School Girls, from May 13-17, 2025. The five-day program brought together 100 schoolgirls from Classes 9 to 12 mostly from government and public schools in the Delhi-NCR region to kindle interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and to bridge the gender gap in these fields. Organized by IIT Delhi's Office of Academic Outreach and New Initiatives, Manasvi aims to provide young girls not only academic exposure but also a belief that they belong in the world of STEM. The program combined technical workshops, inspirational lectures, and hands-on learning with informal bonding sessions, helping participants step out of their comfort zones and explore their full potential.
Date - 18/05/2025
Data Analytics Innovation Reshapes Enterprise Strategy with AI, Cloud, and Predictive Intelligence
Innovation in data analytics continues to transform how organizations leverage information assets to drive strategic decisions and competitive advantage. Modern approaches to business intelligence, predictive modeling, and data visualization have established new standards for extracting actionable insights from increasingly complex datasets. The most effective analytics implementations combine technical excellence with business acumen, delivering solutions that address specific organizational challenges while revealing previously hidden opportunities. The evolution of data analytics has accelerated dramatically in recent years, with increasing emphasis on self-service capabilities, artificial intelligence integration, and cloud-based architectures. Organizations that implement robust analytics frameworks gain significant advantages in operational efficiency, customer engagement, and strategic agility. The intersection of technical sophistication and business understanding represents a particularly powerful dimension of modern analytics leadership, enabling capabilities that translate data into tangible business outcomes.
Date - 17/05/2025
Harnessing AI for Digital Commerce: Strategies for Enhanced Customer Engagement and Operational Efficiency
Digital commerce transformation through AI-led innovation continues to reshape how businesses engage with customers and optimize operations in today's rapidly evolving technological landscape. Modern approaches to e-commerce, omni-channel experiences, and customer engagement have established new standards for personalization, operational efficiency, and scalability. The most advanced implementations leverage artificial intelligence to fundamentally reimagine business processes while creating seamless, intuitive customer journeys across multiple touchpoints. The evolution of digital commerce has accelerated dramatically in recent years, with AI technologies enabling unprecedented capabilities in personalization, process automation, and predictive analytics. Organizations that effectively implement these innovations gain significant competitive advantages through enhanced customer experiences and operational efficiencies. The intersection of technical excellence and strategic business vision represents a particularly powerful dimension of modern digital transformation, enabling capabilities that drive growth while creating sustainable technology ecosystems.
Date - 17/05/2025
Make in India: PLI schemes & infra development powering growth in electronics sector
The Indian government has been actively promoting the growth of domestic electronics manufacturing through various strategic initiatives. These efforts aim to reduce reliance on imports, create employment opportunities, enhance technological capabilities, and position India as a global hub for electronics production. Key among these initiatives are the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes and the development of robust infrastructure. This article will analyze these initiatives and assess their potential impact on the Indian electronics manufacturing landscape. Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Schemes: A Catalyst for Growth The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes have emerged as a cornerstone of the government's strategy to boost domestic manufacturing across various sectors, including electronics.
Date - 15/05/2025
6G a civilisation-scale opportunity; India will lead the connectivity future: MoS Communications Pemmasani
NEW DELHI: Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development, Dr Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, on Wednesday declared that India is poised to lead the world in 6G innovation, calling it a civilisation-scale opportunity during the 3rd International Conference and Exhibition on Bharat 6G 2025 held in New Delhi. Addressing a gathering of global tech leaders, researchers, and policymakers, Dr. Pemmasani positioned India not just as a technology user but as an emerging global standard-setter. He urged stakeholders to view 6G as a national mission with the power to transform core sectors like healthcare, education, agriculture, and smart cities. 6G is not a mere incremental upgrade it is a fundamental leap that enables terahertz communication, speeds of 1 terabit per second, sub-millisecond latency, intelligent self-healing networks, and seamless volumetric connectivity from underwater to aerospace the Minister said.
Date - 15/05/2025
Big Boost for Jobs & Skills: UPs GCC Policy offers .8L subsidy per employee, 50L annual aid for employers
LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government Global Capability Centers (GCC) Policy 2025 is poised to usher in transformative changes in youth employment and skill development across the state. Aimed at generating over two lakh new jobs, the policy also promises targeted incentives for internships, skill-building, payroll subsidies, and research and innovation. By encouraging companies to establish GCCs not only in Noida/NCR but also in tier-2 cities like Varanasi, Kanpur, and Prayagraj, the policy is expected to spur inclusive economic growth across both urban and rural regions. Special emphasis has been placed on internships and skill development under the GCC policy to equip the youth with industry-relevant capabilities. A subsidy covering up to 50% of the internship cost capped at Rs 5,000 per student per month will be provided for internships lasting at least two months. This benefit will remain available for three years and can be availed for up to 50 interns per year.
Date - 15/05/2025
India enters next-gen chip design era with launch of first 3nm design centers in Noida and Bengaluru
NEW DELHI: In a significant milestone for Indias semiconductor ambitions, Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday inaugurated the countrys first-ever 3-nanometer (3nm) chip design centres in Noida and Bengaluru, developed by Renesas Electronics India. The launch marks Indias foray into cutting-edge chip architecture, placing it alongside global semiconductor innovators. Designing at 3nm is truly next-generation. We have done 7nm and 5nm earlier, but this marks a new frontier, the Minister said, describing the development as a defining moment in India semiconductor journey. The Noida facility, in particular, is among the most advanced chip design centres in India and is expected to accelerate local capability in high-performance and energy-efficient chip design.
Date - 14/05/2025
Source:-India enters next-gen chip design era with launch of first 3nm design centers in Noida and Bengaluru
TRAI releases draft manual to standardise digital connectivity ratings for buildings, seeks stakeholder views
NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released the draft manual for assessing property ratings for digital connectivity. According to the telecom regulator, the rating manual will enable the Digital Connectivity Rating Agencies (DCRAS) to adopt a uniform assessment methodology for rating properties. It will also provide a standard reference for Property Managers (PMs) when creating Digital Connectivity Infrastructure (DCI) in their properties.
Date - 14/05/2025
TRAI flags gaps in voice and data services in latest drive tests across 22 cities
NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released its latest report on Operator Assisted Drive Tests (OADT) conducted across 22 cities, highways, and surrounding areas during the quarter ending December 2024. The tests were carried out in collaboration with telecom service providers to evaluate the quality of voice and data services across multiple networks and technologies, the Ministry of Communications said in a statement on Tuesday. These tests were performed in key locations such as Bhopal, Warangal, Jodhpur, Junagadh, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Vijayapura, and several districts across Mizoram and Meghalaya, covering both urban and highway routes. The cumulative distance covered during the tests exceeds 4,000 kilometers.
Date - 14/05/2025
Mapping the Future: How Geospatial Technology is Empowering Smarter Governance
Geospatial technology is quietly powering the digital transformation of our world - from how cities are built to how delivery apps find your doorstep. At its core, this field connects data with location, helping organizations solve complex problems with spatial intelligence. As technologies like AI, real-time sensors, and cloud computing evolve, geospatial solutions are becoming smarter, faster, and more essential to everyday life. At the center of this transformation is Mohini Todkari, a Los Angeles-based geospatial leader with over a decade of experience at the intersection of mapping, software, and user experience. Armed with a Masters in Geospatial Information Science and a background in computer science, she has worked on some of the industrys most advanced platforms. Her leadership style combines deep technical knowledge with agile product thinking, making her a trusted name in building intuitive, scalable, and impactful geospatial tools. In the following interview, Mohini shares her journey, insights, and the future she envisions for this dynamic field.
Date - 14/05/2025
Weaponised innovation, from Akash to AI: How India is engineering its rise as global tech power centre
From Akash missiles to Akashteer command systems, from loitering munitions and counter-drone swarms to cyber arsenals and anti-missile missiles India's ongoing Operation Sindoor has unfolded as a vivid demonstration of a deep-tech-powered warfare doctrine. The Armed Forces are navigating the volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) terrain of modern conflict, fortified with a readiness toolkit built not only on valor but on robust, responsive technologies. But the challenge goes further: to manage the brittle, anxious, nonlinear, and incomprehensible (BANI) realities of information warfare and cognitive conflict. In this emerging battlefield and the broader strategic context, a New Tech World Order is taking shape governed by the Four Ds: Data, Digitisation, Digitalisation, and Disruption. Disruption, especially, is no longer a mere by-product of innovation; it is its very engine. It reshapes technologies and business models alike, pushing the world into an era of dual-use dominance where innovations can bolster both economic and national security capacities.
Date - 14/05/2025
How can Fintechs disrupt the Big Bharat opportunity and contribute to India@100 dream
Indias 63 million MSMEs contribute nearly 30 percent of the GDP and employ over 110 million people. Yet a large portion of these businesses, especially in non-metro India, remain underserved by formal credit and disconnected from the digital economy. In FY24 alone, the MSME loan portfolio grew by 17.8 percent to 64.1 trillion. Loans to self-employed individuals rose 28.9 percent, signaling a growing demand for accessible, agile financial products. This is not a demand problem, it supply design problem. And fintechs are uniquely positioned to solve it. Bharat: A $1 Trillion Opportunity That Needs a New Operating System The real opportunity in India isnt just in expanding urban market share. It lies in rebuilding the financial infrastructure for Bharat: the millions of small businesses operating in Tier 2 and 3 cities, small towns, and rural markets
Date - 12/05/2025
Gujarat launches iFactory Lab in Ahmedabad to train youth in Industry 4.0 technologies
AHMEDADABAD: Kaushalya The Skill University, in collaboration with the Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India, has launched the iFactory Lab at the Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in Kubernagar, Ahmedabad. The lab is designed to train students and industry personnel in key Industry 4.0 technologies such as robotics, Internet of Things (IoT), data analytics, and cyber-physical systems. According to officials, the iFactory Lab is designed to bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world industrial applications. The facility will simulate smart manufacturing environments and provide practical training modules aligned with the evolving needs of modern industry. It will enable participants to gain experience in integrated automation systems and end-to-end industrial processes, including those involving intelligent data exchange and autonomous control systems.
Date - 12/05/2025
10 satellites monitoring India to ensure country's security: ISRO Chief
AGARTALA: As tensions with Pakistan persist, ISRO chairman V. Narayanan has assured that 10 satellites are vigilantly monitoring Indias borders and coastlines 24/7 to safeguard national security. Speaking at the 5th convocation of Central Agricultural University (CAU) in Agartala, Narayanan highlighted the strategic role of space technology. If we want to ensure the safety of our country, we have to serve through our satellites. We have to monitor our 7,000 km seashore areas. Without satellite and drone technology, we cant achieve many things he said. So far, ISRO has launched 127 Indian satellites, including those from private players and academic institutions. Of these, 22 orbit in low earth orbit (LEO), and 29 are in geosynchronous orbit, primarily under central government control. Among them, around a dozen are surveillance satellites like the Cartosat, RISAT, EMISAT, and MicroSat series each tailored for specific reconnaissance missions.
Date - 12/05/2025
STPI showcases Indian innovation at TiEcon 2025: 13 startups win TiE50 awards in Silicon Valley
NEW DELHI/SILICON VALLEY: In a major global recognition of Indias deep-tech innovation, the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) led 25 high-potential startups to Silicon Valley under its Leap Ahead Global Connect initiative. Thirteen of these STPI-nurtured ventures were honored with the prestigious TiE50 Awards at TiEcon 2025, highlighting Indias emergence as a hub for transformative technologies. The delegation was part of STPs flagship Leap Ahead program, which focuses on mentorship, funding, and global market access for Indian startups. The Silicon Valley immersion was designed to connect Indian innovators with leading US venture capitalists, technology mentors, and corporate leaders. Founders participated in intensive bootcamps, fundraising sessions, and strategic networking events, gaining first-hand exposure to global best practices and investment opportunities.
Date - 12/05/2025
India emerging as global leader in techs different aspects: PM Modi
NEW DELHI: On National Technology Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday remembered the 1998 Pokhran nuclear tests and said India is emerging as a global leader in different aspects of technology. National Technology Day commemorates the momentous events of May 11, 1998, when India conducted successful nuclear tests under Operation Shakti and saw the maiden flight of the indigenously-developed Hansa-3 aircraft. In recognition of these achievements, then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had declared May 11 as National Technology Day.
Date - 12/05/2025
Ethiopian delegation explores Indias tech-driven governance reforms during NCGG visit
NEW DELHI: A high-level Ethiopian delegation comprising Governors, Vice-Governors, and senior Ministers called on Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh in the national capital on Monday, marking a renewed phase of India-Ethiopia cooperation anchored in governance, technology, and development partnership. The visiting dignitaries, currently on a week-long official visit to India, will participate in a specially curated Capacity Building Programme at the National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG), under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) initiative of the Ministry of External Affairs. Welcoming the delegation, Dr Singh appreciated their expression of solidarity with India and commended their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties through active participation in governance reform and training initiatives. He highlighted Indias historic and evolving relationship with Ethiopia, citing the 2023 BRICS Summit meeting between Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Abiy Ahmed as a key milestone.
Date - 11/05/2025
C-DOT, Synergy Quantum join forces to pioneer drone-based quantum-secure communication systems
NEW DELHI: In a strategic move to bolster India's leadership in quantum-secure communication, the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), the premier telecom R&D institution under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Synergy Quantum India Private Limited, a deep-tech innovator in the quantum technology space. The collaboration aims to develop Drone-based Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) systems using the decoy-based BB84 protocol with polarization encoding, targeting a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 6 or higher. This initiative underscores the national commitment to "Atmanirbhar Bharat" by promoting indigenous development in futuristic and secure telecom technologies, the Ministry of Communications said in a statement on Monday. Under the MoU, C-DOT and Synergy Quantum will co-develop quantum communication systems tailored for drone deployment an innovation expected to transform secure communications across critical sectors such as defence, emergency response, and strategic infrastructure.
Date - 11/05/2025
AI-led innovation driving growth in Indias radiology sector: Report
NEW DELHI: India is witnessing a significant uptick in the adoption of diagnostic radiology devices, with a major rise in accelerated adoption of AI-powered technologies and remote monitoring solutions, according to a report on Friday. The report by 1Lattice, a tech-enabled market intelligence firm, also attributed the growth to rising disease burden, increased investment in healthcare infrastructure. It revealed that India has registered 1.48 lakh radiology devices, with Maharashtra (20,590), Tamil Nadu (15,267), and Uttar Pradesh (12,236) leading the charge.
Date - 11/05/2025
Number of digitised archival pages available on NAI portal crosses 10-crore mark
NEW DELHI: The number of digitised pages of archival documents available on the portal of the National Archives of India has crossed the 10-crore mark, Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said on Tuesday. In a post on X, he also shared some data related to the Abhilekh Patal, the digital depository of the National Archives of India (NAI). "10 Crore Pages of History are now at your fingertips! Gives me great joy to share that as of 4th May 2025, the #NationalArchivesOfIndia has crossed 10 crore digitised pages of historical documents that are available on #AbhilekhPatal," he said.
Date - 08/05/2025
UPI QR codes record 91.5 pc surge to 657.9 million, credit card growth slows
MUMBAI: UPI QR codes have recorded the fastest growth in digital payments infrastructure in the financial year 2024-25, with a 91.5 per cent jump over the previous financial year to 657.9 million, according to the latest RBI data. The surge in UPI QR codes was accompanied by a slowdown in the growth rate of credit card transactions to 7.94 per cent year-on-year, while debit card additions registered a mere 2.7 per cent growth to 991 million. The growth in the number of UPI QR codes has been accelerating with the increasing deployment by platforms like Google Pay, Paytm, and PhonePe.
Date - 07/05/2025
Gaganyaan in final phase: India set to chart a historic course toward human spaceflight in 2027
India's ambitious human spaceflight programme, Gaganyaan, has entered its final phase, with the first crewed mission now scheduled for the first quarter of 2027. The announcement was made by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, and Minister of State in the PMO, Dr. Jitendra Singh, during a media interaction at the National Media Centre in New Delhi on Monday. Highlighting the mission's strategic, technological and economic significance, Dr. Singh declared, "India's first human space mission Gaganyaan programme has entered its final phase. He added that the initiative is not only a symbol of India's space prowess but a catalyst for broader scientific, industrial, and economic gains. Gaganyaan yields high returns at low cost, showcasing Indias space efficiency", he noted.
Date - 07/05/2025
Global giants like Apple see economic sense in investing in India: Scindia
NEW DELHI: Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday said that global tech giants such as Apple see a lot of economic sense in setting up manufacturing facilities in India. Addressing the Bharat Telecom event here, Scindia said investing in India at present is not just an act of goodwill alone, but it makes economic sense for every OEM (original equipment manufacturer). "Apple has decided to source and produce all its mobile phones in India in the years to come. Because when you invest in India, you are choosing affordability, you are choosing reliability, you are choosing originality," the minister remarked.
Date - 07/05/2025
TEECL launches digital infra arm; outlays $1 bn for data centers, partners RailTel
KOLKATA: Techno Electric & Engineering Company Ltd on Tuesday announced the launch of Techno Digital Infra Pvt Ltd -- its new digital infrastructure arm -- backed by a $1 billion investment aimed at establishing a cumulative capacity of 250 MW in hyperscale and edge data centers across India. Commencing its operations, the TEECL wholly-owned subsidiary is building a 36 MW hyperscale data center within SIPCOT IT Park in Siruseri, Chennai. Future hyperscale data center sites are planned in Kolkata and Noida. "Techno Electric & Engineering Company Ltd (TEECL) has officially launched Techno Digital Infra Pvt Ltd, its wholly-owned digital infrastructure arm. Backed by an ambitious investment plan of $1 billion, Techno Digital plans an integrated network of hyperscale and edge data centers targeting a cumulative capacity of 250 MW spread across the country," the company said in a regulatory filing.
Date - 07/05/2025
NCA-F hosts international workshop on AI standards to strengthen telecom, ICT ecosystem
NEW DELHI: A four-day international workshop titled AI Standards for Increasing the Efficiency of Telecommunications & ICTs: Shaping the Future Responsibly was inaugurated on Monday at the National Communications Academy Finance (NCA-F) in New Delhi. The event, jointly organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Area Office & Innovation Centre and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India, has brought together experts, regulators, startups, and academic leaders from BIMSTEC countries, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, India, and the Maldives. The workshop aims to foster regional collaboration on building inclusive, trustworthy, and globally harmonized AI standards for the telecom and ICT sectors. Key discussions will revolve around bridging the standardization gap, responsible AI adoption, and shaping the future of digital infrastructure in the region.
Date - 06/05/2025
Union minister Jitendra Singh calls for AI-led innovation, Deep-Tech startups in DST review meeting
NEW DELHI: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, and Minister of State for PMO, Atomic Energy, Space, Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions, Dr Jitendra Singh chaired a high-level review of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) on Monday, urging a bold push for AI-led innovations, support for deep-tech startups, and greater utilization of national research infrastructure. The review prominently featured discussions on the evolving role of the recently established Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF). The Minister met with Prof. Abhay Karandikar, newly appointed CEO of ANRF, along with Dr Shivkumar Kalyanaraman and senior ministry officials, to assess ongoing and upcoming initiatives.
Date - 06/05/2025
Bihar's Digital Leap: Inside the states bold push for IT, electronics, startups, and inclusive innovation
Krishna Kumar Mantu, Cabinet Minister for Department of Information Technology, Government of Bihar, in a candid and wide-ranging conversation with Anoop Verma, outlines the states ambitious digital transformation roadmap. At the heart of this vision lies the recently launched Bihar IT Policy 2024 framework aimed at positioning the state as a thriving hub for Information Technology, IT-enabled Services and Electronics System Design and Manufacturing. Driven by the twin imperatives of economic modernization and job creation, the policy seeks to make Bihar a competitive destination for domestic and global tech investors.
Date - 06/05/2025
Fortinet report warns of record surge in automated cyberattacks, highlights weaponization of AI by threat actors
BENGALURU: Fortinets FortiGuard Labs has released its 2025 Global Threat Landscape Report, revealing a dramatic escalation in cyber threats as adversaries increasingly weaponize artificial intelligence, automation, and dark web marketplaces to target critical sectors and compromise digital infrastructure at an unprecedented scale. The report, based on extensive analysis of global cyberattack trends from 2024, indicates a 16.7% year-on-year rise in automated scanning activities, reaching a staggering 36,000 scans per second globally. These scans primarily targeted exposed protocols like SIP, RDP, and OT/IoT services, marking a shift in strategy as cybercriminals aim to identify vulnerabilities early in the attack chain. Cybercriminals are accelerating their operations with AI and commoditized tools, rendering traditional defenses insufficient, said Derek Manky, Chief Security Strategist and Global VP Threat Intelligence at Fortinet FortiGuard Labs. Organizations must adopt proactive, intelligence-led strategies leveraging AI, zero trust, and continuous threat exposure management to stay ahead.
Date - 06/05/2025
Chhattisgarh CM envisions Raipur as Digital India's heartbeat with country's first AI data center park
RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Saturday laid the foundation of the nation's first AI-based data centre park, a project aimed at making Raipur the "heartbeat of Digital India". The ambitious project, poised to redefine India's digital landscape, in Nava Raipur marks a historic stride to make the country a global digital powerhouse, officials said. It has been designed with a focus on environmental protection and the centre will follow green and energy-efficient technologies. "This is not just a data center; it's the digital backbone for a new era of growth and empowerment," Chief Minister Sai said.
Date - 04/05/2025
Intel India President highlights AI, gaming, and EdTech innovation at WAVES 2025
MUMBAI: Gokul V. Subramaniam, President of Intel India and Vice President of the Client Computing Group, showcased Intel's expanding role in India's content and innovation ecosystem during the Waves Summit 2025 in Mumbai. Speaking to ANI, Subramaniam emphasized Intel's commitment to powering India's growing media, gaming, and educational sectors through cutting-edge AI and processing technologies. "Waves is an amazing opportunity, especially for content creators working in audio and video. At the core of all this is data -- and data is what Intel is all about," he said.
Date - 03/05/2025
Indian Railways announces nationwide Digital Clock designing competition
NEW DELHI: Indian Railways has announced a nationwide competition to design new digital clocks, which are to be installed across all railway stations in the country. Railway has invited entries from the creative people. This competition aims to standardize the digital clocks used on platforms and stations and will be open to three categories of participants including professionals, college/ university and school students. Speaking about the competition, Executive Director of Railway Board Dilip Kumar told ANI that one grand winner, whose design gets selected for use across Indian Railways, will receive a first prize of Rs 5 lakh. Additionally, each of the three categories will have five consolation prizes of Rs 50,000 each. Participants must submit their designs online between May 1 and May 31.
Date - 03/05/2025
UP launches WhatsApp chatbot for transport services, brings RTO functions to citizens' fingertips
LUCKNOW: In a move to make government services more accessible and efficient, the Uttar Pradesh Transport Department has launched a 24x7 WhatsApp chatbot to offer key transport-related services directly to citizens, officials said Saturday. Vehicle registration services, driving licence details, challan status, and more can be accessed without standing in a queue at the RTO office by using the chatbot , they said. Launched on Friday, the initiative is part of the state's push for digital transformation. The new service aims to ensure that citizens receive transparent and timely support using a widely used platform. "This WhatsApp chatbot reflects our commitment to using technology for citizen welfare," Transport Commissioner Brajesh Narain Singh said.
Date - 03/05/2025
IBM, TCS join hands with Andhra Pradesh to deploy India's largest quantum computer in Quantum Valley Tech Park
AMARAVATI (Andhra Pradesh): IBM and Tata Consultancy Services are partnering to further develop India quantum computing industry as part of the State of Andhra Pradesh Quantum Valley Tech Park, currently being built in the capital city of Amaravati. The tech park will be anchored by an IBM Quantum System Two installation, with a 156-qubit Heron quantum processor, the largest quantum computer in India. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is partnering with IBM to support the development of algorithms and applications that will help the Indian industry and academia solve some of the nation most challenging problems. The Government of Andhra Pradesh, IBM and TCS hope to accelerate the development of India quantum ecosystem through this initiative, according to an official release on Friday.
Date - 03/05/2025
Intel India President highlights AI, gaming, and EdTech innovation at WAVES 2025
MUMBAI: Gokul V. Subramaniam, President of Intel India and Vice President of the Client Computing Group, showcased Intel's expanding role in India's content and innovation ecosystem during the Waves Summit 2025 in Mumbai. Speaking to ANI, Subramaniam emphasized Intel's commitment to powering India's growing media, gaming, and educational sectors through cutting-edge AI and processing technologies. "Waves is an amazing opportunity, especially for content creators working in audio and video. At the core of all this is data -- and data is what Intel is all about," he said.
Date - 03/05/2025
Lung Cancer Detection: AI-enabled risk assessment reaches 5 million people around the world
NEW DELHI: AstraZeneca, in partnership with health-tech company Qure.ai, today announced the successful completion of 5 million artificial intelligence (AI) enabled chest X-rays (CXRs) across more than 20 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. The milestone, part of AstraZeneca's commitment to the World Economic Forum's EDISON Alliance 1 Billion Lives Challenge, demonstrates the potential of AI to improve lung cancer detection, especially within resource-limited healthcare settings, a media release said on Thursday. The AI-enabled CXRs revealed important findings, including lung nodules at high risk for cancer in nearly 50,000 people prompting their referral for further testing and possible diagnosis. The EDISON Alliance's 1 Billion Lives Challenge, launched in 2022, aims to improve 1 billion lives through digital access to healthcare, education, and financial services. AstraZeneca supports the initiative, aligning with the goals of its A.Catalyst Network AstraZenecs global innovation network that aims to speed up the process of turning innovative ideas into real-world healthcare solutions.
Date - 02/05/2025
Centre launches Indian Institute of Creative Technology to empower creative, digital workforce
MUMBAI: In a colossal move to empower the creative and digital workforce of the country, the Government of India has launched the Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) at the ongoing edition of the WAVES in Mumbai. This marks a major leap for India's creative and digital media industries, Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting announced the launch. The institute, set to become a national hub for the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR) sector, has already commenced work. Several tech giants like NVIDIA, Google, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Star India and Adobe have aligned with IICT for collaborative efforts towards its courses. The IICT is being established by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, in strategic collaboration with FICCI and CII, as a National Centre of Excellence on the lines of prestigious IIT and IIM.
Date - 02/05/2025
'Made in India' smartphones gain global edge as US eyes cheaper imports, trade ties
NEW DELHI: India's smartphone market is expected to grow at a low single-digit rate this year, driven by a favorable economic outlook and increasing global interest in Indian manufacturing, market intelligence research firm Counterpoint Research asserted. The central government has been aggressively promoting indigenous manufacturing of mobile phones. It also provides incentives to the manufacturers to set up shops in India. Lower tariffs compared to China and Vietnam are positioning 'Made in India' devices as a more cost-effective option for US importers, while the potential for enhanced bilateral trade between the US and India could further strengthen the country's appeal as a global smartphone manufacturing hub, the research firm said in a report.
Date - 02/05/2025
'Made in India' smartphones gain global edge as US eyes cheaper imports, trade ties
NEW DELHI: India's smartphone market is expected to grow at a low single-digit rate this year, driven by a favorable economic outlook and increasing global interest in Indian manufacturing, market intelligence research firm Counterpoint Research asserted. The central government has been aggressively promoting indigenous manufacturing of mobile phones. It also provides incentives to the manufacturers to set up shops in India. Lower tariffs compared to China and Vietnam are positioning 'Made in India' devices as a more cost-effective option for US importers, while the potential for enhanced bilateral trade between the US and India could further strengthen the country's appeal as a global smartphone manufacturing hub, the research firm said in a report.
Date - 02/05/2025
EC to seek death registration details digitally for more accurate electoral rolls
NEW DELHI: In a bid to update voters list at a faster pace and make it free of errors, the Election Commission will now obtain death registration data electronically from the Registrar General of India. The EC said on Thursday this will ensure that the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) receive timely information about registered deaths and allow booth level officers (BLOs) to reverify the information through field visits, without waiting for a formal request by the kin of the deceased. The poll body has the authority under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 and the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 to seek such details. To make voter information slips (VIS) more voter friendly, the EC has also decided to modify its design.
Date - 02/05/2025
How Indian enterprises can prepare for AI-driven cyber warfare
For a majority of the current generation, Artificial Intelligence or AI was something they first heard while watching The Matrix. From being an intriguing buzzword to becoming a force to reckon that has reshaped the cyber threat landscape, AI has surely come a long way. For Indian enterprises, and especially the ones navigating digital transformation, the convergence of AI and cyber warfare represents a critical inflection point. Threat actors are already leveraging AI for a variety of purposes, be it to automate reconnaissance, generate convincing phishing emails and messages, or plan entire social engineering campaigns, complete with deep fakes. And bear in mind that all of the above are used to gain initial access in ransomware attacks, which is the single most serious threat that Indian enterprises face today.
Date - 02/05/2025
UPI transactions dip in April amid outages while daily volumes hit record high
MUMBAI: India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) saw a slight decline in total transactions in April 2025, with 1,789 crore payments processed down from 1,830 crore in March. The dip came amid brief service outages that temporarily disrupted the system's performance. Despite the setbacks, UPIs momentum remained robust, with average daily transaction volumes hitting a new high of 59.6 crore, up from 59 crore the previous month. This indicates sustained user engagement and growing reliance on digital payment infrastructure. In value terms, transactions in April stood at nearly â?¹24 lakh crore, slightly lower than the Rs 24.8 lakh crore recorded in March. However, on a year-on-year basis, UPI transactions surged 34% in volume and 22% in value, underscoring the continued expansion and resilience of India's digital payments ecosystem.
Date - 02/05/2025
Explained - Why Labour Day Holds Significance for PM Modi-led BJP Government?
Labour Day, celebrated on May 1, is a global tribute to the contributions of workers, and for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it symbolizes a commitment to honoring the backbone of Indias progress the working class. This day strikes a strong chord with the BJPs vision of Shramev Jayate (Triumph through Labour), putting spotlight on the dignity of labour and its pivotal role in nation-building. For the BJP government, celebrating Labour Day is not merely ceremonial; it reflects a strategic focus on empowering workers in both organized and unorganized sectors, aiming at inclusive growth, and fortifying the journey toward a Viksit Bharat. The governments policies, schemes, and budget allocations underline its dedication to workers welfare, while the working class has emerged as a significant electoral support base, often seen as a vote bank for the BJP.
Date - 01/05/2025
Labour Day - Fueling India's Industrial Growth: The essential role of staffing firms in labour mobility
In a relay race, the baton moves swiftly from one runner to the next, each stride building on the last. The smoothness of that transition determines whether the team finishes strong or falls behind. Indias journey from agrarian roots to a modern industrial economy mirrors this race. The baton here is human capital, handed from rural heartlands to bustling urban job hubs. The challenge lies not just in finding the right runners but in ensuring the handover is seamless, structured, and sustained, particularly as rural migration shapes the dynamics of Indias workforce. Migration Driving the Labour Supply Revolution Rural migration is no longer a side effect of urbanisation; it is the core engine driving Indias labour supply revolution. With one in three urban Indians being a migrant, the workforce is visibly in motion. However, only a small fraction just 7% cross state lines. The majority remain within state borders, underscoring the invisible barriers that limit inter-state mobility despite the growing demand in sectors such as logistics, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, and e-commerce. This shifting pattern of migration brings to light a deeper issue: movement alone is not enough; there must be mechanisms to channel it into structured, sustainable employment.
Date - 01/05/2025
Telecom industry backs govt move to tackle spam calls, messages from OTT platforms
NEW DELHI: The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) on Tuesday welcomed the government's decision to step in and address the growing menace of spam and scam calls originating from Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has decided to take the lead on this issue, as was conveyed during a recent meeting of the Joint Committee of Regulators (JCoR). The industry sees this as a much-needed move, especially since spam and scam activities are increasingly shifting to OTT communication apps like WhatsApp, Signal, and others.
Date - 01/05/2025
Shipping Ministry charts digital future with IT procurement and project management workshop
New Delhi, April 29: The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) organised a one-day workshop on IT Procurement and Project Management in New Delhi, aiming to enhance digital efficiency and streamline IT implementation across India's maritime and shipping ecosystem. he workshop was virtually inaugurated by the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, who emphasised the transformative role of technology in modernising port operations and enhancing service delivery for stakeholders. TK Ramachandran, Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, addressed the participants and emphasised the importance of innovation, collaboration, and capacity building in accelerating digital transformation within the maritime sector.
Date - 30/04/2025
Pakistani cybercriminals hack multiple websites of Rajasthan government
JAIPUR: Pakistani hackers targeted three Rajasthan government websites and defaced them with anti-India messages. The Pakistani cybercriminals targeted multiple government websites in Rajasthan, with the latest being the Education Department's official portal. On Tuesday, Rajasthan Education Minister Madan Dilawar took cognizance of the incident and alerted the Department's Information Technology wing. The "compromised" website has since been temporarily shut down while recovery operations are underway.
Date - 30/04/2025
BSNL, ACES India bring seamless voice & data connectivity to Kanpur Metro's underground stations
KANPUR: In a major boost to digital infrastructure for urban mobility, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and ACES India have signed an agreement to deliver seamless voice and data connectivity across the Kanpur Metro's deep underground stations and tunnels. This collaboration ensures that passengers traveling within the underground sections will experience uninterrupted mobile network coverage. As part of the agreement, ACES India has designed and implemented a robust In-Building Solution (IBS) system to enhance BSNL's network reach across all underground metro stations and connecting tunnels. This deployment marks a significant technological milestone for the region, making it the first metro project in Uttar Pradesh to offer comprehensive underground mobile connectivity.
Date - 30/04/2025
Gujarat: 70% citizens registered with Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission
AHMEDABAD: Gujarat has reached a significant milestone by registering over 4.77 crore citizens, or 70 per cent of its population, under the Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA), according to the government. The state government on Tuesday announced this achievement on the occasion of Ayushman Bharat Day. Reflecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for a Digital India, Gujarat, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, is leading the way in the digitalisation of health records as part of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, the government said. The Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) serves as a digital health identity designed to integrate and securely store citizens' health records. With this system, citizens are provided with a digital health ID, ensuring their health records are safely stored online. It guarantees data security and privacy, with information shared only with the citizen's consent.
Date - 30/04/2025
Centre to include Caste Census in upcoming National Census: Cabinet approves landmark move
NEW DELHI: In a landmark decision by the Narendra Modi led government, the Centre on Wednesday announced that the caste census will be conducted along with the next population census, an exercise undertaken at the central level. The decision was taken at the high-level meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) on Wednesday, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Addressing the media, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs has decided today that caste enumeration would be included in the forthcoming census.
Date - 30/04/2025
CA historic shift: India to include caste in national census, addressing deep-rooted inequities
On April 30, 2025, the Modi government announced a historic decision to include caste enumeration in the forthcoming Census, a move that promises to reshape India's socio-economic landscape. This decision, taken by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reflects a commitment to transparent, inclusive governance and the strengthening of India's social fabric. The inclusion of caste in the Census is not merely a statistical exercise but a transformative step toward equitable development, ensuring that marginalized communities are accounted for in policy-making and resource allocation.
Date - 30/04/2025
Gujarat expands skill development initiatives with new ITIs, MoUs, and drone training centers
GANDHINAGAR: In a bid to boost skill development and vocational training in Gujarat, Labour and Employment Minister Balvantsinh Rajput inaugurated newly constructed Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), signed multiple memorandums of understanding (MoUs), and launched drone training centres aimed at strengthening the state skill ecosystem. The event, held in Gandhinagar, also saw the virtual presence of Union Minister Nimuben Bambhaniya and Minister of State for Labour and Employment Kunvarji Halpati. Minister Rajput inaugurated newly built ITI buildings at Bhavnagar, Pratapnagar, and Devbhumi Dwarka, with a combined investment of over 58 crore. These new infrastructures are part of the state ongoing efforts to enhance vocational training facilities and provide youth with the skills necessary to improve employment prospects.
Date - 29/04/2025
Pearl Kapur Launches Xanfi at IIT Delhi: Indias first Made-in-India multilingual Gen AI chatbot
NEW DELHI: Indias youngest billionaire, Pearl Kapur, has unveiled Xanfi, a multilingual generative AI chatbot, at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi. Billed as India's first made-in-India Gen AI conversational engine, Xanfi supports over 100 languages, including all 22 official Indian languages, aiming to make AI more accessible and inclusive. Launched at a time when much of India's tech ecosystem is focused on delivery and commerce applications, Xanfi marks a significant shift towards building AI-powered solutions for everyday users. While the ecosystem is busy building food and grocery delivery apps, we are delivering intelligence, creativity, and knowledge, said Pearl Kapur at the launch. India is ready to lead the global AI race, and Xanfi is just the beginning.
Date - 29/04/2025
USI, CyberPeace host USI Model United Nations 2025
NEW DELHI: CyberPeace Foundation under the aegis of United Service Institution (USI) of India is hosting the prestigious USIMUN-2025, a Model United Nations (MUN) conference, on April 26-27, at the USI campus in Shankar Vihar, New Delhi. To foster international collaboration and cultivate leadership among the youth, the event brought together young delegates, who participated in dialogues on global diplomacy and emerging digital threats such as misinformation and deepfakes. The event was graced by the presence of esteemed delegates such as H.E. Mr. Jean Pierre Lacroix, UN Under Secretary-General for Peace Operations; Amb Asoke Mukherji, 20th Permanent Representative of India to UN; Amb YK Sinha, Former Chief Information Commissioner of India, High Commissioner to UK and Sri Lanka, and Counsellor, Permanent Mission of India to UN amongst many dignitaries.
Date - 28/04/2025
Healthcare 2 Min Read With Ayushman Bharat & National Digital Health Mission, India is better prepared for next pandemic
NEW DELHI: India has made significant efforts to strengthen its healthcare infrastructure after the COVID-19 pandemic, said Priya Basu, Executive Head of the Pandemic Fund at the World Bank. Speaking exclusively with ANI, Basu highlighted the steps taken by India to be better prepared for future health emergencies. Basu pointed out that schemes like Ayushman Bharat and the National Digital Health Mission are key parts of India's strategy to improve healthcare access and infrastructure.
Date - 28/04/2025
Yogi govt gears up to make all 75 UP districts 'AI-skilled', setting new innovation benchmarks
LUCKNOW: Driven by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanaths vision, the Uttar Pradesh government has launched an ambitious initiative to make the state a leading hub for Artificial Intelligence (AI). A detailed roadmap is in place to train 1.5 lakh individuals every month in AI technologies, with the goal of making the workforce across all 75 districts AI-enabled and positioning each district as a new center of innovation. The Centre for e-Governance (CeG) under the Department will serve as the nodal agency, overseeing implementation, providing direction, and ensuring the achievement of targets through continuous monitoring across all districts. The initiative is a key part of the Yogi governments mission to make Uttar Pradesh a one-trillion-dollar economy, backed by partnerships with global companies and the use of CSR funds.
Date - 28/04/2025
SEBI joins DigiLocker to reduce unclaimed assets, protect nominees interests
MUMBAI: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on Sunday collaborated with DigiLocker to help reduce unclaimed assets and protect investors. The partnership was revealed in a post by the National Stock Exchange (NSE) on the social media platform X. SEBI has partnered with DigiLocker to reduce unclaimed assets in the securities market and protect nomineesâ?? interests, said the exchange.
Date - 28/04/2025
Kaspersky expands India operations to strengthen cybersecurity amid rapid digital growth
NEW DELHI: Cybersecurity firm Kaspersky is betting on India as a strategic growth market, recognising the country's rapid digitalisation and increasing cybersecurity needs, and aims to expand local teams and strengthen collaborations across various sectors. General Manager for India region at Kaspersky Jaydeep Singh shared that the company has tripled its workforce in the country in the past two years, with new hires in sales, pre-sales, and support roles. He also highlighted the presence of global research teams based in India that monitor more than 900 advanced persistent threat (APT) groups daily. "In the last two years, we have tripled our employee base in India...We have part of the global research teams based out of India who do the threat hunting," Singh told PTI on the sidelines of GITEX Asia 2025.
Date - 28/04/2025
AI must power governance with human touch: Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu
AMARAVATI (Andhra Pradesh): In a powerful and inspiring address that set the tone for Andhra Pradesh's digital future, Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday declared that the state is entering a new era of governance powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) -- one that prioritizes smart systems, human-centric solutions, and real-time delivery of services, an official release said. Recounting his journey from struggling for a 2 Mbps internet connection to launching data-driven governance, the Chief Minister highlighted Andhra Pradesh's long-standing commitment to technological leadership. "Back then, BSNL gave me 2 Mbps - and I used it for audio and video. Today we're talking about Gigabits," he said, crediting the deregulation of the telecom sector and early e-governance initiatives as game-changers.
Date - 26/04/2025
India expands digital public infra to new sectors, offers global collaboration model at UN
UNITED NATIONS: India said it is expanding its Digital Public Infrastructure ecosystem into areas such as agriculture and smart cities and stands ready to share successes with the international community, as UN leaders commended the country for its leadership in investing in this domain. Minister of State for the Ministry of Commerce & Industry and the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Jitin Prasada, said that the Indian DPI success story is a showcase to the world. "DPI is all about empowering citizens, good governance, inclusive and sustainable growth at the societal level. The future will not be built by machines alone but by the choices we make about how technology serves humanity," Prasada said in his keynote address at the event organised by India's Permanent Mission to the UN at the world body's headquarters on Thursday.
Date - 25/04/2025
Maharashtra FutureTech Summit 2025: Ashish Shelar highlights digital transformation in governance
MUMBAI: The first edition of the ETGovernment Maharashtra FutureTech Summit 2025 concluded successfully in Mumbai, highlighting the transformative potential of emerging technologies in public governance. The event witnessed the enthusiastic participation of Ashish Shelar, Minister for Information Technology and Cultural Affairs, Government of Maharashtra, who attended as the Chief Guest and delivered the keynote address. Hosted by ETGovernment in partnership with the Department of Information Technology, Government of Maharashtra, the summit brought together senior government officials, policymakers, industry experts, and technologists to explore collaborative ways to enable smarter and more inclusive governance through cutting-edge technology.
Date - 25/04/2025
Empowering Girls in ICT: InMobi, CyberPeace, Jamia Hamdard launch Cyber Sheroe for safer digital future
NEW DELHI: InMobi, CyberPeace and Jamia Hamdard University launched the pioneering Cyber Sheroes program at Jamia Hamdard University during the celebration of the International Girls in ICT Day 2025. The high-impact conference titled Girls in ICT: Code, Secure, Lead, saw the participation of several high-profile dignitaries from academia, administration and the industry. The highlight of the event will be the official launch of the 'Cyber Sheroes' program, which is an InMobi and Glance for Good initiative, and aims to build a strong community of girl cyber defenders through training, mentorship, and on-ground activation. The program is designed to empower girls with critical skills in cyber hygiene, threat reporting, digital resilience, and community outreach.
Date - 25/04/2025
Bold reforms and digital backbone will drive Indias growth to 2047: FM Sitharaman at Stanfor
SAN FRANSISCO: Indias quest for sustained growth over the next two decades hinges on a new paradigm, driven by bold reforms, enhanced domestic capabilities, and strategic institutional collaborations suited for the evolving global landscape, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Monday. The last two Union Budgets have laid the groundwork for this transformation, with a clear multi-sectoral policy agenda, she said, while speaking at Hoover Institution at Stanford University California. In the last decade, she said the govt has undertaken structural reforms, rationalising over 20,000 compliances, decriminalising business laws and digitising public services to reduce friction.
Date - 23/04/2025
Parliamentary committee to examine CCI's role in regulating digital markets
NEW DELHI: Senior officials of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs will brief the parliamentary standing committee on finance on April 28 on the "evolving role of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) in the economy, particularly the digital landscape", according to a Lok Sabha Secretariat notice. The briefing could cover topics ranging from a digital competition law, which was proposed to regulate large players, to the effective oversight of antitrust behaviour of e-comerce as well as quick commerce players, said a person aware of the details. The panel is headed by senior BJP leader Bhartruhari Mahtab.
Date - 23/04/2025
Mumbai Police conducts cybersecurity, cybercrime investigation training for over 250 officers
MUMBAI: In a bid to strengthen its cybercrime response, the Mumbai Police has kicked off a three-day Cyber Investigation & Forensics Training for 253 officers. The programme is supported by Federal Express Corporation ("FedEx"), the world's largest express transportation company and United Way Mumbai (UWM).
The initiative aims to enhance the capabilities of personnel from cyber cells, crime branch, detection units, and anti-narcotics cells in tackling digital crimes such as online fraud, phishing, financial cyber threats, and social media misuse. Speaking at the event, Datta Nalawade, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch, Mumbai, said, "As cybercrime evolves in scale and sophistication, it is crucial for our officers to stay ahead of the curve.
This training is a vital step in preparing our force to investigate and respond to digital threats more effectively. Public awareness is equally important, and we appreciate the efforts being made to educate citizens on safe and responsible digital practices."
Date - 23/04/2025
Taxpayers can file income tax without login, CBDT unveils 'e-Pay Tax' feature
NEW DELHI: The Income Tax Department has introduced the 'e-Pay Tax' feature on its official online portal to facilitate the taxpayers by easing various processes, according to the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). "Gone are the days of long queues at banks, tedious form-filling, and the looming anxiety of last-minute tax payments. The 'e-Pay Tax' feature introduced by the Department is an elegant, efficient, and hassle-free method to fulfil your tax obligations," the CBDT's statement added. Through the 'e-Pay Tax', the tax payers will be able to pay taxes without even logging in to the system. It will not require a username or passwords, according to the CBDT.
Date - 23/04/2025
Staff Selection Commission implements Aadhaar-based authentication for its recruitment exams
NEW DELHI: The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has decided to implement Aadhaar-based biometric authentication in its all forthcoming examinations in order to verify candidates' identity on a voluntary basis, officials said on Sunday. They said the new measure will come into force for recruitment tests conducted from next month onwards. The SSC is one of the largest recruitment agencies of the central government with its main mandate to conduct selections for non-gazetted posts in various central ministries and departments, among others. "The Commission has decided to implement Aadhar Based Biometric Authentication in its forthcoming examinations.
Date - 21/04/2025
Half of children may need spectacles in near future if screen time is not limited, warn eye experts
NAGPUR: If children's screen time is not restricted now, nearly every second school-going child may be wearing spectacles in the next ten years, warned Dr Partha Biswas, President of the All India Ophthalmological Society (AIOS), on Sunday. He was speaking at the golden jubilee installation ceremony of the Vidarbha Ophthalmic Society (VOS). "Currently, around 23% of school-going children in India are myopic. If we don't act now, this number will rise to 53% by 2050. These children often need new spectacles every six months. It affects their learning, playtime, and creativity," he said. He added that the AIOS already submitted guidelines to the central govt to regulate the use of near-vision digital devices among children. "We are hopeful that the govt will implement these suggestions soon and help protect the eyesight of millions of children," he said.
Date - 21/04/2025
Army bridges digital divide in Ladakh, brings 4G/5G connectivity to Galwan, Siachen posts
NEW DELHI: In a groundbreaking move to bridge the digital divide and empower remote border communities, the Indian Army has enabled seamless 4G and 5G mobile connectivity across high-altitude regions of Ladakh, including forward locations in Eastern and Western Ladakh, as well as the Siachen Glacier. Army troops deployed in high-altitude posts in Ladakh along frontiers with China and Pakistan, as also civilians staying in remote border villages in the region, now have access to 4G and 5G mobile connectivity for the first time. In the transformative step towards bridging the digital divide, Army has facilitated unprecedented mobile connectivity across high-altitude areas, including forward locations in eastern and western Ladakh as well as the Siachen Glacier region, an officer said Saturday.
Date - 21/04/2025
Smart tech, self-driving, safety features to dominate auto industry by 2030: Niti Aayog report
NEW DELHI: The automobile industry is heading for a major transformation by 2030, driven by growing demand for safety features, electric vehicles, and smart technologies, according to a recent report by NITI Aayog. One of the key highlights of the report is the sharp rise in the adoption of Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS). The report highlighted that these features, which help drivers stay safer on the road, were present in 42 per cent of new vehicles sold in 2020. However, their presence is expected to grow rapidly and touch 90 per cent of new vehicle sales by 2030. It said, "Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) are projected to rise from 42% of new vehicle sales in 2020 to 90% by 2030, spurred by consumer demand for safety features and regulatory requirements."
Date - 19/04/2025
ANPR-FASTag system to be piloted at select plazas, no rollout of satellite-based tolling now: MoRTH
NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has issued a clarification dismissing media reports that a satellite-based tolling system will be implemented nationwide from May 1, 2025, replacing the existing FASTag-based system. The Ministry confirmed that no such decision has been taken regarding the full-scale launch of satellite tolling. Instead, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is set to pilot a new hybrid tolling model at selected toll plazas using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology in conjunction with the current FASTag RFID system. The move aims to facilitate barrier-less, seamless vehicle movement through toll plazas and reduce congestion and travel time, the ministry said. The proposed system referred to as the ANPR-FASTag-based Barrier-Less Tolling System will leverage high-performance cameras to automatically read vehicle number plates and match them with FASTag details for real-time toll deductions. Vehicles will not be required to stop at toll gates under this system, it said. To enforce compliance, the government stated that e-notices will be issued to violators, and non-payment could result in suspension of FASTags and other penalties under the VAHAN database.
Date - 19/04/2025
NTT DATA to invest Rs 10500 crore in Indias largest AI data center cluster in Hyderabad
TOKYO/HYDERABAD: In a major boost to Indias digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence capabilities, NTT DATA, a global leader in IT services and data centers, has announced plans to set up a Rs 10,500 crore AI Data Center Cluster in Hyderabad. The announcement came during a high-level investment meeting held in Tokyo, where a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between NTT DATA, Neysa Networks, and the Government of Telangana. The upcoming facility will be the countrys largest AI compute infrastructure, featuring a 400 MW data center cluster equipped with 25,000 GPUs to handle both public and enterprise AI workloads. The project is a key milestone in Telangana's ambition to become the AI capital of India, according to an official release on Friday.
Date - 19/04/2025
No GST on UPI transactions over Rs 2000, clarifies Ministry of Finance
NEW DELHI: The claims that the government is considering levying Goods and Services Tax (GST) on UPI transactions over Rs 2,000 are completely false, misleading, and without any basis, said the Ministry of Finance in a statement Friday. Currently, there is no such proposal before the government, the Finance Ministry clarified. GST is levied on charges, such as the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR), relating to payments made using certain instruments. Effective January 2020, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) removed the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on Person-to-Merchant (P2M) UPI transactions through a Gazette Notification dated December 30, 2019.
Date - 19/04/2025
India showcases AI talent, digital infra at GITEX Africa 2025: Minister Jayant Chaudhary
NEW DELHI: India is a key resource talent hub for AI professionals, which is a clear indicator of the efforts of the government and the industry to nurture an environment for adoption on AI, Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (Independent Charge), Jayant Chaudhary, has said. Speaking at Africa's largest tech and startup show, "GITEX Africa 2025", the minister said that India's Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) has driven transformative changes across areas, especially through developments of digital identity (Aadhaar), digital payments (UPI), e-commerce (ONDC), and healthcare.
Date - 19/04/2025
Times Internet top scorer in digital game with 265 million unique visitors in 2024
MUMBAI: Times Internet, the Times of India Group digital arm, ended calendar 2024 by firmly establishing itself as the countrys leading digital news and information platform, with 265 million unique visitors across its web and app properties as of December last year, according to Comscores Year in Review 2024 Setting the Stage for 2025 report. Network18 ranked second with 214 million unique visitors, followed by Zee Digital that finished third with 157 million. HT Media and Dailyhunt rounded out the top five, with 125 million and 124 million visitors, respectively. Satyan Gajwani, vice chairman of Times Internet, said, Times Internet's continued and dominant leadership position is a result of our deep understanding of audience preferences, our portfolio of super brands and our best-in-class tech stack. We are delighted with the continued patronage of most of India's internet population.
Date - 28/03/2025
BIS intensifies crackdown on e-commerce platforms Amazon, Flipkart, seizes 3500 substandard products
NEW DELHI: The Delhi branch of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has seized over 3,500 products, both without an ISI mark and marked with fake ISI labels, from warehouses of Amazon sellers located in Mohan Cooperative Industrial Area in the national capital. These products were found to be substandard and in violation of quality control orders of BIS, according to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution. The 15-hour search and seizure operations were conducted on March 19. The total estimated value of the seized products like geysers, food mixers and other electrical appliances is around â?¹70 lakh, the ministry said in a release on Thursday. In another raid conducted at Instakart Services, a Flipkart subsidiary located in Trinagar, Delhi, a stock of sports footwear was unearthed which were packaged for dispatch without the necessary ISI mark and date of manufacture. About 590 pairs of sports footwear, worth around â?¹6 lakh, were seized during this operation.
Date - 28/03/2025
India sees surge in women workforce in tech and GCCs; leadership, pay gaps persist: Report
NEW DELHI: India's tech contractual workforce has seen a significant shift over the past four years, with female participation increasing from 9.51 per cent in 2020 to 27.98 per cent in 2024, according to a report on Wednesday. The report, by the staffing firm TeamLease Digital, based on a dataset of 13,000 contractual workers offers an in-depth analysis of trends in the tech contractual workforce from 2020 to 2024. Besides the significant rise in womens participation in contractual roles, the comprehensive report also underscores persistent barriers in senior leadership representation and pay parity. The growth in female participation has been driven by advancements in digital infrastructure, increased access to remote work opportunities, and the expansion of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, said the report.
Date - 27/03/2025
Tech Mahindra deploys ERP solutions for Coal India to enable digital transformation of projects
PUNE: Tech Mahindra, one of the leading technology consultants and digital solutions providers, announced the successful implementation of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system for Coal India Ltd (CIL). The implementation has helped CIL establish a foundational data layer, providing comprehensive analysis and insights through reports and dashboards, according to a media release on Thursday. Tech Mahindra deployed SAP-ERP across CIL's corporate office, Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd, Western Coalfields Ltd, and North-Eastern Coalfields. As part of the project, Tech Mahindra also implemented a state-of-the-art Hospital Management System (HMS) in 21 hospitals across CILâ??s subsidiaries. The system has facilitated an integrated, efficient, and responsive hospital management process, covering patient registration, billing, and discharge, as well as medicine and consumable inventories, it said.
Date - 27/03/2025
SANGAM 2025: STPI felicitates 16
Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), a premier S&T organization of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, successfully hosted SANGAM 2025 a landmark event celebrating innovation, entrepreneurship, and digital transformation. Held on March 21, at the Bharat Mandapam Convention Centre, New Delhi, this flagship initiative under MeitY's Next Generation Incubation Scheme (NGIS) brought together an inspiring confluence of startups, investors, industry leaders, mentors, and policymakers committed to nurturing India's vibrant startup ecosystem. The highlight of the event was the felicitation of 16 Rising Star startups which are NGIS beneficiaries. These startups represent a new wave of Indian innovation across a wide range of sectors including healthtech, fintech, edtech, agritech, cybersecurity, deeptech, and social impact technologies.
Date - 27/03/2025
India, IBM exploring potential collaborations in quantum computing, geospatial AI solutions: Govt
NEW DELHI: The Government of Indian and IBM are exploring opportunities to collaborate on quantum computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and geospatial AI solutions, the Ministry of Science and Technology announced on Tuesday. IBMs Global Head, Arvind Krishna, met Union Minister of State for Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh to discuss how the two sides can work together in these advanced technology fields. The meeting took place as India pushes forward with its National Quantum Mission, an initiative aimed at making the country a global leader in quantum technology.
Date - 26/03/2025
Govt invites private companies to share anonymous data for AI Kosh
NEW DELHI | BENGALURU: The government on Tuesday came out with a proposal to invite private firms including startups to contribute anonymous, non-personal datasets of their users to the AI Kosh platform. The move aims at accelerating the development of AI applications in India along with enabling access to enough data for training large language models (LLMs), a senior government official told ET. As per the plan, firms such as Google, Uber and PhonePe can contribute anonymised datasets of usage patterns on their websites without revealing the identity or any other personal details of their users.
Date - 26/03/2025
The Unseen Backbone of Innovation: Data centers driving India's digital future
NEW DELHI: As we celebrate International Data Center Day 2025 today, March 26, it is crucial to acknowledge the pivotal yet often overlooked role of data centers in powering modern innovation. These facilities serve as the backbone of transformative technologies, enabling advancements across industries such as life sciences, finance, artificial intelligence (AI), and smart city development. Without data centers, the seamless digital experiences we take for grantedâ??secure financial transactions, AI-driven applications, and real-time analyticsâ??would not be possible. "These facilities are more than just server hubsâ??they are the foundation of transformative technologies. From advancing life sciences and enabling seamless financial transactions to powering AI-driven solutions and smart city development, data centers are at the core of each of these services," said Manoj Paul, Managing Director, Equinix India. Amidst the accelerating digital revolution, the world is witnessing an unprecedented demand for speed, scale, and intelligence. The rapid expansion of generative AI, real-time data processing, and hyper-connectivity is not only transforming businesses but also reshaping our everyday lives. At the heart of this transformation lies the data center industry, which processes, stores, and secures the ever-growing volumes of data fueling the digital economy.
Date - 26/03/2025
NBSL launches Bharat Interface for BHIM 3.0, offering enhanced features for users, businesses, banks
MUMBAI: NPCI BHIM Services Ltd (NBSL), a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has launched Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) 3.0. Vivek Deep, Executive Director, Reserve Bank of India launched the application and services in the presence of Ajay Kumar Choudhary, Non-Executive Chairman and Independent Director, NPCI and senior leaders from the banking and fintech industry. BHIM 3.0 represents its third evolution since its launch in 2016 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The new BHIM 3.0 app offers customer friendly and more intuitive experience. BHIM 3.0 now offers: More Languages Available in 15+ Indian languages for better accessibility Works in Low Internet Areas Optimised to ensure seamless transactions even with slow or unstable network connections Better Money Management Advanced tools to track, manage, and split expenses with ease
Date - 26/03/2025
AICTEs NEAT 4.0 partners with PrepInsta to boost Indias tech talent development
NEW DELHI: Career and placement platform PrepInsta has collaborated with AICTE's National Educational Alliance for Technology (NEAT 4.0) initiative to empower students in India with industry-relevant skills, preparing them for the competitive global job market, according to a media release on Tuesday. Courses from PrepInsta are now accessible through the NEAT 4.0 portal, transforming technical education in the country, it said. Launched in 2019, the NEAT initiative by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, focuses on providing tech education solutions to increase employability, particularly for students from economically and socially disadvantaged backgrounds. As part of this mission, PrepInsta will offer free subscriptions to its courses through the AICTEs NEAT portal to benefit underprivileged students, it said.
Date - 26/03/2025
AICTEâ??s NEAT 4.0 partners with PrepInsta to boost Indiaâ??s tech talent development
NEW DELHI: Career and placement platform PrepInsta has collaborated with AICTE's National Educational Alliance for Technology (NEAT 4.0) initiative to empower students in India with industry-relevant skills, preparing them for the competitive global job market, according to a media release on Tuesday. Courses from PrepInsta are now accessible through the NEAT 4.0 portal, transforming technical education in the country, it said. aunched in 2019, the NEAT initiative by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, focuses on providing tech education solutions to increase employability, particularly for students from economically and socially disadvantaged backgrounds. As part of this mission, PrepInsta will offer free subscriptions to its courses through the AICTEâ??s NEAT portal to benefit underprivileged students, it said.
Date - 26/03/2025
Payments industry players urge PM Modi to re-evaluate zero MDR for UPI, RuPay transactions
MUMBAI: The Payments Council of India (PCI), an industry body representing a diverse range of non-banking payment industry players, with 180 members, has submitted a formal letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking urgent reconsideration of the Zero Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) policy for Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and RuPay debit card transactions, according to a release. The letter acknowledges the government's visionary leadership in promoting digital payments and financial inclusion, making India a global leader in digital transactions. It highlights the pressing financial sustainability concerns facing the digital payments ecosystem due to the continued Zero MDR policy, which has been in effect since January 2020, the release stated.
Date - 25/03/2025
Beyond Chrome, Safari, Firefox & Edge: Securing India's digital sovereignty with homegrown web browser
As India continues its journey toward digital self-reliance, the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology has taken a bold step by launching an initiative to develop an indigenous web browser. This initiative aims to enhance India's internet resilience, strengthen cybersecurity, and reduce dependence on foreign platforms for security verification. S Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India, in conversation with Anoop Verma, Editor-News, ETGovernment, sheds light on the vision behind the India-made browser, its role in securing the country's digital infrastructure, and the challenges of driving adoption in a competitive tech landscape. He also mentions the possibility of India developing its own operating system in the future.
Date - 25/03/2025
UPI for Empowerment: Elevating women merchants, boosting economies
India's rapidly expanding digital financial ecosystem offers a transformative opportunity for women entrepreneurs, the backbone of the informal economy. Among the 536 million women aged 15 and above (Periodic Labour Force Survey 2022â??23), 37% report using mobile internet (GSMA, 2024), creating a potential market of 200 million for internet-based Unified Payments Interface (UPI) solutions. Estimates indicate that 65% of women in the labor force are self-employed, with over 20 million owning businesses. As smartphone penetration increases, tailored digital payment solutions can accelerate the growth of these entrepreneurial ventures, fostering financial inclusion and empowering women to achieve economic success. Targeting women microprenuers Digital Financial Services (DFS) are essential in this context. While women micropreneurs are increasingly adopting UPIâ??mainly due to customer demand for digital paymentsâ??they remain an untapped market for broader financial services.
Date - 25/03/2025
The rise of AI in healthcare and the need for tech savvy medical professionals
In 2016, Geoffrey Hinton - widely regarded as the godfather of modern artificial intelligence (AI) and the winner of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics - declared there was no further need to train radiologists. He predicted that AI would completely take over the specialty within a decade. This kind of excessive AI-optimism, along with similar predictions about AI replacing healthcare professionals, has proven premature. While itâ??s now universally accepted that AI will transform diagnostics, treatment, and patient care, the optimal use of AI in healthcare remains a complex challenge requiring human expertise. In narrow applications, especially in image interpretation, AI often outperforms humans. For example, a radiologist is more likely than AI to miss a subtle finding on a chest X-ray. In fact, normal reports generated by high-quality AI systems, such as Oxipit, are now allowed to be sent directly to patients without a human doctorâ??s review. However, interpreting an abnormal X-ray is far more complex. It demands an understanding of the broader clinical contextâ??something narrow AI still struggles to manage. The same abnormality can mean different things in different scenarios, and AI lacks the nuanced reasoning required to make those distinctions.
Date - 25/03/2025
Bank of Baroda launches the Baroda mDigiNext Mobile App for BCMS customers
MUMBAI: Bank of Baroda (Bank), one of India's leading public sector banks, on Tuesday announced the launch of the Baroda mDigiNext mobile app, a dedicated cash management services app for its corporate customers using Baroda Cash Management Services (BCMS). This makes Bank of Baroda amongst the few banks in India to introduce an app exclusively to service corporates cash management needs. Offering a range of critical payment functionalities, the Baroda mDigiNext mobile app aims to transform how businesses manage their working capital and cash flows, bringing in greater efficiencies and facilitating faster execution and ease of operations. The state-of-the-art Baroda mDigiNext mobile app is designed to streamline cash management operations and workflows for corporates. It provides customers with on-the-go 24x7 access to essential and advanced financial tools empowering corporates to make swift and informed financial decisions anytime, anywhere, the bank said in a media release.
Date - 25/03/2025
Single ministry for Media, IT, Telecom mooted for improved coordination of technology convergence
NEW DELHI: The Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology has proposed bringing the ministries of electronics and IT (MeitY), telecommunications, and information and broadcasting (MIB) under a single umbrella to improve coordination in addressing issues related to convergence of communication and media technologies. The recommendation was made to the MIB as part of the parliamentary panel's Demands for Grants report for 2025-26, which was presented in both houses last week. â??If need be, the ministry (MIB) may also look into the feasibility of bringing the MeitY, MIB and the telecom department (DoT) "under one umbrella for better coordination for issues emerging due to the convergence of technologies" the report said.
Date - 24/03/2025
Navigating the E-Commerce Debate: Countering misconceptions on anti-competitive practices
E-commerce has emerged as a cornerstone of India's digital transformation, contributing significantly to consumer empowerment, SME growth, and employment generation. It is further expected to contribute close to 3% to India's GDP by 2030. However, the sector finds itself mired in controversies over allegations of anti-competitive practices, including deep discounting, preferential treatment, and exclusive tie-ups. While these concerns warrant examination, a deeper examination of the practices in question reveals a more nuanced picture, where these strategies often serve consumer interests, foster innovation, and create an equitable market ecosystem. Discounting: Consumer Empowerment or Anti-Competitive? Discounting, while frequently criticized, is not unique to e-commerce. Traditional retail chains, too, have historically offered discounts through bulk purchasing and inventory management. E-commerce platforms, leveraging technology and scale, have merely democratized these benefits, extending them to consumers across India, particularly in underserved regions.
Date - 24/03/2025
AI-powered Sansad Bhashini initiative set to revolutionize parliamentary procedures, MoU signed
NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha Secretariat and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop Sansad Bhashini, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered initiative aimed at enhancing multilingual access and streamlining parliamentary processes. The agreement, signed in the presence of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw, will facilitate AI-driven translation, speech-to-text conversion, and real-time information retrieval for parliamentary records and discussions. According to an official statement, the initiative will integrate parliamentary data with AI tools to improve accessibility for Members of Parliament (MPs), researchers, and academics. MeitY's existing Bhashini platform will provide translation capabilities, leveraging AI models trained on parliamentary records.
Date - 24/03/2025
Govt expands PM-AASHA scheme to strengthen farmer support, price stability
NEW DELHI: The Government of India has broadened the scope of the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) to enhance procurement operations and stabilize prices for farmers and consumers. The scheme integrates four key components: Price Support Scheme (PSS), Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS), Market Intervention Scheme (MIS), and Price Stabilisation Funds (PSF). Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Ramnath Thakur, confirmed this in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on Friday. The Department of Agriculture & Farmersâ?? Welfare (DA&FW) oversees PSS, PDPS, and MIS, while the Department of Consumer Affairs manages PSF.
Date - 24/03/2025
'Empowering Governance - AI Innovations for Viksit Bharat' summit: Key insights and learnings
In a landmark gathering of policymakers, industry leaders, and technology experts, the Empowering Governance: AI Innovations for Viksit Bharat summit brought forth insightful deliberations on harnessing artificial intelligence for societal progress. The Summit, backed by leading technology giants Google Cloud, Samsung Electronics, and SISL Infotech brought together Members of Parliament, government officials, and corporate leaders. It highlighted AI's transformative potential in governance, enhancing public service delivery, and driving initiatives for gender equality and child welfare. Held against the backdrop of rapid technological evolution, the Summit served as a platform for thought-provoking discussions on AI-driven policy reforms, ethical deployment of technology, and innovative solutions to pressing social challenges. From enhancing administrative efficiency to bridging gender gaps through AI-powered interventions, the sessions focused on both opportunities and challenges in integrating AI into governance frameworks.
Date - 23/03/2025
DGGI blocks 357 illegal online gaming websites, attaches 2400 bank accounts
NEW DELHI: GST intelligence officers have blocked 357 websites of illegal offshore online gaming firms and attached about 2,400 bank accounts, the Finance Ministry said on Saturday. The ministry also cautioned the public against engaging with offshore gaming platforms, even though many Bollywood celebrities and cricketers, besides social media influencers, are found to be endorsing these platforms. About 700 offshore e-gaming companies are under the Directorate General of Goods and Services Tax Intelligence (DGGI) scanner, as these entities are evading GST by failing to register, concealing taxable pay-ins, and bypassing tax obligations. Investigations also revealed that these offshore companies operated through 'mule' bank accounts to process transactions, the ministry said, adding the DGGI blocked 166 'mule' accounts.
Date - 22/03/2025
ECI takes steps to strengthen election process, eliminate duplicate voter IDs
NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India (ECI), under the leadership of newly appointed Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, has initiated sweeping reforms to enhance electoral participation and streamline voter management. Alongside Election Commissioners Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr Vivek Joshi, the Commission is focusing on ensuring voter convenience, eliminating duplicate voter IDs, and improving the electoral process at every level, ECI said in a statement on Thursday. In a major move, the ECI has resolved to eliminate duplicate EPIC numbers nationwide within the next three monthsâ??an issue that has persisted for decades. This will be carried out in collaboration with UIDAI and technical experts. Additionally, voter lists will be updated regularly in coordination with birth and death registration authorities, ensuring accuracy and transparency.
Date - 21/03/2025
Over 3300 IoT startups in India fostering innovation across multiple sectors: Report
NEW DELHI: The thriving Indian startup ecosystem, with over 3,300 Internet of Things (IoT)-focused startups, is fostering innovation across multiple sectors, a report showed on Thursday. The Indian IoT market is rapidly transforming, fuelled by increasing digitalisation and the demand for innovative, efficient solutions across industries. From manufacturing and transportation to healthcare and agriculture, IoT is revolutionizing operations, improving quality of life, and contributing to economic growth, said Abhishek Maiti, Directorâ??Technology and Internet, at 1Lattice, a technology-enabled decision support organisation.
Date - 21/03/2025
Chandrayaan-4 a major step toward India's goal of establishing its own space station by 2040: Jitendra Singh
NEW DELHI: Of the four astronauts undergoing rigorous training for the upcoming human mission, "Gaganyaan" one of them, Group Captain Shukla, has been selected to join the mission to the International Space Station, while others remain in an intensive preparatory phase to ensure mission success. This was stated in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday by Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh. He asserted that India's space ambitions are set to reach new heights in reply to a question, while revealing crucial details about the upcoming Chandrayaan-4 mission. The mission, which will feature multiple advanced docking technology and lunar sample collection, is poised to be a major step toward India's goal of establishing its own space station by 2040.
Date - 20/03/2025
Centre has accorded approval for Chandrayaan-5 Mission: ISRO Chief V. Narayanan
CHENNAI: The Centre has recently accorded approval for the ambitious Chandrayaan-5 mission to study the Moon, ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan said. At an event to felicitate him for taking over as the Chairman of the Bengaluru-headquartered Indian Space Research Organisation, Narayanan said that unlike the Chandrayaan-3 mission which carried the 25-kg rover 'Prayagyaan', the Chandrayaan-5 mission would carry a 250 kg rover to study the Moon's surface. The Chandrayaan mission consists of studying the lunar surface. Chandrayaan-1 successfully launched in 2008 took chemical, mineralogical and photo-geologic mapping of the Moon. The Chandrayaan-2 mission (2019) was 98 per cent success but just two per cent of the Mission could not be achieved in the final stages.
Date - 20/03/2025
Rocket Learning launches Appu, an AI tutor for personalized early learning
NEW DELHI: Rocket Learning on Wednesday launched Appu, an AI-powered learning companion offering a conversational and personalised learning experience for children aged 3-6 in India. Currently, more than 40 million children in India lack access to quality preschool education, and many second-graders struggle with basic literacy and numeracy. Developed with pro bono technical assistance from Google.org Fellows, Appu is designed specifically for early childhood education, a company release said. It is freely accessible on all screens and focuses on essential school readiness skills, including pre-literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional skills such as greetings and introductions.
Date - 20/03/2025
Sansad Bhashini: Lok Sabha plans AI tools, chatbot for live interpretation of parliamentary operations
NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha will soon deploy Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to provide live interpretation and transcription of parliamentary debates in different languages and develop an AI chatbot to help MPs refer to rules and access its vast repository of data. The Lok Sabha Secretariat on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) for the development of Sansad AI solution in the presence of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. The Sansad Bhashini initiative is envisioned to provide comprehensive in-house AI solutions for multilingual support and streamlined processes in parliamentary operations, a statement from the Lok Sabha Secretariat said.
Date - 20/03/2025
Jitendra Singh, Bill Gates discuss opportunities in biotech startups, health innovation in India
NEW DELHI: Union Minister of State (independent charge) for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh met with Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates to discuss collaborations on biotech startups and health innovation in India, in New Delhi on Thursday. The discussions with Gates, currently on an India visit, covered advancement in gene therapy, vaccine innovation, biotechnology manufacturing, and India's evolving startup ecosystem. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has witnessed a surge in biotech innovations, supported by policies like Bio E3--biotechnology for the economy, employment, and environment, said Singh.
Date - 20/03/2025
Significant deals to be inked during PM Modi's visit to Mauritius this week: Indian envoy Srivastava
PORT LOUIS: India and Mauritius are set to ink "significant agreements" to advance economic ties during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day state visit here starting Tuesday, Indian High Commissioner to the island country, Anurag Srivastava, said on Monday. Speaking to PTI, Srivastava highlighted the launch of RuPay card and Unified Payment Interface (UPI) in Mauritius as key tools to boost tourist inflows into the East African nation. "In terms of our economic relationship, there is a lot of potential. The expectation is that during the visit, there would be further discussions and significant agreements regarding trade to take forward this economic tie," Srivastava said.
Date - 11/03/2025
E-mobility key focus area for govt: Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw
HYDERABAD: Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday laid the foundation stone for four manufacturing units at the Electronics Manufacturing Cluster in Mahabubnagar district of Telangana. As part of the ceremony, foundation stones were laid for upcoming Giga Factory-1 of Amara Raja company, critical minerals refining and battery recycling unit of Lohum company, cell casing manufacturing unit of Scell Energy, and first LFP-CAM Giga Factory of Altmin, an official release said. Addressing the gathering, Vaishnaw said electric mobility remains a focus area for the government. The government is committed to developing the right infrastructure and ecosystem for the promotion and adoption of EVs. "We welcome Indian innovation and manufacturing initiatives and look forward to the success of this endeavor," the release quoted Vaishnaw as saying.
Date - 11/03/2025
IIT Delhi researchers develop high-speed, self-powered photodetector for next-gen optical communication
NEW DELHI: Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) have developed an advanced photodetector that could revolutionize high-speed optical communication, the institute said in a media release on Monday. The study, led by Dr Rakesh Suthar (Postdoctoral Researcher) and Suryakant Singh, under thesupervision of Prof. Supravat Karak, Organic and Hybrid Electronic Device Laboratory, Department of Energy Science and Engineering, has been published in Advanced Functional Materials Part of this work was conducted at Nagoya University under the JSPS Invitational Fellow program in Prof. Kunio Awaga's group.
Date - 11/03/2025
GST evasion of Rs 1.95 lakh crore detected by CGST officials during April-January: MoS Finance
NEW DELHI: Central GST officials have detected tax evasion of Rs 1.95 lakh crore in 25,397 cases in the April-January period of the current fiscal, Parliament was informed on Monday. As per the data shared in the Lok Sabha, the total number of GST evasion cases detected by central government officials in the last five years was 86,711 and the total detection was over Rs 6.79 lakh crore. In the current fiscal (up to January 2025), the total number of evasion cases detected stood at 25,397, with a total detection amount of Rs 1,94,938 crore. During the period, a voluntary deposit of Rs 21,520 crore was made in tax evasion cases. The total number of ITC fraud cases in the current fiscal stood at 13,018 involving an amount of Rs 46,472 crore. A voluntary deposit of Rs 2,211 crore was made.
Date - 11/03/2025
Over 30.68 Crore Unorganised Workers Registered on e-Shram; Women Constitute 53.68%
NEW DELHI: The e-Shram portal, launched by the Ministry of Labour and Employment in August 2021, has registered over 30.68 crore unorganised workers as of March 3, 2025, with women constituting a significant 53.68% of the total registrations. The portal, designed to provide unorganised workers with a Universal Account Number (UAN), aims to integrate them into various social security schemes. Union Minister of State for Labour & Employment, Shobha Karandlaje, announced the latest figures in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Monday. She highlighted the governmentâ??s efforts to develop e-Shram into a "One-Stop-Solution" for unorganised workers, enabling seamless access to multiple welfare schemes through a single platform.
Date - 11/03/2025
Ensuring members benefits under Employees Pension Scheme EPS-95: Minister
NEW DELHI: The Employees Pension Scheme (EPS-95) provides comprehensive benefits covering a broad spectrum of contingencies, which ensures social security protection during old age of the members and their families. The different categories of pension and withdrawal benefits available under EPS include: Member pension upon superannuation at 58 years of age. Early member pension from age of 50 years. Disability pension on permanent and total disablement during service. Widow/Widower pension on death of member or pensioner. Children Pension for 2 children at a time till the age of 25 years on death of the member. Orphan Pension to 2 orphans at a time till the age of 25 years on death of a member when there is no spouse or on death of spouse. Disabled Children/Orphan Pension for the entire life of the disabled child/orphan.
Date - 10/03/2025
MeitY announces winners of e-Toycathon 2025: A step towards building indigenous toy industry ecosystem
NEW DELHI: To boost the electronic toy sector, for the first time in India e-Toycathon 2025 was organized by C-DAC under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology's research initiatives. e-Toycathon 2025 which concluded at CDAC-Noida, aimed at fostering innovation in the toy sector by providing a platform for young researchers and innovators to develop indigenous, sustainable solutions, the ministry said in a statement. The award ceremony was held on Saturday in the presence of S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, Sunita Verma, Group Coordinator, R&D, MeitY, Vivek Khaneja, ED, C-DAC-Noida, Kartik Jain CEO, Mekashi Toys, Anirban Gupta, CEO, Dr Mady's Innovation and other senior officials from the government and toy industry. CEO of Dr Mady's Innovation, Anirban Gupta also announced that commercial production of 2-3 prototypes showcased in the competition will be undertaken.
Date - 10/03/2025
Accelerating Gender Equity: Women Leaders Call for Urgent Action in the Workplace
On International Womenâ??s Day 2025, corporate women leaders emphasize the need for urgent, intentional action to eliminate workplace gender barriers. From inclusive hiring to mentorship and systemic reforms, they stress that equity is not just fairnessâ??itâ??s about innovation, economic growth, and a better future that canâ??t wait. Here are a few voices of women leaders in the Indian corporate world: Chhaya Sharma, Head of HR, axio: Real progress happens when we shift our perspective on gender diversityâ??from an obligation to a valuable opportunity for innovation and growth. At axio, we believe that building an inclusive workplace goes beyond policies; it requires meaningful actions that empower women to lead without limitations. This entails ensuring that opportunities are accessible to all. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are transformative forces that create thriving workplaces. An inclusive culture fosters innovation, strengthens collaboration, and enables employees to contribute their best ideas with confidence. When diverse perspectives are valued, organizations become more agile, better equipped to solve complex challenges, and more resilient in the face of change.
Date - 10/03/2025
225 crore Aadhaar authentication transactions, 43 crore e-KYC transactions carried out in February
NEW DELHI: Aadhaar continues to drive India's digital transformation, with nearly 225 crore authentication transactions and 43 crore e-KYC transactions carried out in February 2025. UAccording to the Ministry of Electronics and IT, the increasing adoption of Aadhaar-based verification highlights its growing role in banking, finance, and other sectors, making processes more seamless, secure, and efficient. The total number of eKYC transactions (42.89 cr) carried out during February 2025 is almost 14 per cent more than the numbers during the same period last year.
Date - 08/03/2025
ECI provides digital push for continuous capacity building of election functionaries at all levels
NEW DELHI: The two-day conference of Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of all states and Union Territories at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) concluded here on Wednesday. The outcome of the conference will take the shape of key deliverables, namely animated video, audiobook, e-book, and integrated dashboard for each of the identified 28 stakeholders as per the existing statutory framework and ECI instructions issued from time to time, the ECI said in a release. Adopting a modern approach to capacity building, a capsule of animated videos will be produced for each stakeholder, comprehensively covering all aspects of elections related to them. These animated videos will be a handy way for each stakeholder for self-paced continuous learning, ECI said.
Date - 06/03/2025
Digital platforms playing key role in govt's nutrition goals: WCD minister Annapurna Devi
NEW DELHI: Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annapurna Devi on Wednesday emphasised the government's commitment to leveraging digital tools and innovative strategies to strengthen nutrition delivery and early childhood care across the country. In a post-budget webinar, the Union Minister highlighted the transformative impact of initiatives like the Poshan Tracker and Mission Poshan 2.0, which aim to ensure equitable access to nutrition and holistic development for vulnerable populations. "We are investing in digital tools like the Poshan Tracker to ensure that digital knowledge grows and the care economy expands," Devi said.
Date - 06/03/2025
India needs innovative cybersecurity strategies to protect its digital infra: UIDAI Director
BENGALURU: India must develop innovative strategies and nurture young talent to protect its digital infrastructure as it has emerged as the second most targeted country for cyberattacks next only to the US, according to SMD Jeelani, Director of operations of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). Inaugurating the SISA's Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence Lab at Dayananda Sagar University (DSU) here, Jeelani said, "The lab is a critical step in shaping a new generation of cyber leaders who can play a key role and offer out-of-the-box thinking and expertise to protect our digital ecosystem." The initiative is aimed at training students in industry-relevant cybersecurity skills, preparing them to address emerging threats.
Date - 06/03/2025
Media pros must balance AI with ethics, accuracy & impartiality in pursuit of truth: Shashank Goel
HYDERABAD: Dr MCR HRD Institute, Hyderabad, launched a two-week training program on media management for 26 journalists and media professionals from Guyana, Suriname, Tanzania, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, on Tuesday. The training program has been sponsored by the ITEC Division of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, and will end on March 15, 2025. Dr Shashank Goel, Director General of the institute and Special Chief Secretary to Government of Telangana, while inaugurating the training program, said that journalism and media relations are not merely professions. They are indispensable pillars of all democratic societies, serve as the voice of the people, hold power to account, facilitate informed decision-making, and promote transparency in governance, he stated. He further stated that the media professionals from Guyana, Suriname, Tanzania, Nepal, and Sri Lanka find it extremely essential to keep their skill sets current and up-to-date in order to survive in the rapidly evolving media landscape.
Date - 06/03/2025
Trai Drive Tests: Jio dominates data services, Airtel, VIL lead in voice performance; BSNL lags behind in both
NEW DELHI: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), through its appointed agency, has conducted independent drive tests (IDT) in nine cities, highways and railway routes, namely Aligarh city and Meerut to Dehradun Railway route (UP-West LSA),Bhubaneshwar city (Odisha LSA), Jammu City & Jammu to Srinagar Highway (J&K LSA), Lucknow city and Fatehpur to Varanasi Highway (UP-East LSA), Navi-Mumbai city (Mumbai LSA), Raipur city (MP LSA), Siliguri, Darjeeling &Kalimpong city (West Bengal LSA), Thiruvananthapuram city (Kerala LSA) and Vapi-Rewari Highway (Gujarat LSA). Drive tests were conducted to assess the quality of service provided by cellular mobile telephone service providers for voice and data services in December-2024. In IDT, the performance of Bharti Airtel, BSNL/MTNL, Reliance Jio Infocom and Vodafone Idea, providing services in a licensed service area (LSA) through various technologies (like 2G/ 3G/ 4G/ 5G) for voice and data, has been measured by conducting drive test, the Ministry of Communications said in a statement on Wednesday.
Date - 05/03/2025
AI, Cybersecurity top the list of emerging governance risks in India: Survey
MUMBAI: As Indian enterprises are confronted by an increasingly complex risk management landscape, new governance risks related to cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies have been deemed as most critical by a majority of internal audit professionals, according to the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA)-Protiviti India Survey 2025. As many as 66 per cent of Chief Audit Executives (CAEs) across large and midsized enterprises interviewed for the survey consider emerging technologies including AI, ML, and bots, and cybersecurity as the top risks confronting their organisations. These professionals are directly responsible for corporate governance and compliance and for protecting their organisations from fraud and operational risks.
Date - 05/03/2025
AI in healthcare poised to contribute $30 billion to Indiaâ??s GDP: Report
NEW DELHI: Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare is projected to contribute $25-30 billion to Indiaâ??s GDP by 2025, enhancing accessibility, diagnostics, and treatment outcomes, according to a report by Deloitte. Government-backed initiatives like the IndiaAI Mission and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, are setting the stage for a digitally empowered healthcare ecosystem, ensuring responsible AI integration and enhanced data security, it noted. As per the report, â??Digital Healthcare-Top 10 Myths Debunked Digital Health & AI,, AI adoption in healthcare has surged past 40%, surpassing sectors such as FMCG (30%) and manufacturing (25%).
Date - 05/03/2025
Empowering Indian Startups: Governmentâ??s Vision for Digital Fairness with an Ex-Ante Competition Law
As the third largest digitized country in the world, with the second largest global network of internet users, India is at the forefront to lead and propel the next wave of digital transformation. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs thus proposed a Digital Competition Bill in March 2024 that would grant the Competition Commission of India (CCI) expanded authority through ex-ante powers to prevent anti-competitive practices in the digital sector before they occur. The proposed ex-ante Digital Competition Bill will offer a unique opportunity to shape a fair and vibrant digital ecosystem. With this proactive legislation, India can pioneer a new era of digital fairness, fostering an environment where innovation thrives, indigenous AI development is supported, and homegrown startups can compete with the world's best. India's digital economy is projected to reach USD 1 trillion by 2028. Fueling this growth are more than 31,000 technology startups 2 in key areas such as e-commerce, AI, cloud computing and digital advertising. Among the many challenges that these startups face are monopolistic practices by large tech companies where de-facto bundling of products, self-preferencing, unfair contract terms, restrictive platform access and/or biased algorithmic recommendations are the norm. These practices stifle innovation, limit market entry opportunities for new players and create an uneven playing field, ultimately hindering the growth and sustainability of Indian startups.
Date - 05/03/2025
DPDP Bill: Transforming India's Digital Business Landscape
India's recently announced Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) policy is very high on intention. Having announced this, India joins a league of nations such as Canada, Brazil, Australia, the United States of America, Switzerland, Israel, Japan and countless others in ensuring a safe digital experience. In the words of Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Ashwini Vishnaw, the DPDP rules are in line with good governance. The rule sets clear guidelines for data handling practices, which essentially means user data collection, usage and sharing for entities working in the digital space. Delving deeper, lets us better understand what it means for e-commerce companies? The bill is an operational overhaul for e-commerce platforms, as it enforces strict data lifecycle management, requiring data minimization, explicit user consent, and time-bound retention policies. It specifies that the platforms must take specific measures to safeguard customer information like personal details and purchase history and must obtain proper consent before using that data.
Date - 05/03/2025
Source:-https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YV52oBkK4bs2zIropfdv1jOJLOEvm5Mut3iaIuyfGR8/edit?tab=t.0
India's R&D spending more than doubled to Rs 127381 crore in last 10 years: Jitendra Singh
NEW DELHI: India's spending on Research and Development (R&D) has doubled in the last one decade, from 60,196 crore in 2013-14 to 1,27,381 crore, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh said on Monday, underscoring the role of government-backed initiatives in catalysing scientific advancements in the country. The Union Minister said that R&D spending is shaping the future economy of India that will be defined by homegrown innovations in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and quantum computing. Speaking at the DISHA event at India Habitat Centre in the national capital, Singh highlighted the government's multi-pronged strategy to position India as a global leader in deep-tech innovation and commercialisation.
Date - 04/03/2025
Election Commission to ensure allotment of unique EPIC number to each registered voter
NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India has taken cognizance of certain social media posts and media reports flagging the issue of electors of two different states having identical EPIC numbers. In this regard, it is clarified that while EPIC numbers of some of the electors may be identical, demographic details, Assembly Constituency and polling booth are different for the electors with the same EPIC number. Irrespective of the EPIC number, electors can cast vote only at their designated polling station in their respective constituency in their state/UT where they are enrolled in the electoral roll and nowhere else, ECI said.
Date - 03/03/2025
AI spending in India to grow 2.2x faster than digital tech in 3 yrs, generating 115 billion economic impact: IDC
Spending on Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies will grow at 2.2x the rate of overall digital technology spending in the next three years, generating an India economic impact of over USD 115 billion by the end of 2027, according to a latest report by International Data Corporation (IDC). IDC further predicts that by 2027, company executives would expect their GenAI projects to have at least a 70 per cent success rate in order to boost operational effectiveness and generate new income.
Date - 02/03/2025
National Science Day spotlight: RISE & Shine Empowering women to lead in STEM
When the 15-year-old, Sindhoora Raja, a brilliant Class 11 student from Bengaluru, built the self-stabilizing device that can improve the life of individuals suffering from Parkinson's disease, she not only solved a problem, but also challenged the stereotype associated with tech and research being areas of predominantly male interest. She was awarded the prestigious Rashtriya Bal Puraskar by President Draupadi Murmu at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 26 December 2024. Similarly, 17-year-old Priya from a small village in Rajasthan built a low-cost water purification system using solar energy. Their story is a testament to the potential of India's girls in science, but it also highlights the barriers they must overcome to shine. As we celebrate the National Science Day in India, to commemorate the discovery of the Raman effect by the Indian physicist Sir CV Raman, it is also the right time to stress the importance of better and more representative participation of women and girls in science fields. It is important to look at where India stands and the progress we are making in this regard.
Date - 01/03/2025
India is the 3rd largest startup ecosystem worth $354 million: Pradhan
CHENNAI: Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday said India has emerged as the world's third-largest startup ecosystem with a combined valuation exceeding $354 million. The minister was virtually addressing the inaugural session of the third edition of IINvenTiv, a national research and development expo being hosted by IIT Madras. IInvenTiv is a flagship event of the ministry of education, which was first held in 2022 at IIT Delhi featuring exhibits only from Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).
Date - 01/03/2025
Scindia inaugurates 5G testbed set up by C-DOT at Gauhati University
GUWAHATI: Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya Scindia inaugurated a 5G lab developed by Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) at Department of ECE, at an event held in Gauhati University on Friday. India has made significant progress in the telecommunications sector, especially with the successful adoption and nationwide deployment of 5G technology. Atmanirbhar Bharat vision of Government of India has led to the development of indigenous 4G/5G stack that is being rolled out in BSNL network. This achievement sets a strong foundation to venture into new use cases of 5G and development of 6G technology, the Ministry of Communications said in a statement.
Date - 01/03/2025
India's Chandrayaan-3 mission significant for global space community: NASA veteran Mike Massimino
NEW DELHI: Former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino interacted with PM SHRI Kendriya Vidyalaya students in New Delhi on Thursday. Massimino also explored the school's facilities, including the AR-VR Lab, Atal Tinkering Lab, language lab, etc. While interacting with the students, Massimino praised India's Chandrayaan-3 mission, emphasizing its significance not just for India but for the global space community. He highlighted the challenges of landing on the Moon's South Pole and how this achievement could provide key insights into water sources essential for habitation. Additionally, he underscored the importance of international collaboration in future space programs.
Date - 28/02/2025
Race to build AI in India gets bigger as the Union Budget bumps up outlays for MeitY IndiaAI Missio
The bank.in and fin.in domains are being launched as part of our initiative to promote the use of India-hosted domains in critical sectors like banking and financial services stated S. Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India, in an exclusive conversation with Anoop Verma, Editor - News, ETGovernment. This initiative will help build a resilient internet ecosystem in India while addressing the increasing threats of fraud and cybersecurity risks, particularly phishing and other malicious activities that compromise online transactions. With these dedicated domains, the financial sector will have a distinct and credible online presence, making it easier for consumers to identify authentic financial service providers.
Date - 28/02/2025
National Informatics Centre: Shaping the future of e-governance and DPI with emerging tech
AI platforms require massive amounts of data to build and train models. The government has such data because when you are implementing government schemes and programmes on a population scale, large amounts of data gets collected. This data can be deployed for building large language models as well as large multimodal models. Based on the patterns in data, outcomes can be derived and actionable insights and predictive analytics can be developed. In the times to come, the use of AI and other emerging technologies will continue to grow.
Date - 26/02/2025
Ex-ante framework for regulating digital markets by CCI: Shaping the future of competition
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) is embarking on a significant shift in its approach to regulating digital markets, moving towards a framework that complements its existing ex-post approach with ex-ante measures. While the CCI has traditionally relied on an ex-post approach, intervening in the market only after anti-competitive conduct has occurred, it now recognizes the limitations of this reactive method in the face of the unique challenges posed by digital markets.
Date - 26/02/2025
India's first AI-ready edge data center to soon begin operations in Lucknow
LUCKNOW: Lucknow is set to welcome India's first AI-ready edge data center. Sify Infinit Spaces Limited, a leading data center provider in the country, has announced that its cutting-edge facility in Lucknow is now ready for operations. The groundbreaking ceremony, held on February 23, 2025, was presided over by the Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh, Manoj Kumar Singh. The state-of-the-art data center will be developed in four phases, with the first phase expected to become operational by June 2025. The data center, in the vicinity of the major MNCs operating out of the NCR and Lucknow belt will help reduce the latency time and will be a key operational asset for enterprises. The facility is situated on the HCL IT city campus on Sultanpur Road, Lucknow, uses edge caching hardware and software-based components that store data to increase computing response time, according to the company sources.
Date - 25/02/2025
India needs AI-driven war doctrine, indigenous chips for defence: Rajnath Singh
MANDI (Himachal Pradesh): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday emphasised the need to develop AI-driven war doctrine, indigenous AI chips for defence and fire belts for cyber security. Singh, who was the chief guest at the 16th Foundation Day of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, expressed confidence that researchers of IIT Mandi, who are working in robotics and drone technology would do this. Stating that innovation and improvement must keep pace with fast-changing technology, the Defence minister said besides adapting to abrupt and fast-changing technology, we should also emerge as a disrupter of technology to achieve excellence.
Date - 25/02/2025
MeitY unveils Digital Brand Identity Manual to standardize governments online presence
NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has taken a significant step towards harmonizing India's digital governance by launching the Digital Brand Identity Manual (DBIM) and hosting the inaugural Chief Information Officer (CIO) Conference 2025 in New Delhi on Tuesday. The event, held under the 'Gov.In: Harmonisation of Government of India Digital Footprint' initiative, was presided over by Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Jitin Prasada, and MeitY Secretary, S. Krishnan. A Cohesive Digital Identity for Government Platforms At the launch, Jitin Prasada emphasized that the DBIM will reinforce the government's "Minimum Government, Maximum Governance" approach by fostering "Uniform Governance." The initiative aims to establish a standardized and cohesive digital identity across all government ministries and platforms, enhancing accessibility, inclusivity, and citizen engagement.
Date - 19/02/2025
Fortinet partners with Kerala govt's Additional Skill Acquisition Programme to address cybersecurity skills gap
BENGALURU: Fortinet, a cybersecurity provider driving the convergence of networking and security, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Department of Higher Education, Kerala, to offer its cybersecurity training and certification curriculum at no cost through the Additional Skill Acquisition Programme (ASAP). This partnership aims to empower technical professionals with the skills and certifications needed to succeed as cybersecurity professionals and meet the increasing demand for expertise in network security, according to a press release. As part of this collaboration, Fortinet Training Instituteâ??s Academic Partner Program will provide access to its globally recognized Network Security Expert (NSE) certification program, comprising five proficiency levels and 11 certifications. The curriculum includes advanced courses on security-driven networking, adaptive cloud security, AI-driven security operations, and zero-trust network access.
Date - 10/02/2025
RBI defers higher digital deposit buffer for banks till next year
MUMBAI: Reserve bank governor Sanjay Malhotra on Friday said the implementation of a proposal that mandates lenders set aside more funds for digitally-linked deposits will be deferred at least by a year to March 2026. "(The) impact analysis of norms have been done but we are reviewing it again based on feedback received," Malhotra said. "We don't want to cause any disruption from implementation of new norms." In July, the RBI had proposed proposed that banks set aside an additional 5% 'run-off factor' on digitally accessible retail deposits to better manage risks in case of quick and heavy withdrawals via internet or mobile banking that banks set aside
Date - 08/02/2025
With over 284 crore Aadhaar authentications in Jan, India's digital economy posts 32% annual growth
NEW DELHI: In January of 2025, Aadhaar holders conducted more than 284 crore authentication transactions, highlighting the continued expansion of the digital economy in India. This significant number demonstrates the growth of the digital economy in the country, according to a release by the Ministry of Electronics and IT. The authentication transactions in January 2025 have recorded a growth of over 32% when compared with January 2024, when 214.8 crore such transactions were carried out, the release stated. On average over nine crore authentications are taking place every day. This shows the growing adoption and utility of Aadhaar in the daily lives of people. Nearly 550 entities are using the Aadhaar authentication service.
Date - 08/02/2025
Kerala capital set to become global hub of future mobility: Minister
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala capital is well-positioned to become the hub of futuristic automotive technology by leveraging the ecosystems core capabilities to capitalise on the fast-paced global shift to electric and software-driven vehicles, Revenue Minister K. Rajan said on Thursday. He made the remarks while inaugurating the Kerala Automotive Technology Summit (KATS 2025). The summit that showcased the state's strategic advantages and competitiveness in research, development and innovation in future mobility was organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Kerala Chapter, in association with Kerala Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC), bringing together top executives of automotive majors.
Date - 07/02/2025
Bhasha Bandhu Hackathon: A step toward bridging language barriers in India's judiciary
BHOPAL: Under the aegis of the National Language Technology Mission (NLTM), the Bhasha Bandhu Hackathon has emerged as a beacon of innovation and inclusivity, addressing India's linguistic challenges in its legal framework. Hosted at the Global Skills Park Auditorium in Bhopal, this transformative event marked a significant milestone in leveraging AI-driven solutions to make justice accessible to all, irrespective of language or location. A collaborative vision launched by Bhashini in collaboration with Microsoft, presented by ID8NXT, and powered by ID8DEVHUB, the hackathon embodies a collective commitment to inclusivity through technological advancements. It aims to dismantle language barriers in India's judiciary, creating a future where justice is not only delayed but also made seamless through AI and natural language processing (NLP).
Date - 07/02/2025
India's solar cell manufacturing capacity poised for 5-fold jump to 55 GW by 2026-27
NEW DELHI: India's solar cell manufacturing capacity is set to touch 50-55 GW by fiscal year 2027, up five-fold from 10 GW at the end of fiscal 2024, propelled by the government's policy thrust to reduce imports of cells and modules, according to a Crisil Ratings report released on Thursday. The expansion will entail a capital expenditure (capex) of Rs 28,000-30,000 crore, likely to be funded through a 70:30 debt-equity mix. Healthy balance sheets and robust cash accrual will support credit quality. The estimate is based on a Crisil Ratings study of four domestic cell manufacturers, which accounted for 54 per cent of total cell manufacturing capacity as on March 31, 2024.
Date - 07/02/2025
e-NAM platform expanded to boost agricultural trade, 10 new commodities added
NEW DELHI: In response to the continuous demand from farmers, traders and other stakeholders for inclusion of more agricultural commodities, the Department of Agriculture and Farmersâ?? Welfare, Government of India, has decided to further expand the scope of trade under e-NAM, according to an official release on Thursday. This initiative aims to increase the coverage of agricultural commodities and offer more opportunities for farmers and traders to benefit from the digital trading platform, Directorate of Marketing and Inspection (DMI) has formulated tradable parameters for 10 additional agricultural commodities. These new commodities parameters are a result of extensive consultation with key stakeholders, including state agencies, traders, subject matter specialists and SFAC and with approval from the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmersâ?? Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan, it said.
Date - 07/02/2025
Deloitte India, MEGA team up to drive digital transformation for Indian businesses
NEW DELHI: Deloitte India and MEGA, a Bizzdesign company, on Thursday announced a strategic alliance geared to help Indian enterprises strengthen their enterprise architecture and drive digital transformation. By combining Deloitte's Advice-Implement-Operate (AIO) capabilities with MEGA's 'HOPEX platform', the collaboration would look to address the complexities of modern IT landscapes, including managing legacy infrastructure, adopting emerging technologies and overcoming silos across organisations. According to a release, the HOPEX platform integrates strategic planning, process optimisation and Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) management into a unified framework.
Date - 06/02/2025
Protecting Sensitive Information in India: Exploring DPDP Act and advanced ID management technologies
Let us explore the significance of Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP), how advanced identity management technologies work and the role of government policies in securing sensitive citizen data in India With a robust, growing economy, large digital user base, and expanding digital services, India faces unique challenges and opportunities in ensuring the privacy of Indian citizens sensitive information. As DPDP ushers India's transition towards a full-blown Digital India, Advanced Identity Management (AIM) systems have emerged as crucial tools in safeguarding data.
Date - 05/02/2025
Digital payment revolution: CBDC, AI, cybersecurity and other trends redefining the future
In the financial year 2024, India recorded an astounding 164 billion digital payments number that makes me pause and marvel at how far we have come. For someone who's witnessed the banking transformation in India, this milestone isn't just a statistic; it is a reflection of a nation embracing change with open arms. From pioneering the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) to embracing Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), the country is making waves in the financial landscape. Emerging trends like cross-border payments and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) are further amplifying the digital revolution.
Date - 05/02/2025
Trai recommends auction of two sets of new high-frequency spectrum worth â?¹17940 crore
NEW DELHI: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) on Tuesday recommended the auction of two new sets of spectrum in the high frequency range of 37-37.5 Ghz and 37.5-40 Ghz band. The regulator has suggested a mere base price of Rs 5.98 crore per megahertz on pan-India basis -- the lowest for any spectrum band till date. Telecom operators can now buy more 5G spectrum with Trai's recommendations for auction of nearly 3000 MHz airwaves in the millimeter wave (mmWave) band. At a reserve price of Rs 5.98 crore per MHz, the spectrum is worth Rs 17,940 crore. The spectrum is over 14% cheaper at reserve price when compared to 26 Ghz band, which is also mmWave band and was auctioned in 2022.
Date - 05/02/2025
Simplifying software complexities by understanding LangChain
Langchain, an open source orchestration framework, was launched by Harrison Chase in October 2022. It enjoyed a meteoric rise, and it became the single fastest growing Open Source project on GitHub, by June 2023. Since then the LangChain hype train has slightly cooled a little bit, but there's plenty of reasons and relevance for LangChain in constructing the Generative AI future. There are a lot of large language models available today, and they have their own capabilities and specialties. What if an organization prefer to use one LLM to interpret some user queries in their business application, but a whole other LLM to author a response to those queries? Well, that scenario is exactly what the LangChain caters to. This framework helps in developing applications using a generic interface for any LLM, and it comes in with both Python and JavaScript libraries. So, we can have a centralized development environment to build LLM applications and then integrate them with any data sources and software workflows.
Date - 05/02/2025
Decoding Insurance for India: AI in Underwriting, Claims Experience and Productisation
AI in Productisation AI is revolutionizing insurance productization by enabling ultra-customized, data-driven policies that match customer needs precisely. For instance, by using GSTIN data and tax returns, insurers can quickly assess an SMEs structure, revenue, and risk profile. This insight allows insurers to recommend coverage and sum insured instantly, reducing lengthy paperwork and ensuring policies align with each businesss unique requirements streamlining the purchase experience and enhancing trust. In parametric insurance, AI tackles insurable interest by setting predefined event-based payouts (e.g. droughts) rather than verifying actual losses. For example, with land ID data, AI can assess a farmer's crop type, climate risk, and costs, allowing insurers to set payout triggers accurately. This setup ensures fast support when adverse conditions arise, offering resilience without lengthy claims processes, and provides insurers with strong validation of risk, strengthening the relevance of parametric insurance across sensitive sectors.
Date - 05/02/2025
India Post partners with RapidShyp for last-mile eCommerce delivery across India
NEW DELHI: RapidShyp, a leading eCommerce shipping platform, has announced a strategic partnership with India Post, the countryâ??s most extensive postal network with 19,000 pin codes. This collaboration aims to redefine logistics accessibility and efficiency, enabling businesses to deliver across every nook and corner in India seamlessly. The agreement was formalised between Vickey Kumar, Director of Postal Services at India Post, and Ravi Goel, Chief Business Officer at RapidShyp, in New Delhi on Wednesday. Through this alliance, RapidShyp will integrate its advanced logistics technology with India Postâ??s unparalleled reach, ensuring faster and more reliable last-mile delivery services. The integration leverages advanced APIs for tariff calculation, label generation, pickup scheduling, and end-to-end track and trace capabilities, ensuring a seamless experience for eCommerce businesses, from order placement to delivery.
Date - 04/02/2025
India Post partners with RapidShyp for last-mile eCommerce delivery across India
NEW DELHI: RapidShyp, a leading eCommerce shipping platform, has announced a strategic partnership with India Post, the countryâ??s most extensive postal network with 19,000 pin codes. This collaboration aims to redefine logistics accessibility and efficiency, enabling businesses to deliver across every nook and corner in India seamlessly. The agreement was formalised between Vickey Kumar, Director of Postal Services at India Post, and Ravi Goel, Chief Business Officer at RapidShyp, in New Delhi on Wednesday. Through this alliance, RapidShyp will integrate its advanced logistics technology with India Postâ??s unparalleled reach, ensuring faster and more reliable last-mile delivery services. The integration leverages advanced APIs for tariff calculation, label generation, pickup scheduling, and end-to-end track and trace capabilities, ensuring a seamless experience for eCommerce businesses, from order placement to delivery.
Date - 04/02/2025
Budget measures on AI, startups, GCCs to spur next phase of growth for India's economy: Tech experts
NEW DELHI: A slew of measures around technology and AI announced in the Union Budget is a step towards a stronger Digital India and AI-driven modernisation, and would play a crucial role in shaping the next phase of growth for India's economy, according to top industry voices. Puneet Chandok, President, Microsoft India and South Asia said it is heartening to see the government's vision of building Viksit Bharat by 2047 with AI and technology in the Union Budget 2025. There is no doubt AI has the potential to transform every sector of Indian society, from boardrooms to classrooms, commerce to communities, and finance to farmers, he said. "We welcome the Finance Minister's announcements of establishing a Centre of Excellence for AI in Education and creating a deep tech fund to catalyse future startups. As the Economic Survey 2025 highlights, India must capitalise on AI opportunities and leverage its young and dynamic population to create a tech-forward workforce for India and for the world, Chandok said.
Date - 03/02/2025
'Reform, perform & transform' pillars of India's new model of governance: President Murmu
NEW DELHI: Reform, perform and transform have become synonymous with India's new governance model across the world, President Droupadi Murmu said on Friday. Addressing a joint sitting of Parliament, she highlighted different good governance initiatives started by the government. "To take the grand edifice of progress to new glories, strong pillars are required. For India's development, my government has established three strong pillars of reform, perform and transform. Today, these words have become synonyms of India's new governance model across the world," Murmu said. Recently the government has decided to constitute the 8th Pay Commission for the welfare of government employees, she said.
Date - 01/02/2025
Education sector elated over budget thrust on tech infra, CoEs for skilling, AI
NEW DELHI: The education sector has welcomed the Union Budget 2025, which emphasizes skill development, AI-driven innovation, and expanded access to quality education. Key announcements include the establishment of five National Centres of Excellence for Skilling, a Rs 500 crore Centre of Excellence for AI in education, and broadband connectivity for all government secondary schools. Experts from leading universities commend the government's commitment to industry-academia collaboration, employability-focused training, and increased medical and STEM education opportunities, positioning India as a global leader in the knowledge economy.
Date - 01/02/2025
CAG building infra & processes to deploy AI&ML in auditing: Sanjay Murthy
NEW DELHI: India's apex auditor is building the necessary infrastructure and processes to harness artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning for auditing processes and to audit AI applications themselves as the country aims to become a USD 30-trillion economy by 2047, CAG K. Sanjay Murthy said. Speaking at the World Forum of Accountants hosted by ICAI on Saturday, Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Murthy said a USD 30-trillion economy will be necessarily digital, as organisations expand into emerging areas, and global champions are born. Accounting and auditing professionals will have to provide the required support.
Date - 01/02/2025
Budget measures on AI, startups, GCCs to spur next phase of growth for India's economy: Tech experts
NEW DELHI: A slew of measures around technology and AI announced in the Union Budget is a step towards a stronger Digital India and AI-driven modernisation, and would play a crucial role in shaping the next phase of growth for India's economy, according to top industry voices. Puneet Chandok, President, Microsoft India and South Asia said it is heartening to see the government's vision of building Viksit Bharat by 2047 with AI and technology in the Union Budget 2025. There is no doubt AI has the potential to transform every sector of Indian society, from boardrooms to classrooms, commerce to communities, and finance to farmers, he said. "We welcome the Finance Minister's announcements of establishing a Centre of Excellence for AI in Education and creating a deep tech fund to catalyse future startups. As the Economic Survey 2025 highlights, India must capitalise on AI opportunities and leverage its young and dynamic population to create a tech-forward workforce for India and for the world, Chandok said.
Date - 01/02/2025
Reform, perform & transform' pillars of India's new model of governance: President Murmu
NEW DELHI: Reform, perform and transform have become synonymous with India's new governance model across the world, President Droupadi Murmu said on Friday. Addressing a joint sitting of Parliament, she highlighted different good governance initiatives started by the government. "To take the grand edifice of progress to new glories, strong pillars are required. For India's development, my government has established three strong pillars of reform, perform and transform. Today, these words have become synonyms of India's new governance model across the world," Murmu said. Recently the government has decided to constitute the 8th Pay Commission for the welfare of government employees, she said.
Date - 01/02/2025
BHIM partners with Fintech Yatra to advance financial inclusion, digital literacy
MUMBAI: BHIM, India's flagship digital payments app powered by NPCI BHIM Services Ltd (NBSL) has joined forces with The FinTech Yatra 2025 as a Principal Partner. The FinTech Yatra is a 10,000 km long epic road journey aimed at identifying, understanding and catalysing players in financial services across India. This strategic collaboration aims to accelerate India's digital payment revolution by empowering communities and fostering financial inclusion, the company said in a statement. As a part of this partnership, more than 200 individuals from select NGOs will be trained under a train-the-trainer model, equipping them with knowledge and tools to spread digital payment awareness. By empowering trainers at the grassroots level, this initiative ensures that the benefits of digital payments reach the most underserved and remote areas of the country, it said. Speaking on the partnership, Rahul Handa, Chief Business Officer, NBSL, said, BHIMs partnership with Fintech Yatra 2025 is an important step towards bridging the digital divide and educating citizens about secure and efficient digital payment solutions. This initiative aligns with our mission to create a financially inclusive and digitally empowered India. We are excited about the opportunities this partnership brings to strengthen the fintech ecosystem.
Date - 29/01/2025
Boys outshine girls in digital skills: Status of education in rural India as per ASER 2024
NEW DELHI: Government school enrolment for children aged 6-14 has declined sharply from 72.9% in 2022 to 66.8% in 2024, as per the "Annual Status of Education Report (Rural) 2024" released Tuesday. While overall enrolment for this age group remains high at 98.1%, the drop in govt school share signals a post-pandemic shift toward private institutions. During Covid, economic pressures pushed families to opt for govt schools, temporarily boosting enrolment, but the trend has now reversed to pre-pandemic levels of 66-67%. The proportion of out-of-school adolescents aged 15-16 has steadily decreased, from 13.1% in 2018 to 7.5% in 2024. However, learning gaps persist in higher grades. Among Class 8 students, only "45.8% are able to perform basic arithmetic in 2024", unchanged in recent years.
Date - 29/01/2025
UPI's share in India's digital payments surges to 83pc: RBI report
MUMBAI: The share of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in India's digital payments has surged from 34 per cent in 2019 to an impressive 83 per cent in 2024, with a remarkable CAGR (cumulative average growth rate) of 74 per cent over the last five years, according the RBI payment system report. In contrast, share of other payment systems like RTGS, NEFT, IMPS, credit cards, debit cards, etc in digital payments volume declined from 66 per cent to 17 per cent during the same period, the report states. UPI has been the most significant contributor to the growth of digital payments in India due to its usefulness and ease of use, the report points out.
Date - 29/01/2025
Womens participation in MSME sector: Unlocking potential for economic growth
The backbone of the Indian economy, the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector, significantly contributes to creating employment opportunities, raising exports, and enhancing the nations GDP growth. With 6.38 crore units as per IBEF data, the sector accounts for approximately 30% of the countrys GDP and 45% of exports. The MSME sector has generated employment for over 20 crore people in India, not just offering livelihoods but also helping them achieve their dreams and driving innovation for a brighter future. The government has been actively working on providing support to the sector through a range of schemes and initiatives, some specifically focused on empowering female entrepreneurs. Women's participation in the MSME sector has been going up steadily, with approximately 20% of MSMEs in India owned by women entrepreneurs, contributing 18.73% to employment.
Date - 29/01/2025
Need for healthcare-specific privacy laws to curb menace of patient data breaches
Healthtech solutions have revolutionized care delivery by bridging critical gaps in accessibility, efficiency, and patient outcomes. By integrating data-driven solutions and digital tools, they improve operational efficiency and also empower patients to take control of their health, while breaking geographical and financial barriers. While they represent a significant stride towards modernising healthcare delivery, they also present a double-edged sword. Can we afford to ignore the rising incidents of healthcare data breaches? This question looms large over India's digital health revolution as, in recent years, reports of leaked healthcare data have underscored the urgent need for robust data privacy frameworks. Healthcare data, due to its inherently sensitive nature, demands unparalleled levels of security. Ensuring patient confidentiality is not only a legal mandate but also a moral responsibility that must be urgently addressed.
Date - 28/01/2025
DGFT launches enhanced Certificate of Origin 2.0 to simplify export certification process
NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has launched the enhanced Certificate of Origin (eCoO) 2.0 system, an upgrade designed to simplify the certification process for exporters and enhance trade efficiency. This upgraded platform offers several user-friendly features, such as multi-user access, which enables exporters to authorize multiple users under a single Importer Exporter Code (IEC). Additionally, the system now supports Aadhaar-based e-signing alongside digital signature tokens, providing greater flexibility, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry said in a statement on Monday. An integrated dashboard offers exporters seamless access to eCoO services, Free Trade Agreement (FTA) information, trade events, and other resources. The platform also introduces an in-lieu Certificate of Origin feature, allowing exporters to request corrections to previously issued certificates through an easy online application process.
Date - 28/01/2025
RBI asks banks to tighten cybersecurity oversight, digital fraud prevention
MUMBAI: The Reserve Bank of India said on Monday its chief has urged banks to tighten their oversight on cybersecurity issues and to have systems in place that can prevent digital fraud. This is among the first conversations Governor Sanjay Malhotra, who succeeded Shaktikanta Das in December to lead the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), had with banks that has been made public. "While dwelling upon IT risk management and cybersecurity, the Governor urged banks to have an enhanced oversight over third-party service providers for mitigation of the risks emanating from them," the RBI said in a statement.
Date - 28/01/2025
Sebi launches digital knowledge repository Dharohar showcasing milestones in Indian securities market
NEW DELHI: Capital markets regulator Sebi on Sunday said it has launched a digital knowledge repository, "Dharohar - Milestones in the Indian securities market", on the occasion of the country's 76th Republic Day. The securities market, known for its diverse products, participants, and institutions, has a long-standing history of organised trading over the past 150 years, Sebi said. "Dharohar has been designed to document and showcase this rich heritage and evolution of the Indian securities market," the regulator said in a statement. The repository features a website that also includes an interactive timeline of significant events and 3D galleries, offering an engaging experience to visitors, it added.
Date - 27/01/2025
PM Modi, President Subianto discuss enhancing economic ties, energy security, digital infra development
NEW DELHI: India and Indonesia have focused on enhancing economic cooperation through various mechanisms, such as the upcoming meetings of the Working Group on Trade and Investment (WGTI) and the Biennial Trade Ministers' Forum (BMTF), with a view to addressing existing trade barriers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto also emphasised the importance of concluding the review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) by 2025. "Indonesia is one of India's largest trading partners in ASEAN. Both leaders expressed satisfaction that bilateral trade had reached a record high of USD 38.8 billion in April 2022-March 2023. The leaders desired that the 2nd meeting of the Working Group on Trade and Investment (WGTI), as well as the 4th Biennial Trade Ministers' Forum (BMTF) be convened to resolve outstanding tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade. Both leaders agreed to the expedited conclusion of the ongoing review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) by 2025," the Ministry of External Affairs said.
Date - 27/01/2025
E-governance to AI governance: Enabling seamless, accessible, inclusive delivery of online services
A number of steps have been taken to deepen back-end digitization across government departments. Process re-engineering is underway in several departments to modernize legacy workflows and foster integration with digital platforms. Through the Data Exchange project, better data integration is being achieved. We are working to make the systems interoperable by using open APIs which facilitate seamless communication between the systems in various departments. The upskilling of the government officers & employees to ensure that they have the capacity to manage and operate the backend systems is a continuous process.
Date - 27/01/2025
Madhya Pradesh unveils India's first GCC policy, paving the way for tier 2 citiesâ?? growth
BHOPAL: In a significant development aimed at positioning Madhya Pradesh as a frontrunner in the global business landscape, the state government has launched the Global Capability Centres (GCC) Policy 2025. Approved by the state cabinet ahead of the Invest Madhya Pradesh â?? Global Investors Summit 2025 (GIS-2025), this pioneering policy marks India's first initiative to bolster the growth of Global Capability Centres in non-metro regions, positioning tier 2 cities as dynamic hubs of global innovation and excellence. Following the successful rollout of the Madhya Pradesh IT, ITES & ESDM Investment Promotion Policy 2023, the GCC Policy 2025 expands on this momentum, empowering emerging cities to attract global corporations and foster the growth of key business functions such as IT, finance, engineering, human resources, and cutting-edge technologies, said the government sources
Date - 27/01/2025
Maharashtra govt partners with TEAM to host Asia's largest AI event Mumbai Tech Week 2025
MUMBAI: The Government of Maharashtra and Tech Entrepreneurs Association of Mumbai (TEAM) join forces to host the second edition of Asiaâ??s largest AI event - Mumbai Tech Week (MTW), from February 24 to March 1, 2025. Following a successful inaugural year in 2024 and recognized by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, MTWâ??25, aims to solidify Mumbai as an emerging force in tech and AI, according to a press release on Monday. This strategic partnership underscores India's vision to become a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI), with Mumbai at the epicenter of this transformation, the organisers said.
Date - 27/01/2025
Maharashtra govt partners with TEAM to host Asia's largest AI event Mumbai Tech Week 2025
MUMBAI: The Government of Maharashtra and Tech Entrepreneurs Association of Mumbai (TEAM) join forces to host the second edition of Asias largest AI event - Mumbai Tech Week (MTW), from February 24 to March 1, 2025. Following a successful inaugural year in 2024 and recognized by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, MTW25, aims to solidify Mumbai as an emerging force in tech and AI, according to a press release on Monday. This strategic partnership underscores India's vision to become a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI), with Mumbai at the epicenter of this transformation, the organisers said.
Date - 27/01/2025
Empowering India's online gaming sector: A call for tax reforms to foster growth and innovation
When Prime Minister Narendra Modiji dedicated an entire day to engaging with and understanding the challenges being faced by top gamers of the country, it underscored his vision and commitment to support this emerging sector and position India as a global gaming hub. The sector is seen as having massive potential but continues to face challenges, including the issue of taxation. The Supreme Courtâ??s recent intervention, staying the retrospective GST demand notices, is a significant step forward; however, the industryâ??s challenges are far from over. A pressing concern remains: the complex taxation landscape, particularly the TDS rules, may limit the sectorâ??s potential. The TDS provision under Section 194BA, introduced in April 2023, requires gaming companies to withhold tax on net winnings when users withdraw funds throughout the year.
Date - 26/01/2025
India emerging 'use case capital of world', Vaishnaw highlights country's AI leadership at WEF
NEW DELHI: Addressing global leaders and industry captains, Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting, Railways, Electronics & IT Ashwini Vaishnaw presented India's vision of inclusive development and its remarkable growth story at the World Economic Forum in Davos that concluded this week, according to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. India: Use Case Capital of the World On AI, he emphasized India's potential to become the "use case capital" of the world, creating innovative applications for industries globally. He noted that while AI models are becoming increasingly commoditized, the focus should shift to developing use cases, applications, and solutions that cater to global industries. "Experts believe that India has the potential to lead the world in AI services, just as it has successfully done in the IT services sector," the minister remarked, underlining India's capability to shape the future of AI on a global scale.
Date - 25/01/2025
Whose Internet is it? Time for India to engage with the world for better internet governance
The India Internet Governance Forum (IIGF) 24, held recently in New Delhi, was a grand success. The Forum highlighted India's achievements in various Digital Public Infrastructures, Emerging technologies and initiatives in Governance. The One world, one Internet philosophy, as well as the reality of 193 different national jurisdictions, create both endless communication opportunities endorsing the forecast of Manuel Castells regarding unbordered spaces and global networks. Today, there are 5.5 billion internet users in the World covering nearly 68% of the Population. India has over 955 million Internet users. India and China cover over 38% of the world's internet user population. Connectivity is the core for implementing digital programmes and solutions. The vision of digitalization and digital governance in the world entails the creation of a digitally empowered society and a knowledge economy.
Date - 25/01/2025
Indias digital economy added Rs 31.64L cr in 2022-23, to contribute 1/5th of GDP by 2030: MeitY report
NEW DELHI: Quantifying and understanding the role of the digital economy in driving economic growth, employment, and sustainable development are essential for both policymakers and the private sector. The Indian economy has been digitalising at a remarkable pace over the last decade. Yet, there are no credible and up-to-date estimates on the contribution of the digital economy to national income and employment. iQuantifying and understanding the role of the digital economy in driving economic growth, employment, and sustainable development are essential for both policymakers and the private sector, the Ministry of Electronics & IT said in a statement while releasing a comprehensive report titled "Estimation and Measurement of India's Digital Economy" in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Date - 23/01/2025
IndiaAI shortlists 20 top teams for stage 2 of CyberGuard Hackathon
NEW DELHI: The IndiaAI Mission has shortlisted 20 applicants against the IndiaAI Cyberguard AI Hackathon for stage 2 floated under the IndiaAI Application Development Initiative of the IndiaAI Mission with the aim to leverage AI to drive efficiencies in the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of cybercrime, thereby enhancing citizen welfare, the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) said in a statement on Tuesday. IndiaAI and I4C launch strategic hackathon IndiaAI in collaboration with I4C has announced the IndiaAI CyberGuard AI Hackathon. This strategic initiative seeks to utilize advanced technologies, particularly AI, to enhance cybersecurity and address the escalating threat of cyber fraud and crimes. With approximately 6,000 cases reported daily through the NCRP, the hackathon aims to develop robust AI-driven solutions capable of managing and mitigating these threats.
Date - 22/01/2025
apna.co signs MoU with Chhattisgarh to launch career portal, aims to provide 1.5 lakh jobs annually
RAIPUR: apna.co, India's leading jobs and professional networking platform, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Chhattisgarh government's Department of Technical Education (DTE) to launch a dedicated career portal. The initiative is set to empower students and fresh graduates across the state by connecting them to over seven lakh employers and facilitating 1,50,000 jobs annually. The MoU was signed on 18 January 2025 in the esteemed presence of Vijay Sharma, Deputy Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh (Minister for Home and Jails, Panchayat and Rural Development, Technical Education and Employment, Science and Technology), and Kedar Nath Kashyap, Minister for Forest and Climate Change. This collaboration aligns with the Deputy CM's vision of building a skilled, self-reliant workforce and accelerating socio-economic growth in Chhattisgarh, according to an official release.
Date - 22/01/2025
Telecom tariff hikes likely in late 2025, entry-level plans may remain unchanged: Report
NEW DELHI: The Indian telecom sector is gearing up for another round of tariff hikes, likely to exceed 15 per cent, by late 2025, says a report by IIFL Capital. The report also highlighted that however, entry-level plans may remain insulated from these increases, reflecting a strategic focus on affordability for low-income users. The report believe this move is crucial for the industry's financial stability, particularly for Vodafone Idea (Vi), which continues to struggle to position itself as a viable third player in the market.
Date - 21/01/2025
Budget Wishlist: Telcos bat for cut in levies, want LTGs to contribute to Digital Bharat Nidhi Fund
NEW DELHI: The telecom services industry has batted for the abolition of levies and extension of carry forward of business losses to 16 years in its Budget wishlist, and argued that large traffic generators (LTG) should contribute to USO Fund/ Digital Bharat Nidhi Fund. It has pitched for a cut in licence fee, and suggested that the definition of gross revenue (GR) be made more precise by stipulating that the revenue from activities that requires no licence, would not be a part of it. The suggestions are aimed at enhancing the financial stability of the telecom sector, COAI said in its recommendations. "Considering the huge capital that Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) have to invest in the current scenario, especially for the deployment of 5G, COAI recommends that the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) levy be abolished. Alternatively, the government may consider the suspension of the USO contribution of 5 per cent of AGR, till the existing USO corpus of over Rs 86,000 crore is exhausted," said the association whose members include Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea.
Date - 21/01/2025
EntityLocker: MeitY unveils yet another DPI for streamlined business document management
NEW DELHI: The National eGovernance Division (NeGD) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has developed EntityLocker, a cutting-edge digital platform designed to transform the management and verification of business/ organisation documents. Securing cloud solution for businesses EntityLocker is a secure, cloud-based solution that simplifies the storage, sharing, and verification of documents for a wide range of entities, including large organisations, corporations, micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), trusts, startups and societies, MeitY said in a statement.
Date - 21/01/2025
NITI Aayog, Nasscom Foundation to digitally empower one lakh lives in India
NITI Aayog and Nasscom Foundation on Monday announced their initiative, aligned with the Pradhan Mantri Digital Saksharta Abhiyan, to digitally empowering one lakh lives in India. The initiative's initial phase focuses on bridging the digital divide by providing digital literacy training and access to essential e-governance services across 60 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) blocks. The programme will subsequently expand to include all other aspirational blocks. By promoting digital inclusion, this initiative supports the government's vision of Viksit Bharat, fostering inclusive growth and ensuring that no one is left behind in India's digital transformation journey.
Date - 21/01/2025
UIDAI conducts stakeholders meet with BFSI, fintech, telcos to further enhance service delivery
MUMBAI: The Unique Identification Authority of India conducted a day-long stakeholders meet in Mumbai on Monday with industry leaders from sectors like BFSI, fintech and telecom to deliberate and further enhance service delivery by using Aadhaar. Around 500 senior policymakers, industry leaders, experts, technocrats, from banks, insurance companies, NPCI, market intermediaries, telecom service providers, fintech players, etc came together for the "Aadhaar Samvaad" co-hosted by Govt of Maharashtra.
Date - 21/01/2025
GreenCell Mobility deploys 200 e-buses to serve millions of devotees at MahaKumbh Mela in Prayagraj
PRAYAGRAJ: Electric mass mobility solutions provider GreenCell Mobility has deployed 200 electric buses to serve pilgrims at the ongoing MahaKumbh Mela 2025. The world's largest spiritual gathering is being held in Prayagraj from January 13 to February 26 with over 400 million devotees participating from around the world. The use of 200 electric buses during the MahaKumbh Mela reflects the increasing adaptability and efficiency of electric transportation in addressing large-scale public transit needs, the company said in a release on Tuesday. "It also underscores GreenCell Mobilityâ??s unwavering commitment to sustainable and eco-friendly transportation solutions," it said. This initiative is projected to significantly reduce carbon emissions during MahaKumbh Mela 2025, creating a cleaner, greener environment while meeting the transportation needs of millions of devotees attending this holy gathering.
Date - 21/01/2025
India at forefront of age defined by tech evolution: WEF report
DAVOS: In an era defined by technological evolution, India stands at the forefront as one of the world's fastest-growing economies and a global hub for startups and digital innovation, the World Economic Forum said on Monday. The Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) India, liaison office of World Economic Forum (WEF) in India, launches its 6-year impact journey report on the inaugural day of the WEF Annual meeting 2025 in Davos. The WEF said its partnership with India dates back more than 40 years. Over the past four decades, this relationship has developed into a strong, multifaceted and meaningful collaboration with the national government, several state governments, business leaders across key industries and other important stakeholders, including civil society and leading experts, resulting in several impactful initiatives that have advanced shared priorities.
Date - 21/01/2025
Telecom tariff hikes likely in late 2025, entry-level plans may remain unchanged: Report
NEW DELHI: The Indian telecom sector is gearing up for another round of tariff hikes, likely to exceed 15 per cent, by late 2025, says a report by IIFL Capital. The report also highlighted that however, entry-level plans may remain insulated from these increases, reflecting a strategic focus on affordability for low-income users. The report believe this move is crucial for the industry's financial stability, particularly for Vodafone Idea (Vi), which continues to struggle to position itself as a viable third player in the market.
Date - 21/01/2025
Jabalpur Railway Division goes cashless with QR codes, digital payments
JABALPUR: The Jabalpur Railway Division has taken a significant step towards digitisation by installing QR codes at the reservation and unreserved ticket counters across all its stations, enabling passengers to pay for their tickets through digital means. Under the directives of Divisional Railway Manager Kamal Kumar Talreja and Senior Divisional Commercial Manager Dr Madhur Verma, the Commercial Department implemented the initiative at stations including Jabalpur, Madan Mahal, Katni, Narsinghpur, Gadarwara, Pipariya, Satna, Maihar, Rewa, Damoh, and Sagar. This digital payment system is designed to address issues such as the problem of managing loose change and long queues at ticket counters, ensuring quicker transactions and greater convenience for passengers.
Date - 20/01/2025
Union Budget 2025: Industry pins high hopes on AI, tech, sustainability to propel Indiaâ??s digital future
NEW DELHI: As the Union Budget 2025 approaches, industry leaders in the AI and technology sectors express optimism about transformative allocations to advance India's digital economy. Key expectations include bolstering AI research, providing tax incentives for startups, funding emerging technologies, and prioritizing skill development. Emphasis on Geographic Information Systems, cybersecurity infrastructure, and sustainable innovation reflects a vision to balance technological advancement with ecological and societal responsibilities. This budget is seen as pivotal in positioning India as a global leader in AI and digital transformation. Here are a few expectations shared by tech/ai industry leaders: Sauvik Banerjjee, MD & CEO, sirrus.ai: Emphasis on data security and emerging technologies is crucial for India's technology evolution. As we look forward to the Union Budget 2025-26, I believe Artificial Intelligence (AI) will find special mention this time, building on the Rs 10,000 crore allocated for the India AI Mission in March 2024. The government could further strengthen the tech ecosystem in the country by offering tax incentives for AI-based startups. Additionally, allocating resources for the establishment of AI research centers, besides launching upskilling programmes, could help us bridge the talent gap in the sector, positioning India as a global leader in AI technology.
Date - 19/01/2025
WEF meeting in Davos to discuss India's digital transformation: Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw
Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday said there was a lot of interest globally in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's economic policies, which would be the focus of discussions at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Vaishnaw, who is leading the Indian delegation at the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting beginning Monday, said there was a lot of interest in India's growth story among the international community, particularly about the digital transformation and the new digital architecture. "In the World Economic Forum in Davos, there is lot of interest in understanding our thought process, the prime minister's economic policy, about the digital transformation, about the way India has created new digital architecture under the Digital India programme and also the way technology has been democratised. There is a lot of interest on this," he said. There will be detailed discussions about inclusive growth, the investment in social, physical, digital infrastructure and on democratising technology, he added.
Date - 19/01/2025
Internet users to surpass 900 million in India this year, Indic content drives growth
NEW DELHI: Driven by the growing use of Indic languages for digital content, the internet user base in India is set to surpass 900 million by 2025, a report showed on Thursday. The number of active internet users in India reached 886 million in 2024, marking a robust 8 per cent year-on-year growth. Rural India, with 488 million users, leads this growth and now accounts for 55 per cent of the total internet population, according to the report by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and Kantar. Nearly all internet users (98 per cent) accessed content in Indic languages, with Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam emerging as the most popular due to their extensive availability.
Date - 17/01/2025
Recoding the code on social security: Innovation & reforms to serve the needs of gig economy
Platformization is a key characteristic of our digital service economy, where services like delivery of groceries to reserving an ambulance are just a click away. Technology has seamlessly integrated into our daily lives, elevating convenience and efficiency. In this context, the platform economy has flourished, driven by millions of gig workers who enable these services. These gig jobs, characterized by flexibility, have grown rapidly over the past decade and are projected to continue expanding. However, their contractual and temporary nature has raised widespread concerns about worker welfare.
Date - 17/01/2025
DPIIT partners with ITC to bolster India's startup ecosystem, innovation
NEW DELHI: In a significant development to further promote entrepreneurship and innovation in a big way, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, has entered into a strategic partnership with ITC Ltd, one of India's leading diversified conglomerates. This collaboration charts a shared vision to accelerate startup growth and technological advancement besides creation of viable market opportunities for startups across the country. Notably, the memorandum of understanding (MoU) sets the tone for a dynamic partnership where ITCs vast experience and expertise with extensive market network will complement DPIITs initiative for supporting startups across the country.
Date - 16/01/2025
MeitY launches 'Cyber Security Grand Challenge 2.0' with Rs 6.85 crore prize pool
NEW DELHI: The government on Wednesday launched the Cyber Security Grand Challenge 2.0 (CSGC 2.0) with a total prize money of Rs 6.85 crore, more than doubling the amount from Rs 3.2 crore in the first edition. The initiative will provide mentorship, capability-building and market access to innovators, startups and budding entrepreneurs, aligning with the goals of Digital India, Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat. A unique feature, the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) of the product being developed as part of the challenge, will be owned by the respective startup.
Date - 16/01/2025
America's AI hegemony: Biden administration proposes Framework for Artificial Intelligence Diffusion
The outgoing Biden administration, on January 13, has published a new document titled "Framework for Artificial Intelligence Diffusion." The purpose of the document is to elucidate the American government's policy regarding emerging technologies. With this document, it seems that the American political establishment seeks to put a process into motion which will dictate the framework for export and terms of engagement with several countries for the AI market, likely to power the most complex systems of the future. The interim final rule published by the Bureau of Industry and Security, Department of Commerce puts restrictions on the import of Graphic Processing Units (GPU) and essentially gives AI chips geopolitical overtones. GPUs are critical for training and building large-scale AI models, essential for advanced AI applications.
Date - 16/01/2025
Conference on future of jobs calls for a task force to shape emerging employment ecosystem
NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Labour & Employment (MoLE), Government of India, in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), hosted a conference on future of jobs themed 'Shaping Tomorrow's Workforce: Driving Growth in a Dynamic World in New Delhi on Wednesday. The event convened policymakers, industry leaders, and experts to deliberate on the evolving employment landscape and curate strategies for a future-ready workforce in India. Speaking at the event, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister for Labour and Employment & Youth Affairs and Sports, stated, To synergize education and employment, skill development must be at the core of our efforts. By fostering innovation, enhancing productivity, and preparing individuals for the workforce, we are creating jobs and building a global talent hub. He also highlighted India's potential to address global workforce shortages through initiatives like the Mutual Recognition of Skills and Standards.
Date - 16/01/2025
10th Year of Startup India Action Plan: A transformative journey for India's startup ecosystem
Over the last decade, many of us have realised how essential a vibrant knowledge and innovation driven startup ecosystem is for our journey towards Viksit Bharat @2047. As widely known, India's startup ecosystem is at present the third largest globally, following the USA and China. However, just nine years back, the startup ecosystem in the country was virtually non-existent; at best, fledgling. It is a testament to the foresight and vision of our Honble Prime Minister that the Startup India Action Plan was launched in January 2016 with the objective of building and scaling up the country's startup ecosystem.
Date - 16/01/2025
Social justice ministry sets up Divine, Grand, Digital pavilion at Mahakumbh-2025
PRAYAGRAJ: The pavilion set up by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJ&E) at the Mahakumbh-2025 was inaugurated by Amit Yadav, Secretary (DSJ&E) at the Nag Vasuki, Sector 07, Kailashpuri Marg, (Pashchimi Patri), Prayagraj, on Wednesday. The event was marked by the ceremonial lighting of the lamp, amidst the presence of senior officials of the ministry including Amit Kumar Ghosh, Additional Secretary, along with Rajan Sehgal, Chairman and Managing Director of NSFDC and NBCFDC, affiliated corporations under the ministry. During his visit, Amit Yadav and other senior officials interacted with beneficiaries to understand their challenges, benefits, and experiences. Artisans benefitting from ministry schemes shared their success stories, reflecting the positive impact of initiatives like the TULIP (Traditional Artisans Upliftment Livelihood Programme) brand.
Date - 16/01/2025
National Startup Day 2025: How India's startup ecosystem across sectors is evolving for global leadership
NEW DELHI: As India celebrates National Startup Day on January 16, the spotlight shines on the nation's thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem. From advancements in Gen-AI integration and sustainability-driven business models to breakthroughs in health-tech and semiconductors, Indian startups are redefining industries while addressing global challenges. With robust government support and collaborative efforts across stakeholders, the ecosystem is primed to spearhead global innovation and drive economic growth. Here are the perspectives of some startup leaders in different sectors on the current startup ecosystem and growth ambitions: Khadim Batti, Co-founder & CEO, Whatfix: The Indian startup ecosystem stands at an exciting yet pivotal juncture today. We are seeing a clearer shift towards sustainability in business practices and Gen-AI in everything. Additionally, investors are more discerning than ever; they want startups with robust business models, emphasizing operational efficiency and ensuring that value is delivered consistently to customers. This shift presents an opportunity for startups to recalibrate, optimize resources, and focus on creating measurable impact.
Date - 16/01/2025
C-DOT, IIT Delhi sign agreement for building blocks for THz communication front ends for 6G
NEW DELHI: In the on-going process of developing indigenous hardware for next-generation telecommunications technology 6G, the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), the premier telecom R&D center of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India, has signed an agreement with the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) for the development of "Building Blocks for THz Communication Front Ends" for 6G. The agreement was signed under the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) 6G Call for proposal of the Department of Telecommunications, Government of India. This call for proposal is for accelerated research on developing 6G ecosystem, as part of the the Bharat 6G vision to design, develop and deploy 6G network technologies that provide ubiquitous intelligent and secure connectivity for high quality living experience, the Ministry of Communications said in a statement. The aim of this project is the development of basic devices and components which are essential for THz systems envisaged for 6G communications, as well as other THz systems such as military communications and material characterization, the ministry said.
Date - 15/01/2025
Reliance Jio digitally empowers soldiers at Siachen Glacier with 4G, 5G network connectivity
LADAKH: In the run-up to Army Day on January 15, Reliance Jio in collaboration with the Indian Army, has achieved a groundbreaking milestone by extending its 4G and 5G network to the world's highest battlefield, the Siachen Glacier. With support from the Army Signallers, Reliance Jio becomes the first telecom operator to deliver seamless connectivity in this harsh and formidable region, the company said in a release. Leveraging its indigenous full-stack 5G technology, Reliance Jio successfully deployed plug-and-play pre-configured equipment at a forward post.
Date - 15/01/2025
Telecom spectrum in 6-Ghz band key to avoid 5G radio wave crunch: COAI
NEW DELHI: Non-allocation of telecom spectrum in 6-Ghz band could lead to a radio wave crunch for high-speed 5G services, a key growth driver for the country's digital economy and development of emerging technologies specially artificial intelligence, industry body COAI said on Tuesday. India needs an additional 2 giga hertz of mid-band spectrum to meet the international standard of 'IMT-2020' user experience to ensure data rates of 100 megabit per second (mbps) on downlink and 50 mbps on uplink in densely-populated cities, COAI Director General SP Kochhar told PTI, citing global telecom industry GSMA. "While the government is considering vacating the spectrum in C-band, i.e., 3,670-4,000 MHz for 5G/6G use, it may not be enough to reach the required 2 GHz spectrum for IMT (5G/6G) in mid-band. Therefore, we want to stress on the fact that it is essential that the most optimal allocation of the 1,200 MHz available in the 6 GHz band is done for mobile communications in India, to get this critical 2 GHz of spectrum in mid-band," Kochhar said.
Date - 15/01/2025
Reliance Jio digitally empowers soldiers at Siachen Glacier with 4G, 5G network connectivity
LADAKH: In the run-up to Army Day on January 15, Reliance Jio in collaboration with the Indian Army, has achieved a groundbreaking milestone by extending its 4G and 5G network to the world's highest battlefield, the Siachen Glacier. With support from the Army Signallers, Reliance Jio becomes the first telecom operator to deliver seamless connectivity in this harsh and formidable region, the company said in a release. Leveraging its indigenous full-stack 5G technology, Reliance Jio successfully deployed plug-and-play pre-configured equipment at a forward post.
Date - 15/01/2025
Sri Lanka's India-assisted unique ID card project to begin by January end: Official
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's India-assisted unique ID card project will begin by the end of January, a senior official said on Tuesday, as he mitigated concerns that data from the project would be restricted to the island nation only. The unique digital identity project, a crucial step in Sri Lanka's digitalisation programme, is being implemented with Indian grant assistance. "Some SLR 20 billion are needed to implement this project, we aim to receive 50 per cent of that under the Indian assistance programme," Digital Economy Deputy Minister Eranga Weeraratna told reporters here. He said that the project will begin by the end of this month.
Date - 15/01/2025
MeitY conducts consultation meeting with top bureaucrats, industry representatives on draft DPDP Rules
NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) organised a consultation meeting with government officials and industry on the Draft Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules, 2025, offering a unique opportunity to contribute to India's data protection framework ahead of the public feedback deadline of February 18, 2025. The consultation held in New Delhi on Tuesday was chaired by Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Railways, and Information & Broadcasting.
Date - 15/01/2025
MeitY convenes industry meet to accelerate innovation in rechargeable battery technology
NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is dedicated towards driving innovation in Rechargeable Battery Technology (RBT) to bolster manufacturing in India. To achieve this, MeitY has established a R&D center, the Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Rechargeable Battery Technology (Pre-cell) at CMET, Pune. To support this objective, an industrial meet was organized at MeitY under the chairmanship of Secretary S. Krishnan. The event highlighted the progress made by the center in indigenous manufacturing technology for lithium ion, sodium ion and lithium-polymer. The meet explored opportunities for industry collaboration in R&D initiatives. The centre is committed to advancing and scaling up indigenous manufacturing technologies and applications in EV, Mobile and electronics, with a focus on local machinery for rechargeable battery cells.
Date - 15/01/2025
Smaller cities drive digital payments growth; card spending surges 175%
MUMBAI: India's smaller cities are becoming key hubs for digital payments and credit adoption, experiencing significant growth in recent years, according to a report by digital payments giant Visa. Card spending in cities like Howrah, Asansol, Tirupur and Junagadh, among others, has surged 175% since 2019, with digital payments growing faster than in metropolitan areas, the report found. It also points to a fourfold increase in the number of consumers in these cities spending over Rs 2 lakh annually on a single card, compared to a rise of 1.4 times in metros. Visa attributes this growth to rising disposable incomes and purchasing power in non-metro cities, along with improved digital connectivity enabled by affordable technology and government initiatives like the Digital India programme.
Date - 14/01/2025
Need tech-savvy force to protect India's digital infra: Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman
GANDHINAGAR: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday emphasised the need for a tech-savvy force to protect India's digital infrastructure, such as banks and stock markets, amid growing misuse of technology to disrupt these systems. Addressing the fourth convocation ceremony of the Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU), Sitharaman said technology is being misused by some vested interests or dark forces. She said students passing out from RRU will play an important role in strengthening the country's internal security, which includes protecting digital public infrastructure.
Date - 14/01/2025
Sub-committee report on "AI Governance and Guidelines" now open for stakeholder feedback
NEW DELHI: Recognizing the potential and challenges of AI, the Government of India constituted an advisory group, chaired by Principal Scientific Advisor Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, to undertake the development of an "AI for India-Specific Regulatory Framework". Under the guidance of the Advisory Group, a sub-committee on "AI Governance and Guidelines Development" will provide actionable recommendations for AI governance in India. The sub-committee's report on AI Governance, now published for public consultation, aims to guide the development of a trustworthy and accountable AI ecosystem in India. India's diverse demographic and socio-economic landscape offers immense opportunities for AI-driven growth, but it also necessitates robust governance mechanisms to ensure inclusive progress and mitigate associated risks, the government said.
Date - 14/01/2025
Finance ministry to meet heads of banks on Jan 15 to review financial inclusion schemes
NEW DELHI: Finance Ministry has called a meeting of heads of public sector banks (PSBs) on Wednesday, Jan 15, to review progress of various financial inclusion schemes, including Jan Suraksha and Mudra Yojana. The meeting, which would see participation from representatives of private sector banks, is scheduled to be chaired by Financial Services Secretary M. Nagaraju. According to sources, the meeting to be chaired by the Secretary would also discuss and review the progress of various financial inclusion schemes including PM SVANidhi Schemes. The Finance ministry from time to time launched various drives to achieve saturation under Pradhan Mantri Jan dhan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY).
Date - 13/01/2025
TRAI releases report on independent drive tests in New Delhi, Jaipur, Ahmednagar, Hyderabad
NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released the findings of its Independent Drive Tests (IDT) conducted in four cities--New Delhi, Jaipur, Ahmednagar, and Hyderabad--during September to October 2024. According to the Ministry of Communications, the tests were conducted through an empanelled agency to assess the quality of voice and data services provided by cellular mobile telephone service providers in these regions. The tests focused on major telecom players including Bharti Airtel Ltd., BSNL/MTNL, Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. (RJIL), and Vodafone Idea Ltd. (VIL). These tests evaluated key performance indicators (KPIs) such as voice call setup success rate, call drop rate (DCR), speech quality, data throughput, and other relevant metrics.
Date - 13/01/2025
Microsoft AI Tour: Mizoram IT secretary has a meeting with Microsoft team
Amit Sharma, Administrative Secretary, Information & Communications Technology and Cooperation, Mizoram held exclusive talks with Microsoft Global team regarding new Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Solutions and several initiatives for Mizoram state in Microsoft AI Tour held in New Delhi, on January 11. Led by MS Global CEO Satya Nadella, the tour was aimed at holding proactive engagements with all states of India. Amit Sharma was invited as a Special Guest to hold talks with the lead Microsoft team in Government Vertical wherein Abhishek Bose and Sumit Mukherjee agreed to provision Microsoft AI lead training and courses for select employees of Mizoram Government for AI Certification under CSR which is a peak need of the hour.
Date - 12/01/2025
India to join key session on AI, FDI at WEF 2025 for promoting investment
NEW DELHI: India will participate in a session on artificial intelligence (AI) and foreign direct investment (FDI) at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said on Friday. The session - AI and FDI: Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Investment - will be co-organised by Invest India and WAIPA and supported by World Investment for Development Alliance (WIDA). The WIDA is a global platform of 13 organisations. The 55th WEF annual meeting is scheduled from January 20-24, 2025, in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland. "From advancing AI and frontier technologies to expanding its renewable energy capacities and fostering global partnerships, India's progress resonates with WEF 2025's theme - Collaboration for the Intelligent Age," the ministry said in a statement.
Date - 11/01/2025
Persistent launches Pi-OmniKG with Google Cloud, accelerating biomedical research with AI-driven solutions
SANTA CLARA (USA)/PUNE: This innovative solution empowers healthcare and life sciences (HCLS) organizations to accelerate biomedical research, streamline data mining processes, and deliver insights with greater speed and accuracy. Persistent Systems, a global provider of Digital Engineering and Enterprise Modernization, on Thursday launched Pi-OmniKG, an advanced AI-driven knowledge graph solution developed with Google Cloud technology. 'Omni' signifies the ability to universally handle diverse data, and 'KG' stands for Knowledge Graphs powered by GenAI. This innovative solution empowers healthcare and life sciences (HCLS) organizations to accelerate biomedical research, streamline data mining processes, and deliver insights with greater speed and accuracy, the company said in a release.
Date - 10/01/2025
IndiaAI, Microsoft join hands to harness AI's potential for inclusive development, economic transformation
NEW DELHI: IndiaAI, an Independent Business Division (IBD) under the Digital India Corporation, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Microsoft to drive the adoption and development of artificial intelligence (AI) in India. This strategic partnership is aligned with the core objectives of India AI Mission, the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY) said in a statement on Wednesday. Key highlights of the collaboration Microsoft, in partnership with IndiaAI, will skill 500,000 individuals, including students, educators, developers, government officials, and women entrepreneurs, by 2026. Establish 'AI Catalysts', a Center of Excellence, to promote rural AI innovation in tier 2 and tier 3 cities and equip 100,000 AI innovators and developers through hackathons, community building, and an AI marketplace.
Date - 09/01/2025
Digital Gujarat: Har Ghar Connectivity aims to transform rural homes into 'Smart Homes' across state
GANDHINAGAR (Gujarat): Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the transformative 'Digital India' campaign to enhance public welfare and improve the 'Ease of Living' through technology. Building on this vision, Gujarat is advancing towards becoming a 'Digital Gujarat' under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, according to the state government. As part of this progress, the Har Ghar Connectivity (Fibre to Family) initiative was introduced on Good Governance Day, December 25. This innovative program aims to transform rural homes into 'Smart Homes' by delivering high-speed internet and value-added services at rates more affordable than those available in the market, said a press release from Gujarat CMO.
Date - 09/01/2025
UP govt, Google Cloud sign MOU for launch of Gemini-powered, Beckn-enabled open network for agriculture
LUCKNOW: The Government of Uttar Pradesh partnered with Google Cloud to launch a Gemini-powered Beckn-enabled Uttar Pradesh Open Network for Agriculture. This open network will provide millions of farmers with one-stop access to essential services, including advisory services, credit, mechanization, and market linkages to sell their produce. The MoU was signed between Manoj Kumar Singh, Chief Secretary, Govt of Uttar Pradesh, and Ashish Wattal, Managing Director, Google Cloud, India & Saarc in the presence of senior officials from Google Cloud, USA and UP government. Google's Gemini agentic framework will enable the network to enable seamless access and break down barriers to adoption by farmers. Farmers will be able to access the network by voice commands in the language of their choice. The languages currently supported include Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Kannada, Gujarati, and Punjabi, with more being added in 2025.
Date - 09/01/2025
IndiaAI, Microsoft join hands to harness AIâ??s potential for inclusive development, economic transformation
NEW DELHI: IndiaAI, an Independent Business Division (IBD) under the Digital India Corporation, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Microsoft to drive the adoption and development of artificial intelligence (AI) in India. This strategic partnership is aligned with the core objectives of India AI Mission, the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY) said in a statement on Wednesday. Key highlights of the collaboration Microsoft, in partnership with IndiaAI, will skill 500,000 individuals, including students, educators, developers, government officials, and women entrepreneurs, by 2026. Establish 'AI Catalysts', a Center of Excellence, to promote rural AI innovation in tier 2 and tier 3 cities and equip 100,000 AI innovators and developers through hackathons, community building, and an AI marketplace.
Date - 09/01/2025
UN Under-Secretary-General Amandeep Singh Gill calls for AI governance frameworks that benefit society
NEW DELHI: Amandeep Singh Gill, UN Under-Secretary-General for Digital and Emerging Technologies and Secretary-General's Envoy on Technology, visited the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) on Wednesday and delivered a talk on "UN@80: New Direction for Technology Governance". Gill spoke about technology and artificial intelligence (AI) governance. He highlighted the importance of having frameworks that include all stakeholders and for countries to work together so that technology and AI can benefit the society at large. The UN official discussed AI governance and the shifting trends of AI in the years to come with IIT Delhi Director, Prof. Rangan Banerjee, Deans and other faculty members.
Date - 09/01/2025
AI's potential in steelmaking explored
NEW DELHI: The Union Ministry of Steel on Tuesday organized a program on "Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in the Steel Industry" in New Delhi. This program aimed to delve deeply into the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence in steelmaking and for its integration into the domestic steel industry to enhance efficiency across the value chain. It sets a benchmark for the industry by addressing cutting-edge technologies to enhance sustainability and global competitiveness, the ministry said in a statement. The event brought together industry leaders, AI experts and policymakers to exchange ideas, share insights and explore advancements in the application of Artificial Intelligence in the steel industry. The highlight of the event was the presentation by Hasmukh Ranjan, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at AMD, who shared valuable insights on the revolutionary abilities of AI in steelmaking and the scope of use of AI in the industry. He remarked, "AI is at the core of our innovation journey, driving transformative solutions that enhance operational efficiency and deliver impactful results."
Date - 08/01/2025
SEBI's proposed framework for Algorithmic Trading: A boon for retail investors
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has recently proposed a regulatory framework to allow retail investors to participate in algorithmic trading, commonly known as algo trading. Algo trading uses computer programs to execute trades based on pre-defined rules and strategies. These algorithms could analyse vast amounts of data, identify trading opportunities, and execute orders with speed and precision, often surpassing human capabilities. Algo trading can be categorized into four main strategies. First one is trend-following strategies wherein they are used to identify and capitalize on trends in the market, buying when prices are rising and selling when prices are falling. Second is commonly called arbitrage opportunities and these algorithms exploit price discrepancies between different markets or securities. Third one is the Index fund rebalancing which automatically adjusts the holdings of an index fund to match the underlying index.
Date - 08/01/2025
SEBI's proposed framework for Algorithmic Trading: A boon for retail investors
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has recently proposed a regulatory framework to allow retail investors to participate in algorithmic trading, commonly known as algo trading. Algo trading uses computer programs to execute trades based on pre-defined rules and strategies. These algorithms could analyse vast amounts of data, identify trading opportunities, and execute orders with speed and precision, often surpassing human capabilities. Algo trading can be categorized into four main strategies. First one is trend-following strategies wherein they are used to identify and capitalize on trends in the market, buying when prices are rising and selling when prices are falling. Second is commonly called arbitrage opportunities and these algorithms exploit price discrepancies between different markets or securities. Third one is the Index fund rebalancing which automatically adjusts the holdings of an index fund to match the underlying index.
Date - 08/01/2025
India's AI Funding Landscape in 2024: Wins, Challenges, and What to Expect in 2025
India's technology ecosystem has undergone a seismic shift in recent years, positioning the country as a global AI and machine learning (ML) powerhouse. As of 2024, the AI funding landscape reflects this evolution, with substantial wins and the emergence of both opportunities and hurdles. From thriving hubs of innovation to challenges in scaling AI ventures, the trajectory of India's AI ecosystem points to a transformative year ahead in 2025. Wins in Indiaâ??s AI Ecosystem The AI industry in India has grown at an unprecedented rate in 2024, and startup funding for AI has increased to all-time highs. According to a NASSCOM study, the Generative AI startup ecosystem in India has experienced an annual growth of 3.6 times, which indicates that the country is becoming more dominant in the field. Bengaluru continues to be the center of innovation with Hyderabad emerging as a new AI megacity thanks to initiatives such as the Telangana AI Mission (T-AIM) and forward-looking platforms such as MATH, which supports AI startups with funding, mentorship, and global partnerships.
Date - 08/01/2025
India's AI Funding Landscape in 2024: Wins, Challenges, and What to Expect in 2025
India's technology ecosystem has undergone a seismic shift in recent years, positioning the country as a global AI and machine learning (ML) powerhouse. As of 2024, the AI funding landscape reflects this evolution, with substantial wins and the emergence of both opportunities and hurdles. From thriving hubs of innovation to challenges in scaling AI ventures, the trajectory of India's AI ecosystem points to a transformative year ahead in 2025. Wins in India's AI Ecosystem The AI industry in India has grown at an unprecedented rate in 2024, and startup funding for AI has increased to all-time highs. According to a NASSCOM study, the Generative AI startup ecosystem in India has experienced an annual growth of 3.6 times, which indicates that the country is becoming more dominant in the field. Bengaluru continues to be the center of innovation with Hyderabad emerging as a new AI megacity thanks to initiatives such as the Telangana AI Mission (T-AIM) and forward-looking platforms such as MATH, which supports AI startups with funding, mentorship, and global partnerships.
Date - 08/01/2025
Jan Aushadhi outlets cross Rs 1255-cr sales till Nov-end; entails benefit of Rs 5000 cr for citizens
NEW DELHI: Sale of medicines through Jan Aushadhi outlets crossed the Rs 1,255-crore mark till November 30, 2024, the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers said in a release on Monday. In the current financial year 2024-25, sales of Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI), under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, stood at Rs 1,255 crore till November-end leading to savings of around Rs 5,020 crore to the citizens, it said. During the year, the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) inked several Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with Central Armed Police Forces, National Security Guard & Assam Rifles (CAPFs, NSG & AR) for enhancing healthcare accessibility by bringing Jan Aushadhi medicines to CAPFs, NSG & AR (MHA) hospitals, it said in a year-end review.
Date - 07/01/2025
PM Modi holds talks with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on AI tech, data privacy
NEW DELHI: Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella met PM Narendra Modi on Monday and expressed his appreciation for his leadership and commitment towards positioning India as AI-first, whilst ensuring appropriate guardrails for a secure digital future. Thank you, PM Narendra Modi ji, for your leadership. Excited to build on our commitment to making India AI-first and work together on our continued expansion in the country to ensure every Indian benefits from this AI platform shift, Nadella wrote on X after meeting the PM. Modi and Nadella discussed tech, innovation, and AI, even as the former championed the ethical use of AI and setting data privacy standards.
Date - 07/01/2025
NPCI, MTC partner to offer seamless mobility across Chennai through RuPay On-The-Go
CHENNAI: National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the organisation driving innovation and powering India's digital payment revolution, has partnered with the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC), Chennai's public bus service, to integrate RuPay On-The-Go, a contactless payment solution for transit. This integration allows commuters in Chennai to seamlessly travel between Chennai Metro to MTC buses and use Chennai Metro parking facilities with a single card. This initiative addresses common commuter issues such as long queues, need for exact change, and complex ticketing processes, NPCI said in a statement on Monday. RuPay On-The-Go launched under the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) program, simplifies public transit across multiple cities in India. It offers travelers a seamless, hassle-free, and contactless experience on metros and buses with a single card, marked by the distinctive RuPay contactless symbol. The card's stored value ticketing allows users to load funds and use them across various transit modes. Additionally, the card supports offline transactions, making it perfect for use in metro tunnels and on moving buses, even without internet connectivity, it said.
Date - 07/01/2025
Source:-NPCI, MTC partner to offer seamless mobility across Chennai through RuPay On-The-Go
India committed to taking lead in AI with focus on innovation, creating opportunities for youth: PM
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said India is committed to taking the lead in AI, with a focus on innovation and creating opportunities for the youth. The Prime Minister made the remarks in response to a post on X by Vishal Sikka, an entrepreneur and a former CEO of Infosys who met him. Sikka said he was inspired by the Prime Minister's "extraordinary grasp of technology's impact" on people.
Date - 06/01/2025
Digital Mahakumbh 2025: Indian Railways introduces QR-enabled jackets for ticket booking
The Uttar Pradesh government is committed to making Mahakumbh 2025 not only divine and grand but also a digital marvel and in line with this vision, Indian Railways has introduced a groundbreaking initiative to revolutionize ticketing for the grand event. As per a press release, for the first time, the Prayagraj Railway Division will introduce digital railway tickets through QR codes printed on the jackets of railway employees. This initiative aims to spare devotees the inconvenience of standing in long queues for tickets while streamlining the ticketing process for railway authorities. Further advancing the Digital Mahakumbh vision, Indian Railways has bolstered its digital efforts by launching a toll-free helpline, a dedicated website, and the Mahakumbh Mela App to ensure convenience for visitors.
Date - 05/01/2025
PM Modi meets former Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka, says India committed to taking lead in AI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (July 4). He said that India is committed to taking the lead in AI, with a focus on innovation and creating opportunities for the youth. The Prime Minister made the remarks in response to a post on X by Vishal Sikka, an entrepreneur and a former CEO of Infosys who met him. Sikka said he was inspired by the Prime Minister's "extraordinary grasp of technology's impact" on people.
Date - 05/01/2025
MeitY releases draft Digital Personal Data Protection Rules 2025 for public consultation
The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has drafted the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 to facilitate the implementation of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act). It aims to strengthen the legal framework for the protection of digital personal data by providing necessary details and an actionable framework. MeitY on Friday published the draft rules on its website inviting stakeholders to share feedback/ comments before enacting the law. Overview of draft rules The draft rules details about the various implementation aspects such as the notice by the data fiduciary to the individuals, registration and obligations of consent manager, processing of personal data for issuance of subsidy, benefit, service, etc by state, applicability of reasonable security safeguards, intimation of personal data breach, providing details about availing of their rights by the individuals, processing of personal data of child or of person with disability, setting up the Data Protection Board, appointment and service conditions of the chairperson and other members of the board, functioning of board as digital office, procedure to appeal to Appellate Tribunal among others.
Date - 04/01/2025
SBI launches TAB-based digital NRI account onboarding process
MUMBAI: State Bank of India (SBI), the country's largest bank, has announced the launch of a TAB-based end-to-end digital on-boarding process for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) to streamline the opening of NRE (Non-Resident External) and NRO (Non-Resident Ordinary) accounts. This initiative was inaugurated by SBI Chairman Challa Sreenivasulu Setty and has been made available across SBI branches in India and select foreign offices, employing digital tools to enhance the efficiency and convenience of account opening. The initiative eliminates the need for physical paperwork, enabling a faster account opening process both at branches and during customer visits by digitally verifying documents, thereby making the process more efficient and convenient, the bank said in a release.
Date - 04/01/2025
Gujarat to announce state GCC policy as per MeitY guidelines
GANDHINAGAR: After the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) sent guidelines to states to have their own Global Capability Centres (GCC) policy to push new-age technology-based industries, the Gujarat government has begun work on its comprehensive policy. MeitY is expected to provide special incentives. Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra have already unveiled their respective policies. A source in the state govt said, To enhance diverse employment opportunities and attract global players, the state govt, in accordance with Govt of India guidelines, is formulating a new policy for promoting GCCs. We are analyzing policies and models implemented by different countries and states whilst drafting the most advantageous policy for Gujarat. Along with Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot, we envision GCC expansion to smaller cities for balanced development.
Date - 03/01/2025
NSDC aims to skill 1 lakh youth in AI, drones and cloud computing by 2025-end
NEW DELHI: The Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) set up by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) has emerged as an integral center for courses in AI, drone technology, data science, and cloud computing with a mission to take the number of learners up to 1 lakh by the end of 2025, said an official statement on Tuesday. Currently, the portal is offering over 500 courses in emerging fields like AI, drone technology, data science, and cloud computing. The introduction of special courses on AI-driven solutions in agriculture and cybersecurity assumes much importance. Engagements with tech giants like Meta for AI-driven learning and Microsoft for hands-on training further added richness to the experience.
Date - 02/01/2025
Digital India & Make in India: Components manufacturing base for robust electronics ecosystem
The electronic sector has stood out as a fundamental pillar of manufacturing growth in the last decade. Thanks to "Make in India," "Digital India" "Startup India", and "Ease of Doing Business" initiatives, it has shown significant growth. It has grown at a CAGR of 15.7%, from $70 billion in 2018-19 to $115 billion in 2023-24. The exports of electronic goods too grew at a CAGR of 31.25% to $29.1 billion in 2023-24. However, Electronic components production increased from INR 52,009 crore ($7 billion) in 2015-16 to approx. INR 86,000 crore ($10.75 billion) in 2022-23 only showing that a large portion of components requirement is met through imports.
Date - 02/01/2025
Bridging the Digital Divide: Modernising govt IT infra for enhanced public service delivery
Citizens expect seamless digital experiences in all aspects of their lives, including government services. Modernising IT infrastructure is crucial to meeting these expectations and creating a citizen-centric government. This transformation is more than just adopting new technologies; it's about reimagining how citizens interact with their government, ensuring services are secure, efficient, accessible, and responsive to the evolving needs of the public. The Urgency for Modernisation The public sector is under immense pressure to modernise its IT infrastructure. Legacy systems, with their inherent limitations and vulnerabilities, hinder progress and impede the ability to meet rising citizen expectations. The time to modernise is now to keep up with technological advancements and build a more responsive, efficient, and resilient government.
Date - 02/01/2025
How voluntary frameworks work for harnessing AI's potential while safeguarding societal well-being
As we enter the age of AI, India has a great opportunity to leverage this powerful, once-in-a-lifetime technology and become a major AI hub, driven by initiatives like the National AI Mission, Digital India initiative and the valuable experience gained from building at-scale Digital Public Infrastructure like UPI and Aadhar. India's world-leading IT industry, the large vibrant startup ecosystem, and a supportive government present the right ingredients for an AI-led transformation towards a developed or viksit India. However, to truly harness AI's potential while safeguarding societal well-being, India needs to establish robust and ethical AI governance frameworks. This article argues for the creation of an industry-led and government-driven voluntary code of conduct and ethics for AI in India, drawing inspiration from successful global models, especially the one in Japan. To be clear, the voluntary code is not the only mechanism which could ensure safe and responsible AI, but it will be a good start and could form the core of other governance mechanisms going forward.
Date - 02/01/2025
Federal Bank launches advanced transaction banking platform FedOne, to deliver enhanced value to SME customers
MUMBAI: Federal Bank, one of India's leading private sector banks, has taken a step forward in its digital transformation journey with the successful launch of FedOne, an advanced transaction banking platform. The bank has implemented Nucleus Software's cutting-edge transaction banking platform FinnAxia. This partnership signifies a transformative moment in modernizing Federal Bank's corporate banking services, focusing on delivering exceptional value to corporate and SME customers, the bank said in a statement on Thursday. The implementation of this advanced transaction banking platform was achieved after an intensive 10-month collaboration, highlighting both organizations' commitment to operational excellence and innovation, it said.
Date - 02/01/2025
GST collections rose 7.3 per cent to Rs 1.77 lakh crore in Dec 2024: Official data
NEW DELHI: India's goods and services tax (GST) collections rose 7.3 per cent to Rs 1.77 lakh crore in December compared to Rs 1.65 lakh crore in the same month a year ago, according to the government data released on Wednesday. The Central GST collection stood at Rs 32,836 crore, State GST at Rs 40,499 crore, Integrated GST at Rs 47,783 crore and cess at Rs 11,471 crore, as per official data. The GST from domestic transactions during the month grew 8.4 per cent to Rs 1.32 lakh crore, while revenues from tax on imports rose about 4 per cent to Rs 44,268 crore.
Date - 02/01/2025
PLI schemes driving manufacturing sector to new heights, reshaping industries
NEW DELHI: The production linked incentive (PLI) schemes across 14 sectors under the Make in India initiative are demonstrating good results. The manufacturing and construction sectors saw near double-digit growth in FY 2023-24. This surge in industrial growth is largely attributed to the continued success of the 'Make in India' initiative, which has helped boost India's manufacturing landscape over the past decade. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes across 14 sectors, lead to investments worth over Rs 1.28 lakh crore and the creation of more than 8.5 lakh jobs. The initiatives have sparked significant growth in industries such as electronics, steel, pharmaceuticals, and defence manufacturing.
Date - 01/01/2025
UPI payments market share cap deferred by 2 years in relief for PhonePe, Google Pay
MUMBAI: The government on Tuesday deferred the implementation of market share caps for a popular digital payments method by two years, a move that will benefit Google Pay and Walmart-backed PhonePe. According to the proposal first made in November 2020, digital payment firms would not be allowed to hold more than 30% share of the volume of transactions processed via India's popular unified payments interface (UPI). The mandate, which was to take effect from the end of 2024, will now kick in at the end of December 2026, according to a statement from the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), a quasi-regulator.
Date - 01/01/2025
Gen-AI industry to have 1 million new job opportunities by 2028, contribute significantly to GDP: Report
MUMBAI: Indian IT ecosystem is poised for a promising growth trajectory in the coming years with emerging technologies expected to witness a 20 per cent increase in new jobs in 2025, Human Resources (HR) platform FirstMeridian Business Services said on Tuesday. Looking back at 2024, it said the Indian IT and tech ecosystem witnessed a 17 per cent surge in new employment opportunities, driven by rapid digital transformation and the concurrent rising demand for emerging tech niche job profiles. "After a muted H1, the sector regained momentum, as we gear up for 2025, these trends will continue, while also eyeing an average 20 per cent rise in profiles like application developers, software engineers, DevOps engineers, AI, ML, and Cyber Security," FirstMeridian Business Services CEO, IT Staffing, Sunil Nehra said.
Date - 01/01/2025
Updated regulations for CCTV cameras aim to bolster quality, cybersecurity of surveillance systems: MeitY
NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) took several initiatives in 2024 which included updated regulations for CCTV cameras under the Comprehensive Regulatory Order (CRO) and moves to strengthen cybersecurity. A ministry release said on Tuesday that 138.34 crore Aadhaar numbers generated so far and DIKSHA, world's largest education platform, is empowering millions with 556.37 crore learning sessions. It said 67 million Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) numbers have been created, and 1,803 institutions and 637 districts have been linked under National Knowledge Network. UMANG is empowering 7.12 crore users with access to over 2,000 government services from 207 departments of the central and state governments across 32 states.
Date - 01/01/2025
Centre announces Rs 270 crore for next-gen improvements in public grievances portal
NEW DELHI: Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Monday announced Rs 270 crore for next-generation improvements in public grievances portal -- CPGRAMS, according to an official statement. Recognised as the world's largest citizen interface platform, Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) has been equipped with advanced multilingual support, robust tracking and efficient feedback mechanisms, drastically reducing grievance redressal time, it said. The CPGRAMS allows citizens to raise grievances online. In a comprehensive year-end review held at the Indian Institute of Public Administration here, the minister called for the integration of the "whole of government" and "whole of nation" approaches as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aiming to enhance effective governance outcomes and citizen satisfaction.
Date - 01/01/2025
Smart Cities: Leveraging GIS for smarter and more livable urban areas in 2025
As per the Global Livability Index of 2024, five Indian cities figured on the list comprising 173 across the world. Indian megacities Delhi and Mumbai tied for 141st place with a score of 60.2 out of 100. They were followed by Chennai (59.9), Ahmedabad (58.9), and Bengaluru (58.7). Factors like traffic congestion, pollution, and infrastructure issues have made our cities barely livable. The Smart Cities Mission, with a goal of 100 smart cities was conceived to address these issues but was only partially successful. The Smart Cities Mission had two main aspects: area-based development consisting of three components redevelopment (city renewal), retrofitting (city improvement), and green field projects (city extension); and pan-city solutions based on ICT.
Date - 01/01/2025
Digital Maha Kumbh 2025: Pilgrims can book tickets via QR code scanners on railway staff jackets
PRAYAGRAJ (Uttar Pradesh): In preparation for the grand Mahakumbh 2025, North Central Railway has introduced special arrangements to ensure the convenience of pilgrims arriving in Prayagraj. Taking a digital leap, the Prayagraj division of North Central Railway has launched an innovative initiative to simplify the ticketing process through modern technology. During the Mahakumbh, dedicated railway personnel from the Commercial Department will be deployed at Prayagraj Junction and other key locations. These personnel will be easily identifiable by their green jackets, which will feature a QR code printed on the back.
Date - 01/01/2025
Govt's digital initiatives transforming India's socio-economic landscape: World Bank
NEW DELHI: The World Bank in its latest report has recognized India's increasing digital capital as a significant driver of entrepreneurship, business income, and social mobility, especially benefiting small-scale vendors and economically lagging districts. In a recent report, the institution outlined how digital technologies--such as the internet, mobile phones, and social media--are transforming the socio-economic landscape in the country. It said "digital capital has increased entrepreneurship and business income in India and has favored small-scale vendors and economically lagging districts".
Date - 01/01/2025
12800-km long digital infrastructure utility corridor to further boost Brand Bengaluru'
BENGALURU: With overhead optical fibre cables (OFCs) and power transmission and distribution lines cluttering the city and posing safety risks, BBMP has issued a work order to Arthur D Little, a digital and information management solutions provider, for setting up a 12,800km-long digital infrastructure utility corridor in the city. The â?¹200-crore initiative is part of the ongoing efforts to overhaul Bengaluru's urban infrastructure under the â??Brand Bengaluru' campaign. The project work is likely to begin soon.
Date - 31/12/2024
AIIMS develops digital platform to connect all its resources across India
NEW DELHI: AIIMS has created a digital platform for a unified referral and teleconsultation network connecting all AIIMS facilities and other 'institutes of national importance' (INIs), including JIPMER, Pondicherry, and PGI, Chandigarh. This digital solution, developed in New Delhi, facilitates efficient patient transfers across healthcare institutions. Interacting with the media on Monday, AIIMS director Dr M. Srinivas announced the development alongside the implementation of a patient grievance management portal designed for swift complaint resolution. The system, currently being tested in the mother and child block, will be implemented across the hospital.
Date - 31/12/2024
PARAM Rudra supercomputing platform: A new milestone in NSMAs supercomputing journey
On September 26, 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated three indigenously designed, developed and commissioned PARAM Rudra supercomputers, with a combined compute capacity of 5 petaflops, to the nation's young researchers, scientists, and engineers. These supercomputers, deployed at IUAC Delhi, NCRA Pune, and SNBNC Kolkata, aim to advance cutting-edge scientific research in fields such as physics, earth sciences, and cosmology. This was stated by Bhuvnesh Kumar, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, and Sunita Verma, Scientist G and Group Coordinator, MeitY, in conversation with Anoop Verma, Editor-News, ETGovernment. In the interview that follows, Bhuvnesh Kumar and Sunita Verma provide their insights on the trajectory of India's supercomputing journey.
Date - 30/12/2024
Digital infra investment, policy support help services exports touch USD 34.31 billion in Oct
NEW DELHI: Continuous investment in digital infrastructure, including data centres and high-speed internet, along with policy support, has propelled India's services exports to a "historic" milestone of USD 34.31 billion in October, a commerce ministry official said. The official said India has established itself as a global leader in digitally delivered services exports, leveraging its robust IT sector and skilled workforce. Services traded through computer networks, such as the internet, apps, emails, and digital intermediation platforms, have grown exponentially. "India's services sector reached a historic milestone in October 2024, recording an all-time high in monthly exports of USD 34.31 billion, a 22.3 per cent increase compared to October 2023," the official added.
Date - 30/12/2024
Year-End Review: DoPPW initiatives for Digital Empowerment and milestones in pension reforms
NEW DELHI: The Department of Pension & Pensioners Welfare (DoPPW) on Sunday said it has concluded a landmark year in 2024, marked by significant achievements in pension reforms, grievance redressal, and the digital empowerment of pensioners. Through initiatives under its 100-Day Action Plan and various outreach campaigns, the department has reinforced its commitment to improving the welfare of pensioners across the country. Key Achievements Digital Life Certificate (DLC) Campaign 3.0 The largest-ever Digital Life Certificate Campaign, conducted across 800 cities and towns in November 2024, resulted in the generation of 1.30 crore DLCs. Among these, 39.18 lakh were generated through face authentication technology, a 200-fold increase over the previous year's campaign. This innovation proved transformative for pensioners with mobility challenges or faded fingerprints.
Date - 30/12/2024
2024: A critical waypoint in the journey of India's semiconductor and electronics industry
The year 2024 has been important in the overall ascending trajectory of semiconductor and electronics space in India. It has primarily been powered by enabling policies, both at central and state government level, a larger outreach and collaborative decision making. There has been an emergence of AI designs, growth of data centres, increased adoption in automotive applications and robust signs of venture capitalist forays into this sector. In terms of cutting-edge facilities, four large projects have been approved this year to include a fabrication facility at Dholera, two ATMP facilities in Sanand and one at Jagi Road in Assam, post approval of Micron facility in June 2023. It is highlighted that Advance Price Agreement (APA) timelines with Micron were concluded by India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) in a far better timeframe than even the OECD countries and the last 18 months to include this year has resulted in an investment of around 18 billion USD in the overall sanctioned semiconductor projects, statistically.
Date - 30/12/2024
Big AI bets, demand reboot: Indian IT sector 'bytes' into 2025 with cautious optimism
NEW DELHI: The Indian IT industry steps into 2025 with hope and optimism of improved tech spending and stronger deal pipeline as businesses across the board take bold AI bets, but all eyes are on global macroeconomic cues as well as the US' stance on trade and high-skilled immigration as President-elect Donald Trump returns to White House next month. With Q2 report card of most IT heavyweights fuelling hopes of an improved client demand over the coming quarters - industry pundits predict a notable rebound in growth and profitability metrics materialising by late 2025 or the second half of FY26, if all goes well. Experts also expect tech M&A counters to buzz right through 2025, with big data, cloud and Gen AI (Generative AI) acting as major draws for companies with takeover appetites. Meanwhile, the IPO market - heady from 2024 highs - seems all primed up for yet another blockbuster year as a slew of tech startups are readying for a market debut to capitalise on euphoria.
Date - 30/12/2024
The Rise of Deep Tech: Why 2024 was a breakthrough year for India's AI, Quantum, and space tech startups
In the silent hum of innovation labs across India, 2024 emerged as the year when extensive ideas finally took shape. A country known for its prowess in software services took a bold leap into the realm of deep tech, redefining its global standing in artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, and space technology. This was not just a year of milestones. it was the dawn of a new age era marked by the convergence of vision, policy, and entrepreneurial grit illuminated the skies of Indian innovation. The AI Revolution: Bridging Dreams and Realities It all started with a vision: A nation empowered by artificial intelligence that transforms lives at every level. The India Mission, established by the government with an investment of Rs10,371 crore ($1.2 billion), helped bring this goal to life. The mission's purpose was clear-establish world-class AI infrastructure, encourage entrepreneurs, and design models particularly suited to India's challenges. As entrepreneurs in hubs like MATH leveraged government programs and private funding, AI's reach expanded into industries such as healthcare, agriculture, and governance, creating new opportunities for India's growth.
Date - 30/12/2024
DPIIT signs MoU with boAt to foster innovation, provide tailored support to recognised startups
NEW DELHI: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has entered into a strategic alliance with boAt, an Indian company in audio and wearables market. This collaboration aims to foster innovation and provide tailored support to DPIIT recognised startups including those in D2C and manufacturing domains. The key features of this mutual partnership includes: Curate dedicated program(s)/ initiative(s) for mentoring startups, innovators and entrepreneurs, provide resources, guidance, and support for different milestones such as prototype development, and offer connections and insights for international expansion, wherever applicable and feasible.
Date - 28/12/2024
MeitY in 2024: A landmark year for semiconductor manufacturing, AI leadership
NEW DELHI: In 2024, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) made significant strides in advancing India's digital landscape, focusing on semiconductor manufacturing, AI innovation, skill development, and global partnerships. These initiatives are set to strengthen India's position as a global technology leader while promoting inclusive development, the government said on Friday. Semiconductor Manufacturing Milestones Under the Semicon India Programme, the government approved four semiconductor manufacturing units, attracting investments totaling Rs 1,29,537 crore. Key projects include:
Date - 28/12/2024
Govt incorporates digital aspects in rules, regulations under Post Office Act
NEW DELHI: The Union government has notified a new set of subordinate legislations under the Post Office Act and the latest rules and regulations signal a shift from the traditional approach of providing mail services to the delivery of citizen-centric services, and entail opening of new avenues and generation of employment through services that can be offered through the post offices, according to an official release. The norms have been framed with the motto of 'Dak Sewa Jan Sewa' and aim to create a subordinate legislation with simplified language and vision of 'Maximum Governance and Minimum Government' and 'Atmanirbhar Bharat', it further said. The Department of Posts, initiated legislative reforms and framed a new legislation 'Post Office Act, 2023 in December last year. The Act came into effect in June this year.
Date - 27/12/2024
As digital banking increases cyber crimes, RBI asks banks to strengthen risk management standards
MUMBAI: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Thursday said with the rise in digitisation, it has seen an increased risk of cyber attacks, digital frauds, data breaches and operational failures. In its report on Trends and Progress of Banking in India, the RBI called upon banks, non-bank financial companies (NBFCs) and cooperative banks to strengthen their risk management standards. The regulator also said that there was a need to have tighter IT governance arrangements and customer onboarding and transaction monitoring systems to check unscrupulous activities, including suspicious and unusual transactions. "The increased adoption of digital banking and FinTech solutions highlights the need to improve traditional banking models and address new regulatory challenges", the regulator noted in its report.
Date - 27/12/2024
98.5% land records digitised in rural areas, modernisation drive extended to 2026: Centre
NEW DELHI: The government on Thursday said it has achieved digitisation of "record of rights" to the extent of 98.5 per cent of available land records (except some northeast states and Ladakh) in rural areas. The "Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme" (DILRMP) has been extended up to March 2026 and an amount of Rs 2,428 crore has been released to states/UTs from 2008-09 to 2024-25, according to the Ministry of Rural Development. Also, 1,150 projects have been sanctioned across 28 states and 2 UTs (Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh), with Rs 4,574.54 crore (56 per cent) of the Central share disbursed (as of December 20), the ministry informed.
Date - 27/12/2024
NeGD, Indian Ports Association sign pact to drive digital transformation in maritime sector
NEW DELHI: The National e-Governance Division (NeGD) and the Indian Ports Association (IPA) have signed an initial pact to fuel digital adoption in India's maritime industry, a release said on Thursday. Both the entities entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in this regard. The partnership aims to drive digital transformation by integrating NeGD's technological expertise with IPA's in-depth insights into the maritime sector and logistics industries at national and international levels, the statement said. "Through this partnership, both NeGD and IPA aim to address longstanding challenges such as fragmented logistics systems, outdated operational practices, and insufficient digital infrastructure in the port and shipping sectors.
Date - 27/12/2024
Defence Secretary launches Rashtraparv website, mobile app on national events
NEW DELHI: Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh launched the Rashtraparv website along with its mobile app on Wednesday on the occasion of "Good Governance Day" commemorating the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The website will facilitate access to information related to organization of national events such as Republic Day, Beating Retreat Ceremony, Independence Day, etc, live streaming, purchase of tickets, provide information related to seating arrangements and route-maps of events, etc. Speaking on the occasion, Defence Secretary said that the Rashtraparv website and mobile app, developed by the Ministry of Defence, also has a system for managing the tableaux proposals and historic data regarding events. It will host a Tableau Management Portal to facilitate states/ UTs, ministries and departments in designing and finalizing their tableaus for Republic Day event.
Date - 26/12/2024
Online job postings rose by 20% in 2024, driven by digital adoption and SMB sector growth: Report
NEW DELHI: Online job postings by Indian companies rose significantly by 20 per cent YoY with over 12 lakh openings in 2024, driven by digital adoption, Small and Medium Business (SMB) sector growth, and business expansion into tier 2 and tier 3 cities, revealed 'India at work 2024' report. India's enterprise job market experienced unprecedented growth in 2024, with job postings on the Apna platform surging by 32 per cent, surpassing 3.5 lakh across 100 per cent categories in over 500 cities, the job and professional networking platform stated in its report. It added that growth in job market reflects the increasing adoption of digital hiring platforms by large enterprises expanding into tier 2 and tier 3 cities and diversifying into new business verticals.
Date - 26/12/2024
Future of digital payments: Navigating security, innovation & consumer trust in fintech
Every click, tap, and scan in the digital payments space shapes a new era of financial possibilities. India, at the forefront of this era, has seen transactional volumes grow 42% in FY 2023-24, with projections indicating a threefold increase in 2028-29, setting its position as a global trendsetter. With new business cases, government initiatives, regulatory shifts, and emerging fintech the payments ecosystem is digging deeper into strategies to sustain this upward momentum. A standout success is the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and digital wallets, offering convenience and redefining accessibility. A survey shows that UPI enjoys 99.1% consumer adoption and 100% merchant adoption, driven by seamless platform integration, interoperable QR codes, and extensive merchant participation.
Date - 26/12/2024
Information technology most effective tool to curb corruption: Haryana governor Dattatreya
CHANDIGARH: Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya on Wednesday said information technology is the most effective means of ensuring transparency, implementing good governance and curbing corruption. He was speaking at the Good Governance Day event organised at LNJP Hospital, Kurukshetra on the birth anniversary of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Before addressing the event, the governor paid floral tributes to Vajpayee, distributed fruits to patients and extended greetings of the Good Governance Day to the people of the state. He formally inaugurated the Good Governance Day programme by lighting the ceremonial lamp. During the event, he interacted with patients, exchanged views with hospital doctors and staff.
Date - 25/12/2024
DoT tackles crores of spoofed calls with preventive system, 90% drop achieved in 2 months
NEW DELHI: In a decisive move to combat cyber frauds, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has successfully curtailed spoofed international calls that mimic Indian phone numbers, reducing them by over 90% in just two months, according to the Ministry of Communications. The innovative International Incoming Spoofed Calls Prevention System, launched on October 22, 2024, has been instrumental in addressing this growing menace, the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. Spoofed calls, where cybercriminals manipulate caller IDs to appear as domestic calls, have long been a tool for fraudsters to impersonate government officials or law enforcement agencies. These calls often deceive unsuspecting citizens into falling victim to scams, ranging from fake threats of disconnection to fabricated allegations of involvement in criminal activities.
Date - 25/12/2024
UPI transactions rise 33% at stores in semi-urban, rural areas: Report
NEW DELHI: UPI transactions at retail stores have increased by 33% in semi-urban and rural areas this year, reflecting the growing adoption of digital payments, says a report. Moreover, insurance policy purchases and premium collections saw a 127% increase in transaction volume and a 96% growth in new customer adoption during the year, the report by branchless banking and digital network PayNearby said. â??The data highlights the role digital retail stores play in overcoming the challenges of insurance penetration across Bharat.â?? The report is based on an analysis of real transaction data derived from over 10,00,000 small retailers (kirana stores, mobile recharge stores etc) offering financial and digital services spread across India in rural and semi-urban regions.
Date - 25/12/2024
Building secure environments to safeguard govt services and data in the age of AI
"The rise of generative AI allows cybercriminals to exploit its capabilities to quickly identify vulnerabilities and craft exploit codes, enabling them to weaponise these weaknesses and execute highly targeted cyberattacks. The consolidation within many critical infrastructure sectors further amplifies their appeal as targets, as attackers focus on maximising effectiveness and return on investment, particularly in ransomware campaigns." This was stated by Rajnish Gupta, Managing Director & Country Manager, Tenable India, in conversation with ETGovernment.
Date - 25/12/2024
Regulatory framework implementation stressed for rights of gig workers
NEW DELHI: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) organised an open house discussion on the rights of gig workers in hybrid mode from New Delhi on Monday. NHRC acting chairperson Vijaya Bharathi Sayani said there is a need for targeted efforts through regulatory frame works to address gig worker's challenges, including long working hours, financial strain, and physical exhaustion. Stating that over 83% of app-based drivers work more than 10 hours daily, she said this puts them under the physical and mental strain added by policies like 10-minute deliveries and unrealistic targets which also result in avoidable accidents. Women face additional challenges such as safety risks, erratic schedules, and physical demands, discouraging their participation and raising concerns about their well-being.
Date - 25/12/2024
TRAI launches upgraded website to broaden its reach, connect with a wider audience
NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has unveiled an upgraded website to broaden its reach to connect with a wider audience. In recognition of the growing importance of social media, new sharing features facilitate the dissemination of regulatory information to all stakeholders. The website offers comprehensive information on telecom and broadcasting regulations, policies, laws, statistics and trends in India. These resources are easily accessible to the public, stakeholders, researchers, and international audiences.
Date - 24/12/2024
MeitY recommends measures to advance digital transformation, strengthen cybersecurity in states
NEW DELHI: A conference of state IT secretaries, senior officials of Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and states/UTs was held on December 17 in New Delhi. The meeting was organised under the chairmanship of Secretary, MeitY, S. Krishnan with the objective to further collaborate and support the digital endeavours of states/UTs to usher in the next generation digital transformation including improving quality of government services, bridging the digital divide, automation of backend processes, undertaking data protection and cyber security measures, the ministry said in a statement on Monday.
Date - 24/12/2024
Uniform e-Gov standards need of the hour, says Spl Secretary ICT at C-DAC e-GSG Tripura Workshop
pl Secretary Information & Communications Technology and Cooperation (Independent Charge), Mizoram termed uniform e-Governance standards as an important need of the hour so as to achieve desired goals towards technology implementation across the board in all states of the nation. Such issues were covered during two day State-Level Awareness Workshop & CBT on e-Governance Standards & Guidelines from 20th to 21st December 2024 in Agartala, Tripura. Amit Sharma, who is ICT & Cooperation Secretary of Mizoram was invited as a Special Guest, played a key role in creating awareness amongst august gathering of multiple stakeholders in Agartala about the critical contributions to be made in future for public awakening about cyber crimes, deep fake, financial frauds, digital arrest and many such subjects wherein he got an overwhelming response.
Date - 23/12/2024
Centre provided Rs 131.60 cr for cybercrime prevention against women & children under Nirbhaya fund: Minister
NEW DELHI: Police and Public Order are state subjects as per the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India. The states/UTs are primarily responsible for the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of crimes including cybercrime through their law enforcement agencies (LEAs). This was stated by Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur in the Rajya Sabha in reply to a question on Wednesday.
Date - 19/12/2024
EPFO, ESIC subscribers may soon use claim amounts via e-wallets: Labour secretary
NEW DELHI: Subscribers of retirement fund body EPFO and Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) may soon be able to use the claim settlement amounts through e-wallets, a top official said on Wednesday. Replying to a question on EPF withdrawal from ATMs, Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Employment Sumita Dawra told PTI, "This is an area of great interest for the insured person, for a contributor. How can I withdraw my money more easily." In cases of auto settlement, the money goes to the bank account and they in any case are able to withdraw it from the bank account, from any ATM presently, Dawra said.
Date - 19/12/2024
KPMG India, eVidyaloka collaborate to bring cyber awareness to rural classrooms
BENGALURU: eVidyaloka, an organisation working on transforming rural education, hosted a virtual employee volunteering initiative with KPMG India, a leading professional services firm, to pioneer an initiative of promoting cyber awareness among students in rural government schools. This partnership aims to bridge the digital literacy gap by equipping students with essential skills to navigate the online world safely and responsibly. The month-long initiative focused on students in grades 7, 8 and 9, delivering cyber awareness sessions in 309 schools across 12 states, including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Assam.
Date - 18/12/2024
Satcom spectrum will be assigned administratively, open for all operators: Scindia
NEW DELHI: India's doors are open for whoever would like to come in and operate the satellite broadband service in the country by conforming to the regulations and requirements of the Indian government, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has said, noting that the government has allowed satellite technology to be permeated within the country. In an interview with ANI, Scindia said that spectrum for satellite communication services will be assigned administratively at a price which is not determined by the ministry. Answering a query concerning Elon-Musk-owned satellite internet company Starlink's keenness to enter the Indian market, Scindia said "it is open for everyone".
Date - 18/12/2024
India needs economically viable technology for infra projects: Nitin Gadkari
NEW DELHI: Infrastructure development is one of the crucial agenda for the government and we have to make the technology economically viable and safe, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said on Tuesday. In his address at an Assocham event in the national capital, the minister said developments in the field of water, power, transport and communication, are very important for our country because by creating such infrastructure, we can also create immense employment opportunities. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, developing road infrastructure and tunnels has a huge potential for auto investment and development in this area. Regarding bridges and tunnels, these are very crucial work, and our objective is to reduce the cost without compromising with the quality," said Gadkari.
Date - 18/12/2024
Trend 2025 report predicts emergence of deepfake-powered malicious digital twins
BENGALURU: Trend Micro Incorporated, a global cybersecurity provider, on Tuesday warned that highly customized, AI-powered attacks could supercharge scams, phishing and influence operations in 2025 and beyond. Sharda Tickoo, Country Manager for India & SAARC, Trend Micro: As generative AI makes its way ever deeper into enterprises and the societies they serve, we need to be alert to the threats. Hyper-personalized attacks and agent AI subversion will require industry-wide effort to root out and address. Business leaders should remember that there no such thing as standalone cyber risk today. All security risk is ultimately business risk, with the potential to impact future strategy profoundly. Trendâ??s 2025 predictions report warns of the potential for malicious â??digital twins,â?? where breached/leaked personal information (PII) is used to train an LLM to mimic the knowledge, personality, and writing style of a victim/employee. When deployed in combination with deepfake video/audio and compromised biometric data, they could be used to convince identity fraud or to â??honeytrapâ?? a friend, colleague, or family member.
Date - 18/12/2024
DPIIT conducted over 1300 programs to foster deeper understanding of Intellectual Property Rights: Minister
NEW DELHI: The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has implemented several measures to enhance awareness of intellectual property rights and mitigate instances of fraudulent activities involving the abuse or misrepresentation of IP rights for personal or �nancial gains, the Centre has said. These scams/ activities can take various forms, but often revolve around deception or the unlawful use of IP, leading to financial losses or reputational damage. These may include passing off of fake goods as authentic/ genuine, brand tarnishing activities, cyber-squatting, patent infringements, copyright violations including unauthorized reproduction/ distribution/ sale of pirated copies of copyrighted materials, etc. This information was provided by Union Minister for State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
Date - 17/12/2024
DPIIT signs MoU with HDFC Bank to strengthen startup ecosystem and foster innovation
Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has inked a partnership with HDFC Bank, India's largest private sector bank by assets, by signing an MoU to empower startups with world-class banking and financial services. The collaboration aims to strengthen the overall startup ecosystem by offering knowledge sharing, mentorship, and capacity-building programs to foster innovation and growth. Startups will benefit from customized banking and financial products designed to cater their specific requirements, such as working capital, credit access, and cash flow management. Besides, the Startups will also have access to HDFC Bank's vast network and resources thus enabling them to scale up their operations, attract investments, and establish their market presence far more effectively.
Date - 17/12/2024
STT GDC India partners with Uttar Pradesh govt to facilitate establishment of AI City
LUCKNOW: ST Telemedia Global Data Centres India (STT GDC India), a leading data center solutions provider, has signed a landmark MoU with the Government of Uttar Pradesh to advance and execute the development of India's first AI City in the state. The MoU was signed by the managing director of UP Electronics Corporation Ravi Ranjan and chief operating officer of STT GDC India Lalit Khanna in Lucknow on Tuesday. The initiative places a significant focus on fostering a robust AI ecosystem through the establishment and optimisation of cutting-edge data centres and computing infrastructure. This collaboration will help enhance Uttar Pradesh as a leader in digital innovation and a destination for digital investments.
Date - 17/12/2024
Empowering farmers: Government's role in advancing drone tech in agriculture
India, a nation deeply rooted in agriculture, is witnessing a transformation in its agrarian landscape, thanks to the growing adoption of drone technology. This change has been significantly propelled by governmental initiatives aimed at integrating advanced technologies into farming practices. With agriculture contributing nearly 17-18% to the country's GDP and employing about 42% of its workforce, ensuring the sector's modernization is critical for economic growth and food security. Drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), have become game-changers in precision agriculture. They are used for tasks such as crop monitoring, pest and disease management, irrigation planning, and soil health assessment. Drones can spray fertilizers and pesticides up to 40-60% faster than traditional methods, with significantly reduced water and chemical usage. Studies have shown that drones can reduce pesticide and fertilizer use by 30-50% and water consumption by up to 90%. Recognizing this potential, the Indian government has taken decisive steps to integrate drone technology into the agricultural ecosystem.
Date - 17/12/2024
Online gaming sector is poised to boost India's USD 1 trillion digital economy goal: Report
NEW DELHI: India's digital transformation over the past two decades has positioned it as one of the largest and fastest-growing markets globally, with over 700 million internet users. The country is on track to achieve a USD 300-billion electronics industry and a USD 1-trillion digital economy by 2025-26, potentially contributing 18-23 per cent to the national GDP, according to a report by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF). A key driver of this ambitious target is the burgeoning online gaming sector, which promises to bring transformative cross-sectoral impacts. With its growth potential, the online gaming sector is poised to boost India's US$1-trillion digital economy goal by driving foreign direct investment (FDI), tax revenues, employment, and the development of complementary industries like fintech, Web 3.0, augmented reality (AR), and cybersecurity.
Date - 17/12/2024
Mahakumbh 2025: AI Chatbot to become the memorable symbol of Mahakumbh
In a groundbreaking move, the Mahakumbh is offering a unique digital experience to people across the globe, allowing them to get a memorable token of the event. This initiative, part of the Digital Mahakumbh vision led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, introduces AI Generative Chatbot technology for the first time. By simply scanning the QR code, users can receive a personalized Mahakumbh certificate with their photo on it, which can also be saved digitally or printed. The AI Chatbot also provides complete details about every event and major program of the Mahakumbh.
Date - 17/12/2024
Digital upskilling of ASHAs vital to transform rural healthcare: Expert
NEW DELHI: The digital empowerment and upskilling of ASHAs, who are Indias frontline health workers, can be pivotal in transforming the countrys rural healthcare, according to an expert. Recruited under the National Health Mission launched in 2013, the Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) create awareness in the community by educating and promoting healthy practices, and helping people access services. Elsevier, a Dutch publisher and disseminator of scientific, technical and medical information, including over 2,900 journals such as The Lancet, collaborated with the Union government in 2022 on a digital health pilot project titled Digital Innovations & Interventions for Sustainable HealthTech Action, or DIISHA.
Date - 16/12/2024
DBT through Public Financial Management System supports Digital India: Finance Ministry
NEW DELHI: The Department of Expenditure has been consistently improving direct benefit transfer (DBT) linkages between beneficiaries and onboarding with external systems to facilitate greater ease of living, the Finance Ministry stated on Sunday. As part of its FinMin Year Review 2024 initiative, the Finance Ministry in a social media post on X, stated that DBT through Public Financial Management System (PFMS) supports Digital India by enabling electronic payment and receipt for ministries and departments at Centre and in states. The ministry added that the IT-based Public Financial Management System (PFMS) makes a direct and significant contribution to the Digital India initiative enabling direct benefit transfer for the beneficiaries enrolled in various schemes under ministries/ departments in the Government of India.
Date - 16/12/2024
'AI tech is pivotal in making Kumbh go digital this time'
UP is implementing a 'Digital Kumbh' vision, with AI serving as a pivotal technological component, said Awanish Awasthi, the chief advisor to CM Yogi Adityanath at the ET AI conclave. He said, "During the 2019 Kumbh, AI was pioneered for security surveillance, monitoring crowd movements through camera networks. Recognised by UNESCO as a world heritage event, this time the Maha Kumbh is anticipated to witness a gathering of 40 crore. Therefore, AI integration will become paramount across all organisational aspects of kumbh." He said, "The state is in the process of formulating a comprehensive policy for artificial intelligence. Having examined Telangana's existing AI policy framework, a similar initiative is proposed for Uttar Pradesh.
Date - 15/12/2024
DBT through Public Financial Management System supports Digital India: Finance Ministry
The Department of Expenditure has been consistently improving direct benefit transfer (DBT) linkages between beneficiaries and onboarding with external systems to facilitate greater ease of living, the Finance Ministry stated on Sunday. As part of its FinMin Year Review 2024 initiative, the Finance Ministry in a social media post on X, stated that DBT through Public Financial Management System (PFMS) supports Digital India by enabling electronic payment and receipt for Ministries and Departments in both Centre and States. The ministry added that the IT-based Public Financial Management System (PFMS) makes a direct and significant contribution to the Digital India Initiative of the Government of India enabling Direct Benefit Transfer for the beneficiaries enrolled in various schemes under Ministries/departments in the Government of India.
Date - 15/12/2024
NPCI empowers citizens by promoting awareness against digital arrest frauds
NEW DELHI: Digital payments are now accessible nationwide, driving India towards a digital-first economy. They offer both security and convenience. However, it's crucial to use digital payments safely and avoid online scams. Early identification of potential scams helps protect you and your loved ones, fostering a safer, less-cash economy, for everyone, according to National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). Digital arrest scams Online frauds are becoming more sophisticated, with 'Digital Arrest' scams being a prime example. In these scams, fraudsters pretend to be law enforcement officials, tricking victims into sending money or sharing personal information by making up fake legal cases involving victim or their family member. They initiate contact through phone calls and then switch to video calls using platforms like WhatsApp or Skype. Victims are threatened with a digital arrest warrant for alleged financial misconduct or other legal violations. Under fear, victims often give in, resulting in financial loss and the risk of identity theft.
Date - 14/12/2024
MyBharat digital platform to offer jobs, training, networking, business opportunities: Mandaviya
NEW DELHI: Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday said the newly created MyBharat digital platform will be turned into a single-window access for jobs, training, networking and business opportunities. Speaking at AIMA's Young Leaders Council summit here, the Minister of Labour & Employment, and Youth Affairs & Sports noted that the present government is youth-oriented and wants to develop India according to the wishes of the country's youth. "We want India's youth to look at MyBharat in the morning and not Whatsapp," Mandaviya said. He stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will spend two days in January listening to the winners of a youth competition about defining the Viksit Bharat in 2047.
Date - 13/12/2024
SEBI's Proposed Specialised Digital Platform: A new era of investor protection, market integrity
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has proposed a framework for a Specialised Digital Platform (SDP), a move aimed at enhancing investor protection and maintaining market integrity in the digital age. SEBI defines an SDP as a digital platform that facilitates interaction between market participants, including intermediaries, investors, and listed entities. Further, the ambit of SDP also includes services that provide access to securities market data, information, and services and which also has mechanisms to prevent and address prohibited activities like unregulated advice or claims. Essentially, an SDP is envisioned as a regulated space where investors can access reliable information and conduct transactions with greater confidence. This initiative seeks to address the growing use of digital platforms for disseminating financial advice, promoting securities, and facilitating investment activities.
Date - 13/12/2024
Robust mechanisms in place to provide accurate, reliable govt data on E-Sankhyiki portal: MoSPI
NEW DELHI: National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) is committed to ensuring accurate and reliable data from the target population while minimizing non-sampling errors. To achieve this, robust and well-defined mechanisms are employed in different statistical products which undergo periodic improvements based on evolving needs, feedback, and advancements in methodologies to enhance their effectiveness, according to Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Statistics and Programme Implementation Rao Inderjit Singh. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, the minister said the primary data collection is being done in digital platform using Computer Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) or web-based application with in-built validation mechanism to ensure consistency at the stage of data collection. The accuracy of the data is ensured by multi-level data scrutiny and validation checks. A robust training mechanism is followed to address the conceptual queries and monitoring the data quality. MoSPI places a strong emphasis on transparency and public accountability. To ensure the same, the e-Sankhyiki portal of MoSPI provides a comprehensive system for managing and sharing data, facilitating the easy dissemination of official statistics across the country, with an aim to provide timely and valuable data inputs for policymakers, researchers and the general public.
Date - 13/12/2024
DoT's AI tool helped weed out 78.33 lakh mobile connections obtained on fake documents: MoS Pemmasani
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has developed AI based tool for identification of mobile connections obtained on fake documents and based on the analysis, 78.33 lakh mobile connections have been disconnected by the telecom service providers after reverification. Further, 6.78 lakh mobile connections have been disconnected based on the reporting for involvement in cybercrime, according to Minister of State for Communications Dr Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar. In a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Chandra Sekhar said, "to strengthen the existing Know Your Customer (KYC) framework for issuing mobile connections to subscribers, DoT has now mandated telecom licensees to register their point of sale (PoS) franchisee, distributors and agents, who enroll customers and issue SIM cards on behalf of licensees.
Date - 12/12/2024
Telecom operators now block spammy telemarketing messages
NEW DELHI: Telecom operators began blocking messages from Wednesday that do not have a defined or matching telemarketer chain as per the governments directive, which aims to ensure spam-free communication for millions of users. In line with the directive issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on August 20, 2024, all commercial messages sent by Principal Entities (PEs) must now be fully traceable.
Date - 12/12/2024
ET AI Vision Conclave: Uttar Pradesh charts path to become India's AI hub
LUCKNOW: The Yogi Adityanath government of Uttar Pradesh will develop Lucknow as the countrys first Artificial Intelligence (AI) City and will launch a new AI policy soon to harness the power of emerging technology, particularly AI. The government is in talks with the top global and national technology companies to set up their AI centres in the state. In a major step towards establishing Uttar Pradesh as a leader in Artificial Intelligence (AI), ETGovernment, which is an initiative of The Economic Times in association with the IT & Electronics Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh, will host the third edition of the AI Vision Conclave on December 13, 2024, at The Centrum in Lucknow. This year's event, themed â??Uttar Pradesh: Shaping The Future With Artificial Intelligence, will bring together over 250 delegates from the government, academia, and leading AI and technology companies.
Date - 12/12/2024
T-Hub, MATH join forces with Google for Startups to launch AI Academy India Bootcamp in Hyderabad
HYDERABAD: The AI Academy India 2024 Bootcamp, a three-day intensive program held from December 4-6, concluded at T-Hub in partnership with Google for Startups. Designed to empower early-stage startups to leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) for addressing global challenges across sectors like healthcare, climate, education, and infrastructure, the bootcamp provided participants with hands-on training, expert mentorship, and resources, according to a press release. Supported by MeitY Startup Hub, the bootcamp welcomed 26 startups from Telangana, offering access to Googles cutting-edge AI technologies, up to $350,000 in cloud credits, and exclusive networking opportunities with Google experts. Startups tackled diverse challenges, including AI-powered solutions for education to revolutionize research and learning, climate change mitigation through geospatial analytics, and healthcare innovations like AI-based autism detection.
Date - 12/12/2024
Bharat 6G Vision envisages India to be a frontline contributor in design, development, deployment of 6G by 2030
NEW DELHI: Currently, the 6G technology is under development phase at international level and is expected to be available by 2030. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has released Indias 6G vision "Bharat 6G Vision" document on March 23, 2023 which envisaged India to be a frontline contributor in design, development and deployment of 6G technology by 2030, Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development Dr Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar said in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Bharat 6G Vision is based on principles of affordability, sustainability and ubiquity. Also, Department of Telecom has facilitated setting up of "Bharat 6G Alliance" which is an alliance of domestic industry, academia, national research institutions and standards organisations to develop action plan according to the Bharat 6G Vision, the minister said.
Date - 12/12/2024
Bcentriqe.AI partners with Astric Solutions, KYP Owners Association Bihar to deliver AI solutions for businesses
PATNA: USA based Artificial Intelligence company Bcentriqe.AI on Thursday signed a strategic JV partnership with Astric Solutions and KYP Owners Association Bihar to deliver AI based solutions integrated with ERP for businesses in Bihar. Bcentriqe. AI in partnership with Astric Solutions will deliver innovative AI-driven business profitability and productivity solutions across diverse domains of Retail, Distribution, Engineering, Construction, and Contracting, and manufacturing sectors. To ensure its outreach up to grassroots level Bcentric.AI has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with KYP Owners Association, Bihar, which represents around 1,800 Kushal Yuva Skill Training Centers at blocks level across the state, according to a media release.
Date - 12/12/2024
IIT Ropar's iHub AWaDH unveils cost-effective Bluetooth Low Energy Gateway with advanced data security
NEW DELHI: Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH), a digital platform to synergise India's skill development, education, employment, and entrepreneurship landscape, has achieved a milestone with over 1 crore registrations, according to latest data from the Skill India or the National Skills Development Mission of India released on Monday. The SIDH platform was launched in September 2023 primarily to provide a comprehensive and accessible platform for skill enhancement, offering industry-relevant skill courses, job opportunities, and entrepreneurship support.
Date - 11/12/2024
Centre mandates use of locally made solar cells in government projects from June 2026
NEW DELHI: The Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has announced a significant amendment to the Approved Models and Manufacturers of Solar Photovoltaic Modules (ALMM) Order, 2019, in a major step towards boosting domestic manufacturing and fostering self-reliance in Indias green energy industry. Indian clean energy firms will only be allowed to use locally made solar cells supplied by an approved list of companies in government projects from June 2026, the Union renewable energy ministry said, in a move aimed at curbing Chinese imports.
Date - 11/12/2024
Innovating Internet Governance for India: IIGF 2024 ends on a high note at Bharat Mandapam
The India Internet Governance Forum (IIGF) 2024 was successfully concluded today (December 10), at the Bharat Mandapam Convention Center, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. Held under the theme Innovating Internet Governance for India, the two-day event brought together government officials, industry leaders, civil society, academics, and technical experts to discuss key Internet-related issues. IGF, which is well-known for its inclusive and collaborative methodology, is a key platform for establishing guidelines & policies that support fast, safe, and accessible Internet worldwide.
Date - 11/12/2024
Sebi to use DigiLocker to ease transfer of deceased investors' unclaimed assets
MUMBAI: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) plans to use the Central government's DigiLocker system to reduce cases of unclaimed assets, including MF folios and stocks left with fund houses and depositories after the death of an investor. The markets regulator has proposed that fund houses and depositories should provide demat and MF holding statements on DigiLocker. Sebi also wants KYC Registration Agencies (KRAs) to share information on an investorâ??s demise with DigiLocker. By integrating DigiLocker with the process of transferring these assets to the rightful heirs, Sebi intends to minimise unclaimed assets in the securities market. It has come out with a draft circular on this issue and has asked for public comments by Dec 31.
Date - 11/12/2024
5 startups supported by AIC-BIMTECH secure â?¹2 crore funding from MeitY
GREATER NOIDA: Birla Institute of Management Technology (BIMTECH) Greater Noida, a leading business school in India, is at the forefront of fostering startup growth under the SAMRIDH program, an initiative by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), according to a release. Through this program, AIC-BIMTECH has supported eight startups, five of which have successfully secured Rs2 crore in funding from MeitY. The funded five startups are Cunomial, Credit Siddhi, Origin Connect, Transport Simple, and Vacus. This achievement underscores the program's pivotal role in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, contributing to an aggregated valuation of Rs75 crores, and driving economic growth towards the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, the institute said.
Date - 11/12/2024
Skill India Digital Hub achieves milestone with over 1 crore registrations
NEW DELHI: Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH), a digital platform to synergise India's skill development, education, employment, and entrepreneurship landscape, has achieved a milestone with over 1 crore registrations, according to latest data from the Skill India or the National Skills Development Mission of India released on Monday. The SIDH platform was launched in September 2023 primarily to provide a comprehensive and accessible platform for skill enhancement, offering industry-relevant skill courses, job opportunities, and entrepreneurship support.
Date - 10/12/2024
Digital India has laid foundation for Viksit Bharat by 2047: Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh
NEW DELHI: Digital India has laid the foundation for a knowledge-based economy and digitally-empowered society towards the goal of becoming a 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047, Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Kirti Vardhan Singh, said on Monday. Over the past 11 years, the government has brought a digital revolution, inspiring citizens to work digitally, which has had an unprecedented impact on 1.4 billion people, the minister said during a press conference on Digital Infrastructure and Connectivity in the national capital. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the world is now recognising India's digital revolution. Digital services like UPI, DigiYatra and DigiLocker are transforming lives and making everyday tasks simpler, he added.
Date - 10/12/2024
Over 73150 startups in India now have at least one woman director: Centre
NEW DELHI: Around 73,151 startups in India now have at least one woman Director -- nearly half of the 1,52,139 startups supported by the government, thus showcasing the crucial role women play in driving innovation and economic growth, a government statement said on Tuesday. Women entrepreneurs are emerging as radiant beacons of innovation and resilience, transforming industries and breaking barriers with their visionary leadership, according to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry statement. The government has implemented several flagship schemes to promote women-led startups, it said, adding that Rs 3,107 crore has been invested in 149 women-led startups through Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs).
Date - 10/12/2024
AI Outlook for 2025: Indian enterprises move beyond early AI experimentation to prioritize ROI
BENGALURU: A new 'APAC AI Outlook 2025' commissioned by IBM reveals that Indian enterprises are moving beyond AI experimentation to maximise the impact of their AI investments. Many of those surveyed from India expect AI to deliver longer-term benefits for their business in areas such as innovation (26%), revenue generation (21%), cost saving (12%) and increased employee productivity (12%). The game changer lies in developing cost-effective AI solutions, with the flexibility to use custom-built open-source models and seamless integrations between multiple vendors.
Date - 10/12/2024
India's Digital Revolution: Transforming infrastructure, governance, citizen service delivery
NEW DELHI: India's digital infrastructure has undergone a transformative evolution in recent years, positioning the country as a global leader in digital adoption. With a rapidly expanding digital economy, driven by innovations in cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and digital governance, India's infrastructure is continuously evolving to meet the growing demands of the public and private sectors. Key initiatives and projects have been rolled out to strengthen the country's digital backbone, ensuring accessibility, scalability, and security in delivering government services, fostering economic growth, and enhancing citizens lives.
Date - 09/12/2024
Indo-US workshop on 6G technologies at IIT Delhi to asses current status of 6G development in India
NEW DELHI: The Department of Electrical Engineering and the Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT) at IIT Delhi are organizing Indo-US Workshop on 6G Technologies on December 9-10 at the Research and Innovation Park, IIT Delhi campus. The main objective of the workshop is to assess the current status of 6G development in India, discuss Indias 6G goals in terms of use cases to be addressed, technologies to be developed, IPR and prototype/ testbed creation, manufacturing of equipment/ devices/ prototypes, and development of skilled manpower, and recommend strategies for achieving these goals and how Indo-US collaboration could help.
Date - 09/12/2024
RuPay On-The-Go: NPCI launches campaign to promote efficient, seamless transit
HYDERABAD: The Algorand Foundation concluded its second annual India Summit in Hyderabad this year, with two packed days of workshops, pitch competitions and project spotlights demonstrating the real-world utility of blockchain solutions being built on the world-leading Algorand protocol. India has one of the fastest growing blockchain ecosystems in the world, with over 1,000 blockchain startups and the third-largest Web3 founder base. With a growth of more than 80% from the previous year, the ecosystem attracted an investment of over $460 million in just the first nine months of 2024. The Algorand India Summit brought together hundreds of Web3 developers, startup founders, investors, and thought leaders to explore and understand the power of blockchain-based solutions. The two-day summit exemplified Algorand's position as a platform dedicated to advancing blockchain innovation and adoption in India, according to a company release here on Tuesday. Under the theme of â??Discover what a blockchain can do, the Summit showcased on-ground solutions already beginning to penetrate key business verticals, from supply chain tracking and traceability to trade finance, and from sustainability to financial inclusion.
Date - 09/12/2024
Internet today is not merely a tool for connectivity, it is backbone of India's economy: MoS Jitin Prasada
NEW DELHI: Union Minister of State for IT Jitin Prasada on Monday highlighted India's monumental strides in internet technology and its vision for a transformative digital future at the India Internet Governance Forum (IIGF) 2024, themed "Innovating Internet Governance for India," at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. Addressing the forum, Prasada underscored the indispensable role of the internet in India's growth story, stating, "The internet today is not merely a tool for connectivity, it is the backbone of our economy, societies, individual aspirations. India's digital journey exemplifies the transformative potential of technology, with over 1.4 billion citizens and close to 1 billion internet users."
Date - 09/12/2024
FinBox launches account aggregation based data platform providing customers' financial patterns real-time
NEW DELHI: Credit infrastructure and risk intelligence company FinBox has launched an account aggregator based customer data platform (CDP) to enable banks and NBFCs to access extensive customer data points and get actionable insights real-time. Designed to support diverse use cases beyond underwriting, the platform aims to enhance lenders' ability to assess their customers' financial health with greater precision and speed, the company said in a release. In financial institutions, customer data is often fragmented, stale, and locked away in siloed databases while executives struggle to form strategies to drive more revenue. FinBox's AA CDP solves this problem by ensuring decision-makers can automate rules and triggers to build customer cohorts. This helps them build exciting use cases on top of data, including early warning systems, portfolio monitoring, credit cards line management, cross-sell, up-sell, and more, FinBox said.
Date - 03/12/2024
MSMEs now offered digital footprint based loans up to Rs 5 lakh by Muthoot FinCorp ONE
NEW DELHI: Small businesses such as street vendors can now get loans of up to Rs 5 lakh from Muthoot FinCorp ONE just on the basis of the daily transactions they do using QR-code. Muthoot FinCorp ONE, a strategic business unit and the digital platform of Muthoot FinCorp Ltd (MFL) will offer loans with daily repayment options to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) that use QR-code based apps for daily collections, the NBFC said in a statement. This is in line with a 'New Credit Assessment Model' for small businesses, which Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced in her Budget presentation on July 23. Under the model, banks were required to assess small businesses based on their 'digital footprints' and not on their balance sheets. According to a report by IFC (International Finance Corporation), India's nearly 6 crore MSMEs contribute 31 per cent to the GDP, employ nearly 13 crore people, and make up 45 per cent of exports. Yet, despite being the backbone of the economy, they remain extremely credit-starved. The current addressable credit gap for MSME in India runs into a few lakh crore rupees.
Date - 03/12/2024
Deep digital penetration enabling northeast India to stream into national life: VP Dhankhar
NEW DELHI: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said India's northeast region is streaming fast into national life, now with 17 airports, 20 waterways, and deep digital penetration. Dhankhar, addressing the special session of Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly in Itanagar on Saturday said that the region's organic and natural farming offers a model for other states, and its indigenous resources like bamboo, rubber, and silk present enormous market opportunities. He lauded the state's progress and its contributions to India's unity and prosperity.
Date - 02/12/2024
1.3 crore Digital Life Certificates issued to pensioners during DLC Campaign 3.0
NEW DELHI: The Centre's Department of Pensions and Pensioners' Welfare has successfully concluded its Campaign 3.0 with the issuing of 1.30 crore Digital Life Certificates to pensioners, according to an official statement released on Sunday. This initiative, launched to simplify life digital life certificate submissions, particularly for super senior pensioners, has set significant milestones by leveraging innovative technologies and widespread collaboration with all the stakeholders, the statement said. Over 39 lakh digital life certificates (DLCs), representing more than 30 per cent, were generated using Face Authentication Technology.
Date - 02/12/2024
UPI Digital Payments: Over 16.5 billion transactions worth Rs23.49 lakh crore processed in Oct '24
NEW DELHI: In October 2024, Unified Payments Interface (UPI) achieved a historic milestone by processing 16.58 billion financial transactions in a single month, underscoring its pivotal role in India's digital transformation. Launched in 2016 by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), UPI has revolutionized the nation's payment ecosystem by integrating multiple bank accounts into a single mobile application. This system enables seamless fund transfers, merchant payments, and peer-to-peer transactions, offering users flexibility through scheduled payment requests, the Union Ministry of Finance said in a statement on Sunday. UPI has not only made financial transactions fast, secure, and effortless, but it has also empowered individuals, small businesses, and merchants, driving the country's shift toward a cashless economy. This remarkable achievement highlights India's commitment to leveraging technology for inclusive growth and economic progress, it said.
Date - 02/12/2024
Home ministry ropes in Razorpay to boost cyber security around digital payments ecosystem
BENGALURU: Fintech major Razorpay on Monday said it has partnered the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) to boost cyber security around the digital payments ecosystem in the country. The collaboration aims to empower businesses and end-customers with critical knowledge to protect themselves while driving widespread awareness about cybersecurity across the country. Recent data from the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal revealed a sharp increase in digital fraud incidents across India, with over 7,000 complaints reported daily (between January and April 2024).
Date - 02/12/2024
Sustainability startups call for increased government support to fuel funding in the segment: Study
NEW DELHI: In recent years, the Indian sustainability startup ecosystem has experienced significant growth, driven by evolving consumer preferences and increasing concerns about pollution and climate change. This shift has led to a surge in innovative startups promoting environmental sustainability. As per the recent data revealed by the government of India in 2023, over 6,600 cleantech startups are operating across 450 districts throughout India, spread over nearly 34 states and union territories. These startups are on the run to address pressing environmental challenges and develop technologies and strategies contributing towards a greener future. Even though the sustainable startup movement in India is gaining momentum, several challenges persist such as funding access, regulatory barriers, and a lack of consumer awareness. Delhi-NCR based green storytelling company, Key Communications revealed the findings of the â??Sustaining Sustainability Startups for India's Pollution Fightâ?? survey on â??National Pollution Prevention Dayâ??. The survey highlighted the significant demands for the fast acceleration of a sustainable startup ecosystem in India.
Date - 02/12/2024
Sustainability startups call for increased government support to fuel funding in the segment: Study
NEW DELHI: In recent years, the Indian sustainability startup ecosystem has experienced significant growth, driven by evolving consumer preferences and increasing concerns about pollution and climate change. This shift has led to a surge in innovative startups promoting environmental sustainability. As per the recent data revealed by the government of India in 2023, over 6,600 cleantech startups are operating across 450 districts throughout India, spread over nearly 34 states and union territories. These startups are on the run to address pressing environmental challenges and develop technologies and strategies contributing towards a greener future. Even though the sustainable startup movement in India is gaining momentum, several challenges persist such as funding access, regulatory barriers, and a lack of consumer awareness. Delhi-NCR based green storytelling company, Key Communications revealed the findings of the â??Sustaining Sustainability Startups for India's Pollution Fightâ?? survey on â??National Pollution Prevention Dayâ??. The survey highlighted the significant demands for the fast acceleration of a sustainable startup ecosystem in India.
Date - 02/12/2024
SHe-Box portal works as per provisions of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act 2013: Minister
NEW DELHI: The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) launched SHe-Box portal for registration of complaints by women against sexual harassment at workplace, said Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur in Lok Sabha in reply to a question on Friday. Registration feature in the She-Box went live on October 19, 2024, after a majority of Central ministries and departments onboarded the portal. Since then, the portal has received 9 complaints. The portal has been designed to serve as a central repository for ICs and LCs at various state/ UT administration level workplaces as well as workplaces in private sector, once they on-board the portal, the minister said.
Date - 30/11/2024
How multi stakeholder model of the Internet remains inspiration for AI governance
The Internet has become an integral part of our life, and we often take for granted that it runs smoothly and seamlessly. That is a blessing and a curse. A blessing, because the fact that we usually do not even consider all that needs to work in the background to make the Internet run underscores its success. And a curse, because the perception that the Internet is now something akin to a commodity that runs on autopilot can lead to complacency in understanding what is necessary to keep it functioning in the future. The global success story that is the Internet as we know it today is a function of its technical design and the efficacy of the multi stakeholder model (MSM) of Internet governance. Five decades after its creation, the Internet remains open, secure, and interoperable. This success is partly due to its community-based, consensus-driven policymaking approach, where different stakeholders, including the private sector, civil society, governments, and technical experts, all collaborate and have a voice.
Date - 29/11/2024
CSC stall at IITF showcases digital, community services
NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has set up a vibrant stall at the India International Trade Fair (IITF) in Hall No. 14. Hosted by Common Service Centers (CSC), the stall showcases a wide range of digital and community services, including the Grameen eStore, CSC Academy, DigiPay, Aadhaar-related services, and other key initiatives. The primary aim of this exhibit is to spread awareness about the facilities provided by CSC and encourage more people to leverage these services for their empowerment, MeitY said in a statement on Thursday. The Leaders Behind the Stall This CSC stall is led by two dedicated and inspiring village level entrepreneurs (VLEs) from Delhi, Siddharth and Vikas. Their dedication and commitment reflect the transformative power of digital services, as they serve their communities while setting examples for others, it said.
Date - 29/11/2024
NeGD spotlights Digital India initiatives at state consultation workshop in Lucknow
LUCKNOW: A Digital India State Consultation Workshop was organised by the National e-Governance Division (NeGD), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in collaboration with the Government of Uttar Pradesh and the Uttar Pradesh Development Systems Corporation (UPDESCO) in Lucknow on November 25. Officials from the Uttar Pradesh government participated in the workshop which was inaugurated by Anil Kumar Sagar, Principal Secretary, IT & Electronics, Government of Uttar Pradesh and Neha Jain, Special Secretary, IT & Electronics, and State Coordinator, Centre for e-Governance, Uttar Pradesh. JL Gupta, Director, NeGD, Hemant Arora, Senior Director (IT), NIC, Raees Akhtar, SP (Technical Services), and Lt. Col. (Dr) Praveen Kumar Singh, Director, UIDAI also participated.
Date - 29/11/2024
Cyber Challenge 2024: Delhi Police, CyberPeace lead the charge against cyber threats
NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police, in collaboration with CyberPeace, officially launched the Cyber Challenge 2024 with a grand event held at Police Headquarters in New Delhi on Friday. The initiative aims to address critical cybersecurity challenges by engaging developers, engineers, and cybersecurity enthusiasts in crafting innovative solutions to enhance public safety and secure the digital space. The event brought together participants from leading institutions, including Rashtriya Raksha University, Gujarat, DRDO, MeiTY, National Forensic Science University, Startup India, CyberPeace Foundation, and Uber India. Speaking at the event, Special Commissioner of Police Vivek Gogia emphasized the vital role of technological innovation in law enforcement, highlighting the increasing need for collaboration between various stakeholders to stay ahead of emerging digital threats. "With the rapid pace of technological advancement, law enforcement must not only adapt but also innovate to address the complexities of cybercrime. Initiatives like the Cyber Challenge 2024 underscore the importance of partnerships and innovation in creating a resilient digital ecosystem," he said.
Date - 29/11/2024
India leader in AI-driven sustainability initiatives: IBM's State of Sustainability Readiness Report
BENGALURU: IBM on Thursday released its first-ever State of Sustainability Readiness Report 2024, revealing that 98% of Indian business leaders surveyed are planning to increase investment in IT for sustainability over the next 12 months. The research emphasizes that the majority of Indian respondents view investments in IT as vital not only for environmental responsibility but also to drive long-term business resilience (61%) and brand reputation (64%). As sustainability becomes central to business growth strategies, AI is proving to be a game-changer in driving responsible growth, said Sandip Patel, Managing Director of IBM India/South Asia. Today, India stands out as a leader in AI-driven sustainability. Business leaders across the country view sustainability as a strategic lever for transformation, and IBM is advancing AI solutions to help accelerate their sustainability goals, added Patel.
Date - 28/11/2024
eCourts project phase III focus on upgrading digital infrastructure of lower judiciary: Meghwal
NEW DELHI: As part of the National eGovernance Plan, the eCourts Mission Mode Project is under implementation for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) development of the Indian judiciary based on the "National Policy and Action Plan for Implementation of Information and Communication Technology in the Indian Judiciary", according to the information furnished by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law & Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on Thursday. eCourts project is being implemented by Department of Justice in collaboration with eCommittee Supreme Court of India. Phase I of the eCourts project was implemented between 2011-2015. Phase II of the project extended from 2015-2023. In eCourts Mission Mode Project, during Phase I of the project video conferencing facility has been operationalised between 488 court complexes and 342 corresponding jails, the minister said.
Date - 28/11/2024
ChipIN-CDAC gets momentum with support extended from semiconductor industry leader Siemens EDA
NEW DELHI: ChipIN Centre, one of the largest facilities established at C-DAC, offers an extensive range of semiconductor design workflows and solutions, striving to bring national chip design infrastructure directly to the semiconductor design community across the country. It is a centralized facility which hosts the most advanced tools for the entire chip design cycle (going up to 5 nm or advanced node), according to the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY). It also offers compute and hardware infrastructure, IP cores, and expertise to provide comprehensive services for design fabrication at the SCL foundry and packaging to academic institutions under C2S (Chips to Start-up) Programme and DLI (Design Linked Incentive) Scheme of Ministry of Electronics and IT, Government of India, MeitY said in a statement on Tuesday.
Date - 27/11/2024
Digital Life Certificate for pensioners, elder citizens crosses 1 crore mark
Digital Life Certificate (DLC) introduced for the convenience of pensioners and elder citizens has crossed the record one crore mark in the ongoing campaign "DLC 3.0". Disclosing this in New Delhi on Tuesday, Union Minister Incharge Personnel/DoPT/ DARPG Dr Jitendra Singh said, "This landmark will go a long way in bringing ease of living for elder citizens and live up to the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi as expressed by him in the recent episode of Mann Ki Baat last Sunday." PM Narendra Modi in 116th episode of Mann Ki Baat on 24.11.2024 had said, Now, by enabling the Digital Life Certificate, things have become very simple; the elderly do not have to go to the bank. Elderly do not face any problem on account of technology. Making the elderly tech savvy. Today, with such efforts, the number of people receiving Digital Life certificates has crossed the 80 lakh mark. Among these, more than 2 lakhs are such elderly people whose age has crossed even 80.
Date - 27/11/2024
PAN 2.0: Cabinet approves the project at a cost of Rs1435 crore
NEW DELHI: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval for the PAN 2.0 project of the Income Tax Department. The financial implications for the PAN 2.0 project will be Rs1,435 crore, the government said.
Date - 26/11/2024
Govt conducts surveys in digital platform using CAPI to ensure consistency in data collection: Minister
NEW DELHI: National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) is responsible for conducting large scale sample surveys on various socio-economic subjects on all India basis. These surveys are either household based where the primary unit of enumeration is a household or enterprise based surveys where the primary unit of enumeration is an enterprise. These surveys are designed to meet the requirements of various stakeholder ministries and departments, based on recommendations from various expert groups and committees. The household surveys primarily collect information that is not available either through administrative records or through surveys conducted by domain-specific ministries or departments. This was stated by the Minister of State (independent charge) for Statistics and Programme Implementation Rao Inderjit Singh in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Monday.
Date - 26/11/2024
DST to announce quantum startups selected under National Quantum Mission today
NEW DELHI: Startups selected for support under the newly established guidelines in quantum technologies will be officially unveiled by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh at an event, scheduled for Tuesday. Department of Science and Technology (DST) has established detailed guidelines to support and nurture startups in the field of quantum technologies. These comprehensive guidelines provide a structured framework for startups to access essential resources, funding opportunities, mentorship, and infrastructure support, empowering them to accelerate innovation and contribute to Indiaâ??s quantum ecosystem, the Ministry of Science & Technology said in a statement on Monday. The unveiling of the startups by the Union minister will showcase India's growing prowess in quantum research, development, and commercialization, the ministry said.
Date - 26/11/2024
PAN 2.0 project aims to create a common business identifier for all digital systems of govt agencies
NEW DELHI: The government has approved a â?¹1,435-crore project to revamp the existing system of issuing permanent account number under which PAN cards with QR Code feature will be given free of cost to taxpayers. The PAN 2.0 project aims to create a common business identifier for all digital systems of government agencies. The project was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Monday. PAN is a unique 10-digit alphanumeric number issued by the Income Tax Department to Indian taxpayers.
Date - 26/11/2024
NPCI engages SFBs, payments banks to shape India's digital payments future
MUMBAI: National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) conducted an event as part of the NPCI Synergy initiative featuring senior leaders from small finance banks (SFBs) and payments banks to recognise their efforts in shaping the future of India's digital payments through innovation, partnerships, and collaboration. Dilip Asbe, MD & CEO, NPCI, said, "Collaboration is crucial to unlock the true potential of India's digital payments system. The event brought together industry leaders from SFBs and Payments Banks to discuss the key facets of digital payments in India.
Date - 26/11/2024
Internationalisation of UPI progressing rapidly: RBI
The internationalisation of the unified payments interface (UPI) is progressing rapidly, as India emerges as a world leader in leveraging digital technologies for transformative change, according to a Reserve Bank of India (RBI) report. The UPI hit a milestone of 16.6 billion transactions in a month in October, with improvements in its capabilities like successful instant debit reversals at 86 per cent (77 per cent in the same month last year). "India's UPI, an open-ended system that powers multiple bank accounts into a single mobile application of any participating bank, is propelling inter-bank peer-to-peer and person-to-merchant transactions seamlessly," said RBI Deputy Governor Michael Debabrata Patra in the report.
Date - 25/11/2024
Agritech boom in Digital India: 19 soonicorns, 40 minicorns embracing emerging tech for biz growth: RBI Report
The Indian agritech landscape has significant growth potential to emerge as an institutional innovation for bridging the technological gap and the country currently has 19 agritech soonicorns and 40 minicorns, that are embracing emerging technologies like AI and developing innovative business models, according to a new RBI paper. Although only a single unicorn is identified in the Indian agri-tech landscape, the total number of agri-tech soonicorns (ready to become unicorns) and minicorns is estimated at 19 and 40, respectively, said the paper titled 'Agri-Tech Startups and Innovations in Indian Agriculture' by D Suganthi, Jobin Sebastian and Monika Sethi. A survey of agri-tech startups shows that they benefit from government's funding support, research and development and state support in the form of digital infrastructure.
Date - 25/11/2024
Delhi Postal Circle conducts Digital Life Certificate Campaign 3.0
Digital Life Certificate (DLC) Campaign 3.0 has been in progress in Delhi Postal Circle. Postmen and women/GDS are visiting doorsteps and setting up camps in facilitating beneficiaries/pensioners. For issue of DLC, also known as Jeevan Pramaan Patra, the beneficiaries have option to get doorstep service and submit request on https://ccc.cept.gov.in/ServiceRequest/request.aspx. This campaign started off on Nov 1, 2024 and continues till Nov 30, 2024, the Ministry of Communications said in a statement on Monday. As a part of this campaign, Vasant Kunj, Janakpuri and Chanakyapuri Post Offices have organized camps for Central Government Health Scheme beneficiaries/ pensioners. A Prabat Pheri was organized in the morning near Sanjay Lake (Laxmibai Nagar) to sensitize morning walkers and senior citizens and a camp was also organized in New Moti Bagh Club.
Date - 25/11/2024
E-Sankhyiki portal to establish data management system for easy exchange of official statistics: Govt
NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has launched e-Sankhyiki portal with objective to establish a comprehensive data management and sharing system for ease of dissemination of official statistics in the country. Further, the Microdata of Surveys and Census is disseminated via a dedicated Microdata portal. This information was given by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Statistics and Programme Implementation Rao Inderjit Singh in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Monday. e-Sankhyiki portal has Application Programming Interface (API) which ensures seamless accessibility of data to various portals including National Data and Analytics Platform (NDAP).
Date - 25/11/2024
Digital India: Half of Goa takes online route for services, saves trips to government offices
More than half of Goa's population no longer needs to visit government offices for various works as the state continues to expand the user base of its e-governance portal 'Goa Online', officials have said. Of the 16 lakh residents in the coastal state, about 8.6 lakh people are currently using the portal, offering 241 services, which ensures doorstep governance and improves transparency, they said. An initiative by state IT Minister Rohan Khaunte, the portal was launched in 2017 when the late Manohar Parrikar was the chief minister. His successor Pramod Sawant is taking it forward, said the officials.
Date - 24/11/2024
AI to act as a catalyst for job creation in India
A recent study by ServiceNow, a leading AI platform for business transformation, and Pearson, the world's foremost learning company, predicts that AI could generate 2.73 million new tech jobs in India by 2028. This presents unparalleled innovation and job creation opportunities, marking a pivotal shift in the conversation around AI and employment. While concerns about automation replacing human labor, particularly in routine, repetitive tasks, continue to remain, the study highlights AI's potential to create high-value, strategic roles that emphasize decision-making and problem-solving. Beyond promoting economic growth, this trend stresses the importance of workforce reskilling and upskilling to align with the demands of an AI-driven future. Critical skill sets and upskilling programs To seize emerging opportunities, tech professionals must build expertise in software application development, web development, data analytics, software testing, data engineering, AI and machine learning, cloud computing, and the integration and implementation of generative AI, among other in-demand skills.
Date - 23/11/2024
IIT Bhilai, RBI conduct interactive dialogue on digital currencies & CBDC
RAIPUR: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhilai, in collaboration with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), hosted an engaging and insightful outreach programme on Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) at the IIT Bhilai campus as part of RBI's nationwide series of engagements with premier institutions, including IIT Delhi, IIT Kanpur, IIT Madras, and IIT Bombay, to raise awareness about CBDC and its transformative potential. The session delved into the motivations, technological framework, and use cases of CBDC. Special focus was placed on the retail pilot project and pioneering innovations such as programmability and offline features. An interactive Q&A session in which attendees engaged in an open dialogue with the RBI experts to clarify queries and deepen their understanding. There was also a quiz with prizes. The lively quiz competition saw enthusiastic participation, with winners receiving prizes directly in their CBDC wallets and information about CBDC Kiosks.
Date - 23/11/2024
India, UK can collaborate to create platforms for AI, VR learning: Piyush Goyal
NEW DELHI: India is the best place in the world to provide sustainable infrastructure to the digital world. This was stated by Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal while speaking at UK India Business Council UK-India Technology Futures Conference in New Delhi on Thursday. Goyal pointed out that it will be important to understand how in the future the digital world and sustainability issues will intersect. Major portion of energy will be consumed by systems that will churn out data and that will have an impact on sustainability issues, he said, adding that there are very few places in the world where there is interconnected grid in the way that India has. The minister said that by 2030 India would have a thousand-gigawatt grid connected through the length and breadth of the country with a healthy mix of traditional and renewable energy. For data centers, this huge amount of clean energy provides an unheard of reliability and sustainability, he said, pointing out that India provides an unmatched opportunity for investors across the world.
Date - 22/11/2024
India-CARICOM summit: India, Trinidad and Tobago strengthen ties in digital transformation
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar and Amery Browne, the Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs of Trinidad and Tobago, on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the presence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Keith Rowley. This event took place during the 2nd India-CARICOM Summit, which marked the final stage of PM Modi's three-nation tour. Meanwhile, PM Modi also held talks with PM Rowley on the sidelines of the summit. In a post on X, PM Modi mentioned that the two leaders discussed how to diversify trade relations between India and Trinidad and Tobago.
Date - 22/11/2024
Madhya Pradesh assembly to go paperless from monsoon session with introduction of NeVA
BHOPAL: With the introduction of the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA), the Madhya Pradesh state assembly will become paperless from the monsoon session of 2025. Assembly speaker Narendra Singh Tomar on Wednesday asked officials to provide information about the project to the MLAs before its implementation. Tomar was addressing a meeting of the NeVA House Committee in the assembly. Tomar said this project needs to be implemented as soon as possible. He said that, so far, 25 houses of 23 states signed an MoU to implement the e-Vidhan project sponsored by the Central govt. The project was implemented in 14 houses of 13 states in the country. Tomar further said the committee should now be informed about its progress every two months. It was mentioned in the meeting that the ministry of parliamentary affairs of the Central government was made the nodal department for this project.
Date - 21/11/2024
India, Brazil, South Africa agree to use digital public infrastructure, AI, data for governance
Leaders from the G20 Troika - India, Brazil and South Africa - unveiled a landmark joint declaration on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), Artificial Intelligence and data for governance amid global economic growth at just over 3%, its lowest rate since the turn of the century. Accelerating progress towards the SDGs requires inclusive digital transformation. The experiences of several G20 countries have demonstrated that well-designed DPI augmented by AI can enable the use of data for development, creating new jobs and delivering better health and education outcomes, the statement read. "Their adoption by G20 countries more widely has the potential to radically transform the lives of citizens, thereby renewing their faith in vibrant democratic principles. In this context, we recall the adoption of Global Digital Compact at the UN Summit of the Future. We also welcome the Global DPI Summit held in Egypt in 2024," according to the joint declaration.
Date - 21/11/2024
Waves: Prasar Bharati launches its own OTT platform bridging digital media-entertainment divide
PANAJI (Goa): Prasar Bharati, India's public broadcaster, on Wednesday launched its own OTT platform, 'Waves'. The app, available on Android and iOS, aims to deliver diverse content under the tagline "Waves - Family Entertainment Ki Nayi Lehar." The platform was launched by Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant at the opening ceremony of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) where he called it a significant moment for the Indian entertainment industry. The chief minister, during the launch said, "I am very happy to see the diverse range of content on the platform, including films and content across languages, especially Konkani."
Date - 21/11/2024
Labour ministry directs EPFO to ensure UAN activation for employees through Aadhaar-based OTP
NEW DELHI: The Central government has earlier issued directions to ministries/ departments to ensure payments of subsidy/ incentive to the beneficiaries of the welfare schemes through Aadhaar Payment Bridge and ensuring 100% biometric Aadhaar Authentication. To ensure that maximum number of employers and employees benefit from the employment linked incentive (ELI) scheme announced in Union Budget 2024-25, the Ministry of Labour & Employment has directed EPFO to work in a campaign mode with employers and ensure activation of Universal Account Number (UAN) of their respective employees. EPFO will involve their zonal and regional offices for effective outreach. Using Aadhaar as an identity document simplifies government delivery processes, enhances transparency and efficiency, and ensures beneficiaries receive their entitlements seamlessly, the ministry said in a statement on Thursday, adding that Aadhaar-based verification eliminates the need for producing multiple documents to prove one's identity.
Date - 21/11/2024
Cumulative mobile number portability requests hit 1039.11 million at September-end: TRAI
NEW DELHI: The cumulative mobile number portability (MNP) requests increased from 1,025.78 million at the end of August to 1,039.11 million at the end of September, since the implementation of MNP, according to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) data on Thursday. The subscriber requests for MNP in the month of September stood at 13.32 million. In the month of August, 14.66 million subscribers submitted their requests for mobile number portability (MNP). The number of active wireless subscribers in September was 1,059.97 million, the data showed.
Date - 21/11/2024
AI boom likely to trigger $3.8 bn flow into India's data center industry: Report
MUMBAI: India's data center industry is poised to surge 66 per cent by 2026, driven primarily by artificial intelligence (AI) and the nationwide rollout of 5G technology, according to real estate advisory firm JLL India. The countrys data center industry is expected to add a staggering 604 MW capacity, requiring 7.3 million square feet and USD 3.8 billion in the next two and a half years (H2 2024-2026), the JLL report states. It highlights that India is rapidly establishing itself as a global center for AI innovation and data center growth. Hyperscalers are increasingly pursuing self-build projects in major data center hubs, while operators are planning new campuses powered by 400 kVA lines to support AI clusters.
Date - 21/11/2024
Digital public infrastructure, AI, data for governance key to achieving inclusive growth: PM Modi
RIO DE JANEIRO: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday emphasised that digital public infrastructure, AI and data for governance is key to achieving inclusive growth and transforming lives globally. Responding to a post by Director General of World Trade Organisation, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Modi stated: Thank you for your support and valuable insights. The emphasis on Digital Public Infrastructure, AI and data for governance is key to achieving inclusive growth and transforming lives globally.
Date - 20/11/2024
Bharat NCX 2024 inaugurated, to strengthen cyber defense, strategic decision-making
NEW DELHI: The Bharat National Cyber Security Exercise (Bharat NCX 2024), a landmark initiative to fortify India's cybersecurity resilience, was inaugurated at a high-profile ceremony organized by the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) in collaboration with Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) in New Delhi on Monday. The 12-day exercise is a critical step in preparing India's cybersecurity professionals and leadership to tackle evolving threats with advanced cyber defense, incident response capabilities, and strategic decision-making, said the National Security Council Secretariat in a statement. In his inaugural address, Lt Gen MU Nair, PVSM, AVSM, SM (Retd), the National Cyber Security Coordinator, stated, Bharat NCX 2024 equips our nation's cyber defenders and leaders with the skills to mitigate complex threats. From technical exercises to strategic decision-making, this initiative ensures our preparedness to manage crises at all levels.
Date - 19/11/2024
CCI restricts WhatsApp sharing data with other Meta A, imposes Rs 213.14 crore fine
NEW DELHI: The Competition Commission of India (Commission) imposed a penalty of 213.14 crore on Meta for misusing its dominant position. This relates to how WhatsApp 2021 Privacy Policy was implemented and how user data was collected and shared with other Meta companies. The Commission also issued cease-and-desist directions and also directed Meta and WhatsApp to implement certain behavioral remedies within a defined timeline. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) launched a probe in March 2021 into WhatsApp privacy policy, which allowed data sharing with Facebook and its units, sparking global backlash. "Sharing of user data collected on WhatsApp with other Meta companies... for purposes other than for providing WhatsApp service shall not be made a condition for users to access WhatsApp Service in India," the CCI said.
Date - 19/11/2024
NABH signs MoU with RSSDI to enhance digital health standards of diabetes care
NEW DELHI: National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH), a constituent body of Quality Council of India (QCI), on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Research Society for the Study of Diabetes in India (RSSDI), to advance quality and consistency of diabetes care in India through the use of robust clinical and digital health standards. RSSDI is India's largest professional body representing over 12,000 diabetes care providers across the country. The MoU will leverage the distinctive capabilities of NABH to drive national quality certification and accreditation programs and RSSDI's expertise in developing best practice clinical guidelines for diabetes management and research, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry said in a statement. Accredited diabetes clinics will maintain high standards of care for diabetes treatment which also involves education, research, and guideline-directed care programs. These clinics will blend modern technology with personal care delivered by trained teams ensuring patients meet their recommended target goals, it said.
Date - 19/11/2024
New CPGRAMS mobile app launched for enhanced citizen access during DARPG workshop on grievance redressal
NEW DELHI: In line with the Prime Minister's vision of responsive and efficient governance, the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) organized the national workshop on "Effective Redressal of Public Grievances" in New Delhi on Monday. Union Minister of State for Personal and Public Grievances Dr Jitendra Singh in his keynote address highlighted that due to constant efforts of the government, grievance resolution time in Central Secretariat, now stands at just 13 days. This milestone reflects the governments commitment to citizen-centric governance under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.
Date - 19/11/2024
NSE Academy collaborates with Financial Modeling Institute to offer professional certifications in India
NSE Academy Limited (NAL), a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) has signed an agreement with Financial Modeling Institute (FMI), headquartered in Toronto, Canada, to enhance the financial modeling capabilities of both professionals and students, preparing them for the dynamic roles in global finance and accounting. With the rise of data-driven decision-making and a growing demand for financial modeling skills in today's job market, this partnership brings together NSE Academy's extensive reach in the Indian financial education ecosystem and FMI's globally recognized certifications. By combining resources and expertise, both institutions aim to deliver cutting-edge training and certifications in financial modeling, ensuring participants gain hands-on experience and the opportunity to validate the critical thinking skills necessary for future-ready finance careers.
Date - 19/11/2024
Traditional media must be compensated by e-platforms: Ashwini Vaishnaw
Information and broadcasting minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday highlighted the critical issue of fair compensation for traditional media, underlining how it is financially disadvantaged as news consumption is "rapidly shifting" from the conventional modes to the digital space. During his address on National Press Day, hosted by Press Council of India, the minister argued that substantial investment in traditional journalism - including training, editorial processes, and verification - has been undermined by digital platforms' unequal bargaining power.
Date - 18/11/2024
27000 crore Assam semiconductor plant to be game-changer in India's chip ecosystem
NEW DELHI: The development of a semiconductor unit in Morigaon, Assam, spearheaded by Tata Semiconductor Assembly and Test Pvt Ltd (TSAT) with an investment of 27,000 crore is headed for completion in mid-2025, will be a game-changer for India's semiconductor ecosystem, the Ministry of Electronics & IT said on Sunday. The Morigaon facility is expected to produce up to 48 million semiconductor chips per day, employing advanced packaging technologies like flip chip and Integrated System in Package (ISIP). Designed to cater to essential sectors such as automotive, electric vehicles, telecommunications, and consumer electronics, the project is set to become one of the country's premier manufacturing sites. It aligns with the nation's broader goal of establishing a self-sufficient semiconductor ecosystem.
Date - 18/11/2024
'One Day One Genome' initiative aims to harness India's microbial potential
NEW DELHI: The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council (BRIC) introduced the 'One Day One Genome' initiative to showcase the enormous microbial potential of India. Amitabh Kant, India's G-20 Sherpa and Former CEO NITI Aayog announced the launch of 'One Day One Genome Initiative' on the first foundation day of BRIC held in National Institute of Immunology (NII), New Delhi, on November 9, 2024. The 'One Day One Genome' initiative will highlight the unique bacterial species found in India and emphasize their critical roles in environment, agriculture and the human health. Microorganisms are crucial for our ecosystem. They play an important role in all biogeochemical cycles, soil formation, mineral purification, degradation of organic wastes and toxic pollutants along with methane production. Cumulatively they help to maintain the homeostasis in our planet. In agriculture, they help in nutrient cycling, nitrogen fixation, maintaining soil fertility, controlling pest and weeds and stress responses.
Date - 18/11/2024
Surat Cyber Police team busts 'digital arrest' gang operating from Dubai
SURAT (Gujarat): The Surat Cyber Police team busted a cybercrime gang and arrested three of its members who have taken hold of 281 bank accounts and the money was being transferred to Dubai, confirmed Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gehlot. Speaking to ANI, Gehlot added "In addition to the 281 bank accounts that were taken hold of, several passbooks, debit cards and laptops were also seized. 210 FIRs have been filed against these members in various cities across the country." Further, Gehlot added that most of the gang members never revealed their full names and with the help of information available, sketches of the members were made.
Date - 17/11/2024
India needs to revisit 'Safe Harbour' provision amid changing media landscape: Vaishnaw
NEW DELHI: Calling for accountability in digital media to combat fake news and safeguard democracy, Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Saturday that online platforms must come up with solutions that account for the impact their systems have on our society. Speaking at an event by the Press Council of India (PCI) in New Delhi to mark the 'National Press Day 2024', the minister addressed the need for revisiting the 'Safe Harbour' provision amid the changing media landscape and India's diverse cultural and social context. "The spread of fake news undermines trust in the media and poses a threat to democracy," the minister told the gathering. Algorithms driving digital platforms prioritise content that maximises engagement, incites strong reactions and, thereby, defines the revenue for the platform. These often amplify sensational or divisive narratives.
Date - 17/11/2024
Tech innovations in real estate: How technology is redefining property buying and management
From merely sharing property information online to virtual home tours, technology has come a long way in the real estate industry. Today, almost every processâ??whether it's buying, selling, renting, or even simple house searches and management is digitalized. This shift is not just a trend but a promising opportunity for developing economies, especially India. The industry is projected to contribute 13% to the nation's GDP by 2025, indicating a potential for growth and a wide range of investment opportunities. However, realizing this potential requires comprehensive research into the trends, technologies, and tools that are restructuring the real estate space.
Date - 16/11/2024
Game developers body GDAI signs MoUs with Rajasthan, Sikkim to enhance gaming incubation ecosystem
HYDERABAD: The Game Developers Association of India (GDAI) marked a significant milestone at the 16th India Game Developer Conference (IGDC) by signing memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with state governments of Sikkim and Rajasthan, besides the academia and industry bodies like Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI). These strategic partnerships aim to accelerate the growth of India's video gaming and interactive entertainment sector, focusing on policy development, skill enhancement, and fostering innovation.
Date - 15/11/2024
Sonowal calls for application of AI technology to safeguard elephants during railway line crossing
DIBRUGARH (Assam): Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal led a forum of MPs to review the projects and developmental activities undertaken by the Northeast Frontier Railways of Indian Railways under its Tinsukia division on Thursday. Sonowal, along with the other members of the forum, called for sustainable development with minimum or no impact on the ecology including application of modern AI technology to safeguard elephants during the railway line crossing. Sonowal asked Railways for speedy implementation of 'One Station One Product' programme which is going to help the local entrepreneurs as well as expand the market for local produce.
Date - 15/11/2024
Lithium-ion batteries recycler Attero achieves ISO 14064 certification for GHG emissions verification
NEW DELHI: Attero, India's largest cleantech company and the world's largest recycler of lithium-ion batteries, has secured the ISO 14064 Certification for Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions verification. This industry-first certification establishes Attero as a trailblazer in verified and transparent carbon footprint management. ISO 14064 is an international standard for GHG emissions verification, assessing an organization's carbon footprint through detailed calculations and independent third-party verification. For Attero, this certification confirms that its carbon footprint and GHG emissions data have been independently verified and validated, solidifying its commitment to sustainability and responsible environmental practices, the company said in a statement on Friday.
Date - 15/11/2024
India set to be developed economy with young population, digitisation: Mark Mobius
NEW DELHI: India is now at the take-off stage of development where the young demographic with higher productivity, digitisation of the economy, and a robust infrastructure growth will help the country become a major global economy in the years to come, Mark Mobius, of Mobius EM Opportunities Fund, said on Tuesday. India remains the world's fastest-growing economy with investment and private consumption driving growth. The IMF retained India's gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecasts at a robust 7 per cent and 6.5 per cent for FY25 and FY26, respectively. Mobius told IANS that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Digital India' and 'Make in India' programmes continue to maintain the momentum.
Date - 13/11/2024
Study explores Digital Rupee's transformative potential in financial inclusion
NEW DELHI: Hashtag Web3's latest report, Central Bank Digital Currency in India, provides a comprehensive view of India's transition to the Digital Rupee. This collaborative analysis, enriched by insights from over 30 industry experts and the Web3 community, examines the potential impact of a Central Bank Digital Currency on financial inclusion, economic growth, and digital payments in India. India's digital payment landscape has already seen remarkable progress with the UPI, which recently processed over 1,650 crore transactions in just one month. Building on this success, the Digital Rupee aims to further extend financial access to India's diverse population, including the estimated 19 crore unbanked individuals. The report offers a look at India's CBDC development and its transformative potential. One key area is financial inclusion, where CBDC's offline capabilities could extend secure financial services to nearly 20 per cent of India's unbanked population, especially in rural areas
Date - 12/11/2024
Digital Life Certificate Campaign 3.0: Camps set up at 1900 locations in 800 cities across India
The Department of Pension & Pensioners's Welfare launched the nation-wide Digital Life Certificate Campaign 3.0 for digital empowerment of pensioners. Jeevan Pramaan is the vision of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for digital empowerment of pensioners. The DLC Campaign 3.0 is being held in 800 cities, towns of India from November 1-30, 2024 in which all pensioners of Central/ state governments/ EPFO/ autonomous bodies can submit their Digital Life Certificates at pension disbursing banks or at IPPB. Super senior pensioners can do it from their residence and are provided door step delivery of services. All pension disbursing banks, CGDA, IPPB, UIDAI will be coming together to implement the DLC campaign on a nation-wide basis.
Date - 11/11/2024
CERT-In, Fortinet launch joint initiatives for academia to advance cybersecurity skills
NEW DELHI: The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) and Fortinet, a cybersecurity provider driving the convergence of networking and security, have launched joint initiatives for academia to advance cyber awareness and cyber security skills as a part of the National Cyber Security Awareness Month. This collaborative effort under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between CERT-In and Fortinet aims at empowering students, teachers, and professionals with the skills needed to protect against evolving cyber threats, an official release said. Dr Sanjay Bahl, Director General, CERT-In said, "Cultivating a highly skilled cybersecurity workforce for the future is essential for achieving a resilient cyber landscape. This Public-Private partnership venture with Fortinet aims to empower academic institutions by equipping them with industry-standard cybersecurity expertise. The curriculum is thoughtfully designed by teachers to cater to students at various levels, offering a progressive learning pathway that enhances their cybersecurity proficiency and prepares them for the challenges ahead."
Date - 11/11/2024
Parliamentary panel to hear views of media bodies on mechanism to curb fake news
NEW DELHI: A parliamentary committee headed by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has called media bodies -- News Broadcasters and Digital Association and Editors Guild of India -- to depose before it on the issue of curbing "fake news". An official statement said the Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology will meet on November 21 on the subject of "Review of mechanism to curb fake news". The panel will hear the views of the News Broadcasters and Digital Association (NBDA) and Editors Guild of India (EGI), it said. The committee had earlier decided to review the mechanism to curb fake news as well as the issues related to the emergence of OTT platforms.
Date - 11/11/2024
C-DOT, CR Rao AIMSCS sign agreement for side channel leakage capture infrastructure, analysis solution
The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), the premier telecom R&D center of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), on Friday signed an agreement with the CR Rao AIMSCS for the development of "Side Channel Leakage Capture Infrastructure and Analysis (SCLCIA) Solution". The agreement is signed under the C-DOT Collaborative Research Program (CCRP) for the Indian startups/ organizations/ research and academic institutions for collaborative development of side channel leakage capture infrastructure and analysis (SCLCIA) led by C-DOT. The project includes development of infrastructure (software and related hardware development) for capturing side channel data leakages through real-time power usage change from an FPGA while running a cryptographic algorithm implementation on it, the Ministry of Communications said in a statement.
Date - 09/11/2024
CDS Gen Anil Chauhan stresses transformative potential of AI, ML, quantum technologies in electronic warfare
Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS), in collaboration with the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies, conducted the inaugural annual Niche Technology Nexus (NTN-2024) seminar in New Delhi on Friday. The seminar, titled Innovating Tomorrow's Battlefront with Quantum and Electronic Mastery, provided insights into transforming defence operations to enhance Aatmanirbharta, aligning with India's goal for self-reliance in defence technology, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement. Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan delivered a special address. Acknowledging the ongoing National Quantum Mission, which coincides with the centenary of Dr SC Bose, Gen Chauhan emphasised the long-term impact of auantum technology on future warfare and outcomes for the armed forces. "Quantum technology will impact future wars with far-reaching outcomes for the armed force" she stated, underscoring its strategic importance for Indian defence, particularly in quantum key distribution, navigation, and sensing systems.
Date - 09/11/2024
Cygnus Ujala Group to hire healthcare professionals through National Career Service portal
Union Ministry of Labour & Employment and Cygnus Ujala Group signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in New Delhi on Thursday, marking a significant step toward enhancing employment accessibility in healthcare sector. The MoU was signed in the presence of Union Minister of Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya and Secretary, MoL&E, Sumita Dawra. The MoU highlights a joint commitment to leveraging the National Career Service (NCS) portal for boosting job opportunities. This is the first healthcare group which is directly getting associated with NCS and it will provide a boost to the healthcare job opportunities on NCS, an official release said. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya stated, "The National Career Service (NCS) portal is becoming a key platform for young job seekers, providing access to employment services across sectors. Our partnership with Ujala Cygnus expands this reach in healthcare, helping India's youth find valuable roles and build promising careers in this field."
Date - 08/11/2024
Coal ministry launches 'Mine Opening Permission Module' on single window clearance system portal
The Ministry of Coal on Thursday launched the Mine Opening Permission module on the single window clearance system (SWCS) portal. Secretary, Ministry of Coal, Vikram Dev Dutt, inaugurated the new module at an event in New Delhi. This transformative initiative aims to simplify and accelerate the approval process for opening coal mines, the ministry said in a statement. By leveraging digital solutions, the module enhances transparency, improves efficiency, and reduces processing time. This step significantly promotes the ease of doing business, creating a more investment-friendly environment and supporting faster approvals. This new module will drive growth in the coal sector, strengthen India's energy security, and contribute to the nation's vision of self-reliance and sustainable development.
Date - 08/11/2024
Union minister Jitendra Singh launches nation-wide Digital Life Certificate Campaign 3.0
NEW DELHI: Union Minister of State Dr Jitendra Singh on Wednesday launched the nationwide Digital Life Certificate (DLC) Campaign 3.0 for the digital empowerment of pensioners. The Digital Life Certificate, Jeevan Praman, is a vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the digital empowerment of pensioners, first introduced in 2014, with Face Authentication added in 2021, the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions said in a statement. The DLC Campaign 3.0 will continue till November 30 across 800 cities and towns in the country, featuring 1,900 camps and supported by 1,100 nodal officers. All pensioners can submit their Digital Life Certificates conveniently from home, at pension disbursing banks, or through India Post Payments Bank (IPPB), the ministry said.
Date - 07/11/2024
C-DOT, IIT Roorkee to jointly develop millimeter wave transceiver for 5G rural connectivity
Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), the premier Telecom R&D center of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India, has signed an agreement with the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT Roorkee) for the development of 'Millimeter Wave Transceiver for 5G Rural Connectivity'. The agreement was signed under the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) scheme of the Department of Telecommunications, Government of India, the Ministry of Communications said in a statement on Wednesday. This scheme, designed to fund Indian startups, academia, and R&D institutions, is a crucial enabler for designing, developing, and commercializing telecommunication products and solutions. It aims to enable affordable broadband and mobile services, playing a significant role in bridging the digital divide across India, the ministry said.
Date - 07/11/2024
Satcom not just a tool but a transformative force bringing Digital India to every household: MoS Pemmasani
Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development Dr Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani has said satellite communication (Satcom) is not just a tool but a transformative force, bringing Digital India to every household, village, and corner of the country. Stating that every advancement in space technology has had a transformative impact on earth, he added that the applications of Satcom extend across sectors vital to people's everyday lives and India's sustained growth. The minister was speaking at the session themed Advancing Space Communications and Global partnerships at the 3rd Indian Space Conclave being held in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Date - 07/11/2024
NPCI unveils UPI safety awareness campaign to champion safe digital payment practices
MUMBAI: To promote awareness on the safe use of digital payment services and prevent scams, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has launched a UPI safety awareness campaign, Main Moorkh Nahi Hoon. Conceptualised by Ogilvy, the campaign seeks to empower citizens with the skills to counter common risks and threats from scammers. While UPI is inherently safe, concerns over fraudulent activities have left some users feeling vulnerable. This campaign proactively reinforces UPI's security and robustness in users' minds, offering them the skills to carry out secure digital transactions and encouraging them to actively protect themselves, NPCI said in a press release. As the campaign's brand ambassador, renowned actor Pankaj Tripathi will star in a series of six ad films. These films will highlight common tactics used by scammers and fraudsters to deceive people. The films are produced in 11 Indian languages, making them accessible to Indiaâ??s diverse population, thereby creating awareness across the nation.
Date - 07/11/2024
C-DOT, CSIR-CEERI collaborate for development of single broadband antenna to cover 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G bands
In alignment with the 'Bharat 6G Vision', 'Made in India' and self-reliant India, Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), the premier Telecom R&D center of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has signed an agreement with CSIR- Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute (CEERI), Pilani, for the development of multiport switch with tuneable impedance matching network for a single broadband antenna to cover 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G bands. The project is funded under the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) scheme of the Department of Telecommunications, Government of India, the Ministry of Communications said in a statement on Thursday. This scheme, designed to fund Indian startups, academia, and R&D institutions, is a crucial enabler for designing, developing, and commercializing telecommunication products and solutions and will focus on developing a microelectromechanical technology-based switching network to cover multiple communication bands with enhanced antenna performance.
Date - 07/11/2024
Digital Life Certificate Campaign 3.0: Mega camp planned at SBI admin office in Bengaluru on Friday
The Department of Pension & Pensioners' Welfare (DoPPW) is conducting Nationwide DLC Campaign 3.0 in November 2024 to streamline life certificate submission for pensioners through face authentication technology. This method allows pensioners to submit certificates via Aadhaar-based recognition on Android smartphones. As part of the nationwide DLC Campaign 3.0, a mega camp has been organized at State Bank of India, Administrative office, KG Road, Bengaluru on Thursday. Secretary, P&PW and senior officials from the department will be visiting the mega camp which is being held to assist pensioners in use of various digital modes to submit their life certificates. UIDAI will assist pensioners for updation of their Adhaar records, where ever required and also to take care of any technical issues, the ministry said in a statement on Thursday. Previously, pensioners were required to visit pension disbursing authorities, often challenging for elderly individuals. In 2014, DoPPW introduced Digital Life Certificates (Jeevan Pramaan), and in 2021, face authentication technology. This advancement eliminated the need for biometric devices, making the process more accessible.
Date - 07/11/2024
Govt policies shaping the future of telecom, creating jobs, fuelling economic growth
The telecom sector of India has transformed remarkably over time and the nation has evolved into the second largest and most dynamic industry globally. Now, with around one billion subscribers and almost 900 million internet users, this sector plays a crucial role in economic development, digital transformation, communication, and innovation. Yet, the fast expansion likewise presents several challenges, including extensive infrastructure development needs, regulatory adjustments needed, and encouraging innovation issues that government policies and reforms aim to address by shaping India's telecom future. At the heart of India's strategy is the National Digital Communications Policy (NDCP) of 2018. This policy basically strives to achieve "Broadband for All" and it not only aims to facilitate the development of broadband connectivity but also aims to encourage the telecom sector's contribution to India's GDP.
Date - 07/11/2024
Transforming rural education through digital technology to empower underserved communities
Education can be a key driver for triggering large-scale transformation of villages in areas of endemic poverty. The students in the rural areas should have access to education infrastructure, teachers and teaching solutions that are easily available in the urban areas. Shiv Nadar Foundation's Shiksha Initiative is doing a lot of work for transforming rural education in India. Launched in 2012, the initiative aims to enhance literacy and learning through technology, reaching thousands of students in underserved communities. In conversation with ETGovernment's Arpit Gupta, Robin Sarkar, Project Director, Shiksha Initiative at Shiv Nadar Foundation, sheds light on the Shiksha Initiative's impact, future goals, and the role of teachers and volunteers in the transformative journey of rural education.
Date - 06/11/2024
Industry urges Trai to adopt unified technology for Digital Radio
MUMBAI: Industry bodies have urged the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to adopt a single digital radio technology for India digital radio rollout, suggesting either Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) or HD Radio as options. In submissions to Trai, the Association of Radio Operators for India (AROI) advocated for a unified digital technology, particularly for FM broadcasting, citing cost efficiency. AROI suggested All India Radio (AIR) could separately assess DRM and HD Radio for MW and SW bands, which fall under its exclusive remit. AROI also recommended maintaining analogue transmission until digital receivers are adopted by over 80% of the population to ensure accessibility.
Date - 06/11/2024
AI-Driven Marketing: Unlocking data-driven growth for startups
In today's rapidly evolving startup ecosystem, effective marketing is essential for survival. Startups must cut through the noise, reach their target audience, and convert that attention into growth. Yet, for many startups with limited resources, achieving this can seem like a daunting task. Fortunately, the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into marketing is reshaping the landscape, offering new avenues for data-driven growth and precision that were once reserved for large enterprises. AI-driven marketing, with its ability to analyze vast datasets, predict consumer behavior, and automate repetitive tasks, is leveling the playing field, giving startups the tools to scale faster and smarter.
Date - 06/11/2024
QR code machines installed at 588 booking counters across Northeast Frontier Railway zone
GUWAHATI: The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), which operates in the northeastern states and in seven districts of West Bengal and five districts of north Bihar, has equipped 588 booking counters with QR code machines across its five divisions in a bid to support 'Digital India' and enable cashless transactions, officials said on Monday. NFR Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Kapinjal Kishore Sharma said that 588 numbers of booking counters with QR code machines have been installed in five divisions -- Katihar, Rangiya, Alipurduar, Lumding, and Tinsukia. He said that this initiative ensures that passengers at almost all major stations within the NFR network can benefit from seamless digital payments, making ticketing more convenient and efficient.
Date - 05/11/2024
India to launch European Union's solar observatory satellite Proba-3 in December: Jitendra Singh
Union minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Tuesday announced that India is set to launch the European Unions Proba-3 space satellite in the first week of December, marking another milestone in its burgeoning role as a global space leader. Disclosing this while speaking at the 3rd Indian Space Conclave, Dr Singh said this underscores the deepening partnership between India and the EU in space research and exploration. This mission, aimed at observing the Sun, signifies both nations commitment to advancing scientific knowledge while reinforcing the reputation of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) as a trusted partner in international space missions. The Proba-3 satellite, which arrived this morning at Sriharikota, is aimed at observing the Sun and reflects a new level of equal collaboration between India and other major space powers.
Date - 05/11/2024
Social Media and Students: The impact of non-stop digital engagement on young minds
Humans are social species depending on companionship of others to thrive in life. The emergence of social media has brought this hyper-connected society even closer with its influence growing rapidly among the adolescents. What was perceived as an avenue for communication, building connections with friends and families and expressing oneself creatively has now become an integral part of our lives. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook got introduced for their powerful spaces to explore one's creativity, self-expression and social interaction. The non-stop digital engagement has started presenting serious risks to the psychological well-being of the students. The most significant impact of social media is peer pressure. Peer pressure has long been a part of the students life, shaping how young people perceive and navigate through the social environment. Although the traditional form of peer pressure, including the ones in schools, playgrounds or community spaces were challenging, but were confined to specific times and places. But with the rise of social media, peer pressure has also evolved and has now become a part of the students lives, significantly amplifying its impact.
Date - 05/11/2024
'Digital arrest' does not exist in law; report cybercrimes at earliest: Experts
Posing as CBI and RBI officials, suspected cybercriminals recently put a retired banker and his wife under "digital arrest" for five days in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut district and convinced the elderly couple to transfer more than Rs 1 crore to them. A senior doctor from Lucknow's SGPGIMS lost Rs 2.81 crore under a similar ruse in August while reports of such crimes have also emerged from Noida and Varanasi, among other places in the state. Cybercrimes, particularly digital arrests and financial frauds under the pretext of investment or employment, have surged since the COVID-19 pandemic. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also warned citizens about these threats during a recent "Mann ki Baat" address. Subject experts explain that digital arrest refers to a deceptive tactic used by cybercriminals, who falsely claim to have the authority to arrest an individual through digital means, often over the phone or via online communication.
Date - 04/11/2024
Governance Challenge 2024: Uttar Pradesh's AI-powered push for good governance
Uttar Pradesh is hosting The Governance Challenge (TGC) 2024, a nationwide governance focused competition that seeks to harness the potential of the top students in India, to address real-world governance issues. Organised by Samagra, a mission-driven governance consulting firm, TGC is a competition organised each year with one anchor state and one governance domain. It consists of three roundsCampus Round, Nationals Round, and Summit Rounds and invites participation from the top 30 business and public policy schools across India.
Date - 04/11/2024
Tech adoption in governance must avoid digital marginalization: VP Jagdeep Dhankhar
Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar while emphasising the importance of technology adoption in public administration, said, 'Our training programs and research initiatives should focus on emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain, and data analytics, while ensuring their ethical and responsible implementation in public service delivery. The cornerstone of effective public administration is continuous learning and capacity building.' The Vice President was addressing the gathering at the 70th annual meeting of the General Body of Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), New Delhi on Monday. Drawing attention to the concern of digital marginalisation and need of an inclusive approach, Dhankhar underlined, "While embracing technology, we must also ensure that it does not create further divisions. Rapidly advancing technology can exclude the most vulnerable sections of society. Therefore, our approach should be inclusive and inspired by "antyoday," ensuring that technological advancements reach all corners of our population."
Date - 04/11/2024
Inclusive efforts of govt propel women to new heights in civil aviation: President Murmu
NEW DELHI: President Droupadi Murmu on Monday interacted with a group of women achievers in the Indian aviation sector at Rashtrapati Bhavan. This meeting took place under the initiative "The President with the People" which aims to establish a deeper connect with people and recognise their contributions, according to a communique from the President's Secretariat. Speaking on the occasion, the President said that women are playing a key role in various operational and technical areas in India's civil aviation sector. She noted that 15 percent of air traffic controllers are women, 11 percent of flight dispatchers are women, and 9 percent of aerospace engineers are women. She also noted that 18 percent of pilots who received commercial licenses last year were women. She appreciated all women achievers who think innovatively and have the courage to tread new paths. The President said that the inclusive efforts of the Government of India have given a boost to the progress of women in the civil aviation sector. More and more women are now choosing aviation as their career. She emphasised that along with increasing the participation of women in the aviation industry, equal opportunities moving forward in this field are also necessary.
Date - 04/11/2024
Develop high-end tech to realise vision of Viksit Bharat: Defence Minister to youth at IIT Kanpur
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called upon Indian youth to indigenously develop high-end technologies, which the country imports, to realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of Viksit Bharat. He was addressing the 65th Foundation Day celebrations at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur on November 2. The Defence Minister described technology as the biggest factor behind the rapid changes taking place in every field today, with countries competing to master niche tech, such as Artificial Intelligence, to establish an edge in the current geopolitical scenario.
Date - 03/11/2024
AI adoption can generate Rs 33.8 lakh crore of economic value in India by 2030: Hardeep Puri
Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri has underscored the pivotal role of artificial intelligence (AI) in transforming the energy sector. Addressing the ENRich 2024, KPMG's Annual Innovation and Energy Conclave under the theme 'AI for Energy,' the minister described the convergence of AI and energy as both timely and transformative, marking a critical step in shaping the future of the industry. He emphasized that AI is set to revolutionize operations, drive efficiency, and accelerate the shift towards a more sustainable energy landscape. The minister highlighted how AI is rapidly being adopted across industries and will be instrumental in realizing the Prime Minister's vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Date - 24/10/2024
Rydberg atoms for quantum magnetometry: Towards more precise atomic clocks for navigation, telecom, aviation
A team of experimentalists working with cold Rydberg atoms have used quantum magnetometry to help the atomic clocks and magnetometers used for precise time keeping in navigation, telecommunication and aviation, achieve higher precision and make them additionally robust, according to the Ministry of Science & Technology. A Rydberg atom is an excited atom with one or more electrons that have a very high principal quantum number. This state of excitation is measured with a spectroscopic method called the Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT). Researchers at the Raman Research Institute (RRI) have leveraged the doppler effect to their advantage and achieved a ten times enhanced response to the magnetic field while performing quantum magnetometry (phenomenon exploiting the quantum nature of light and atoms for precision measurement of magnetic fields) on thermal rubidium atoms using Rydberg Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT) in a room temperature-based environment, the ministry said.
Date - 23/10/2024
Nationwide Digital Life Certificate Campaign 3.0 to be held during Nov 1-30
Pensioners have to submit life certificate every year in the month of November for continuation of pension. DoPPW will be conducting the third nation-wide Digital Life Certificate campaign which will be held in 800 cities/ districts across India from November 1-30, 2024. The department has notified the guidelines through O.M. dated 9th August, 2024. The campaign will be held in collaboration with pension disbursing banks, India Post Payments Bank, pensionersâ?? welfare associations, CGDA, DoT, Railways, UIDAI and MeitY with the aim of touching all the pensioners in remotest corners of the country.
Date - 23/10/2024
Make optimal, responsible use of AI in govt working to enhance efficiency: Jitendra Singh
NEW DELHI: Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh on Tuesday emphasised on the need for the optimal use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in government working to enhance efficiency and productivity. Speaking at a special session on AI organised for the staff of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) at South Block in the national capital, Dr Singh highlighted the critical role AI can play in revolutionising governance, streamlining operations and improving decision-making processes across various government departments. The session, which saw participation from officers across all levels - from Section Officers to the Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Union Minister - was a unique demonstration of breaking hierarchical barriers within the PMO, with officials learning the same advanced concepts alongside each other, according to an official statement.
Date - 23/10/2024
ITU Kaleidoscope 2024 highlights cutting-edge AI innovations for sustainable development
The second day of ITU Kaleidoscope 2024, which concluded on Tuesday on the sidelines of ITU-WTSA 2024 in New Delhi, brought forward transformative discussions focused on AI and digital technologies driving sustainable development. Kicking off with a special presentation by Mari Carmen Aguayo Torres, the day emphasized inclusive technology solutions, particularly through public-private partnerships to attract women to tech fields. Kicking off with a special presentation by Mari Carmen Aguayo Torres, the day emphasized inclusive technology solutions, particularly through public-private partnerships to attract women to tech fields.
Date - 23/10/2024
Scindia unveils BSNL's new logo and seven customer centric services
NEW DELHI: Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya M. Scindia on Tuesday unveiled the new logo of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd and its seven citizen centric services representing BSNL's renewed focus on delivering secure, affordable, and reliable connectivity to every corner of the country. The logo was launched in presence of MoS for Communications & Rural Development Dr Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, at Bharat Sanchar Bhavan and the event was attended by Secretary Telecom, CMD BSNL& senior Officers from DoT, BSNL, CDoT, ITI & TCIL. Besides the new logo, seven initiatives were also launched, aimed at revolutionizing how India connects, communicates, and enhances its digital security.
Date - 23/10/2024
Postal dept starts proof of concept for transmission of mail through drone in hilly regions
Keeping pace with the latest developments in the courier express and parcel (CEP) market, the Department of Posts has started a proof of concept (POC) on October 21 for transmission of mail through drone between Chowkham Post Office (PO) and Wakro Branch Post Office (BO) located in Namsai and Lohit district, respectively of Arunachal Pradesh, when a drone from Chowkham PO airlifted at 10.40am and landed at Wakro BO at 11.02am, carrying the mail for the BO, the Ministry of Communications said in a statement on Tuesday. In the return journey, the drone airlifted from Wakro BO at 11.44am and landed at Chowkham PO at 12.08pm. The department has entered into a tie up with SKYE AIR Mobility for carrying out the POC. Wakro BO is located at a distance of 45 km from Chowkham PO
Date - 23/10/2024
TRAI seeks consultation on T&C of network authorisations granted under Telecommunications Act 2023
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Tuesday released a consultation paper on the Terms and Conditions of Network Authorisations to be Granted Under the Telecommunications Act, 2023. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), through a letter dated 26.07.2024, informed TRAI that the Telecommunications Act, 2023 has been published in the Official Gazette of India; Section 3(1)(b) of the Act provides for obtaining an authorisation by any person intending to establish, operate, maintain or expand telecommunication network, subject to such terms and conditions, including fees or charges, as may be prescribed. Through the letter, DoT, under Section 11(1)(a) of the TRAI Act 1997, requested TRAI to provide its recommendations on terms and conditions, including fees or charges, for authorisation to establish, operate, maintain or expand telecommunication network as per the provisions of the Telecommunications Act, 2023.
Date - 23/10/2024
'International Incoming Spoofed Calls Prevention System' launched to protect citizens from cyber frauds
Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya M. Scindia on Tuesday launched 'International Incoming Spoofed Calls Prevention System', yet another milestone of DoT's efforts towards building a safe digital space and protecting citizens from cyber-crime. Minister of State for Communications Dr Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, Secretary, Telecommunications, Neeraj Mittal and other senior officials were present at the event. Of late, cyber criminals have been committing cyber-crimes by making international spoofed calls displaying Indian mobile numbers starting with +91-xxxxxxxxx. These calls appear to be originating within India but are actually being made from abroad by manipulating the calling line identity (CLI) or commonly known as phone number, the Ministry of Communications said in a statement.
Date - 23/10/2024
Aadhaar most important technological system in the world today: Nobel laureate Paul Romer
Nobel laureate Paul Romer on Monday said Aadhaar is the most important technological system in the world right now and it has laid the foundation of a platform to enable people to avail government benefits, including direct benefit transfer. Speaking at the NDTV World Summit, Romer said that a similar platform could not be set up successfully in the US because they were monopolised by the private sector. "Aadhaar is the most important technological system in the world right now. Aadhaar solved only one problem. Present a person to me, and I will tell you what that person's number (is).
Date - 22/10/2024
Will deliver more homegrown solutions to empower next-gen digital natives in India: PhonePe
NEW DELHI: Fintech major PhonePe on Monday said it is committed to transparency and accountability while showcasing its approach to delivering innovative financial solutions for the Indian market. Releasing its inaugural annual report that provides a comprehensive overview of the company's vision, strategy, governance and financial performance, the company said it will continue to deliver homegrown solutions that empower the next generation of digital natives in the country. The report highlights PhonePeâ??s India-first ethos and vision. From moving its domicile to India to creating over twenty thousand jobs nationwide, embracing India's DPI initiatives early, and making industry-leading investments in the Indian internet ecosystem, PhonePe has been committed to driving financial inclusion and digital growth in the country, the company said.
Date - 22/10/2024
Honeywell, Google Cloud to deploy AI agents for autonomous operations in industries
NEW DELHI: Honeywell and Google Cloud on Monday announced a unique collaboration connecting artificial intelligence (AI) agents with assets, people and processes to accelerate safer, autonomous operations for the industrial sector. This partnership will bring together the multimodality and natural language capabilities of Gemini on Vertex AI â?? Google Cloudâ??s AI platform â?? and the massive data set on Honeywell Forge, a leading Internet of Things (IoT) platform for industries. This will unleash easy-to-understand, enterprise-wide insights across a multitude of use cases, Honeywell said in a statement. Honeywellâ??s customers across the industrial sector will benefit from opportunities to reduce maintenance costs, increase operational productivity and upskill employees. The first solutions built with Google Cloud AI will be available to Honeywellâ??s customers in 2025.
Date - 22/10/2024
IIT Delhi launches MS program in Healthcare Technology for medical, allied clinical professionals
NEW DELHI: In an innovative program aimed at bridging the gap between medicine and engineering, the Centre for Biomedical Engineering (CBME) at IIT Delhi has launched an exclusive Master of Science (Research) program in Healthcare Technology. This unique program starting in January 2025 is specifically designed for medical and allied clinical professionals, integrating the principles of medicine with cutting-edge engineering disciplines to foster deep-tech innovations in healthcare, according to IIT Delhi. The MS (Research) in Healthcare Technology stands out for its highly project-centric approach, ensuring that students gain hands-on experience with real-world applications. Participants will benefit from clinical and industrial immersion with leading institutes and corporates, providing them with a comprehensive understanding of both the medical and technological landscapes, the institute said in a statement on Tuesday.
Date - 22/10/2024
Maldives govt takes steps to introduce UPI following cabinet approval
MALE (Maldives): The President of Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu, decided to take the necessary steps to introduce the Unified Payment Interface (UPI) in the island nation, following the recommendation of the Cabinet on Sunday. This move came following India agreeing to share its expertise in the implementation of digital and financial services and to work in the development of the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) through the launch of India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI), Unique Digital Identity, during Muizzu's State Visit earlier this month. The decision by the Maldivian President is expected to bring significant benefits to the Maldivian economy, including increased financial inclusion, improved efficiency in financial transactions, and enhanced digital infrastructure, as per a statement released by his office.
Date - 21/10/2024
India's digital revolution an example for the world: Nobel Laureate Prof Paul Romer
NEW DELHI: Nobel Laureate Professor Paul Michael Romer on Sunday hailed India's digital revolution as one of the most inspiring and interesting success stories and said that it has set a new benchmark for world powers. Prof Paul Michael Romer, also the former Chief Economist of World Bank, is currently in India and will be one of the lead speakers at the two-day NDTV World Summit, starting from October 21. Professor Paul, sharing his views on India's digital prowess, pointed out a unique aspect of India's digital transformation and said that the South Asian nations can benefit heavily by emulating it.
Date - 21/10/2024
Source:-India's digital revolution an example for the world: Nobel Laureate Prof Paul Romer
When cybersecurity meets innovation: A defense facilityâ??s journey to outpace hackers
Around the world, defense establishments are under constant threat from malicious entities. Attacks come in many forms from cyber intrusions to physical breaches. In a notorious incident a few years ago, terrorists infiltrated a high-security military compound, attacking security personnel and attempting to destroy vital assets like aircraft. Such incidents are becoming more frequent, and they're not just limited to physical attacks. Cyberattacks aimed at crippling defense systems are increasingly common, causing significant operational disruptions and financial losses.
Date - 21/10/2024
India's digital revolution an example for the world: Nobel Laureate Prof Paul Romer
NEW DELHI: Nobel Laureate Professor Paul Michael Romer on Sunday hailed India's digital revolution as one of the most inspiring and interesting success stories and said that it has set a new benchmark for world powers. Prof Paul Michael Romer, also the former Chief Economist of World Bank, is currently in India and will be one of the lead speakers at the two-day NDTV World Summit, starting from October 21. Professor Paul, sharing his views on India's digital prowess, pointed out a unique aspect of India's digital transformation and said that the South Asian nations can benefit heavily by emulating it.
Date - 21/10/2024
When cybersecurity meets innovation: A defense facilityâ??s journey to outpace hackers
Around the world, defense establishments are under constant threat from malicious entities. Attacks come in many formsâ??from cyber intrusions to physical breaches. In a notorious incident a few years ago, terrorists infiltrated a high-security military compound, attacking security personnel and attempting to destroy vital assets like aircraft. Such incidents are becoming more frequent, and theyâ??re not just limited to physical attacks. Cyberattacks aimed at crippling defense systems are increasingly common, causing significant operational disruptions and financial losses.
Date - 21/10/2024
India can lead global collaboration for 6G: Experts opine during India Mobile Congress 2024
NEW DELHI: The 8th edition of Indian Mobile Congress (IMC) 2024, the largest telecom, media and technology forum in Asia, jointly organized by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), showcased futuristic technologies, use cases, integration of AI across sectors, display of sustainable tech solutions and India's prowess in digital and telecommunication ecosystem with a range of emerging innovations. During the second day of IMC 2024, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Union Minister for Communications and Development of Northeastern Region, interacted with CEOs from leading global companies on the theme 'Leading in the Moment: The Future is Now'. The second day also saw the inauguration of International 6G Symposium, launch of Telecom Smart Cities Index by Opensignal and workshop with academicians of 5G Test Labs.
Date - 19/10/2024
TRAI seeks stakeholder inputs to formulate regulations for ground-based broadcasters
NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Friday released a consultation paper to create a regulatory framework for ground-based broadcasters. The stakeholders can send written comments by November 15 and counter comments, if any, are welcomed by November 29, said the telecom regulatory body in a statement. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has earlier issued guidelines for uplinking and downlinking of satellite television channels in the country. These contain the terms and conditions for TV broadcasting services, make it mandatory for the broadcasters to use satellite medium i.e. uplinking and down linking of television channels through satellite, for providing their channels to the distribution platform operators (DPOs).
Date - 19/10/2024
Symposium explores practical applications of emerging tech in D2M, 5G broadcasting, digital radio
A symposium on 'Emerging Trends and Technologies in the Broadcasting Sector' was held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, on the sidelines of the India Mobile Congress (IMC-2024) on Thursday. The symposium explored the transformative potential and practical applications of emerging technologies within the broadcasting industry, with a particular focus on immersive technologies, D2M (Direct-to-Mobile) and 5G broadcasting and digital radio. More than 100 national and international participants, including key stakeholders from the broadcasting industry, technology giants, device manufacturers and government gathered to engage in the insightful discussions and explore the future of broadcasting in the digital age. The symposium was structured in three back-to-back sessions designed to cover significant topics shaping the broadcasting landscape. The sessions have been chaired by distinguished industry leaders and officers from government, including Vishal Arya, Head of Technology at Tata Play, Ashok Kumar, DDG, DoT and Syed Tausif Abbas, DDG, DoT. Expert speakers from renowned organizations, including specialists from the broadcasting sector, device and network manufacturers participated.
Date - 18/10/2024
MumbaiHacks 2024: Gen AI hackathon set to challenge developers to innovate with purpose
Mumbai is poised to lead the next wave of Gen AI innovation as the Tech Entrepreneurs Association of Mumbai (TEAM) and Made in Mumbai, in partnership with NVIDIA, Meta, Quantiphi and ATLAS SkillTech University, is set to host India's largest GenAI hackathon 'MumbaiHacks'. The event will be held at ATLAS SkillTech University in BKC, Mumbai, on October 25-26, 2024. Building on the excitement, Mumbai will host a landmark AI Week this month, starting with NVIDIA's flagship AI Summit -- one of just three global conferences, alongside Washington DC and Japan -- followed by the eagerly awaited 'MumbaiHacks', TEAM said in a press release on Friday. Marking its two years of operations, TEAM has consistently pushed boundaries in positioning Mumbai as a global tech hub, and 'MumbaiHacks' will significantly reinstate the efforts, it said, adding that TEAM is committed to democratizing the advancement of Gen AI innovation, by bringing together not only engineers and developers but also key stakeholders from policy, politics, civil society, law, non-profits, business, the creative arts, film, and journalism to ensure a holistic approach to AI innovation that is informed by a broad range of perspectives, to drive solutions that are both impactful and far-reaching.
Date - 18/10/2024
Driving innovative solutions for environmental challenges, how AI is going to impact 'green jobs'
Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming an increasingly important tool in the fight against climate change. As the world shifts towards sustainable practices, AI offers innovative solutions to address environmental challenges. From optimizing energy consumption to improving waste management, AI is playing a pivotal role in creating new jobs and transforming traditional industries. One of the most significant ways AI is impacting the green economy is by creating new job opportunities. AI developers, data scientists, and machine learning engineers are in high demand to develop and implement AI-powered solutions for environmental sustainability. These roles are essential for analyzing data, building predictive models, and automating processes to improve efficiency and reducing environmental impact. AI's impact extends beyond creating new jobs. It is also reshaping existing roles within sectors dedicated to renewable energy, waste management, and environmental conservation. By automating routine tasks, optimizing operations, and facilitating data analysis, AI empowers workers to focus on higher-level tasks and decision-making, resulting in greater efficiency in sustainability efforts.
Date - 18/10/2024
Securing GST compliance: Crucial role of online invoicing in data integrity
The transition from paper-based to online invoicing has become prevalent among businesses. Initially embraced for its cost-efficiency, e-invoicing has emerged as an essential tool for preventing tax fraud and ensuring compliance. Governments worldwide have recognized its potential in combating fraud, leading to legislation mandating its adoption. These mandates often come with a shift from traditional post-audit models to new clearance systems, where invoices are submitted directly to a central tax authority portal for approval or "clearance" before reaching the buyer. India is following the same path by introducing e-invoicing under the GST framework. This approach represents a significant advancement within the GST ecosystem, as it involves the authentication of electronically generated invoices through the Indian GST authorities' reporting platform.
Date - 18/10/2024
Unleashing India's semiconductor potential: Importance of education in fostering innovation, enterprise
Semiconductors are the building blocks of modern electronics and information technology and are the core of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, big data, renewable energy etc. Education plays a pivotal role in creating the human capital for the semiconductor industry. This means that India needs to train and educate a large chunk of semiconductor professionals in the coming years. A software focus in the last three decades has been a success story. Software technology is rapidly evolving, involves myriad roles and possesses inherent flexibility with a larger geographical footprint. Software apparently, accrues a better initial remuneration and scope of funding, since it may not be as capital intensive as compared to semiconductors.
Date - 17/10/2024
Machine Unlearning, Nishpaksh among 8 projects selected by IndiaAI Mission to promote responsible AI
The IndiaAI Mission has selected eight Responsible AI projects against the Expression of Interest (EoI) floated under the Safe and Trusted AI Pillar of the IndiaAI Mission. Recognizing the need for adequate guardrails to advance the responsible development, deployment, and adoption of AI, the selected Responsible AI projects include the development of indigenous tools and frameworks, and establishing guidelines for ethical, transparent, and trustworthy AI technologies, the Union Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY) said in a statement on Wednesday.
Date - 17/10/2024
STPI launches LEAP AHEAD 2nd edition at IMC 2024: Empowering entrepreneurship ecosystem in tier 2 & 3 cities
Building on the success of its inaugural edition, the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) today launched the LEAP AHEAD 2nd Edition at the Indian Mobile Congress 2024 in New Delhi on October 16. The initiative was launched by K. K. Singh, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) and Arvind Kumar, Director General, STPI; Dr. Rasappa Viswanathan, Director, ICAR Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research; Shri Pradeep Gupta, Chairman & Managing Director, CyberMedia and Board Member, TiE Delhi-NCR; and Roshan Lal Tamak, Executive Director & CEO, DCM Shriram Ltd, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Director, STPI; Subodh Sachan, Director, STPI.
Date - 16/10/2024
Blockchain Applications: Regulatory horizons beyond finance
Blockchain tech is seen as a transformative tool with multiple use cases cutting across sectors and industries. However, in terms of mainstream attention, while cryptocurrency regulation commands a lot of space outside the virtual assets and finance space, blockchain applications do not receive much attention. It must be corrected, and regulators must look deeper at other sectors and industries where blockchain tech will call for new norms and approaches. Virtual assets and crypto have emerged as major asset classes, and regulatory scrutiny has been immense. Concerns about misuse have been part of many regulatory debates.
Date - 16/10/2024
PM Modi pitches for global digital rules framework, ethical AI
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday made a fervent pitch for putting in place a global framework for use of digital technology and ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI), saying security cannot be an afterthought in an interconnected world. Speaking at the inauguration of the International Telecommunication Union - WTSA and India Mobile Congress here, he favoured clear 'dos' and 'don'ts' to safeguard citizens. "There is a need for a global framework... guidelines for digital technology," he said. "Time has come when global institutions have to accept the importance of a rule-based framework for digital technology."
Date - 16/10/2024
CCPA directs Ola to provide consumers option to get refund to bank account
In a landmark decision, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has directed Ola, a leading online ride-hailing platform, to implement a mechanism allowing consumers to choose their preferred method of refund -- either directly to their bank account or via coupon -- during the grievance redressal process. Additionally, Ola has been instructed to provide consumers with a bill or receipt or invoice for all Auto rides booked through its platform, ensuring greater transparency and accountability in its services. The Authority headed by Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare observed that whenever consumer raised any grievance on the Ola app, as part of its no-question-asked refund policy, Ola only provided a coupon code which could be used for the next ride without providing a clear choice to the consumer to opt between a bank account refund or a coupon. It was observed that this violates consumer rights and the no-question-asked refund policy cannot mean that the company incentivises people to simply use this facility for taking another ride.
Date - 14/10/2024
Technology brings ease of governance benefiting citizens as well as officials: Jitendra Singh
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Personnel Dr Jitendra Singh has emphasized the need for continuous learning and capacity building to navigate the evolving landscape of governance in India. Highlighting the dynamic role civil servants play in shaping the country's future, Dr Singh urged the officers to stay adaptable, embrace new technologies, and foster citizen-centric governance as India moves towards becoming a developed nation by 2047. While addressing young officers at the 99th Foundation Course at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, on Friday, the minister highlighted the role of the civil services in fostering a robust, citizen-centered administration and underscored the need for continuous learning and unlearning to meet the challenges of a rapidly evolving society.
Date - 12/10/2024
Centre set to roll out 'e-detection' system for old polluting vehicles entering Delhi
NEW DELHI: The central government is set to roll out an online system to detect diesel and petrol vehicles older than 10 and 15 years plying on Delhi roads and those without valid fitness and pollution certificates. The e-detection system, which will enable the transport departments to find out where such vehicles are registered to generate e-challans automatically, will start by Diwali, sources said. This will be a big deterrent for old polluting vehicles from any state entering Delhi roads. Though over a decade old vehicles are not allowed to ply on city roads, enforcement agencies can't implement it fully as physically checking each vehicle entering from other states is impossible. E-detection addresses this issue to a large extent, officials said.
Date - 12/10/2024
Digital Agriculture Mission to help leverage tech, data-driven solutions to modernize farming: Secy
The India Digital Agri Conference 2024, co-organized by ICFA and IIT Ropar TIF-AwaDH in New Delhi on Friday. Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Dr Devesh Chaturvedi highlighted the importance of the Digital Agriculture Mission. He emphasised the relevance of the mission in leveraging technology and data-driven solutions to modernize Indian agriculture. The mission aims to empower farmers with real-time information and support systems, enabling better decision-making and boosting rural livelihoods. Chaturvedi emphasized that digital agriculture will play a pivotal role in transforming the agricultural landscape of India. The day-long event encompassed discussions to revolutionize traditional farming systems, which is essential to catalyze innovation by fostering the adoption of cutting-edge technologies and encouraging collaboration among farmers, tech developers, and researchers and promoting sustainable practices through digital tools and build climate-resilient agricultural systems.
Date - 12/10/2024
Easebuzz drives formalisation of Indian SMEs with verticalised digital payment solutions
PUNE: For achieving India's goal of becoming the third-largest economy by 2030, it is essential that growth is driven not only by the thriving startup ecosystem but also by the active participation of SMEs and traditional informal businesses. These businesses must evolve into modern, formalised organizations by adopting digital solutions. Recognizing this opportunity, the Pune-based Easebuzz payments platform is empowering businesses in the informal sector through formalisation by offering affordable digital solutions that are currently benefiting over 1,50,000 enterprises, the company said in a press release on Friday.
Date - 12/10/2024
PwC India collaborates with Meta to expand open-source AI solutions
PwC India has announced a collaboration with Meta to expand and scale its open-source AI solutions to enterprises and citizen services on Meta's Llama models. This collaboration will promote the adoption of the Llama open-source platform and help PwC develop innovative solutions powered by Generative AI (GenAI) on a global scale, the consultancy firm said in a release. In light of the Indian government's announcement to launch the IndiaAI Mission and its investment in building a robust AI ecosystem, the moment is ideal for businesses to harness the potential of GenAI, it added. "With Llama Models, we see a unique opportunity to democratise this technology across industries, and drive innovation while solving real-world challenges. Together, we aspire to create a more digitally enabled future for our clients and our communities - to create value and drive meaningful change at scale," Sanjeev Krishan, Chairperson of PwC India, said.
Date - 12/10/2024
Telecommunications: The cornerstone for AI for Good, responsible regulations & cybersecurity
As the world gains more intelligence 'artificially', there is nothing impossible 'virtually'. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) have become integral parts of almost all sectors worldwide, India being no exception. IDC anticipates that AI spending in India will surpass $512 billion by 2027. While AI/ML technologies have immense potential to drive innovation and growth, the United Nations Resolution on Artificial Intelligence has recognised that unethical and improper use of AI systems would impede the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Date - 09/10/2024
India launches RuPay card in Maldives; announces consulate in Addu City
New Delhi, October 7: In an attempt to foster digital and financial cooperation between the two countries, India on Monday launched the RuPay cards in Maldives to enhance the ease of payments for Indian tourists visiting the island nation as well as for Maldivian nationals visiting India. Both nations have also agreed to work towards establishing a Maldivian Consulate in Bengaluru and an Indian Consulate in Addu City, the joint statement released by India and Maldives stated.
Date - 08/10/2024
InMobi, DSCI collaborate to elevate cybersecurity education, strengthen digital resilience in India
NEW DELHI: InMobi, a global leader in mobile technology and digital innovation, and Data Security Council of India (DSCI), an independent not-for-profit organization established by NASSCOM, on Monday entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance cybersecurity awareness, capacity building, skilling and upskilling initiatives across India. The collaboration reflects the shared vision of InMobi and DSCI to create a secure and resilient digital ecosystem in India, the company said in a press release.
Date - 08/10/2024
T-Hub partners with XDC Network to accelerate Blockchain innovation for Web3 startups in India
Startup incubator T-Hub Tuesday announced a strategic partnership with XDC Network, a leading enterprise-grade blockchain platform. This collaboration is aimed at accelerating the growth of Indian Web3 startups by providing them with world-class blockchain technology and resources, a company release said. The partnership will drive blockchain innovation and enable Indian startups to build on XDC Networkâ??s hybrid blockchain platform, which combines the best features of both public and private blockchains. T-Hub and XDC Network will work together to offer an incubation program that includes access to XDCâ??s technology, mentorship from industry experts, funding opportunities, and networking with global blockchain leaders. With XDC Network already listed on prominent Indian cryptocurrency exchanges such as CoinDCX, Giottus, and Unocoin, Indian developers and investors can easily access the platform.
Date - 08/10/2024
Beyond tech infra, we are now partners in biz transformation for cos: Google Cloud India MD
NEW DELHI: India is among the fastest-growing markets for Google in the cloud services segment, a senior executive has said, adding that the tech giant is looking to partner companies in their business transformation through its offerings. Google Cloud India is seeing an "increased adoption" of its offerings across segments from the public sector to small and medium businesses and from startups and digital-native companies, Google Cloud India Vice President and Country Managing Director Bikram Singh Bedi told PTI. "If you look at cloud services as a segment, India is one of the fastest-growing countries for Google. If you look at the kind of customers that we're working with across segments -- public sector, SMB, smaller companies, medium-sized companies, large enterprises, startups, digital native companies... across the board...we're working with multiple stakeholders who are essentially using Google Cloud services and then over a period of time, this usage has been incrementally growing," Bedi said.
Date - 07/10/2024
Beyond tech infra, we are now partners in biz transformation for cos: Google Cloud India MD
NEW DELHI: India is among the fastest-growing markets for Google in the cloud services segment, a senior executive has said, adding that the tech giant is looking to partner companies in their business transformation through its offerings. Google Cloud India is seeing an "increased adoption" of its offerings across segments from the public sector to small and medium businesses and from startups and digital-native companies, Google Cloud India Vice President and Country Managing Director Bikram Singh Bedi told PTI.
Date - 07/10/2024
Rs1000 cr earmarked to venture fund space startups: Union minister Jitendra Singh
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Department of Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said â?¹1,000 crore has been earmarked to venture fund space startups in the country. The decision was taken within first 100 days of Modi 3.0 government, which is an indication of high priority that the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi gives to the space sector. Space is one of the top three or four areas identified as the focus of the government in its third term, he said.
Date - 07/10/2024
India to become next semiconductor manufacturing hub for the world: Ashwini Vaishnaw
Bengaluru: Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw has said that India is moving towards becoming the next semiconductor hub for the world as big investment is happening in this sector in the country. Minister Viashnaw referred to a recent roundtable in New York between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and top tech CEOs and said that in the discussion three top executives had said they had not seen this kind of enthusiasm for any country in the last 35 to 40 years.
Date - 07/10/2024
Workshops conducted for officials to expedite registration, verification process on NMMSS portal
The Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education, organized a workshop/training for institute nodal officers (INOs) and heads of institutes (HoIs) of Prayagraj and Varanasi districts of Uttar Pradesh, along with a state-level workshop for district nodal officers (DNOs) of the state in Lucknow under the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS). This initiative aimed to facilitate the completion of the application and verification process on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) which commenced its activity with effect from 30.06.2024 for the project year 2024-25, the ministry said in a statement on Friday.
Date - 05/10/2024
Combating cyber frauds: DoT to launch central system to stop spoofed calls soon
In recent times, citizens are receiving many fraudulent calls, often disguised as originating from Indian mobile numbers. These calls are in fact manipulated by cyber-criminals operating from abroad. These criminals exploit the calling line identity (CLI) to mask the actual origin of the calls, which has led to a spate of incidents involving threats of mobile number disconnection, fake digital arrests, and even impersonation of government officials or law enforcement agencies. Recent cases have included false accusations involving drugs, narcotics, and sex rackets, further intensifying public concern. In response to this growing threat, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), in collaboration with telecom service providers (TSPs), has introduced an advanced system designed to identify and block incoming international spoofed calls before they can reach Indian telecom subscribers. This system is being deployed in two phases: first, at the TSP level, to prevent calls spoofed with phone numbers of their own subscribers; and second, at a central level, to stop calls spoofed with the numbers of subscribers from other TSPs, the Ministry of Communications said in a statement on Friday.
Date - 05/10/2024
AI poised to unlock Rs33L crore economic value for India by 2030: Google India MD
It is essential to address concerns of all stakeholders to realise India's AI ambition, Google India MD Roma Datta Chobey said on Thursday as she outlined three main pillars guiding the tech giant's efforts in the country. Chobey said India stands on the edge of its next digital leap, and artificial intelligence (AI) is propelling this progress. "India's AI-fuelled leap has the power to unlock economic value to the tune of Rs 33 lakh crore by 2030 and what's more, it has the power to propel an entire generation of Indians towards escape velocity, a point at which we break free from the pools of limitation, and our aspirations soar to new heights," she said in her keynote address at the 'Google for India' event here.
Date - 04/10/2024
India to become $1 trn digital economy by 2028, enabled by internet, 4G, 5G and digitalisation
With government's digital initiatives, India's financial ecosystem has undergone a paradigm shift over the last few years. A recent report by Ask Capital says with enablers like deep internet penetration efficient and cheap 4G and 5G services along with government digital initiatives India is set to become a USD 1 trillion digital economy by 2028. India has become a global example of real-time payments, benefiting from home grown technological innovations like UPI. India's digital transformation will be a game changer for the economic development.
Date - 03/10/2024
Can artificial intelligence outsmart the cunning tactics of fraudsters and identity thieves?
In this digital ecosystem, a battle is unfolding between machine algorithms and clever actors. With thousands of articles and data points at their disposal, can artificial intelligence outsmart the cunning tactics of fraudsters and identity thieves? Or will these malicious individuals find ways to collaborate with very algorithms designed to thwart them? While also giving rise to a new era of sophisticated identity Verification manipulation.
Date - 03/10/2024
e-Auction of Prime Minister's mementos extended till Oct 31
The Union Ministry of Culture has extended the extraordinary e-Auction, showcasing a unique collection of mementos received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This auction reflects the rich cultural, spiritual and historical heritage of India, the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. Originally scheduled from September 17 to October 2, the auction will now be open for participation until October 31, 2024, the ministry said. The items on offer encompass an array of traditional art forms, showcasing vibrant paintings, intricate sculptures, indigenous handicrafts, captivating folk and tribal artifacts. Among these treasures are items traditionally bestowed as symbols of honor and respect, including traditional angavastras, shawls, headgear and ceremonial swords.
Date - 02/10/2024
The anarchy of EV charging technologies: Critical need to standardize EV connecting systems
At a running cost of around one Rupee per kilometer, EV cars are more economical for users who drive for more than 1,500 kilometers a month. However, EV users have to face a lot of range anxiety, therefore, they always need to ensure that their EVs are sufficiently charged to cover their entire day's drive. Getting stranded on the road with a discharged battery is any EV userâ??s nightmare.
Date - 02/10/2024
BharatGen: World's first government-funded multimodal large language model launched
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh has said the National Quantum Mission is more than just a quantum initiative. It is a strategic investment in India's future, laying the groundwork for economic growth, job creation, and technological leadership in the quantum-driven world. The Union minister announced thematic hubs and technical groups for National Quantum Mission (NQM) at a ceremony in New Delhi on Monday. Addressing the ceremony through a video message, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh lauded the establishment of four thematic hubs (T-Hubs) comprising of 14 technical groups (17 project teams) across 17 states and 2 Union Territories.
Date - 01/10/2024
Chandigarh University launches MEA's e-Sanad portal to help students in hassle-free document verification
Chandigarh University has become North India's first university to launch e-Sanad portal, an initiative of the Union Ministry of External Affairs for online verification of documents for Indian and foreign students who intend to study abroad. With the launch of e-Sanad portal, Chandigarh University students will get a centralized platform for contactless, faceless, cashless and paperless document verification service. They will no longer face hassle of paperwork or long waiting periods for verification of their educational documents while applying for international universities, work permits, or immigration, the university said in a press release on Tuesday.
Date - 01/10/2024
India's electronics ambition grows to $500 billion: PM Modi sets the target for next 6 years
In 21st-century India, the chips are never down, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during his address at the SEMICON India 2024, on September 11. He added that the India of today assures the world that when "the chips are down, you can bet on India." Organized by the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), which functions under the aegis of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the SEMICON India 2024 was backed by SEMI and important industry associations. The theme of the three day conference (September 11 to 13) was: "Shaping the Semiconductor Future." As the theme would suggest, the idea behind the SEMICON India 2024 was to establish India as the nation that is in a position to shape the future of the semiconductor industry. It has been the vision of the Modi government to develop the country into a global hub for semiconductor design, manufacturing and technology development.
Date - 30/09/2024
National Institute of Electronics and IT organises Yuva Rojgar Mela in Delhi
The National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), an autonomous scientific society under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), organized NIELIT Delhi's job fair "Yuva Rojgar Mela," on Sunday. The job fair was held at NIELIT Delhi's office at Pankha Road, Janakpuri, New Delhi, to facilitate placement opportunities for NIELIT's alumni and students. 16 companies shortlisted candidates against 1,000+ job openings in their respective companies. More than 1,300 candidates registered for the Job Fair.
Date - 30/09/2024
PM Modi lauds Odisha youth for developing digital platform to preserve and promote Santhali language
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday heaped praises on Odisha youth Ramjeet Tudu for his unique campaign to preserve the Santhali language and Ol Chiki lipi. Tudu, a resident of Mayurbhanj district, is currently working as an Assistant Revenue Inspector in Keonjhar district of the state. During the 144th episode of his weekly Man ki Baat address, PM Modi said that a child learns his mother tongue easily and quickly, adding that India has almost 20,000 languages and dialects and each one of them is surely the mother tongue of someone or the other
Date - 30/09/2024
TRAI seeks stakeholder feedback on proposed Digital Radio Broadcast Policy for private operators
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Monday released a consultation paper (CP) on "Formulating a Digital Radio Broadcast Policy for private Radio broadcasters". Presently, analogue terrestrial radio broadcast in India is carried out in Medium Wave (MW) (526-606 KHz), Short Wave (SW) (6-22 MHz), and VHF-II (88-108 MHz) spectrum bands. VHF-II band is popularly known as FM band due to deployment of Frequency Modulation (FM) technology in this band. All India Radio (AIR) - the public service broadcaster - provides radio broadcasting services in MW, SW and FM bands. Private sector radio broadcasters are licensed to transmit programs in FM frequency band (88-108 MHz) only.
Date - 30/09/2024
IIT Delhi researchers develop ML-cloud computing based tool for rapid & automated landslide mapping
NEW DELHI: Researchers from the Civil Engineering Department at IIT Delhi have developed a ground-breaking cloud computing and machine learning-based tool, ML-CASCADE, to map landslide extent using satellite data. This easy-to-use and publicly-available tool requires only two inputs -- an approximate date and location of a landslide event -- and accurately maps a complex cluster of landslides within five minutes and a simple landslide within two minutes, which is critical for post-disaster damage assessment. The underlying model is trained on a large amount of satellite, terrain, vegetation, and soil data, IITD said in a statement on Monday.
Date - 30/09/2024
Role of cloud services in modernizing government operations and protecting data
The modern age has revamped how the government works, making services such as healthcare, tax, education, and voting accessible through technological intervention. The game changer here is the cloud service. As per a report by Gartner, 80% of government agencies will transition to cloud-based services by the year 2025. Governments all around the world are now relying on cloud-based technology to make services more efficient for the citizens. Cloud service enables governments to stray from outdated and slow systems to more dynamic and online service-centric ones. It is more flexible and cost-effective than conventional computing and makes government services available to people all across the country. On top of this, cloud service provides safer storage and exchange of information, allowing the government to make more informed decisions and tackle challenges as they come.
Date - 30/09/2024
IIT Bombay's Eureka! 2024: Opportunity for startups to win support for business models
IIT Bombay's Entrepreneurship Cell (E-Cell), Asia's largest student-run entrepreneurship organization, has garnered support from UNESCO, Make in India, Startup India, and Digital India for its role in promoting entrepreneurship. For the past 26 years, E-Cell has served as a vital link connecting different elements of the startup ecosystem, E-Cell said in a press release on Friday. E-Cell is now set to host its flagship business model competition, Eureka!, back for its 27th year. With 7 tracks, the competition aims to provide founders with months of learning, networking, and sector-specific mentoring, and investment opportunities to master the key components of building a scalable business, it said. The event is tailored for early-stage entrepreneurs, particularly those in the ideation and MVP stage, offering one-on-one mentoring focused on developing go-to-market strategies.
Date - 28/09/2024
How India can bolster cybersecurity in Public Sector Banks: A strategic blueprint
In 2024, India's public sector, particularly its public sector banks (PSBs), is experiencing a significant increase in cyberattacks. With the advancement of technology and the prevalence of digital banking, cybercriminals are taking advantage of vulnerabilities, resulting in a 40% rise in cyberattacks on Indian PSBs in the last year. The average cost of data breaches for these institutions is now â?¹10 crore ($1.2 million) per incident. Phishing attempts have increased by 30%, and ransomware attacks have escalated by 25%, leading to frequent operational disruptions and financial losses.
Date - 27/09/2024
Websites exposing Aadhaar, PAN details blocked: Govt action to protect citizens' data
In a move to ensure an open, safe & trusted and accountable internet, the Government of India on Thursday blocked some websites that were exposing sensitive personal identifiable information including Aadhaar and PAN Card details of the citizens, the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY) said in a statement. It has come to the notice of the ministry that some websites were exposing sensitive personal identifiable information including Aadhaar and PAN Card details of the citizens. This has been taken up seriously as the government accords highest priority to safe cyber security practices and protection of personal data. In line with this, prompt action has been taken to block these websites, MeitY said.
Date - 27/09/2024
MeitY, Military College of Telecom Engineering forge partnership to boost defence innovations
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and Military College of Telecommunications Engineering (MCTE) have formalized their partnership to foster innovation and drive technological advancements for defence applications. As part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, MeitY's R&D organisations handed over various indigenously developed products to MCTE for potential military use, reinforcing the nation's commitment to self-reliance, an official release said on Friday. Accelerating adoption of advanced technologies Building on the commitments made during the 2023 interaction between the former Minister of State, MeitY, and the Chief of Army Staff, the visit by Secretary, MeitY, accompanied by heads of the R&D organisations of MeitY, aimed to strengthen collaborative efforts for joint Research and Development (R&D) in key areas such as AI, Quantum, Chip Design, 5G & beyond, strategic electronics and communications, etc. This partnership is poised to accelerate the adoption of advanced technologies to meet the evolving needs and challenges faced by the Indian Army, MeitY said.
Date - 27/09/2024
Gujarat among bottom 10 states in digital payments awareness: RBI report
Ahmedabad: Despite high urbanization in Gujarat, the awareness about digital payments among the state's consumers is low, according to a Reserve Bank of India (RBI) report on currency and finance. According to data furnished in the report, 75.7% of consumers in Gujarat are aware of digital payments. This is lower than the national average of 77.2%, according to the report. This surprising statistic highlights a gap in digital literacy despite the state's well-developed infrastructure, urbanization, and rapid industrialization. Urban centres like Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara have witnessed rapid economic growth, with Gujarat being home to several industries, including textiles, chemicals and financial services. However, the state's consumer engagement with digital financial tools seems to be lower than anticipated.
Date - 27/09/2024
MeitY launches 3rd phase of capacity-building initiatives to boost digital governance
As part of Digital India vision, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has launched the third phase of its capacity-building initiatives that are aimed to to boost digital governance. These initiatives focus on critical areas such as Digital Public Infrastructure, Contract and Procurement Management, the Application of AI & ML, Managing Large Digital Transformation Projects, Digital Governance, and Data Management. To enhance the capabilities of officials at both Central and state levels, a series of specialized training programmes are being conducted across the country, MeitY said in a statement on Thursday.
Date - 27/09/2024
PM Modi inaugurates high-performance computing system worth â?¹850 cr for weather & climate research
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday inaugurated a high-performance computing (HPC) system tailored for weather and climate research, acquired by the Ministry of Earth Sciences. The ambitious project represents an investment of 850 crore, marking a significant leap in India's computational capabilities for more reliable and accurate weather and climate forecasting particularly extreme events. The new systems are located at two key sites -- the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) at Pune and the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) at Noida.
Date - 27/09/2024
TRAI mandate to use whitelisted URLs, APKS, OTT links for SMS traffic to come into force from Oct 1
In a major step to curb the misuse of URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) in messages, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issued a direction on August 20 instructing all access providers to block any traffic containing URLs, APKs (Android Package Kit), or OTT (Over The Top) links that have not been whitelisted. The direction is set to be implemented by October 1, 2024. To ensure smooth flow of SMS traffic containing URLs, TRAI advises registered senders to promptly upload their whitelisted URL/APK/OTT links to the portal of the respective access providers. So far, over 3,000 registered senders have complied with this requirement by whitelisting more than 70,000 links. Senders who fail to whitelist their links by the due date will not be able to transmit any messages containing URL/APK/OTT links, the Ministry of Communications said in a statement on Thursday.
Date - 26/09/2024
IndiaAI invites nominations for AI fellowships for B.Tech, M.Tech, PhD scholars
IndiaAI - Independent Business Division (IBD) is inviting nominations from B.Tech and M.Tech students for the IndiaAI Fellowship. According to the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY), IndiaAI is reaching out to the top 50 National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) research institutes to confirm their participation in the fellowship programme, specifically for new PhD students pursuing research in Artificial Intelligence. IndiaAI encourages B.Tech and M.Tech students working on AI-related projects to apply for the IndiaAI Fellowship. This fellowship will supplement any existing financial support and cover the duration of the project, offering one year of funding for B.Tech students and two years for M.Tech students.
Date - 25/09/2024
India at the cusp of digital renaissance, responsible AI key: IBM India MD
IBM India Managing Director Sandip Patel on Tuesday announced a "Digital Renaissance" in India, emphasising the country's leadership in AI adoption as he called for a focus on making AI practical, responsible, and embeddable. Patel, Managing Director (MD) of IBM India & South Asia, was delivering a keynote address at the IBM Think 2024 event in Mumbai. "Today we are living in a defining moment. We are witnessing India's digital renaissance. I like to call it the 'Naya Daur' of digital Bharat, and each one of you here is propelling this charter, IBM, together with you, is committed to innovating in India, for India and the world. "And we are doing that with our focused strategy on hybrid cloud and AI, which are today two of the most transformational technologies of our time," he said.
Date - 25/09/2024
NIPL eyes Africa, S. America for digital payment push, official says
India is in talks with countries in Africa and South America to help them build a digital payments system using its homegrown Unified Payments Interface (UPI) as a blueprint and expects two launches by early 2027, a senior official said on Tuesday. The overseas arm of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is in talks with "several countries" and is closing in on an agreement with one of them, said Ritesh Shukla, CEO of NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL). The NPCI, a quasi-regulator under the central bank, is a public non-profit organisation for retail payment systems in India. It runs UPI, the country's most popular digital payments mode, whose monthly volumes surged 41% to nearly 15 billion transactions in August.
Date - 25/09/2024
SAWiT Learnathon sets Guinness record for the most users to take an online AI lesson in 24 hours
Lucknow: The SAWiT (South Asian Women in Tech) Learnathon has officially set a new Gunness World Records title for the most users to take an online artificial intelligence lesson in 24 hours. Hosted by GUVI (an HCL Group company) in collaboration with the Government of Uttar Pradesh, the event brought together thousands of participants from India and beyond, eager to dive into Generative AI and Python domains. Running from 12pm on September 21 to 12pm on September 22, the Learnathon attracted a diverse group of learners committed to upskilling in AI. With over 46,000 women participants completing the AI lessons within 24 hours, this event marks a monumental achievement in digital education. Supported by the Government of Uttar Pradesh as the Partner State, SAWiT has key partnerships with Google, HCLTech, and Sheroes, along with the backing of 319 corporate companies and 438 universities.
Date - 25/09/2024
IIT Delhi researchers find new polymeric material for developing data storage
Data encryption and protection are crucial in today's communication systems. The challenge is only going to be compounded with the advancement of Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, which either produce large volumes of data continuously or depend on the data for their efficient functionality. In this context, it has become imperative to develop newer mechanisms that can facilitate the exchange of classified information in a secure way. Researchers at IIT Delhi have demonstrated one such technique on a commercially available polymeric material called 'Cyclic Transparent Optical Polymer (CYTOP)' which may open new ways of developing advanced electronic devices for inherent data storage and encryption, according to an official release on Wednesday.
Date - 25/09/2024
Tech giants Google, Nvidia to enhance AI focus, investments in India
Technology giants Google and Nvidia will enhance their engagement in India with more focus on leveraging artificial intelligence technology in the country, top officials of the companies said on Monday after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) major Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said the Prime Minister has always been keen on learning about artificial intelligence, its potential and opportunities for India. "I have enjoyed so many meetings with the Prime Minister. He's such an incredible student, and every time I see him, he wants to learn about technology, artificial intelligence, the potential and opportunity for India, the impact on India, society and industry," Huang said. Huang's Nvidia is estimated to have 88 per cent market share in the GPU segment which is in huge demand for AI workloads across the world.
Date - 24/09/2024
ARIES, BEL sign MoU to advance space situational awareness for satellite safety
The Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL), a Navaratna Defence PSU, to collaborate on the development of Space Situational Awareness (SSA) technologies. According to the Ministry of Defence, this partnership aims to bolster the tracking of space objects, including near-Earth objects and artificial satellites, ensuring the safety of satellites and their users. The agreement, signed at BEL's Ghaziabad Unit, represents a step in advancing India's technological prowess in space surveillance, aligning with the government's 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' and 'Make-in-India' initiatives.
Date - 23/09/2024
Digital payment transactions value hits Rs 3,659 lakh cr in FY24, UPI clocks 138 pc growth
The number of digital payment transactions volume in India surged from 2,071 crore in fiscal 2017-18 to 18,737 crore in fiscal 2023-24 at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 44 per cent, the government said on Friday. Furthermore, during the last five months (April-August) of the current financial year 2024-25, the transaction volume has reached 8,659 crore, according to the Ministry of Finance data. The value of transactions has grown from Rs 1,962 lakh crore to Rs 3,659 lakh crore in FY24, at a CAGR of 11 per cent. Additionally, in the last 5 months of FY25, the total transaction value has surged to an impressive Rs 1,669 lakh crore, according to the Department of Financial Services (DFS) under the ministry.
Date - 21/09/2024
Yogi Govt partners HCL Group's GUVI & SAWiT to drive GenAI learning for women
The Uttar Pradesh (UP) Government has teamed up with GUVI and SAWiT (South Asian Women in Tech) in an endeavor to upskill 5 lakh women across South Asia with Generative AI skills. This initiative seeks to close the gender gap in AI, where women currently represent just 22% of the global workforce, according to the World Economic Forum. By equipping women with these skills, the partnership aims to boost employability, reduce AI biases by bringing diverse perspectives to AI development, and foster a more inclusive tech landscape. Empowering 5 Lakh Women in the first phase. In the first phase of this "Learnathon" on September 21st, 5 lakh women will receive access to GenAI learning modules, strengthening their employability and leadership potential in AI and machine learning. The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) will integrate AI and Python courses into its extensive network of 8,000+ affiliated institutions.
Date - 21/09/2024
AI content detection tools essential for establishing integrity, authenticity: Report
Artificial intelligence (AI) content detection system will foster trust in India's AI ecosystem and promote the safe adoption of the emerging GenAI technology, a report revealed on Thursday. One such solution, watermarking allows developers to control the watermark encryption, ensuring better content detection and authenticity of AI-generated content, according to the report by EY-Ficci. According to Rajnish Gupta, Partner, Tax and Economic Policy Group, EY India, watermarking is a key solution that enables developers to encrypt watermarks, providing better detection and authenticity of AI-generated content.
Date - 20/09/2024
IndiaAI Innovation Challenge launched to foster impactful AI solutions for critical sectors
The IndiaAI Independent Business Division (IBD) has announced the IndiaAI Innovation Challenge. This challenge is part of the Applications Development Initiative within the IndiaAI Mission, which seeks to advance the development, deployment, and adoption of AI applications in critical sectors. It is aimed at promoting the scaling and adoption of impactful AI solutions to enable large-scale socio-economic transformation. The deadline for application submission is 30th September 2024, the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY) said in a statement on Friday. IndiaAI Innovation Challenge The Innovation Challenge is open to Indian innovators, startups, non-profits, students, academic/R&D organizations, and companies. Winners will receive up to Rs 1 crore as award and the opportunity to deploy their solutions at a national scale.
Date - 20/09/2024
Independent information security verticals across organizations should be created: MeitY secy Krishnan
The National e-Governance Division (NeGD), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), organized a 'Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Workshop on Cyber Security' in New Delhi on Wednesday. The workshop, part of the 'Cyber Surakshit Bharat' initiative, witnessed participation from over 250 CISOs, Deputy CISOs, frontline IT officers, and senior officials from various ministries and state departments. Addressing the inaugural session Secretary, MeitY, S. Krishnan emphasised the need to create independent information security verticals across organizations to act as watchdogs and first lines of defense. Krishnan highlighted the importance of balancing confidentiality with threat intelligence sharing and securing digital applications by design, while stressing upon continuous learning to protect systems across government and society.
Date - 19/09/2024
TRAI proposes unified authorisation framework for all telecom services
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Wednesday proposed a 'unified service authorisation' whose scope would include various forms of telephony services -- from mobile to satellite, landline, broadband and internet -- as the telecom regulator released recommendations on service authorisations framework, that did not explicitly mention OTT. Categorising services into three broad segments -- main service authorisations, auxiliary service authorisations, and captive service authorisations, TRAI recommended significant reduction in entry fee. The regulator called for the Central government to issue service authorisations, based on predefined criteria, instead of entering into any entity specific agreement. It proposed that commercial VSAT-CUG service' and 'GMPCS' be merged in a single 'Satellite-based Telecommunication Service Authorisation', according to a TRAI release.
Date - 19/09/2024
India Mobile Congress 2024 announces AI lineup for Asia's premier digital tech forum, opens registration
India Mobile Congress, Asia's premier digital technology exhibition, on Thursday announced an impressive lineup of showcase, exhibition and discussions focused on AI and Gen AI at its eighth edition scheduled to take place from October 15-18 at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. The event will be co-hosted by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI). The year's theme for IMC 2024 is 'The Future is Now' and was recently unveiled in July 2024 by Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya M. Scindia. The theme signifies how India stands at the heart of the technological evolution, an IMC release said. The IMC 2024 will put up a major focus on AI and Gen AI based discussions, showcases and delve into themes like AI in networks, AI in Chipsets, ethical AI. India Mobile Congress and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) will also organize a special daylong session on "AI for Good", where experts and delegates from around the world will deliberate on the subject.
Date - 19/09/2024
India's Digital Public Infrastructure could mitigate its mounting water challenges: Experts
India is turning to Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) to combat its mounting water challenges and the focus must be on integrating technology to revolutionize the country's water management systems, enhancing collaboration and cutting inefficiencies, said experts. In a session during the International WASH Conference at the 8th India Water Week 2024, top officials from the Ministry of Jal Shakti, alongside thought leaders from academia and philanthropy, emphasized that digital platforms could transform the sector. The experts said the focus should be on integrating technology to revolutionize the country's water management systems, enhancing collaboration and cutting inefficiencies.
Date - 19/09/2024
Independent information security verticals across organizations should be created: MeitY secy Krishnan
The National e-Governance Division (NeGD), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), organized a â??Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Workshop on Cyber Securityâ?? in New Delhi on Wednesday. The workshop, part of the â??Cyber Surakshit Bharatâ?? initiative, witnessed participation from over 250 CISOs, Deputy CISOs, frontline IT officers, and senior officials from various ministries and state departments. Addressing the inaugural session Secretary, MeitY, S. Krishnan emphasised the need to create independent information security verticals across organizations to act as watchdogs and first lines of defense. Krishnan highlighted the importance of balancing confidentiality with threat intelligence sharing and securing digital applications by design, while stressing upon continuous learning to protect systems across government and society.
Date - 19/09/2024
TRAI proposes unified authorisation framework for all telecom services
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Wednesday proposed a 'unified service authorisation' whose scope would include various forms of telephony services -- from mobile to satellite, landline, broadband and internet -- as the telecom regulator released recommendations on service authorisations framework, that did not explicitly mention OTT. Categorising services into three broad segments -- main service authorisations, auxiliary service authorisations, and captive service authorisations, TRAI recommended significant reduction in entry fee. The regulator called for the Central government to issue service authorisations, based on predefined criteria, instead of entering into any entity specific agreement. It proposed that commercial VSAT-CUG service' and 'GMPCS' be merged in a single 'Satellite-based Telecommunication Service Authorisation', according to a TRAI release.
Date - 19/09/2024
India-Denmark maritime collaboration focuses on green shipping, digitalization, sustainable
India and Denmark's maritime relations continue to strengthen, with both nations working closely to advance sustainable maritime practices, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said in a statement on Wednesday. Under the India-Denmark Green Strategic Partnership, the collaboration has expanded across key areas such as Quality shipping, Cooperation on Port State Control, Maritime training and education, research and development, Piracy, Green maritime technology, shipbuilding and green shipping. Denmark, a global leader in sustainable maritime technologies, has been sharing its expertise in green and digital solutions, aligning with Indiaâ??s goals under the Sagarmala initiative and the Maritime India Vision 2030, the ministry noted.
Date - 18/09/2024
AI Alliance inducts 7 new members from India strengthening country's role in shaping global AI
The AI Alliance, a global community dedicated to advancing safe and responsible AI through open innovation, has expanded its membership to include seven leading Indian organizations - AI4Bharat (IIT Madras), IIT Jodhpur, Infosys, KissanAI, People+AI, Sarvam AI, and Wadhwani AI. This move reinforces India's growing contribution to the global AI landscape and marks a significant expansion of the Alliance. These companies are joined by IIT Bombay as one of the founding members of the Alliance. India's AI landscape is rapidly evolving, with the government's IndiaAI mission aiming to catalyze and nurture the ecosystem by democratizing access to technology and resources. With a large and vibrant developer community and start-up ecosystem, India has made tremendous strides in leading the AI adoption and innovation and is on the path to become a global hub for AI talent, skill, and innovation. Open-source approach to AI innovation aligns with the vision of the Indian government, which supports the adoption and use of open-source technology to achieve India's digital transformation goals.
Date - 18/09/2024
DBT-BIRAC partners with 'Blockchain For Impact' to accelerate bio-medical innovation in India
In support of India's aspirations in biomedical research and tech enabled R&D, Department of Biotechnology - Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (DBT-BIRAC), a government of India enterprise announced a strategic partnership with catalyst funder and philanthropic organization Blockchain For Impact (BFI) at the recently concluded 4th edition of Global Bio India, under the direction of Minister for Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh. This partnership will enable Blockchain For Impact to deliver long-term equitable medical preparedness mechanisms by the amalgamation of the deep technology expertise and network of DBT-BIRAC. It will address gaps in healthcare, provide lab to market support and put India's R&D on the global map. The collaboration will support start-ups in the biomedical field and life sciences. There would be mentorships, initiatives to accelerate programs for start-ups and innovators, together with funding of SMEs for product development, the Council said in a press release on Wednesday.
Date - 18/09/2024
Source:-DBT-BIRAC partners with 'Blockchain For Impact' to accelerate bio-medical innovation in India
IIIT Hyderabad launches online course in AI for medical professionals
International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIITH) has launched an online course on 'AI for Medical Professionals' in collaboration with National Academy of Medical Sciences (NAMS), an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, and IHub-Data. The 12-week online orientation course on AI is designed to equip medical professionals with the requisite skills needed to understand, evaluate, and apply AI technologies in clinical settings, improving patient care and operational efficiency, the institute said in a press release. The course covers both theory and tutorials covering the basics of AI, machine learning, deep learning, and case studies on clinical applications involving screening, diagnosis, prognosis, and patient management. Participants will also explore ethical and governance issues in the use of AI tools and techniques, it said.
Date - 18/09/2024
BHASKAR: Union minister Piyush Goyal launches Bharat Startup Knowledge Access
Launching the Bharat Startup Knowledge Access Registry (BHASKAR) initiative under the 'Startup India' program on Monday in New Delhi, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal said that BHASKAR meaning 'Rising Sun' has been aptly chosen to be the name of the digital platform. "With the Sun comes enlightenment, light, growth and BHASKAR will help in collaboration, cooperation and also enable competition among each other, Goyal said, according to a statement. While hailing the initiative, the Union Minister said that BHASKAR as a concept will try to integrate all the people who are dreamers, doers and disruptors. Putting BHASKAR into context, he said that the platform will help bring hope, aspirations and success for the entrepreneurs to kickstart ambitious revolutions.
Date - 17/09/2024
Centre to launch New Pension Scheme 'Vatsalya' for children, its online platform on Sept 18
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to launch the New Pension Scheme (NPS) 'Vatsalya' in New Delhi on September 18, which will be joined by schoolchildren. Announced in the Union Budget 2024, the scheme will allow parents to contribute a certain amount on behalf of their children towards NPS to secure their future and help them develop a retirement fund. As part of the launch in New Delhi, NPS Vatsalya events will be organised simultaneously at nearly 75 locations throughout the country, according to the Ministry of Finance.
Date - 17/09/2024
Delhi Metro introduces MJQRT facility on app; passengers can now travel with digital smart card
The Delhi Metro passengers can travel with a digital smart card for their daily journey from Friday as the DMRC has introduced the 'Multiple Journey QR Ticket' (MJQRT) facility in its existing mobile application. Like a metro smart card, the passengers can also recharge MJQRT with a maximum amount of up to Rupee 3,000 as per their travel requirements. According to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, people will be able to view their journeys, including fare payments and recharges, on its app --- 'DMRC Momentum Delhi Sarthi 2.0'. DMRC's Managing Director Vikas Kumar launched the facility on Thursday, saying the MJQRT will simplify travel with a single QR code, enhancing convenience and offering eco-friendly benefits.
Date - 17/09/2024
Labour ministry invites platform aggregators to register themselves, workers on e-Shram portal
Ministry of Labour & Employment has taken another major step in extending social security benefits to gig and platform workers by inviting platform aggregators to register their workers on the e-Shram portal. This registration is crucial to ensuring workers' access to social welfare schemes, while aggregators will help develop an accurate registry of beneficiaries, the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. To guide the process, the ministry has issued an advisory with a standard operating procedure (SOP) outlining aggregator responsibilities, including registering workers and updating their data. Upon registration, platform workers will receive a Universal Account Number (UAN), which will allow them access to key social security benefits. The Central government, working with few aggregators, has successfully completed testing for API integration and is advancing the registration process. This joint effort aims to ensure full coverage of gig workers, with ongoing collaboration between the ministry and platform aggregators, it said.
Date - 17/09/2024
Centre to launch 'BHASKAR' digital platform to boost startup ecosystem
The Union government on Sunday announced to launch a ground-breaking digital platform aimed at strengthening the startup ecosystem in the country. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, is set to launch the 'Bharat Startup Knowledge Access Registry' (BHASKAR) initiative, under the Startup India programme. It is a platform designed to centralise, streamline, and enhance collaboration among key stakeholders within the entrepreneurial ecosystem, including startups, investors, mentors, service providers, and government bodies.
Date - 16/09/2024
India's digital public infrastructure to reach 50 countries in 5 years: Nandan Nilekani
india will take its digital public infrastructure (DPI) to 50 countries in five years, said Nandan Nilekani, non-executive chairman of Infosys, in response to a question from Amazon CTO Werner Vogels in Bengaluru on Friday. DPI is currently being used in 15 countries. Nilekani and Vogels were addressing an event organised by ecommerce platform for artisans, Zwende, in which the latter is an investor and advisor. Nilekani gave a quick reckoner on digital public infrastructure that India has in identity and payments, and was recounting his journey from 2009, from becoming the founding chairman of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to Aadhaar-enabled KYC to opening of Jan Dhan bank accounts.
Date - 14/09/2024
India jumps to Tier 1 in Global Cybersecurity Index 2024
India has jumped to Tier 1 in the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2024, released by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), when it comes to role-modelling as part of the country's cybersecurity commitments and resulting impacts. The 'GCI 2024' used a new five-tier analysis, a shift that allows a greater focus on each country's advances with cybersecurity commitments.
Date - 14/09/2024
Ayush Ministry to launch technical brief on AI in traditional medicine by Oct
The Ayush Ministry is expected to introduce a technical brief on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in traditional medicine by October this year. The Ministry said this at the recently concluded two-day Global Technical Consultation Group meeting organised by the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in collaboration with the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre (GTMC) and the Department of Digital Health and Innovation (AI and digital frontiers unit).
Date - 14/09/2024
Every device in the world will have an Indian-made chip: PM Modi
Our dream is that every device in the world will have an Indian-made chip and 100 per cent of electronic manufacturing should happen in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday. Inaugurating the "Semicon India 2024" at the India Expo Mart in Greater Noida, PM Modi said the meaning of chips in India is not just limited to technology but is a medium to fulfil the aspirations of crores of citizens. Underlining that India is a huge consumer of such chips, he emphasised that the world's finest digital public infrastructure (DPI) was built upon it.
Date - 12/09/2024
Trade Connect e-Platform serves as a single window for exports: Piyush Goyal
Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal said the Trade Connect e-Platform is a single window initiative that is fast, accessible and transformational and enables exporters to add newer markets. The minister inaugurated the Trade Connect e-Platform on Wednesday in New Delhi. Stating that "our focus should be to identify the opportunities in the world market," the minister said with the launch of this platform India will be able to increase its market share in the world as international opportunities will be showcased on the platform. Small FPOs, businesses and entrepreneurs will also be able to access this platform, learn of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) benefits that are available to expand their trade, the Union minister noted.
Date - 12/09/2024
ONDC's new Saarthi app to help businesses create multilingual buyer apps
The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) on Wednesday launched Saarthi, a reference application designed to assist businesses in creating customised multilingual buyer apps. Developed together with Bhashini -- an AI-driven language translation tool -- Saarthi will offer advanced multilingual features for a more inclusive digital commerce experience to ONDC participants. The application initially supports 5 languages -- Hindi, English, Marathi, Bangla, and Tamil. It plans to scale up to all 22 languages provided by Bhashini.
Date - 12/09/2024
Yotta, Nasscom & Telangana AI Mission launch Shambho Accelerator Programme for startups
Digital transformation service provider Yotta Data Services on Wednesday launched Shambho accelerator programme for Cloud and Artificial Intelligence (AI) startups. Shambho, launched with support from Nasscom AI and Telangana AI Mission, will provide the startups with world-class AI and cloud infrastructure, mentorship, technological support, and more. The programme also aims to foster innovation in the startup sector and encourage the development of cutting-edge solutions in Cloud, AI, data science, and high-performance computing.
Date - 12/09/2024
India's first paperless election held in Madhya Pradesh
In a first, a completely paperless election was held in Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday. The election for the post of sarpanch in village panchayat Ratua Ratanpur was conducted without using paper in the entire election process. This was a pilot initiated by the state election commission. The state election commission conducts panchayat and civic body polls in the state whose office has already been made paperless in the past. This experiment of a completely paperless booth was conducted for the first time in the country by the Madhya Pradesh state election commission, said official sources. State election commission secretary Abhishek Singh said that the plan for paperless booths has been devised to facilitate a simple, convenient, and transparent voting process for panchayats and urban bodies.
Date - 12/09/2024
SEMICON India 2024: Host Uttar Pradesh poised to emerge as hub for semiconductor industry
Noida: Uttar Pradesh is all set to host the prestigious SEMICON India 2024 event, from September 11-13, 2024, at the India Expo Mart Limited (IEML) in Greater Noida. This global gathering is a significant step toward advancing India's role in the semiconductor industry, aligning with the Prime Minister's vision to establish India as a major player in global semiconductor manufacturing. SEMICON India is a part of India's broader ambition to boost technological development, reduce reliance on imports, and foster innovation within the country.
Date - 11/09/2024
SEMICON India 2024 takes off in Greater Noida; PM Modi hailed for India's semiconductor mission
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated SEMICON India 2024 at India Expo Mart in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. SEMICON India 2024 is being organized from September 11-13 with the theme "Shaping the Semiconductor Future". The three-day conference showcases Indiaâ's semiconductor strategy and policy which envisions making India a global hub for semiconductors. The top leadership of global semiconductor giants are taking part in the conference which will bring together global leaders, companies and experts from the semiconductor industry. More than 250 exhibitors and 150 speakers are also taking part in the conference.
Date - 11/09/2024
Future-Proofing Family Offices: Embracing AI for sustainable growth
Few tech buzzwords define the 2020s more than the rise of Artificial intelligence, which, in terms of investments, interest from big tech firms and real-world applications, is heralding a generational shift in technology. In this context, the old-world family offices are no exception to the norm. As complex entities, where multiple strategic decisions are taken in real time to deploy wealth cutting across generations, asset classes, and so on, family offices must constantly stay ahead of the curve to manage, protect, and grow their assets. The rise of AI offers family offices the ability to make a bigger tech leap to improve operations, enhance the decision-making process and ensure they can fulfil their primary objective of wealth creation.
Date - 11/09/2024
Peak Pods to revolutionize high-altitude habitats for sub-zero environment
DTECH 360 INNOVATIONS, a research technology driven startup, offering technologically advanced green solutions has announced the launch of Peak Pods, a revolutionary high-altitude habitat designed for sub-zero temperature regions. It is powered by indigenously developed OASIS Technology completely made-in-India product for challenging environments.
Date - 11/09/2024
Survey reveals significant growth trend for digital cards in India and globally
Digital transactions have gained significantly, says a research report by IDEMIA Secure Transactions, a leading technology provider for safer and easier ways to pay and connect. 81 per cent of the respondent's express preference for receiving their payment cards immediately in digital form on their mobile phones. This trend is mirrored globally, with 83 per cent of users already possessing one or more digital payment cards. The report suggests that 83 per cent of respondents access their digital cards via Google Pay, while 72 per cent use banking apps on their Android devices.
Date - 10/09/2024
L&T Semiconductor Technologies, IBM to collaborate on processor technology innovations across sectors
On the eve of SEMICON India 2024 inaugural scheduled on September 11, L&T Semiconductor Technologies Ltd has announced discussions to engage in a research and development collaboration with IBM to design advanced processors. The scope of this collaboration could include processor design for edge devices and hybrid cloud systems, as well as for areas like mobility, industrial, energy, and servers. L&T Semiconductor Technologies is a global semiconductor product company based out of India and targeting to build a semiconductor portfolio of smart devices across multiple verticals, and IBM is an industry leader in driving cutting-edge innovation in silicon and processor development, both independently and with an ecosystem of partners.
Date - 10/09/2024
Jamia collaborates with Tech Mahindra to establish SMART Academy offering digital skill courses
Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) has partnered with Tech Mahindra Foundation (TMF) to establish SMART Academy, offering a range of short-term courses in digital technologies and entrepreneurship. The university's Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tech Mahindra Foundation to provide these courses, according to an official statement on Monday. The courses, ranging from three to four months in duration, will begin in October, with both morning and evening batches available, the statement added. Registration for the programmes will open on September 10 and remain active until September 21.
Date - 10/09/2024
App-first Gen Z scripting big shifts in consumption trends: Bernstein report
The digitally-native, app-first Gen Z cohort is assuming the centre stage in India's consumer markets by scripting "big shifts" in consumption trends, including the rise of quick commerce delivery and direct-to-consumer brands, according to a report by Bernstein. Brands are seeking a deeper connection with this digitally-native, app-first generation that 'swipes up' for practically everything from social media to ride-hailing and food delivery. Indian Gen Zs are the world's largest, the report said about the cohort born into a digital age, that shops, works and eats online. Gen Z is the generation born between 1996 and 2010. Indian Gen Zs make up 20 per cent of the world and about 27 per cent of India's population, it noted.
Date - 09/09/2024
AIC T-Hub launches Lab2Market program, selects 23 startups to drive research innovations to market
T-Hub, India's leading startup incubator on Monday announced the launch of AIC T-Hub Lab2Market program, a new initiative designed to transform groundbreaking research into market-ready innovations. The program offers a unique pathway for researchers and innovators to translate their ideas into commercial successes by focusing on two key objectives: developing Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) and converting them into scalable startups, according to a press release.
Date - 09/09/2024
Digital skilling complements formal education, equips India's youth for future: Raghav Gupta, Coursera
In a rapidly changing global landscape, skilling has become critical for workforce readiness in India. In this interview, Raghav Gupta, Managing Director, India and Asia Pacific, Coursera, highlights the growing importance of online learning platforms, government policies like NEP 2020, and collaborations with top industry players. The discussion delves into how digital and physical skills are shaping modern education, the impact of initiatives like the National Skills Qualification Framework, and the significant role of skilling in complementing formal education to equip India's youth for the future.
Date - 09/09/2024
Worldline India: Empowering India's Digital Payments Revolution
With nearly 25 years of experience in the payments sector, Worldline has significantly impacted both online and offline payment solutions, boasting an impressive network that touches 1.5 million touchpoints across the country. In an exclusive conversation, Ramesh Narasimhan, CEO of Worldline India, sheds light on the company's pivotal role in India's digital payments landscape.
Date - 09/09/2024
Odisha takes a step towards becoming semiconductor hub with RIR Power electronics facility launch
The groundbreaking ceremony for India's first Silicon Carbide manufacturing facility to be set up by RIR Power Electronics Ltd., a leader in India's semiconductor power electronics technology, was held, on September 6, at the EMC Park, Infovalley, Bhubaneswar, Odisha. This development places India and the state of Odisha squarely at the forefront of the global power electronics market. The event was graced by the Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Principal Secretary, Industry Department, Hemant Sharma, Principal Secretary, Electronics and Information Technology (E&IT) Department, Vishal Dev, Special Secretary, E&IT, Manas Panda, Director IIT Bhubaneswar Prof. Shreepad Karmalkarand, Promoters of the company Dr. Harshad Mehta and Chairperson Bhavna H Mehta along with senior professionals of the company were also present.
Date - 08/09/2024
SAMRIDH: MeitY launches 2nd cohort of startup accelerators to support product innovation
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on Wednesday launched the second cohort of SAMRIDH. Secretary, MeitY S. Krishnan, launched the programme. It is a part of the 100-day agenda of the Government of India to select and support 125 startups through potential accelerators so as to achieve the target of nurturing 300 startups. The interested accelerator may apply for 2nd cohort of SAMRIDH, MeitY in a statement on Thursday The ministry said it is working for the growth of India's software product industry under the National Policy on Software Products (NPSP)-2019. Indian software product industry including startups are being supported through various programmes such as centers of excellence (CoEs),technology incubation and development of entrepreneurs (TIDE) programme, Next Generation Incubation Scheme (NGIS), ICT Grand Challenges, Gen-Next Support for Innovative Startups (GENESIS), etc, the ministry said.
Date - 06/09/2024
Generative AI: Revolutionizing Education with Personalized Learning and Global Accessibility
In an era of rapid technological advancement, generative AI is emerging as a transformative force in education, reshaping the way we approach learning and teaching. This advanced form of artificial intelligence, which creates content, models, and solutions from vast datasets, offers unprecedented potential for personalized learning. It promises to revolutionize the traditional education system by making learning more adaptive, inclusive, and accessible to diverse populations, while also addressing the limitations of standardized, one-size-fits-all approaches.
Date - 06/09/2024
PayMate partners with NBBL to launch BBPS-B2B platform for business payments, financing
PayMate, India's leading digital B2B payments company, on Wednesday announced its partnership with NPCI Bharat BillPay Ltd (NBBL) to launch the innovative PayMate BBPS-B2B platform. The BBPS-B2B platform seeks to enable large-scale standardization and digitization of commercial processes related to invoicing, payments, and collections across the nation while fostering an interoperable ecosystem between buyers and suppliers, the company said in a press release. The partnership aims to cater to 634 lakh MSMEs and 16.6 lakh corporates across the country. The NBBL BBPS-B2B platform offers a comprehensive solution across the challenges of the invoice lifecycle, from customer onboarding, invoice generation, financing, collections and payments, to reconciliation & settlement, it said. The platform is designed to empower corporate, mid-market, and SME clients to conduct business transactions with unique features such as business background checks, real-time invoice status visibility between buyer and supplier, access to multiple financers, and streamlined reconciliation processes.
Date - 05/09/2024
Digital Agriculture Mission: Tech for transforming farmers' lives
India's digital revolution has significantly transformed governance and service delivery in recent years by creating digital identities, secured payments and transactions. This progress has paved the way for a thriving digital ecosystem across various sectors, including finance, healthcare, education, and retail, positioning India as a leader in citizen-centric digital solutions. For a similar transformation of the agriculture sector, the Union Cabinet Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the 'Digital Agriculture Mission' with a substantial financial outlay of Rs 2,817 crore, including a central government share of Rs 1,940 crore, on September 2, 2024.
Date - 05/09/2024
Government's Futuristic Skilling Package: Empowering India's youth through industry
The Union Budget 2024-25 unveiled a robust package aimed at enhancing skilling opportunities and fostering collaboration among state governments, industries, and aspiring youth. Recognizing the significant challenge faced by young people transitioning from education to their first jobs, the initiative offers incentives such as covering the first month's salary for both employers and employees to address this gap. In addition to the existing ecosystem and central to this initiative, is the goal of skilling 20 lakh youth over the next five years, highlighting the government's commitment to equipping the workforce with contemporary skills aligned with industry demands. The employment-linked scheme has the potential to generate hundreds of thousands of jobs, enabling inclusive growth.
Date - 05/09/2024
Global AI Summit 2024: Telangana CM Revanth Reddy assures govt support for AI promotion
Telangana CM A. Revanth Reddy on Thursday assured that his government will provide all support for promotion of AI in the state. With the main theme of 'Making AI work for everyone', a two-day Global Artificial Intelligence Summit-2024 kicked off in Hyderabad on Thursday. Inaugurating the summit, the CM said his government will provide all support to develop innovations in AI in coordination with the industry experts. He said the government is committed to leverage the power of AI in governance for the development of the state.
Date - 05/09/2024
Digital payments in India to grow threefold from 159 billion in FY24 to 481 billion by FY29
India's digital payments industry is witnessing a huge surge, with transaction volumes growing by 42 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in FY 2023-24, according to a new report by PwC. The report projects that the industry will experience threefold growth, with transaction volumes set to rise from 159 billion in FY 2023-24 to 481 billion by FY 2028-29. In terms of transaction value, the market is expected to nearly double during this period, expanding from ¹265 trillion to 593 trillion by FY 2028-29.
Date - 05/09/2024
India, Singapore sign MOUs for cooperation in semiconductors, digital tech
India and Singapore signed memorandums of understanding for cooperation in semiconductors, digital technologies, skill development and healthcare during Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Singaporean counterpart Lawrence Wong this morning. The Prime Minister was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Parliament House by Prime Minister Wong. At their talks, both leaders reviewed the progress of India-Singapore bilateral relations. Given the breadth and depth of bilateral ties and immense potential, they decided to elevate the relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership. This would also give a major boost to India's Act East Policy, the PMO said in a statement.
Date - 05/09/2024
Loan sanctioning goes digital, but recovery still needs 'Feet on the Street': RBI Dy Governor
The digital infrastructure has made the loan sanctioning system adopt an online mode but the loan recovery still requires a 'feet on the street', says Swaminathan J, Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Speaking at a media event in Mumbai, the deputy Governor of RBI noted that with the digital infrastructure at place, many fintech players are giving loans to customers with poor credit profiles and on default use aggressive recovery tactics. "While loan sanctioning and disbursement have become increasingly digital, effective collection and recovery still require a 'feet on the street' and empathetic approach. Many fintech platforms operate on a business model that involves extending small-value loans to customers often times with poor credit profiles" said the deputy governor.
Date - 04/09/2024
Developers driving India's GDP growth in AI era: GitHub CEO
Developers are driving GDP growth and in the era of artificial intelligence (AI), India is set to surpass the US to become the largest software developer community globally by 2027, according to Thomas Dohmke, CEO of Microsoft-owned software development collaboration platform GitHub. India is creating the digital public infrastructure (DPI) of the future with the help of millions of talented developers, fueling economic growth. At the 'ET World Leaders Forum' event in the national capital, he said that software developers are adopting AI faster than any other sector of the global workforce and for India, AI is the opening chapter of a "new book of opportunity".
Date - 04/09/2024
Transforming human capital development with Generative AI in the Digital Age
The advent of Generative AI (GenAI) is ushering in a new era of possibilities across industries, and human capital development is no exception. This innovative technology is on the verge of revolutionizing how organizations nurture and grow their talent, leading to unmatched efficiency, personalization, and innovation. As organizations strive to stay competitive and inventive, the adoption of GenAI technologies can improve workforce capacities, increase productivity, and encourage a culture of continuous learning. In this article, I aim to highlight the profound influence of GenAI on human capital development, supported by relevant statistics from both global and Indian contexts.
Date - 04/09/2024
eShram integration with other portals in progress, to provide 'one stop solution' for workers: MoLE
The Ministry of Labour & Employment (MoLE) launched the eShram portal on August 26, 2021. In a short span of three years since its launch, eShram has registered more than 30 crore unorganised workers, showcasing its rapid and widespread adoption among the unorganised workers. This achievement highlights the social impact and the government's commitment to support unorganised workers across the country, the MoLE said in a statement on Monday. The government envisages establishing the eShram portal as a "One-Stop-Solution" for country's unorganised workers, it said. During Budget speech 2024-25 it has been announced that, A comprehensive integration of eShram portal with other portals will facilitate such One-Stop-Solution. This initiative aims to facilitate access of various social security schemes being implemented by different ministries/ departments to unorganised workers through the eShram portal.
Date - 04/09/2024
AI may not steal many jobs after all. It may just make workers more efficient
Imagine a customer-service center that speaks your language, no matter what it is. Alorica, a company in Irvine, California, that runs customer-service centers around the world, has introduced an artificial intelligence translation tool that lets its representatives talk with customers who speak 200 different languages and 75 dialects. So an Alorica representative who speaks, say, only Spanish can field a complaint about a balky printer or an incorrect bank statement from a Cantonese speaker in Hong Kong. Alorica wouldn't need to hire a rep who speaks Cantonese.
Date - 04/09/2024
Can startups drive India's Net Zero future?
India, like much of the world, is working to address the urgent challenge of climate change. Achieving net zero emissions, where greenhouse gas emissions are balanced, is a crucial goal to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. At the COP26 summit, India committed to achieving net zero by 2070. This commitment presents a significant opportunity for innovation and economic growth. Indian startups are not just participating in the green revolution - they are leading it. Massive changes and realignments technological, societal or behavioral are required to achieve India's grand vision. This needs innovative product development, new distribution models, supply-chain realignment and deep focus on consumer requirements. Indian startups are uniquely positioned to deliver due to their agility, coupled with a deep understanding of local challenges, that enables them to develop tailored and scalable solutions. A tech-first approach, characterized by the integration of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics, is at the core of many startup innovations.
Date - 04/09/2024
ONDC receives Gold Award for 'Application of Emerging Technologies for Providing Citizen-Centric Services'
The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) has been awarded the prestigious Gold Award under the category "Application of Emerging Technologies for Providing Citizen-Centric Services" in the National Awards for e-Governance (NAeG) during the 27th National Conference on e-Governance (NCeG). The award ceremony was held on Tuesday in Mumbai. The National Awards for e-Governance by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) is recognized amongst the most competitive and prestigious digital governance recognition in the country. The objective of the award is to recognise and promote excellence in implementation of e-Governance initiatives and to encourage innovation in successful e-Governance solutions, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry said in a statement.
Date - 04/09/2024
Loan sanctioning goes digital, but recovery still needs 'Feet on the Street': RBI Dy Governor
The digital infrastructure has made the loan sanctioning system adopt an online mode but the loan recovery still requires a 'feet on the street', says Swaminathan J, Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Speaking at a media event in Mumbai, the deputy Governor of RBI noted that with the digital infrastructure at place, many fintech players are giving loans to customers with poor credit profiles and on default use aggressive recovery tactics. "While loan sanctioning and disbursement have become increasingly digital, effective collection and recovery still require a 'feet on the street' and empathetic approach. Many fintech platforms operate on a business model that involves extending small-value loans to customers often times with poor credit profiles" said the deputy governor. He emphasized that the business model of many fintech platforms involves offering small-value loans to customers who often have poor credit profiles. This has led to the adoption of aggressive recovery strategies, which on many occasions crosses ethical boundaries.
Date - 03/09/2024
eVidyaloka invites volunteers to educate 2 lakh rural students
eVidyaloka, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to reshaping rural India's educational landscape, is inviting volunteers to join its mission of providing quality education to 200,000 rural students this year. Founded by former Microsoft India colleagues Satish and Venkat in 2011, eVidyaloka leverages technology and volunteerism to revolutionize rural education. Currently boasting over 6,000+ volunteers from more than 40 countries, including the USA, Europe, Dubai, and more, eVidyaloka empowers volunteers to teach remotely. Through its Digital Classroom initiative, volunteer teachers directly engage with rural students. The Digital Classroom has significantly impacted 14 states and 67 districts, including 25 aspirational districts, with modules taught in over 8 languages. Additionally, eVidyaloka's TTT (Teach through Television) program broadcasts educational content in local languages via cable channels, garnering over 3 crore views across 10 states and 256 districts in India. These innovative models are designed for scalability, replicability, and sustainable impact on rural communities.
Date - 03/09/2024
Cabinet approves 7 Digital Agriculture schemes worth '14235 cr to transform farmers' lives, livelihoods
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Monday approved seven key schemes with a total financial outlay of 14,235.30 crore. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, these initiatives are designed to address various challenges in agriculture, with a focus on sustainability, income enhancement, and climate resilience. The Digital Agriculture Mission, with an allocation of Rs 2,817 crore, is at the forefront of this transformative effort. This mission leverages modern technology to improve the lives of farmers, building on the foundation of Digital Public Infrastructure.
Date - 03/09/2024
NHAI to track toll plazas with GIS-based software for seamless movement of traffic on highways
To enhance seamless movement at the toll plazas, Indian Highways Management Company Ltd (IHMCL), a company promoted by NHAI, has developed a GIS-based software for real-time monitoring of the waiting time at the toll plazas. Initially, NHAI has identified around 100 toll plazas for live monitoring on the web-based software. These toll plazas have been selected based on congestion feedback received through 1033 National Highway helpline. The monitoring service will be extended to more toll plazas in a phased manner, the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways said in a statement on Monday. Apart from providing the name and location of the toll plaza, the software will share details related to the live status of queue length in meters, total waiting time and vehicle speed at the location. It will also provide congestion alert and lane distribution recommendation, if the queue of vehicles at a toll plaza is more than the prescribed limit, the MoRTH said.
Date - 02/09/2024
Digital Bharat Nidhi Rules notified; to ensure equal access to telecom services, says Scindia
The first set of rules under the Telecommunications Act, 2023 (44 of 2023), "Telecommunications (Administration of Digital Bharat Nidhi) Rules, 2024" was published vide notification of Government of India in Ministry of Communication, Department of Telecommunication number G.S.R. 530 (E), dated August 20, 2024 in the Gazette of India. The draft rules for the same was published on July 4, 2024 for a 30-day public consultation. The Universal Service Obligation Fund created under the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 has now been rechristened as Digital Bharat Nidhi vide section 24(1) of the Telecommunications Act, 2024, and it now addresses new areas which may require support from Digital Bharat Nidhi in changing technological times.
Date - 02/09/2024
Cabinet approves second semiconductor unit in Gujarat's Sanand under India Semiconductor Mission
With the objective to develop a vibrant semiconductor ecosystem, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the proposal of Kaynes Semicon Pvt Ltd to setup a semiconductor unit in Sanand, Gujarat, according to an official press release on Monday. The proposed unit, a second such facility in Sanand, will be setup with an investment of 3,300 crore. The capacity of this unit will be 60 lakh chips per day. The chips produced in this unit will cater to a wide variety of applications which include segments such as industrial, automotive, electric vehicles, consumer electronics, telecom, mobile phones, etc, the Union Cabinet said.
Date - 02/09/2024
COAI urges government to regulate OTT apps like WhatsApp, Telegram over security concerns
The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), representing major telecom players like Reliance Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea, has urged the Union government to implement traceability and user privacy regulations for over-the-top (OTT) communication services such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Google Meet. The COAI argues that since these platforms offer similar services to traditional telecom operators and use the same internet infrastructure, they should be subject to the same regulatory standards.
Date - 02/09/2024
Digital Bharat Nidhi funds will be utilised to ensure equal access to telecom services: Scindia
The Department of Telecommunication on Monday notified the 'Telecommunications (Administration of Digital Bharat Nidhi) Rules, 2024'. According to the Ministry of Communication, the new rules aims to enhance the management and implementation of 'Digital Bharat Nidhi' initiative which is established under section 24(1) of the Telecommunications Act, 2023 The Universal Service Obligation Fund which was created under the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 has now been rechristened as 'Digital Bharat Nidhi' vide section 24(1) of the Telecommunications Act, 2024, and it now addresses new areas which may require support from 'Digital Bharat Nidhi' in changing technological times.
Date - 02/09/2024
Mastercard, CAIT to organize campaign to enhance cyber resilience of small traders
Building on their decade-long collaboration to enable small traders and merchants in India benefit from digitization, Mastercard and Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) on Wednesday announced a new nationwide campaign to raise cyber awareness and hygiene among this segment - 'Surakshit Vyapari, Safal Vyapar'. Under this initiative, the two entities will organize special trainings and workshops for the trader and merchant community during the Cybersecurity Awareness Month of October 2024 in view of an exponential rise in incidence of cyber frauds in the country with the rapid pace of digitization. According to the Reserve Bank of India, there was a staggering 300% increase in reported cyber frauds in payments, with approximately 36,000 cases in FY23. To address this significant challenge, Mastercard and CAIT will educate small traders and merchants on ways to prevent and respond to cyberattacks and frauds as they advance in their digital journey.
Date - 29/08/2024
Qlik's AI Reality Tour kicks off, provides tools for businesses to realize full potential of AI
Qlik, a global leader in data integration, analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI), Thursday announced the global launch of its AI Reality Tour, which will span over 27 cities across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC regions. Sponsored globally by AWS, this tour highlights Qlik's commitment to helping enterprises worldwide integrate AI into their operations with real, scalable solutions. Central to this initiative are the newly available Qlik Talend Cloud and Qlik Answers, designed to empower businesses to seamlessly leverage AI for meaningful data-driven decisions and operational value, the company said in a press release. "At Qlik, we've invested heavily to help our customers take full advantage of AI's potential," said James Fisher, Chief Strategy Officer at Qlik. "We've focused on creating solutions that deliver immediate value by addressing the complexities of data integration, analytics and AI adoption. These offerings provide businesses with the tools they need to work with data more effectively and generate tangible AI-powered business outcomes. We're excited to bring this to life during our AI Reality Tour."
Date - 29/08/2024
Scindias & the communications revolution: From postal system to modern 4G, 5G, 6G ecosystem
The Scindia Maharajas, who ruled one of the top five princely states in South Asia, Gwalior, were way ahead of their times when it came to introducing new welfare schemes, being receptive to democratic aspirations, and building quality infrastructure for their subjects. This progressive outlook and governance style led to the early introduction of the postal system and telecommunications in their state. The postal system that was established in India to help with mail delivery is today providing through India Post banking, insurance, and the last-mile delivery of benefits from several welfare schemes run by the government to every village through its network of 1.59 lakh post offices.
Date - 28/08/2024
TRAI convenes JCoR meeting, discusses protection of users from harms of spam and telecom fraud
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) convened a meeting of the Joint Committee of Regulators (JCoR) on Tuesday, at its headquarters in New Delhi. Members of the JCoR from IRDAI, PFRDA, RBI, SEBI, MoCA, MeitY, and TRAI attended the meeting. Additionally, DoT and MHA representatives joined as special guests. The JCoR serves as a collaborative platform to examine regulatory implications in the digital age and work collaboratively on regulatory frameworks. In his address, TRAI Chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti stressed the need for a joint effort to tackle the problem of spam messages and calls. He urged the regulators to discuss and enable implementation of (i) whitelisting of URLs, APKs, OTT links and call back numbers to be sent in SMS, (ii) migration of existing telemarketers making promotional calls to 140 series on DLT platform, and (iii) declaration of entire chain of telemarketers engaged by them for PE-TM chain binding.
Date - 28/08/2024
Over 40% consumers use digital payment every day in Tier 3-6 cities: Report
More than 40 per cent of consumers in Tier 3 to 6 cities use digital payment on a daily basis, while 45 per cent claimed to use it once in two days, a new survey report has said. "This reflects the frequent usage of digital payments by consumers, even in Tier 3 to 6 locations of the country," said a report by Chase India on The State of Digital Payments in India. The report identifies the key challenges faced by merchants and consumers in the adoption of digital payment services at the grassroots level. According to the report, nearly half of the merchants who are not using digital payments in rural India are unaware of the service.
Date - 28/08/2024
India, Singapore explore cooperation in digital, skill development, advanced manufacturing
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw participated in the second India-Singapore Ministerial Dialogue (ISMR) on Monday. The two nations explored cooperation in digital, skill development, sustainability, healthcare, connectivity and advanced manufacturing. Jaishankar thanked Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, Foreign Minister Vivian Bala, Minister for Home Affairs and Law K Shanmugam SC and Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo, Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng and Minister for Trade Chee Hong Tat for their commitment to deepen ties between two nations.
Date - 27/08/2024
What ails AePS? How to make biometric work for rural India?
The National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) launched the Aadhaar-enabled Payment System (AePS) in 2010 to facilitate access and availability of financial services in rural India. At its core, AePS ensures financial inclusion in rural and remote locations without banking infrastructure. It allows rural consumers to complete basic banking transactions at their doorstep via a biometric device that authenticates the transactions by fingerprint with assistance from an agent. One does not visit a bank branch and instead could just head to the nearest kirana store, where thanks to 'phygital infra', they double up as AePS centers facilitating efficient transactions via point of sale (PoS) machines by Aadhaar authentication. It has become a quick and safe way for rural customers to fulfill basic banking functions, allowing them to check balances, withdraw, and even deposit cash. AePS simplified banking transactions and is fueled by digital innovations and the government's push for digital payment solutions, with the Jan Dhan accounts being used to offer subsidies and cash to beneficiaries.
Date - 27/08/2024
MHA to conduct cybersecurity workshop for top govt officials of North in Chandigarh
With cyber crimes growing in size exponentially and criminals coming out with new methods almost daily to wipe out people's savings and threaten various security set-ups, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has decided to organise first-of-its-kind cyber security workshop and chosen Chandigarh to host the one-day event for the North and Northern Western region. The region comprises states of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, and union territories of Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and national capital New Delhi. Chief secretaries, director generals of police, deputy commissioners, IT secretaries and expert officers will attend the workshop to deliberate on cyber security needs of the states and UTs and suggest a roadmap for strengthening the same in a holistic manner.
Date - 26/08/2024
No plan to regulate WhatsApp, other communication platforms: DoT
The DoT does not intend to regulate over-the-top (OTT) communication players such as WhatsApp and Telegram, with officials clarifying to ET that the definition of telecommunication under the new Act does not apply to such apps. The clarification by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) comes amid a renewed push by telecom companies to get authorities to regulate communication apps, as per the same-service, same-rule principle. Telcos are also interpreting that the fresh definition of telecommunication includes communication apps, a view OTT players rejected by saying they are already regulated by the Information Technology Act. "Interpretation of the definition is not as simple, that is why different stakeholders are understanding it in their own way. Things will be clarified after some time when all rules under the Act are notified, an official told ET. DoT, though, doesn't intend to regulate OTT players."
Date - 26/08/2024
Creating technologies for industrial application crucial for India: MeitY Secretary
The Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), S. Krishnan, inaugurated the Model Indigenous Electric Vehicle Charging Station at the C-DAC Thiruvananthapuram Technopark Campus on Sunday. Speaking on the occasion, Krishnan said, "We should have the ability to create crucial technologies on our own." According to the Ministry of Electronics and IT, this facility will feature various AC and DC fast chargers for a range of vehicles, from two-wheelers to heavy trucks. It aims to advance the ecosystem for EV charging infrastructure by promoting research, development, commercialization, and manufacturing of indigenous EV chargers. Krishnan also inaugurated the Hardware Emulation Facility at C-DAC, Thiruvananthapuram, which supports start-ups under the C2S programme and the DLI Scheme of MeitY.
Date - 26/08/2024
Digital Personal Data Protection Act to bring marketing overhaul: Pesky calls to personalisation
The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDPA), passed in August 2023, by the Indian Government marks a significant shift in how companies approach the collection, processing, and utilization of personal data of individuals within the country. With the rules to be framed under the DPDPA on the horizon, it is imperative that companies initiate their efforts to comply with the provisions of the DPDPA which is a time-consuming and resource intensive exercise and has the potential to significantly impact the existing business operations. This legislation, which aims to protect the privacy and personal data of individuals, has far-reaching implications particularly for the marketing industry and the marketing activities of businesses. The enactment of the DPDPA requires companies to rethink their marketing strategies fundamentally as the impact of this law on marketing activities will be significant, requiring a complete overhaul of existing marketing practices.
Date - 25/08/2024
TRAI seeks stakeholders feedback on telecom tariff draft amendment order on PM-WANI scheme
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Friday released a draft Telecommunication Tariff (70th Amendment) Order, 2024 on "Regulatory framework for PM-WANI scheme". The National Digital Communications Policy, 2018 under Connect India's mission had set the goal to enable deployment of 10 million public Wi-Fi hotspots by 2022 for creating a robust digital communication infrastructure. Further, the Bharat 6G Vision also sets the goal of 10 million public Wi-Fi hotspots by 2022 and 50 million by 2030 for Digital India 2030 mobile and broadband policy objectives. However, PM-Wani hotspot numbers presently are much below the targeted numbers, as envisaged in NDCP, 2018 document and in Bharat 6G vision document. In November 2022, Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in its communication to TRAI stated that the proliferation of the PM-WANI scheme is quite limited and far below the targets due to extremely high cost of backhaul internet connectivity charged by telecom service providers (TSPs) and internet service providers (ISPs) from public data offices (PDOs).
Date - 25/08/2024
Dept of Posts collaborates with NRSC for developing geo-coded addressing system
In a significant advancement of its ongoing initiative to establish a standardized, geo-coded addressing system in India, the Department of Posts (DoP) has signed a pivotal memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Thursday. Announced just ahead of the maiden National Space Day on 23rd August 2024, this landmark collaboration is a key component of DoP's initiative for standardizing addressing in India by integrating NRSC's expertise in satellite data and remote sensing technologies with DoPs extensive infrastructure and services, while also partnering with the National Institute of Urban Affairs. The MoU was signed in the presence of Manju Kumar, Member (Operations) from the Department of Posts, and Dr Prakash Chauhan, Director of NRSC, ISRO. Through this partnership the Department of Posts will closely work with NRSC, ISRO to develop and refine a standardized, geo-coded addressing system in India, for ensuring simplified addressing solutions for citizen-centric delivery of public and private services.
Date - 24/08/2024
AI to revolutionize creative economy, not threaten it: Union minister Hardeep Puri
Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri has said, "the creative industry is now a $30 billion industry and is responsible for the employment of nearly 8 per cent of India's working population." With creative exports increasing by 20 per cent last year alone, generating over $11 billion, the industry is expected to see remarkable growth in the coming years, he added. At the launch of the â??All India Initiative on Creative Economy (AIICE)â?? in New Delhi on Friday, the minister congratulated the Indian Chamber of Commerce for conceptualising a forum where India's creative industries could come together and collaborate on various matters related to the creative economy. Highlighting his association with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), which has played an important role in promoting the creative economy globally, he cited its "Creative Economy Outlook 2024" report to emphasise that the creative economy generates annual revenues of over $2 trillion and accounts for nearly 50 million jobs worldwide.
Date - 24/08/2024
Trai recommends new experimental authorisation for 'Tera Hertz' spectrum
Telecom regulator Trai on Wednesday recommended the introduction of a new experimental authorisation for spectrum in 95 GHz to 3 THz range. The purpose of 'Tera Hertz Experimental Authorisation' or THEA should be to promote Research and Development (R&D), indoor and outdoor testing, technology trial, experimentation, and demonstration in the 95 GHz to 3 THz range, the regulator said in its recommendations on the 'Tera Hertz Spectrum'. "The government should introduce a new experimental authorisation for the spectrum in the 95 GHz to 3 THz range termed as 'Tera Hertz Experimental Authorisation' (in short, THEA)," the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India said. The scope of THEA should be to conduct R&D, indoor and outdoor testing, technology trial, experimentation and demonstration in the 95 GHz to 3 THz range, and to market experimental devices designed to operate in the said range via direct sale, Trai said in a release.
Date - 22/08/2024
Labour ministry launches building & other construction workers management information system portal
Building and other construction workers (BoCW) monitoring committee held it 15th meeting with all states/UTs under chairpersonship of Secretary, Ministry of Labour & Employment on Wednesday. Various issues related to BoC workers data integration and utilisation of BoCW Cess Fund for welfare activities were discussed during the meeting. The meeting was attended by Principal Secretaries/ Secretaries/ Labour Commissioners/ Welfare Commissioners of States/UTs, besides senior officials of the ministry. In a landmark initiative aimed at welfare of the BoC workers and unorganized workers, BoCW Management Information System (MIS) portal was also launched by Sumita Dawra, Secretary, Ministry of Labour & Employment. The portal will function as the centralized data management system for compilation and analysis of the data obtained from BoCW Welfare Boards of the states, the ministry said.
Date - 22/08/2024
MeitY directs social media platforms to remove deceased's identity in RG Kar Medical College incident
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has asked the social media platforms operating in India to comply with a recent Supreme Court order dated August 20, 2024, in the matter titled Kinnori Ghosh @ Anr. versus Union of India & Ors- Re: Circulation of name and photographs of deceased in RG Kar Medical College incident. The Supreme Court vide an injunctive order has directed that all references to the name of the deceased, along with any photographs and video clips depicting the deceased, be promptly removed from all social media platforms and electronic media. This directive follows concerns regarding the dissemination of sensitive material related to the incident in question.
Date - 22/08/2024
Mobile phone users cautioned against fraudulent calls impersonating TRAI
It has been brought to the notice of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) that lot of pre-recorded calls are being made to citizens claiming to be from the TRAI. Users are being threatened that their numbers will be blocked soon, and they are asked to give certain personal information. The TRAI on Wednesday informed that it does not initiate communication with customers regarding mobile number disconnection through messages or otherwise. TRAI has also not authorized any third-party agency to contact customers for such purposes. Therefore, any form of communication (call, message or notice) claiming to be from TRAI and threatening mobile number disconnection should be considered a potential fraudulent attempt and must not be entertained. The disconnection of any mobile number due to billing, KYC or misuse if any, is done by the respective telecom service provider (TSP). Citizens are advised to be vigilant and do not get panicked to fall prey to suspected fraudsters. They are further advised to cross-verify such calls by contacting the authorized call centers or customer service centers of the respective TSP, the Ministry of Communications said.
Date - 22/08/2024
Digitization enabled I-T dept to process 4 crore ITRs in 15 days: Revenue secy Sanjay Malhotra
Revenue secretary Sanjay Malhotra on Wednesday said the income tax department has processed close to 4 crore ITRs for AY 2024-25 in 15 days. Nearly 7.3 crore income tax returns for Assessment Year 2024-25 were filed till July 31, 2024. Nearly 5 crore ITRs (income tax returns) have already been processed by the tax department, and intimations sent to taxpayers. Of this, 3.92 crore ITRs were processed in less than 15 days. "We have made strides in digitisation. About 4 crore returns were processed within 15 days", Malhotra said at the 165th Income Tax Day celebration.
Date - 22/08/2024
Fortressing the fundamentals: Role of AI in physical security of critical infrastructure
In the intricate web of our modern world, critical infrastructure stands as the backbone, encompassing power grids, transportation networks, water treatment facilities, and more. Disruptions to these essential systems can cascade, jeopardizing public safety and economic stability. Therefore, safeguarding these vital assets through robust physical security measures remains paramount. While advancements in cybersecurity often steal the limelight, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is quietly revolutionizing physical security measures for critical infrastructure. The Evolving Threat Landscape Physical threats to critical infrastructure are diverse. Malicious actors may attempt unauthorised access, sabotage equipment, or steal sensitive materials. Traditional security measures like fences, guards, and security cameras offer a baseline defence.
Date - 21/08/2024
How traceability could conflict with privacy expectations in end-to-end encryption?
As the Delhi High Court starts hearing the writ petitions filed against the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (IT Rules 2021), the Internet Society (ISOC) has released a comprehensive brief that analyzes the 'traceability' mandate contained in the IT Rules 2021, and its implications for digital security, businesses, people, and the national economy. One of the most contentious aspects of the IT Rules 2021 is the requirement for major social media intermediaries offering messaging services to implement traceability measures, compelling them to identify the first originator of messages, particularly on platforms utilizing end-to-end encryption (e2ee) like WhatsApp, Signal, and iMessage.
Date - 21/08/2024
CSC e-Governance Services, Fortinet collaborate to strengthen cybersecurity in rural India
Cybersecurity leader Fortinet and CSC e-Governance Services India Ltd (CSC SPV), a special purpose vehicle incorporated by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, entered a strategic partnership through a memorandum of understanding (MoU). This collaboration aims to enhance the cybersecurity resilience of the networks and systems providing government services through Common Service Centres (CSC) across rural India. The MoU signifies a major step forward in securing e-governance services and networks of CSCs by improving cybersecurity readiness, implementing best practices, and providing user training, according to an official press release.
Date - 21/08/2024
India a priority market; seeing digital demand across new sectors: Adobe India MD
India is a high-performing market for Adobe in Asia-Pacific region and among the fastest-growing globally, Adobe India Vice-President and Managing Director, Prativa Mohapatra has said, adding that momentum on productivity, creativity and personalisation are driving digital opportunities across new sectors. In an interview to PTI, Mohapatra said India is a big innovation hub and a "great market" for Adobe. "Adobe in India is a microcosm of Adobe as a whole... Today we have research, we have products and the market... and it is the second-largest base for Adobe, beyond the US," Mohapatra said, asserting that the company's focus on talent and infrastructure investments in the country, continue.
Date - 21/08/2024
Govt to release draft rules under DPDP Act within a month: Ashwini Vaishnaw
The Union government is set to release long-awaited draft rules for the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act within a month, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on Monday. The minister said the government has first worked on digital implementation of the Act and framed rules accordingly. "We have first worked on the digital implementation of the Act and framed the rules accordingly. The framework is ready, and the draft rules for consultation are expected to be released within a month," Vaishnaw told reporters.
Date - 20/08/2024
India Australia RISE Accelerator invites applications from startups, MSMEs in Climate Smart Agritech
The Atal Innovation Mission, in partnership with CSIRO, Australia, is inviting applications from start-ups and MSMEs from India and Australia for the Climate Smart Agritech cohort of the India Australia Rapid Innovation and Start-up Expansion (RISE) Accelerator - a program designed to support businesses aiming for international expansion between the two countries. This marks a significant milestone in fostering innovations that address India and Australia's most pressing shared challenges in the agriculture sector, according to a NITI Aayog release on Monday. Commencing in October 2024, the Climate Smart Agritech cohort of the RISE Accelerator will focus on start-ups and MSMEs with technologies and solutions that enhance agricultural productivity and resilience in the face of growing climate variability, resource scarcity and food insecurity, NITI Aayog said. The program is particularly interested in start-ups and MSMEs with solutions that prioritise farmer needs, priorities, and on-farm practices.
Date - 20/08/2024
IndiaAI Mission: Transforming India's economic landscape through Artificial Intelligence systems
AI, including Generative AI (Gen AI), has the potential to disrupt every industry and redefine everything we do and how we do it. This means many newer problems to solve, creating unprecedented opportunities for entrepreneurs. The possibilities are limitless. Its potential is so widely recognized, that global AI investments surged to $142.3 Bn in 2023. In this global race, India is a frontrunner. The IndiaAI mission fortifies India's commitment towards developing an extensive ecosystem that promotes AI innovations. While the US and China are the undisputed leaders so far, India is rapidly gaining ground.
Date - 20/08/2024
TRAI notifies stringent measures to curb misuse of messaging services
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Tuesday issued directions for enforcement of measures to curb the misuse of messaging services and protect consumers from fraudulent practices. Through a direction, TRAI has mandated all access service providers to ensure the following: TRAI has mandated the access service providers to migrate telemarketing calls starting with 140 series to online DLT platform latest by 30th September 2024 for better monitoring and control. Effective from 1st September 2024, all service providers will be prohibited from transmitting messages containing URLs, APKs, OTT links, or call back numbers which are not whitelisted by the senders.
Date - 20/08/2024
Broadcasting Bill requires extensive consultations, government is open-minded: Vaishnaw
Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday said the proposed Broadcasting Services Bill will require extensive consultations and the government was "very open-minded" to suggestions from all stakeholders in this regard. The intent is to encourage content creator economy and not discourage it, the minister asserted. A revised draft of the Bill, circulated selectively by the government, had drawn widespread criticism, particularly from the online content creators' community which found certain provisions as "draconian". The Bill was first put in the public domain in November last year and consultations were on with various stakeholders in this regard.
Date - 20/08/2024
Government invites bids to empanel AI infra providers under Rs 10372 cr India AI mission
The government has invited bids for the empanelment of entities for providing artificial intelligence services on cloud under the Rs 10,372-crore India AI mission, which was approved by the cabinet in March this year. The empaneled agencies, like data centers and cloud service providers, will have to provide access to high-speed computing AI infrastructure like graphics processing unit (GPUs), accelerators, Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), storage etc to academia, startups, researchers, government bodies among others at the lowest rate that will be discovered through the bidding process. Under the IndiaAI Mission, supercomputing capacity, comprising over 10,000 GPUs, will be made available to various stakeholders for creating an AI ecosystem.
Date - 19/08/2024
Online teaching content creators surge across tier-2 cities in India: Study
As digitization rapidly transforming the education sector in India, online education has significantly expanded, especially in tier-2 cities. This shift is making quality education more accessible to people at the grassroots level, according to a study by Classplus, a startup specializing in educational technology. The study highlighted a growing trend where an increasing number of educational content creators are emerging from tier-2 cities such as Jaipur, Indore, Lucknow, Nagpur, and Patna. One of the key findings of the study is that approximately 78 per cent of Classplus' content creators are based in tier-2 cities. These educators are playing a crucial role in positively impacting the lives of students from even more remote areas, including tier-3 and tier-4 towns and villages. For many of these students, who previously had limited options for quality education due to high costs, online education is becoming a viable alternative.
Date - 19/08/2024
Breaking free from digital dominance of West: Why not an Indian-owned messaging platform encouraged?
In an article written by Rebecca Kern published in Politico in 2024, it was alleged that WhatsApp had been operating for over eight months worldwide without explicit election-disinformation policies. While Meta has implemented stringent guidelines against voter interference, threats of violence, and election misinformation on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, it has not applied these same rules to WhatsApp Channels. Instead, the company relies on broader community guidelines, which poses significant risks to the integrity of democratic processes globally. This situation is very important as independence extends beyond traditional political freedoms to include control over digital communication. Messaging applications typify digital communication. Messaging applications have transformed global connectivity, enabling seamless interactions across vast distances with just a few taps. However, the concentration of power within a few technology giants raises critical concerns about national security, data privacy, and cultural sovereignty. The dominance of WhatsApp in India's communication landscape is a case in point. With user projections expected to reach 795.67 million in India by 2025, WhatsApp has become an integral part of the country's communication infrastructure.
Date - 19/08/2024
Investment Advisers, Research Analysts should disclose AI tool usage to clients: Sebi
Sebi has proposed that registered Investment Advisers and Research Analysts who employ artificial intelligence (AI) tools in their services must disclose the extent of usage to clients, emphasizing the importance of strong security measures to avoid unintended data exposure. This transparency is crucial for clients to understand how AI tools contribute to their investment decisions and to make informed choices about their advisory services. "The possibility of unintended data exposure highlights the need for strong security measures and clear disclosure to clients about the extent of AI tool usage", Trivesh D, COO at Tradejini, a stock trading platform, told PTI. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), in its consultation paper earlier this month, highlighted the growing usage of AI tools in Investment Adviser (IA) and Research Analyst (RA) services.
Date - 16/08/2024
Cybersecurity imperatives for secure, resilient digital ecosystem as India gears to adopt 6G
As India gears up for the advent of 6G technology, the potential to revolutionize communication speeds, latency, and connectivity is immense. The successor to 5G, 6G promises to bring a transformative impact across various sectors, from healthcare and education to smart cities and autonomous vehicles. However, with these groundbreaking advancements come new cybersecurity challenges that must be addressed to fully realize the potential of 6G technology and ensure a secure and resilient digital ecosystem.
Date - 15/08/2024
'Digital arrest' scam: Lucknow doctor duped of 2.8 cr by fraudsters posing as CBI, TRAI officers
The Lucknow cyber crime branch registered a complaint on Wednesday after a doctor was duped of Rs 2.8 crores by fraudsters posing as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) officerS. The victim, identified as Ruchika Tandon, was posted at the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow and was kept under 'digital arrest' by the fraudsters for six days by involving her name in a fake money laundering case. The money was transferred to seven accounts in those six days. After realising that she was being scammed, the victim filed an FIR with the Lucknow cyber crime branch. After this, a case was registered, and the police have been investigating the matter.
Date - 15/08/2024
India's transformation over last decade owes to digitization, infra, energy transition: Amitabh Kant
Amitabh Kant, former CEO of NITI Aayog and India's G20 Sherpa emphasised the significant transformations India has undergone over the last decade. He attributed these changes to digitization, infrastructure development, and energy transformation. In an exclusive interview with ANI, Kant said, "The most significant change which India has seen is the drive for a great amount of digitization. And that is that everyone today does fast payments on mobile. We can access schemes for wealth creation, that is, you can go to a stock market, you can take an insurance policy, you can get credit on your mobile on the go in 30 seconds to one minute, including fast payments. So that has been the real revolutionary step." However, Kant also identified challenges for the future, including skill development, implementation of the New Education Policy, and sustainable urbanization. He emphasised the need for states to grow at a rate of 10-11 per cent and accelerate manufacturing.
Date - 15/08/2024
Chief Justice DY Chandrachud to open India's first digital court in Kerala on Friday
A digital court for handling cases under the Negotiable Instruments Act in Kollam, the first of its kind in the country, will be inaugurated by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud at 3.45pm on Friday. The ceremony will be held at the High Court of Kerala. The Chief Justice of India (CJI) will also inaugurate the model digital courtroom and the online dispute resolution system during the event. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate special courts in Ernakulam and Alappuzha, dedicated to handling cases under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the BUDS Act, respectively. State finance minister K N Balagopal will unveil the new CCTV surveillance system, including a control room installed in the high court complex. Additionally, state law minister P Rajeeve will inaugurate the newly constructed security-cum-facilitation block.
Date - 15/08/2024
As govt revises broadcast bill, online content creators fear crackdown
Digital rights activists and online content creators welcomed a decision by the Union government to rewrite a contentious broadcast bill that they feared would have censored speech on the internet. But they warned the government could still keep some of the more onerous provisions in new versions of the bill that could curtail India's flourishing digital landscape as the country becomes increasingly connected online. "This is a very happy development," said Dr. Medusa, a political satirist with more than 265,000 followers across YouTube, Instagram and X.
Date - 15/08/2024
Building resilience in public sector enterprises: The path to enhanced OT security
We are witnessing operational technology (OT) undergo a seismic transformation. To the unaware, it's essentially specialized hardware and software that control and monitor physical processes and infrastructure in industries. With advanced automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) pushing the envelope for efficiency and reliability, we are also venturing into an era where cyber threats are on a rapid rise, especially in the operational technology space. Almost 70% of industrial organizations have come across a cyber attack in the past year and at least one out of four have experienced a shutdown of operations due to a cyber attack. It only makes one think, 'What about OT in the public sector'.
Date - 14/08/2024
Microsoft AI Programming Assistant course to be introduced at 15 NSTIs across India
The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) on Tuesday launched a series of initiatives aimed at revolutionising India's vocational training landscape and empowering its workforce to lead in the digital economy. Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), MSDE and Minister of State, Ministry of Education Jayant Chaudhary announced this at the National Skill Training Institute (NSTI)-Women in Noida during his visit to the institute. Microsofts. AI Programming Assistant Program across all ITIs and NSTIs The centerpiece of today's announcement was the expansion of Microsoft's SkillSaksham Program for Digital Productivity and AI Skilling across 200 ITIs from this academic session targeting more than 10,000 candidates and its support for the introduction of the 'AI Programming Assistant' course in about 15 NSTIs from the academic session 2024-25. More than 8,500 students have been trained already under the SkillSaksham Program in the last session of the CTS program in the ITIs.
Date - 14/08/2024
TRAI asks telcos to stop spam calls from unregistered telemarketers
In a major step to curb the increasing number of spam calls, regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has mandated all service providers to stop voice promotional calls, be pre-recorded or computer generated or otherwise, from all unregistered senders or telemarketers. Lately, promotional voice calls from unregistered marketers have to some extent taken the form of menace. On Tuesday, Ministry of Communications has laid directions issued for access service providers. The ministry said all promotional voice calls from the unregistered senders/unregistered telemarketers using telecom resources (SIP/PRI/other telecom resources) shall be stopped immediately.
Date - 14/08/2024
AI in defence: How India is enhancing its defence platforms with emerging tech
India's ambition to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) into its military operations places it at a turning point in the evolution of its defence strategy. The region is still plagued by geopolitical tensions, especially with nuclear-armed neighbours like China and Pakistan. For this reason, there is an urgent need for advanced defence technology. India is strategically pushing to use AI to modernise its armed forces and build a strong defence ecosystem that can handle present and future threats. How the world is embracing AI in modern warfare: Where does India stand? AI-driven systems provide a number of benefits that greatly improve military capabilities in contemporary battle settings. AI enables autonomous systems, such drones, unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), and autonomous submarines, to carry out difficult tasks on their own, minimising the need for human direct involvement in combat.
Date - 14/08/2024
Government to review draft broadcasting services bill, extends deadline for feedback till Oct 15
The government is likely to reconsider the contentious provisions of the Broadcasting Services Regulation Bill that had raised concerns among online content creators as it sought to club them with OTT or digital news broadcasters. The Bill was released for consultations in November last year and a fresh draft was circulated among select stakeholders for their views. An official said that the government may be open to reviewing certain clauses of the Bill as it had drawn sharp reactions from a section of media representatives.
Date - 13/08/2024
Ministers meet favors deployment of AI-ML, promotion of startups, MSMEs in mining sector
In the 6th governing body meeting of NMET chaired by Minister of Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy, the senior minister pursued and sought expediting the exploration of lithium mineral stores in the district Reasi which promised a quantum leap in the mining economy as well in overall economic growth of India. At an inter-ministerial meeting of National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) in New Delhi on Monday, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh raised the issue of J&K lithium exploration and called for expediting the process. In the 6th governing body meeting of NMET chaired by Minister of Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy, the senior minister pursued and sought expediting the exploration of lithium mineral stores in the district Reasi which promised a quantum leap in the mining economy as well in overall economic growth of India.
Date - 13/08/2024
'Amrit Gyan Kosh' and 'Faculty Development' portals launched under Mission Karmayogi
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Monday launched the 'Amrit Gyan Kosh' portal and 'Faculty Development' portal at the Civil Service Training Institutions Convention at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Singh traced back the journey of National Capacity Building Commission and Mission Karmayogi Bharat and said, It marks a paradigm shift in how we approach civil service training and it also envisions a future-ready civil service rooted in Indian ethos, with a global perspective." The DoPT minister added that within a short term the CBC and Mission Karmayogi got integrated within the governance structure though many of them were sceptical about its role but leaving everything behind it carved a niche for itself and contributing positively to achieve Minimum Government and Maximum Governance. He said, "With the evolution of technology and governance we need to learn and unlearn in every phase."
Date - 13/08/2024
CERT-In warns Google Chrome users in India against multiple vulnerabilities: What to do?
The Indian government cyber tech watchdog CERT-In has issued an urgent warning for Google Chrome users in the country. The Computer Emergency Response Team of India (CERT-In) has identified multiple vulnerabilities in Google Chrome that pose a high security risk. These vulnerabilities could potentially allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on a victim's system, leading to severe security breaches. CERT-In has detailed these concerns in its Vulnerability Note CIVN-2024-0231, issued on August 7, 2024. The vulnerabilities affect Google Chrome versions prior to 127.0.6533.88/89 for Windows and Mac, and versions prior to 127.0.6533.88 for Linux. Users running these versions of Chrome are advised to update their browsers immediately to safeguard against potential attacks. Issues with Chrome The vulnerabilities are caused by flaws in how Google Chrome handles certain functions. Specifically, there are problems related to uninitialized use in "dawn," out-of-bounds reading in "WebTransport," and insufficient data validation in "dawn."
Date - 13/08/2024
NIPL to expand UPI digital payment service to Maldives
United Payments Interface (UPI) will soon be expanded to Maldives, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has said. Jaishankar, who is on a three-day visit to Maldives took to X (formerly known as Twitter) where he said that India and Maldives have signed an agreement to introduce the Unified Payments Interface in the archipelago nation. "Witnessed signing of MoU between (the) National Payments Corporation of India and (the) Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Maldives on (the) introduction of (a) digital payment system in the Maldives," he said in a post on X. Addressing a press conference with his Maldivian counterpart Moosa Zameer after their "productive discussions", Jaishankar said that India, through its UPI, has "revolutionised digital transactions".
Date - 12/08/2024
'Amrit Gyan Kosh' and 'Faculty Development' portals launched under Mission Karmayogi
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Monday launched the 'Amrit Gyan Kosh' portal and 'Faculty Development' portal at the Civil Service Training Institutions Convention at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Singh traced back the journey of National Capacity Building Commission and Mission Karmayogi Bharat and said, â??It marks a paradigm shift in how we approach civil service training and it also envisions a future-ready civil service rooted in Indian ethos, with a global perspective." The DoPT minister added that within a short term the CBC and Mission Karmayogi got integrated within the governance structure though many of them were sceptical about its role but leaving everything behind it carved a niche for itself and contributing positively to achieve Minimum Government and Maximum Governance. He said, 'With the evolution of technology and governance we need to learn and unlearn in every phase.'
Date - 12/08/2024
MeitY R&D institute SUMMER transfers take for Sugar Content Measurement to private firms
Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering & Research (SAMEER), a R&D Institute of operating under the aegis of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, signed a Transfer of Technology (ToT) agreement for Microwave based insitu BRIX measurement system with Toshniwal Hyvac Pvt. Ltd. and Sir Automation Industries to enable manufacturing of this system in large numbers. The Technology Transfer took place in presence of S Krishnan, Secretary MeitY, in Mumbai on August 10.
Date - 11/08/2024
NeGD conducts training programme for officials on applications of AI/ML
In alignment with Digital India vision, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) continues to drive the integrated and standardized approach to Digital Governance through the Capacity Building scheme of National e-Governance Division (NeGD), an official release said on Friday. The 2-day training programme on 'Applications of AI/ML' being conducted by NeGD, MeitY, in collaboration with Indian Institute of Management, Visakhapatnam on August 8-9 was inaugurated by GT Venkateshwar Rao, IRS (Retd.) with 26 participants from New Delhi, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura and West Bengal at IIM-M, Visakhapatnam. Emphasis was placed on the crucial need to develop infrastructure that facilitates a seamless integration of AI and machine learning into existing systems, while also safeguarding data security and privacy. By harnessing the power of AI and ML, governments can better anticipate citizen needs, streamline processes, and make informed, data-driven decisions, MeitY said in a statement on Friday.
Date - 10/08/2024
TRAI releases consultation paper on audit-related provisions of telecom regulations
In a bid to create a fair and equitable environment for all stakeholders, the government on Friday introduced the consultation paper on audit-related provisions of telecommunication regulations. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issued the paper on 'Audit related provisions of Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Interconnection (Addressable Systems) Regulations, 2017 and the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Digital Addressable Systems Audit Manual'. According to the telecom regulatory body, Interconnection Regulation establish a trust-based system through third-party auditors to balance the diverse interests of various service providers, including broadcasters and distributors, while keeping the consumers at the forefront.
Date - 10/08/2024
RBI Introduces 'Delegated' UPI Transactions
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) introduced delegated payments through UPI during its August monetary policy. This would enable an individual (primary user) to allow another individual (secondary user) to make UPI transactions from the primary user's bank account. The limit for such a transaction would be set by the primary user. The Reserve Bank of India also increased the threshold of tax payments via the unified payments interface (UPI) to 5 lakh per transaction on Thursday. These tax transactions through UPI will be done via the savings account of a user.
Date - 09/08/2024
AI Bharat 5G/6G Hackathon online platform launched ahead of WTSA-24
Dr Neeraj Mittal, Secretary, Department of Telecommunications, launched the ITU-WTSA-24 hackathon 'AI Bharat 5G/6G Sandbox' on Wednesday, as part of the forthcoming WTSA-24. It is designed to propel innovation and harness the power of AI/ML in the next generation of communication networks. It was launched in the presence of Head of ITU strategic engagement, ITU experts and IIT Delhi experts. This international hackathon is being organised by ITU in collaboration with Department of Telecommunications (DoT) as one of the side events of World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA-24), which will be held in New Delhi from October 15-24, 2024. Delivering the keynote address, Dr Mittal said, "DoT is excited to be partnering with ITU to foster innovation and creativity among the next generation of tech leaders.
Date - 09/08/2024
Entities misusing bulk connection for spam calls to face disconnection: Trai
In a major crackdown against pesky calls by spammers, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Thursday directed the service providers to disconnect the telecom resources of entities that are found misusing bulk connections for making spam calls, and such entities would face blacklisting by all operators for up to two years. Sending out a strong message to erring entities and declaring its all-out offensive against spam calls, TRAI emphasized the urgent need to take firm action on spammers using PRI/SIP connections for voice calls/ robot calls/ pre-recorded calls 'without further delay. The action comes just a day after TRAI chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti made it clear that the regulator will review and strengthen regulations to curb spam calls.
Date - 09/08/2024
India, St Kitts and Nevis sign MoU to share digital solutions implemented at population scale
India and St Kitts & Nevis signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to share successful digital solutions for population-scale digital transformation. S. Krishnan, Secretary of MeitY, and Denzil Llewellyn Douglas, Foreign Affairs Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, signed the MoU. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar hosted Denzil Douglas of St Kitts and Nevis in Delhi on Tuesday. They discussed expanding partnerships in digital, health, food security and capacity development.
Date - 08/08/2024
Union minister Rammohan Naidu explores AI-driven solutions for civil aviation with YouTube, Google
Union Minister for Civil Aviation K. Rammohan Naidu holds detailed discussions with YouTube Global Head, Neel Mohan, Google Asia Pacific Region Head, Sanjay Gupta, MD-government Affairs, Sreenivas Reddy, and Global VP for Youtube Government Affairs, Lesslie Miller in New Delhi on Tuesday. Union Minister for Civil Aviation K. Rammohan Naidu held detailed discussions with YouTube Global Head, Neel Mohan, Google Asia Pacific Region Head, Sanjay Gupta, MD-government Affairs, Sreenivas Reddy, and Global VP for Youtube Government Affairs, Lesslie Miller in New Delhi on Tuesday. The discussions were aimed at leveraging technology for the advancement of civil aviation and governance. The technology leaders deliberated on the advancing role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in governance and explored innovative Google solutions that can enhance governance using AI.
Date - 08/08/2024
Andhra Pradesh to partner with Google for AI applications in governance
Tech giant Google will partner with Andhra Pradesh in providing Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications in sectors like agriculture, healthcare, sustainability, skill development and startup ecosystems, it was announced on Tuesday. A memorandum of understanding is slated for signing between the state government and Google under the initiative "AI for Andhra Pradesh, Powered by Google". "This comprehensive partnership will encompass AI applications in agriculture, healthcare, and sustainability, as well as skill development, startup ecosystems, AI workforce cultivation, MSME support through digital credit and AI-driven governance," the state government said after Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu's videoconference with Google and YouTube leadership.
Date - 07/08/2024
TRAI asks telcos, telemarketers to take effective measures to curb unsolicited calls
Amid consumer complaints about pesky calls, TRAI on Tuesday held a meeting and conveyed a strong message to service providers and their telemarketers to take effective measures to curb bulk communications using voice calls. As part of the crackdown, the regulator has sought proactive action from all the stakeholders specially access service providers (telcos) and their delivery telemarketers. The immediate action sought includes implementing technical solutions for traceability and preventing bulk calling by enterprise customers using 10-digit numbers. "The regulator has conveyed a strong message to the service providers and their telemarketers to come forward and take effective measures to curb bulk communications using voice calls," the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) said in a release. In view of the consumer complaints about unsolicited commercial calls, TRAI held a meeting on Tuesday with access service providers and their delivery telemarketers to deliberate the action on spammers.
Date - 07/08/2024
Zero Trust Architecture: Redefining network security for complex digital environments
In the world of network security, trust is not as straightforward as it seems. Traditionally, the security model revolved around a clear distinction: the internal network was deemed trustworthy, while external networks were considered potentially dangerous. This dichotomy often involved a De-Militarized Zone (DMZ) that provided controlled access to resources. However, as we navigate the complexities of today's hybrid work environments and cloud computing, this traditional approach has proven inadequate. Enter Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) paradigm shift in network security designed to address the modern challenges of a dynamic digital landscape.
Date - 07/08/2024
ICANN announces digital policy expert Jaijit Bhattacharya as ccNSO Council member
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has announced Dr Jaijit Bhattacharya, President C-DEP.org as Country Code Names Supporting Organisation (ccNSO) Council member, representing Asia, Australia and Pacific islands. ccNSO, operating under the aegis of ICANN, is a global policy-development body for global issues regarding country code top-level domains (ccTLD). ICANN is the global body that is responsible for running the Internet. Dr Bhattacharya has been given a two-year term and will take up the position during ICANN81 AGM in Istanbul in November 2024. The members of ccNSO, which is ICANN's policy development body for ccTLD (country code top-level domains) issues, are all country code top level domain operators from around the world, according to a press release.
Date - 06/08/2024
Google, Amazon, Walmart seek to join RBI's digital currency project: Sources
GooglePay, Walmart-backed PhonePe and AmazonPay are among five payment firms seeking to join the Indian central bank's digital currency pilot by offering transactions via the e-rupee, three sources directly involved in the discussions said. Indian fintech firms Cred and Mobikwik are the other two that have applied to join the pilot, the sources added. The Reserve Bank of India started a pilot for the e-rupee, a digital alternative to the physical currency, in December 2022. After an initial surge, e-rupee transactions have declined, reflecting the struggle central banks globally have faced in popularising digital currencies.
Date - 06/08/2024
Nearly 53 cr PM Jan-Dhan accounts with deposit balance of 2.30L cr opened under PMJDY: Govt
The government initiated the National Mission for Financial Inclusion (NMFI), namely, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) in August, 2014 to provide universal banking services for every unbanked household based on the guiding principles of banking the unbanked, securing the unsecured, funding the unfunded and serving unserved and underserved areas, Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary stated in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on Monday. Since 14.08.2018, the objective of PMJDY has been to cover all unbanked adults, the minister said. He further stated that the PMJDY has been successful in increasing banking penetration to promote financial inclusion across the country. A total of 52.81 crore Jan-Dhan accounts with a deposit balance of 2,30,792 crores have been opened as on 19.07.2024 under PMJDY. Out of the same, 29.37 crore (55.6%) Jan-Dhan accounts belong to women and about 35.15 crore (66.6 %) PMJDY accounts have been opened in rural and semi-urban areas.
Date - 06/08/2024
NCW launches Digital Shakti Centre to combat cyber crimes against women
The National Commission for Women inaugurated the Digital Shakti Center to combat cyber crimes against women on Monday. The National Commission for Women (NCW), in collaboration with CyberPeace Foundation, announced the inauguration of the "Digital Shakti Center" at its premises. The centre was officially inaugurated by Chairperson Rekha Sharma. The Digital Shakti Center is a dedicated facility aimed at raising awareness about cyber crimes targeting women and providing essential technical support for registering and addressing complaints. With the alarming rise in cyber crimes such as identity theft, cyberstalking, and sexual exploitation, this initiative is crucial in empowering women to navigate and protect themselves in the digital world.
Date - 06/08/2024
ICANN announces digital policy expert Jaijit Bhattacharya as ccNSO Council member
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has announced Dr Jaijit Bhattacharya, President C-DEP.org as Country Code Names Supporting Organisation (ccNSO) Council member, representing Asia, Australia and Pacific islands. ccNSO, operating under the aegis of ICANN, is a global policy-development body for global issues regarding country code top-level domains (ccTLD). ICANN is the global body that is responsible for running the Internet. Dr Bhattacharya has been given a two-year term and will take up the position during ICANN81 AGM in Istanbul in November 2024. The members of ccNSO, which is ICANN's policy development body for ccTLD (country code top-level domains) issues, are all country code top level domain operators from around the world, according to a press release.
Date - 06/08/2024
e-Sankhyiki portal launched for dissemination of official statistics: Minister
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has launched e-Sankhyiki portal on June 29 this year with the objective to establish a comprehensive data management and sharing system for ease of dissemination of official statistics in the country, the government informed the parliament on Monday. In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Statistics and Programme Implementation Rao Inderjit Singh said the portal consists of two modules namely Data Catalogue and Macro Indicators. Data Catalogue Module lists the major data assets of the ministry with the facility for users to search and download data. Macro Indicators module offers time series data of Macro indicators of four key products of this Ministry with features for filtering and visualizing along with metadata.
Date - 05/08/2024
UPI transactions surge 35 pc to reach 20.64 lakh crore in July: NPCI
The Unified Payments Interface (UPI)-based transactions surged once again in the month of July, reaching 20.64 lakh crore against 20.07 lakh crore in the previous month a massive 35 per cent surge (year-on-year), the data released by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) showed on Thursday. The total UPI transaction count went up almost 4 per cent (month-on-month) to 14.44 billion in July from 13.89 billion in the previous month. As the UPI success story is being adopted by several countries, the average daily transaction volume stood at 466 million last month, compared with 463 million in June.
Date - 05/08/2024
Scindia holds second round of consultative meeting with telecom stakeholders advisory
With the aim of fostering inclusive and collaborative policy decision-making, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) started the second round of meeting with the recently constituted stakeholders advisory committees (SACs) on satellite communication, internet service providers and infrastructure providers. Discussion in meeting of SAC on ISPs and infrastructure providers revolved around current regulatory provisions and seamless adoption and facilitation of Right of way (ROW) for a digitally connected India. The initiative will be critical in engaging industry leaders in expanding and shaping the future of India's telecommunication ecosystem, the Ministry of Communications said in a statement on Friday.
Date - 05/08/2024
Digital initiatives to triple Indian retail borrowing to USD 2.5 trillion by 2030: S&P Global
Recognising the impact of digitisation in the country, S&P Global Ratings said that the state-backed digital initiatives will underpin a tripling of Indian retail borrowing by 2030, lifting Indian households' debt to about USD 2.5 trillion or about 34 per cent of GDP. The agency noted that technology has already boosted India's financial inclusivity, lifting basic savings account ownership to about 77 per cent, up from 35 per cent in 2011.
Date - 04/08/2024
TRAI releases revised standards of service quality for telecom access, broadband services
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Friday released revised regulations â??The Standards of Quality of Service of Access (Wirelines and Wireless) and Broadband (Wireline and Wireless) Service Regulations, 2024 (06 of 2024)â??. These regulations are applicable for access (fixed and mobile) and broadband services. The regulations shall come into force with effect from 1st October 2024. TRAI had earlier issued three different regulations prescribing standards of Quality of Service (QoS), for Basic and Cellular Mobile Services, Broadband Services, and Broadband Wireless Services, namely (i) The Standards of Quality of Service of Basic Telephone Service (Wireline) and Cellular Mobile Telephone Service Regulations, 2009; (ii) Quality of Service of Broadband Service Regulations 2006; and (iii) The Standards of Quality of Service for Wireless Data Services Regulations 2012, amended from time to time.
Date - 03/08/2024
Price Monitoring System Version 4.0 mobile app launched, to cover 16 additional commodities
Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India, has included 16 additional commodities under Price Monitoring from August 1, said Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution & New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Venkatesh Joshi, while launching the Version 4.0 Price Monitoring System (PMS) mobile app in New Delhi on Thursday. Already 22 commodities were being covered under monitoring of daily prices. Now, price of total 38 commodities will be monitored. The department has been monitoring the daily prices from 550 centers across 34 states/UTs. The price data monitored by the department provides advance inputs for policy decision for the government, RBI and analysts regarding the CPI inflation. The 38 commodities constitutes close to 31% of the total CPI weights as against 26.5% of CPI weights captured by the 22 commodities. The newly added 16 items included are Bajra, Jowar, Ragi, Suji (wheat), Maida (wheat), Besan, Ghee, Butter, Brinjal, Egg, Black Pepper, Coriander, Cummin seed, Red chillies, Turmeric powder and Banana, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution said in a statement.
Date - 02/08/2024
India lifted 800 million people out of poverty simply by smartphone: UNGA President
Stressing the use of digitisation for rapid development, the President of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, Dennis Francis, lavished praise on India for its work in this direction, which has lifted 800 million out of poverty in the last 5-6 years. He highlighted how people in rural areas of India, are able to make payments and pay bills just on the touch of a smartphone.
Date - 02/08/2024
Trai invites inputs on FM Radio channels auction reserve prices under FM Phase-III Policy
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Thursday released a consultation paper on Reserve Prices for auction of FM Radio channels. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) vide its reference dated 19th March 2024 had sought TRAI's recommendations on reserve price for auction of FM Radio channels in 18 cities/ towns in the states of Himanchal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Union Territory (UT) of Jammu & Kashmir for the expansion of private FM Radio. The MIB has decided to introduce a new category's for these cities. It has proposed that all the technical parameters applicable for category cities, except for Effective Radiated Power (ERP) may apply to category cities, the Ministry of Communications said in a statement.
Date - 02/08/2024
Digital India initiatives evenly reaching metros, tier-2/3 cities, villages: Govt
Under the Digital India initiative, the government has taken several initiatives to connect not only metros but also tier-2 and tier-3 cities as well as rural and remote areas, the Ministry of Communications said in a statement on Friday. As of March 2024, out of a total internet subscribers of 954.40 million in India, there are 398.35 million rural subscribers. Further, as of April 2024, out of 6,44,131 villages in the country (villages data as per Registrar General of India), 6,12,952 villages are having 3G/4G mobile connectivity. Thus, 95.15 % villages are having access to internet, the ministry said.
Date - 02/08/2024
Average cost of a data breach in India hits all time high of 195 million Rupee in 2024: IBM report
IBM on Wednesday released its annual Cost of a Data Breach Report revealing the average cost of a data breach in India reached an all-time high of 195 million Rupee in 2024. Breach costs jumped 39% since 2020 and 9% from the prior year, as breaches grow more disruptive and further expand demands on cyber teams. Globally, 70% of breached organizations reported that the breach caused significant or very significant disruption. Lost business and notification costs drove the year-over-year cost spike in India, as the collateral damage from data breaches has only intensified. The cost of lost business -- operational downtime, lost customers, and reputation damage, among others -- escalated nearly 45%, and notification costs jumped 19% from the previous year. The slight rise in detection and escalation costs (almost 7% over the same time frame), reflects the complexity of breach investigations, and once again represents the highest portion of breach costs in India, the report revealed.
Date - 01/08/2024
Transition of credit by an input service provider: Does the budget finally provide closure?
The Government of India introduced Goods and Services Tax (GST) in the year 2017 with an objective of seamless flow of credit. Another key objective to be achieved with the introduction of GST was to reduce litigation. However, many writ petitions were filed across India by the taxpayer's facing issues while transitioning from the old indirect tax regime into the new one. One such burning issue which remained unresolved even after 7 years of the GST coming into force was transition of CENVAT credit accumulated or received by Input Service Distributors (ISD) in the old regime.
Date - 01/08/2024
Call rates in India one of the lowest in world: Scindia
India now has 117 crore mobile connections and 93 crore internet connections, Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday while noting that call rates in the country are one of the lowest in the world. Scindia said the cost of call for every minute was 53 paisa and it has come down to just 3 paisa now, which is a 93 per cent reduction, one of the lowest rates in the world. At present, India has 117 crore mobile connectivity and 93 crore internet connections, he said. He said the cost of one GB data is Rs 9.12, which is cheapest in the world.
Date - 01/08/2024
RBI proposes more options to authenticate digital payments
The Reserve Bank of India on Wednesday proposed to allow a wider set of alternatives, including fingerprints and passwords, as additional factors of authentication for all digital transactions. An additional factor of authentication requires two or more ways of verifying the identity of the user, typically used to reduce fraud and cyber crime. Currently, India does not have any rules for how to authenticate digital payments, but the industry has primarily adopted text-based one-time passwords for authorisation.
Date - 01/08/2024
IIT Delhi transfers indigenous healthcare technologies to industry under MeitY funded NNetRA
Two indigenous healthcare technologies developed under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)-funded project Nanoelectronics Network for Research and Applications (NNetRA) were transferred to industry at an event hosted by Indian Institute of Technology Delhi on Thursday. Technology transfer ceremony took place in the presence of S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, Prof. Rangan Banerjee, Director, IITD, Bhuvnesh Kumar, Additional Secretary, MeitY, Sunita Verma, Senior Director, Group Coordinator (R&D in Electronic and IT), MeitY, FITT Team, Prof. Neeraj Khare, the CI of the project and Dr Sangeeta Semwal, Scientist E, MeitY. Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT) at IIT Delhi has played an instrumental role in fostering this technology transfer, MeitY said in a statement.
Date - 01/08/2024
Dharmendra Pradhan launches NATS 2.0 portal, disburses stipends to graduates
Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan launched the National Apprenticeship and Training Scheme 2.0 Portal and also disbursed Rs 100 crore stipends to apprentices through the DBT mode on Tuesday. He said that these apprentices are undergoing training in various sectors such as IT, manufacturing, automobile, etc. He said that the NATS 2.0 portal is expected to be utilised by a large number of beneficiaries to register and apply for apprenticeships.
Date - 31/07/2024
ONDC launches interoperable QR code to empower Indian ecommerce sellers
The government's Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) on Tuesday introduced an interoperable QR code that is set to transform the e-commerce landscape and empower every seller -- from local artisans to neighbourhood shopkeepers. Sellers have been limited by platform constraints, struggling to make their products visible to a wider audience. The interoperable QR code, currently in its alpha phase, allows sellers to generate a unique QR code that customers can scan using an ONDC-registered buyer app, starting with magicpin and Paytm, and soon expanding across the entire network after initial testing.
Date - 31/07/2024
Construction firms in India adopting digital tech to optimise internal processes: Study
Construction companies in India are increasingly adopting digital technologies to assist project delivery, optimise internal processes and overcome the impact of industry challenges such as growing raw material costs and labour costs, a study has said. Indian companies are exploring a range of newer technologies aiding all the facets of the business including data analytics, construction wearables, prefabrication and modular construction (57 per cent), as well as the integration of cloud software and mobile applications to streamline and manage projects efficiently, it said. Autodesk, Inc recently announced the launch of the second edition of its State of Digital Adoption in the Construction Industry 2024 report in collaboration with Deloitte. The report is based on insights from 933 construction firms across six markets including Singapore, Australia, Japan, India, Malaysia and Hong Kong.
Date - 31/07/2024
India is leading global digital revolution: RBI report
India is leading the global digital revolution, emerging as a frontrunner on the back of its robust digital public infrastructure, a vibrant financial technology (FinTech) ecosystem, and a conducive policy environment to emerge as the fastest-growing digital economy in the world, according to the RBI Report on Currency and Finance (2023-24) released on Monday. Globally, India ranks first in biometric-based identification (Aadhaar) and real-time payments volume, second in telecom subscribers, and third in terms of the startup ecosystem, the report points out. The flagship Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has revolutionised the retail payment experience for end users, making transactions faster and more convenient.
Date - 30/07/2024
MeitY in collaboration with IIM-Bangalore starts Digital Government Senior Leaders' Programme
Under the Digital India initiative, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is conducting a 6-day intensive workshop in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM-Bangalore) till August 3, beginning Monday. The workshop is being attended by officials from both Central line ministries and state departments, according to an official statement from the ministry. In alignment with digital India's vision, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) continues to drive the integrated and standardised approach to digital governance through the capacity building scheme of the national e-governance division (NeGD), it added.
Date - 30/07/2024
NCGG, IIM Visakhapatnam conduct training programme on digital governance for senior officials
The 5-Day training program on digital governance jointly being organized by IIM Visakhapatnam and NCGG commenced at Indian Institute of Management, Vishakhapatnam. The program is being organized from 29th July to 2nd August 2024. 19 senior officials in ranks of Commissioner, Project Director, Program Director, Chief Operating Officer, Assistant Director, Joint Director from various IT departments representing 11 states are attending the program. The 5-day program is tailored for government officials working in the information technology and digital sector. The program aims to develop competencies and aptitude of officers to conceptualize and implement meaningful e-governance projects, while equipping them with requisite skills and strategies necessary to effectively utilize the latest digital technologies for effective public service delivery.
Date - 30/07/2024
India's digital economy poised to constitute 1/5th of GDP by 2026: RBI report
India's digital economy is poised to constitute a fifth of GDP by 2026 from one-tenth at present, according to a Reserve Bank report released on Monday. In the foreword of 'Report on Currency and Finance (RCF) for the year 2023-24', Reserve Bank Governor Shaktikanta Das emphasised that digitalisation in finance is paving the way for next-generation banking and improving access to financial services at affordable cost. India is at the forefront of the digital revolution, the report said. The country has embraced not just financial technology (FinTech) by speeding up digital payments but has also celebrated India Stack comprising biometric identification, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), mobile connectivity, digital lockers and consent-based data sharing.
Date - 30/07/2024
4G stack with indigenous technology to help India achieve 100% coverage: Jyotiraditya Scindia
Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has said mobile phone penetration in the country stands at 70-80 per cent of citizens and some 120 crore devices are currently in use. The priority now is to increase the scope of the 4G network in the country, Scindia told reporters. For the first time, India has created a 4G stack with indigenous technology and based on it efforts are being made to take the coverage to 100 percent, Scindia added. Scindia, who is also Union minister for Development of North Eastern Region, said he will be tour Assam and Meghalaya from Friday. "We will formulate a strategy for development of the north-east states based on their strengths and capabilities. For this, decisions will be taken after meeting the concerned state governments," he informed.
Date - 29/07/2024
Centre to implement e-Office in subordinate offices, autonomous bodies within 100 days
As part of its DARPG's 100-day agenda, the government will implement e-Office in all attached, subordinate offices, and autonomous bodies of the Government of India, the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions said in an official release on Sunday. eOffice is a digital workplace solution that is part of the Digital India Programme. The Ministry added that between 2019 and 2024 the adoption of e-Office gained significant momentum in the Central Secretariat, with 37 lakh files accounting for over 94 percent of files and receipts being handled electronically as e-Files and e-Receipts.
Date - 29/07/2024
From real estate to digital transformation: The multifaceted benefits of blockchain tokenization
The Big Question: How can India's real estate markets navigate the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) terrain of fraud and inefficiency, leveraging blockchain's transparency and asset tokenization for transformative stability? In the ever-growing real estate markets of India, fraud and corruption have been persistent issues, leading to inefficient and lengthy processes in transaction execution. Enter the world of volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous terrain, experiencing fraud and inefficiency, where blockchain technology is a response to control. The advent of blockchain technology has opened a world of possibilities for the Indian markets. Blockchain's immutable ledger ensures that all transactions are recorded transparently and cannot be altered. This transparency can significantly reduce the risk of fraudulent activities. One of the most promising in blockchain technology is the tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs). Are you aware?
Date - 28/07/2024
India's Digital Public Infrastructure goes global, says minister
India's unique Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), which has transformed millions of lives, is now being replicated in several countries, the Centre has informed. Aadhaar, which is the world's largest digital identity programme that provides biometric and demographic-based unique digital identity, has generated 138.04 crore IDs to date. More than 30 crore users have been facilitated and 675 crore issued documents made available by DigiLocker, according to Jitin Prasada, Minister of State for Electronic and IT.
Date - 27/07/2024
Indian consumers gradually shifting from cash to card-based payments amid govt push
Driven by the government push to promote financial inclusion and electronic payments, more and more Indian consumers are embracing card payments, along with the unified payments interface (UPI)-based digital payments surge, transforming the country's payment landscape. With the launch of low-cost bank accounts and debit cards under the Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) programme and reduction in merchant service fees, consumers are gradually shifting from cash to card-based payments, according to industry experts. Latest reports mention that the India card payments market is forecast to grow by 11.3 per cent in 2024 to reach $344 billion.
Date - 26/07/2024
Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar to cover 6.5 lakh villages for mapping, documentation of cultural heritage
The Government of India under the Ministry of Culture has initiated a programme to map and document all villages under Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar (MGMD) through National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM). The aims and objectives of the programme include creating awareness about the strengths of cultural heritage and its interface with development and cultural identity; cultural mapping of 6.5 lakh villages along with their geographical, demographic profiles, and creative capitals; creation of National Registers of Artists and Art practices; and development of a web portal and mobile app to function as a National Cultural Work Place (NCWP). This information was given by Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
Date - 26/07/2024
Safeguarding India's Digital Landscape: Key government initiatives to enhance cybersecurity awareness
As India emerges as a global leader in the digital landscape, with a staggering 936 million Internet subscribers (as of Dec 2023, TRAI), transforming it into one of the largest connected nations worldwide, the Indian 'Digital Nagriks' are increasingly integrating the internet into their daily lives, relying on it for essential needs such as business transactions, education, financial activities, and accessing government services digitally. Recognizing the critical importance of a secure digital environment, the Government of India has been implementing robust policies aimed at safeguarding its vast online community, the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY) said in a statement on Thursday. These measures are designed to ensure a safe, trusted, and secure cyberspace amidst the growing prevalence of cyber threats and attacks in today's interconnected world.
Date - 26/07/2024
Quantum Computing: Ushering India into a new age of technological innovation, growth
"In the future, quantum computers will be 1000 times more powerful than all of the computers presently on the planet." - Former Princeton University Professor Michio Kaku. Imagine you have an extraordinary computer that can solve problems way faster than classical computers. That is a quantum computer. How traditional computers work A classical computer uses bits, which can be either 0 or 1, for information processing and performing tasks by manipulating the bits in various configurations.
Date - 26/07/2024
Over 18.56 lakh candidates signed up on 'FutureSkills PRIME' for re-skilling, upskilling: MeitY
The government considers the next decade as 'India Techade'. India over the last 9 years has become a pre-eminent nation in developing technologies for the benefit and transforming the lives of its citizens. India continues to lead in AI talent and skill penetration according to recent reports. The Stanford AI Index 2024 highlights that India tops global AI skill penetration rates and AI talent concentration. India's AI skill penetration is rated at 2.8, surpassing the United States (2.2) and Germany (1.9). Additionally, India's AI talent concentration has seen significant growth, with a 263% increase from 2016 onwards. As per the BCG-NASSCOM report 2024, the AI market in India is witnessing robust growth, projected at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 25-35%, according to the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY). In a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada said under 'FutureSkills PRIME' programme, more than 18.56 lakh candidates have signed up on the FutureSkills PRIME portal, out of which, 3.37 lakh candidates have completed their course.
Date - 25/07/2024
India, UK launch joint technology security initiative spanning 7 key areas
Recognising the increasing role of technology in national security and economic development, the Indian and UK Prime Ministers have launched a new 'Technology Security Initiative' (TSI), spanning seven vital sectors, to elevate the strategic partnership between the two countries, an official statement said on Wednesday. The TSI, to be coordinated by the National Security Advisors (NSAs) of both countries, will build upon the ambitious bilateral cooperation agenda set out in the India-UK Roadmap 2030, and will bring into sharper focus collaboration in critical and emerging technologies (CET) across priority sectors, as per the TSI document, shared by the Ministry of External Affairs. The domains, for the launch of new bilateral initiatives and accelerating cooperation between relevant stakeholders within government, technology and research centres, and industry to expand and deepen the technology security partnership were listed as, but not limited, to telecoms, critical minerals, semiconductors, Artificial Intelligence, quantum, biotechnology and healthtech, and advanced materials.
Date - 25/07/2024
TEAM hails abolition of angel tax, says a significant boon for startup ecosystem
The Tech Entrepreneurs Association of Mumbai (TEAM) hailed the budget saying it is a progressive budget and "we welcome it wholeheartedly". The abolition of the angel tax from 1st April 2025 in the current union budget is a landmark decision by the government and a significant boon for the startup ecosystem. This move alleviates a considerable financial burden on early-stage startups, enabling them to attract much-needed investment without the burden of taxation. Startups will now be better positioned to scale their operations, invest in cutting-edge technologies, and create high-quality jobs. This decision also boosts investor confidence, encouraging more angel investors to support emerging ventures. Reduction of TDS rate on e-commerce operators to 0.1 percent from 1 percent is another helpful step for our industry. Under the new tax regime, standard deduction hike to 75,000 from 50,000 is good as well as Salaried employees will save 17,500 in income tax. Furthermore, bringing LTCG at par with listed shares is also a welcome change, it said. "We are additionally thrilled to see the enhanced focus on women in the workforce. The ambitious allocation of "3 lakh crore for women and girl-centric schemes will be instrumental in accelerating the participation of women in the workforce, which currently stands at 24% in Q2 2024," the TEAM said.
Date - 25/07/2024
Centre to allot ULPIN to each land parcel under Digital India Land Records Modernisation
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday, while presenting the Union Budget in Parliament, announced a slew of land-related reforms and action proposals, including assigning Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN) to all land in rural areas. The 14-digit Unique Land Parcel Identication Number is part of the Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme (DILRMP) and is accorded to a land parcel based on its longitude and latitude coordinates. Its allotment depends on detailed surveys and geo-referenced cadastral maps. According to the Department of Land Resources (DOLR) under the Ministry of Rural Development, ULPIN is a single, authoritative source of truth for information on any parcel of land or property to provide Integrated Land Services to the citizens as well as all stakeholders.
Date - 24/07/2024
Adoption of technology for digitalisation of economy to be stepped up: FM Sitharaman
The Union government will step up efforts towards the adoption of technology for the digitalisation of the economy and will incentivise states which implement business reform plans using digital methods, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in her budget speech for 2024-25 in Lok Sabha on Tuesday. The government has successfully used technology over the last 10 years to improve productivity and bridge inequality in the economy. Public investment in digital infrastructure and innovations by the private sector has helped in improving access of all citizens, particularly the common people to market resources, health, and education, she said. To further augment these capacities, the government will incentivise states to implement business reform action plans and digitalisation, the finance minister said. "For improving data governance, collection, processing and management of data and statistics, different sectoral databases, including those established under the Digital India Mission will be utilised with active use of technology tools," Sitharaman said.
Date - 24/07/2024
As AI uptake gets bigger, industrial players uncovering new use cases: Research
While only 17% of AI decision makers around the world have fully implemented their initial AI plans, more than 9 in 10 say they are uncovering unexpected new use cases whether they are in the prototyping, launch, or scaling stages of AI implementation, an industrial AI insights global research study revealed. Honeywell on Wednesday released the findings of its research which captures the state of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in industrial sector. The research also finds they're "sold" on AI for industrial applications. The enthusiasm for a deeper commitment to AI investment is nearly universal, with 94% of those surveyed saying they have plans to expand their utilization of AI.
Date - 24/07/2024
C-DOT signs agreement with IIT Roorkee and IIT Mandi for development of cell-free' 6G access points
In a significant step towards developing indigenous technology, the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), a premier Telecom R&D centre of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India, signed an agreement with the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT Roorkee) and Indian Institute of Technology Mandi (IIT Mandi), for the development of cell-free' 6G access points. Both the IITs are collaborating to develop this technology, the Ministry of Communications said in statement on Wednesday. The agreement is signed under the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) scheme of Department of Telecommunications, Government of India, which has been designed for providing funding support to domestic companies, Indian startups, academia and R&D institutions involved in technology design, development, commercialization of telecommunication products and solutions. This scheme aims to enable affordable broadband and mobile services, playing a significant role in bridging the digital divide across India, the ministry said.
Date - 24/07/2024
Microsoft outage: RBI DG Rao flags risks of relying on single vendor for services
Mumbai: Days after the Microsoft outage, Reserve Bank Deputy Governor M Rajeshwar Rao on Monday flagged risks arising out of regulated entities' reliance on a single vendor. Addressing an event organized by domestic rating agency CareEdge here, Rao also said that an RBI survey has found that many of the lending service providers engaged by regulated entities do not have customer redressal mechanisms. Rao said it is important for the regulated entities to look at their third-party engagements more diligently, and referred to the Microsoft outage specifically as being illustrative of the risks involved.
Date - 23/07/2024
NeGD conducts CB program on 'Managing Large Digital Transformative Projects' for Central, state officials
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) under its Digital India Vision plans and implements its capacity building initiatives in Digital Governance. As part of the same, a 5-day training programme on 'Managing Large Digital Transformative Projects' is being organized at the Indian Institute of Management, Visakhapatnam from July 2226, 2024 by National e-Governance Division (NeGD), MeitY for the officials of Central and state governments across the country. Officers from Central line ministries and states/UTs -- Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Kerala, Kolkata, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal have participated in the programme. The programme was inaugurated by senior officials from IIM-Visakhapatnam and NeGD, MeitY, on Monday. The objective of this programme is to nurture essential competencies and skills of officers, guide them from the conceptualization phase to successful implementation of digital transformation projects, MeitY said in a statement.
Date - 23/07/2024
Malicious actors trying to exploit Microsoft Windows global outage for their own gain
Government cybersecurity agencies across the globe and CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz are warning businesses and individuals about new phishing schemes that involve malicious actors posing as CrowdStrike employees or other tech specialists offering to assist those recovering from the outage. As the world continues to recover from massive business and travel disruptions caused by a faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, malicious actors are trying to exploit the situation for their own gain. Government cybersecurity agencies across the globe and CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz are warning businesses and individuals about new phishing schemes that involve malicious actors posing as CrowdStrike employees or other tech specialists offering to assist those recovering from the outage.
Date - 23/07/2024
Department of Posts releases beta version of DIGIPIN for public comments, expert opinion
The Department of Posts is advancing an initiative to establish a standardized, geo-coded addressing system in India, for ensuring simplified addressing solutions for citizen-centric delivery of public and private services. In this regard, the department had collaborated with IIT Hyderabad for developing a National Addressing Grid, named as Digital Postal Index Number (DIGIPIN). This system will act as a strong and robust pillar of Geospatial Governance, leading to enhancements in public service delivery, faster emergency response and a significant boost to logistics efficiency, the Ministry of Communications said in a press release on Monday. The DIGIPIN layer will act as the addressing reference system which can be used for logically locating addresses with directional properties built into it due to the logical naming pattern followed in its construction.
Date - 23/07/2024
AIM, WIPO sign LoI towards building joint innovation programs in global south
A high-level delegation from World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) comprising of Sherif Saadallah, Executive Director, WIPO Academy and Altaye Tedla, Head WIPO Academy visited NITI Aayog for signing of a joint letter of intent (JLoI) between Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and WIPO. The JLoI is aimed at building programs for innovation, entrepreneurship and intellectual property (IP) for countries in the Global South, NITI Aayog said in statement on Monday. Union Minister for Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan was present at the event. From NITI Aayog, Suman Bery, Vice Chairperson, Dr VK Saraswat, Member, and Dr Chintan Vaishnav, Mission Director, Atal Innovation Mission were also present. Speaking on the occasion, Union minister Pradhan said, "I am very pleased to see that India's innovation ecosystem is going global. Innovation is India's strength. This pathbreaking partnership between AIM and WIPO will take the best of India's innovation models to countries that are on similar development trajectories, and will enhance understanding and awareness about IPR right from the school-level and unlock the innovation potential of the world as well as foster inclusive and sustainable economic growth."
Date - 23/07/2024
AMD leverages AI to shape next-gen computing experience; eyes emerging markets
Chip maker AMD is looking to position itself as a key player in AI-enhanced personal computers (AIPCs) through strategic innovations on the hardware side to cater to powerful new-age applications, a top company official said. It is taking a holistic approach by integrating technology across CPUs, GPUs, and NPUs, creating a strong ecosystem that supports the development of powerful AI applications. This broad approach allows AMD to serve various markets, from high-performance gaming systems to lightweight laptops, all enhanced with AI capabilities, said John Anguiano, Senior Director, Product Marketing at AMD. The California-based company has unveiled its latest lineup of Ryzen Series of mobile and desktop processors, strengthening its play in computing and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology at its Tech Day event in Los Angeles.
Date - 22/07/2024
NITI Aayog report recommends specific interventions to make India electronics powerhouse
NITI Aayog on Thursday released a report titled "Electronics: Powering India's Participation in Global Value Chains" which extensively analyses India's electronics sector, emphasizing its potential and challenges. It also outlines specific interventions needed for India to emerge as a global manufacturing hub for electronics. Global value chains (GVCs) are critical in modern manufacturing, involving international collaboration across design, production, marketing, and distribution. They represent 70% of international trade, highlighting India's urgent need to enhance its participation, especially in electronics, semiconductors, automobiles, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. Electronics, in particular, is pivotal, with 75% of its exports originating from GVCs. India's electronics sector has experienced rapid growth, reaching USD 155 billion in FY23. Production nearly doubled from USD 48 billion in FY17 to USD 101 billion in FY23, driven primarily by mobile phones, which now constitute 43% of total electronics production. India has significantly reduced its reliance on smartphone imports, now manufacturing 99% domestically, NITI Aayog said in a statement.
Date - 19/07/2024
Budget 2024: Cybersecurity players seek digital security push for Viksit Bharat
With India looking to embrace artificial intelligence rapidly, cybersecurity players expect that the upcoming Union Budget will include measures to boost safety of the country's digital space through further allocation of funds and incentives. Innefu Labs, CEO and Co-founder Tarun Wig said the global focus on AI presents a critical juncture for India. "The AI and ML (machine learning) models can be trained to identify and prevent 'zero-day' attacks. But this will require support from the government (in) nurturing and retaining top cyber talent, and empowering companies to invest in training AI models for cybersecurity," Wig said. He added that while other nations are busy building their AI infrastructure, India must prioritise on optimum use of AI which could include training AI and ML models for improving our defence and intelligence posture, and to reduce cyber crimes which are on the rise, to identify money laundering networks or using AI to take governance to the far flung villages of the country.
Date - 19/07/2024
India's digital infrastructure paving ways for MSME financial inclusion: ICRIER-ADBI
Despite their significant role in boosting economies worldwide, Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) face substantial challenges of credit as highlighted in the June edition of the ICRIER-Asian Development Bank Institute's (ADBI) policy brief. The report identifies several key obstacles, such as the inadequacy of collateral, difficulties in verifying the creditworthiness of MSMEs, and the high transaction costs associated with providing small loans. These factors make lending to MSMEs less attractive for financial institutions. The ADBI highlights the lack of information infrastructure for MSMEs, which exacerbates the information gap between lenders and borrowers. Unlike large enterprises, MSMEs often have minimal connections to capital markets, and financial institutions, find it costly to monitor small loans continuously. Consequently, MSMEs are viewed as riskier investments by banks and other lenders.
Date - 19/07/2024
Modern bills like proposed digital competition law must conform to Constitution: SC judge Hima Kohli
Terming the Constitution as the "bedrock" of any legislation, Supreme Court judge Hima Kohli has said modern laws like the proposed Digital Competition Bill, 2024, must be in line with the constitutional principles of checks and balances. The judge was addressing an event "Taking Stock: Evaluating the Progress of India's Draft Digital Competition Bill, 2024" at the India Habitat Centre here on Tuesday. "The bedrock of any legislation is the Constitution of India. Modern legislations must be in line with constitutional principles of checks and balances, and meet the standards of a society governed by the rule of law," Justice Kohli said while delivering the keynote address. Justice Kohli said India, which is the second largest internet market with 881 million users, has been facing significant problems in the digital market. These are "preferential pricing, deep discounting, anti-steering, bundling and tying, accumulation of big data and its usage, network effects, exclusive tie-ups, search and rank preferencing, restricting third-party applications, advertising policies etc", she said.
Date - 18/07/2024
Experts suggest Aadhaar number for batteries to better manage recycling
India's e-mobility R&D roadmap has suggested an Aadhaar number for batteries to keep a digital record of its material composition, usage history and end of life management as part of efforts to streamline the recycling process. The suggestion is part of the eMobility R&D Roadmap for India, released by Principal Scientific Adviser to the government Prof A K Sood, that lists out 34 research projects to become self-reliant and emerge as a global leader in providing innovative mobility solutions. "This roadmap aims to fill critical gaps in the current research and development framework. While many identified projects are yet to achieve global success, some areas already demonstrate significant international accomplishments where India is yet to commence preparations," said Prof. Karthick Athmanathan, a member of the Consultative Group of e-Mobility Advisory Committee. The roadmap has listed 34 projects for research and development across four broad areas - energy storage cells, EV aggregates, materials and recycling, charging and refueling.
Date - 18/07/2024
Over 77% Indian startups now invest in AI, small cities brimming with tech skill pool
More than 77 per cent of Indian startups now invest in advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), internet of things (IoT) and blockchain, a report showed on Thursday. The trend underscores the rapid technological adoption and innovation across the Indian startup ecosystem, now ranked third globally, following the US and China, according to the report by SAP India, in collaboration with Dun & Bradstreet. Another significant finding is the emergence of tier 2 and 3 cities as innovation hubs, where 40 per cent of tech startups originate, leveraging local talent and cost advantages.
Date - 18/07/2024
Jitendra Singh pushes for use of latest technology for accessible, affordable healthcare
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh emphasised the use of latest technology for accessible, affordable healthcare. Addressing the second Healthcare Summit of American Chamber of India (AMCHAM) in New Delhi on Wednesday, the minister also described India among the top 6 bio-manufacturers of the world with one of the most cost-effective and efficacy-based bio-manufacturing as well as cost-effective healthcare destinations. Jitendra Singh, a renowned endocrinologist with a three-decade long career in medicine, pressed on the new burden of metabolic disorders and the challenges it posed with a wide spectrum of diseases and an increased life span bringing novel diseases. While appreciating the theme of the summit -- Accelerating Innovative and Accessible Healthcare: Technology Transformation -- the minister said it is quite relevant to India's contemporary health issues and government efforts to ensure affordable healthcare for all.
Date - 17/07/2024
Algorand and SEWA join forces to launch digital health passport initiative for women's empowerment
AlgoBharat, the Algorand Foundation's India initiative, has announced plans for the development of a Digital Health Passport in partnership with Lok Swasthya SEWA. The two parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlining the details of a blockchain-based solution that will provide users with a secure and immutable record of their verified credentials in order to more efficiently access critical health benefits and social safety net programs. The new solution will allow SEWA's growing network of community centres, SEWA Shakti Kendras, to more rapidly scale and target their services based on each household's unique needs.
Date - 17/07/2024
Exploring the transformative potential of Web3 for cities & govt: A path to digital empowerment
In the fast-evolving digital landscape, cities and governments globally are increasingly recognizing the imperative to adapt and embrace emerging technologies to better serve their residents. Among these technologies, Web3 has become a prominent contender, offering a decentralized internet infrastructure built on blockchain and other distributed technologies. At its essence, Web3 signifies a fundamental paradigm shift in internet governance and usage. Unlike its centralized predecessor, Web2, dominated by tech giants, Web3 offers a decentralized ecosystem where users retain control over their data and digital identities. This shift holds tremendous promise for cities and governments, presenting unparalleled opportunities to enhance transparency, efficiency, and inclusivity in governance and service delivery.
Date - 17/07/2024
India needs Digital Twin Policy to drive 33% increase in infra investment, achieve USD40 tn economy by 2047: Study
India's infrastructure sector is on the brink of a major transformation. As the nation sets its sights on becoming a USD 40 trillion economy by 2047, the role of advanced technologies in managing and expanding infrastructure projects assumes vital importance. GeoSpatial World, a leading think tank in the field of space, geospatial, and digital twin technologies, has unveiled a pivotal study revealing the urgent need for a National Digital Twin Policy that would not only augment ongoing deep tech strategies like space, geospatial, AI, and Deep Sea Mission, but would also amplify their collective impact towards productivity gains and through sustainable and resilient Indian infrastructure. A study, undertaken by Geospatial World and TechKnowMics under the aegis of the Think Tank on Digital Twin Strategy for Indian Infrastructure, highlights that a National Digital Twin Policy could provide the strategic technology integration and data-centric approach needed across the entire lifecycle of Indian infrastructure to achieve these lofty ambitions.
Date - 16/07/2024
Communications minister Scindia meets telecom stakeholders to lay strategic roadmap for sector's growth
Reliance Jio Chairman Akash Ambani, Bharti Airtel MD Gopal Vittal and Vodafone Idea CEO Akshaya Moondra will attend a meeting of telecom operators called by Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday, according to sources. The deliberations at the meeting will focus on fostering the growth of the telecom sector and resolving key issues along with the timelines. "Akash Ambani, Gopal Vittal, and Akshaya Moondra will attend the meeting called by the telecom minister on Tuesday," the sources said on Monday. This will be the first meeting of telecom chiefs with the minister after the recent tariff hike. Private telecom operators have raised mobile services rates in the range of 10-27 per cent from July 3.
Date - 16/07/2024
Communications minister Scindia meets telecom stakeholders to lay strategic roadmap for sector's growth
Import holidays, GST exemption for components of launch vehicles, productivity-linked incentives (PLI) and government stepping in as a customer are some of the expectations of the private space sector from Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman as she presents the Union Budget next week. "More money for space related acquisitions, tax holidays, import holidays, and PLI scheme for space," Pixxel Space co-founder and CEO Awais Ahmed told PTI when asked about his wishlist for the budget. Industry bodies Indian Space Association (ISpA) and Satcom Industry Association (SIA-India) have sought greater government expenditure on the space sector in the form of an anchor customer forsthe nascent private sector. "ISpA calls for a commitment from the government to procure and adopt space technology solutions across various governance areas such as agriculture, disaster management, infrastructure planning and development monitoring, urban development, and remote area connectivity," ISpA director general Lt Gen Anil K Bhatt (retd) said.
Date - 16/07/2024
Optical fibre sector: Roadmap for achieving Atmanirbharta & national security goals
Local manufacturers in India have invested significantly in the last decade to increase production capacity of telecom products. With the upcoming roll out of Bharat Net III - the largest rural fiberization initiative worldwide and 4G saturation projects, it has become imperative that procurement for these government projects need to be supported by our domestic industries in a similar fashion to the BABA (Build America Buy America) Act in the United States by prioritizing domestic manufacturers for federal government projects. To achieve the indigenization of telecom equipment manufacturing, the government of India has played a critical role in creating an enabling environment for our manufacturers through actions such as the introduction of Product Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for large electronics manufacturing such as telecom and networking products, the imposition of Anti-Dumping Duties (ADD) on Dispersion Unshifted Single Mode Optical Fiber (SMOF) and implementation of Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecommunication Equipment (MTCTE) Phase IV for certain telecom products.
Date - 14/07/2024
Union Health Minister JP Nadda reviews Ayushman Bharat PMJAY, Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission
Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda reviewed the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) and Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) with senior officials of National Health Authority (NHA), in Delhi on Friday. A detailed presentation was made to the Union Health & Family Welfare minister on their salient features, the present status of the schemes and different aspects of their operationalisation by Deepti Gaur Mukherjee, CEO, NHA. The scheme has achieved significant milestones in terms of 34.7 crore Ayushman cards, 7.35 crore hospital admissions amounting to more than Rs1 lakh crore. NHA presented the plan to strengthen the network of empanelled hospitals and effectively engage with them, an official release said.
Date - 13/07/2024
Jyotiraditya Scindia launches NERACE portal, mobile app for farmers in northeast
Union Minister for the Development of the North East Region Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday launched the North East Region Agri Commodity E-Connect (NERACE) designed to benefit the farmers of the region and help position it as a hub of high-value horticultural products in the international market. The NERACE app is intended to support agricultural and horticultural products such as spices, fruits, vegetables, pulses, cereals, and minor forest products. Furthermore, the NE-RACE App is designed to promote Northeast as a reliable partner in the international agricultural value chain.
Date - 13/07/2024
DGCA approves Electronic Flight Folder for IndiGo airlines
Setting new standards in aviation efficiency and sustainability, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday approved Electronic Flight Folder (EFF) for IndiGo airlines. The Electronic Flight Folder (EFF) represents a pivotal shift away from traditional paper-based processes in flight planning and documentation. This innovative technology seamlessly digitizes and consolidates all essential flight plan documents and associated paperwork into a unified digital platform. An Electronic Flight Folder is a visual collection of pre-flight briefing data that is updatable and forms the basis of the pilot's digital briefing pack on their EFB device.
Date - 13/07/2024
DoT acts against cybercrime, suspends over 24,000 mobile connections
In a major clampdown on cybercrime and fraudulent acts in the digital world, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on Friday suspended as many as 24,228 mobile connections, with immediate effect. These 24,228 mobile connections were found to be linked with 42 unique International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) and suspected of repeated fraudulent activity. These 42 IMEI numbers were linked with three mobile numbers. The DoT said that telecom service providers have been directed to block the IMEI numbers on a pan-India basis. The DoT crackdown came after complaints by 'good Samaritans' who lodged complaints of cyber fraud on the government portal - Chaksu. The cyber fraudsters were reportedly misusing these mobile numbers for cybercrime and other fraudulent activities. Notably, Chakshu is an online service by the DoT, which facilitates citizens to report suspected fraud communications. Users can register their complaints on the sancharsaathi.gov.in portal about impersonation or any misuse of services through phone call, SMS or WhatsApp.
Date - 13/07/2024
Next phase of PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan: AI solutions to boost infra, drive logistics efficiency
NEW DELHI: The Central Government is planning to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to vastly enhance the scope of the PM GatiShakti platform. This is being done with the aim of fast-tracking the infrastructure development in the country. "We are looking at having a next version of futuristic PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, which we call as PMGS 2.0 or AI enabled predictive platform, where we can imagine various scenarios and make an assessment of what is going to be the trends for economic development, which area or sector, and at what pace," Sandeep Kumar Ahirwar, Joint Secretary - Logistics at the Department of Commerce told ET. The official further said that the initial preparatory work is on to develop such a platform that could boost economic development by intelligently undertaking risk assessment. The final decision for undertaking "AI-driven GatiShakti planning" is yet to be taken by the Government. The project is still being studied. Considering various scenarios - optimistic, business as usual or pessimistic scenarios, the AI-backed system would be able to analyse and foresee for the economic and sectoral development, including probable growth rate, and infrastructure requirement accordingly, he said.
Date - 11/07/2024
Startups, innovation and digital payments, PM Modi hails business ecosystem in India
During his first state visit to Russia after taking charge for the third straight time on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi applauded the emerging business and innovation ecosystem in India while interacting with the Indian community in Moscow. Mentioning India's contribution to the field of digital payments, he said the country has given the most reliable model of digital payments to the world. "Today India is the country which is giving the most reliable model of digital payments to the world," the PM said. "When I first came into power in 2014, the number of startups was in the hundreds but the number has increased to lakhs. Today India is the third largest startup ecosystem in the world, in the year 2014 there used to be only hundreds of startups but today there are millions," he added.
Date - 11/07/2024
Digital payments influencing consumer behavior in offline transactions too: Kearney
The surge in digital payments for online purchases has led to a permanent shift in the behavior of consumers, a report by Kearney observed in its report titled, "How Urban India Pays" adding that even it is influencing offline transactions as well. According to the observations made by the report, a significant 90 per cent said that they prefer digital payments for online shopping. Similarly, about 50 consumers were found using online payment methods during their offline purchases. More than 85 per cent of the respondent indicated a strong preference for digital payments for discretionary spending, such as for electronics, clothes, and footwear, as per the report.
Date - 11/07/2024
Data centre market in south India to see 65 pc growth by 2030: Report
Fueled by Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, the data centre market in south India is projected to grow 65 per cent by 2030, a report showed on Thursday. This surge is supported by substantial government incentives, strategic infrastructure investments and a rising demand for digital services, according to the report by Colliers India. The combined installed data centre capacity in Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad stands at nearly 200 MW. "This foundation is set to be significantly bolstered, with 190 MW currently under construction and an additional 170 MW planned," according to the report.
Date - 11/07/2024
Digitisation a game changer for MSME segment: MeitY Secy
Fueled by Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, the data centre market in south India is projected to grow 65 per cent by 2030, a report showed on Thursday. In his address at the CII MSME Growth Summit here, he said that this can be achieved by increasing the proportion of domestically manufactured components. "Manufacturing will play a major role in the structural transformation of the Indian economy and electronics will be an important sector driving this transition. We should enhance domestic value-add in electronics from 18-20 per cent to 35-40 per cent within the next five years," Krishnan said. "MSMEs will play a crucial role in this effort and have a huge role to play in electronics components manufacturing." He emphasised the huge potential that digitisation holds to be a game changer for the MSME segment. Adoption of technology by smaller players through cluster-based facilities and retrofitting existing facilities are cost-effective ways to go digital for this segment.
Date - 11/07/2024
Biometric Aadhaar authentication of LPG consumers necessary for DBT: Centre
Aadhaar based authentication for direct benefit transfer (DBT) schemes enables accurate, real-time and cost-effective identification, authentication and de-duplication of beneficiaries for targeted delivery of benefits, the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas said in a statement on Tuesday. Standard operating procedure of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) also clearly mentions biometric authentication as a prerequisite to apply for a new connection. Significant numbers of biometric Aadhaar authentications (more than 35 lakh PMUY beneficiaries) were successfully conducted during Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra camps. Authentication activities are being undertaken as a part of LPG safety inspections/ camps which are currently undergoing. To further augment the authentication of consumers, MoPNG in October 2023 had issued directions to oil marketing companies (OMCs) to undertake and complete biometric Aadhaar authentication of PMUY and PAHAL beneficiaries, the ministry said. OMCs have been diligently implementing biometric Aadhaar authentication processes for LPG customers. More than 55% of PMUY beneficiaries have already completed their biometric Aadhaar authentication. It is also clarified that no service or benefit has been stopped for consumers whose biometric authentication has not been completed.
Date - 10/07/2024
Dept of Posts to launch standardized geo-coded addressing system, onboard 3000 new exporters on DGNK portal
The Department of Posts is advancing an initiative to establish a standardized, geo-coded addressing system in India, ensuring simplified addressing solutions for citizen-centric delivery of public and private services. This grid-based system will serve as a robust pillar of Geospatial Governance, leading to enhancements in public service delivery, faster emergency response, and a significant boost to logistics efficiency. In a review meeting held on Tuesday, Union Minister of Communications and Development of North Eastern Region, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia discussed the 100-day action plan of Department of Posts. The department aims at transforming service delivery and enhancing efficiency through key initiatives to benefit the nation and citizens, the Ministry of Communications said in a statement. In a landmark initiative, the Department of Posts will be organizing 5,000 Dak Chaupals across the country in the next 100 days. This initiative aims to bring essential government and citizen-centric services directly to rural areas, improving accessibility and convenience. Dak Chaupals will serve as vital links between rural residents and government functions, reducing barriers such as distance and accessibility.
Date - 10/07/2024
DPI: Fintech tools scale financial inclusion, empower women with means to save & invest
Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) gained immense momentum last year during India's G20 Presidency when the world praised India's progress in leveraging DPIs for the public interest. The G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) document repared by the World Bank notes that what India has achieved in just six years, would otherwise have taken about 47 years. Driven by DPI, the financial inclusion rate in the past six years has seen a remarkable increase, rising from 25% in 2008 to over 80% of adults today. India's DPI has created a global buzz in the past two years, especially in supporting government schemes to provide public services and direct benefit transfers. One example is the Jan Dhan program riding on the success of Aadhaar identity and Mobile penetration (JAM Trinity), and its critical role in ensuring access to basic banking services and driving financial assistance during the pandemic. The G20 GPFI document describes DPI as, "...an interoperable, open, and inclusive system supported by technology to provide essential, society-wide, public and private services, and can play a critical role in accelerating this digital transformation in an inclusive way." Notably, DPI is an equally leveraged ecosystem for public interest, and public-private innovation, within the guardrails of regulation. It can lower capex, transaction costs, catalyze innovation, and enhance user experiences and choices.
Date - 10/07/2024
Digital transactions rise to 65% in small-town India, Gen X leads the charge: Study
About 65 per cent of transactions by consumers in small-town India are now digital, while in larger cities this ratio was around 75 per cent, a new report showed on Tuesday. According to the report by Kearney India and Amazon Pay India, the digital payment revolution is being spearheaded by India's millennials (aged 25-43 years) and Gen X (aged 44-59 years). Boomers (60 years and above) have higher card and wallet usage than the younger cohorts. "From the widespread adoption of digital payments in both online and offline transactions to the rise of emerging payment methods like BNPL (buy now, pay later), this report provides a detailed look at how India is transforming its payment landscape," said Shashwat Sharma, Partner, Financial Services Lead, Kearney India.
Date - 10/07/2024
TRAI relaxes regulations, gives relief to TV distribution platforms
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Monday issued tariff orders and regulations to reduce the regulatory burden on distribution platform operators (DPOs) amid the migration of pay-TV customers to other platforms. The notified amendments said that ceilings of Rs 130 for 200 channels and Rs 160 on more than 200 channels have been removed on Network Capacity Fee (NCF) and "is kept under forbearance to make it market driven as well as equitable". Service provider may now charge different NCF based on number of channels, different regions, different customer classes or any combination thereof. "DPOs have now been permitted to offer discount up to 45 per cent while forming their bouquets to enable flexibility for them in forming bouquets and to offer attractive deals to the consumers. Earlier this discount was permitted only up to 15 per cent," said TRAI. With the proliferation of HD television sets and to encourage transmission of high-definition content, "distinction between HD and SD channels has been removed for the purpose of carriage fee".
Date - 09/07/2024
Education system must create global citizens for 21st century world driven by technology: Pradhan
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday said education is a key pillar of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of Viksit Bharat and called upon states and UTs to work together to achieve this goal. In almost four years of National Education Policy, the education ecosystem in the country has made tremendous progress and implementation of NEP is key to transforming Bharat into a knowledge superpower and enabling equitable and inclusive access to quality education, he added. Addressing the inaugural session of review meeting of Department of School Education and Literacy with states and Union Territories, Pradhan unveiled his thoughts on the roadmap for the next five years for the holistic development of school education across India. Stating that the National Education Policy 2020 stresses upon the importance of education in mother tongue and all Indian languages, Pradhan called upon carrying forward the basic spirit of NEP -- ensuring Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability and Accountability in education.
Date - 09/07/2024
Promoting science & technology without sensitivity towards humanity is disastrous: President Murmu
President of India Droupadi Murmu graced the 13th Graduation Ceremony of the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday. Speaking on the occasion, the President said that NISER's journey has been only for a few years but in a short period, it has made an important place for itself in the education world. She noted that this institution is moving forward by synchronising the rationality of science and the values of tradition. Addressing the students, the President said that meaningful education and knowledge is only that which is used for the betterment and upliftment of humanity. She expressed confidence that wherever they would be working, they would achieve the best levels of excellence in their field. She hoped that along with their achievements in their field of work, they would also discharge their social duties with full accountability. She said that Mahatma Gandhi has defined seven social sins, one of which is merciless science. That is, promoting science without sensitivity towards humanity is like committing a sin. She advised students to always remember this message of Gandhiji. The President advised students to always maintain humility and the spirit of inquiry within them. She said that they are expected to consider their knowledge as a social enterprise and use it for the development of society and the country.
Date - 09/07/2024
Rajeev Chandrasekhar to address key UK conference, share India's digital strategies
As India sets the global discourse on democratising artificial intelligence (AI), former Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar is scheduled to deliver a keynote address at the 'Future of Britain Conference' next week. The former IT minister will speak on the central theme titled 'Governing in the Age of AI -- Reimagined State,' hosted by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change in London on July 9. Chandrasekhar has been invited to share India's experience and strategy in building the country's digital initiatives like IndiaDPI, IndiaAI Mission and how technology can be used to transform governments and governance through Digital ID, DPI and technology. He will also highlight how other countries can learn from India's experience and how they can replicate India's success in the Digital space. Established by Tony Blair, former UK Prime Minister, the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change advises governments and leaders on strategy, policy and delivery, unlocking the power of technology across all three. The conference will discuss and lay out a framework for transforming people's lives for the better, putting forward a future-facing agenda, and a concrete plan for reimagining the State in the 21st century. Last week, at the 'Global IndiaAI Mission' summit in the national capital, the Global South countries acknowledged and appreciated the role of India in giving voice to them at the global AI forum. More than 2,000 global AI experts, policy-makers, artificial intelligence (AI) practitioners, industry/startups and academia joined the summit, with over 10,000 AI enthusiasts joining the sessions virtually. The members came to a consensus about the future vision of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI). The 'IndiaAI Mission' has been approved with an outlay of Rs 10,372 crore and out of this, Rs 2,000 crore would be utilised towards supporting the Indian startup ecosystem to develop indigenous AI-based solutions.
Date - 08/07/2024
DoT announces Call for Proposals: Quantum Standardization and Testing Labs
Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has announced call for proposals, titled "Quantum Standardization and Testing Labs," and has invited submissions from Indian academic institutions or R&D institutions, either individually or in partnership. The main objective is to accelerate research and development in quantum technologies, ensuring the interoperability, reliability, and security of quantum communication systems. These labs will serve as innovation hubs, uniting quantum technology developers, testing equipment manufacturers, and academic researchers to explore and harness the full potential of quantum technologies for the benefit of all citizens. "The initiative aligns with the Prime Minister's vision for 'Jai Anushandhan', aiming to support research and development in telecom products and technologies that directly enhance the lives of Indian citizens," the release said. It underlines efforts towards making India self-reliant in quantum technologies and setting global benchmarks in this cutting-edge field. "The effort not only supports the development of secure, reliable, and efficient quantum communication systems, but also aims at providing all Indian citizens with advanced technologies that improve everyday communication, data security, and overall digital experience," the release added. The release notes that the proposed labs have these two core objectives:
- Quantum Standardization: Establish benchmarks and protocols essential for the seamless integration of quantum communication elements such as quantum key distribution, quantum state analysers, optical fibres, and components into existing and future communication networks.
- Testing Facilities: Develop reliable testing facilities to validate quantum concepts, processes, devices, and applications created by Indian industry members, including startups, R&D, and academic institutions. This includes verifying their performance under different conditions and certifying their compliance with national and international standards. These facilities will support the development of quantum technologies that can be safely and effectively used by citizens in various sectors, including healthcare, education, and finance.
Date - 08/07/2024
Fantasy sports in digital age: Govt, private sector initiatives to transform fan culture & engagement
Online gaming as an industry is growing fast in India. As per Drishti IAS, India is one of the largest gaming markets in the world, with a user base of 568 million gamers and over 9.5 billion gaming app downloads in 2023. The sector in India has a growth trajectory of 28% Compound Annual Growth Rate for the last 4 years. Given how this industry is evolving, there is a need for the government and the players to understand the user base of this industry, so that their needs can be better fulfilled. In an age where digital engagement is paramount, fantasy sports have emerged as a significant force, reshaping the landscape of sports fandom. In a recent study titled "Fan and Fantasy: Investigating the Impact of Fantasy Sports on Sports Fan Identity", we delve into the intricate relationship between fantasy sports and fan identity, uncovering novel socio-psychological outcomes and value co-creation practices within the fantasy sports community. Why Fan Identity Will Undergo a Change with Fantasy Sports Fantasy sports have transcended traditional forms of sports consumption. No longer limited to merely watching games or attending events, fans now engage in strategic decision-making, creating their own teams and competing in fantasy leagues. This shift has broadened their interests beyond their preferred teams, leading to a more immersive and interactive sports experience. The internet has played a crucial role in this transformation, facilitating the rapid expansion of the fantasy sports industry, which now encompasses nearly all major sports leagues. The study employs netnography, a qualitative research method that analyzes online communities, to explore how fantasy sports impact fan identity. Data collected from various subreddits during the Euro 2020 tournament reveal significant findings. Traditional fan behaviors such as BIRGing (Basking in Reflected Glory) and CORFing (Cutting Off Reflected Failure) are evident in online interactions. BIRGing includes celebration and trash talk, while CORFing encompasses disappointment, contemplation, and avoidance. Fantasy sports are reshaping how fans interact with their favorite teams and athletes. Traditional fan behaviors like BIRGing and CORFing are being complemented and, in some cases, replaced by new dynamics specific to fantasy sports participation. Fans are no longer just passive supporters; they are active participants who make strategic decisions, celebrate individual achievements, and form new types of relationships within the sports ecosystem.
Date - 08/07/2024
DoT upgrades telecom infrastructure for Amarnath Yatra
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on Monday announced significant improvements in telecom infrastructure for Amarnath Yatra to ensure seamless mobile connectivity for pilgrims. In collaboration with major telecom operators, including Airtel, BSNL, and Reliance Jio, the infrastructure has been upgraded to provide continuous coverage along the yatra routes, according to an official release. To ensure seamless mobile connectivity, a total of 82 sites (Airtel, RJIL and BSNL) will be active, an official release said. "A total of 31 new sites have been installed along the Yatra routes, increasing the total number from 51 in 2023 to 82 in 2024. This enhancement aims to provide seamless mobile connectivity to the pilgrims and public," it said. The routes from Lakhanpur to Qazigund and from Qazigund to Pahalgam and Baltal are fully covered with 2G, 3G, 4G, including 5G technology, at many places for pilgrims and the public. Further, some key points of SIM distribution centres have been added to extend telecom facilitation to pilgrims, it said. "The DoT remains committed to ensure a smooth and connected experience for all participants of the Shri Amarnathji Yatra 2024, leveraging advanced telecom technologies to support this important pilgrimage," the release said.
Date - 08/07/2024
ONDC monthly transactions hit 10 million in June: Report
The government-backed Open Network for Digital Commerce's (ONDC) monthly transaction volumes hit 10 million in June last month with 6.1 million non-mobility transactions and 3.9 million mobility transactions, said Equirus Securities India Equity Research BFSI sector report on July 7. The open network has been adding one million transactions per month over the past two months, exhibiting strong growth, it said. Bulk of this incremental growth has been retail-driven, with non-mobility orders crossing 6 million transactions in June 2024 versus 3.6 million in March 2024,it added. Mobility transactions have declined to 3.9 million from 4.1million in March 2024, the report said. The report further said ONDC has also cut order volume-linked financial incentives for network participants by up to 75% starting second quarter of FY2025. The network has also done pilots for consumer loans and incrementally looks to offer larger B2B loans up to Rs 10 million - 15 million, the report said which ET had reported about. Beyond credit, expansion into insurance and investments is on the anvil with passive funds (index, liquid funds) likely to be launched soon.
Date - 08/07/2024
DoT invites proposals for organising 5G & 6G technologies hackathon and WTSA outreach sessions
India will host the "5G/6G and Emerging Technologies Hackathon" in the month of September alongside the "WTSA24 (World Telecommunication Standardisation Assembly) Outreach Sessions". The initiative aims to bring together innovators, industry leaders, and academics to explore the frontiers of next-generation telecom technologies. The prestigious WTSA2024 will be held in New Delhi from 15th - 24th Oct 2024, marking a significant step towards the advancements of 5G and 6G networks. It also marks the country's growing importance in the global technology landscape. The WTSA is a quadrennial event and serves as the governing conference of the ITU (International Telecommunication Union) Standardisation Sector (ITU-T). It is one of the three world conferences organized by the International Telecommunication Union, an entity within the United Nations system. This event plays a pivotal role in setting global telecommunication standards, making India's hosting of the WTSA a significant milestone. The WTSA 2024, will be accompanied by other related initiatives such as the ITU Kaleidoscope conference (21-23 Oct 2024), ITU exhibitions (14-24 Oct 2024), Network of Women (17 Oct 2024) and AI for Good (18 Oct 2024) to enrich the discourse and promote inclusivity in the sector. Also, a hackathon prior to the event will further provide a platform to developers to showcase different solutions. Additionally, the DoT will organize the Indian Mobile Congress (IMC 2024) at the same venue, scheduled from October 15 to 19, 2024. This year, the focus will be on Artificial Intelligence, Quantum technology and Circular Economy along with spotlight on 6G, 5G use-case showcase, cloud & edge computing, IoT, semiconductors, cybersecurity, green tech, satcom and electronics manufacturing. 5G/6G Hackathon to Propel Next-Generation Innovations Aligned with the Asia's largest technology forum, the Indian Mobile Congress (IMC) 2024, the hackathon will serve as a hub for cutting-edge innovation in telecommunications. Focused on advancing technologies like 5G and 6G, the event will attract participants from industry, academia, and startups, all aiming to showcase pioneering solutions. During the 30-hour event, held in dedicated 5G labs in Delhi, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru, participants will collaborate in a dynamic environment to develop their ideas. The hackathon aims to foster creativity and teamwork, culminating in the selection of winners who will present their innovations at IMC 2024.
Date - 06/07/2024
The NEET scam: Deploy biometrics, blockchain, AI to verify & monitor the examination process
The burdens of a country's foundation are borne by the pillars of its institutions. Concomitantly, a nation's progressive development, as well as the security it guarantees, whether physical, socio-economic or legal, is heavily reliant upon the integrity and efficiency, its institutions boast. Conversely, if these very same institutions are plagued and hollowed out by intricate conspiracies and nefarious plans, aimed to serve the interests of the few, it is the majority that inevitably suffers. The most recent instance of such a blatant dereliction of public faith and interest, is the 2024 NEET scam in India, which involved large-scale cheating and corruption in the medical entrance examination. This shocking con-job highlighted severe flaws in the country's examination system. Such incidents serve to deeply erode the very core of the formalized educational process - an affair that is publicly perceived as holy and sacrosanct, due to its quintessential role in moulding and enabling successive generations of the country's youth, in their future endeavours. When a process so pivotal to arming the nascent minds of the country is tainted with the blemishes of greed, it raises troubling questions regarding the degree of faith the common masses can repose, on educational institutions - buildings that are oft perceived on the same pedestal as temples and consecrated grounds. Suffice it to say, the NEET scam exposed vulnerabilities in the examination system, where technology and bribery were used to manipulate results. Impersonators and unauthorized individuals exploited loopholes, leading to an unfair advantage for some candidates. The consequences were dire, with deserving students losing opportunities, and public confidence in the examination system being severely damaged. These events underscore the need for comprehensive legal reforms to prevent similar occurrences in the future. Presently, the legal framework in India includes various provisions to address cheating and fraud in examinations, such as provisions in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) dealing with forgery and fraud. However, these laws, having been formulated for general cases of such offences, have proven inadequate in deterring sophisticated scams like the NEET incident. Although penalties may have enough deterrence, the rate of enforcement is abysmally poor. Moreover, the existing regulations lack the necessary provisions to address modern methods of cheating, such as the use of advanced technology and organized crime syndicates. To effectively curtail incidents like the NEET scam, several legal reforms are essential. Firstly, stricter penalties for offenders are crucial. The existing punishment for exam fraud must be significantly enhanced to serve as a deterrent. This includes not only those who directly engage in cheating but also individuals and entities that facilitate such activities. Harsher penalties, including substantial fines and longer prison sentences, would discourage potential offenders.
Date - 05/07/2024
GPAI members hail India's leadership in global AI discourse
Bolstering India's leadership in the global AI discourse, the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) members have reached a consensus on the future vision after extensive discussions and deliberations. This cements India's pivotal role in steering the ethical and inclusive development of AI, according to the IT Ministry. "This will pave the way for the renewed integrated partnership to achieve its objectives of harnessing the potential of AI for Good and for All," said MeitY after the sixth meeting of the GPAI Ministerial Council in New Delhi during the 'Global IndiaAI Mission 2024' summit on July 3-4. Among the key points discussed are to recognise the transformative potential of AI in shaping the future of "our societies and economies, the opportunities that safe, secure and trustworthy AI systems represent to accelerate and enable progress towards the achievement of sustainable development, and the importance of coordinated international efforts towards harnessing the benefits of AI." Another significant point is to acknowledge the emerging risks and challenges posed by AI systems, particularly advanced AI systems, including those related to safety and security and potential malicious uses. The GPAI members also deliberated upon how to foster trustworthy and human-centric AI through an inclusive, multi-stakeholder approach relying on a strong scientific basis, open solutions and common standards. The GPAI has, since its launch, been a unique initiative for global multi-stakeholder cooperation on AI. The members also recognised the 'New Delhi 2023 GPAI Ministerial Declaration' to strengthen GPAI's unique and independent identity as a nodal initiative that plays a key role in global cooperation on AI innovation and governance. The GPAI members now look forward to working with relevant international organisations and United Nations Specialised Agencies and with other partners through an inclusive dialogue on AI. The next GPAI Summit is slated to be organised in Serbia later this year.
Date - 05/07/2024
About 95% of Indian firms see positive returns from data streaming investments: Report
About 95 per cent of India's IT leaders with experience in data streaming reported a remarkable 2 to 10 times return on investment (ROI) from their data streaming initiatives, underscoring the critical role of real-time data in the country's digital economy, a new report showed on Thursday. According to the data streaming company Confluent, 94 per cent prioritise data streaming as a key IT investment in 2024, surpassing global figures and ranking highest among the surveyed countries. "Our findings that data streaming is one of the top IT investment priorities for Indian firms echo the increased demand we have seen for a real-time data streaming infrastructure. Data streaming technologies are delivering exceptional returns," said Rubal Sahni, Area VP and Country Manager for India at Confluent. The report surveyed 4,110 IT leaders familiar with data streaming from companies with 500 or more employees. These respondents were from 12 different countries, including India. Moreover, the report showed that data streaming pays off across every industry and that organisations of all sizes are achieving value, despite limited resources. Around 96 per cent stated that data streaming improved or is expected to improve cybersecurity and new products and services to customers, whereas 95 per cent improved or expected to improve product and service innovation when using AI/ML. The report further mentioned that 98 per cent are confident that data streaming eases AI/ML adoption and 85 per cent stated investments in GenAI will trend up in the coming two years.
Date - 05/07/2024
India's UPI goes live at Galeries Lafayette, eyes Paris Olympics boost
India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has expanded its footprint to the heart of Paris, with the flagship store of Galeries Lafayette on Haussmann Boulevard now accepting UPI payments. This landmark move is a step further in realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of globalising UPI, which is an Indian instant payment system developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in 2016. "On July 3, 2024, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) became live at the flagship store of the world-renowned Galeries Lafayette in Haussmann, Paris. This expands the acceptance of UPI in Paris after a successful launch at the iconic Eiffel Tower," read a press release by Indian Embassy in France. Ambassador of India to France and Principality of Monaco Jawed Ashraf launched UPI by live use at the store in the presence of Nicolas Houze, CEO of Galeries Lafayette, and Alain Lacour, Chairman of Lyra Group. Recalling the success of the UPI launch at the Eiffel Tower in January 2024 and the meeting hosted for potential merchants with NPCI International in February 2024, the Ambassador welcomed the quick conclusion of the agreement and arrangement between Lyra and NPCI for the launch of UPI at the world-famous Galeries Lafayette ahead of the Paris Olympics starting July 26, 2024, which is expected to draw large number of Indian visitors. "Ambassador recalled the first international launch of UPI in Singapore in 2018 by Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, and expressed satisfaction at the international journey of UPI," the release also said. He hoped that, in addition to quick, safe and efficient means of cross-border digital payments, UPI will grow as a medium of cross-border remittances and eventually become the digital payment system in countries across the world, it added. As Paris gears up for the 2024 Olympics, this initiative aims to facilitate seamless transactions for a growing number of Indian visitors and underscores UPI's evolving role as a global digital payment solution.
Date - 05/07/2024
Strengthening the fintech ecosystem for last mile financial inclusion in Aatmanirbhar Bharat
Aatmanirbhar Bharat, a visionary initiative launched by the Government of India in 2020, aims to achieve comprehensive self-reliance for the nation and its citizens. Central to this initiative is the mission of financial inclusion, ensuring that all segments of society, including the underserved, have access to essential financial services. It's a powerful driver of socioeconomic development, influencing gender equality, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and social stability. Moreover, the country has seen real progress in this area, with the financial inclusion index jumping from 43.4 in 2017 to 60.1 in 2023. This boost has positively impacted India's economy, showing that efforts to provide individuals and businesses access to affordable financial products and services yield positive results. Then, why are some sectors still excluded? Despite these efforts, barriers to achieving complete financial inclusion persist, particularly for underserved segments. For example, MSMEs' demand for commercial loans increased by 29% in 2023, but the supply fell short, leading to a significant financial gap. Additionally, even with 13.5 to 15.7 million women-owned enterprises, women still struggle with substantial credit gaps due to social biases from financial institutions. But what causes these obstacles? When it comes to financial inclusion, small businesses often struggle as they don't have formal financial records, which makes it hard for them to get credit. Plus, there's a lack of new ideas and inclusive practices in lending to these businesses. For women, cultural norms make it tough to deal with banks independently, and many don't have the financial literacy to use banking services effectively. Moreover, getting loans is a big hurdle for women-owned businesses, as they are seen as riskier and often don't have enough collateral. Additionally, last-mile connectivity remains a persistent issue, particularly for rural areas with inadequate infrastructure and limited internet access. Despite the presence of financial institutions, reaching remote villages and underserved neighborhoods remains economically challenging due to the high costs associated with establishing and maintaining branches.
Date - 05/07/2024
India, France working together on AI's potential in development, innovation: French envoy
France's Permanent Representative to OECD, Amelie de Montchalin, said that India and France are working together as the two nations share the same vision on what artificial intelligence (AI) can bring as a tool for more development, innovation and prosperity. Speaking to ANI, Amelie de Montchalin noted that France and India have digital public infrastructure in common. On being asked about India and France's role in AI, Montchalin said, "So, India and France are really working together because we have the same vision of what AI can bring as a tool for more development, as a tool for innovation, as a tool for prosperity. But, we also have the same values." "We want to keep our sovereign autonomy to make sure that we are having the control of our technologies. We have the same vision of cyber. So, the fact that we work together is also the sign that we want to make sure that AI is at the service of all people, all across the planet, so without division between what we call the north and the south," she added. Asked whether there is any discussion between two nations in terms of AI, Amelie de Montchalin said, "So as you know, France and India, we have something in common, which are digital public infrastructure. I was in charge of civil service reform and I was in charge of the digital public services in France. And they are very close and very similar in their thinking from what you do here in India with your very successful digital public infrastructure. So we will continue to work together on this." "We are also discussing as part of the global partnership on AI, how to be AI for good, open AI solutions to face climate change, agriculture, smart cities, water resources, and make sure that these algorithms are free, open, not just for India and France, but also to other developing and emerging countries, and this is something I know in India wants to do even more and that France will support and we will do together," she added. She lauded India for organising the 'Global IndiaAI Summit' and called it a "major success." She stated that the conference in Delhi is a follow-up to the G20 Summit in Delhi held in 2023. French envoy also talked about the AI Action Summit set to be held in February 2025 and added that India will be invited to the Summit. Speaking about India's role in the propagation of AI, Montchalin said, "So I think it's a major success to have this Delhi conference today, this ministerial meeting of the Global Partnership on AI. I think it's also the follow-up of your G20. I must say that what happened today between the ministers was something that President Macron and Prime Minister Modi have discussed here in Delhi in September 2023."
Date - 04/07/2024
Banks must strengthen their governance, ensure robust cybersecurity to curb digital frauds: RBI
Banks in the country must strengthen their governance standards and ensure robust cybersecurity controls to curb digital frauds, the governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) told bank chiefs on Wednesday. RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, in his opening remarks at a meeting with the CEOs of private and public sector banks in Mumbai, also emphasised the importance of lenders strengthening their risk management practices and compliance culture. The central bank has been increasingly encouraging banks to strengthen governance standards to avoid financial instability and prevent systemic risks, and has fined and placed restrictions on non-compliant entities. For example, in April, the RBI barred private lender Kotak Mahindra Bank from taking on new customers via its online and mobile banking channels and from issuing new credit cards due to information technology-related deficiencies. Das also urged banks to adopt cybersecurity controls and effectively manage third-party risks, the central bank said in a statement, without specifying these risks. He also urged banks to step up efforts against so-called mule accounts, which are used for illegal activities, and intensify customer awareness and education initiatives, among other measures, to curb digital frauds. Other topics discussed at the meeting included liquidity risk management, the persistent gap in credit and deposit growth, trends in unsecured retail lending and increasing the Indian rupee's use in cross-border transactions, the RBI said.
Date - 04/07/2024
NABARD partners with Online PSB Loans to digitalize Jan Suraksha schemes for regional rural banks
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and Online PSB Loans Limited have signed an agreement to promote financial inclusion through regional rural banks. The collaboration seeks to smoothen the process of enrolment and claim settlement under the Jan Suraksha Schemes for all 43 Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) onboarded on one platform through the JanSuraksha Portal. This initiative represents a significant stride towards bridging the financial gap in rural areas and will further empower Regional Rural Banks to leverage digital solutions for seamless enrolment and efficient settlement of Jan Suraksha schemes, NABARD said in a statement. Under this initiative, NABARD will integrate all 43 RRBs onto the JanSuraksha Portal with a view to democratising access to financial protection schemes across erstwhile inaccessible corners of the country, it said. Such a digital transformation will not only make processes easier but also make sure of more transparency and quicker speed for disbursal to beneficiaries; therefore, strongly reinforcing an inclusive growth agenda of the Government of India under the Digital India initiative, it said. NABARD Chairman Shaji K V said that the initiative is "one giant leap towards enhancing digital financial services across rural India. This epitomises NABARD's commitment to leveraging technology to make accessible, efficient digital solutions available to RRBs so that financial resilience can be built and inclusive growth promoted". By leveraging technology to connect the JanSuraksha Portal with the Core Banking Solutions (CBS) of RRBs via Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), the project aims to ensure a hassle-free experience for both banks and their customers. The JanSuraksha Portal, an initiative undertaken by the Department of Financial Services (DFS) of the Government of India, facilitates digital enrolment and claim settlements for the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha BimaYojana (PMSBY).
Date - 04/07/2024
Global IndiaAI Summit 2024: Collective effort must to harness AI's potential while limiting user harms, says Ashwini Vaishnaw
Union Minister of Electronics and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday highlighted the need to curb the unethical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The Union Minister also outlined the launch of India's Artificial Intelligence mission. "In the coming few months, India will be launching the mission so that the power and potential of AI can be harnessed in the agriculture, education, healthcare, medicine, pharmaceuticals and all these sectors that are relevant to our society," the minister said. Addressing the inaugural event of the two-day Global India AI Summit 2024 in the national capital, the minister said that although benefits of AI is clear in many areas, however, it comes with a lot of risk as well. The Union Minister said, "With the potential of AI clearly visible in the general world along with consumption of the content world, to the industrial world and to the many other social sectors, there is a huge enthusiasm about how AI will change the way we live, the way we conduct business, and our society structure. Simultaneously, there is realisation of risk and dangers and threats to our social institution." Mentioning the recently concluded Lok Sabha Elections in India, he said we have realised during the elections how the misinformation gets multiplied with the help of AI. "In the recent general elections, we have seen how disinformation, misinformation, and fake news can be a big threat. That threat gets multiplied manifold by the power of AI," he said. He further added that it is not just India who is experiencing the heat of AI but its aftereffects are being felt all over the world in every society. Vaishnaw underscoring the need to collectively work towards securing the use of AI said, "This is not something which only we are experiencing, the entire world has experienced the same. Every society and government is feeling the same threat from the emergence of new risks based on AI. The societies are responding in very methodical and thought-through ways... As we look at the potential of AI, we also need to collectively figure out a way, and what limits we need to pose on the technology, how this can be properly integrated with our social and democratic institutions," he highlighted"
Date - 04/07/2024
AI/ML, biotech, urban mining among 5 projects selected for Australia-India Strategic Research Fund
Union Minister of State (IC) for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh on Thursday announced the results of the 15th round of the Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF) in New Delhi. The successful projects that have been awarded funding under the prestigious program were announced through a press release. The Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF) is a bilateral program that supports collaborative research projects between Australia and India. It aims to strengthen the scientific relationship between the two countries and address common challenges through joint research efforts, the Ministry of Science & Technology said. This year, the AISRF has awarded funding to five projects across various disciplines, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, biotechnology, urban mining and electronic waste recycling, ultralow-cost solar and clean hydrogen technologies. These projects were selected through a rigorous evaluation process, ensuring they meet the highest standards of scientific excellence and have the potential for significant impact, the ministry said. The selected projects reflect the diverse and cutting-edge research being conducted by Australian and Indian scientists. These initiatives are expected to yield valuable insights and solutions that will benefit both countries and the wider global community, it said. Emphasising the importance of international collaboration in research and innovation, Jitendra Singh said, "I feel collaboration is crucial in this modern era to address critical global challenges and in fostering sustainable development. The AISRF is a testament to the enduring partnership between India and Australia. I am sure the projects which emerged out of collaboration would result in significant scientific discoveries and technological advancements in areas of mutual interest. While reinforcing our commitment to build a vibrant innovation ecosystem with Australia, I congratulate all the researchers involved with these projects for a prosperous and sustainable future."
Date - 04/07/2024
India must build human resources in quantum technology in big way: PSA Ajay Kumar Sood
India needs to significantly invest in building human resources in quantum technology through a focused approach on higher education and training, Principal Scientific Advisor to the government Ajay Kumar Sood said on Tuesday. Speaking at a panel discussion on the National Quantum Mission (NQM) by itihaasa Research and Digital, Sood emphasised the need for professionals in quantum technology as the field is still in its nascent stage in India. "Before 10 years ago, there were very few people working on quantum technologies. We need to build this human resource in a very major way. We started an M.Tech in nanoscience at 10 places. Something similar needs to be done for quantum technologies. Currently, such programmes exist at IISER Pune and IISc Bangalore, but this requires more enhancement," Sood said. He also stressed the need for developing domestic capabilities to manufacture quantum computing equipment, which are currently largely imported. "Our preparedness to make equipment, especially for quantum computing, is limited. We must build up that capability sooner rather than later," he said. Abhay Karandikar, Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology, said that India's pre-mission programmes like QuEST and several smaller R&D projects have fostered a community of about 150 to 200 quantum researchers in the country. "A strong research community exists today. The government aims to form technical groups in four areas of quantum technology by August-September," Karandikar said. He also said that the NQM governing board has approved a policy to support startups. "After forming the technical groups, we will launch a program to invest in startups. Some of the startups in India have global potential, and the National Quantum Mission intends to support them," he said. According to itihaasa Research and Digital, a global comparison of education programmes in quantum technologies in 2022 indicates that it is a major focus area in many countries. Around 162 universities and institutions worldwide offer educational programs and research activities in quantum technologies. In India, premier institutions such as IIT Kharagpur, IIT Bombay, IIT Kanpur, IIT Madras, IIT Delhi, IISc, and several IISERs (Pune, Mohali, Kolkata) offer educational programmes in quantum technologies.
Date - 03/07/2024
Air India selects IBS Software's iCargo platform for expansion of its cargo operations
Air India, India's leading airline, has selected IBS Software, a leader in SaaS solutions for the travel industry to digitally transform its expanding air cargo operations. According to an IBS Software statement in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday, Air India has chosen IBS Software's iCargo solution to support its growth plan and commitment to the airline's ongoing digital transformation. "IBS Software's fully integrated iCargo solution will enable Air India to digitise end-to-end cargo management, allowing seamless integration of numerous cargo operations, from sales to billing within a single, integrated platform. This will empower Air India to streamline processes and enhance decision-making capabilities," it said. This partnership comes at a time when Air India has embarked on a significant digital transformation of its core businesses across passenger services, fleet, and cargo operations. Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial and Transformation Officer at Air India, said: "Air India is on a transformation journey to not only reaffirm its position as a global leader in aviation, but to also establish foundations for future growth. Air cargo is one of the key drivers of our roadmap for future growth, and technology will be at the core of it." Somit Goyal, Chief Executive Officer at IBS Software, said: "We are proud that our market-leading digital platform for the air cargo industry will support the ambitious transformation goals of Air India's cargo offering and take it from strength to strength." The first end-to-end implementation of iCargo is slated for delivery within nine months from the project's start, promising immediate business benefits to Air India, the statement said. Subsequent phases will introduce incremental value-added capabilities, further enhancing Air India's cargo capabilities as it endeavours to meet India's ambitious target of handling ten million tonnes of air cargo per year by 2030, it added.
Date - 03/07/2024
Testing facilities to be set up for unmanned aerial systems, electronic warfare, electro optics in Chennai
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed an memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish three state-of-the-art testing facilities in Chennai under the Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor - one each in Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), Electronic Warfare (EW) and Electro Optics (EO) domains. The MoU, under the Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme (DTIS), was exchanged between senior officials of MoD and Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Limited in the presence of Defence Secretary Shri Giridhar Aramane in New Delhi on Tuesday. With an outlay of Rs 400 crore, the DTIS was launched by Union Minister for Defence Rajnath Singh in May 2020 to set up state-of-the-art testing facilities in collaboration with private industry and Central/ state government, promoting indigenous defence production, reducing military equipment imports and enhancing self-reliance. To provide impetus to the defence and aerospace sectors within the Defence industrial corridors, seven testing facilities were approved - four in Tamil Nadu and three in Uttar Pradesh. The MoU for three facilities in Tamil Nadu has been signed today. The DTIS provides up to 75% government funding as Grant-in-Aid, with the remaining 25% funded by the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPVs), comprising Indian private entities and state/ Central governments.
Date - 03/07/2024
CAMS joins Google Cloud to build next-gen platform for mutual funds and KYC Registration Agency
Registrar and transfer agent of mutual funds Computer Age Management Services (CAMS) on Tuesday said that it partnered with Google Cloud to revolutionise the financial services landscape by building a next-generation platform for mutual funds, alternative investments, and KYC Registration Agency (KRA). The next-generation platform envisaged with Google Cloud is a strategic step of the company to leverage the multiple benefits of cloud-based platforms and emerging technologies for the rapidly growing asset management industry, said CAMS. "The company is gearing for the industryâ??s growth momentum with a modernised platform that will adopt a distributed, service-oriented, Cloud-native architecture with a modular design to ensure flexibility, scalability, improved time-to-market, and will ensure zero downtime deployments," Anuj Kumar, MD at CAMS, said in a statement. The core themes adopted for the platform are design based on first principles, modularity and reusability with a rich service ecosystem. AI and Automation will be integrated at every stage of the platform for automated, event-driven transaction processing with increased efficiency and accuracy, the mutual fund transfer agency said. "Our collaboration with CAMS is enabling them to digitally transform and re-architect their mutual fund processing and record-keeping platform, thereby ensuring easy and safe transactions for their investors across the country," said Bikram Singh Bedi, VP and Country MD at Google Cloud India. CAMS and Google Cloud have engaged closely to bring in several unprecedented functionalities for the Indian market in the areas of digital sovereignty and enhanced security measures.
Date - 03/07/2024
Google to require disclosures for digitally altered content in election ads
Google said on Monday it would make it mandatory for advertisers to disclose election ads that use digitally altered content to depict real or realistic-looking people or events, its latest step to battle election misinformation. The update to the disclosure requirements under the political content policy requires marketers to select a checkbox in the "altered or synthetic content" section of their campaign settings. The rapid growth of generative AI, which can create text, images and video in seconds in response to prompts, has raised concerns about its potential misuse. The rise of deepfakes, convincingly manipulated content to misrepresent someone, have further blurred the lines between the real and the fake. Google said it will generate an in-ad disclosure for feeds and shorts on mobile phones and in-streams on computers and television. For other formats, advertisers will be required to provide a noticeable "prominent disclosure" for users. The "acceptable disclosure language" will vary according to the context of the ad, Google said. In April, during the ongoing general election in India, fake videos of two Bollywood actors that were seen criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi had gone viral online. Both AI-generated videos asked people to vote for the opposition Congress party. Separately, Sam Altman-led OpenAI said in May that it had disrupted five covert influence operations that sought to use its AI models for "deceptive activity" across the internet, in an "attempt to manipulate public opinion or influence political outcomes." Meta Platforms had said last year that it would make advertisers disclose if AI or other digital tools are being used to alter or create political, social or election-related advertisements on Facebook and Instagram.
Date - 02/07/2024
ONDC onboards 300 sellers, 400 women entrepreneurs on its network
The government-run Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) on Monday announced empowering 300 sellers and 400 women entrepreneurs, by adding them to its e-commerce network. The 300 sellers were from six clusters across India, including Lucknow (Chikankari), Moradabad (Brassware), Kanchipuram (Kanchipuram sarees), Varanasi (Benarasi Sarees), Khurja (Pottery), Bargarh (Sambhalpuri sarees), and were activated on the digital network with partnership from the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI). While most sellers are first-time digital players, they made a significant milestone in their digitalisation journey. An example is the nine Kanchipuram sellers, who within 10 months of onboarding, made sales of Rs 21 lakh, from 180+ orders collectively, which was previously 10-12 orders monthly, ONDC said. "If the majority of participating artisans, women entrepreneurs, and social enterprises are getting into the digital e-commerce ecosystem for the first time ever, it simply points out the gaps in the existing infrastructure and its opportunities that are accessible to only a few," said T. Koshy, MD & CEO of ONDC. The Open Network also made concerted efforts to empower women entrepreneurs by onboarding approximately 400 women-led businesses across India. These businesses collectively support livelihood opportunities for over 50 lakh women. These include some home-grown brands like Kudumbashree, Jharcraft, UBUNTU Consortium, SEWA Federation, Mann Deshi Foundation, Tea Trunk, Cinnamon Closet, Tamul, Creyo, Shwet India, Anubhuthi Experiences, Sarmaya, Satmya, Amrutam, and Rangasutra support women artisans. In addition, individual artisan clusters like the Kanchipuram cluster from Tamil Nadu and the Chikankari Cluster from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, also joined the Network. Recognising the importance of social enterprises in promoting sustainable development, ONDC Network also onboarded over 30 social organisations in the last year, including Itokri, Okhai, Rangsutra, Gulaab Jaipur, Very Much India, Gaon Se, Kalapuri, and Iraaloom among others. Further, 50 Geographical Indication (GI) tagged social sector sellers from the GI pavilion at the India International Fair Trade have been integrated into the ONDC Network, further amplifying the reach and impact of these socially conscious businesses. "The Open Network taps such gaps effectively by creating a level playing field for all sellers, regardless of their size or background. We are driving economic empowerment with equitable distribution of growth opportunities as our anchor," Koshy said.
Date - 02/07/2024
India to create a cross-border retail payment platform with four ASEAN countries
India has joined Project Nexus, a multilateral international initiative that aims to enable instant cross-border retail payments through interlinking payment systems of various countries. Nexus was conceptualised by the Innovation Hub of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) to connect the payment systems of four ASEAN countries (Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand) and India, who would be the founding members and first mover countries of this platform. As per a statement from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), an agreement was signed by the BIS and the central banks of the founding countries -- Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), Bank of Thailand (BOT), Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), and the RBI on Sunday (June 30, 2024), in Basel, Switzerland. Indonesia, which has been involved from the early stages, continues to be involved as a special observer. The RBI statement said that the platform may be extended to more countries, going forward. The platform is expected to go live by 2026. Once functional, Nexus will play a key role in making retail cross-border payments efficient, faster, and more cost-effective. RBI has been collaborating bilaterally with various countries to link India's digital public infrastructure -- Unified Payments Interface (UPI) -- with their respective counterparts for cross-border payments. While India and its partner countries can continue to benefit through such bilateral connectivity of fast payment systems, a multilateral approach, such as this Nexus, will provide a further push to such efforts in expanding the international reach of Indian payment systems. Payments through digital means in India are hitting fresh highs, as its citizens are increasingly adopting the emerging modes of transacting on the internet. The UPI payment system has become hugely popular for retail digital payments in India, and its adoption is increasing at a rapid pace. UPI is India's mobile-based fast payment system, which facilitates customers to make round-the-clock payments instantly, using a Virtual Payment Address (VPA) created by the customer. Among others, a key emphasis of the Indian government has been on ensuring that the benefits of UPI are not limited to India only; other countries, too, benefit from it. So far, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, France, UAE, and Singapore, among others, have partnered or intended to partner with India on emerging fintech and payment solutions.The share of UPI in digital payments in India has reached close to 80 per cent in 2023. Today, India accounts for nearly 46 per cent of the world's digital transactions (as per 2022 data).
Date - 02/07/2024
Exploration of regional resources key to build startup ecosystem in J&K: Dr. Jitendra Singh
Change of mindset and exploration of regional resources are the key to build a startup ecosystem in Jammu & Kashmir, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh said on Sunday. Addressing the national startUp conference 'RASE 2024' at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Srinagar, the minister said the agriculture sector can be the main area of startups in the region. Citing the example of 'Aroma Mission', Dr Singh said the 'Purple Revolution' was born in the small towns of Bhaderwah and Gulmarg, and is now being talked about country wide. Nearly 5,000 youngsters have taken up lavender farming as agri startups and are making handsome incomes in the region. "Some of the youngsters working in the corporate sector have also left their jobs and turned to lavender farming. The success of the 'Aroma Mission' is vindicated from the fact that the example of J&K is also now being emulated by Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and some of the northeastern states," said the minister. Dr Singh said that the startup movement in India has picked up in a big way in the last one decade and the credit for this primarily goes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who gave a call for 'Startup India Stand up India' from the ramparts of Red Fort during his Independence Day address in 2015. At that time, the minister recalled, the number of startups in the country was just 350-400 and today, it has gone up to 1.5 lakh and the country is rated number three globally in the startup ecosystem. As far as J&K is concerned, it could be possible to explore the areas of agri startups in the floriculture sector too, for which the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) has started a floriculture mission, according to Dr Singh. The minister also referred to handcraft, horticulture and textile startups as rich domains of J&K, saying that the Ministry of Science and Technology is committed to supporting startups in various sectors in J&K.
Date - 01/07/2024
Centre extends Smart Cities Mission till March 2025
The Central government has extended the Smart Cities Mission till March 2025, and this has been communicated to the states. The Telangana government said on Sunday that the Centre sent letters to states on Saturday informing that it has extended the Smart Cities Mission till March 31, 2025. The official letter clarified that the approved works will be continued and no new works will be sanctioned. The funds for ongoing works will be released on a first come first basis till September this year. The Centre suggested completing the works at the earliest. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy's initiative drew a positive response from the Centre, said the Chief Minister's Office. During his visit to New Delhi on June 24, the Chief Minister met Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar and requested him to extend the deadline for Smart Cities Mission till June 2025. The Centre had earlier set the target of completing the Smart Cities Mission by June 30, 2024. Telangana's Warangal and Karimnagar were among the cities selected under the Smart Cities Mission in the state. According to the state government, 45 works have already been completed in Warangal. Another 66 works at the cost of Rs 518 crore are under progress. A total of 25 works were completed and another 22 works costing Rs 287 crore are in progress in Karimnagar. The Chief Minister informed the status of the works to the union minister. In the larger interests of the public, CM Revanth Reddy pleaded with the Central government for the extension of the Smart Cities Mission until the works are completed.
Date - 01/07/2024
PM Modi says 9 years of Digital India initiative symbolizes an empowered India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lauded the successful completion of nine years of the Digital India initiative. He remarked that Digital India symbolizes an empowered India which boosts 'Ease of Living' and transparency. Sharing a thread on X by MyGovIndia, the Prime Minister wrote: "A Digital India is an empowered India, boosting 'Ease of Living' and transparency. This thread gives a glimpse of the strides made in a decade thanks to effective usage of technology." The threads features the advancements made in various digital initiatives such as: Over 11 Crore farmers now receive money directly in their bank accounts-more than the populations of Canada and France combined. 137 Crore+ Aadhaar numbers generated-a unique ID for every Indian, empowering millions with digital identity. 674 crore+ documents issued by DigiLocker, imagine if each document were a page, it could fill 2.7 million cabinet drawers. BharatNet has laid 6.83 lakh km of optical fibre network enough to circle the Earth over 17 times. Rs 535 lakh crore+ UPI transactions to date enough to fund the construction of 17,000 Statue of Unity monuments. Over 34.6 crore Ayushman Cards created it's more than the population of the USA. Over 9 crore FASTags issued it's almost equal to the number of vehicles manufactured worldwide in 2023.
Date - 01/07/2024
Digital Uttar Pradesh Conclave '24: IT revolution is underway in UP, says IT Minister Sunil Kumar Sharma
The IT and electronics sector would have a major share in Uttar Pradesh's journey towards a one trillion-dollar economy. This was stated by Sunil Kumar Sharma, Minister for Information Technology and Electronics. Sharma was addressing the ETGovernment's Digital Uttar Pradesh Conclave '24, held in Lucknow, on June 28. The Minister also said, "Till a couple years back, a nation possessing nuclear power was considered a superpower, but today a country could be called most powerful, which is ahead in IT and electronics innovation with its economy based on data. In the journey towards a one trillion-dollar economy for Uttar Pradesh, the IT sector would have a major share in that. UP is on the way to a digital revolution." 'Unlimited Potential in e-Governance & Technology Transformation' was the theme of the Conclave, which had deliberations on the latest trends, innovations and strategies in IT-ITeS, electronics manufacturing, e-governance & AI alchemy sectors that are fuelling the fast-growing economy of UP. The conclave was organised by ETGovernment, which is an initiative of The Economic Times, in association with the IT & Electronics Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh. Ernst & Young was the knowledge partner of the one-day conclave. Sharma said, "Uttar Pradesh is making attempts to create an ecosystem to develop IT hubs. Semiconductor, which is found in almost every instrument for day-to-day life, is the spine of any economy. UP too is focusing on semiconductor manufacturing on its soil with Rs 40,000 crore investment. Four companies have shared their proposal to set up semiconductor manufacturing units in UP." "After Gujarat, UP is the most preferred destination for investment. During the global investors summit, 68 MoUs were signed to generate 1.5 lakh jobs in the IT related sector. We have created a single window system to attract investment. Over 12,000 startups are working in UP out of 5,000 are being run by women," he said. He added, "As a country, we are way ahead in digital transactions due to UPI. We have one of the largest internet users bases, soon we will also cross in adopting AI technology." Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said, "Now we are heading towards the AI era after successfully leading the world in UPI, which made payment between parties seamless and quick."
Date - 29/06/2024
ETGovernment's Digital Uttar Pradesh Conclave starts today: Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak, IT Minister Sunil Sharma among the speakers
The Government of Uttar Pradesh, led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, has embarked on a journey to achieve a USD 1 trillion economy within the next 5 years, and IT & ITeS has been identified as a core sector to propelling the state's economy. The state government believes that emerging technologies and technological leadership will lead to the next phase of growth and development in the world. Uttar Pradesh has been at the forefront when it comes to embracing digital transformation and relentlessly pushing the Prime Minister's vision of a 'Digital India'. The state government has relied on e-Governance as it fosters a broader change in the relationship between the government and its stakeholders. Moreover, it reduces the cost of government operations and improves transparency and accountability. People, process, technology, and resources have been the hallmark of e-Governance practice by the UP Government. ETGovernment, which is an initiative of The Economic Times, in association with the IT & Electronics Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh is organising a one-day 'Digital Uttar Pradesh Conclave' on 28th June 2024 in Lucknow. Themed around 'Unlimited Potential in eGovernance & Technology Transformation', the Conclave will have deliberations on the latest trends, innovations and strategies in IT-ITeS, electronics manufacturing, e-governance & AI alchemy that are fueling the fastgrowing economy of Uttar Pradesh.
Date - 28/06/2024
Sangyaan app launched to aid RPF personnel on new laws in railway protection operations
The Director General of Railway Protection Force (RPF) Manoj Yadava on Thursday launched the mobile application Sangyaan designed and developed by the Tech Team of RPF to provide in-depth information on three new Criminal Acts: the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023, and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) 2023. Available in both Android and iOS, Sangyaan app aims to educate and empower RPF personnel by providing comprehensive information to understand the provisions of both new and old criminal laws, while highlighting the relevance of these new acts in the context of RPF operations. The app features user-friendly navigation, a searchable database and offline access, making it a practical tool for anyone seeking to stay informed about the latest legal developments in India, the Ministry of Railways said in a press release.
Date - 28/06/2024
MSMEs need to adopt digital, tech solutions: Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi
Union Minister for MSME Jitan Ram Manjhi on Thursday said that the MSMEs will be a key force in the movement towards Atmanirbhar and Viksit Bharat. Addressing the day-long event of International MSME Day, 'Udyami Bharat' in New Delhi, Manjhi emphasized the need to deepen and broaden the effort through an inclusive and focused approach, especially in the rural areas and hinterland as per vision of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The minister said in a fast-changing industrial landscape, the MSMEs need to align themselves to adopting digital and technological solutions. He said as part of the ongoing reforms of the government, legal reforms in the MSME sector will work as a force multiplier. Manjhi said six pillars have been identified on which the government's endeavours would be built and they are -- formalization and access to credit; increased access to market and e-commerce adoption; increased productivity through modern technology; enhanced skill levels and digitalization in the service sector; support to Khadi, village, and coir industry to globalize them; and empowerment of women, artisans, through enterprise creation. He said there is a great need to build upon these six pillars in a meticulous and yet smart way.
Date - 28/06/2024
AI empowers healthcare with revolutionary tools: How to navigate risks, rewards of AI in medical diagnosis
The rise of digital health tools (health-tech platforms, wearables, robotics) and integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming healthcare, unlocking new possibilities for diagnosis, treatment, and care. The umbrella term 'AI' refers to a collection of different types of technologies. Specifically in the field of medical diagnosis and preventive care, Machine learning (ML) algorithms, trained on vast health data, identify patterns for data organization and potential health risk prediction. Deep learning, a powerful subset of ML, tackles intricate tasks like early disease detection from medical images. Natural language processing (NLP) empowers ML to understand language, facilitating report translation, text analysis, and healthcare chatbots. Additionally, robotic process automation (RPA) utilizes AI for workflow automation, exemplified by robotic surgical tools that enhance precision and deliver real-time data to doctors.
Date - 27/06/2024
Nitin Gadkari endorses NHAI plan on Global Navigation Satellite System-based tolling
To provide a seamless and barrier-free tolling experience for motorists on national highways, NHAI subsidiary Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL) organised a day-long international workshop in New Delhi on Tuesday to discuss the rolling out of a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) based Electronic Toll Collection in India. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari was the chief guest at the event attended by senior officials. Industry experts from the US and Europe, attending the workshop, deliberated on various aspects related to smooth implementation of the free-flow tolling system based on GNSS technology in India. Nitin Gadkari said Global Navigation Satellite System technology enhances navigation and positioning, playing a crucial role in modernising toll collection systems, ensuring seamless travel, and reducing congestion on our roads.
Date - 27/06/2024
iDEX signs contract with SpacePixxel Technologies for design & development of miniaturised satellites
Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), the flagship initiative of the Ministry of Defence, signed its 350th contract in New Delhi on Tuesday. The contract was inked with SpacePixxel Technologies Pvt Ltd for the design and development of a 'Miniaturised satellite capable of carrying Electro-Optical, Infrared, Synthetic Aperture Radar, and Hyperspectral payloads up to 150 kgs'. This challenge is being led by the Indian Air Force. The 150th iDEX contract was signed in December 2022, and within a span of 18 months, the 350th contract has been signed, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement. The contract was exchanged between Additional Secretary (Defence Production) & CEO, Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO) Anurag Bajpai and Founder & CEO of SpacePixxel Technologies Awais Ahmed Nadeem Alduri in the presence of Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane and other senior civil and military officials of the Ministry of Defence. SpacePixxel has been actively working to build and launch high-resolution hyperspectral imaging satellites to provide detailed earth observation data. This 350th iDEX contract enables innovation in space electronics, wherein many payloads earlier deployed on dedicated large satellites are now being miniaturised. The modular small satellite will integrate multiple miniaturised payloads as per requirement, providing advantages like faster and economical deployment, ease of manufacturing, scalability, adaptability, and less environmental impact.
Date - 26/06/2024
AI spending in India to reach $6 billion by 2027: IDC
The spending on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Generative AI (GenAI) in India is projected to reach $6 billion by 2027, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 33.7 per cent, a report showed on Monday. AI and GenAI adoption in the country has significantly increased, including software, services, and hardware for AI-centric systems, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC). "India is the sleeping giant in Generative AI. Its scale, skills, and startups are set to transform not just AI in India but also in the world," said Dr Christopher Marshall, VP of data, analytics, AI, sustainability and industry research, IDC Asia/Pacific.
Date - 25/06/2024
Lessons in AI regulation for India from the groundbreaking AI Act of the European Union
As the European Union (EU) embarks upon a historic journey with the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act, the world's first comprehensive legal framework aimed at regulating AI, the implications for India and other countries are profound. This pioneering legislation, endorsed by the EU countries on 21 May 2024, following a political agreement in December 2023, sets a unified legal framework for AI usage. It ensures the development and deployment of trustworthy AI systems that respect the rights of citizens, an endeavour that India must consider in its own regulatory journey. Key Provisions of the AI Act and their Relevance to India The AI Act adopts a risk-based approach, categorising AI systems into different risk levels, with regulatory stringency increasing with potential societal harm.
Date - 25/06/2024
Precision in data gathering necessary to compete in global affairs: Jitendra Singh
Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Wednesday said that precision in data gathering is not a privilege but a necessity to compete in global affairs and asked Indian Statistical Service probationers to make India a leader in statistics. "India is gradually realising the importance of statistics which was well recognised in the 18th century world curriculum," he said after assuming the charge as the chairman of the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) for the third consecutive term at the institution's campus in New Delhi. Singh, the Minister of State for Personnel, also said that geo-spatial technology is becoming the new buzzword. He said that "precise image gathering and high accuracy gives a disruptive advantage to the countries which have excelled it".
Date - 20/06/2024
CERT-In, Mastercard India sign MoU to enhance cyber-resilience and fortify fintech ecosystem
Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has joined hands with Mastercard to promote cooperation and information sharing in the area of Cyber security related to the financial sector. The two entities have signed a MoU under which they will leverage their shared expertise with regards to the financial sector in the fields of cybersecurity incident response, capacity building, sharing cyber threat intelligence and advanced malware analysis. Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) is a Government of India organization under the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). CERT-In has been designated to serve as National agency for incident response under Section 70B of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
Date - 20/06/2024
NIIT Foundation to offer digital literacy courses to 5000 women via UNICEF's YuWaah platform
Not-for-profit organisation NIIT Foundation on Tuesday said it has partnered with YuWaah platform of UNICEF to offer digital literacy courses to more than 5,000 young women by the end of 2024. The primary goal of the programme is to provide skilling to employment pathways to young people, especially women from tier II and III cities and from marginalised backgrounds, NIIT Foundation said in a statement. The digital literacy courses will be provided through the United Nations agency's Passport 2 Earning (P2E) portal. The P2E programme, which has learners from all states of India, is currently expanding in three districts in Odisha and two districts in Jharkhand. "The transition to the digital world has enabled the need to promote digital and data literacy, equipping individuals to navigate the world around them," NIIT Foundation Director Sapna Moudgil said.
Date - 19/06/2024
Industry raises concerns over draft Digital Competition Bill
India's digital industry players on Tuesday raised concerns over the draft Digital Competition Bill 2024 in a meeting chaired by MeitY Secretary S. Krishnan. The meeting, earlier scheduled for June 13 but postponed at the last moment, also saw participation from representatives of the Competition Commission of India and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) proposed recommendations for the Dual Legislation, saying the current Competition Act and the new bill for digital markets are unfair and untenable. It said the definition of significant digital players virtually includes all digital firms, large and small, making the scope of the draft poor.
Date - 19/06/2024
NeGD conducts 45th CISO deep dive training program under Cyber Surakshit Bharat
The Cyber Surakshit Bharat initiative of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) was conceptualised with the mission to spread awareness about cyber-crime and build capacities of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and frontline IT officials, across all government departments, for ensuring adequate safety measures to combat the growing menace of cyber crime and enable organizations to defend their digital infrastructures and become future-ready in tackling cyber-attacks. The National e-Governance Division (NeGD), under its capacity building program, is organising the 45th CISO deep-dive training programme from June 18â??22 with participants from Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, New Delhi, Rajasthan, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal at the Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI), Hyderabad. The inaugural session of the programme was attended by senior officials from MeitY, NeGD and ASCI. The deep-dive training is specifically aimed at educating and enabling CISOs to understand cyber-attacks comprehensively and thoroughly, get necessary exposure to the latest technologies of safeguarding, and translate the benefits of a resilient e infrastructure to individual organizations and citizens at large. The training also focussed on providing a holistic view of legal provisions, enabling CISOs to formulate policies in the domain of cyber security and build concrete cyber crisis management plans, according to the Union Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY).
Date - 19/06/2024
CDS Gen Anil Chauhan releases joint doctrine to guide commanders in cyberspace operations
Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan released the Joint Doctrine for Cyberspace Operations during the Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) meeting held, on June 18, in New Delhi. The Joint Doctrine is a keystone publication that will guide Commanders in conducting Cyberspace Operations in today's complex military operating environment. "Development of Joint Doctrines is an important aspect of Jointness and Integration, a step which is being actively pursued by the Indian Armed Forces. The Joint Doctrine for Cyberspace Operations is a significant step to give impetus to the ongoing process. In addition to the traditional domains of warfare including Land, Sea, and Air, Cyberspace has emerged as a crucial and challenging domain in modern warfare," an officer from the Ministry of Defence said.
Date - 19/06/2024
STPI Apiary CoE launches Pollen Propel pre-incubation program to promote Blockchain startup ecosystem
STPI Apiary, a centre of entrepreneurship (CoE) in pioneering blockchain technology launched the pioneering Pollen Propel Pre Incubation Program aimed at capacity building for tech students. The pre-incubation program will focus on transforming blockchain ideas into innovative ventures by offering state-of-the-art technology, comprehensive resources, hands-on workshop, and expert led sessions delivered by industry product leaders and solution architects. The event was organised at STPI office, Sector 18, Gurugram. The program was launched by Arvind Kumar Gupta, Director General of STPI in the gracious presence of industry luminary, Voruganti Aravind, Vice President, Information Data Systems Inc. (IDS), Ashok Gupta Director, STPI, Subodh Sachan, Chief Innovation Officer, STPINEXT, as well as other dignitaries from both the government and technology industry. The Pollen Propel Pre-Incubation Program aims to nurture and transform budding engineers into successful entrepreneurs specializing in Blockchain technology. The program represents a strategic effort to build new capacity in the rapidly evolving field of Blockchain technology, providing a robust platform for promising start-ups to thrive. The pioneering initiative will offer a substantial opportunity to innovative start-ups working in this technology for addressing issues that necessitate usage of Blockchain for establishment of trust in a decentralized manner and other purposes. To promote, nurture and grow this domain, the program will work under the ambit of STPI's blockchain focused CoE, Apiary to build skills to create feasible blockchain products, platforms and solutions to address real-world problems.
Date - 19/06/2024
Make in India: Netweb launches AMDbased servers from India manufacturing facility
In a fillip to the government's 'Make in India' initiative, technology solutions provider Netweb Technologies on Monday announced the launch of a range of servers from its Faridabad-based manufacturing facility. With support for up to 6TB memory, the server platforms are designed to harness the capabilities of latest 4th Gen AMD EPYC processors to meet demanding needs of high-performance computing environments and diverse workloads at data centre AI systems. "This range of servers represents our commitment to the 'Make in India' mission and highlights our capabilities to produce world class technology indigenously," said Sanjay Lodha, CEO of Netweb Technologies.
Date - 18/06/2024
Electricity KYC update scam: DoT blocks 392 mobile handsets misused for frauds
In a crackdown against electricity KYC update scam, the Telecom Department has directed pan-India IMEI-based blocking of 392 mobile handsets misused in cybercrime and financial frauds, according to an official release. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) said it has initiated targeted actions to protect citizens in response to reports of fraudulent activities involving mobile numbers in electricity KYC update scams. Citizens reported some cases of fraudsters using SMS and WhatsApp messages related to electricity KYC updates and malicious APK files to manipulate and gain control over victims' devices. DoT utilized the Chakshu portal for reporting and analyzing fraudulent activities, initially identifying five suspect numbers. The portal's AI-driven analysis revealed that 392 handsets linked to 31,740 mobile numbers were involved in such fraudulent activities. The DoT has directed all Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) for Pan-India IMEI-based blocking of 392 mobile handsets misused in cybercrime, financial frauds," the release said.
Date - 18/06/2024
Digital payments on e-commerce platforms surges to 58.1% from 20.4% six years ago
India has witnessed the fastest jump in alternative payment share for e-commerce payments in the Asia-pacific region from 20.4 per cent in 2018 to 58.1 per cent in 2023 as per a report by GlobalData, a data and analytics company. Options for payment other than traditional cash include UPI, debit cards and credit cards among others. "This significant uptake of alternative payment solutions can be attributed to the widespread usage of mobile wallets, largely driven by UPI, which facilitates mobile payments in real-time simply by scanning QR codes," GlobalData report elaborated.
Date - 18/06/2024
Hinglish helps users engage with a wider audience on social media, but poses challenges for NLP: Study
The researchers at the Laboratory of Computational Social Systems (LCS2) led by Prof. Tanmoy Chakraborty conducted a thorough statistical and econometric study covering 260,000 posts on 'X' by 17,000 users and showed that more than 34% of users prefer Hinglish to connect more effectively with their followers. IIT Delhi researchers in a collaborative study have comprehensively analysed the growth of Hinglish, a fusion language derived from monolingual Hindi and English, on social media, particularly 'X' (formerly Twitter). The study has found that Hinglish helps users engage more effectively with a broader audience, with Bollywood significantly boosting its popularity. The study titled "Social, economic, and demographic factors drive the emergence of Hinglish code-mixing on social media" has recently been published in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (Nature Publications).
Date - 14/06/2024
Snapdeal collaborates with Bhashini to boost language translation efforts for digital inclusion
E-commerce platform Snapdeal on Tuesday signed a MoU with Digital India Bhashini, an Independent Business Division established by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) within Digital India Corporation (DIC), to develop services and products focused on enhancing language translation efforts to promote digital inclusion in India. This partnership will leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) to develop innovative solutions catering to over nine vernacular languages. "We look forward to combining Bhashini's deep expertise in language solutions with Snapdeal's robust e-commerce platform to empower individuals across diverse linguistic backgrounds," Himanshu Chakrawarti, CEO - Snapdeal, said in a statement. The company said that this partnership focuses on Snapdeal's commitment to advancing digital inclusivity in India.
Date - 12/06/2024
Use of facial authentication technology by EPS pensioners for Digital Life Certificate increasing
Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has more than 78 lakh pensioners, who are required to submit life certificate every year for continuation of the pension being paid to them. Earlier they had to go to banks to submit physical life certificate which had its challenges resulting into some grievances. As part of enhancing â??Ease of Livingâ??, EPFO adopted Digital Life Certificate (DLC) for its pensioners in 2015. EPFO accepts DLCs based on biometric authentication from the EPS pensioners. The submission of a biometric based DLC requires a pensioner to physically visit a branch of any bank, post office, Common Service Centre or an EPFO office as the fingerprint/ iris capture devices are available there. To minimize difficulties for elderly on account of having to physically visit a bank/ post office, etc, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and UIDAI developed the face authentication technology (FAT) enabling use of face recognition technology for proof of life certificate. EPFO adopted this technology in July, 2022. This introduced a completely new method of submitting DLCs by the pensioners from their homes making the process more accessible and affordable for the pensioners. They could simply use any Android based smartphone to complete the process thus avoiding hassles of travelling to banks, post offices, etc in old age.
Date - 09/06/2024
IGIC: Global, Indian leaders discuss roadmap to support digital transformation, startup ecosystem
At the third edition of the India Global Innovation Connect (IGIC) 2024, which commenced on Thursday in Bengaluru, global and domestic leaders have discussed the roadmap to support digital transformation and startup ecosystem in India. IGIC has witnessed key industry leaders from Indian and global startup founders, VCs and investors, corporate and government leaders, and technology and public policy experts under one common platform. The experts engaged with attendees in a range of keynotes and panel discussions including, India as a destination of choice for investment in startups, riding the wave of the digital consumer revolution, and roadmap for India to join the world's semiconductors 'top players league', vision for India's technology future for the next five years, among others.
Date - 07/06/2024
Indian Analytical Congress underway at CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum Dehradun
The 3rd Indian Analytical Congress (IAC) was inaugurated on Wednesday at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Indian Institute of Petroleum (CSIR-IIP) in Dehradun. It is a three-day international conference cum exhibition IAC-2024 being jointly organized by CSIR-IIP and the Indian Society of Analytical Scientists (ISAS-Delhi Chapter). "Role of Science and Technology in Green Transitions" is the theme of conference. Prof. SK Mehta, Vice-Chancellor, Ladakh University, addressing the inaugural session presented an overview of the role of newly developed educational infrastructure in Ladakh. He also showcased the advanced research facilities recently developed at Ladakh University through the research funds obtained from DST, DBT, and other funding agencies. Dr Harinder Singh Bisht, Director, CSIR-IIP, briefed about the importance and significance of new Advanced Analytical facilities and their role in the energy transition. Prof. Rajnish Kumar, SSB awardee and Professor IIT Madras delivered a plenary talk on "CO2 capture and sequestration Carbon capture utilization and sequestration and its relevance to net zero targets in India.
Date - 06/06/2024
India's airlines ride AI: Human-like responses for passengers, lesser workload for agents
From human-like responses to reduced workload for customer service agents to utilisation of trillions of parameters for answering air passengers' queries, artificial intelligence is providing the technological tailwinds for Indian airlines as they cater to rising traffic. For Air India, which has embarked on a five-year transformation plan, Artificial Intelligence (AI) use will be "pervasive" and its generative AI virtual agent AI.g handles over 1,300 topics. Country's largest airline IndiGo has AI chatbot 6Eskai that has 1.7 trillion parameters, allowing it to answer questions with ease. Also, the bot can understand written, typed language, and verbal instructions using speech-to-text models. Akasa Air, which describes itself as a "cloud-native and digital-native brand", said it will continue to invest heavily in proven technology solutions across all business functions.
Date - 03/06/2024
Armed Forces Medical Services, IIT Hyderabad enter MoU for collaborative research & training
The Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad to collaborate on research and training. The MoU was signed by Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services Lt Gen Daljit Singh and Director of IIT Hyderabad Prof. BS Murty. The MoU aims to foster innovation and research in developing novel medical devices and addressing health issues specific to soldiers serving in varied terrains. IIT Hyderabad, with its departments of Biotechnology, Biomedical Engineering, and Bioinformatics, will provide the necessary technical expertise to tackle the diverse medical challenges faced by the Armed Forces, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement on Thursday. Key areas of collaboration discussed include drone-based patient transport, telemedicine innovations, the application of Artificial Intelligence in the medical field, and advancements in nanotechnology. Additionally, the MoU will facilitate student exchange programs, short-term courses for undergraduates, and faculty exchange initiatives, it said.
Date - 31/05/2024
TDB-DST approves support for Midwest Advanced Materials Hyderabad for sustainable magnet production
The Technology Development Board (TDB) under the Department of Science and Technology (DST) has sanctioned funding for Midwest Advanced Materials Pvt Ltd, Hyderabad, with the aim of boosting the domestic production of essential materials and technologies at the TDB Centre in New Delhi on Thursday. The strategic project focuses on advancing the commercial manufacturing of Neodymium materials and Rare Earth Permanent Magnets, integral components for e-mobility applications. Aligned with national priorities, the funded project aims to establish an integrated production module for Rare Earth (RE) magnets, starting with oxides. Utilizing a modified metal extraction method employing Molten Salt Electrolysis (MSE) technology, which incorporates an environmentally sustainable electrolysis process with proprietary cell designs, this initiative represents a critical stride towards sustainable technological advancement, the Ministry of Science & Technology said in a statement. Neodymium (NdFeB) permanent magnets are vital for propulsion systems in electric vehicles and generators in renewable energy infrastructure, are forecast to witness substantial market expansion, thereby underlining the significance of indigenous production capabilities. This program aligns with international efforts to mitigate climate change and promote renewable energy sources, including solar and wind power, it said.
Date - 30/05/2024
AI Call Scanner launched by Truecaller can detect fraud by voice analysis
Within just three seconds, an AI voice synthesizer can generate a complete clone of your voice. Illegitimate voice cloning and speech synthesis technologies are improving at an incalculable rate of change and are already commoditized and ubiquitous. This next wave of AI scams will prey on the most vulnerable side of our psyche: the threat of our loved ones in danger. Truecaller, the world's leading global communications platform, on Wednesday announced the latest salvo in its arsenal of spam and scam fighting abilities: the AI Call Scanner. AI Call Scanner is trained to detect and differentiate between human voices and AI-synthesized voices, empowering people to safeguard themselves against potential scams and fraudulent activities. The AI Call Scanner is built right into the Truecaller Android app, is part of the premium subscription and is being rolled out in the US first, followed by India and its other top markets. The system is designed with simplicity and effectiveness in mind. If a person receives a suspicious call, all they have to do is tap a dedicated button within the Truecaller interface. The caller's voice is recorded and this voice sample is then processed by our advanced AI model, which has been rigorously trained to identify the unique characteristics of human speech and distinguish it from AI-generated voices. All this happens in just a few seconds and we are proud to launch with a high degree of accuracy.
Date - 30/05/2024
GeoAI specialist Arahas joins UNIDO's AIM Global Program to promote responsible AI in industry
Arahas, a next-generation geo-AI company specializing in innovative and sustainable solutions has secured a spot in AIM Global, the Global Alliance on Artificial Intelligence for Industry and Manufacturing, a program run by United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). This strategic collaboration is committed to advancing a safe, sustainable, and inclusive use of Artificial Intelligence in industry and manufacturing, the company said in a statement on Thursday. Guided by UNIDO, AIM Global promotes the responsible development and deployment of AI and frontier technologies. Aligned with the UN Secretary-Generalâ??s Common Agenda, AIM Global is to shape up a digital future that is open, secure, and beneficial to all, it said. AIM global serves as a nexus for both private and public sectors to collaborate, facilitating knowledge exchange, developing best practices in research and nurturing skills and crafting ethical guideline for AI deployment in industries, the company said.
Date - 30/05/2024
DoT conducts workshop for Sanchar Mitras to strengthen their connect with citizens on telecom issues
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in collaboration with National Telecommunications Institute, Ghaziabad (NTIPRIT) on Tuesday conducted an awareness workshop for Sanchar Mitras, with the programme seeking to establish a bridge between the DoT and citizens, fostering a collaborative approach towards telecom issues. Under Sanchar Mitra programme, students are engaged as volunteers to empower citizens with respect to their safe and smooth journey in digital world, by raising awareness about various citizen centric services of Department and dangers of cyber fraud. The Sanchar Mitras were selected from the students of the prestigious educational institutions which are housing 100 5G Use Case Labs. Over 250 Sanchar Mitras - the student volunteers - have been selected across India.
Date - 29/05/2024
MeitY organises workshop on 'Powering Transformation through UI/UX for Digital Governance'
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has organised a National Workshop on 'Powering Transformation through UI/UX for Digital Governance' on May 28 for setting up the guidelines for enhancing user experience of using websites, portals and applications. A senior officer from MeitY noted that the digital landscape is rapidly evolving and users expect seamless and intuitive interaction with the application. "This workshop aims to make the way towards this. The workshop brings together the stakeholders from government, industry, designers,developers and other related practitioners to discuss the practices and challenges in establishing effective UX and UI for public-facing digital services," he said.
Date - 29/05/2024
Dept of Science & Technology holds Climate Change Conclave at IIT Delhi
The Department of Science and Technology organized a climate change conclave spanning over two days May 27-28 at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. The conclave brought together experts from all over India to dwell on the need for developing foundational models in Artificial Intelligence (AI) for climate modelling in the Indian context, quality control of data and improving climate predictions as well as strengthening interactions with people for better climate adaptation solutions. Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST), while addressing the conclave, said "The two missions of DST-the National Mission for Sustaining Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE) and the National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change (NMSKCC) have led to significant progress in terms of supporting 19 CoEs and 37 major R&D programs over the years." He highlighted the need to focus more on developing foundational models in AI in the Indian context.
Date - 28/05/2024
WinZO-Startup India announce selected gaming startups to representing India at Gamescom, Latam
WinZO, India's largest vernacular interactive entertainment platform, in partnership with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade's (DPIIT) Startup India, has announced the selection of 18 gaming startups to represent India at Gamescom, Latam. The company in a statement said these winners were meticulously chosen from a competitive pool of over 100 participating technology and gaming companies and technology colleges by a panel of industry veterans including Rohit Kumar Singh, former Secretary to the Government of India; Suresh K. Reddy, Indian Ambassador to Brazil; Sanjeev Bikhchandani, co-founder, Info Edge; Rajesh Raju, Managing Director, Kalaari Capital; and Dr Umesh Mukhi, Associate Professor of Management at FGV-EAESP. The selected games cover a broad spectrum of genres, from cultural and historical narratives like "Tanhaji-The Maratha Warrior" and "Chola Empire," to diverse categories, including cricket, mythology, puzzles, racing, physics-based challenges, and chess. These innovations originate from major urban centers such as Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi NCR, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, and Kolkata, as well as smaller cities like Nashik. Among the winners is a Backstage Pass Institute of Gaming and Technology student group in Hyderabad, it said.
Date - 28/05/2024
IIT Jodhpur research sheds light on air pollution and health effects in northern India
Air pollution remains a critical global challenge, with severe health implications for millions of people worldwide. In a significant step towards addressing this issue, researcher from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jodhpur has published a ground-breaking research in Nature Communications journal, shedding light on the sources and composition of particulate matter (PM) in northern India that are harmful to human health. Contrary to the common belief that reducing overall PM mass would alleviate health impacts, this comprehensive study highlights the importance of addressing local inefficient combustion processes - such as biomass and fossil fuel burning, including traffic exhaust in effectively reducing PM-related health exposure and their associated impacts in northern India, says Dr Deepika Bhattu, Associate Professor and lead author of the article. The study addresses three critical scientific questions crucial for consideration of Indian policymakers in devising data-driven, effective mitigation strategies under the ongoing National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).
Date - 22/05/2024
IIT Jodhpur research sheds light on air pollution and health effects in northern India
Air pollution remains a critical global challenge, with severe health implications for millions of people worldwide. In a significant step towards addressing this issue, researcher from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jodhpur has published a ground-breaking research in Nature Communications journal, shedding light on the sources and composition of particulate matter (PM) in northern India that are harmful to human health. Contrary to the common belief that reducing overall PM mass would alleviate health impacts, this comprehensive study highlights the importance of addressing local inefficient combustion processes - such as biomass and fossil fuel burning, including traffic exhaust in effectively reducing PM-related health exposure and their associated impacts in northern India, says Dr Deepika Bhattu, Associate Professor and lead author of the article. The study addresses three critical scientific questions crucial for consideration of Indian policymakers in devising data-driven, effective mitigation strategies under the ongoing National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).
Date - 22/05/2024
TRAI move on new broadcasting policy to make India a global content hub: Broadband forum
Broadband India Forum (BIF) has commended the initiative by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to gather public input for the National Broadcasting Policy (NBP). The BIF said an enabling policy framework can provide the much-needed fillip for the broadcasting sector to unlock its full potential and position India as a global leader in broadcasting. "Coming on the footsteps of the recently announced Indian Telecommunications Act 2023, the proposed National Broadcast Policy could serve as a great enabler of reforms in the broadcasting sector and likely to give a big boost to the entire media and entertainment sector while making India a global content hub," said TV Ramachandran, president of BIF.
Date - 22/05/2024
Portal launched for nomination of HEI teachers for national awards
Secretary, Higher Education, Sanjay Murthy along with Chairman, AICTE, TG Sitharam, on Tuesday launched the portal for nominations for National Awards to Teachers (Higher Education) 2024. The Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, has also issued guidelines for the submission of nominations. The awards will be conferred on the exemplary teachers/ faculty members of technical and non-technical higher education institutions and teachers of polytechnic institutions. There are three sub-categories under the first category based on the broad disciplines namely Engineering & Technology, Architecture; Pure Sciences including Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Biological Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Medicine, Pharmacy; and Arts and Social Sciences, Humanities, Languages, Legal Studies, Commerce, and Management.
Date - 22/05/2024
Industry leaders, experts discuss digital revolution under PM Modi at Vishesh Sampark Abhiyan
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri hosted a 'Vishesh Sampark Abhiyan' event at his residence on Monday. The event brought together leading IT professionals, innovators, startup leaders, and intellectuals to discuss the country's digital transformation and future potential under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Abhiraj Singh Bhal, founder of Urban Company, highlighted the dynamic progress witnessed over the past decade. He emphasized the importance of continued infrastructure development and reforms.
Date - 21/05/2024
DAHD, UNDP sign MoU for digitalization of animal vaccine cold chain management
The Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD), Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on digitalization of vaccine cold chain management, capacity building, and communication planning. The MOU was signed at 'We the People Hall', UNDP country office, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi by Alka Upadhyay, Secretary, DAHD, and Caitlin Wiesen, UNDP Resident Representative in India. This strategic partnership aims to enhance the digitalization of vaccine cold chain management, capacity building, and communication planning in India, according to the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying. Speaking on the occasion, Alka Upadhyay highlighted strong and efficient supply chains equipped with reliable cold chain equipment are vital to increase immunization coverage and outreach. She added, considering the large human population and livestock population in India with 142.86 crore people, 53.57 crore farm animals and 85.18 crore poultry population, catering all the veterinary services to the doorstep of farmers and to ensure the nutritional security of the large population is a challenge.
Date - 21/05/2024
Payroll Data: EPFO adds 14.41 lakh net members in March
EPFO's provisional payroll data released on Monday, May 20 highlights that it has added 14.41 lakh net members in the month of March, 2024. The data indicates that around 7.47 lakh new members have been enrolled during March, 2024. A noticeable aspect of the data is the dominance of the 18-25 age group, constituting a significant 56.83% of the total new members added in March 2024 indicating the majority of individuals joining the organized workforce are youth, primarily first-time job seekers. The payroll data highlights that approximately 11.80 lakh members exited and subsequently rejoined EPFO. These members switched their jobs and re-joined the establishments covered under the ambit of EPFO and opted to transfer their accumulations instead of applying for final settlement thus, safeguarding long-term financial well-being and extending their social security protection.
Date - 21/05/2024
India reaffirms restrictions on import of non-compliant electronics
India has reaffirmed restrictions on the import of unregistered or non-compliant electronics products, an order that has been in place since 2021, according to a government order issued on Monday. "There is no implication of this notification. The import policy for these categories in question were restricted anyway, so its status quo," a government official aware of the matter said on Tuesday. The order has been in place since 2021, and just needed to be updated with the notification on Monday, said the official, who declined to be named as they are not authorised to speak to media.
Date - 21/05/2024
Industry leaders, experts discuss digital revolution under PM Modi at Vishesh Sampark Abhiyan
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri hosted a 'Vishesh Sampark Abhiyan' event at his residence on Monday. The event brought together leading IT professionals, innovators, startup leaders, and intellectuals to discuss the country's digital transformation and future potential under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Abhiraj Singh Bhal, founder of Urban Company, highlighted the dynamic progress witnessed over the past decade. He emphasized the importance of continued infrastructure development and reforms.
Date - 21/05/2024
AICTE and Skillible launch advanced tech ed program 'SAMBAV' to elevate 1 million students
Skillible, a trailblazer in experiential learning for emerging technologies, on Tuesday unveiled a ground-breaking initiative - SAMBAV (Skillible's Academic Model for Business-to-Academic Venture) - in collaboration with All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Ministry of Education, Government of India. This first-of-its-kind program is poised to redefine technical education by seamlessly bridging the divide between academia and industry, cultivating a workforce proficient in translating theoretical concepts into real-world applications. At the core of SAMBAV lies a unique pedagogy that harmoniously blends rigorous academic principles with hands-on, practical learning adventures. Students will embark on a transformative journey, engaging in meticulously designed projects that mirror the complexities and challenges faced in the professional sphere. This immersive approach, facilitated by industry veterans, fosters a profound understanding of cutting-edge technologies and their real-world applications. Aligning with the Government of India's vision to make the country the skill capital of the world, AICTE has set high priorities for skilling, re-skilling, and upskilling 40 crore students, teachers, and learners, with a focus on emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI), Business Intelligence (BI), Decision Intelligence (DI), Internet of Things (IoT), and cybersecurity.
Date - 21/05/2024
ISRO aims to explore human space flight activities, build space stations: Chairman Somanath
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman Sreedhara Panicker Somanath said that the space agency aims to explore human space flight activities and build space stations. While speaking with the reporters after attending a programme at a school in Siliguri, West Bengal, on Sunday, Somanath lauded the Chandrayaan Mission and said, "I would like to say today, after the successful Chandrayan Mission, the world is looking at us. We have announced Space Act Reforms in 2020 and there is a new Indian Space Policy 2023 by the government which has enabled private companies and institutions to come and work together." He further added, "We are looking at a substantial growth in the space activity in private but more than that, there are institutional works which are happening. There is a new vision that has been put forward by the government in terms of what we want to do in the space sector in future."
Date - 20/05/2024
EV policy uniform for all companies in India: Amitabh Kant on Tesla's back-out
India cannot have individual EV policies for every company, Amitabh Kant said on being asked why Tesla did not come to India after the CEO announced an India visit in April but cancelled it at the last moment. Kant says that India has drafted an EV policy and all the companies have to follow only that policy. India will not change its EV policy according to some specific companies. He said, "So the policy has been announced. You can't have policies for individual companies. The policy for EVs has been announced".
Date - 20/05/2024
Building startups from scratch: IIT Delhi conducts an entrepreneurship course for students
The Entrepreneurship Development Cell at IIT Delhi (eDC, IIT Delhi), in collaboration with some distinguished Institute alumni, conducted the first season of Venture Studio, an entrepreneurship course to support IIT Delhi students in their journey to build successful startups from scratch. The course was designed to empower the students with the knowledge and skills to enable them to become successful entrepreneurs. Drawing from a pool of over 350 registrations, 40 outstanding students from diverse academic backgrounds were selected to participate in the first season. These students were handpicked for their passion, creativity, and drive to make a difference in the entrepreneurial landscape.
Date - 20/05/2024
Telcos fast adopting green networks to help India achieve sustainability goals: Industry
The Indian telecom operators are increasingly adopting green telecom networks, which focus on energy efficient operations, carbon emission reductions and the use of renewable energy sources, industry experts said on Thursday, ahead of the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day that falls on May 17. Innovative 5G applications like internet of things (IoT), smart grids, precision agriculture, among others, will further contribute to the nationâ??s sustainability goals. "This is in addition to the efficiencies to be driven via use of 5G across diverse sectors like healthcare, education, transport, manufacturing, logistics, mining, etc., which will take us closer to achieving the country's sustainability goals," said Lt Gen Dr SP Kochhar, Director General, Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI).
Date - 17/05/2024
TRAI extends deadline to receive stakeholder feedback on spectrum auction
Department of Telecommunications (DoT) through its letter dated 02.08.2023 had requested Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to provide recommendations on applicable reserve price, band plan, block size, quantum of spectrum to be auctioned and associated conditions for auction of spectrum, inter-alia, in 37-37.5 GHz, 37.5-40 GHz, and 42.5-43.5 GHz bands including the regulatory technical requirements as enunciated in the relevant provisions of the latest NFAP/Radio Regulations of the ITU. In this regard, the TRAI released a consultation paper on 'Auction of Spectrum in 37-37.5 GHz, 37.5-40 GHz and 42.5-43.5 GHz bands identified for IMT' on 04.04.2024. Initially, the last date for receiving written comments and counter comments from stakeholders on the issues raised in the Consultation Paper was fixed as 02.05.2024 and 16.05.2024, respectively. However, on the request of industry and associations, the last date for furnishing comments and counter comments was extended by two weeks, that is, up to 16.05.2024 and 30.05.2024, respectively, the Ministry of Communications said in a press release on Thursday. Keeping in view the request of industry associations for further extension of time for submission of comments and counter comments, it has been decided to extend the last date for furnishing written comments and counter comments to 24th May 2024 and 6th June 2024, respectively. No further requests for an extension of time will be considered, the ministry said.
Date - 17/05/2024
Amazon faces 2 lawsuits in US over 'dark patterns' as India prepares guidelines
As the Indian government aims to curb the use of 'dark patterns' on e-commerce platforms, the US state of Arizona has filed two new lawsuits against Amazon, accusing the e-tailing giant of deceiving consumers with "dark patterns." One of the lawsuits accuses the company of "engaging in deceptive business practices" by allegedly using "design tricks known as dark patterns to keep users from cancelling their Amazon Prime subscriptions." The other lawsuit, filed by Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, accuses Amazon of "unfairly maintaining monopoly status by enforcing agreements with third-party sellers that restrict them from offering lower prices off of the platform than they do on Amazon," The Verge reported on Thursday.
Date - 17/05/2024
DoT announces stage-I participants for Sangam AI-driven infrastructure development dashboard
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on Wednesday announced the selected participants for stage 1 of the ground-breaking 'Sangam: Digital Twin' with AI-driven insights initiative. Launched on February 15 this year, the Sangam initiative aims to revolutionize infrastructure planning and design by leveraging digital twin technology to create precise, dynamic models of physical environments. This innovative approach enables real-time insights and predictive analytics, significantly enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of infrastructure projects. The initiative aims to address complex challenges by integrating telecommunications, computational technologies, sensing, and imaging to create comprehensive digital replicas of physical assets. Overwhelming response Now, the expression of interest (EoI) for the Sangam initiative has attracted a vibrant array of 112 organizations and 32 individuals, including industry giants, innovative startups, and leading academic institutions, the Ministry of Communications said in press release. These participants bring a wealth of technological expertise spanning unified data platforms, advanced AI modelling, immersive AR/VR applications, and sophisticated scenario planning, the ministry said.
Date - 16/05/2024
India's warehousing surge: Expansion, mechanization, automation to fuel the needs of growing economy
"The capacity expansion of Central Warehousing Corporation has been phenomenal. In the last three years we have created around 45 lakh square feet of capacity. Last year itself we created about 21 lakh square feet of capacity. We are expanding in terms of warehousing capacity and we are also making efforts to modernize the warehouses. "Since CWC has been building warehouses since 1957, many of our assets are old. We are going in with private investment for modernization of these old assets. In the last financial year we have finalized 20 locations where we have received commitment for Rs. 1000 crore of investments. For this financial year, we have finalized 61 locations and we are expecting Rs. 2000 crore of private investments." This was stated by Amit Kumar Singh, Managing Director, Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC), in conversation with Anoop Verma, Editor (Desk), ETGovernment. In the interview that follows, Amit Kumar Singh sheds light on the initiatives that are being taken to expand and diversify the business of CWC.
Date - 16/05/2024
PhonePe UPI launched in Sri Lanka
India's fintech company PhonePe Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has been launched in Sri Lanka. Central Bank of Sri Lanka Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe and India's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha attended the launch event in Sri Lanka. In a post on X, the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka stated, "Unlocking new frontiers in fintech connectivity! @PhonePe UPI payments goes live in Sri Lanka with HC @santjha & @CBSL Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe gracing the launch event. Giving a boost to @UPI_NPCI services, the launch will further strengthen ease for tourists in Sri Lanka." On May 15, PhonePe announced that it has enabled UPI payment acceptance in collaboration with LankaPay. In a statement, PhonePe announced that its app users visiting Sri Lanka can now make payments using UPI across LankaPayQR merchants across the nation.
Date - 16/05/2024
Women's internet adoption on mobile phones reach 37% in India: GSMA
Women's internet adoption on mobile phones has reached 37 per cent in India, while adoption among men remains stable, narrowing the gender gap from 40 per cent to 30 per cent, a global report showed on Wednesday. In 2023, an additional 120 million women connected to the internet via mobile globally. More women in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) are using mobile internet than ever before, 1.5 billion (66 per cent) in total, according to the report by the GSMA, a global organisation that represents mobile network operators worldwide.
Date - 16/05/2024
HCLTech and UPDESCO join hands to launch new employment-oriented courses
Lucknow, May 16: A workshop was organized at HCLTech, Lucknow by HCLTech and UPDESCO to launch new employment-oriented courses. Approximately 70 training centers from various districts of the state, listed under UPDESCO, participated in the workshop. During the workshop, HCLTech provided detailed information on various job roles such as Java with AI, Data Engineering, and Cyber Security.
Date - 16/05/2024
CERT-In flags severe vulnerabilities in Android latest versions; check what to do
Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has issued an advisory on multiple vulnerabilities in Android devices. The digital security watchdog categorized the vulnerability as 'High' in terms of severity rating. CERT-In advised Android users to apply appropriate updates when made available by respective device makers. The Union government's digital security agency CERT-In on Tuesday warned Android users in India and highlighted multiple vulnerabilities attached to Android operating systems that can cause issues to users. The Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has issued a â??criticalâ?? warning statement on its official website for Android versions 12, 12L, 13 and 14.
Date - 15/05/2024
Tech use in judiciary strengthening processes in Indian courts: CJI Chandrachud at J20 summit in Brazil
Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud has said, "Our courts have come to be reimagined not as imposing 'empires', but as democratic spaces of discourse. COVID-19 pushed the frontiers of our court systems, which were compelled to change overnight. Courts became more than just opaque physical spaces." Addressing a session at the J20 summit in Brazil, CJI Chandrachud said, "We believe that sunshine is the best disinfectant, and that correct and accessible information is an antidote to disinformation. The Brazil Supreme Court's Programme to Fight Disinformation targets disinformation by enabling access to the judgements and creating an ecosystem of stakeholders." The J20 Summit, overseen and coordinated by Brazil's Federal Supreme Court (STF), brings together presidents from the Supreme and Constitutional Courts of G20 member countries, as well as representatives from the African Union and the European Union. This event facilitates discussions on critical topics including social justice, environmental sustainability, and the integration of technology for improved judicial efficiency.
Date - 15/05/2024
Centre launches myCGHS app to expand access to records and services for central govt health scheme
In an innovative push towards digitising health services, the Union government has launched the myCGHS app, designed to streamline and enhance the accessibility of health services for beneficiaries of the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS). This mobile application marks a significant step in utilising technology to improve healthcare delivery and patient management for millions of users, including senior citizens under the senior citizen health insurance coverage. Understanding MyCGHS App The myCGHS app is a digital initiative by the government to bring CGHS services to the fingertips of its beneficiaries. It serves as a one-stop platform where users can access various health services, including viewing their health records, booking appointments, and checking the status of their medical claims. The app aims to simplify processes and make health management more user-friendly for all beneficiaries of the central government health scheme.
Date - 15/05/2024
Integrating technology into policy frameworks key to drive progress: Secretary DST
Technology Development Board (TDB) under Department of Science and Technology celebrated the National Technology Day 2024 on May 11 at the INSAAuditorium, ITO, New Delhi. The event, themed 'Promoting Clean and Green Technologies for a Sustainable Future', witnessed the convergence of eminent scientists, dignitaries, and thought leaders, aiming to chart a path towards a cleaner, greener, and more resilient nation. Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Advisor to Govt of India, emphasized the promotion of electric vehicles (EVs) through initiatives such as the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) and Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME), aiming to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. He highlighted the EV Mission, led by the Prime Ministerâ??s Science, Technology Innovation and Advisory Council (PM-STIAC), dedicated to developing supportive standards and frameworks for EV adoption.
Date - 13/05/2024
Leveraging technology to enhance standardization, quality assurance and empower consumers
"The launch of e-BIS has been a significant milestone for the Bureau of Indian Standards. Since its inception in 2017, e-BIS has transformed the process of certification and licensing, providing greater transparency and efficiency. Initially, it started with the digitization of certification activity, but now it encompasses various aspects of BIS activities, including standardization, complaint handling, laboratory, and standards promotion. "The e-BIS system has streamlined the tracking and monitoring processes, providing real-time updates on file and sample status and facilitating performance tracking of individual branch offices and officers through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)." This was stated by Kanika Kalia, Director & Head, Bureau of Indian Standards, Rajasthan, in conversation with ETGovernment. She sheds light on the systems and technologies that BIS is using for ensuring that there is standardization and quality assurance in the marketplace.
Date - 13/05/2024
CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum celebrates National Technology Day
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP) celebrated the 'National Technology Day' on May 10. India celebrates its National Technology Day on May 11 every year to signify the technical prowess India achieved. It also inspires young minds and creates awareness of the technological supremacy of the country. Dr DK Aswal, Director, Health, Safety and Environment Group, BARC, Mumbai, participated in the event. He delivered a lecture on "Nuclear Energy for a Clean Environment and a Sustainable Future". In his lecture, Dr Aswal clarified various myths associated with the safety hazards and use of nuclear radiation. He emphasized that nuclear energy is far more safe and more economical than coal-based energy. On the occasion, Dr HS Bisht, Director CSIR-IIP also motivated students regarding technology and its benefit to society. Dr Aarti, Senior Principal Scientist and Co-ordinator Jigyasa activities at CSIR-IIP, presented a brief overview of the Jigyasa Activities undertaken by CSIR-IIP and how it is beneficial for school-going children.
Date - 11/05/2024
National Technology Day 2024: India now a digitally empowered nation
India observes National Technology Day on May 11 every year, to celebrate the achievements and advancements in technology that contribute to the progress and development of society. It's a day to recognize the contributions of scientists, engineers, and innovators who harness the power of technology to address challenges and improve lives. The Digital India program spearheaded by the Union government since July 1, 2015, has played a significant role in leveraging technology to empower citizens, drive economic growth, and enhance governance across the country. With initiatives aimed at digitizing government services, expanding internet connectivity, and promoting digital literacy, Digital India has transformed various sectors, including education, healthcare, agriculture, and e-commerce. On National Technology Day, the government and various organizations highlight the achievements and impact of Digital India initiatives, showcase innovative technologies, and encourage further advancements in the digital realm to realize the vision of a digitally empowered nation.
Date - 11/05/2024
India smartphone market grows 8% in Q1, 5G shipments share at highest-ever 71%
Driven by consumers upgrading to higher-value phones across price tiers, India's smartphone shipments in the January-March quarter (Q1) grew a record 8 per cent (year-on-year) in terms of volume and 18 per cent in terms of value, a report showed on Thursday. 5G smartphone shipments captured their highest-ever share of 71 per cent in volume terms, according to Counterpoint Research. The premium segment reached 20 per cent volume share, its highest ever, and 51 per cent value share of the overall smartphone market in the country.
Date - 10/05/2024
AI-technologies for enhancing structural integrity of infra and effective disaster management
Japan, known for its vulnerability to earthquakes, has implemented cutting-edge Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems in many of its skyscrapers and significant structures. A prime example is the Tokyo Skytree, one of the tallest structures in the world, which incorporates advanced seismic damping technology. Sensors throughout the tower monitor vibrations and adjust movement through hydraulic dampers to stabilize the structure during an earthquake. This technology represents a significant advancement in how buildings can adapt to and withstand seismic events. Saurabh Rai, CEO, Arahas Technologies, in conservation with ETGovernment, sheds light on how emerging technologies like AI and ML can be used to improve the structural integrity of buildings and enable the Government to develop better disaster management techniques.
Date - 01/05/2024
India ranks third globally for phishing attacks: Report
India ranked as the third-largest country globally for phishing attacks after the US and UK, with its technology sector facing nearly 33 per cent of all such strikes, marking it as the most targeted industry, according to a report. The report by cybersecurity firm Zscaler showed a 60 per cent rise in global phishing attacks over the past year. The ThreatLabz 2024 Phishing Report gathered insights from 2 billion blocked phishing transactions between January and December 2023.
Date - 01/05/2024
India ranks third globally for phishing attacks: Report
India ranked as the third-largest country globally for phishing attacks after the US and UK, with its technology sector facing nearly 33 per cent of all such strikes, marking it as the most targeted industry, according to a report. The report by cybersecurity firm Zscaler showed a 60 per cent rise in global phishing attacks over the past year. The ThreatLabz 2024 Phishing Report gathered insights from 2 billion blocked phishing transactions between January and December 2023.
Date - 01/05/2024
Centre holds discussion with fintechs for better coordination to curb digital financial fraud
The Union government held deliberations with fintechs and law enforcement agencies on steps to foster strong collaboration and address key challenges such as cybersecurity and digital financial fraud. Some key issues that were discussed in a workshop held by the finance ministry on Tuesday included the creation of a suspicious registry of banking correspondents and fraudsters involved in financial fraud and the geotagging of digital transactions to track the money trails. In a statement, the finance ministry stated during the deliberations it was suggested that an indigenous transaction monitoring and anti-money laundering (AML) system catering to Indian fraud and crime scenarios may be developed by fintech companies.
Date - 01/05/2024
Generative AI could boost bank revenues by 6% in next 3 years: Report
Banks across the globe could witness a substantial increase in revenues over the next three years by incorporating generative AI, as suggested by a recent report from Accenture. The report highlights that banks embracing this technology could experience a revenue surge of up to 600 basis points (bps) within this timeframe. Accenture's analysis, which involved studying more than 150 large banks worldwide, including public and private sector banks in India, revealed that the adoption of generative AI could significantly enhance employee productivity by up to 30 per cent.
Date - 01/05/2024
Supersonic missile-assisted release of torpedo system successfully flight-tested by DRDO off Odisha coast
Supersonic Missile-Assisted Release of Torpedo (SMART) system was successfully flight-tested at around 0830 hrs on Wednesday from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha. SMART is a next-generation missile-based light-weight torpedo delivery system, designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to enhance the anti-submarine warfare capability of the Indian Navy far beyond the conventional range of lightweight torpedo, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement. This canister-based missile system consists of several advanced sub-systems, namely two-stage solid propulsion system, electromechanical actuator system, precision inertial navigation system etc. The system carries advanced light-weight torpedo as payload along with parachute-based release system, the ministry said.
Date - 01/05/2024
Worldline ePayments India gets RBI approval to operate as payment aggregator
Global payment services provider Worldline ePayments India on Tuesday announced that they have been granted authorisation by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as an online payment aggregator (PA) under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007. The company received in-principle authorisation from the RBI to act as a PA in 2022, it said in a press release. "We've been in the Indian market for more than two decades and have built a leadership position. We work with merchants from various segments such as eCommerce, BFSI, retail, utilities, education, travel, and hospitality for digital payments," Ramesh Narasimhan, CEO, India, Worldline, said.
Date - 01/05/2024
Delhi HC admonishes Meta over poor handling of complaint against suspension of Instagram account
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday criticised Meta for its handling of a complaint lodged by TV Today Network regarding the suspension of its Instagram account for Harper's Bazaar India. Media conglomerate TV Today Network had moved the court earlier this month challenging the constitutional validity of Rule 3(1)(c) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora expressed dissatisfaction with Meta's response, stating that the social media platform's handling of the complaint was "far worse than a government department".
Date - 01/05/2024
NHPC collaborates with Norwegian company for implementation of floating solar energy tech in India
NHPC Ltd, the largest public sector organization for hydropower development in India, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Ocean Sun, a Norwegian company operating as a technology provider to the floating solar industry. As per the MoU, NHPC and Ocean Sun will explore key areas of cooperation for demonstration of Ocean Sunâ??s floating solar energy technology based on photovoltaic panels. The panels would be mounted on hydro-elastic membranes, at relevant sites to be identified by NHPC. The agreement is in continuation of efforts towards sustainable development and addition of renewable energy capacity by NHPC, which is engaged not only in hydro power development but also in various renewable energy projects such as solar, wind and green hydrogen projects, the Ministry of Power said in a press release on Tuesday. The MoU was signed in hybrid mode on Monday by Executive Director (Renewable Energy and Green Hydrogen), NHPC, VR Shrivastava and CEO, Ocean Sun, Kristian Tørvold. Ambassador of Norway to India, May-Elin Stener, Director (Technical), NHPC, Raj Kumar Chaudhary and Executive Director (Strategy Business Development & Consultancy), NHPC, Rajat Gupta joined the signing ceremony from Embassy of Norway, New Delhi and Ambassador of India to Norway, Dr Acquino Vimal joined from Oslo.
Date - 30/04/2024
NHPC collaborates with Norwegian company for implementation of floating solar energy tech in India
NHPC Ltd, the largest public sector organization for hydropower development in India, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Ocean Sun, a Norwegian company operating as a technology provider to the floating solar industry. As per the MoU, NHPC and Ocean Sun will explore key areas of cooperation for demonstration of Ocean Sunâ??s floating solar energy technology based on photovoltaic panels. The panels would be mounted on hydro-elastic membranes, at relevant sites to be identified by NHPC. The agreement is in continuation of efforts towards sustainable development and addition of renewable energy capacity by NHPC, which is engaged not only in hydro power development but also in various renewable energy projects such as solar, wind and green hydrogen projects, the Ministry of Power said in a press release on Tuesday. The MoU was signed in hybrid mode on Monday by Executive Director (Renewable Energy and Green Hydrogen), NHPC, VR Shrivastava and CEO, Ocean Sun, Kristian Tørvold. Ambassador of Norway to India, May-Elin Stener, Director (Technical), NHPC, Raj Kumar Chaudhary and Executive Director (Strategy Business Development & Consultancy), NHPC, Rajat Gupta joined the signing ceremony from Embassy of Norway, New Delhi and Ambassador of India to Norway, Dr Acquino Vimal joined from Oslo.
Date - 30/04/2024
RBI grants in-principle nod to Groww to operate as payments aggregator
Groww Pay, the UPI payments platform of broking firm Groww, has received in-principle authorisation from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as a Payments Aggregator (PA). According to the latest RBI data, the online payment aggregator licence was granted on April 29. This licence will allow the company to enable e-commerce transactions through its UPI app -- Groww Pay. In July last year, the broking firm rolled out UPI payment services through the Groww Pay Private Limited feature to expand its financial services. The company obtained its third-party application provider (TPAP) license last year and provided the services in collaboration with banking partner Yes Bank.
Date - 30/04/2024
6th LSAM 20 ammunition cum torpedo cum missile barge launched
The launch of 'Ammunition Cum Torpedo Cum Missile Barge, LSAM 20 (Yard 130)', 6th Barge of 11 x ACTCM Barge Project, built by MSME shipyard Suryadipta Projects Pvt Ltd, Thane, for Indian Navy, was undertaken on Monday at the launch site of SPPL. The launching ceremony was presided over by Madhusudan Bhui, INAS, GM NAD (Karanja). The contract for building 11 x ACTCM Barge was signed between MoD and Suryadipta on March 5, 2021. The availability of these barges would provide impetus to operational commitments of IN by facilitating transportation, embarkation and disembarkation of articles, ammunition to IN ships both alongside jetties and at outer harbours. These barges are indigenously designed and built under relevant Naval Rules and Regulation of Indian Register of Shipping. The model testing of the barge during the design stage was undertaken at the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory, Visakhapatnam. These barges are proud flag bearers of Make in India initiative of Government of India (GoI), the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.
Date - 30/04/2024
UN's first international conference on Digital Public Infrastructure held under India's leadership
The United Nation's First International Conference on Digital Public Infrastructure was held under India's leadership to harness the technology to propel Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and foster inclusivity, India's Permanent Representative to UN, Ruchira Kamboj said in a press statement. "Celebrating India's leadership at the UN's First International Conference on Digital Public Infrastructure! We are harnessing DPI to propel global SDGs and foster inclusivity," she posted on X. The session hosted on Thursday by the Permanent Mission of India and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, in collaboration with iSPIRT, the inaugural United Nations conference on Digital Public Infrastructure: Citizen Stack brought together global leaders, technology innovators, and policy experts to explore the global implementation of digital public infrastructure, said the Permanent of India to the UN said in a statement.
Date - 29/04/2024
Govt's cyber agency finds multiple bugs and serious vulnerabilities in Cisco products
The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) which comes under the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, has issued an advisory over three serious vulnerabilities in networking giant Cisco products that could allow hackers to gain access, infiltrate into computer systems and steal data. The vulnerabilities reported in Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) software and Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) software could allow attackers to execute arbitrary commands and code on the underlying operating system with root-level privileges, device to reload unexpectedly, resulting in a denial of service (DoS), CERT-In said in its latest advisory. The 'Command Injection Vulnerability' exists in the reported software due to the contents of a backup file being improperly sanitised at restore time.
Date - 28/04/2024
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar visits Bharat Biotech in Hyderabad's Genome Valley
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday visited Bharat Biotech, which is focused on innovation, research & development, and large-scale manufacturing facilities for vaccines. Accompanied by Telangana Governor CP Radhakrishnan, the Vice President went around the company's premises at Genome Valley. Dr Krishna Ella, Executive Chairman of Bharat Biotech and Suchitra Ella, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Bharat Biotech, welcomed the Vice President.
Date - 27/04/2024
Indian Air Force ushers in digital transformation with DigiLocker integration
Indian Air Force (IAF) launched its a transformative digital journey by integrating with the DigiLocker platform, a flagship initiative under the Digital India programme, in New Delhi on Friday. In a ceremonial event held at Air Headquarters, Vayu Bhawan, the IAF and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to leverage DigiLocker's secure and accessible document repository services. The Ministry of Defence in press release said this integration will revolutionize the way critical service documents of IAF personnel, both serving and retired, are issued, accessed, and verified digitally. By harnessing the power of cutting-edge technology, the IAF reaffirms its commitment to data security, operational efficiency, and seamless access to information, it said.
Date - 27/04/2024
AI offers remarkable opportunity for India: Qualcomm India President Savi Soin
India, with its growth engines roaring, is the "place to be", Qualcomm India President Savi Soin has said, adding that the country has a "remarkable opportunity" with hybrid Artificial Intelligence (AI). The San Diego, California-headquartered chip designer is working with OEMs as well as operators in India to help bring entry-level 5G smartphone that would push new frontiers in affordability. "India is the place to be... look at every sector, there is growth in every sector in India and that is just to serve the Indian consumers... you can imagine what is happening in phones with what OEMs are doing here... not just build for India market but also for exports," Soin said in an interview to PTI. The India growth story is compelling, and the country with its strength and scale has a "remarkable opportunity" with hybrid AI.
Date - 26/04/2024
Robust AI framework ready to deal with misuse; public consultations as soon as new govt formed: Vaishnaw
As artificial intelligence (AI)-based synthetic content becomes a key concern during global elections, including in India, Union Railways and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Tuesday that a robust framework on AI is ready to deal with its misuse and public consultations on the framework will begin as soon as the new government is formed. Speaking to IANS, the Union Minister said that there has been a fruitful dialogue with the IT industry in recent months over the misuse of AI and how to stop it. "We have to utilise AI for the greater good of the public as well as stop its misuse. We have to find the right balance. Once the new government is in place in June, we will start public consultations on the AI framework," Ashwini Vaishnaw observed.
Date - 24/04/2024
KPMG Innovation Kaleidoscope Insights Centre inaugurated in Bengaluru
KPMG in India launched its second KPMG Innovation Kaleidoscope Insights Centre in Bengaluru on April 18. This collaborative workspace fosters a dynamic environment where our people, clients, start-ups, and strategic alliance partners can engage to co-create solutions to solve dynamic business challenges. Located within its Bengaluru office in Embassy Golf Links Business Park, the Centre showcases a blend of India and Global solutions to address real-world business requirements. Business leaders will gain access to immersive experiences, valuable insights, innovative technology, and the resources needed to propel their organisations forward. The centre also displays state of art solutions in specific sectors, insight driven solutions demonstrated through AR-VR devices, tax technologies, Digital solutions for ESG, Gen AI solutions across sectors and domains that will address the digital innovation needs of GCCs and clients across sectors.
Date - 24/04/2024
CCI seeks to hire agency for conducting market study on Artificial Intelligence
With an objective to understand the ecosystem around Artificial Intelligence and competition within the sector in India, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) seeks proposals for conducting the study by agencies or institutions. The last date for submission of proposals is June 3, 2024 by 5:00pm. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) in press release said it will launch a market study on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and competition to understand the transformative capabilities of AI that have significant pro-competitive potential, as well as competition concerns emanating from the use of AI. The proposed study will be a knowledge building exercise to develop an in-depth understanding of the emerging competition dynamics in the development ecosystems of AI systems and implications of AI applications for competition, efficiency and innovation in key user industries, it said.
Date - 23/04/2024
Internet subscribers increase nearly 2% to 936.16 million in last quarter of 2023: Trai report
Total number of internet subscribers in India increased from 918.19 million at the end of Sep-23 to 936.16 million at the end of Dec-23, registering a quarterly rate of growth 1.96%, according to the "Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicator Report" for the quarter release by telecom regulator TRAI on Tuesday. Out of 936.16 million internet subscribers, number of wired internet subscribers are 38.57 million and number of Wireless Internet subscribers are 897.59 million, the report said. The report provides a broad perspective of the telecom services in India and presents the key parameters and growth trends of the sector as well as cable TV, DTH and radio broadcasting services in India for the period covering October 1 to December 31, 2023 compiled mainly on the basis of information furnished by the service providers, the Ministry of Communications said.
Date - 23/04/2024
Reliance Jio emerges world's largest mobile operator in data traffic surpassing China mobile
Reliance Jio, the telecom giant of India, has become the world's largest mobile operator in terms of data traffic, surpassing China Mobile. The announcement came on Monday as Jio revealed its quarterly results, showcasing staggering numbers and milestones achieved in various segments. As of March 2024, Jio boasts a subscriber base of 481.8 million, out of which 108 million subscribers are on Jio's True5G Standalone network. The number reflects Jio's stronghold in the Indian telecom market. According to a press release, the total traffic on the Jio network has reached 40.9 Exabytes, marking a 35.2 per cent year-on-year increase.
Date - 23/04/2024
Election 2024: MeitY's initiatives for defending the electoral process from AI, deep fakes
During his recent interaction with students, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the problem of AI generated deep fakes in social media. "We have to be cautious with new technology. If these technologies are used carefully, they can be very useful. But if these are misused, they can give rise to major problems," he said. The Prime Minister's warning came in the backdrop of several deep fake videos of prominent personalities emerging in the social media. "These videos look very real and, therefore, we need to be careful before believing the authenticity of a video or an image. India is emphasising a global framework for AI," the Prime Minister said. S. Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, in conversation with Anoop Verma, Editor (Desk), ETGovernment, sheds light on the steps that MeitY is taking to ensure that the content published by internet intermediaries conforms to the country's IT laws. He explains why proper labeling of AI generated content is essential for enabling people to make informed voting decisions at election time.
Date - 23/04/2024
Technology offers ample opportunities, embrace it with caution: Justice Rajiv Shakdher
Delhi High Court judge Justice Rajiv Shakdher has said technology needs to be dominated by human beings but should be embraced with caution. Speaking at the AI Conference organised by the Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF), the apex body of law firms in India, Justice Shakdher shared his perspective on artificial intelligence (AI) and the opportunities and challenges it poses. "Technology needs to be dominated by human beings because if you don't do it, you would actually make something which is not in control of human beings," a statement quoted Justice Shakdher as saying.
Date - 22/04/2024
Nano-entrepreneurship: Fast tracking startup growth for economic development, social inclusion
The Ministry of Finance, Government of India, in its latest economic review, has talked about the goal of making India a $7 trillion economy by 2030. In the next three years, India is expected to become the world's third largest economy (around $5 trillion). With such great aspirations of the government and the masses, it is imperative to promote livelihood opportunities at the grassroot level. One of the interventions that can boost such activities is entrepreneurship development (nano entrepreneurship) in every corner of the country. Sandeep Lanjewar, Director, Palladium India, in conversation with ETGovernment, sheds light on the steps that are being taken to promote nano-entrepreneurship.
Date - 20/04/2024
Global future will not be driven by BigTech but by India's DPI: G-20 sherpa Amitabh Kant
India's G-20 sherpa Amitabh Kant on Thursday said the global future will not be driven by big technology firms but by the digital public infrastructure platforms developed locally. Speaking at the 'We Made in India' event here, Kant said India will transfer its digital public infrastructure (DPI) to the rest of the world, and already there are many examples of countries warming up to the same. The DPI consists of the digital identity through Aadhaar, real time payment through the UPI platform and other services like account aggregator, and was showcased to the world during India's presidency of G-20 last year. Kant said during the G-20, the world accepted the definition and framework of the DPI, given the strides that India has made through its strategies.
Date - 19/04/2024
Global future will not be driven by BigTech but by India's DPI: G-20 sherpa Amitabh Kant
India's G-20 sherpa Amitabh Kant on Thursday said the global future will not be driven by big technology firms but by the digital public infrastructure platforms developed locally. Speaking at the 'We Made in India' event here, Kant said India will transfer its digital public infrastructure (DPI) to the rest of the world, and already there are many examples of countries warming up to the same. The DPI consists of the digital identity through Aadhaar, real time payment through the UPI platform and other services like account aggregator, and was showcased to the world during India's presidency of G-20 last year. Kant said during the G-20, the world accepted the definition and framework of the DPI, given the strides that India has made through its strategies.
Date - 19/04/2024
Armed Forces Medical Services collaborates with IIT Kanpur to develop tech for soldiers' health issues
The Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for collaborative research and training with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur on Thursday. The MoU was signed by Director General Armed Forces Medical Services Lt Gen Daljit Singh and Officiating Director, IIT Kanpur Prof. S. Ganesh. Under this MoU, AFMS and IIT Kanpur will team up to undertake research and develop new technologies to address health problems faced by soldiers in difficult terrains. IIT Kanpur will also provide technical expertise for developing AI diagnostic models, at Armed Forces Centre for Computational Medicine established in Armed Forces Medical College, which is first of its kind amongst medical colleges in India. Under the ambit of this MoU, faculty exchange program, joint academic activities and development of training modules will also be planned.
Date - 19/04/2024
Indigenous technology cruise missile successfully flight-tested by DRDO off Odisha coast
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted a successful flight-test of indigenous technology cruise missile (ITCM) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Odisha on Thursday (April 18, 2024). During the test, all subsystems performed as per expectation. The missile performance was monitored by several range sensors like radar, electro optical tracking system (EOTS) and telemetry deployed by ITR at different locations to ensure complete coverage of the flight path. The flight of the missile was also monitored from the Su-30-Mk-I aircraft of the Indian Air Force, the Ministry of Defence in a press release said. The missile followed the desired path using way point navigation and demonstrated very low altitude sea-skimming flight. This successful flight test has also established the reliable performance of the indigenous propulsion system developed by Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), Bengaluru, the ministry said. The missile is also equipped with advanced avionics and software to ensure better and reliable performance. The missile is developed by Bengaluru-based DRDO laboratory Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) along with contribution from other laboratories and Indian industries. The test was witnessed by many senior scientists from various DRDO laboratories along with the representatives from the production partner.
Date - 19/04/2024
India's first Metaverse Experience Center launched in Noida
India is all set to embark on a revolutionary journey into the future of technology with the inauguration of its first Metaverse Experience Center in Noida. This initiative marks a significant leap forward in India's technological landscape, introducing the concept of the Immersive (XR) Technologies. The Metaverse Experience Center aims to foster a vibrant community of seekers, creators and innovators. Situated in the bustling city of Noida, the Metaverse Experience Center (MEC), spearheaded by Metaverse911 team, aims to redefine the way industry leaders learn and explore XR technologies. Equipped with XR technology, the center offers visitors an immersive platform to delve into a multitude of virtual realms, from futuristic cities to manufacturing floors. MEC plans to host industry focussed workshops on a monthly basis, the company in a press release said. "We are thrilled to introduce India's first Metaverse Experience Center in Noida, a space where imagination knows no bounds and the possibilities are limitless," said Rahul Sethi, founder-chairman, Metaverse911. "Our goal is to provide a platform for CIOs, CTOs, CXOs and industry leaders to explore solutions that can be implemented to solve their organisational challenges; ushering in a new era of digital innovation in the country."
Date - 19/04/2024
HP launches 'Innovation & Digital Education Academy' to support educators with digital pedagogy skills
PC and printer major HP on Thursday introduced the 'Innovation & Digital Education Academy' (IDEA) programme in India, aiming to support educators with essential digital pedagogy skills, transform teaching methods, and enhance the learning experience for students in CBSE schools across the country. The programme, developed in partnership with the Centre for Teacher Accreditation (CENTA) and Verdant & Co, is designed to meet the increasing demands of educators and students in the digital age. It is scheduled to commence in the last week of April and will run for a full academic year.
Date - 19/04/2024
Amid concerns over Digi Yatra app data privacy, founders assert full control
Digi Yatra Foundation on Wednesday said the Digi Yatra application has always been under its full control amid controversy with respect to a former vendor that had offered billing account and management services for the application. According to reports, there are concerns about data shared by passengers on Digi Yatra and that former vendor Dataevolve Solutions had come under investigation. When asked whether Dataevolve is still associated with Digi Yatra, the foundation replied in the negative. "There is no association of Digi Yatra with Dataevolve." According to the foundation, Digi Yatra started on the CIC infrastructure of Niti Ayog and later migrated to Dataevolve, which was managing as a managed service provider on behalf of the foundation.
Date - 18/04/2024
DRDO's SPACE in Kerala goes operational
A state-of-the-art Submersible Platform for Acoustic Characterisation and Evaluation (SPACE) was inaugurated by Secretary, Department of Defence (R&D) and Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V. Kamat at Underwater Acoustic Research Facility, Kulamavu in Idukki, Kerala on Wednesday. The SPACE, set up by the Naval Physical & Oceanographic Laboratory of DRDO, has been designed as a premier testing and evaluation hub for sonar systems destined for Indian Navy onboard various platforms including ships, submarines and helicopters, the Ministry of Defence said in a press release. The SPACE marks a milestone in naval technology advancement, the ministry said and added that it will consist of two distinct assemblages - a platform which floats on the water surface, and a submersible platform which can be lowered to any depth upto 100 m using winch systems. Upon completion of operations, the submersible platform can be winched up and docked with the floating platform.
Date - 18/04/2024
IntrCity SmartBus launches industry's first digital luggage tag for stress-free bus travel
IntrCity SmartBus, India's leading inter-city mobility platform, has launched the industry's first digital luggage tag feature. This pioneering innovation is set to redefine luggage management by streamlining the process, the company said in a press release on Wednesday. With this new feature, over 200,000 passengers traveling on IntrCity SmartBus across more than 630 routes in 16 states can enjoy a seamless and stress-free journey. The importance of luggage for passengers cannot be overstated. Luggage serves as a vital component of the overall travel experience, ensuring that passengers can transport their belongings safely and conveniently to their destination. With the Luggage Tag feature, we aim to communicate accountability and build passenger confidence in bus travel. The Digital Luggage Tagging system reduces the likelihood of luggage getting lost or mishandled, ensuring passengers can travel smoothly without worrying about misplaced belongings. This advanced system simplifies luggage handling and gives passengers peace of mind about the safety of their possessions, the company said. Using cutting-edge technology, IntrCity SmartBus provides a secure and effective solution that meets the changing demands of today's travelers. Additionally, by reducing the use of paper tags, IntrCity SmartBus is actively promoting a more environmentally friendly future. This sustainable approach not only reduces waste but also plays a role in the essential sustainability efforts of today's world, showcasing the company's dedication to ecological responsibility and improving customer service, it said.
Date - 17/04/2024
RBI issues draft guidelines on payment aggregators
The Reserve Bank on Tuesday came out with draft guidelines to further strengthen regulations on payment aggregators, a move aimed at boosting the payment ecosystem. The draft also covers the physical point-of-sale activities of payment aggregators (PAs). The RBI said that given the growth in digital transactions and the significant role that PAs play in this space, the current directions on PAs are proposed to be updated and cover, inter alia, KYC and due diligence of merchants, operations in Escrow accounts, and intended to strengthen the payment ecosystem.
Date - 17/04/2024
India preferred digital services destination globally in GenAI era: Report
Amid the global economic headwinds, India continues to be the preferred outsourcing destination for businesses aiming to build and expand their digital services portfolio, a new report showed on Monday. About 45 per cent of high-tech, travel and transportation companies, alongside 41-43 per cent of telecom, discrete manufacturing, and construction firms, opted to "nearshore" to India in 2023, underscoring the country's growing appeal as a global hub for digital services outsourcing, according to the report by Nasscom in collaboration with Avasant. Traditional sectors such as energy and utilities, along with construction and engineering, demonstrated substantial growth in their digital talent base, reflecting a broad-based commitment across industries to deepen their digital capabilities.
Date - 16/04/2024
Bhashini: AI tool for real time translations, transactions via voice inputs in local languages
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently delivered a speech in Hindi that was translated in real time in Tamil through the sophisticated digital system called Bhashini. Developed by the Government of India, Bhashini has the mandate to build a National Public Digital Platform for languages that will use the power of AI and other emerging technologies to provide not only communication and translation related services but also diverse kinds of transaction related services to speakers of different Indian languages. Amitabh Nag, Chief Executive Officer, Digital India Bhashini Division, in conversation with Anoop Verma, Editor (Desk), ETGovernment, sheds light on the potential of Bhashini to break the barriers between different Indian languages by using emerging technologies.
Date - 12/04/2024
PhonePe partners with eSewa, HAN Pokhara to promote UPI in Nepal
Fintech firm PhonePe on Wednesday said it has partnered with Nepal's digital wallet service eSewa and the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN) Pokhara to promote digital payments through UPI on the Himalayan country's payment processor Fonepay Network. The partnership is a part of the Fewa New Year Festival which will be held from April 11-14 in Nepal. Over 3,000 merchants will participate in the festival with more than 1,00,000 visitors expected to visit.
Date - 11/04/2024
Nasscom, Cisco collaborate to equip college students with innovation, entrepreneurship skills
Cisco's CSR initiative 'thingQbator' in partnership with the nasscom foundation, felicitated 10 winning startups from its 6th cohort at the Neovation celebration in New Delhi on Monday. This event marked a significant milestone in fostering student entrepreneurship and tech-skills development in India through a program centered around nurturing and encouraging young minds to address social issues through technology while strengthening India's startup ecosystem, the company said in a press release. Designed to empower young innovators, thingQbator provides a platform where college students across the country are mentored to turn their ideas into prototypes and viable businesses. This virtual makerspace program, held at various partner universities, offers students hands-on experience with digital technologies. It enables them to transform their ideas into working prototypes and devise localized solutions to community problems. To date, over 8,900 students have been part of the Entrepreneurship track, and a subset of these learners have been directed towards the startup ecosystem, with the objective of shifting their mindset to align their innovations with the social and economic needs of the country. Since its inception in 2018, Cisco and nasscom foundation have collaborated with 42 universities to accelerate student entrepreneurship and foster digital skills through the thingQbator program, it said. The ceremony was held to celebrate the achievements of the 10 startups that have successfully transformed their ideas from a prototype to a successful solution, winning seed funding of Rs 5 lakh each through a government-recognized TBI at the end of the Start-up track. This event brought together students, faculty members, technology experts, and start-up specialists from universities nationwide to celebrate the win start.
Date - 10/04/2024
CISO deep dive training programme under Cyber Surakshit Bharat: 43rd batch begins
The National e-Governance Division (NeGD) under its capacity building scheme, began the 43rd CISO deep-dive training programme on Monday with participants from Assam, Jammu & Kashmir, Gujarat, Kerala, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and National Capital Territory of Delhi at Indian Institute of Public Administration in New Delhi. The inaugural session of the programme was attended by senior officials from MeitY, NeGD and IIPA. The deep-dive training specifically aimed at educating and enabling CISOs to understand cyber-attacks comprehensively and thoroughly, get necessary exposure in latest technologies of safeguard and translate the benefits of a resilient e-infrastructure to individual organizations and citizens at large. The training also focussed on providing a holistic view of legal provisions, enabling CISOs to formulate policies in the domain of cyber security and build concrete cyber crisis management plans, the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY) said in press release. The aim of the program is to spread awareness, build capacities as well as enable Government departments to take steps to create a cyber resilient eco system. The endeavour of the programme is to sensitise and orient participants on cyber safety and security, thus facilitating the Digital India programme for integrated delivery of various government services to citizens. The programme also imparts holistic information and knowledge about cyber security to enable government departments to look after their cyber hygiene, safety and security, it said.
Date - 09/04/2024
Suvidha portal: Over 60% of 73k applications approved after announcement of General Elections 2024
In a span of just 20 days since the announcement of elections and the model code of conduct (MCC) coming into force, the Suvidha platform received 73,379 permission requests from political parties and candidates, of which 44,626 requests (60%) had been approved, the Election Commission said on Sunday. Nearly 11,200 requests had been rejected which is 15% of the total requests received and 10,819 applications cancelled as they were invalid or duplicate. Rest of the applications are under process as per the details available till April 7, 2024. Maximum requests were received from Tamil Nadu (23,239) followed by West Bengal (11,976) and Madhya Pradesh (10,636). Minimum requests received from Chandigarh (17), Lakshadweep (18) and Manipur (20).
Date - 08/04/2024
Tata Advanced Systems and Satellogic successfully launch 'Made in India' TSAT-1A satellite
Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL), India's leading private sector player for aerospace and defence solutions, and Satellogic Inc, a leader in sub-metre resolution earth observation (EO) data collection, on Monday announced the successful deployment into space of TSAT-1A satellite aboard the Bandwagon-1 mission, which SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket launched from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA, at 23:16 UTC on April 7, 2024. TSAT-1A has been assembled in TASL's Assembly, Integration and Testing (AIT) plant at its Vemagal facility in Karnataka. This achievement follows the collaboration signed between TASL and Satellogic in November 2023, leveraging Satellogic's expertise to develop and integrate an advanced Earth Observation satellite in India and TASL's capability to undertake complex system integration. Sukaran Singh, CEO-MD, TASL, said, "This milestone shows TASL's commitment to the space sector. This is a first step. Our partnership with Satellogic has enabled us to deliver an assembled and tested in India, best-in-class, sub-metre optical satellite which was launched by SpaceX. We are grateful for the support we have received from various Indian Government authorities for required permissions."
Date - 08/04/2024
New UPI rules: Funds transfer now allowed from prepaid wallets using third party apps
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its monetary policy committee (MPC) meeting said that now individuals can make payments from prepaid payment instruments like digital wallets using UPI that too through any third party app. RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das has said wallet holders no longer have to depend upon the PPI wallet issuer in order to make UPI payments, rather individuals can use third party apps in order to transact using unified payment interface (UPI). RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said, "At present, UPI payments from bank accounts can be made by linking a bank account through the UPI App of the bank or using any third-party UPI application. However, the same facility is not available for PPIs. PPIs can currently be used to make UPI transactions only by using the application provided by the PPI issuer. To provide more flexibility to PPI holders, it is now proposed to permit linking of PPIs through third-party UPI applications. This will enable the PPI holders to make UPI payments like bank account holders. Instructions in this regard will be issued shortly." Banking experts say PPI wallets to become inter-operable due to this new development. According to Sanjeev Moghe, President & Head - Cards and Payments, Axis Bank, "This will allow all Full KYC PPI Wallets to become inter-operable just like how bank accounts and RuPay credit cards operate where such instruments can be linked to any UPI App."
Date - 08/04/2024
Telecom Secretary launches 'Experimental Licence Module for 100 5G Labs' at IIT Madras
In a move to smoothen the processes for 100 5G labs across academic institutions in India, Telecom Secretary Dr Neeraj Mittal on Friday launched one of the 'Experimental Licence module for 100 5G Labs' through virtual mode during a 5G workshop at IIT Madras. This initiative aims to simplify the experimental licence requirements for these institutions, facilitating smoother operations and fostering innovation in the 5G domain. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has awarded '5G Use Case Labs' to educational institutions across the country. The primary objective behind this initiative is to cultivate competencies and engagement in 5G technologies among students and startup communities.
Date - 06/04/2024
CERT-In warns users of vulnerability in cybersecurity firm F5 product
The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), which comes under the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), on Friday warned users of a vulnerability in multi-cloud application services and security company F5's BIG-IP (a family of products covering software and hardware). According to the cyber agency, this vulnerability could be exploited by a remote attacker to execute craft DNS queries or cause a Denial of Service (DoS) condition on the targeted system. "Vulnerability exists in F5 BIG-IP due to flooding the target server with queries. A remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability by crafting queries on the affected 'named' instance and responses may cause excessive CPU load on the targeted system," said CERT-In in the advisory.
Date - 06/04/2024
RBI to broaden e-rupee distribution beyond banks to boost retail use
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) plans to use non-bank payment system operators, including third-party payment app providers, to make the e-rupee more accessible to retail users, the central bank said on Friday. The RBI piloted its central bank digital currency (CBDC) in 2023 but only allowed banks to offer these tokens, which led to subdued transaction volumes. It has now proposed that non-bank payment system operators, which include third-party payment app providers like PhonePe, Google Pay and Paytm, offer the e-rupee through CBDC wallets.
Date - 06/04/2024
NTPC Darlipali Thermal Power Station in Odisha to use drones for pipeline inspection
IG Drones has bagged the contract for a crucial pipeline inspection at NTPC Darlipali Thermal Power Station in Odisha, recently inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The company has secured the deal for drone surveillance of the MUW piping system at the thermal power station for two years. The NTPC Darlipali Super Thermal Power Station (2x800 MW) was dedicated to the nation by PM Modi on February 3. MUW (Medium and Ultra High Molecular Weight) pipes are commonly used in various industries, including power generation plants like NTPC (National Thermal Power Corporation) for their unique properties and benefits.
Date - 05/04/2024
Schneider Electric joins hands with NVIDIA to optimise data centre infrastructure
New Delhi: Energy management and automation major Schneider Electric on Thursday said it has collaborated with NVIDIA to optimise data center infrastructure. Schneider Electric will leverage its expertise in data center infrastructure and NVIDIA's advanced AI technologies to introduce the first publicly-available AI data center reference designs, according to a statement. These designs are set to redefine the benchmarks for AI deployment and operation within data center ecosystems, the statement said. "We're unlocking the future of AI for organisations," said Pankaj Sharma, Executive Vice President - Secure Power Division & Data Center Business at Schneider Electric.
Date - 29/03/2024
EVs cross adoption tipping point in 31 nations
New technologies have a tendency to blindside. When colour TVs were introduced in the 1950s, for example, they seemed like a flop. The devices were expensive, programming was scarce, and after a decade on the market few homes had one. Then suddenly prices dropped, a ratings war ensued, and in just a few years most US households were watching The Jetsons in its futuristic palette. A comparable shift is currently underway with electric vehicles, according to a Bloomberg Green analysis of adoption rates around the world.
Date - 29/03/2024
President Murmu tells engineers to adopt sustainable solutions for construction of infra projects
A group of Assistant Executive Engineers of CPWD (2022 and 2023 batches) called on President of India Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Thursday. Addressing the engineers, the President said that as young engineers, they are aware of the threats of climate change and global warming and the consequent need to adopt energy-efficient solutions. Buildings, roads and other infrastructure that they create should be sustainable, energy-efficient and environment-friendly. They should be innovative in their approach so that they can effectively deal with emerging challenges. Stating that in the age of 3D printing, building technology has undergone a sea change, Murmu noted that infrastructure and construction projects can now be made climate-compatible and energy-efficient. Green construction is the need of the hour. Innovative methods of construction have the potential to transform this sector. By creating designs with precision, they can break the boundaries of conventional construction. They not only have to accelerate the construction process but also ensure the minimization of waste through optimum resource utilisation, the President said.
Date - 28/03/2024
Railways to launch video surveillance system through ICCC integrating over 1 lakh cameras across India
Transline Technologies Limited, the Delhi-based tech giant and its collaboration with RailTel Corporation of India Ltd and TCIL for the implementation of its state-of-the-art Integrated Control and Command Center (ICCC) as part of the video surveillance system project for Indian Railways will prove to be a game changer for tech-related industry. The company will provide command & control services for monitoring pan India CCTV cameras. This initiative aims to integrate over 100,000 cameras of various types, along with multiple software solutions including Video Management Software, Video Analytics Software, Facial Recognition software, Panic Buttons, and other subsystems. The primary objective is to enhance passenger security, especially for women and children, across more than 1700 Railway stations, encompassing all 16 zones of Indian Railways. Transline Technologies is fully committed to complying with the Cyber Security requirements mandated by the STQC, Government of India. We firmly believe that this project will represent the largest deployment of an Integrated Command & Control Centre in India, given its vast scale and complexity.
Date - 22/03/2024
S&T column to feature prominently in 'Employment News' to make youths job creators: DG CSIR
The CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (CSIR-NIScPR) celebrated a significant milestone with the inauguration of its main gate at its Pusa Campus on Thursday. Dr N. Kalaiselvi, Director General of CSIR and Secretary of DSIR inaugurated the ceremony. Prof. Ranjana Aggarwal, Director of CSIR-NIScPR, said the institute has taken up a number of initiatives in the recent times, including establishment of the Science Media Communication Cell (SMCC), a pivotal step towards streamlining the dissemination of R&D breakthroughs across Indian labs. The institute created a single window for this purpose and SMCC has excelled in fulfilling this role. National Knowledge Resource Consortium and SVASTIK are other very promising initiatives of the institute, she said.
Date - 22/03/2024
Ministry of I&B cautions social media influencers against endorsing online gambling platforms
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting sent out an advisory to all endorsers and influencers on social media that they should refrain from promoting or advertising, including surrogate advertisements, of offshore online betting and gambling platforms. In the advisory released on March 21, the Ministry has said that these advertisements have a significant financial and socio-economic implications of online betting and gambling on consumers, particularly the youth. The Ministry has further advised the online advertisement intermediaries not to target such promotional content towards Indian audiences. Social media intermediaries have been advised to conduct sensitization efforts among their users to refrain from publishing such content.
Date - 22/03/2024
TDB grants Rs 75 lakh to Peptris Technologies and FNDR for antibiotic development project
In an initiative aimed at propelling healthcare innovation, the Technology Development Board (TDB) has signed an agreement this week with Peptris Technologies and the Foundation for Neglected Disease Research (FNDR), Bengaluru, for development of a novel class of antibiotics against Gram-Negative Bacterial-Infections. Under the agreement, TDB has sanctioned a grant of Rs 75 Lakh towards the project ANAGRANINF against the total project cost of Rs 1.5 crore. This collaborative endeavor is believed to foster innovation in the field of healthcare, thee Ministry of Science & Technology said in a statement on Wednesday.
Date - 21/03/2024
ICAR signs MoU with Dhanuka Agritech for delivery of new technology to farmers
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Dhanuka Agritech Ltd has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to utilize the efficiency of both the institutions to deliver new technology to the farmers. Deputy Director General (Agricultural Extension), ICAR Dr US Gautam and Chairman, Dhanuka Agritech, Dr RG Aggarwal signed the MoU on behalf of respective organizations on Tuesday. Gautam said that there are more than 14.5 crore farmers across the country most of wwhich are having small land holdings. Dhanuka Agritech will provide training related to agricultural production to these small farmers by associating with the central institutes, ATARIs and KVKs.
Date - 20/03/2024
NIXI, MeitY to unveil BhashaNet portal at UA Day for digital inclusion across the nation
NIXI (National Internet Exchange of India) is proud to announce the launch of the BhashaNet portal for the upcoming UA Day, scheduled to take place on March 21, 2024, at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi, India. This will be the second event hosted between NIXI and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), underscoring their joint commitment to promoting Universal Acceptance (UA) and advancing digital inclusion across the nation. In addition, it's noteworthy that ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) and the Internet Governance division, MeitY, Government of India are actively supporting UA Day.
Date - 20/03/2024
International Data Center Day 2024: An opportunity for industry to show its importance to a connected world
International Data Center Day, observed worldwide on March 20, is designed to create awareness of the data center industry and to inspire the next generation of talent. International Data Center Day provides the industry an opportunity to open their doors and show, in a collaborative effort, what data centers are, why they are so important to our connected world, and the wide array of career opportunities that are part of the data center industry. By working together during and after International Data Center Day, the industry can connect with future generations and ensure a steady flow of skilled labor, enhance the public image of data centers and safeguard the ongoing prosperity of the data center industry.
Date - 20/03/2024
India AI Mission gets Rs 2000 cr for startups: Meity Startup Hub CEO
The government has earmarked over Rs 2,000 crore for funding and supporting AI-related startups, and the scheme will be rolled in the next fiscal, beginning April 1, a senior government official said on Tuesday. While speaking on the sidelines of Startup Mahakumbh, Meity Startup Hub CEO Jitendra Vijay said the government is providing a larger funding programme for the priority sector through various plans like a design-linked incentive scheme for semiconductor design, among others. "The Cabinet has approved India AI Mission where more than Rs 10,000 crore is being allocated in supporting AI ecosystem in India. More than Rs 2,000 crore is allocated for funding and supporting AI-related startups. We are looking more at figuring out mechanisms for the deployment of these programmes and schemes on both sides. This should be operationalised within the coming (fiscal) year," Vijay told PTI.
Date - 20/03/2024
Indian solutions for global applications to help many countries in the world: PM Modi at Startup Mahakumbh
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated the Startup Mahakumbh at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. He also took a walkthrough of the exhibition showcased on the occasion. Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister highlighted India's upper hand in AI, and underlined the numerous opportunities being created for both young innovators and global investors with the advent of the AI industry and mentioned the National Quantum Mission, India AI Mission and Semiconductor Mission. Modi recalled discussing AI during his address at the US Senate a while ago and assured that India will continue to be a leader in this sector. â??I believe that Indian solutions for global applications will become a helping hand for many nations in the worldâ??, the Prime Minister said.
Date - 20/03/2024
UPI transactions worth Rs 18.2 lakh crore made in Feb 2024
Payments through digital means in India are hitting fresh highs, as its citizens are increasingly adopting the emerging modes of transacting on the internet. In February, transactions worth Rs 18.2 lakh crore were made through Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with a staggering 122 crore number of transactions. The transactions made last month through the popular instant payment mechanism were a tad lower than in January, where the total value of transactions was Rs 18.4 lakh crore. The total number of transactions recorded in the month of January was 121 crore.
Date - 20/03/2024
Rural dev ministry collaborates with IIT Delhi for geospatial tech, AI applications in BhuPRAHARI
In a significant stride towards technological advancement in rural development, the Ministry of Rural Development has signed an MoU with the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi to formalize their partnership in applications of geospatial technology and artificial intelligence. The MoU was signed by Amit Kataria, Joint Secretary, MoRD and Prof. Manabendra Saharia, IIT Delhi in New Delhi on Tuesday. Secretary, MoRD Shailesh Kumar Singh and Director, IIT Delhi Prof. Rangan Banerjee were also present on the occasion. Discussions on the collaboration was led by Director, MGNREGAAditi Singh, Dean R&D, IIT Delhi Prof. Naresh Bhatnagar and Head, Dept of Civil Engineering Prof. Vasant Matsagar. The MoU centers around the project 'BhuPRAHARI,' an ambitious initiative aimed at leveraging ground and space-based geospatial technologies along with Artificial Intelligence to monitor and manage assets under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The project is to be executed by the HydroSense lab led by Prof. Manabendra Saharia. This collaboration is a commitment to harnessing the power of technology for the betterment of rural development processes, the ministry said in a press release.
Date - 13/03/2024
Common fellowship portal for Dept of Biotechnology research programs launched
Union Minister of State for Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh launched 'Common Fellowship Portal', a single interface for applicants to navigate through various fellowship schemes by Department of Biotechnology, at National Media Centre, New Delhi, on Tuesday. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi envisaged 'Ease of Doing science' for ignited scientific minds of Viksit Bharat," said Dr Singh while addressing the programme after launch of the portal. He added that this portal will save the energy and time of aspiring students and StartUps, besides bringing ease of applying will enable a simplified and streamlined process from the submission of application form to the selection. The applicants can create their profile on the portal and use the same information to auto-fill different applications. Thus, this portal will help all applicants by reducing their time and energy by getting full information and submission of applications at a single place by click of a mouse. Singh said initiatives of science & technology are in line with PM Modi's whole of government approach - one centralized portal for all research applications. He informed that at present, departments under the Ministry of Science & Technology (DST, DBT, CSIR) have come together for submission of application forms and soon application forms for all other departments such as ICMR, UGC and AICTE will also be onboarded.
Date - 13/03/2024
USOF, Prasar Bharati, ONDC join hands to propel the mandate of digital empowerment in rural India
Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) under Department of Telecommunications (DoT), signed a tripartite MoU with Prasar Bharati (under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting) and Open Network for Digital Commerce, (a Digital Public Infrastructure initiative of Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, to proliferate affordable and accessible digital services across the country. The objective of the MoU is to bundle broadband services with OTT and e-commerce platforms for rural India riding on BharatNet infrastructure under the USOF. The government's vision to foster a conducive environment for digital innovation underpins this collaboration synergizing connectivity, content and commerce to empower rural India, the statement from Ministry of Communications said.
Date - 13/03/2024
SIDBI to lend loans to Jan Aushadhi Kendra entrepreneurs; website launched for credit assistance
Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers and Health & Family Welfare Dr Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated a credit assistance program for Jan Aushadhi Kendras, in New Delhi on Tuesday. He presided over the exchange of an MoU between Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI). The minister launched a website for credit assistance to Jan Aushadhi Kendras. Addressing the gathering, Mandaviya said, "Medicines which are affordable and accessible are an essential requirement for any society. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has called them 'Sanjeevani' for the poor. From only 80 Jan Aushadhi Kendras in 2014, there are around 11,000 units operating across the country today." He also said that "it is estimated that around 10 to 12 lakh people visit these Jan Aushadhi Kendras every day, providing them with significant savings and access to requisite medicines."
Date - 13/03/2024
Jitendra Singh inaugurates first National Speed Breeding Crop Facility at NABI Mohali
Union Minister of Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh on Monday inaugurated the first-of-its-kind "National Speed Breeding Crop Facility" at the premier National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) in Mohali. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Singh said, "this initiative is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's priority of doubling the farmer's Income, ensuring their economic empowerment and promoting agri startups." He said, farmers will now have the opportunity to improve their crop qualitatively as well as quantitatively. Singh said, "Biotechnology speedy seeds facility will cater to all the states of India but it will especially be useful for the north Indian states like Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and the UT of J&K. Adding further he said, "this facility will augment transformational changes in crop improvement programmes by accelerating the development of advanced crop varieties that could sustain climate change and contribute to the food and nutritional demand of the population with implementation of speed breeding cropping methods."
Date - 12/03/2024
https://government.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/technology/chips-for-viksit-bharat-pm-to-lay-foundation-stone-of-3-semicon-facilities-worth-1-25l-cr-on-wednesday/108436749?utm_source=top_news&utm_medium=sectionListing
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in 'India's Techade: Chips for Viksit Bharat' and lay the foundation stone of three semiconductor projects worth about Rs. 1.25 lakh crore on Wednesday, March 13 via video conferencing. The Prime Minister will also address the youth across the country on the occasion. The PMO office in a statement said on Tuesday that it has been the vision of the Prime Minister to position India as a global hub for semiconductor design, manufacturing and technology development, fostering the creation of employment opportunities for the nation's youth. In line with this vision, foundation stone is being laid for the semiconductor fabrication facility at the Dholera Special Investment Region (DSIR), Gujarat; Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) facility at Morigaon, Assam; and the Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) facility at Sanand, Gujarat. The semiconductor fabrication facility at the Dholera Special Investment Region (DSIR) will be set up by Tata Electronics Private Limited (TEPL) under the modified scheme for setting up of semiconductor fabs in India. With a total investment of over Rs. 91,000 crore, this will be the first commercial semiconductor fab in the country.
Date - 12/03/2024
Chips to screens: How Interim Budget 2024 boosts semiconductor, display technology sectors
The year 2024 has ushered in a new era for technology enthusiasts and industry experts alike, as governments around the world are recognizing the pivotal role that semiconductor and display technologies play in shaping the future. With the release of Union Interim Budget 2024, there is a significant focus on boosting innovation and development in these key areas, setting the stage for groundbreaking advancements. In this article, we will delve into the key initiatives and allocations within Budget 2024 that aim to propel semiconductor and display technologies to new heights.
Date - 12/03/2024
India is emerging as trusted player in global value chain of electronics: Secretary MeitY
In February, the Union Cabinet took the landmark decision of approving the establishment of three semiconductor units under Development of Semiconductors and Display Manufacturing Ecosystems in India. According to the statement released by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), all three units will start construction within the next 100 days. The statement from MeitY also states that these units will generate direct employment of 20 thousand advanced technology jobs and about 60 thousand indirect jobs. S Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, in conversation with Muntazir Abbas, Editor, ETTelecom, sheds light on the potential of semiconductor industry in the country. He also talks about the steps that MeitY is taking to regulate AI and deal with the problem of deep fakes.
Date - 11/03/2024
'Sangam: Digital Twin' to help India become most developed country by 2047: Experts
Government's 'Sangam: Digital Twin' initiative will propel India towards becoming the most developed country by 2047, experts have said. During the second outreach programme for the 'Sangam: Digital Twin' initiative by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) conducted at IIIT Bengaluru, Telecom Secretary Dr Neeraj Mittal noted that the initiative stemmed from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for futuristic infrastructure, aiming to break down silos in planning across the ministries. The initiative by DoT offers a collaborative leap towards reshaping infrastructure planning and design, combining the prowess of 5G, IoT, AI, AR/VR, AI native 6G, 'Digital Twin' and next-generation computational technologies.
Date - 11/03/2024
Deepfakes can help sway public opinion, discredit people or politicians: Experts
New Delhi: As billions of people will vote in elections around the world this year, growing threats from artificial intelligence (AI) technology such as deepfake videos and voice synching can be used to help influence public opinion, discredit people or politicians, experts said on Sunday. This year, elections will be held in more than 50 countries around the world, including India. "Deepfakes pose a significant threat to democracy, as they are frequently weaponised to manipulate opinions, influence stock prices, and create misinformation," Harish Kumar GS, Head of Sales, India and SAARC, Check Point Software Technologies, told IANS.
Date - 11/03/2024
Cabinet approves over Rs. 10000 crore to boost India's AI ecosystem
In a big push to the vision of 'Making AI in India' and 'Making AI Work for India', the Union Cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday approved the comprehensive national-level IndiaAI Mission with a budget outlay of Rs 10,371.92 crore. The IndiaAI Mission will establish a comprehensive ecosystem catalysing AI innovation through strategic programmes and partnerships across the public and private sectors. By democratising computing access, improving data quality, developing indigenous AI capabilities, attracting top AI talent, enabling industry collaboration, providing startup risk capital, ensuring socially impactful AI projects, and bolstering ethical AI, it will drive responsible, inclusive growth of India's AI ecosystem.
Date - 08/03/2024
Cameras enabled with AI, video analytics providing 360 degree surveillance and security in Ayodhya
Efficient video analysis is the key to a secure system of surveillance for protecting high-value infrastructure. The makers of surveillance systems are now deploying emerging technologies like AI and video analytics to analyze large amounts of video in real time and provide accurate information to the authorities. This system reduces the need for manual monitoring and leads to vast reduction in response time. To take care of the privacy needs, these surveillance systems possess the technologies for anonymizing faces and blurring out the sensitive information from the video feeds. Arindam Das Sarkar, Managing Director of Mirasys (India), a Finland-based company, in conversation with ETGovernment, describes the work that his company is doing in India. He also provides an insight into the latest technologies and trends in surveillance systems.
Date - 07/03/2024
Google reinstates removed apps after govt intervention; firms continue to protest high Play charges
After the government's intervention, Google has reinstated all the delisted apps of Indian developers, but startup founders on Wednesday said that they will continue to oppose the tech giant imposing a fee of 11 to 26 per cent on in-app payments. Last week, Google delisted some of the apps by major Indian digital companies, including Matrimony.com, Naukri.com, Shaadi.com, and others from the Play Store. Some startup founders then met Union IT and Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar to discuss the issue, and said that the government had assured them support.
Date - 07/03/2024
Workshop on how to communicate science using right S&T terminology through electronic, social media
The CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (NIScPR) hosted an orientation workshop to empower its Science Media Communication Cell (SMCC) with valuable insights from renowned experts, on Wednesday. The workshop held at CSIR-NIScPR, Pusa, New Delhi, aimed to nurture the SMCC with effective strategies to communicate science and technology (S&T) information of Indian science to society and public at large, the Ministry of Science & Technology said in a press release. Dr Ashok Selwatkar, Assistant Director at the Commission of Scientific and Technical Terminology (CSTT), shared his knowledge on the role of technical terminology in S&T dissemination. He also trained the workshop participants in the usage of the latest scientific and technical terminology of various scientific domains. Attendees gained an in-depth understanding of the importance of using technical terms in S&T communication to enhance the public awareness about the complex scientific concepts, it said.
Date - 07/03/2024
CSIR-IIP signs MoU with UCOST to deploy pine needlesbased fuel making technology in Champawat
An MoU was signed between CSIR Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun and UCOST for deploying the technology of making fuel from pine needles in Champawat on Tuesday. Under the aegis of the Adarsh Champawat mission, the MoU was signed by Dr Harendra Singh Bisht, Director of the Indian Institute of Petroleum and Prof. Durgesh Pant, Director General of UCOST. Under this agreement, the CSIR-IIP will implement two major technologies at the grassroots level in Champawat in Uttarakhand. The selected technologies include a briquetting unit with a capacity of 50 kg per hour based on pine needles and 500 units of improved cookstoves for rural households. An extended field trial study will be conducted regarding energy conservation and its environmental impact. The briquetting unit will be established in the Energy Park in Champawat as a part of the Women Empowerment initiative. The briquettes produced will be used as fuel in homes and local industries.
Date - 07/03/2024
MoS IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar inaugurates STPI centers in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi
Union Minister of State for Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Wednesday facilitated an MoU between IBM and CDAC, Thiruvananthapuram, which will aim to accelerate India's processor design and manufacturing capabilities for high performance computing. This event took place at the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) during the 4th Semicon India FutureDesign Roadshow. The minister also announced that the upcoming Bharat Semiconductor Research Centre (BSRC) will have a regional centre at IIST, Thiruvananthapuram, catalysing the city's startup and tech ecosystem. To significantly boost the electronics, IT sector, and startup ecosystem in Kerala, the Union Minister of State for Electronics & IT, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, and Jal Shakti Rajeev Chandrasekhar also inaugurated the new Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) centers in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi.
Date - 07/03/2024
India's digital landscape propelling the nation towards a tech-savvy future: World Bank report
India's digital landscape has witnessed advancements, propelling the nation towards a tech-savvy future, as highlighted in the latest "Digital Progress and Trends Report 2023" by the World Bank Group. Despite facing challenges, India's journey towards bridging the digital divide showcases several positive factors contributing to its digital transformation. India has achieved significant milestones in expanding internet access, with the online population doubling in South Asia from 2018 to 2020.
Date - 06/03/2024
DoT-TCOE hold first outreach program on 'Sangam: Digital Twin' initiative at IIT Delhi
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), through Telecom Center of Excellence (TCOE) on Tuesday kick started its first outreach programme for the 'Sangam: Digital Twin' initiative, a groundbreaking endeavor aimed at revolutionizing infrastructure planning and management. Sangam Delhi was hosted at IIT Delhi, with the theme "Bridging the gap between Innovation and Planning" and the event showcased cutting-edge insights and innovations poised to shape the future of urban development. Dr Neeraj Mittal, Secretary of Telecom, and Prof. Rangan Banerjee, Director of IIT Delhi, jointly inaugurated the event.
Date - 06/03/2024
India targets five-fold increase in its share of global space economy: Jitendra Singh
India targets a five-fold increase in its share of the global space economy, the Union Minister of State for Science & Technology and Space Dr Jitendra Singh said on Tuesday. "India's space economy today stands at a modest $8 billion, but our own projection is that by 2040 it will multiply manifold. But more interesting is that according to some international observers, for example the recent ADL (Arthur D Little) Report mentions that we could have the potential of $100 billion by 2040," he said while addressing the gathering after launching the technical center of IN-SPACe in Ahmedabad. Singh said India's quantum leap in the space sector has only been possible after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the courageous decision to unlock this sector from the veil of secrecy.
Date - 06/03/2024
C-DOT, PRL jointly achieve integration of fiber-based quantum key distribution system with free space QKD
In a first in the country, C-DOT and Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) jointly demonstrated integration of indigenous fiber based Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) system with free space QKD system leading to establishment of an end-to-end quantum communication link involving both fiber and free space as transport mediums. The end-to-end quantum communication link with C-DOT's fiber-based QKD integrated with PRLs free space QKD was demonstrated to Prof. Ajay Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India and Dr Neeraj Mittal, Secretary Department of Telecommunications during the 2nd International Quantum Communication Conclave held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on Tuesday. The rapid progress in quantum computers and quantum algorithms has put the security of the existing classical techniques of data security at risk as huge computational power of quantum computers can easily break the secrecy of the key used for encryption/ decryption, the Ministry of Communications said in a statement.
Date - 06/03/2024
Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to launch NITI Aayog's 'NITI for States' platform on Mar 7
Union Minister for Communications, Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw will launch NITI Aayog's 'NITI For States' platform on Thursday at Rang Bhawan auditorium, Akashvani, New Delhi. The 'NITI For States' is a cross-sectoral knowledge platform designed to become a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for policy and good governance. Prior to launching the platform Vaishnaw will also inaugurate 'Viksit Bharat Strategy Room' at NITI Aayog. The 'Viksit Bharat Strategy Room' will enable rich visualization and engagement with insights, information and knowledge to enable effective in-person decision-making, NITI Aayog said in a press release on Wednesday. The significant features of the platform include a multi-sectoral live repository of 7,500 best practices, 5,000 policy documents, 900+ datasets, 1,400 data profiles, and 350 NITI publications.
Date - 06/03/2024
IT ministers meet Google, app developers to resolve offloading from Play Store; deadlock continues
Union ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and his deputy in MeitY Rajeev Chandrashekhar on Monday held multiple meetings with Google and startups that have been delisted from the tech giant's Play Store, but no solution seems to be on the horizon with Indian companies accusing the US BigTech of abusing its dominant position. In separate meetings with Union IT and Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Minister of State for IT and Electronics Rajeev Chandrashekhar, the troubled startups raised their concerns and sought support from the government. The raging dispute is over Google imposing a fee of 11 per cent to 26 per cent on in-app payments after anti-competition body CCI ordered scrapping of an earlier system of charging 15-30 per cent. Google went ahead to remove apps that were not paying the fee after the Supreme Court did not provide interim relief to companies behind these apps in their battle against the search giant's app marketplace fee.
Date - 05/03/2024
e-Kisan Upaj Nidhi platform can prevent distress sale by farmers: Piyush Goyal
Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Piyush Goyal on Monday said that the agriculture sector will be the foundational pillar spearheading the nation towards becoming 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047. Speaking at the launch of 'e-Kisan Upaj Nidhi' (Digital Gateway) of the Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA) in New Delhi, the minister announced that the security deposit charges at WDRA registered warehouses will soon be reduced to encourage more farmers, especially small farmers, to utilise the warehouses and enhance their income. He said that the farmers stocking their produce at these warehouses would need to pay only 1 per cent security deposit instead of the 3 per cent earlier. Goyal thanked the farmers for securing the lives of millions of Indians and said that the 'e-Kisan Upaj Nidhi' initiative with the help of technology will ease warehousing logistics for farmers and help them in receiving fair prices for their produce.
Date - 05/03/2024
Digital startups body asks CCI to order Google to restore apps after 'compliance' move
A group representing Indian startups has asked the country's antitrust watchdog Competition Commission of India (CCI) to order Alphabet Inc's Google to reinstate apps it removed for policy violations, a letter seen by Reuters shows, escalating a showdown with the US giant in a key market. Google on Friday removed more than 100 Indian apps, including popular ones by Matrimony.com, for not complying with its policy of paying a service fee when in-app payment options other than Google's are used. The startups have now taken the issue to Competition Commission of India (CCI). The Commission has already spent months looking into startups' complaint that Google is not following a 2022 antitrust directive that prevents it from taking adverse measures against companies which use alternate billing systems. Google denies wrongdoing.
Date - 05/03/2024
Govt asks AI platforms to seek approval for deploying under-trial AI; makes labelling mandatory
Days after Google's AI platform's response to queries on Prime Minister Narendra Modi generated controversy, the government has issued an advisory for social media and other platforms to label under-trial AI models and prevent hosting unlawful content. In an advisory issued to intermediaries/platforms on March 1, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology warned of criminal action in case of non-compliance. "All intermediaries or platforms to ensure that use of Artificial Intelligence model(s) /LLM/Generative AI, software(s) or algorithm(s) on or through its computer resource does not permit its users to host, display, upload, modify, publish, transmit, store, update or share any unlawful content," the advisory said.
Date - 03/03/2024
Google trying to intimidate Indian developers with its exploitative policies: ADIF
The Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF), a policy think-tank representing homegrown startups, on Friday slammed Google, saying that by delisting apps, Google is trying to "intimidate and coerce the developers" who have dared to challenge its "exploitative policies". The ADIF said it respects the judicial process and hopes for a fair and speedy resolution of the matter of payment policy that affects millions of Indian digital startups. "However, we are deeply disappointed and concerned by the unilateral and arbitrary actions of Google that has shown complete disregard for the ongoing legal proceedings and the interests of the Indian app ecosystem," the think tank said in a statement.
Date - 02/03/2024
CSC 2.0: Entrepreneurship model to empower rural areas with Digital India services & skills
The growth of CSCs in the country has been phenomenal. In May 2014, there were 83,950 CSCs, and as of January 2024, the number of functional CSCs is 5,96,247. Over 4,73,000 CSCs are located in rural areas where they provide vital e-governance, e-health, e-commerce and skill development related services. These CSCs are being run by entrepreneursâ??known as Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs). The country has over five and a half million VLEs, including approximately 70,000 female VLEs. These CSCs are leading to significant employment generation. Approximately 4 people are employed in every CSC-this implies that the CSCs are providing direct or indirect employment to over 2.2 million people most of whom reside in the rural areas. Sanjay Kumar Rakesh, Managing Director & CEO, CSC e-Governance Services India Ltd, in conversation with Anoop Verma, Editor (Desk), ETGovernment, describes the critical role that the CSCs are providing in the country under the CSC 2.0 Scheme, which was launched in 2015.
Date - 02/03/2024
C-DOT collaborates with Qualcomm to foster indigenous design in telecom solutions
Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), a government funded research institution focused on telecom technology, announced its plans to collaborate with Qualcomm Technologies Inc, a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, to establish a strategic partnership that will foster innovation in India and support indigenous developers and start-ups working on innovative products and use cases. Qualcomm Technologies will support C-DOT with expertise and best practices, state-of-the-art technology, intellectual property training and tools, for enabling Indian startups, academia, and OEMs, and fast tracking the development and commercialization of indigenous telecom products utilizing Qualcomm wireless solutions and technologies.
Date - 01/03/2024
There's lot of fantastic AI work going on in India, says Bill Gates
Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates on Thursday said that a lot of fantastic work is going on in the field of Artificial Intelligence adding that country is poised to leadership in the AI sphere. In an interview with ANI, Bill Gates said, "Well, there's a lot of fantastic AI work going on in this country. You have innovators like Nandan Nilekani who's taking all that digital work and saying, OK, how does AI make that even better? You have groups like Wadhwani. You have the IIT groups that are very state of the art. In India, there will be a lot of fantastic leadership work in AI. And when it's helping the poorest in areas like health and agriculture, our foundation will be proud to help shape that and support it." Gates feels that India has made rapid strides in Digital Public Infrastructure and there has been a lot of improvement in key areas.
Date - 01/03/2024
Nearly 5000 farmer producer organizations registered on ONDC platform: Agriculture ministry
Almost 5,000 out of 8,000 registered farmer producer organizations (FPOs) have been onboarded on Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) portal for selling the produce online to consumers across the country. The onboarding of FPOs on ONDC to reach out to their buyers in any part of the country is in line with the Central government objective of providing growers with better market access, the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare said in a statement on Friday. The move aims to empower FPOs with direct access to digital marketing, online payment, business-to-business and business-to-consumer transactions. Over 8,000 FPOs have been registered against government target of 10,000 under a new Central Sector Scheme titled "Formation and Promotion of 10,000 Farmer Produce Organizations (FPOs)" launched in 2020 with a budgetary provision of â?¹6,865 crore. Aggregation of small, marginal and landless farmers into FPOs helps enhance economic strength and market linkages of farmers for enhancing their income. FPOs facilitate farmers with access to improved technology, credit, better input and more markets to incentivize them to produce better quality commodity, the ministry said.
Date - 01/03/2024
High-impact attacks on critical infra from state level actors: Defensive & offensive actions that govt can take
In 2021, the Government of India approved the establishment of Defence Cyber Agency (DCA), under the aegis of Ministry of Defence. This agency is now fully functional and is working to mitigate cyber threats. All the three Services (Army, Airforce and Navy) have established their respective Cyber Emergency Response Teams (CERT). The Government of India is also working for further enhancing the national cyber security strategy. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has been taking initiatives to spread awareness about cyber security issues within the government. 'Cyber Surakshit Bharat' is MeitY's initiative for building capacities of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and frontline IT officials, across all government departments, for enabling organisations to defend their digital infrastructures and become future-ready in tackling cyber attacks. In January 2024, National e-Governance Division (NeGD) under its Capacity Building scheme organised the 41st edition of the CISO Deep-Dive training programme from January 16 - 20, 2024. Government officials from various states participated in the programme. Despite all these policies, actions and skill development initiatives, cyber attacks on critical infrastructure continue to grow. In conversation with ETGovernment, Nathan Wenzler, Chief Security Strategist, Tenable, talks about the recent cyberattacks on critical infrastructure and what the government and private organisations can do to defend their critical infrastructure.
Date - 28/02/2024
ABHA based scan and share service facilitates 2 crore instant OPD registrations
The National Health Authority (NHA) achieved a significant milestone of generating over two crore tokens for out-patient department (OPD) registrations through the ABHA-based scan and share service on Tuesday, an official statement said. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, launched under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) in October 2022, this innovative paperless service has revolutionised the patient experience, particularly benefiting vulnerable groups such as the elderly, pregnant women, and those with mobility challenges, by eliminating the need to wait in long queues for appointments. The ABHA-based Scan and Share service enables patients to conveniently register for OPD appointments by scanning a QR code displayed at the OPD registration counter, thereby instantaneously sharing their ABHA profile for registration, the statement said.
Date - 28/02/2024
Gen AI has created a huge opportunity for cybercriminals, responsible AI needed: Principal Secretary to Maha CM
Brijesh Singh, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, has emphasized the need for "responsible AI." He said that it is necessary that "humans be in the loop for important decisions." He also said that "explainable AI" is needed to combat the dangers of cybercrime resulting from "hidden biases in AI". He was speaking at a panel discussion on "Chasing Shadows: The Fintech-Cyber Cop Tango Against Digital Bandits", at the India Digital Summit, in Mumbai on February 27. The India Digital Summit is organised by Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).
Date - 28/02/2024
GetSetUp launches cyber security and fraud hub to educate senior citizens against online scams
In a significant stride towards enhancing digital safety for older adults, GetSetUp, a fast-growing educational community platform dedicated to active agers, has launched a cyber safety and fraud hub. This initiative comes in the wake of escalating online banking frauds, voice cloning scams and other AI-driven fraudulent activities that target vulnerable populations like older adults. The initiative reflects GetSetUp's commitment to enabling older adults to live happy, healthy, and more connected lives in the digital age. What sets GetSetUp apart is how it uses its resources to create secure learning opportunities for its members across the platform through partnerships with experts. A hands-on approach to Digital Safety in the era of AI GetSetUp's resource hub is a testament to the organization's holistic approach to preventing scams. It features a diverse array of tools tailored to the needs of older adults, including:
- Educational Videos & Articles: Engaging, easy-to-understand videos and articles that explain how scams work and how to recognize them.
- Comprehensive Checklists: Practical, step-by-step guides on banking call scams, OTP frauds, custom frauds and more to help users verify the authenticity of digital communications, how to identify red flags and safeguard their personal information.
Date - 28/02/2024
C-DOT bags 3 awards for its innovative telecom solutions at 14th Annual Aegis Graham Bell Awards
Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), the premier telecom R&D center of the Government of India, strikes a hat-trick by securing top position in three awards at 14th Annual Aegis Graham Bell Awards, which was held on February 21 in New Delhi. C-DOT got the awards for its indigenously designed and developed innovative telecom solutions in various categories. CDOT is declared top winner in three categories as below: The first award was jointly shared with Google India, in the category "Innovation in AI" for its pioneering ASTR project.
Date - 27/02/2024
Indian firms must avoid complacency as cyber incidents mount: Experts
As cybercriminals are constantly adapting and learning from the cybersecurity landscape, experts on Sunday said that given the increasing frequency and complexity of cyber incidents, Indian organisations must avoid complacency. New technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), offer new opportunities but also give birth to new challenges. According to cybersecurity researchers, cybercriminals are constantly adapting and learning from the cybersecurity landscape, and they try to exploit these new technologies to avoid being caught or noticed. "AI in cybersecurity is like a double-edged sword. While it offers defensive capabilities, it can also be exploited by malicious actors. Ransomware attacks show that encryption can also be used against us by attackers, which essentially means that our tools are being turned into weapons," Dr Sanjay Katkar, Joint Managing Director, Quick Heal Technologies, told IANS.
Date - 26/02/2024
DRDO hands over 23 licensing agreements for transfer of technologies to MSMEs and startups
To enhance cooperation and synergy with the industry, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) organised a DRDO-Industry Meet on February 25, at the Maharashtra MSME Defence Expo 2024 at Pune. The meet was intended to apprise and update industries, especially the MSMEs and startups about various industry-friendly initiatives and policies of DRDO, while listening to the concerns of the industry. During the meet, DRDO handed over 23 Licensing Agreements for Transfer of Technology (LATOT) to 22 industries in presence of Secretary Department of Defence (R&D) and Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamatand other dignitaries. The technologies transferred cover the domains of electronics, laser technology, armaments, life sciences, materials science, combat vehicles, naval systems and aeronautics.
Date - 26/02/2024
AEgIS collaboration of physicists achieves first successful laser cooled Positronium
For the first time, an international collaboration of researchers has successfully demonstrated the laser cooling of Positronium, a short-lived hydrogenlike atom that provides an ideal testing ground for bound-state quantum electrodynamics. The Antihydrogen Experiment: Gravity, Interferometry, Spectroscopy (AEgIS) collaboration has performed complex experiments at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in order to obtain this breakthrough. The results could pave the way for taking up advanced studies leading to improved understanding of the physical nature, comprising matter and antimatter facilitated through the interactions between light and charged matter.
Date - 26/02/2024
Aadhaar, Jan Dhan giving big push to digital India ecosystem: Sampad Swain
As the government rapidly adopts and moves forward in its digital journey, D2C (direct-to-consumer) tech company Instamojo's co-founder and CEO Sampad Swain on Sunday said that Aadhaar and Jan Dhan Yojana have given a big push to the whole digital India ecosystem. According to Swain, three different buckets of opportunities got created over the last three-four years. "One is the JAM Trinity (Jan Dhan, Aadhar and Mobile). Second is the availability of affordable credit, and third is the rise of social media, which has helped small business owners to reach an infinite number of customers to sell their products and services," the CEO told IANS during an interaction.
Date - 26/02/2024
Adani setting up South Asia's largest ammunition, missiles complex in Kanpur; project inaugurated by CM Yogi
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday inaugurated the Ammunition & Missiles Complex, the first leg of the state's defence corridor in the presence of Chief of Army Staff, Gen Manoj Pande. In a landmark achievement for India's defence sector, two mega facilities to manufacture ammunition and missiles by Adani Defence & Aerospace, were inaugurated today. These facilities will provide a significant impetus to the nation's self-reliance and technological advancement in defence. The unveiling of the facilities coincided with the fifth anniversary of the Balakot air strike 'Operation Bandar', a historic operation by the Indian Air Force that was a testimony to India's strategic assertiveness over external threats.
Date - 26/02/2024
Procurement through GeM grows 176%: From Rs 66000 cr in FY23 to Rs 182000 cr in FY24
Procurement of services through Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has grown from nearly Rs 8,500 crore in FY21 to nearly Rs 66,000 crore in FY23 to nearly Rs 1,82,000 crore in FY24 (as on February 22, 2024) - a significant increase of nearly 176% from last fiscal year. Total value of procurement of services exceeding the total value of products procurement in a Financial Year is an important milestone which indicates the faster acceptability of services by various buyers, the statement from the Ministry of Commerce & Industry said. In February 2024, services procurement was phenomenal, contributing to nearly 80% of the total order value transacted on GeM. The share of procurement of services in overall procurement has exceeded the 50% mark in the current financial year. Two bids placed by South Eastern Coalfield Limited, a subsidiary of COAL India Limited, worth nearly Rs 40,000 crore, have catapulted the share of service procurement in this month.
Date - 24/02/2024
Amid Paytm Payments Bank crisis, Google announces expansion of Soundpods across India
Fintech firm Google Pay Thursday announced the expansion of soundpods for merchants across India to be executed over the next few months. The company introduced Soundpods last year in India on a limited pilot scale. Like Paytm's soundbox, Google Pay (GPay) soundpod is an audio notification service provided through a speaker device that alerts merchants after QR code payments. "Last year, we introduced our SoundPod product in a limited pilot - an audio device that helps merchants track QR code payments with audio alerts when a payment is received. Participating merchants have shared positive feedback, noting it reduces checkout time. We're pleased to announce SoundPods will be available for small merchants across India over the coming months," Ambarish Lenge, Google Pay vice president for product, said in a blog post.
Date - 23/02/2024
MeitY, Microsoft, iCreate join hands to transform & boost startups to create AI solutions
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has joined hands with Microsoft and iCreate to launch the IMPEL AI programme (iCreate-Microsoft programme for Emerging Leaders in Artificial Intelligence), which will catalyze AI startups in India. The MoU was signed on February 21, in the presence of Minister of State Rajeev Chandrasekhar. In his address, Chandrasekhar said, "The MoU to launch the IMPEL AI programme will take forward the vision set forth by the Prime Minister during his meeting with Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella last year. This partnership is a reflection of our shared vision to build impactful collaborations in AI and emerging technologies, catalyzing startups not only in big cities but also in smaller towns."
Date - 22/02/2024
Aeronautical Development Agency to integrate futuristic weapons, sensors for LCA Tejas aircraft
Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) has signed an MoU with the Indian Air Force (IAF) for integration of futuristic weapons and sensors for LCA Tejas aircraft. The MoU was signed by Prabhulla Chandran VK, Technology Director (Avionics and Weapon Systems) of ADA and Air Vice Marshal KN Santosh VSM, Commandant, Software Development Institute (SDI) of IAF. Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) is a premier organization under the aegis of the Department of Defence R&D with mandate to design and develop Tejas-LCA and its variants. In present war scenario, there is a continuous need of upgrading the weapons and sensors suite of the aircraft and towards this, ADA has initiated the know-how transfer for integration of weapons and sensors to SDI. This will facilitate the IAF to independently carry out sensors, weapon integration and flight testing to enhance the operational capability of Tejas-LCA fighter, the Ministry of Defence said in a press release. ADA has successfully developed and type certified Tejas LCA with a credit of more than 10,000 sorties of incident free flying. IAF has already formed two squadrons of this fighter aircraft and twin seater aircraft are also being inducted.
Date - 22/02/2024
Lucknow will be developed as a prominent centre of AI: UP CM Yogi Adityanath
Uttar Pradesh is poised to emerge as a data center hub with Lucknow as a prominent center of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Presently, three data centers are operational in Uttar Pradesh and eight are in the pipeline, said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday. Speaking at the 'Destination UP-Emerging Hub for AI in India' conclave organised at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan, the Chief Minister said, the UP government is working on developing Lucknow as an AI City, with the active involvement of the youth from IIM Lucknow, he added. During the event, three MoUs were exchanged for the establishment of an AI center. Notably, Abhishek Bose of Microsoft Corporation, Dhruv Kohli of HCL Software, and Shekar Sivasubramanian of Wadhwani AI exchanged MoUs with the UP government.
Date - 21/02/2024
NIELIT extension center set to be launched in Bikaner on Feb 21
National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) Extension Centre at Bikaner, Rajasthan is set to be inaugurated on Wednesday at Govt Dungar College, Bikaner by Arjun Ram Meghwal, Union Minister of State(I/C) for Law & Justice and Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Culture. The initiative is in line with the Prime Minister's vision of promoting digital skilling and technological advancement will be strengthened, said Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY) in a press release on Tuesday. A diverse range of courses in emerging technologies like AI & ML, cyber security, cloud computing, big data, social mobile, IoT/Industry 4.0, RPA and 3D printing, AR/VR, Metaverse, etc, NIELIT O Level, A level courses, as well as opportunities for summer trainings/ internships and faculty development programs (FDPs) will be offered at this center, MeitY said. The NIELIT Extension Center Bikaner is being established at following two prominent locations in the city under project with funding support from MeitY with a total budget outlay of Rs 7.05 crore.
Date - 21/02/2024
Tejas fighter jet flies successfully with indigenouslydeveloped digital flight control computer
In a significant development towards Tejas Mk1A programme, the Digital Fly by Wire Flight Control Computer (DFCC) was integrated in prototype LSP7 and successfully flown on February 19. DFCC has been indigenously developed by the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Bengaluru, for the Tejas - Mk1A. All critical parameters and performance of the flight controls were found satisfactory. The maiden flight was piloted by Wing Commander Siddarth Singh KMJ (Retd) of National Flight Test Centre.
Date - 21/02/2024
Vigilant use of technology with sympathetic approach can resolve man-animal conflict: Bhupender Yadav
Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav has said that the ongoing man-animal conflict can be resolved with the vigilant use of technology along with a sympathizing approach towards wild animals. While talking to the media persons on his arrival at the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, on Wednesday, Yadav said, "We came to know that there is an animal-human conflict, especially in Wayanad and the border of Bandipur and Wayanad." "In order to resolve the ongoing man-animal conflict, we should use the technology vigilantly while also adopting a sympathizing approach towards animals. Central government has been issuing advisories in this regard," said the Union minister.
Date - 21/02/2024
India's AI market to touch USD 17-billion by 2027: Nasscom-BCG report
India's AI market, growing at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25-35 per cent is projected to reach USD 17-billion by 2027, according to a report. This growth is fueled by multiple factors including increasing enterprise tech spending, India's growing AI talent base and a significant increase in AI investments, the report titled "AI Powered Tech Services: A Roadmap for Future Ready Firms; AI & GenAI's Role in Turbocharging the Industry." The report in partnership with BCG was released on Tuesday on the sidelines of the Nasscom Technology & Leadership Forum 2024 in Mumbai. Globally, investments in AI have seen 24 per cent CAGR since 2019, with 2023 seeing close to USD 83-billion investment, it said.
Date - 21/02/2024
AI breaks language barriers in customer support; propels rise of Agentless Contact Centers
The world is shrinking, but communication isn't always keeping up. Language barriers can frustrate customers and stall businesses, particularly in diverse populations of India. People often face challenges such as language barriers, extended wait times, and impersonal phone interactions at the customer/citizen support of almost all products and services including government departments. Given India's linguistic diversity, with 22 official languages and numerous regional dialects, the support lines often leave customers in utter despair due to hindered communication flow. With AI chatbots taking charge of most of the customer care these days, communication is restricted mostly to the English language, aggravating the customer frustration instead of solution.
Date - 21/02/2024
DigiYatra app users are 45.8 lakhs now; Chennai airport to be added by March 31
The number of passengers having installed the DigiYatra application on their mobile phones has increased to 45.8 lakhs as on February 10. It's an increase of 20.5 per cent from 38 lakhs as on January 1, 2024, according to the stats released by Ministry of Civil Aviation on Wednesday. DigiYatra application user base as on February 20, 2024: Android: As on Jan 1, 2024 it was 17.3 lakhs, increased to 21.2 lakhs till Feb 10, 2024, a growth of around 22.5%; iOS Apple user base has registered a 19% growth at 24.6 lakhs from 20.7 lakhs during the period.
Date - 21/02/2024
Narayan Rane inaugurates 4 technology centers, 2 extension centers to support MSMEs
Union Minister for MSME Narayan Rane has said MSMEs are the backbone of India's economy and the government is making all possible efforts to ensure that the MSMEs are duly supported. Inaugurating four technology centers, two extension centers in Grater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, Rane said these centers will go a long way in hand holding the MSMEs of the adjoining areas. He also stressed that the MSMEs should strive and become world class, so that India can become self-reliant. Minister of MSME, UP, Rakesh Sachan said that in view of the vision of the Prime Minister that youths should become employment providers rather than job seekers, a number of initiatives under the leadership of Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath have been taken by the state of UP for MSMEs and the sector will be further strengthened by the policies of the state government.
Date - 15/02/2024
Department of Telecom joins Amrita University for developing trustworthy, responsible AI
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), technical arm of Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications and Amrita University, to drive innovation in the realm of Trustworthy and Responsible Artificial Intelligence Systems. The MoU was signed on February 14 in New Delhi. Underlining their commitment to pioneering advancements in responsible AI, this collaboration specifically concentrates on addressing biases in AI systems and promoting fairness assessments while nurturing public trust in these technologies, aligning with the Government of India's objectives.
Date - 15/02/2024
One Nation One Student ID Card: APAAR to be global document for Indian students
Union Minister for Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan, attended the National Conference on APAAR: One Nation One Student ID Card in New Delhi on Tuesday. Speaking at the event Pradhan emphasized how the APAAR ID is going to be the aspirational and global document for the students of the country. Highlighting the importance of several important DPIs developed in the country in recent years, he mentioned how 53 such DPIs have been developed in 16 countries, out of which 19 are in India.
Date - 14/02/2024
India signs MoU to interlink UPI with UAE's instant payment platform AANI
Abu Dhabi [UAE], February 13: Multiple memoranda of understanding, including an MoU on interlinking of the instant payment platforms, UPI and UAE's AANI, were exchanged between India and the United Arab Emirates in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The MoUs covered multiple areas, ranging from investment treaty, digital infrastructure projects and the interlinking of debit cards, credit cards and the online payment platforms, will facilitate seamless cross-border transactions between the two countries.. The Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement that the MoU for the Bilateral Investment Treaty will be a key enabler for further promoting investments in both countries. India has signed both a bilateral investment treaty and a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with UAE.
Date - 14/02/2024
BEL bags Defence Ministry contract worth â?¹2269.54 to produce Shakti Electronic Warfare Systems for Indian Navy
The Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with Hyderabad based Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) on February 13, in New Delhi, for procurement of 11 Shakti Electronic Warfare Systems along with associated equipment and accessories for the Indian Navy. This procurement is being made under the Buy Indian category at a total cost of â?¹2269.54 crore, the statement from the Ministry of Defence said. The Shakti EW System is indigenously designed, developed and manufactured. To be installed on the warships of the Indian Navy, this system is capable of accurately intercepting electronic emissions and implementing counter measures in dense electromagnetic environments.
Date - 14/02/2024
MeitY to hold Digital India futureSKILLS summit in Guwahati on Feb 15
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), through National Institute of Electronics and IT (NIELIT), is hosting the first-ever futureSKILLS summit in Guwahati on Thursday (February 15, 2024). Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and Jal Shakti, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, will be inaugurating this summit alongside young Indians, thought leaders, industry experts, policymakers, educators, and technology enthusiasts among others. Together, they will deliberate on strategies for Catalyzing future-ready talent for India and the world, MeitY said in a press release on Wednesday. Discussions will revolve around the impact of rapid digitization across the globe, highlighting the emergence of new opportunities for young Indians in next-Gen cutting edge technologies like AI, ML, Semiconductors, Robotics, CyberSecurity, etc opening up tremendous opportunities for young Indians, it said.
Date - 14/02/2024
https://government.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/technology/drone-industry-is-expanding-due-to-govt-policies-high-demand-in-agri-infra-healthcare-ceo-skye-air/107687880?utm_source=top_news&utm_medium=sectionListing
With the vision of realising the goal of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, the Central Government has approved the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for drones and drone components. The Central Government has taken several other initiatives for the growth of the drone sector and to make the country a global drone hub by 2030. In November last year, the Union Cabinet approved the Central Sector Scheme for providing drones to the Women Self Help Groups. This scheme is expected to infuse drone technology into agriculture and other rural sectors. In conversation with ETGovernment, Ankit Kumar, CEO, Skye Air, talks about the government policies that are driving the growth of the drones industry. He also provides an insight into the emerging technology innovations happening in the drones industry and the role that drones are playing in the healthcare sector.
Date - 14/02/2024
MHI convenes pre-bid meeting for setting up advanced chemistry cell manufacturing facilities
The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) convened a pre-bid meeting at IFCI Limited in New Delhi, laying the foundation for the second round under the production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cells (ACC) for cumulative 10 GWh PLI ACC capacity. The meeting, held on Monday, witnessed robust participation from industry stakeholders and government organization including NITI Aayog, Ministry of Power, MNRE and industry association IESA, marking a significant step towards bolstering India's capabilities in ACC manufacturing. The pre-bid meeting was conducted in preparation for the upcoming global tender seeking bids for the establishment of giga-scale Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) manufacturing facilities, cumulatively amounting to 10 GWh capacity. Under the ambitious PLI ACC scheme, the Indian government aims to promote the manufacturing of technology-agnostic ACCs within the country, aligning with its commitment to fostering innovation and self-reliance in the renewable energy sector.
Date - 13/02/2024
C-DOT collaborates with IIT Roorkee for developing 140GHZ fully integrated transmitter-receiver module for 6G
C-DOT, the premier telecom R&D center of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee (IIT-R) signed an agreement for developing a 140GHz fully integrated transmitter and receiver module for 6G and beyond. The agreement was signed under the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) scheme of Department of Telecommunications, Government of India, which has been designed for providing funding support to domestic companies and institutions involved in technology design, development, commercialization of telecommunication products and solutions to enable affordable broadband and mobile services in rural and remote areas. The objective of this agreement is to develop a 140 GHz fully integrated transmitter and receiver module to enable applications for 6G and beyond. The novelty of this system lies in generation, transmission and antenna integration of THz waves onto a single chip; leading to reduced system size, weight and power consumption, hence making it suitable for use in portable devices such as smartphones, laptops, wearables, etc. This chip shall support data rates of up to several gigabits per second, enabling high speed data transfer with a chip or between chips, the Ministry of Communications said in a statement on Monday.
Date - 13/02/2024
RBI played significant role in widespread adoption of UPI: RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das underscored the role played by the RBI in fostering the widespread adoption of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in India. He emphasized the institution's commitment to supporting the fintech sector through initiatives such as the regulatory sandbox, which provides a platform for the trial of innovative ideas, technologies, and fintech applications. Governor Das stated, "If you examine our track record over the past several years, the RBI has played a significant role in the widespread adoption of UPI. We have also introduced a regulatory sandbox, allowing for the trial of new and innovative ideas, technologies, or fintech applications. By testing these in the regulatory sandbox and obtaining authorization from the RBI, entities can progress and develop their innovations."
Date - 13/02/2024
MCA's move to review CCI amid concerns over Google's dominance welcomed
The Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF), a policy think-tank representing homegrown startups, on Monday welcomed the initiation of a performance review of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA). Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is likely to convene a meeting in this regard this month. The MCA's decision to scrutinise the functioning of CCI comes at a critical juncture when concerns about the regulator's efficacy in addressing complaints against tech giants, particularly Google, have reached a crescendo, the ADIF said in a statement. "We stand at a crossroads where the principles of fairness, innovation, and entrepreneurship converge. We support the MCA's bold step in reviewing the CCI, recognising the urgent need to address the power dynamics that threaten the very essence of fair competition," said an ADIF spokesperson.
Date - 13/02/2024
New method for sodium catalyzed synthesis of carbon nanotubes found useful for rechargeable batteries
A novel method for directly synthesizing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on glass substrates at a temperature of 750°C could help energy research, biomedical fields, and optoelectronics. Researchers at the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, have pioneered a novel method for directly synthesizing CNTs on glass substrates at a temperature of 750°C. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are pivotal in advancing modern technology by showcasing extraordinary properties. They have found applications in diverse fields, including rechargeable batteries, flexible electronics, aerospace, transparent electrodes, touch screens, supercapacitors, and medicine.
Date - 13/02/2024
AlgoBharat in partnership with T-Hub invites applications for Algorand Startup Lab Program
AlgoBharat, Algorand Foundation's India-focused initiative, Monday announced the official launch of its Startup Lab program at T-Hub, the Telangana government-led tech incubator. Startup Lab is a year-long program that will offer intensive technical and business mentorship and access to pre-seed funding to twenty select Web3 startups as they move toward product, market, and funding readiness. Algorand Foundation and T-Hub announced the commencement of the application process for pan-India startup teams that are invited to demonstrate their innovative and impact-driven Web3 solutions. The application process runs through March 15, 2024, with selectees to be announced on March 18 and program kickoff slated for March 22 at T-Hub's nearly six million square foot innovation center in Hyderabad. Building off the success of the Creating Impact Pitch Competition that culminated at the Algorand Impact Summit in Delhi in December 2023, the Startup Lab seeks solutions that use blockchain technology to drive transparency and greater inclusivity across verticals including health care, supply chain, sustainability, financial inclusion, and agriculture. Startups achieving critical milestones will be eligible for pre-seed funding from the Algorand Foundation as part of an India fund, it said.
Date - 12/02/2024
Modi, Wickremesinghe, Jugnauth jointly launch UPI, Rupay services in Sri Lanka and Mauritius
"Today marks a special day for three friendly nations of India, Sri Lanka and Mauritius when their historic connections take the form of modern digital connect." This was stated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today during his address at the inauguration of Unified Payment Interface (UPI) services in Sri Lanka and Mauritius, and RuPay card services in Mauritius. The inauguration was done by Prime Minister Modi, along with the President of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe and the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth. The three leaders jointly inaugurated the launch of UPI services in Sri Lanka and Mauritius, and also RuPay card services in Mauritius via video conferencing. Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth informed that co-branded Rupay cards will be designated as domestic cards in Mauritius. Today's launch, the Prime Minister said, will greatly facilitate the citizens of both countries.
Date - 12/02/2024
Significant progress achieved in e-Services delivery by states, UTs: DARPG NeSDA annual report
Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) has released the annual NeSDA Way Forward Report 2023. The report highlights the significant progress made by the states and UTs during the year under mandatory e-Services and total e-Services under NeSDA framework, according to the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions. Towards promotion of e-Services the department organized three regional conferences at Bhopal, Mumbai and Guwahati, which were addressed by Dr Jitendra Singh, MoS (PP) and senior officials of state governments. As per the latest figures, the states and UTs are providing a total of 16,487 e-Services in December, 2023 as against 11,614 in April, 2023. This significant jump has been achieved by persistent efforts of the state/ UT governments, monthly meetings and review by DARPG, sharing and replication of best practices, and a detailed sector-wise focused analysis. It is noteworthy that the UT of Jammu and Kashmir tops the list of States/ UTs with maximum numbers 1,117 e-Services, the ministry said.
Date - 09/02/2024
RBI plans norms to enhance security of AePS & new framework for authenticating digital transactions
The RBI on January 8 said that it has decided to come out with a new framework for authentication of digital payment transactions and introduce additional norms to enhance the security of the Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS). Over the years, the Reserve Bank has prioritised security of digital payments, in particular the requirement of Additional Factor of Authentication (AFA). Although the RBI has not prescribed any particular AFA, the payments ecosystem has largely adopted SMS-based One Time Password (OTP). With innovations in technology, alternative authentication mechanisms have emerged in recent years. "To facilitate the use of such mechanisms for digital security, it is proposed to adopt a principle-based 'Framework for authentication of digital payment transactions'. Instructions in this regard will be issued separately," the RBI said.
Date - 09/02/2024
Meta to introduce labels on AI-generated images on Facebook and Instagram
Meta said Tuesday it's working with industry partners on technical standards that will make it easier to identify images and eventually video and audio generated by artificial intelligence tools. Facebook and Instagram users will start seeing labels on AI-generated images that appear on their social media feeds, part of a broader tech industry initiative to sort between what's real and not. What remains to be seen is how well it will work at a time when it's easier than ever to make and distribute AI-generated imagery that can cause harm - from election misinformation to nonconsensual fake nudes of celebrities.
Date - 08/02/2024
Hypervelocity Expansion Tunnel developed by IIT Kanpur to serve as test facility for DRDO, ISRO
India's first Hypervelocity Expansion Tunnel Test Facility has been successfully established and tested by Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IITK). This is a major achievement that puts India amongst a handful of countries with this advanced hypersonic testing capability, the statement from the Ministry of Science & Technology said. The development of the facility was supported by the Fund for Improvement in S&T Infrastructure (FIST) of the Department of Science & Technology (DST) with a sum of Rs 4.5 croresin 2018.
Date - 08/02/2024
Roadmap for India's future moon exploration missions is under conceptualization: Jitendra Singh
Union Minister of State for Science & Technology and Space Dr Jitendra Singh on Wednesday said the proposed configuration of Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS), to be developed by ISRO, is in conceptualization phase, wherein the overall architecture, number and type of modules, docking ports, etc are being studied. In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Dr Singh said towards setting up the space station by 2035, ISRO has been working on the overall configuration of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) and the station is planned to be assembled in a phased manner. Towards this, a prospective roadmap is being evolved for realization of different modules and their respective launches, he said. The minister said the roadmap for India's future moon exploration missions is under conceptualization, with feasibility studies being undertaken for further robotic exploration of moon through orbiters, landers and rovers, along with lunar sample collection and return, eventually followed by human landing on the Moon.
Date - 08/02/2024
DigiReady Certification: ONDC, Quality Council of India launch portal to empower MSMEs, small retailers
In a significant stride towards fostering digital inclusion in the MSME sector, the Quality Council of India (QCI) and Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) have jointly launched the DigiReady Certification (DRC) portal. The DRC portal can be accessed at: https://digiready.qcin.org. For the initiative, QCI, in conjunction with ONDC, is aiming to assess and certify digital readiness of MSME entities. By leveraging this online self-assessment tool, MSMEs can evaluate their preparedness to seamlessly onboard as sellers on the ONDC platform. This will have the effect of significantly expanding their digital capabilities and business potential.
Date - 08/02/2024
Green hydrogen to be promoted for providing round-the-clock renewable energy: Govt
The Union Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy R K Singh chaired a meeting in New Delhi on February 6, regarding the use of Green Hydrogen in conjunction with other modes such as solar energy and wind energy, for round-the-clock renewable energy. The statement from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy said that the Central Government is striving to promote increased adoption of renewable energy and use of green hydrogen as envisaged in the National Green Hydrogen Mission. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is working on the modalities for promoting the use of green hydrogen in supporting round-the-clock electricity, the statement added.
Date - 07/02/2024
Fair Price Shops join govt's Open Network Digital Commerce for digital access to customers
In a first initiative of this kind, eleven Fair Price Shops of Una and Hamirpur districts of Himachal Pradesh have on-boarded on Open Network Digital Commerce (ONDC). The statement from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution said that this initiative was a step towards Digital India, and would serve as a model for statewide and nationwide adoption in future. The pilot project for onboarding the Fair Price Shops (FPSs) in Una and Hamirpur districts of Himachal Pradesh on ONDC has been launched by Sanjeev Chopra, Secretary, Department of Food and Public Distribution, Government of India.
Date - 07/02/2024
Aadhaar, UPI, DPI: The other key systems that serve as building blocks for India's digital evolution
India is a unicorn. Change here starts at a billion people. The country's digital transformation journey, marked by initiatives like Aadhaar and UPI have proven this repeatedly. We have written the DPI playbook for the world. We delve into five less-publicised yet pivotal developments that will shape India's sustainable and technologically advanced future using the three levers of Samaj, Sarkaar and Bazaar. Here are other emerging systems that can serve as building blocks in India's digital evolution. Beckn Protocol: Decentralised Foundations The Beckn Protocol, very unlike the Ghost Protocol, but very much on a Mission Impossible - crafting India's decentralised future. It embodies the visions of web inventor Tim Berners-Lee and blockchain pioneer Satoshi Nakamoto. Here's why it's a game-changer: Open & Interoperable Its open-source nature fosters universal participation, powering platforms like ONDC that challenge monopolies and empower social sectors by creating significant opportunities for MSMEs and artisans. Recent estimates suggest ONDC transactions can potentially generate $250-300 Bn in GMV (gross merchandise value) by 2030, driving India's internet economy to $1 Tn.
Date - 07/02/2024
MeitY transfers SMART food grain storage system technology to Paras Defense
In a move towards fostering innovation and advancing technology, the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY) has successfully transferred the Smart Food Grain Storage System (SAFEETY) technology to Paras Defense and Space Technology Ltd. MeitY in a statement said on Monday the momentous occasion took place during the launch event of the "Digital India FutureLABS Summit 2024" held at IIIT-Delhi. SAFEETY, developed by Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research (SAMEER) under MeitY's guidance, boasts cutting-edge features such as conveyorized loading and unloading of grain bags with RFID for traceability, online weight and moisture measurement, and Radio Frequency Based Removal of Moisture from Grain.
Date - 06/02/2024
2 more futureDESIGN startups to catalyze semiconductor chip design ecosystem under SemiconIndia DLI scheme
Minister of State for Electronics & IT, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Monday announced two futureDESIGN semiconductor fabless companies under the Semicon India Design Linked Incentive (DLI) scheme, during the launch of "Digital India FutureLABS" at IIIT Delhi. The Digital India FutureLABS Summit 2024 also witnessed announcement of 20 MoUs with industry for implementation of the futureLABS in six verticals - Automotive, Computer, Communication, Strategic Electronics, Industrial Electronics/ IoT and Design & innovation. These two Karnataka based futureDESIGN semiconductor fabless companies announced for financial support under the DLI scheme have been providing range of chipsets and solutions for communication and med-tech sectors, the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) said in a statement.
Date - 06/02/2024
ABHYAS: DRDO carries out successful flight trials of High-speed Expendable Aerial Target
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully carried out four flight trials of ABHYAS from January 30 to February 2. The trails were conducted from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur in Odisha, with four different mission objectives in a revised robust configuration using a single booster designed by Advanced Systems Laboratory, Hyderabad, to provide reduced launch acceleration. The objectives like safe release of booster, launcher clearance and attaining the required end of launch velocity were achieved. During the flight trials, various parameters like required endurance, speed, manoeuvrability, altitude and range were successfully validated, the statement from the Ministry of Defence said.
Date - 06/02/2024
New algorithm can produce better images to study ultracold atoms that exhibit quantum mechanics governed properties
Scientists have designed a new image-correction technique capable of getting better images during the study of cold atoms or atoms at absolute zero temperature, the Ministry of Science & Technology said in a statement on Tuesday. The technique can get rid of 50 percent unwanted interference fringes in the images which are important for understanding the intriguing quantum mechanics governed properties of atoms at cold temperature better. At low temperatures near absolute zero, original properties of atoms based on classical mechanics are replaced and then governed by the laws of quantum mechanics. They hold potential to offer a possibility to study and better understand the atomic properties at such low temperatures.
Date - 06/02/2024
New algorithm can produce better images to study ultracold atoms that exhibit quantum mechanics governed properties
Scientists have designed a new image-correction technique capable of getting better images during the study of cold atoms or atoms at absolute zero temperature, the Ministry of Science & Technology said in a statement on Tuesday. The technique can get rid of 50 percent unwanted interference fringes in the images which are important for understanding the intriguing quantum mechanics governed properties of atoms at cold temperature better. At low temperatures near absolute zero, original properties of atoms based on classical mechanics are replaced and then governed by the laws of quantum mechanics. They hold potential to offer a possibility to study and better understand the atomic properties at such low temperatures.
Date - 06/02/2024
DriftTECH: IIT Delhi, Oil India Ltd launch program for empowering entrepreneurs & visionaries
Oil India Limited in collaboration with FITT, IIT Delhi, has launched 'DriftTECH', a strategically designed program to address the dynamic challenges in the deep-tech and energy sector and aims to catalyze the development and implementation of cutting-edge solutions. The program launched on February 5, aims to provide support through a 24-month-long incubation program in a physical interaction mode to support prototype and above-level startups bringing innovative and impactful solutions to solve real-world sustainability challenges. The program is open for startups across various sectors having a strong integration of technology and innovation at its core. Top 10 startups will be offered support from Oil India Limited and FITT, IIT Delhi in the areas of Product Development, Technical and business Mentorship, Access to High-end Lab facilities, GTM Strategy and exploring Product Market Fit, Corporate Industry Connect, Legal & and IPR Support, Angels and VC connect, Global Launch Support, Access to Industry Experts from the Senior Management of Oil India Limited pool.
Date - 06/02/2024
NeGD organises 42nd deep dive training program for CISOs under Cyber Surakshit Bharat
The National e-Governance Division (NeGD) under its capacity building program, organised the 42nd CISO deep-dive training program from February 5-9 with participants from Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and New Delhi at the Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi. The 'Cyber Surakshit Bharat' initiative of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) was conceptualised with the mission to spread awareness about cyber-crime and build capacities of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and frontline IT officials across all government departments, for ensuring adequate safety measures to combat the growing menace of cyber crime and enable organizations to defend their digital infrastructures and become future-ready in tackling cyber-attacks, MeitY said in a statement on Tuesday. The inaugural session of the programme was attended by Bhuvnesh Kumar, Additional Secretary, MeitY, SN Tripathi, DG-IIPA and other senior officials from MeitY, NeGD and IIPA.
Date - 06/02/2024
India well positioned to use AI to make software development more productive: Google
India is well positioned to use artificial intelligence (AI) to make software development more productive in the country, Google said in a blogpost on Monday. The post detailed the recent between fireside chat, Dr. Jeff Dean, Chief Scientist, Google DeepMind and Google Research, and Dr. Pramod Varma, CTO of EkStep Foundation and former Chief Architect Aadhaar and India Stack. The experts delved into unique opportunities and ethical considerations for AI in India, and the country's position as a leader in responsible AI innovation.
Date - 06/02/2024
CDAC-developed thermal camera, CMOS camera technologies transferred to industries for commercial production
Three indigenously-developed technologies -- thermal camera, CMOS camera, and Fleet Management System -- were transferred to 12 industries on Sunday. During the launch of "Digital India FutureLABS Summit 2024" held at IIIT-Delhi, the technologies designed and developed by the CDAC (Centre for Development of Advanced Computing), Thiruvananthapuram under InTranSE Programme of Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) were transferred to these industries. As per the ministry, it is a step towards Innovation, Science and Technology theme of Viksit Bharat @2047 initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Date - 05/02/2024
Virtual reality grooming is an increasing danger. How can parents keep children safe?
By Marika Guggisberg, CQUniversity Australia Virtual reality (VR) headsets are increasingly popular among adults and children. They are part of extended reality environments, which "enable ever more realistic and immersive experiences". VR provides entry into computer-generated 3D worlds and games with different environments and interactions. Sometimes this is loosely referred to as the "metaverse". The majority of VR headsets have a lower age limit of 10â??13 years due to safety concerns of extended reality technologies in general and VR headsets in particular.
Date - 05/02/2024
Vyommitra: Female robot astronaut to fly into space ahead of ISRO's manned Gaganyaan mission
Female Robot Astronaut Vyommitra will fly into Space ahead of ISRO's ambitious Gaganyaan mission, which will be Indiaâ??s first human manned space flight carrying Indian astronauts into space. Disclosing this in New Delhi during an interaction with media, Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology, informed that the uncrewed Vyommitra mission is scheduled for the third quarter of this year while a manned mission Gaganyaan is scheduled to be launched next year, that is 2025. "Vyommitra is a name derived from two Sanskrit words namely, "Vyoma," meaning Space, and "Mitra," meaning Friend," Dr Jitendra Singh said.
Date - 04/02/2024
MeitY Secretary inaugurates Centre of Excellence (CoE) on e-waste management at C-MET, Hyderabad
The Centre of Excellence (CoE) on E-waste Management facility was inaugurated by S Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, on February 3. Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary, IT E&C, Government of Telangana and other senior officials from Meity and Government of Telangana were present at the occasion. "The C-MET has established (CoE) first of its kind in the country under the PPP model," a MeitY official said.
Date - 04/02/2024
Govt launches Digital India futureLABS; C-DAC signs 22 MoUs with Industry for futureLABS implementation
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, launched the Digital India FutureLABS and delivered the keynote address at the Digital India FutureLABS Summit 2024. The focus of the summit was on â??Catalyzing the Next-generation Electronics System Design through Digital India FutureLABS.' The Summit witnessed an announcement of 22 MoUs of C-DAC with Industry for implementation of the futureLABS. Companies like NXP Semiconductors, Tenstorrent and Qualcomm India signed MoUs in areas like High Performance Computing space, Design and Innovation in Compute space and Indian Telecom Stack.
Date - 04/02/2024
NTIPRIT holds workshop on '5G Use Case Labs: Awareness and Pre-Commissioning Readiness' at IIT Roorkee
Beyond 5G/6G and Government of India 6G roadmap were extensively deliberated upon at a workshop on '5G Use Case Labs: Awareness and Pre-Commissioning Readiness' conducted by NTIPRIT at IIT Roorkee on Friday. DoT-SRI (Standards-R&D-Innovation) made presentations and invited experts for brain-storming discussions on the subject. More than 130 participants from about 30 institutions attended the workshop. The two-day workshop was inaugurated by Gunjan Dave, Member (Technology), Department of Telecommunications, Government of India, at IIT Roorkee. Organised by the National Telecommunications Institute for Policy Research, Innovation and Training (NTIPRIT), DoT, Ghaziabad, the workshop aimed at generating awareness about 5G technology use cases and the 5G Use Case Labs being set up across India especially focusing on North Zone institutions including IIT Roorkee, with funding from DoT.
Date - 03/02/2024
Predator drones: Biden administration notifies Congress of sale of 31 MQ-9B HALE armed drones to India
The Joe Biden administration notified the US Congress on Thursday of the proposed sale of 31 MQ-9B HALE armed drones, clearing a period of informal review that had raised concerns of the deal being in some kind of jeopardy. Congress now has 30 days to either greenlight the deal by doing nothing, or reject it through a congressional vote. There is no attempt to put a "hold" on it yet, but as a person familiar with the development said, "The clock starts now." The notification by the US State Department's Defense Security Cooperation Agency has come amidst reports that some lawmakers had tried to link the deal's clearance to India's wholehearted cooperation with a US investigation into allegations that an Indian businessman Nikhil Gupta, tried to arrange a murder-for-hire hit on a US-based Khalistani activist. Gupta is in custody of Czech authorities in Prague on an extradition request from the US.
Date - 02/02/2024
RBI asks Paytm Payments Bank to stop almost all services after Feb 29
In a major action against Paytm Payments Bank (PPBL), the Reserve Bank on Wednesday directed the lender to stop accepting deposits or top-ups in any customer accounts, wallets, FASTTags and other instruments after February 29. However, any interest, cashbacks, or refunds may be credited back to customers anytime. The direction follows persistent non-compliances and continued material supervisory concerns, the central bank said in a statement.
Date - 01/02/2024
C-CARES portal of CMPFO launched to process PF, pension issues of coal sector workers online
Union Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi on Thursday launched a web portal of CMPFO namely C- CARES developed and designed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), an R&D organization under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). This marks a significant leap in the digitization journey of CMPFO aiming to address the long-standing issue of digitizing its records and work processes. Coal Mines Provident Fund Organization (CMPFO) is an autonomous organization under the aegis of Ministry of Coal established in the year 1948 for administering provident fund and pension schemes for the purpose of providing social security to the coal sector workers. The organization is presently rendering services to about 3.3 lakh PF subscribers and 6.1 lakh pensioners of coal sector, the Ministry of Coal said in a statement. At present, CMPFO process settlement claims of provident fund subscribers and pensioners manually. With the launch of the portal, settlement of PF and pension claims will now be processed and settled online. It will facilitate faster processing, transparency in operations, better record management and monitoring. It will also instill confidence in the subscribers and pensioners.
Date - 01/02/2024
Record Rs 6.21 lakh crore allocation to Defence in Interim Budget 2024-25; 4.72% increase
In the current geopolitical scenario and with the twin objective of promoting self reliance and exports, the Defence Budget has touched Rs 6,21,540.85 crore in the Financial Year 2024-25. This comes out to be 13.04% of total Union Budget, which was presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament on Thursday. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) continues to receive the highest allocation among the ministries. The budgetary allocation to Defence for FY 24-25 is higher by approximately Rs 1 lakh crore (18.35%) over the allocation for the FY 2022-23 and 4.72% more than allocation of FY 23-24. Of this, a major share of 27.67% goes to capital, 14.82% for revenue expenditure on sustenance and operational preparedness, 30.68% for pay and allowances, 22.72% for defence pensions and 4.11% for civil organisations under MoD, the ministry said in a statement.
Date - 01/02/2024
SpaceTech: DRDO's green propulsion system successfully demonstrates in-orbit functionality
A green propulsion system, developed under the Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme of DRDO, has successfully demonstrated in-orbit functionality on a payload launched by PSLV C-58 mission. This project -- 1N Class Green Monopropellant thruster for altitude control and orbit keeping of micro satellite -- was sanctioned to a Bengaluru-based start-up Bellatrix Aerospace Pvt Ltd (development agency). The telemetry data from PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM) at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), Bengaluru, has been validated with ground level solution and is found to have exceeded all performance parameters, according to the Ministry of Defence. This innovative technology has resulted in non-toxic and environment-friendly propulsion system for low orbit space. The system consists of indigenously-developed propellant, fill and drain valves, latch valve, solenoid valve, catalyst bed, drive electronics, etc. It is ideal for space mission with high thrust requirements, the ministry said.
Date - 01/02/2024
DoT launches Bharat 5G Portal for all quantum, IPR, PoCs/Pilots, 5G, 6G-related works
Telecom Secretary Dr Neeraj Mittal launched the "Bharat 5G Portal- an integrated portal" on January 30. The launch happened on the sidelines of 'Bharat Telecom 2024 - An Exclusive International Business Expo' being organized by Telecom Equipment and Services Export Promotion Council (TEPC) in collaboration with DoT, on January 29 and 30. The DoT announced a call for 6G R&D proposals on the integrated portal, inviting proposals for accelerated research on 6G ecosystem development.
Date - 31/01/2024
Delhi HC seeks Centre's response on PIL against menace of cyber crimes
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought responses from the Centre, Delhi Government, Reserve Bank of India and Police on a Public Interest Litigation highlighting the rapidly multiplying and mutating menace of cyber crimes. The bench of Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora issued notice to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of NCT Delhi, Reserve Bank of India and Delhi Police and listed the matter for March 19, 2024. The petitioners Akshaya and Urvashi Bhatia, practising lawyers through plea stated that the perpetrators of these cyber scams are employing sophisticated tactics to mock and exploit the entire system. Their modus operandi involves malevolent actors who are now brazenly forging and fabricating fake court orders and arrest warrants purportedly issued by the esteemed Supreme Court of India to successfully extort 'settlement money' from innocent unsuspecting citizens.
Date - 31/01/2024
President Murmu lauds India's prowess in digital transactions and systems
India has emerged as the world's second-largest producer of mobile phones and logged a five-fold increase in mobile phone manufacturing in the last decade, President Droupadi Murmu said on Wednesday, outlining the global acknowledgement of India's prowess in digital transactions and systems. Her first address to a joint sitting of the two Houses in the new Parliament building resonated with references to the rapid expansion of the startup ecosystem, nation's AI push, speedy 5G roll-out, as well as the semiconductor sector investments. Today, 46 per cent of the world's total real-time digital transactions take place in India, she said, adding India is among the leading digital economies globally.
Date - 31/01/2024
Scientists trace evolution of quantum mechanics on 100 years of SN Bose's colossal work
Eminent scientists and scientific administrators, brought together on the occasion of the celebration of 100 years of the historic occasion when Satyendra Nath Bose authored the last of the four revolutionary publications that led to new quantum mechanics, traced the evolution of quantum mechanics through the years. Prof. Ajay Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, speaking at the inauguration of the 5-day long international conference on Photonics, Quantum Information and Quantum Communication organised by the SN Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences (SNBNCBS) in Kolkata, pointed out that we are passing through the second revolution in quantum mechanics and that the gap between fundamental science and technological intervention is closing. "A total of USD 750 million are being applied in four verticals. It is a wonderful time for all of us to be a part of this new mission. The right problems that are solvable and have wide applications will have to be addressed by researchers. Quantum sensing, satellite-based quantum communications and post quantum cryptography are some of the areas that need to be focused on," he added.
Date - 30/01/2024
T-Hub hosts Anthill Ventures' Family Office Alliance, aimed at strengthening India-Europe investment ties
Telangana government backed T-Hub, India's leading startup incubator, located in Hyderabad, hosted Anthill Ventures' Family Office Alliance on January 29. The aim of the event was to elevate Telangana and India's startup landscape, and provide opportunities for entrepreneurs to scale rapidly with global support. The event took place at T-Hub and brought together European and Indian Family Offices to cultivate cultural connections, facilitate networking relationships, and explore investment opportunities between the vibrant ecosystems of India and Europe.
Date - 30/01/2024
MoS Defence Ajay Bhatt calls for more collaborations with C-DOT in cybersecurity, cyber warfare
Minister of State for Defence and Tourism Ajay Bhatt visited Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) Delhi Campus on Monday. C-DOT is the premier telecom R&D centre of the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications, Government of India. It is actively working in developing indigenous, secured telecom solutions, for critical infrastructure such as defence communications and cybersecurity. CEO, C-DOT, Dr Rajkumar Upadhyay, gave a detailed presentation on diverse telecom product portfolio/solutions and key telecom security solutions such as security operation centre (real-time detection of malware in a network), enterprise security centre (real-time detection and mitigation of malicious threats and attacks at an enterprise level covering all end points), quantum key distribution, post quantum cryptography to the visiting minister. Other solutions such as indigenously developed 4G core and 4G RAN, 5G core and 5G RAN, disaster management solution using CAP, Cell Broadcast Centre, optical transport and access solution, switching and routing solution, etc were also presented.
Date - 30/01/2024
Union Budget 2024: Building the framework for sustainable agri-tech farming in India
As the anticipation builds for Union Budget 2024, the agricultural sector is poised for a significant transformation, with expectations centred on a visionary roadmap that paves the way for sustainable Agri-tech farming in India. The Finance Minister's emphasis on 'Green Growth' in the previous budget has set the stage for a forward-looking strategy that aligns seamlessly with India's commitment to environmentally conscious and technology-driven agricultural practices. The agricultural landscape is on the brink of a technological revolution, and the upcoming budget is anticipated to play a pivotal role in driving this change.
Date - 29/01/2024
AI technology can be implemented in courts to make lives easier for the common people: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the Supreme Court (SC) has strengthened India's vibrant democracy. "Whether it is freedom of expression, personal freedom or social justice, the SC has strengthened India's vibrant democracy," Modi said while addressing the Diamond Jubilee celebration of SC at Supreme Court auditorium in Delhi, on January 29. As the Supreme Court enters into the 75th year of its establishment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the Diamond Jubilee celebration and launched several citizen centric information and technology initiatives, including Digital Supreme Court Reports (Digi SCR), Digital Courts 2.0 and new website of the apex court.
Date - 29/01/2024
Hike in incidents of compromising govt, high-profile persons' social media accounts: CERT-In
Recent trends show an increase in incidents where scammers attack and fraudulently take over social media accounts of high-profile persons and government organisations to perpetrate misinformation campaigns and scams, India's federal cyber security agency said in a latest advisory. The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) said the security of such accounts was paramount to protect reputations as it also suggested some measures to check "compromise" of social media accounts, including usage of multi-factor authentication tools. "In today's inter-connected world, social media plays a pivotal role in shaping public opinion and disseminating information. These platforms have become essential for individuals, governments and enterprises alike, offering a powerful medium for communication and engagement.
Date - 29/01/2024
Funding structure of internet for Large Traffic Generators: Lessons for India from the Korean model
Hidden in the success of the Netflix series, The Squid Game, was a telecom challenge. In September of 2021, the series triggered SK Telecom, the key telecom provider of Korea, to support a humungous 1.2 terabits per second of content through its networks. Such a sudden infusion of data for entertainment caught SK Telecom unaware and they had to scramble to upgrade their network. The question is, who pays for this upgrade? Should all the end-users of SK Telecom pay for this upgrade, including those who never watched The Squid Games or any other entertainment content?
Date - 27/01/2024
Meity's R-Day tableau focuses on AI for social empowerment
India leveraging the power of artificial intelligence in healthcare, logistics and education to further social empowerment was the theme of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology's Republic Day parade tableau. The tractor portion of the tableau, which rolled down the Kartavya Path on Friday, showcased a "female robot" in a thinking posture. The base of the tractor depicted a 3D scale model of a chip. Circuit design on the sides with LED lights showcased the energy that artificial intelligence carries to take India towards development. Artificial intelligence is a kinetic enabler to leap-frog traditional development barriers and catalyse large-scale socio-economic transformation in India, according to an official statement.
Date - 27/01/2024
NoMAS: IIT-Jodhpur develops technology that aims to reduce traffic congestion, road accidents
The IIT-Jodhpur has developed a cutting-edge technology that it claims can reduce traffic congestion and road accidents. The Novel MAC-based Authentication Scheme (NoMAS) -- developed by the institute's computer science and engineering department -- aims not only to enhance vehicle security and intelligence but also address multifaceted challenges prevalent on Indian roads. It can contribute to road safety by enabling secure and real-time exchange of data on road conditions, accidents and traffic jams among vehicles. This information can help drivers make informed decisions and avoid hazards, according to a professor associated with the technology's development. The data collected and shared through the Internet of Vehicles network can also be analysed to identify accident-prone areas, patterns of risky behaviour or road conditions that require improvement -- leading the authorities taking proactive measures to address these.
Date - 27/01/2024
Digital India futureLABS for partnership between govt, startups, enterprises: MoS Chandrasekhar
Government will soon launch Digital India futureLABS and establish the India Semiconductor Research Centre. This was stated by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology on January 25 during his virtual address at an electronics event in Bengaluru. "We will establish the India Semiconductor Research Centre shortly, which will serve as a hub for semiconductor innovation spanning all spectrums that will drive future systems. I would also like to let you know that we will very soon launch our upcoming program called Digital India futureLABS," Chandrasekhar said. "This program will be a collaboration and partnership involving Government labs, Indian startups, large enterprises and corporations in the electronics space. It will also include tier 1 suppliers and automotive industrial platforms, focusing on designing and innovating systems for the future," he added.
Date - 26/01/2024
AIIMS-Delhi Smart Card to be rolled out by March, will cover all departments, no cash payment from April
The AIIMS Smart Card started on a pilot basis in some departments of the premier health institute would be rolled out across all sections by March 31 for enabling all kinds of payments, the AIIMS Delhi said on Wednesday. Subsequently, no cash payment shall be accepted at any counters other than at the 'AIIMS Smart Card' top-up counters which shall be operationalised in multiple locations and shall operate on 24x7 basis, it said. The AIIMS Smart Card will be the only way to make payments for all investigations and procedures other than electronic payments via UPI, debit cards, credit cards, etc, the AIIMS said.
Date - 25/01/2024
MeitY's Republic Day tableau to highlight advances in electronics manufacturing, AI for inclusive growth
The Republic Day tableau from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology will focus on India leveraging AI in healthcare, logistics and education. The tableau will highlight the successes that India has achieved in deploying AI for inclusive and sustainable development. The tableau will also showcase advances made by India in the area of electronics manufacturing. The statement released by Meity said that the year 2023-24 has been the year of AI for India. This is the year when India has demonstrated to the world how this transformative technology can be used for social good and for all.
Date - 25/01/2024
New alloy developed can substitute magnetic refrigerant, to minimize greenhouse gas emissions
Researchers at SN Bose National Centre have found a new alloy that can act as an effective magnetic refrigerant that can be an alternative cooling agent for minimizing greenhouse gas emissions and meet the global demand for higher energy efficiency for tackling global warming. A team S.N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) experimented with a certain type of alloys called all-transition metal based Heusler alloys (magnetic intermetallics with face-centered cubic crystal structure) in their search for material exhibiting giant reversible MCE. Magnetic refrigeration offers an energy-efficient and environment-friendly cooling technology as an alternative to the vapor-cycle refrigeration technology in use today. Hence efforts are on to fabricate magnetic refrigerators for household, industrial, and technological applications.
Date - 25/01/2024
Technology as a force multiplier can accelerate India's SDG goals: Opine tech and govt leaders
Leaders meet at Nasscom Foundation TechForGood India Conclave 2024 to prioritize the need for social innovation and collaboration. As the year unfolds, so does the urgency to achieve the UN's ambitious SDGs by 2030. In a move aimed at building collaborative efforts in accelerating India's sustainable goals, Nasscom Foundation's TechForGood India Conclave 2024 brought together government representatives, civil society, social innovators, entrepreneurs, and tech leaders for a day of discussions, deliberations and knowledge sharing in New Delhi on Tuesday. Underlining the need to leverage technology for accelerating the 2030 agenda for sustainable development, the conclave extensively explored serious topics that require immediate action ranging from sustainable living, climate action, healthcare, education, to empowering women entrepreneurs through engaging masterclasses, fireside chats, and dynamic panel discussions.
Date - 25/01/2024
MHI invites global tenders for giga-scale Advanced Chemistry Cell manufacturing facilities
The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) on Wednesday announced the re-bidding of production linked incentives (PLI) for 10 GWh Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) manufacturing. With this bidding process, the prospective applicants can submit their bids to set up domestic manufacturing facility for ACC, which will help them qualify for incentives under PLI ACC scheme. The bidding process will be held online through a transparent two-stage process, under the Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) mechanism through CPP portal. The tender documents are available from January 24 and pre-bid conference will be held on February 12. The bid due date is April 22 and bids will be opened on April 23, 2024, the ministry notification said. MHI promotes the development and growth of three sectors -- Capital Goods, Automobile and Heavy Electrical Equipment -- in the country. The government through MHI provides clean and green public transport through Faster Adoption and Manufacturing Electric Vehicles (FAME-II) scheme with the aim to reduce dependence on fossil fuel and to address the issue of vehicular emissions.
Date - 24/01/2024
Universal AI University: Empowering students with degree and postgraduate specialised courses in AI
The Government of India is convinced that AI and other emerging technologies will play a pivotal role in India's economic growth. On January 23, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State, announced that the Ministry of Electronics and IT (Meity) will seek cabinet approval for the India AI programme, which includes the setting up of GPU-based servers in public-private partnership mode with an outlay of over Rs 10,000 crore. Education and skill development in the area of AI and other emerging technologies is one of the key priorities for the government. In this context, the rise of Universal AI University must be seen as a step towards achieving the government's vision for having an AI-ready workforce in the country. Located in Karjat, Maharashtra, the Universal AI University kick-started its first academic year in August 2023 and has become India's first university to impart degree and postgraduate specialised courses in Artificial Intelligence (AI). In conversation with ETGovernment, Dr Asha Bhatia, Dean of Research, Universal AI University, describes the University's vision, curriculum, and teaching methods.
Date - 24/01/2024
Rajeev Chandrasekhar to inaugurate Synopsys' chip design center at DLF Tech Park in Noida
Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, is set to inaugurate Synopsys' Chip Design Centre at DLF Tech Park in Noida on Tuesday. During this event, the minister will deliver a special address to an audience comprising senior leadership, employees, partners, and customer delegates of Synopsys. Established in 1986, Synopsys widely commercialized logic synthesis, revolutionizing the creation of digital designs from language descriptions. This capability propelled the transition of Computer-Aided Design (CAD) into the Electronic Design Automation (EDA) era, facilitating the scaling of digital complexity in line with Mooreâ??s Law. Synopsys has consistently expanded its product portfolio and market position through substantial investments in research and development, coupled with approximately 120 strategic acquisitions. Today, Synopsys is a leading name in EDA, playing a pivotal role in advancing digital chips within the technology ecosystem. Synopsys offers a wide range of design portfolios, spanning from silicon to software, contributing to $5.9 billion in revenue. As a market leader in EDA tools and interface, foundation, and physical IPs, Synopsys holds a significant position in the industry. Demonstrating confidence in Indian design talent, Synopsys has established the second-largest design center in India, extending beyond its headquarters. This center is home to approximately 6,000 engineers from India, constituting 27% of their global design workforce.
Date - 23/01/2024
Govt's faster testing for electronics to reduce device launch time by half: ICEA
The government's faster electronics testing decision will allow original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to choose the most suitable testing method for their products, thereby expediting the market launch of their electronic items, the India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) said on Monday. The government recently introduced a more efficient parallel testing process for products under the Compulsory Registration Order (CRO) of 2021. This new approach significantly reduces the time required for testing and registering electronic products, cutting it down from the previous 16-20 weeks to just 8-12 weeks.
Date - 23/01/2024
Japan keen to collaborate with India on space exploration: Ambassador Hiroshi Suzuki
Japanese Ambassador to India Hiroshi Suzuki on Sunday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for congratulating Japan on its soft landing on the Moon. Suzuki stated that he looked forward to promoting cooperation between India and Japan in space exploration. In a post shared on X, Hiroshi Suzuki stated, "Thank you, Prime Minister Modi ji !Looking forward to promoting Japan-India cooperation in space exploration." He made the comments on social media platform X in response to PM Modi's post on X. PM Modi on Saturday congratulated Japanese PM Fumio Kishida for achieving its first soft landing on the moon and said that India is looking forward to the cooperation between the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
Date - 22/01/2024
NASA spacecraft 'pings' India's Chandrayaan-3 lander on Moon
Laser instrument onboard a NASA spacecraft orbiting the Moon has successfully pinged the Vikram lander of India's Chandrayaan-3 mission, the US space agency said. The laser beam was transmitted and reflected between the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and an Oreo-sized device on Vikram lander, opening the door to a new style of precisely locating targets on the Moon's surface, NASA said. The lander was 100 kilometers away from LRO, near Manzinus crater in the Moon's south pole region, when LRO transmitted laser pulses toward it on December 12 last year. After the orbiter registered light that had bounced back from a tiny NASA retroreflector aboard Vikram, NASA scientists knew their technique had finally worked.
Date - 22/01/2024
Razorpay introduces 2-minute instant refunds on failed UPI transactions
Full-stack fintech platform Razorpay on Monday launched an instant refunds feature on failed unified payments interface (UPI) transactions in the country. The solution by Razorpay POS will provide instant refunds for failed UPI transactions within two minutes, as against the industry benchmark of 5-6 business days, said the company. "According to our data, 5-15 per cent of UPI transactions see friction due to pending status and our merchants lose their business in 30-40 per cent of the cases wherein the customer is not comfortable making a double payment via UPI or paying through any other method," said Byas Nambisan, CEO, Razorpay POS.
Date - 22/01/2024
Common Services Center partners EaseMyTrip to bring better travel, holiday services to rural India
EaseMyTrip.com has entered into a collaboration with CSC e-governance Services Limited. Under this agreement, EaseMyTrip will be the first travel partner to provide comprehensive content on holidays and activities to CSC and its extensive network of VLEs. CSC (Common Services Centre) e-governance Services Limited, a registered entity under the Ministry of Information Technology, boasts a vast network of over 5.5 lakh Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) nationwide. These dedicated VLEs, representing CSC, play a pivotal role in delivering various services to citizens, with travel services being one of the key offerings. In addition to existing offerings such as flights, hotels, cabs, and buses, EaseMyTrip's innovative travel solutions will now include an exclusive focus on enhancing the holiday and activity planning experience for users across India.
Date - 20/01/2024
Cyber security is govt's priority, Bharat is taking quantum leap towards digitisation: Amit Shah
Prevention of cyber crime is a priority of the Modi government and it is committed to creating a cyber-success society by making the internet secure for every citizen, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said here on Thursday. Inaugurating a cyber security operations centre at the Assam Rifles headquarters here, Shah said under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bharat is taking a quantum leap towards digitisation. "The Modi government is committed to creating a cyber-success society by making the internet secure for every citizen. Prevention of cyber crimes is a priority of the Modi government," he said.
Date - 19/01/2024
Systra to establish digital centre in Hyderabad; to support govt's wider digitalization plans
Telangana's IT and Industries Minister Dr D. Sridhar Babu and Principal Secretary IT and Industries Jayesh Ranjan met with Pierre Verzat, CEO of Systra Group, during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2024 in Davos earlier this week. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed and exchanged between the two parties symbolising Systra's commitment to invest in the state. The Government of Telangana (GoT) intends to make best use of the advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence in IT sector and would like these advancements to also penetrate the core sectors of engineering thereby making them more efficient, according to an official press release.
Date - 19/01/2024
MeitY Secretary launches initiatives to develop Internet of Things Sensors and Graphene technologies
S Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, launched two flagship programs, "Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Intelligent Internet of Things (IIoT) Sensors," and India's first Graphene Centre, "India Innovation Centre for Graphene (IICG)," on January 17 at Maker Village, Kochi, Kerala. The CoE in IIoT Sensors is a unique facility established at Makers Village by MeitY and Government of Kerala to catalyze the development of sensors within the realm of Intelligent IoT systems. The initiative will cover a broad spectrum of applications of intelligent sensors in networks, devices and sensor systems. India's first Graphene Centre IICG has been established at Makers Village by MeitY and Government of Kerala , in collaboration Tata Steel. The aim of the project is to foster R&D, product innovation and capacity building in the area of Graphene and 2D material systems.
Date - 18/01/2024
Union Cabinet approves pact with EU on cooperation in semiconductors ecosystems
The Union Cabinet has approved a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between India and the European Commission on Working Arrangements on Semiconductors Ecosystems, its supply chain and innovation under the framework of EU-India Trade and Technology Council (TTC). The MoU, signed on November 21, 2023, intends to strengthen cooperation between India and European Union (EU) towards enhancement of semiconductor technology for the advancement of Industries and digital technologies, according to an official statement. "This is another step towards mutually beneficial semiconductor related business opportunities and partnerships between India and EU," the official statement said.
Date - 18/01/2024
Telecom secy's US visit focuses on India's tech prowess, global collaboration in quantum communications
Telecommunications, Neeraj Mittal, during his recent visit to the US beginning January 12 addressed various critical aspects of India's technological prowess and global collaboration. In Washington, the Secretary delivered a keynote on 'Technology Diplomacy: Navigating the Geopolitical Landscape' at the PanIIT 2024 event. Emphasizing India's digital transformation, he underscored the importance of tech diplomacy for diversifying the supply chain, crucial for the growth of the ICT sector. A joint work plan was inked with PanIIT USA, fostering expertise exchange for Indian research projects and guiding startups towards the vision of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'.
Date - 18/01/2024
Cabinet approves India-Kenya cooperation in digital solutions at population scale
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday approved a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on December 5, 2023 between India through the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Government of the Republic of Kenya through the Ministry of Information, Communications and Digital Economy on cooperation in the field of sharing successful digital solutions implemented at population scale for digital transformation. The MoU intends to promote closer cooperation and exchange of experiences and digital technologies-based solutions in the implementation of digital transformational initiatives of both the countries. The MoU comes into effect from the date of signature of the parties and shall be remain in force for a period of three years. Both G2G and B2G bilateral cooperation in the field of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) will be enhanced.
Date - 18/01/2024
Google Pay signs pact with NPCI to expand UPI payments outside India
Google India Digital Services and NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL) have signed an agreement that will help expand UPI payments to countries outside India. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) will enable Indian travellers to make payments in other countries via Google Pay (also known as GPay), eliminating the need to carry cash or resort to international payment gateways. "The MoU has three key objectives. First, it seeks to broaden the use of UPI payments for travellers outside of India, enabling them to conveniently make transactions abroad. Second, the MoU intends to assist in establishing UPI-like digital payment systems in other countries, providing a model for seamless financial transactions. Lastly, it focuses on easing the process of remittances between countries by utilizing the UPI infrastructure, thereby simplifying cross-border financial exchanges," Google Pay said in a statement. The deal focuses on easing the process of remittances between countries by utilising the UPI infrastructure, thereby simplifying cross-border financial exchanges.
Date - 18/01/2024
DST's MGB finalises implementation strategy, timelines for National Quantum Mission
The first meeting of Mission Governing Board (MGB) of National Quantum Mission (NQM) under the chairmanship of Dr Ajai Chowdhry discussed implementation strategy and timelines of NQM as well as the formation of Mission Coordination Cell (MCC). The MCC will be set up as a coordinating agency for the mission and will work in coordination with the Mission Secretariat, DST. The MCC will be set up in an institution identified by DST, based on merit and existing infrastructure and will function under the overall supervision and guidance of Mission Technology Research Council (MTRC). Highlighting the genesis of quantum technology in India Dr Ajai Chowdhry, who is also founder of HCL Technologies said that NQM will leapfrog in this area and that manpower and startups are two major things that need to be focused on.
Date - 17/01/2024
NeGD organises 41st CISO deep-dive training programme under Cyber Surakshit Bharat
The 'Cyber Surakshit Bharat' initiative of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) was conceptualised with the mission to spread awareness about cyber crime and build capacities of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and frontline IT officials, across all government departments, for ensuring adequate safety measures to combat the growing menace of cybercrime and enable organizations to defend their digital infrastructures and become future-ready in tackling cyber attacks. National e-Governance Division (NeGD) under its Capacity Building scheme, is organising the 41st CISO deep-dive training programme from January 16â??20 with participants from Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, New Delhi, Odisha and West Bengal, at the National Law University in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The programme was inaugurated on Tuesday by senior officers from NeGD, MeitY and NISG. The aim of the program is to spread awareness, build capacities as well as enable government departments to take steps to create a cyber resilient ecosystem. The programme aims to sensitise and orient participants on cyber safety and security in taking Digital India programme forward for integrated delivery of various government services to citizens, present a holistic information, knowledge and understanding about cyber security, and empower government departments to look after their cyber hygiene, safety and security, MeitY said in a statement on Wednesday.
Date - 17/01/2024
Ladakh: Department of Atomic Energy to set up Gamma Irradiation facilities for shelf-life extension of fruits, vegetables
Ladakh has witnessed fast-track development under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology, said when a delegation led by the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC)-Kargil Councillor, Stanzin Lakpa called on him on January 15. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Central Government has accorded very high priority to the development of Ladakh and welfare of the local population including Buddhists and tribals, he said. The delegation conveyed its heartfelt gratitude to PM Modi for rapid development of the mountainous region ever since it was accorded the UT status in October 2019.
Date - 16/01/2024
Corporates must handhold institutions to promote R&D; technology is an important mechanism of diplomacy: VP
Corporate leaders must handhold institutions to promote research and development with focus on disruptive technologies. This was stated by Jagdeep Dhankhar, Vice-President of India, during his address at the inaugural ceremony of 150th year celebrations of Indian Meteorological Department at Vigyan Bhawan, in New Delhi on January 15. Drawing attention to the key role played by corporates in initiating and funding research in developed countries, the Vice-President emphasised on the need for leveraging disruptive technologies for disaster risk reduction and management.
Date - 16/01/2024
DRDO should emerge as world leader in exporting weapon systems to other nations: Minister
The knowledge and infrastructure base of the DRDO needs to be tapped by MSMEs and private industries. The time has come for DRDO should emerge as the world leader in exporting weapon systems. This was stated by Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt, on Jaunary 14, during his address at the DRDO's Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex Hyderabad. Ajay Bhatt reviewed the ongoing missile technologies and related Programmes at Research Centre Imarat (RCI).U Raja Babu, Director General, Missiles & Strategic Systems [DG(MSS)] briefed the Minister on various technological development. Lab Directors of DRDL, ASL & RCI, explained critical systems and technologies developed by them to Ajay Bhatt.
Date - 15/01/2024
Rajeev Chandrasekhar to visit boAt's manufacturing unit with Young Indians on National Startup Day
Union Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Electronics & IT and Jal Shakti, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, is going to visit the boAt manufacturing unit in Noida on Tuesday marking the National Startup Day. His visit will include a tour of the boAt manufacturing unit, where he will interact with the employees and engage in discussions with co-founder Aman Gupta. Accompanying Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar will be Young Indians from various walks of life. These young Indians are part of the selected candidates who responded to a call initiated by the Minister on Sunday. In a Twitter post, the minister extended an invitation to young Indians, encouraging them to express their interest in visiting boAt's Make-in-India electronics manufacturing unit.
Date - 15/01/2024
Rajasthan Police to host hackathon to curb cyber crimes
Rajasthan Police will be organising a cyber hackathon will be organised in Jaipur from Wednesday to provide a platform to young cyber security experts, an official said on Monday. Director general of police (DGP), cyber crime, Ravi Prakash Mehrada, said the Rajasthan Police Cyber Hackathon 1.0 is being organised on January 17 and 18. Mehrada added that an attractive drone show was organised at the Rajasthan Police Academy last week.
Date - 15/01/2024
Cyber security: Are we misunderstanding it and exaggerating its risks?
The evolution of humankind and its thirst for progress has led to the development of sophisticated machines which makes life comfortable. Recent advancements in computer technology and expanding reach of the Internet has made the world a global village making anyone anywhere to be connected digitally in real time. Every day we interact with our digital devices to shop, search, bank, and communicate with others. Computers don't have ethics. Computers do not have a conscience and are designed to follow tasks given to them meticulously. A computer taking down the Country's Electric Grid until a ransom is paid is not much different than a computer handling the banking operations of a country.
Date - 15/01/2024
76th Army Day: Indian Army marks occasion with Chief Pande's call for 'Year of Technology Absorption'
Marking the 76th Army Day, Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande extended warm wishes and paid homage to fallen soldiers. Emphasizing the Indian Army's pivotal role in ensuring national stability, he urged the 'Olive Green' fraternity to remain steadfast in countering security threats. In a significant announcement, General Pande declared 2024 as the 'Year of Technology Absorption.' This theme underscores the Army's strategic focus on embracing technology for transformative change.
Date - 15/01/2024
30 cr beneficiary cards created under AB PM-JAY; Ayushman app downloaded 52 lakh times since Sept 2023
Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri - Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) has crossed the milestone of 30 crore Ayushman cards on January 12. The flagship scheme being implemented by the National Health Authority (NHA) aims to provide health cover of Rs. 5 lakhs per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to 12 Crore beneficiary families. During 2023-24, more than 7.5 crore Ayushman cards have been created. This implies that approximately 181 Ayushman cards are created every minute, the statement from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.
Date - 15/01/2024
India secures 2nd spot in Asia for most Internet Exchange Points: Report
India has secured the 2nd spot in Asia last year for the most Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) per country, a new report revealed on Saturday. According to the Internet Society Pulse Country Report, this marks a significant milestone in India's commitment to adopting advanced technologies and addressing the challenges of a connected world. An IXP is a physical and usually neutral location where different networks meet to exchange local traffic.
Date - 14/01/2024
First in India: Actress-entrepreneur Sunny Leone unveils her official AI replica
Actress-entrepreneur Sunny Leone, in partnership with Advanced Generative AI firm Kamoto.AI, has achieved a remarkable feat amid the transpiring technological advancements in the entertainment domain. The Bollywood diva has become the first ever personality from India to come up with her official AI Replica, which was launched at an exclusive event in Mumbai on Wednesday. The landmark launch of Sunnyâ??s AI replica was attended by actress herself, Kamoto.AI cofounders Toshendra Sharma and Rohendra Singh, and scores of influencers, among others. Elaborating on the disruptive AI advancement, Kamoto.AI Co-founder and CEO Toshendra Sharma said, "Technologies such as Generative AI have significant implications across key aspects of everyday lives as well as businesses around today. It is about time the stakeholders in the entertainment and film industries took cognizance of the same and leveraged technology with a steadfast approach to offer newer avenues to the loyal fan base across the country and even beyond. We are elated to kickstart this unique endeavour with Sunny Leone, who as an achiever has scripted several journeys of aspirations and achievements, and assure that many more such landmarks are already slated to be unveiled." Expressing her excitement over her official Interactive AI Replica, Sunny said, "Introducing my official AI Replica is a new beginning of sorts, and I would reiterate here that in this phase of life, I intend to delve into avenues that I havenâ??t explored earlier, and that help me grow, in both artistic as well as business aspects. I thank Kamoto.AI for introducing my official AI version and hope that it would ultimately help me create a better bonding and rapport with fans from across the country."
Date - 13/01/2024
Police using maximum technology, including AI and drones, to maintain security: Praveen Kumar, Ayodhya IG
With security being one of the major concerns in the upcoming Pran Pratishtha programme in Ram Mandir on January 22, Praveen Kumar, Inspector General (IG) said that the people of Ayodhya are ready to become host and police is making use of technology for security enhancement. Praveen Kumar informed that CCTVs are installed at various places and they are also using Artificial Technology (AI) to enhance their security. "Ayodhya is a very sensitive are in security matters. We have communicated to every relevant officer here to be alert and careful. The people of the entire Ayodhya are eager for the ceremonies and are giving full cooperation in security. We are getting valuable input from the city's inhabitants," he said.
Date - 13/01/2024
DoT takes proactive measures to prevent cyber frauds; informs citizens on modus operandi of scamsters
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, has taken a proactive drive to prevent malicious incoming calls and safeguard cyber crimes and frauds. This was stated by a statement released by the Ministry of Communications. The Department of Telecommunications has advised citizen to beware of calls which ask them to dial *401# followed by some unknown mobile number. These calls are from cyber scamsters. This activates unconditional call forwarding received on the mobile of citizens to the unknown mobile number. This allows fraudsters to receive all incoming calls and can be used for fraud.
Date - 12/01/2024
Thirty Meter Telescope: Indian delegation led by Abhay Karandikar visits Hawaii to discuss progress
An Indian delegation led by Secretary Department of Science and Technology (DST) Professor Abhay Karandikar visited Mauna Kea, Hawaii, USA and discussed challenges in the progress of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project and ways to overcome them. Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) is a 30-meter diameter primary mirror optical and infrared telescope being established at Mauna Kea, Hawaii, USA. India is a Founder-Member Partner in this project which aims to open new windows to the universe through optical and infrared astronomy. Indian participation in this project was approved by the Union Cabinet in 2014.
Date - 12/01/2024
Bharat's priority is AI, semiconductors, green energy, infra, futuristic tech: Narendra Modi
"The priorities and aspirations of Bharat's 1.4 billion people, their commitment to human-centric development, and our dedication to inclusivity and equality form the foundations of global prosperity and development." "Bharat stands as the world's 5th largest economy, a remarkable ascent from its 11th position a decade ago. Major international rating agencies unanimously predict that Bharat will soon rank among the top 3 global economies." This was stated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address at the 10th edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar on January 10.
Date - 11/01/2024
Team ISRO wins 'Indian of the Year Award' for 2023 in the category 'Outstanding Achievement'
The Indian of the Year Award for the year 2023 in the category 'Outstanding Achievement' was conferred on Team ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) by Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology. The award, instituted by a national TV channel, was received by ISRO Chairman S. Somnath and Project Director of Chandrayaan 3, Dr P.Veeramuthuvel, at a ceremony in New Delhi. The award recognised the remarkable contribution made by ISRO in pushing the boundaries of Space exploration, read the award citation.
Date - 11/01/2024
TRAI conducts drive tests at 20 locations to assess mobile network quality
The Telecom Regulartory Authority of India (TRAI)), with the assistance of the telecom service providers, conducted drive tests in 20 cities, their surrounding areas and highways namely: Vellore, Kadapa, Berhampur, Thiruvananthapuram, Raigad, Bengaluru, Bhagalpur & Munger, DibrugarhSivasagar-Tinsukia, Kalimpong-Jalpaiguri-Alipurdwar, Patna-Muzaffarpur-Motihari, Ajmer & Pushkar, Karnal, Moga, Korba, Sagar, Jaipur-Pushkar HW, Panipat- Ambala HW, Jallandhar-Moga HW, Sagar-Lakhnadan HW and Korba-Raipur HW, in the quarter ending September 2023. The drive tests were conducted to assess the cellular/ mobile network quality of service provided by telecom service providers, for voice and data services.
Date - 11/01/2024
Nvidia partnering with India Inc to set up AI data centres in India
US chipmaker and technology company Nvidia is partnering with India's leading business groups to set up state-of-the-art AI data centre facilities here in India, said the multinational company's Senior Vice President, Enterprise Business, Shankar Trivedi. "I'm delighted to tell you that we are partnering with all of India's leading business groups... to set up state-of-the-art AI data centre facilities and provision them here in India," said Trivedi, speaking at the 10th edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit on Wednesday. He outlined three specific things that NVIDIA has actioned over the last few months -- skill development, partnering with India Inc, and 'Make in India'.
Date - 11/01/2024
Navy chief unveils first indigenously manufactured Drishti 10 UAV of Adani Defence & Aerospace
In furtherance of 'Atmanirbharta' in defence, Adani Defence & Aerospace on Wednesday unveiled and handed over its indigenously manufactured Drishti 10 Starliner Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) to the Indian Navy. Drishti 10 Starliner is an advanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platform with 36 hours endurance and 450 kg payload capacity. The only all-weather military platform with NATO's STANAG 4671 (standardized agreement 4671) certification for the UAV system's airworthiness, it is cleared to fly in both segregated and unsegregated airspace. The UAV will now be taken from Hyderabad to Porbandar to be inducted into naval maritime operations. The flag-off ceremony was led by chief guest Admiral R. Hari Kumar (PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC), Chief of the Naval Staff, who lauded Adani's efforts in aligning its roadmap to the Navy's requirements and establishing an ecosystem of partners and capabilities to enable 'Atmanirbharta' in defence and security. He said, "This is a momentous occasion and a transformative step in India's quest for self-reliance in ISR technology and maritime supremacy. Drishti 10's integration will enhance our naval capabilities, strengthening our preparedness in the ever-evolving maritime surveillance and reconnaissance."
Date - 10/01/2024
DPIIT organises Startup India Innovation Week 2024 to enhance the country's startup ecosystem
With the objective of bringing together the country's startups, entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and other stakeholders, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, is organising the Startup India Innovation Week 2024 from January 10 to 18. The aim of the exercise is to celebrate the country's startup ecosystem and launch the National Startup Day (16th January 2024). During the Innovation Week 2024, Secretary, DPIIT, Rajesh Kumar Singh will deliver the inaugural address in the Startup Seminar: 'Startups Unlocking Infinite Potential' on January 11, at the Tenth Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in Gandhinagar, Gujarat which aims to provide a global forum for business networking, knowledge sharing, and inclusive socio-economic development.
Date - 10/01/2024
India and Sri Lanka discuss early launch of UPI payment system
Six months after it was announced by the prime ministers of both countries, India has discussed the early launch of the UPI payment system with Sri Lanka and reiterated its support in the cash-strapped island nation's debt restructuring process. In July 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe signed an agreement on Unified Payments Interface (UPI) acceptance in Sri Lanka during Wickremesinghe's two-day visit to India. The latest discussion took place on Monday during a meeting between the High Commissioner of India Santosh Jha with the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), Dr Nandalal Weerasinghe.
Date - 10/01/2024
Ayodhya airport: Centre sanctions security cover of over 150 armed CISF commandos
The Centre has sanctioned a security cover of more than 150 CISF personnel for the Ayodhya airport, days before the high-profile consecration ceremony at the Ram temple on January 22, official sources have said. The "Maharishi Valmiki International Airport, Ayodhyadham" is the country's 68th civil airport terminal to come under the umbrella of the specialised Aviation Security Group (ASG) of the central force. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will provide an anti-terrorist and anti-sabotage cover to the airport that was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2023, the sources said on Tuesday.
Date - 10/01/2024
'Startups for Railways' gains momentum as innovators' participation crosses 1250
Indian Railways has launched an initiative in the field of innovation through participation of startups and other entities. 'Startups for Railways' initiative was launched by Ministry of Railways on June 13, 2022. As part of this initiative, Indian Railways innovation portal has been made available. https://innovation.indianrailways.gov.in/. The Ministry of Railways said the objective is to leverage innovative technologies developed by Indian startups, MSMEs, innovators, entrepreneurs to improve operational efficiency and safety on Indian Railways. The ministry aims to address quality, reliability and maintainability-related issues of the Indian Railways. Under the policy, the startup, MSMEs, innovators and entrepreneurs will have exclusive ownership of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) created in the project. The value of 23 awarded projects is approximately INR 43.87 cr. Total entities registered on innovation portal are 1251.
Date - 10/01/2024
DoT makes mandatory M2M, WPAN/WLAN registration to all entities
Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications (MoC), has extended machine-to-machine (M2M) and Wireless Personal Area Network/Wireless Local Area Network (WPAN/WLAN) registration to all entities engaged in the businesses. All business entities including companies, government departments, organizations, partnership firms, LLPs, institutions, undertakings, proprietorship firms, societies and trusts engaged in M2M service provisioning and WPAN/WLAN connectivity provisioning are advised to register with DoT through a simple and transparent online process via SaralSanchar portal. Non-compliance may lead to withdrawal or disconnection of telecom resources obtained from the authorized telecom licensees, the ministry said. The decision has been taken to extend the scope of the registration in order to proliferate the standard-based and secure M2M/IoT ecosystem. This also addresses the concerns of M2M service providers and WPAN/WLAN connectivity providers for M2M services, related to interface with telecom service providers (TSPs), KYC, security, encryption, etc, it said.
Date - 08/01/2024
Qualcomm to open new design centre in India, to generate 1,600 jobs
Chip-maker Qualcomm on Sunday announced a significant expansion in Chennai with a new facility for their design centre, allocating a proposed investment of Rs 177.27 crore, that is likely to generate 1,600 jobs. The Qualcomm design centre will specialise in wireless connectivity solutions, with a focus on innovations that complement Wi-Fi technologies, the company announced during the 'Global Investors' Meet' in Chennai. Additionally, it will actively contribute to Qualcomm's global research and development endeavours in 5G Cellular technology, reinforcing the company's commitment to staying at the forefront of the wireless communications industry.
Date - 07/01/2024
Aditya L1 solar probe reaches destination, achieves Halo Orbit insertion; Congratulatory messages pour
India's Aditya-L1 solar probe settled at its destination on Saturday after travelling 15 lakh kilometres in space over 126 days and performing some deft manoeuvres, drawing congratulatory messages from across the political spectrum. Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the announcement of Aditya-L1, which was launched on September 2, reaching the Lagrangian Point 1 from where the spacecraft will have an uninterrupted view of the sun, allowing it to study space weather triggered by solar storms and monitor its effects on the surroundings. "India creates yet another landmark. India's first solar observatory Aditya-L1 reaches its destination," Modi said in a post on X and lauded the dedication of scientists in realising complex space missions. President Droupadi Murmu lauded the entire scientist community for the achievement.
Date - 06/01/2024
DoT advisory regarding malicious calls from international numbers aimed at creating panic
Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, advises citizens to beware of malicious incoming calls from international numbers claiming to cause disruption in India's stock exchanges and trading. Such malicious calls are initiated by anti-national elements aimed at creating panic, the release from the Ministry of Communications said. The DoT has directed all the telecom service providers to block malicious calls from such numbers. Citizens, on receiving such calls, are advised to report to DoT at help-sancharsaathi[at]gov[dot]in or their telecom service providers, the release said.
Date - 05/01/2024
Digital push in public grievances redressal system brings in efficiency: DARPG
As part of overall digital push in governance, the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) launched CPGRAMS mobile app, Intelligent Grievance Monitoring Dashboard and Tree Dashboard, and AI based Bhashini integration with the CPGRAMS portal in the year 2023. The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions on Thursday released its annual calendar of performance for the calendar year 2023. The other major achievements of the department include: DARPG ideated the redressal of public grievances as per Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vast experiences in governance. The PM urged officials that impersonal governance models need to find life through deep personal commitment. The Chintan Shivir laid down a futuristic model of governance, the ministry said.
Date - 05/01/2024
MeitY launches ERNET India's AI-enabled portal for providing services to educational institutions
Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) Secretary S Krishnan launched ERNET India's newly developed integrated web portal for educational institutes in the country, at its head office here today. Developed by utilizing open-source software and emerging technologies such as AI and ML, the portal will offer domain registration, DNS and value-added services such as Website as a Service (WaaS) and Learning Management as a Service (LMaaS). The users can select from the variety of available templates for schools, colleges, universities as per their requirement and create their own website and Learning Management System. The users can publish the website and LMS by customizing the template with a single click.
Date - 05/01/2024
ISRO, Mauritius Research and Innovation Council to cooperate on satellite project: Cabinet gives approval
The Union Cabinet has given its approval to the MoU signed, in November 2023, between the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and Mauritius Research and Innovation Council (MRIC). MRIC operates under the aegis of the Ministry of Information Technology, Communication, and Innovation of the Republic of Mauritius. The MoU entails that ISRO and MRIC will work together for the development of a joint small satellite.
Date - 05/01/2024
Kavaratti's first on-grid solar power plant with battery energy storage to save Rs 250 cr
In a historic milestone for Lakshadweep, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation on January 3 the solar power plant at Kavaratti, which is the region's first on-grid solar project with state-of-the-art battery energy storage system (BESS) technology. Together, these two installations of Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) have a combined solar capacity of 1.7 MW and an advanced 1.4 MWh battery storage facility, according to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. A matter of monumental stride towards sustainable energy solutions for the archipelago, the solar power plant will help reduce dependency on the diesel-based power generation plant at Kavaratti. The Lakshadweep Energy Development Agency (LEDA) will now harness power from these solar plants, marking a pivotal shift from diesel-based power to a sustainable, eco-friendly energy source for the region. Over the anticipated technical lifespan, the initiative is projected to yield commercial savings of approximately Rs 250 crore. The substantial reduction of diesel consumption by up to 190 lakh litres and the offsetting of 58,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions underscore its profound significance in promoting green energy and fostering a cleaner and more sustainable future for Lakshadweep, the ministry said.
Date - 05/01/2024
Gorakhpur set to become industrial, IT hub: GIDA received investments of Rs 25000 cr, says CEO Anuj Malik
Gorakhpur was once known as the badland of Uttar Pradesh, but in the last five years, the district has earned the reputation of the state's 'business-land.' Tremendous industrial development has taken place in the last five years. In an exclusive interview with ETGovernment, Anuj Malik, an 2017-batch IAS officer currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Gorakhpur Industrial Development Authority (GIDA), shares her insights on the feverish industrial activity that is happening in Gorakhpur. She talks about the upcoming business clusters and industrial townships that are improving the economy and creating thousands of jobs.
Date - 04/01/2024
Digital currency transactions topped 1 million per day in December 2023: Sources
Indian banks disbursed some employee benefits through the digital rupee in December, helping the Reserve Bank of India meet its target of one million daily transactions by end-2023, three sources directly familiar with the development said. The central bank digital currency (CBDC), called the e-rupee, has been devised as a digital alternative to physical cash and has been built using distributed-ledger technology. The RBI started its e-rupee pilot in December 2022 but transactions averaged only 25,000 a day by the end of October, even though its use case was significantly broadened by linking it to the popular United Payments Interface (UPI), a framework that facilitates peer-to-peer money transfer via mobile apps.
Date - 04/01/2024
Deployment of AI models in banking sector need close human supervision: RBI Deputy Governor
The Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) M Rajeshwar Rao has flagged concerns surrounding financial institutions using artificial intelligence. He said that these concerns are design-specific risks such as biases and robustness issues, others are more traditional and user-specific such as data privacy, cybersecurity, consumer protection and preserving financial stability. "The development and deployment of AI models in the banking sector need close human supervision commensurate with the risks that can materialise from employing the technology," the Deputy Governor said.
Date - 02/01/2024
X-ray Polarimeter Satellite: On 1st day of 2024, ISRO launches mission to study Black Holes
ISRO today launched the X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite, XPoSat, launched by ISRO. With the objective of exploring celestial objects, particularly Black Holes, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) today successfully launched its maiden X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite, XPoSat, as part of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle's (PSLV) C58 mission. ISRO chief S Somanath said the launch of the mission was a success.
Date - 01/01/2024
NYT versus OpenAI and Microsoft: Very important case dealing with big tech platforms, says MoS IT
Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar has said the NYT-OpenAI-Microsoft case is important and interesting one, and represents the broader issue of the nature of a relationship between those scraping internet and monetising from it versus the copyrighted content on the internet. Last Wednesday, New York Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft over copyright infringement, alleging that millions of its articles were used without consent to train chatbots and AI models, which now compete with it. "It is certainly a very important case. It is an issue that I have spoken about in the past in the context of social media and big tech platform versus Indian creators of content...
Date - 01/01/2024
Despite rise in cyber attacks, cybersecurity sector was not immune to job losses in 2023
As tech layoffs are set to continue unabated in 2024, the cybersecurity industry was not immune from job losses and more than 110 cybersecurity companies fired thousands of employees in 2023. Once largely untouched, jobs in the cybersecurity sector were also affected this year despite an everincreasing number of cyber attacks and data breaches, reports TechCrunch. Globally, the tech industry has seen more than 260,000 jobs being lost in the past 12 months, a huge increase over 2022 which saw 1,061 tech companies laying off 164,769 employees.
Date - 01/01/2024
Legal gaps and concerns abound as cybercrime rises unabated in India
In today's interconnected digital landscape, the prevalence of cybercrime has reached unprecedented levels, posing significant threats to individuals, businesses, and nations alike. As technology advances, so do the tactics employed by cybercriminals, ranging from sophisticated hacking and ransomware attacks to identity theft and online fraud. This evolving landscape necessitates a comprehensive understanding of cyber threats, their implications, and the collective efforts required to safeguard our increasingly digitized world.
Date - 01/01/2024
Financial Intelligence Unit India asks MeitY to block Binance and 8 other VDASP platforms
Financial Intelligence Unit India has issued show-cause notices to nine offshore virtual digital asset service providers, including Binance, for operating in the country without complying with the money laundering laws, the Finance Ministry said on Thursday. Virtual Digital Assets Service Providers (VDASPs) were brought into the ambit of Anti Money Laundering/ Counter Financing of Terrorism (AML-CFT) framework under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PML) Act, 2002 in March 2023. As part of compliance action against the offshore entities, Financial Intelligence Unit India (FIUIND) has issued compliance show cause notices to nine offshore VDASPs including Binance Investments Company under Section 13 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA), the Union Ministry of Finance said in a statement on Thursday.
Date - 29/12/2023
Don't carry ads of fraudulent loan apps; remove such apps: Govt advisory to online platforms
The Union government has directed social media and other online platforms to ensure that they do not host advertisements of fraudulent loan apps, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Wednesday. Chandrasekhar said the IT ministry has made it clear to platforms that they cannot carry advertisements of fraudulent and illegal loan apps as they are misleading and exploiting people who are using the internet. "One of the areas we are now cracking down on is advertising of fraudulent loan apps that many platforms are carrying and we have, through yesterday's advisory, made it clear that no intermediary can carry advertisements of fraudulent loan apps because it will be misleading and exploits people who are using the internet," the Minister of State for Electronics and IT said on the sidelines of an event. Concerns are growing over illegal instant loan apps that have come up in recent times. These fraud loan apps -- which lend small amounts to desperate borrowers at exorbitantly high interest rates and often resort to harassment, even blackmailing later -- are flourishing, and are openly being advertised on online platforms.
Date - 28/12/2023
Centre targets 50 lakh pensioners' Digital Life certificates by end of March 2024
The Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare (DoPPW) organized a nation-wide Digital Life Certificate Campaign from November 1 to 30 at 602 locations in 105 cities across the country, in collaboration with 16 pension disbursing banks, all ministries/ departments, 50 pensioners' welfare association, UIDAI, MeitY, with a view to spread awareness amongst all the Central government pensioners as well as the pension disbursing authorities for use of 'face authentication technology' to submit digital life certificate. Secretary, Department of Pension & Pensionersâ?? Welfare, V. Srinivas on Tuesday reviewed the progress of the nationwide digital life certificate campaign 2.0 with 290 nodal officers from 16 pension disbursing banks and 50 pensioners welfare associations. The Secretary (P&PW) commended the yeomen services of pension disbursing banks and pensioners' welfare associations in reaching out to pensioners and enabling them to submit Digital Life Certificates, in particular through Face Authentication Technique. Bank officials and pensioners welfare associations have visited homes, hospitals of bed-ridden and infirm pensioners and generated their DLCs which was hugely beneficial to these pensioners.
Date - 27/12/2023
Skill Development & Entrepreneurship 2023: Skill India Digital a gamechanger in futuristic skilling
A remarkable initiative by the Ministry of Skills Development and Entrepreneurship in the year 2023 has been the launch of Skill India Digital (SID), an innovative digital platform centered around skills and jobs. The programme leveraging the robust framework of India Stack Global, ensuring top-notch security and scalability. This comprehensive platform offers various key features. Firstly, it facilitates Discovery & Recommendation through advanced AI/ML technology, aiding users in identifying suitable skill sets. Secondly, it hosts a digital job exchange, connecting job seekers with relevant opportunities seamlessly. Another pivotal aspect is its provision of digitally verifiable credentials, ensuring the authenticity of skill certifications. Moreover, Skill India Digital promotes convergence by integrating diverse government initiatives such as skilling schemes, eShram/EPFO/NCS, education, Udyam, Aadhar, DigiLocker, GatiShakti, UMANG, AgriStack, PLI Schemes, ODOP, and High Economic Indicators like GSTN, EPFO trends, import/export trends. This convergence facilitates enhanced access to skilling, credit, and markets.
Date - 27/12/2023
Year-End Review 2023: India's technological triumphs across electronics, semiconductors, AI
India stands at the forefront of global innovation, with key achievements across electronics, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence. The dynamic landscape of the country's technology sector is highlighted in a comprehensive year-end review. According to a press release by the Ministry of Electronics and IT, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the SemiconIndia 2023 event in Gandhinagar, marking a significant leap in India's semiconductor manufacturing prowess. The three-day event witnessed the convergence of global industry leaders, with Micron Technology, Applied Materials, and Foxconn showcasing their commitment to India's semiconductor ecosystem, read the press release.
Date - 27/12/2023
India needs more doppler radars for precise localized weather forecasting: Union minister Kiren Rijiju
Union Minister of Earth Sciences Kiren Rijiju said on Tuesday India will take a leading role in weather forecasting and climate studies. "Department of Earth Sciences has a short-term plan already and now the it is drawing up a plan for the Amritkaal to make Bharat Atmanirbhar @ 2047," he said. Rijiju was addressing the gathering after releasing the logo commemorating the India Meteorological Department, IMD's 150 years of service to the nation, in New Delhi.
Date - 27/12/2023
MeitY's 2023: India on path to technological triumphs across electronics, semiconductors, AI
As the year 2023 comes to a close, India stands at the forefront of global innovation, with key achievements across electronics, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence. The dynamic landscape of the country's technology sector is highlighted in a year-end review by the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY). The ministry in its review stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the SemiconIndia 2023 event in Gandhinagar marking a significant leap in India's semiconductor manufacturing prowess. The three-day event witnessed the convergence of global industry leaders, with Micron Technology, Applied Materials, and Foxconn showcasing their commitment to India's semiconductor ecosystem, it said.
Date - 27/12/2023
As India connects to UPI, NEFT and debit card usage takes a hit
The resounding success of the UPI as a payments and settlement platform has been at the cost of two other popular channels of payments and settlement - NEFT (national electronic fund transfer) platform and debit cards. At a time when the value of UPI transactions grew 46 per cent y-o-y in November this year, NEFT rose by less than half that pace at 17.5 %, while debit card transactions contracted by 6.6 percent y-o-y in October, the latest Reserve Bank of India data indicate. In terms of the amount settled, debit card transactions are just a third of the amount settled through UPI during the month. In value terms Rs 17 lakh was settled through UPI in November.
Date - 27/12/2023
Beyond Passwords: What's passwordless authentication and how it can be a more safe & reliable option
In the rapidly advancing digital landscape of India, the convenience of online transactions comes hand in hand with the escalating threats of fraud and cybercrimes. As reported instances of digital fraud continue to soar, it is imperative to reassess our authentication methods to ensure the security of sensitive information. A transformative solution gaining prominence is passwordless authentication. Here is what exactly passwordless authentication is. Understanding Passwordless Authentication: "Passwordless authentication is a paradigm shift from the conventional reliance on passwords for accessing digital services. This innovative approach eliminates the need for users to remember and input passwords, instead relying on alternative authentication factors," Tapesh Bhatnagar, Head Digital Solutions, Giesecke+Devrient said. These alternatives include: Biometrics: Utilizing unique physical attributes such as fingerprints or facial features for identity verification. Possession Factors: Employing tangible items like smartcards or tokens as a means of authentication. Magic Links: Utilizing secure links sent to the user, enabling seamless and secure access without the need for passwords.
Date - 26/12/2023
Microsoft-backed Rubrik shares plans to strengthen cybersecurity in India
US-based cloud data management and data security startup Rubrik Inc is planning to expand its business in India. Amid increasing cyber attacks, the Microsoft-backed company is eyeing acquisitions and wants to ride the large-scale data and digital growth wave. For over six years, the company has had one-third of its global operations in India and is now in talks with a few startups in the country. Rubrik is on a mission to secure the worldâ??s data. The company believes that the cybercrime business will be worth $10 trillion by 2025. This will make cybersecurity the third-largest economy in the world. Rubrik's chairman, co-founder and CEO, Bipul Sinha, cited a report that projects a ransomware attack likely every two seconds within the next decade. Rubrik's plans for India In a statement to Economic Times, Sinha stressed that cyber attacks are inevitable and India needs more cyber defence. Especially, as the country's digital footprint grows and comes into play with the newly-announced laws around Digital India Act and Digital Personal Data Protection framework.
Date - 26/12/2023
AI-driven transformation to augment 50% of Asia-Pacific workforce by 2025
Artificial intelligence (AI) will create an organisational cultural shift and new technology frames will augment 50 per cent of Asia-Pacific workforce by mid-2025, slowly reshaping the enterprise toward more technology usage, enhancing performance. According to an IDC report, as AI and GenAI technologies continue to take the centre-stage in today's digital economy, they not only augment organisations' productivity, automate repetitive tasks but also redefine roles, thus compelling a shift in workforce skills requirements. This transformation will reshape organisations towards higher technology usage with greater human-machine collaboration, which will generate demand for strategic and value-added roles which are not able to be fulfilled by AI and GenAI. Parallel to these advancements is a substantial surge in technology buyers' investments in AI and GenAI driven enterprise software applications to transform their business operations, said the report.
Date - 25/12/2023
Cyber risks biggest threat faced by Indian orgnaisations: Global survey
Cyber risks are cited as the biggest threat faced by Indian organisations with 38 per cent of respondents feeling highly or extremely exposed to it, says a survey. With this, cybersecurity has jumped two spots from number three to number one on the risk radar when compared to the 2022 Global Risk Survey, the PwC's 2023 Global Risk Survey, India edition, stated. PwC said the final results of the survey are based on 3,910 survey responses from Business and Risk Management leaders (CEO, board, risk management, operations, technology, finance, audit) across 67 territories providing their views on the status and direction of risk in their organisation. 163 Indian organisations were a part of this survey. Other digital and technology risks are also top concerns for business leaders in India (at 35 per cent).
Date - 25/12/2023
Paytm bets big on AI, saves on employee costs to drive efficiency
New Delhi, December 25: Indian mobile payments pioneer Paytm has its eyes set on Artificial Intelligence to not just innovate faster but also streamline its workforce. The company which introduced India to mobile payments, is building an India-scale AI system that will help various financial institutes in capturing possible risks and frauds, while also protecting them from new kinds of risks due to advancement in AI. In doing so, the company is also optimising its workforce as it eliminates repetitive tasks, and encourages its employees to adapt to AI.
Date - 25/12/2023
Expect a deepfakes boom as hackers master use of AI, ML
With the growth of Large Language Models (LLMs) like OpenAI's ChatGPT, Artificial Intelligence (AI) exploded in the public arena in 2023. According to experts, this trend is expected to continue beyond 2024, as both hackers and cybersecurity professionals continue to improve their usage of AI and Machine Learning (ML). Recently, Infosys founder Narayana Murthy's two new deepfake videos were shared on social media, purportedly promoting a so-called investing platform 'Quantum AI', claiming that the user of this new technology would be able to earn $3,000 (around Rs 2.5 lakh) on the first working day. One of the videos showed a morphed version of Murthy claiming to be working on a 'Quantum AI' project with tech billionaire Elon Musk.
Date - 24/12/2023
'Systems need to monitor AI deployment in financial sector and identify emerging risks'
The use of AI by financial sector firms has been growing in recent years. AI has the potential to increase innovation and efficiency, but it may also pose risks to financial stability, said the Financial Stability Oversight Council of the US. Established in 2010 under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the Financial Stability Oversight Council provides comprehensive monitoring of the stability of US financial system. The Council recommends monitoring the rapid developments in AI, including generative AI, to ensure that oversight structures keep up with or stay ahead of emerging risks to the financial system while facilitating efficiency and innovation.
Date - 23/12/2023
Digital payments see huge surge in Ayodhya as city prepares for Ram Temple
As the city prepares to welcome thousands of guests for the consecration ceremony of Ram Temple next month, real-time unified payments interface (UPI)-based digital payments have made life super easy for local vendors from all walks of lives here. From boatmen on the banks of the Sarayu river to flower/prasad sellers at Hanuman Garhi, QR-code based payments have witnessed a meteoric rise in recent months. "Digital payments have made my life easy as there is no running around for cash change. The money goes directly into my son's bank account via UPI, which is such a relief for us," Annu Manjhi, one of the 100-odd boatmen at the bank of Sarayu river, told IANS.
Date - 23/12/2023
Green Hydrogen Mission: Initiatives that NTPC, GAIL and other govt entities are taking
Various government-owned entities including NTPC and GAIL are taking a number of steps to aid the ambitious National Green Hydrogen Mission by setting up projects, Parliament was informed on Thursday. In January, the Centre approved the mission with an outlay of Rs 19,744 crore. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is implementing the mission which aims to make India the global hub for production, usage and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives, Union Minister R K Singh told the Lok Sabha in response to a question. On the present status of adoption of green hydrogen in the country, the minister for new and renewable energy said, GAIL Ltd has started India's maiden project of blending hydrogen in city gas distribution grid.
Date - 22/12/2023
AI, ML based research has enabled processing of large volumes of data in DAE: Jitendra Singh
The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has been extensively using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) based research in all its activities such as content verification and anomaly detection, physical intrusion detection, biometric and face recognition, vehicle identification and management, etc for high end results, according to the Union Minister for Atomic Energy and Space Dr Jitendra Singh. In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, Jitendra Singh said in past five years, DAE collaborated with academic institutions for various AI/ML related research projects and programmes which are robust shape based Face Recognition System and robust and scalable computer vision systems for smart multi camera video surveillance. The projects and programmes undertaken in collaboration with academic institutions in these domains include early detection of breast cancer using thermal/ infrared imaging, AI application for classification of the lesions mapped by infrared images, diabetic eye diseases detection and classification using convolutional neural network (CNN), unsupervised radiation field mapping inside cyclotron vault, unsupervised area surveillance by drone, Indian sign language coder and decoder, video compression for low bit rate video conferencing and Neutron Gamma separation for DAQ system, the minister said.
Date - 22/12/2023
Demand for SEBI-like regulator for social media platforms to check deepfakes
A SEBI-like regulatory body is needed for social media platforms to curb growing deepfakes and synthetic videos, BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi demanded in Rajya Sabha on Thursday. Raising the issue through a Zero Hour mention, he said deepfake videos and synthetic videos are threatening democracy in the country. "There is a lot of disinformation... People don't have tools to verify," he said, adding women are soft targets of deepfakes.
Date - 22/12/2023
Embrace Green AI to limit climate change and move towards a net-zero world
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has proven to be a useful and promising ally to limit the impact of climate change. This blockbuster technology has showcased ample potential to quicken our shift to a net-zero world. By making systems more efficient, AI can reduce emissions. Using AI, Alphabet's Google and American Airlines helped planes create fewer vapor trails, which contribute to global warming. Also, Google uses it to forecast river floods and recommend eco-friendly routes on its maps service. But what about AI's own impact on the global carbon footprint? AI has progressed at a breakneck speed and has evolved from predictive to generative. The challenge now is to design AI systems that consume less power but are more powerful than their predecessors.
Date - 22/12/2023
Card-on-File: RBI introduces card tokenisation facility at bank level
The RBI on Wednesday introduced a Card-on-File (CoF) token facility at the level of banks and other institutions to provide convenience for cardholders to get tokens created and linked to their existing accounts with various e-commerce applications. At present, a CoF token can only be created through the merchant's application or webpage. For a CoF, a token is a 16-digit number unique for a combination of card, token requestor and merchant. Through tokenisation, the actual card details are replaced with token credentials that can be used only with the intended merchant.
Date - 21/12/2023
An average of 3 attacks per month per Android device were observed in 2023: Report
Data Security Council of India (DSCI) in collaboration with SEQRITE, today launched the India Cyber Threat Report 2023 at the 18th edition of nasscom-DSCI Annual Information Security Summit 2023. The report was launched by S. Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology and Ashwani Lohani, CEO, GMR Aero Services and Former Chairman, Railway Board & Air India, alongside Vinayak Godse, CEO, DSCI and Vishal Salvi, CEO, Quick Heal. The joint report is a first-of-its-kind initiative specifically tailored for the Indian cybersecurity landscape. The comprehensive Threat Report aims to empower businesses with India-centric knowledge and actionable recommendations to fortify their cybersecurity posture. The report includes a detailed exploration of the geographic and sectoral impact of cyber threats, unveiling the top states, cities, and industries targeted throughout the year.
Date - 21/12/2023
MoES stepped up use of AI in meteorological research for more accurate weather forecasts: Rijiju
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) technologies are being used to improve the prediction skill of weather, climate, and ocean forecasts at various institutes under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, said the Union Minister of Earth Sciences, Kiren Rijiju in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has established a dedicated AI and ML virtual center tasked with developing and testing various AI and ML techniques and capacity building activities by conducting workshops and conferences. A computing environment and virtual workspace for training and deploying AI models has been established on graphical processor-based server in India Meteorological Department (IMD), the minister informed the house. Achievements and outcomes of AI and ML in the research and development (R&D) of weather prediction are as follows:
- Improved the short-range precipitation forecast in 1-day, 2-day and 3-day lead times with a reduction in bias.
- Developed high-resolution (300m) urban gridded meteorological data sets for temperature and precipitation.
- Developed the time-varying Normalized Difference Urbanization Index with a spatial resolution of 30 meters from 1992-2023.
- Developed very high-resolution precipitation data sets for verification purposes.
- Deep Learning approach is being explored for precipitation nowcasting using data from Doppler Weather Radars (DWRs).
Date - 21/12/2023
India working on creating global framework for Artificial Intelligence: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday that Artificial Intelligence is a dynamic issue and that India is working on creating a global framework for AI. While interacting with the participants of the Grand Finale of the Smart India Hackathon via video conferencing, the Prime Minister said, "AI is a very dynamic issue. If one solution is brought in, the mischievous people will find another way. We have to be very alert to any new technology. It can be very useful if used within rules, but if it is used in the wrong way, it can create a lot of problems." "We all are aware of the generative AI-created deep fake videos that look completely real. Hence we need to be more alert before believing any photo or video. India is working on creating a global framework for AI," said PM Modi.
Date - 20/12/2023
$12 bn India's digital media & entertainment landscape to triple in size by 2030
India's digital media and entertainment landscape, which is currently valued at $12 billion, is likely to triple in size, a report showed on Wednesday. The growing maturity of internet users coupled with increasing spend on digital media is expected to enable the sector to recover from the recent slowdown in market due to a dip in digital ad spending, among other macro challenges, according to Redseer Research. In the last two years, Non-Real Money Gaming (RMG) and the increased uptake of OTT Video have contributed majorly to the sector's growth trajectory despite a slowdown in digital ad spend.
Date - 20/12/2023
Digital India needs collaborative efforts between govt and industry to navigate complexities of evolving landscape
As India's digital landscape transforms rapidly, a recent panel discussion on "Digital India Act - An imperative for the $ 1 trillion digital economy vision" shed light on the challenges and opportunities inherent in this evolution. The discussion was very engaging at ET Legal Convention & Awards 2023, which took place on the occasion of OpenAI's first anniversary and saw the participation of Moderator-Vivan Sharan, Partner at Koan Advisory, along with the panelists- Dr Gulshan Rai, former National Cybersecurity Coordinator (NCSC), PMO, Govt. of India, Deepak Jacob, President, Corporate Affairs, Dream Sports and Rameesh Kailasam, Chief Executive Officer, IndiaTech.org (Technology Services Industry Association). The insights shared underscored the imperative need for principle-based legislation to remain resilient against technological and business model changes. The speakers emphasized that such an approach will ensure that the Digital India Act ushers in the next phase of growth for Indian startups whilst safeguarding the interests of the Indian users. The discussion opened with Vivan Sharan reflecting on the profound changes witnessed in the digital realm over the past year. He remarked that the last few years have been marked by the exponential growth of emerging technologies and their vast array of unprecedented socio-economic challenges. This observation set the stage for a discourse on the imperative need for the Digital India Act, which can lay down a comprehensive legislative framework that protects India's sovereignty in the digital realm and catapults technological innovation by defining India's growth story.
Date - 20/12/2023
Use of Indian languages in AI will bring down bias in technology: Meity secretary
Use of Indian languages in programming for artificial intelligence (AI) will bring down biases in the next generation of technology using only limited or specific languages, a senior government official said on Monday. Speaking at a media event, ministry of electronics and IT secretary S Krishnan said when foundational models for AI around languages are developed for adoption at scale in India, it will provide leadership opportunities for the country. At present, the government is working on AI technology to enable citizens across the country to communicate with each other seamlessly using digital translation tools developed under the Bhashini program.
Date - 19/12/2023
UPI major driving force in growth of digital payment: MoS Finance
Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has been the major driving force in the overall growth of digital payment, and helped in reducing bank notes in circulation to 7.8 per cent in the last financial year, the government said on Monday. UPI transactions have grown from 92 crore in 2017-18 to 8,375 crore in 2022-23 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 147 per cent in terms of volume, Minister of State for Finance Bhagwat K Karad said in a written reply to Lok Sabha. Similarly, he said, the value of UPI transactions has grown from Rs 1 lakh crore in 2017-18 to Rs 139 lakh crore in 2022-23 at a CAGR of 168 per cent.
Date - 19/12/2023
Second home-built 700 MW nuclear plant at Kakrapar achieves first criticality
India's second home-built 700 MW nuclear power reactor at Kakrapar in Gujarat achieved its first criticality, the start of the controlled fission reaction, early Sunday, setting the stage for its gradual move towards producing electricity for commercial purposes. The first criticality was achieved at 1.17 am in the presence of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) Chairman-cum-Managing Director B C Pathak. Kakrapar Atomic Power Project (KAPP) Unit-4 is the second in the series of 16 indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) of 700 MW each being set up in the country.
Date - 19/12/2023
Aditya-L1 solar mission to reach its destination, Lagrange Point 1, in 1st week of Jan
Aditya-L1, India's first solar mission, will reach its destination, Lagrange Point 1, early next month, to be precise, around the first week of January 2024, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said on December 18 in an interview. "ISRO will conduct a series of tests related to Indiaâ??s maiden human Space mission, Gaganyaan, in the course of the next year," he added. With the unlocking of Space Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the country's masses have been able to witness the launch of the mega space events like Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya. Over 10,000 people came to see the Aditya launch and some 1,000 media persons were there during the Chandrayaan-3 launching.
Date - 19/12/2023
Microsoft launches robust AI 'small language model' for researchers
Microsoft has released its newest compact "small language model" titled Phi-2 that continues to perform at par or better than certain larger open-source Llama 2 models with less than 13 billion parameters. Over the past few months, the Machine Learning Foundations team at Microsoft Research has released a suite of small language models (SLMs) called "Phi" that achieve remarkable performance on a variety of benchmarks. The first model, the 1.3 billion parameter Phi-1 achieved state-of-the-art performance on Python coding among existing SLMs (specifically on the HumanEval and MBPP benchmarks).
Date - 18/12/2023
Generative AI could boost India's economy by $1.2-1.5 trillion in the next seven years: Study
Generative AI could boost India's economy by $1.2-1.5 trillion in the next seven years as the Gen AI revolution unfolds across the globe, promising significant disruption and innovation, according to an EY report. The report titled 'The AIdea of India: Generative AI's impact on India's digital growth' said that if India fully utilised Gen AI technology across various sectors, it could potentially contribute an additional $359-438 billion to the economy in the fiscal year 2029-30. The EY analysis said that this would result in a 5.9%-7.2% increase in GDP compared to the baseline.
Date - 18/12/2023
Over Rs 1000 cr investments received in space startups in last 9 months: Jitendra Singh
An investment of over Rs 1,000 crore has been pumped into space startups in last nine months of the current financial year from April to December 2023, Union Minister of State for Space Dr Jitendra Singh has said. During an interaction with media at the Zee TV National Conclave in New Delhi on Sunday, the minister said this has been possible because after a bold decision taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India's space sector has been opened up for private players, as a result of which there is an overwhelming response from Industry as well as investors from private sector. Citing the application of satellites and drones in mapping land ownership under the SVAMITVA scheme and face recognition technology for DLC, Jitendra Singh said, "our Chandrayaan Mission was the first to discover evidence of water on the Moon."
Date - 18/12/2023
PM Modi uses AI-based Bhashini to translate his Hindi speech to Tamil in real time
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said technology is helping him reach out to more people. The PM's speech at an event in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi on Sunday was translated in real-time using artificial intelligence (AI) technology. "This was my first experience. As usual, I speak in Hindi and AI will translate it to Tamil," he said, addressing the audience at the Kashi Tamil Sangamam. "This is a new beginning and hopefully, it makes it easier for me to reach you," the Prime Minister said.
Date - 18/12/2023
QETCI, MeitY launch Quantum Security Centre and release Quantum Value Chain report
Quantum Ecosystems and Technology Council of India (QETCI), along with the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), organized the 1st National Quantum Science and Technology Symposium (NQSTS) on 14th & 15th December 2023 at Scope Convention Centre in New Delhi. National Quantum Science and Technology Symposium (NQSTS) was organized with the objective to galvanize the Quantum Eco System and develop synergies to leverage Quantum Technology to solve real life problems. NQSTS is a quantum odyssey designed to break boundaries, spark innovation, and unite visionaries to envision and explore the disruptive use of quantum technology with shared global learning. The highlight of the 2-day symposium was the launch of the Centre for Quantum Security-a joint initiative by Quantum Science and Technology Symposium (QETCI) and CR Rao Advanced Institute of Mathematics Statistics and Computer Science (CR Rao AIMSCS).
Date - 18/12/2023
CeNS Bengaluru researchers unveil simple new pathway to attain soft tunable 3D photonic crystal
A new pathway to attain soft tunable 3D photonic crystal that can control light in all directions by introducing nanoparticles of appropriate shape and size in the blue phase liquid crystal can pave the way for sophisticated photonic devices. The research team from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bengaluru, an autonomous institution of Department of Science and Technology (DST) has shown an elegant pathway to achieve complete photonic bandgap in BPs. The simple and cost-effective methodology developed by the team led by Dr Geetha Nair involves ingenious ways of incorporating high refractive index nanoparticles of appropriate shape and size in the blue phase liquid crystal, according to the Ministry of Science & Technology. The spherical-shaped, Selenium nanoparticles with a high refractive index that get confined inside the defect cores of the BP effectively increased the refractive index contrast. This led to PBG width getting enhanced, a clear indication that the BP is driven towards a complete PBG system. The results were published in the Journal Nanoscale.
Date - 18/12/2023
From Information Age to the Age of Intelligence
It is not too distant in the past that the world witnessed a great transformation resulting from a combination of epoch-making developments - all occurring around the same time at the beginning of the 1990s. These literally created a 'new world order' impacting not only the economy and business but national security and international cooperation as well. An unprecedented level of 'globalisation' was reached in terms of both economic expansion and a universally shared threat to security when the Cold War ended due to the dismemberment of the USSR and the demise of International Communism, the advent of Information Technology revolution created border fewer markets and faith-based new global terror rooted in Islamic 'radicalisation' represented by Taliban, Al Qaeda and ISIS registered a rising graph.
Date - 18/12/2023
AI will evolve in ways we may not understand; global framework urgently needed: Minister
"We see AI as a significant bolt to the already galloping Indian digital economy, acting as a kinetic enabler. To enable the AI ecosystem, we have put together an overall framework that talks about AI compute capacity," Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Electronics & IT, said on December 16. Addressing a media event in Bengaluru, he highlighted that AI can Propel India's digital economy, fostering growth in sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, and governance. He emphasized the positive influence AI could have on startups, expanding their opportunities and contributing to India's overall development. "The Government will deploy financial resources for building foundational models, Large Language Models (LLMs), and various use cases. Similar to the semiconductor model, we will fund startups as well. We maintain a clear focus on building an academic, industry, and startup research ecosystem, which we refer to as the Innovation and Research Center," he said.
Date - 17/12/2023
Hyderabad company with French collaboration to make advanced gimbals for Armed Forces
Hyderabad-based HC Robotics will make advanced gimbals for Indian Armed forces with the collaboration of French company Merio. A high level delegation from French company Merio led by its CEO Remi Plenet on Friday met the Telangana's Minister for Industries and IT D. Sridhar Babu to explain the company's plans of building new technologies in Hyderabad. The minister assured necessary support and help for this unique and first of such projects in India.
Date - 17/12/2023
Genrobotics chosen among top three Indian startups at global AI summit
Genrobotics, a Kerala-based startup acclaimed for leveraging technology for social change, has been adjudged among top three Artificial Intelligence (AI) startups of India at the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Summit 2023 organised by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in New Delhi. Genrobotic's G-gaiter Robotic Technology won the award in 'AI Game Changers' category at the December 12-14 summit held at Bharat Mandapam, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a statement said on Saturday. S Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and IT presented the award to Afsal Muttikkal, Regional Director, Genrobotics Medical and Mobility and Arun Dominic, Regional Business Development Manager.
Date - 17/12/2023
India, Tanzania agree to share solutions for digital transformation; MoU approved by cabinet
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was apprised of an MoU signed on October 9, 2023 between the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Ministry of Information, Communication and Information Technology of the United Republic of Tanzania on cooperation in the field of sharing successful digital solutions implemented at population scale for digital transformation. The MoU intends to promote closer cooperation and exchange of experiences, digital technologies-based solutions in the implementation of digital transformational initiative of both the countries. Both G2G and B2B bilateral cooperation in the field of digital public infrastructure (DPI) will be enhanced. The activities contemplated in this MoU would be financed through their administration's regular operating allocations, according to an official press release.
Date - 16/12/2023
Focus on design, creation of IP will cement India's rise as product nation: MeitY Secretary S Krishnan
Focus on design and creation of IP is crucial to India's ambitions as a product nation, IT Secretary S Krishnan on Thursday said, exhorting electronics products designers in the country to prioritise aspects such as inclusivity, aesthetics, and user experience in designing products for wider audiences. Design elements add substantial value to products, particularly in the electronics and digital space, Krishnan said while addressing the '23rd India Design Summit and Awards' organised by CII and World Design Organisation. Citing an example of just how important design elements are in the digital era, he said in case of a USD 1,000 iPhone, about USD 250 is paid to vendors while a substantial amount is retained by the designers in Cupertino.
Date - 15/12/2023
ISRO leveraging Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning in space domain: Jitendra Singh
Over the last three years, ISRO has been steadily leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in the space domain, adapting with fast-paced technological developments in these areas, Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology, said today. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning solutions are being developed for launch vehicles, spacecraft operations, big data analytics, space robotics, space traffic management, and for building egovernance solutions for the citizens of the country. The Minister stated this in his written reply to a question raised in the Rajya Sabha. Dr Jitendra Singh said that the projects in the domains of Artificial Intelligence being undertaken by the Department of Space are at different stages of feasibility studies and implementation. The major projects include the following:
- Launch vehicle and spacecrafts mission trajectory design and autonomous operations;
- Launch vehicle and satellites health monitoring and prediction from the telemetry data;
- Satellite Data Processing for Resource mapping, weather prediction, disaster prediction, geo-intelligence (object and change detection), Precision agriculture, Agroforestry etc.
- Humanoid robots and chatbots
- Space Robotics and smart manufacturing in space.
Date - 15/12/2023
UP Cabinet approves opening of 57 cyber crime police stations
The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet on Tuesday approved the opening of 57 cyber crime police stations in the state. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna told reporters that a decision in this regard was taken at the meeting of the cabinet, which was presided over by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Khanna said that the cabinet gave its approval to establish cyber crime police stations in the state's 57 districts, including Ghaziabad, Raebareli, Sitapur, Hardoi, Kanpur Dehat, Etawah, Baghpat, Barabanki, Mainpuri and Rampur.
Date - 15/12/2023
Cryptocurrencies and CBDC: The challenge of regulation and the potential for growth
The data from CoinSwitch, which operates a crypto buying and selling platform in India, shows that Delhi leads in crypto adoption in the country, followed by the IT hubs of Bangalore and Hyderabad. Among the tier-2 cities, Jaipur has the highest crypto adoption, in case of CoinSwitch users, followed by Lucknow and Pune. There are over 19 million crypto users at CoinSwitch-94% of them use android phones to buy and sell their crypto assets. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin and others have become highly popular among young investors in India in the last few years.
Date - 10/12/2023
Ultrathin graphene coating can make glasses scratch-resistant, IIT Delhi researchers find
A research carried out by Sourav Sahoo (Prime Minister's Research Fellow) working under the supervision of Prof. Nitya Nand Gosvami from the Materials Science and Engineering Department, and Prof. N. M. Anoop Krishnan from the Civil Engineering Department at IIT Delhi demonstrated that the deposition of atomically thin two-dimensional material like graphene can remarkably increase the scratch durability of glass surfaces by leveraging its two fundamental characteristics - slipperiness and rigidity. "Nanoscale scratch experiments on silica glass surfaces against hard diamond probes reveal that the graphene coating effectively transforms the glass surface into a highly smooth, ultra-low friction surface-down to the regimes of "superlubricity." Moreover, the load-bearing ability of graphene shields the underlying glass from the applied pressure, which further mildens the damage from aggressive abrasion to minuscule surface depression," Prof. Nitya Nand Gosvami said. "To put in perspective, graphene layers have one-millionth the thickness of human hair. Our computational model confirmed that such subnanometer-thin graphene layers act as a resilient shield for glasses, adept at safeguarding them from stresses during contacts," added Prof. N.M. Anoop Krishnan.
Date - 09/12/2023
IIT Roorkee conducts research to deploy drones in coal mines for improving logistics, safety
In a significant move to accelerate digitalization in coal mines a team of robotics researchers from IIT Roorkee conducted tests in the opencast mines of Chhattisgarh-based Coal India subsidiary, South Eastern Coalfields Ltd. The IIT Roorkee team consisting of robotics expert Prof. Dr. Pushparaj Mani Pathak, Post-doctoral researcher Dr. Ashish Gupta and Masters student Zounnoon Ali Shaaban recently conducted tests related to drones in the Rajnagar coal mine of Hasdeo area and visited the Amadand mine of Jamuna Kotma area of SECL, the release from the Ministry of Coal said. Under the project, the team has started working on developing a drone to overcome the problems related to stock measurement in open-cast mines. The team also successfully tested the drone manufactured in their institute's laboratory for the use of drone technology in coal mines.
Date - 09/12/2023
Cyber fraud diminishes trust in online transactions, against aspirations of Digital Bharat: Delhi High Court
Financial losses due to cyber fraud diminish people's trust in online transaction platforms which is against the aspirations of an "advanced Digital Bharat", the Delhi High Court has said, noting this discourages newcomers from entering the digital realm negatively impacting the economy. The court's observations came while refusing to grant bail to a man, accused in a case of defrauding people of their hard earned money through financial frauds committed with the help of a mobile application. It noted that the conspiracy in the present case must have attracted thousands of investors as the money trail till date, prima facie, is of about Rs 140 crore.
Date - 09/12/2023
RBI to introduce regulatory framework for web-aggregators of loan products
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will formulate a regulatory framework for web aggregators of loan products (WALP) to ensure greater transparency and neutrality in the sector. The move is based on the recommendations of the working group to bring loan aggregation services offered by the lending service providers (LSPs) under a comprehensive regulatory framework. Speaking to the media at the post monetary policy press meet, the RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said the central bank has noticed few instances of push selling and this framework will help in avoiding mis-selling of products.
Date - 09/12/2023
J&K administration issues guidelines to curb social media misuse
The authorities in Kashmir have issued guidelines for social media users under CrPC Section 144 in order to contain spread of content that is communally sensitive or promoting terrorism and secessionism. "The guidelines aim to provide clarity on actions citizens should take when encountering content related to terrorism, secessionism, threats, intimidation, or communally sensitive material on social media platforms," the Baramulla district police said on Thursday. Several other districts in Kashmir Valley have issued similar guidelines in the past week. The guidelines come after Director General of Police RR Swain said that posting any content on social media that promotes disharmony will be a criminal offence in Jammu and Kashmir.
Date - 08/12/2023
Digital economy projected to constitute 20% of GDP by 2026, 10000 unicorns to rise: Chandrasekhar
The present times hold unprecedented opportunities for startups to thrive, owing to the transformative initiatives implemented by the government since 2014. Our objective is to achieve 10,000 unicorns. This was stated by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State Electronics & IT, during his address at the Pre-Vibrant Gujarat Summit event, "Startup conclave 2023" held at the Helipad Exhibition Centre in Gandhinagar on Thursday. While addressing startups, investors, industry leaders, and key government officials, the Minister emphasized that startups play a pivotal role in propelling India's growth. "We have transitioned from being consumers of technology for decades to becoming producers of devices, products, platforms, and solutions, not only for India but also for the world. In the last nine years, our economy, once dominated by a few groups and segments, has evolved into a highly diversified one. The GDP, now the fastest growing in the world, reflects a digital economy growing at two and a half times the GDP, making us the fastest growing digital economy globally," the Minister said.
Date - 08/12/2023
In the field of AI, India is looking to take a giant leap to empower its citizens: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has posted on Linkedin an article titled 'Celebrating AI and Indian talent,' on December 8. In the article, he announces the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence Summit 2023, which is being organised between December 12 to 14. In rest of the article he talks about how AI is transforming life in the world. Here's an excerpt from the Prime Minister's article: Decades of fast-paced innovation and the power of human endeavour have brought to life what was once considered to be only in the realm of imagination. In this whirlwind of rapid advancement, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one area where its applications are expanding at an exponential rate.
Date - 08/12/2023
IIT Delhi joins hands with Kaspersky to encourage growth of educational initiatives in cybersecurity
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the cybersecurity company Kaspersky to work together to support and encourage the growth of cybersecurity-related research and educational initiatives at the Institute. Under the agreement, Kaspersky and IIT Delhi will work together to promote cybersecurity education and research to build a more robust cybersecurity workforce in India. The agreement demonstrates both parties' efforts to foster closer cooperation to enhance the security of the computing environment. The MoU includes exchanging knowledge and expertise, developing educational materials, organising and promoting events to raise cybersecurity awareness, and sponsoring merit (academic) awards or prizes to encourage IIT Delhi students to pursue careers in ICT and Cybersecurity.
Date - 08/12/2023
Qualcomm announces support for India's NavIC L1 signals in select chipset
Chip maker Qualcomm Technologies Inc on Wednesday announced their support for India's navigation satellite system NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) in select commercial chipset platforms across the company's upcoming portfolio. The company also said they would continue their work with the Indian Space Research Organisation to accelerate NavIC's adoption which will enhance geolocation capabilities and overall robustness of mobile, automative and Internet of Things solutions in the region. "We're pleased to enhance our commitment to India by enabling support for the newly launched NavIC L1 signals in our chipset platforms. We continue our work with ISRO to further accelerate NavIC's adoption and to enable more advanced geolocation applications with the latest NavIC technologies," said Francesco Grilli, Vice President, Product Management at Qualcomm Technologies Inc.
Date - 07/12/2023
E-governance in Ladakh: Meeting on epramaan authentication, e-services organised by IT Secretary
A meeting on e-pramaan Authentication, and e-services was chaired by Amit Sharma, Administrative Secretary of Information Technology, UT Ladakh the Civil Secretariat, Leh. Amit Sharma alongwith others went through a virtual presentation delivered by expert team of Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), offering a comprehensive overview of the e-pramaan Authentication system. The presentation delved into the details of the technology, emphasizing its potential to streamline and enhance authentication processes. IT Secretary's meeting centred around comprehensive discussions on the integration of e-pramaan Authentication into various services, with a focus on streamlining processes, reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks, and bolstering data security.
Date - 07/12/2023
Value addition in mobile phones needs to go up to 40 pc: MeitY Secretary
While almost all mobile phones sold in India are made indigenously, local value addition in the devices needs to go up to 40 per cent and the government is focussing on building a component base in the country for that, a senior official said on Tuesday. While speaking at Global Technology Summit 2023, Ministry of Electronics and IT Secretary S. Krishnan said that no country in the world can make 100 per cent of entire high technology products as the supply chain is spread across the globe. "Almost the entire requirement of our mobile phones is being manufactured in India. We also need to realize that in many of these places, the value addition is probably about 10 to 15 per cent. We need to go closer to about 35 per cent to 40 per cent. For this reality to happen the government of India's interest is how do you bring in component manufacturing in the country," Krishnan said. He said that there are economists who question the level of value addition achieved under the production-linked incentive programme.
Date - 06/12/2023
India's digital regulatory framework continues to evolve with ever changing needs: Rajeev Chandrasekhar
Underlining the Centre's key focus on safety of digital platforms, Union MoS for IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Tuesday stressed that the digital regulatory framework continues to innovate and evolve with ever changing needs and the Union government was committed for safety and trust on digital platforms. The Union minister IT and Electronics while speaking at the India Internet Governance Forum (IIGF'23) on Tuesday said that the government's strategy for digital platforms will be continuously refined in response to the challenges posed by the dynamic digital landscape. The Union minister, while acknowledging the growing complexity, commercial power, toxicity, and potential harms that have permeated the internet due to the rapid innovations, maintained that a robust framework was needed to navigate these challenges effectively. "Safety and trust as an obligation cast on platforms is a framework that our government has been developing since 2021, and we will continue to fine-tune this," Chandrasekhar said while highlighting that the government has departed from the traditional self-regulatory frameworks and arrived into an era where ensuring a safe and trusted internet for India's 1.2 billion citizens was an obligation.
Date - 06/12/2023
iGOT Karmayogi: Accessibility widget launched on International Day of Persons with Disabilities
On the occasion of International Day of Persons with Disabilities (PwD), on December 3, a new Accessibility Widget was launched at the iGOT Karmayogi Platform. Introduced with the objective of making the iGOT Platform accessible to learners across the government spectrum, the Widget currently offers user-friendly features such as: Screen Reader, Smart Contrast, Text Spacing, Dyslexia Friendly, Saturation, Pause Animations and Page Structure. iGOT's Accessibility Widget seeks to not only empower PwD learners to navigate, and engage with content seamlessly but also demonstrates the Platformâ??s commitment to creating an inclusive and equitable learning experience for all, the release from the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions said.
Date - 06/12/2023
Cyber Surakshit Bharat: MeitY organises 40th CISO Deep Dive Training Programme
National e-Governance Division (NeGD), which functions under the aegis of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, organised the 40th CISO Deep-Dive training programme from December 4 to 8 with 31 participants from Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and New Delhi at Indian Institute of Public Administration in New Delhi. The programme was organised under the NeGDâ??s Capacity Building scheme. Cyber Surakshit Bharat initiative of MeitY was conceptualised with the mission to spread awareness about cyber-crime and build capacities of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and frontline IT officials across all government departments for ensuring adequate safety measures to combat the growing menace.
Date - 06/12/2023
Micron semiconductor unit at Sanand in Gujarat on fastrack, expected to create over 15000 jobs
The construction of Micron's semiconductor is going on in full swing at Sanand in Gujarat and is expected to be completed in about 12 months. The memory and storage products manufactured in this unit will cater to domestic consumption and be exported globally. This was stated by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in a release today.
Date - 06/12/2023
Govt working on small nuclear reactors to enable clean energy transition: Jitendra Singh
The Union government on Wednesday disclosed that it is working on new technologies such as small nuclear reactors to make clean energy transition. In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said nuclear power is considered as one of the most promising clean energy options for power generation. There is a thrust world over for a strategy to use nuclear power that could reduce reliance on fossil fuels over the coming years. Small capacity atomic power plants, popularly called Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), with their unique features of modularity, scalability, small footprint and improved safety present themselves as an attractive option for repurposing of retiring coal-based thermal power station sites.
Date - 06/12/2023
Paleoseismic investigations can help trace earthquake history and prepare for future: Study
Seismogenic liquefaction features like multiple sand dykes and sand sills have been identified by scientists in an active fault in northeastern region (NER), called Kopili fault (KF) zone which is known to have experienced large earthquakes in 1869 and 1943. The study indicates that paleoseismic investigations can help trace and understand the history of earthquakes and help us prepare for the future. The occurrence of great earthquakes in the past, for which no historical or instrumental records are available, can be identified in the form of geological, geomorphological, fluvial signatures and radiocarbon dating, to arrive at the most crucial aspect of recurrence period of major earthquakes in the region. Liquefaction or transformation of a granular material from a solid to liquefied state due to increased pore water pressure is crucial secondary evidence of earthquakes. It occurs mostly in soft sedimentary sequences especially interbedded sand and silt or clay. The structures resulting from liquefaction include sand dykes, sand blows, sand veins, pseudonodules, convolute bedding, load structure, and so on. This is important for designing bridges and big buildings to withstand future large earthquakes, according to the Ministry of Science & Technology.
Date - 06/12/2023
Telangana logs 15,297 cybercrime cases in 2022, highest in India: NCRB
Telangana registered 15,297 cybercrime cases in 2022, the highest in the country, according to the latest NCRB data. Cybercrime in the state has been on an upward trajectory, with 5,024 cases in 2020 and 10,303 in 2021, according to an analysis of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data. The data showed that among the 28 states, Telangana logged the highest number of cybercrime cases, followed by Karnataka with 12,556 and Uttar Pradesh with 10,117 in 2022. The 28 states recorded a cumulative 64,907 cybercrime cases last year.
Date - 06/12/2023
Centre blocks 100+ websites over part-time online job frauds
In a latest crackdown on digital platforms involved in organised investment and task-based part-time job frauds, the Union ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) has blocked over 100 websites. This comes after the National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit (NCTAU), last week identified and recommended action against these portals. The action follows the identification and recommendation by the Ministry of Home Affairs' I4C division, specifically through its National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit (NCTAU). The NCTAU, in its report, pinpointed over 100 websites that were found to be facilitating task-based and organized illegal investment-related economic crimes. An official statement in this regard also highlighted that these websites were allegedly operated by overseas actors by leveraging digital advertising, chat messengers, and mule or rented accounts to orchestrate fraudulent activities.
Date - 06/12/2023
https://government.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/secure-india/building-cyber-safe-india-one-of-the-key-priorities-of-the-ministry-of-home-affairs/105775325
Building a "Cyber Safe India" is one of the top priorities of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The Ministry is committed to curbing cybercrime and protecting people from cyber threat actors. This has been stated by the Ministry of Home Affairs in a release today. "Citizens are also advised to promptly report phone numbers and social media handles used by such fraudsters to the NCRP www.cybercrime.gov.in," the release adds. Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) is an initiative of MHA to deal with cybercrime in the country in a coordinated and comprehensive manner.
Date - 06/12/2023
Source:-Building 'Cyber Safe India' one of the key priorities of the Ministry of Home Affairs
Digital Public Infra has democratized tech; common man now relates to digital infra: EAM
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar talked about India's digital progress, emphasising the success of the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) in democratising technology. "Effort in building and delivering on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) is what the Prime Minister calls democratising technology. Today, the average person not only uses it but also relates to it and of course, the figures that we like to tout out the massive volume of UPI transactions show how readily people take to technology once it is on offer," the EAM said. He was speaking at the 8th Global Technology Summit (GTS) in the national capital on Monday. Jaishankar pointed out that India is rapidly catching up in technology adoption, citing the massive volume of UPI transactions as evidence of how readily people embrace technology when it becomes available.
Date - 05/12/2023
AIC T-Hub lunches startup incubation program to foster growth in India's space tech ecosystem
T-Hub, India's leading startup incubator, has today announced the launch of Space Tech Incubation Program under the AIC T-Hub Foundation program. In collaboration with Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), this initiative is poised to cultivate innovation and fuel growth within India's emerging SpaceTech entrepreneurial landscape. The program aims to empower 10 Space Tech firms across India, leveraging criteria such as founder experience, product innovation, and a robust business model. Participants will gain exclusive access to a spectrum of resources, including grants, venture capitalists, cutting-edge engineering laboratories, global mentors, industry experts, service providers, and the invaluable insights of veteran SpaceTech entrepreneurs. Amongst the selected startups are- Onnes, Nveeas Labs, Spantrik, STEM & Space, TaraMandal, Hindustan Magnesium Products Private Limited.
Date - 05/12/2023
Space tech: ISRO brings back Chandrayaan-3 propulsion module to Earth's orbit
The Propulsion Module (PM) of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft, which was initially intended for lunar operations, was successfully returned to Earth's orbit by ISRO after exceeding its lunar mission objectives, demonstrating India's ability to not only launch objects to the Moon but also bring them back. Following the lunar hop by Vikram (lander), this was another accomplishment that shows that ISRO can restart engines on the moon and operate equipment, both of which were not foreseen, the national space agency stated in a release. "In another unique experiment, like the hop experiment on the Vikram Lander, the Propulsion Module (PM) of Chandrayaan-3 was moved from an orbit around the Moon to an orbit around Earth," the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) stated in its official release.
Date - 05/12/2023
Post Office Bill opens new window for digital banking, to revive postal services as service-delivery institution
The Post Office Bill, 2023 to amend the 125-year-old Indian Post Office Act is a reflection of how post offices and postal institutions were revived in the last nine years, Union communications minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said while tabling the bill in the Parliament. According to Vaishnaw, 1.6 lakh post offices have been connected with core-banking and digital-banking facilities. Also 434 post offices have processed more than 1.25 crore passport applications and 13,500 new post office Aadhaar Seva Kendra have been opened. While moving the Post Office Bill, 2023 to be taken into consideration and passed by the Rajya Sabha, the Union minister said in the last nine-and-a-half years, postal services, post offices and postmen have been transformed into a service-delivery institution from being merely a mail-delivery mechanism.
Date - 05/12/2023
Misuse of technology to create deepfakes threat to society: President Murmu
President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday said that while the use of artificial intelligence (AI) was making people's lives easier, its misuse to create deepfakes poses a threat to society. She said if technology is used properly, it will benefit society, but its misuse will affect humanity. Murmu also said that investing in girls' education is the most valuable investment in the progress of the country. The president was speaking at the 111th convocation of Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU) as the chief guest. "Now every youth understands technology as well as uses it. Any resource can be put to good use and misused as well. The same is true with technology as well. If it is used properly, it will benefit society and the country, but if misused it will affect humanity," she said.
Date - 04/12/2023
Bhashini translation system: India turns to AI to capture its 121 languages
For a few weeks this year, villagers in Karnataka read out dozens of sentences in their native Kannada language into an app as part of a project to build the country's first AI-based chatbot for Tuberculosis. There are more than 40 million native Kannada speakers in India, and it is one of the country's 22 official languages and one of over 121 languages spoken by 10,000 people or more in the world's most populous nation. But few of these languages are covered by natural language processing (NLP), the branch of artificial intelligence that enables computers to understand text and spoken words.
Date - 04/12/2023
SAMRIDHI conclave, a deeptech startup acceleration drive launched at IIT Ropar
The Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh, Banwarilal Purohit, inaugurated a deeptech startup accelerator program dedicated to catalyzing innovation in agriculture and water technology called SAMRIDHI (Strategic Acceleration for Market, Research, Innovation & Development: a Holistic Initiative for ICPS Startups) hosted by iHub AwaDH, a technology and innovation hub set up under National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS). The SAMRIDHI conclave in which five strategic collaborations were formalized, featured five deeptech innovations. A total of 13 startups shortlisted through rigorous evaluation, presented their ideas while 25 startups showcased their solutions at the exhibition. More than 30 experts spoke on strategic acceleration for market research, innovation, and development, according to the Ministry of Science & Technology. Dr Akhilesh Gupta, Secretary of the Science and Engineering Research Board, Senior Adviser, DST, GoI, reinforced the efforts taken by the NMICPS to orchestrate the technology self-reliant Atmanirbhar Bharat. Mission Director of NM on ICPS Dr Ekta Kapoor, projected the key highlights of the mission leading to CPS technology interventions across sectors such as agriculture infrastructure health, defence, and environment.
Date - 04/12/2023
Astronauts for Gaganyaan mission ready and waiting for flight to happen in 2025: ISRO chief
GANDHINAGAR: Indian Space Research Organisation chairman S Somanath said here on Saturday that the astronauts selected for India's first human space flight programme Gaganyaan are ready and waiting for the flight to happen for the 2025 mission. The Gaganyaan programme aims to send four astronauts into space for a three-day mission in 2025 and bring them back safely to Earth. ISRO, whose Chandrayaan-3 made a historic landing near Moon's south pole in August, is working day and night to develop technology to make it happen, Somanath said.
Date - 03/12/2023
Bio-economy records 13 times increase in 10 years; time to define India's bio-vision: Minister
India's bio-economy has recorded an impressive 13 times increase in the last ten years. The time has now come to define the bio-vision for Bharat. This was stated by Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology during his address at the meeting of BRIC society on Saturday. Dr Jitendra Singh today said that the new Apex Autonomous Society called Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council (BRIC) will fulfill the national vision for Atma Nirbhar Bharat in areas like healthcare, food and energy needs by scaling biotech research and innovation. "India is not too far from reaching the league of top-ten countries in Biotech's global ecosystem," the Minister said. Through BRIC, the Government is inculcating the spirit of sabka prayas, and is bringing together the best minds on a unified platform.
Date - 03/12/2023
Space tech: NASA administrator lauds Chandrayaan-3, highlights NISAR mission collaboration with India
Noting India's success in the Chandrayaan-3 mission, NASA administrator Bill Nelson said on Friday that India has done something that no other country has done, and it deserve every bit of praise for the accomplishment. "My congratulations to India. You have landed first around the south pole of the moon. We will have a commercial lander that will land next year, but India was the first. Others have tried, and others have failed. But India was successful. You deserve every bit of praise for this accomplishment. It's very significant," he said while speaking to reporters in Mumbai. Nelson also mentioned the NISAR mission, stating that with the accomplishment of the four major observatories, a complete 3D composite model will be set up to find out what is happening to the Earth.
Date - 02/12/2023
India's startups are designing devices, IP products, solutions, platforms for the world: Chandrasekhar
"We witnessed a shift in narrative at the 2023 Semicon India summit in Gandhinagar, where people were now changing from asking "why India" to questioning â??when are we going to do this in India, and why are we not in India?" Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Electronics & IT, said during his fireside chat at the Bengaluru Tech Summit on Thursday. The Minister shared his insights into India's growing semiconductor industry, AI, and the vital role that startups have been playing in the nationâ??s overall economic growth. "There are many underlying reasons for this shift, however, the most important factor, apart from geopolitics, is the increasing confidence and capabilities of the ecosystem that has developed over the last few years. Over the last five to seven years, our tech economy represents almost every aspect of what is going on around the world. Whether it's AI, semiconductors, electronics, Web 3, supercomputing, high-performance computing," he said.
Date - 02/12/2023
India stands at frontline of innovations in Quantum, 6G, AI; no room for corruption, brokers, middlemen: VP
"These days the world is facing challenges of a very different nature. We have to be equipped with that. Artificial Intelligence is only one facet. Disruptive technologies, their power has to be unleashed; we have to stay with them." This was stated by Jagdeep Dhankhar, Vice-President of India, during his address to the participants of the 49th Advanced Professional Programme in Public Administration (APPPA) of the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) in Delhi on Thursday. "The emerging technologies have made inroads in our houses, in our drawing rooms, our workplaces. The world is still grappling with these new technologies. For the first time, India is among the leading countries that is focusing on making ethical use of these emerging technologies. Earlier we used to get all our new technologies from other countries. They used to formalize a mechanism, and we used to get it from them. We are now doing cutting-edge research in AI and quantum computing. We are developing technologies for Green Hydrogen and 6G," he added.
Date - 01/12/2023
Face authentication technology used by 9.65 lakh pensioners during nationwide DLC Campaign 2.0
The Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Dr Jitendra Singh complimented the Department of Pension and Pensioners Welfare for successful conclusion of the nation-wide Digital Life Certificate Campaign 2.0 from November 1-30. Singh said in a statement on Friday that the DLC Campaign 2.0 was conducted to implement the vision of Prime Minister Modi for digital empowerment of pensioners. He said the government was deeply committed to improving pensioners welfare and the DLC Campaign 2.0 was an important step for ease of living of pensioners. The nation-wide DLC Campaign 2.0 was held in 100 cities at 597 locations from November 1-30, 2023. A total of 1.15 crore DLCs were generated, including 38.47 lakh DLCs for Central government pensioners, 16.15 lakh for state government pensioners and 50.91 lakh for EPFO pensioners. The Department of Pension and Pensioners Welfare in collaboration with pension disbursing banks, ministries/ departments, pensioners' welfare associations, UIDAI and MeitY, conducted the DLC Campaign 2.0 from November 1-30, 2023 at 597 locations in 100 cities across India.
Date - 01/12/2023
Algorand bolsters commitment to Web3 in India through partnerships with T-Hub, NASSCOM, TiE Bangalore
AlgoBharat, Algorand Foundation's India-focused initiative, strengthened its commitment to the Indian Web3 ecosystem with a number of high-profile announcements made at Algorand Impact Summit, a two-day event that began on Thursday in Delhi. The summit convenes business leaders, policymakers, NGOs, and developers to discuss how blockchain can help solve some of the world's most intractable challenges, according to a press release. The partnerships are an extension of Algorandâ??s vision of delivering greater access to markets, capital and financial services by unlocking the power of blockchain technology, especially for the underserved sections of society with limited access to traditional banking infrastructure.
Date - 30/11/2023
'Transformative Technologies-Empowering Next Generation Networks': ETGovernment's roundtable concludes successfully
ETGovernment's roundtable titled 'Transformative Technologies: Empowering Next Generation Networks' was successfully concluded on November 2 in New Delhi. The focus of the roundtable was on transformative digital innovations that are driving progress in the fields of governance, education and healthcare. The roundtable was organised in association with Spirent, the multinational telecommunications testing company. Spirent is one of the key providers of services related to automated test and assurance solutions for networks, cybersecurity and other areas to the government and private sector companies. Top officials from the government, influential institutions, academia and industry attended the Transformative Technologies: Empowering Next Generation Networks roundtable. Technology experts from Spirent were there to talk about the latest innovations that can lead to improvements in the operations of various government departments.
Date - 30/11/2023
Develop digital forensic infrastructure to deal with Dark Web: NHRC chief
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) chairperson Justice Arun Kumar Mishra on Sunday expressed concern about the Dark Web and the threat it poses to society, adding that there is a need to develop a digital forensic infrastructure to deal with it. Speaking at a Constitution Day event here, the former Supreme Court judge also said that public interest litigations (PILs) should not be used for political purposes. "We live in the digital era which is helpful for progress and development. There is a phenomenon of increasing the number of internet users. However, 96 per cent of the cyberspace is the Dark Web. It is used for criminal purposes such as exploitation of children, destroying the right to privacy, modern slavery, trafficking, and demanding ransom by data hacking...it must be stopped," the NHRC chief said. "We must invest and develop a broad-based digital forensic infrastructure to tackle the misuse of cyberspace and criminal commerce. At the same time we have to ensure the digital divide is not there," he said.
Date - 27/11/2023
Digital motion picture preservation: Theodore E. Gluck holds Masterclass at International Film Festival
Filmmakers today are faced with the ever evolving reality of securely archiving their film or file based productions, digitally. A Masterclass session on 'Digital Motion Picture Preservation' was held on Sunday at the 54th International Film Festival of India, Goa. Led by veteran film restoration expert and film historian, Theodore E. Gluck, the Masterclass aimed at emphasizing the efforts of the 'Academy Digital Preservation Forum' in preserving the motion picture in digital format. The release from the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting said that the Masterclass was an initiative of the Science and Technology Council under the 'Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.'
Date - 27/11/2023
ISRO celebrates diamond jubilee of 1st rocket launch; space sector to skyrocket to $100 billion, says minister
The Diamond Jubilee of India's first sounding rocket launch from Thumba in Kerala providentially coincides with the year 2023 which saw the historic twin feats of Chandrayaan-3 and AdityaL1 missions. This was stated by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State for Space. "The year 2023 will also go down in history as the year when Chandrayaan-3 landed on the Moon on August 23, which has been declared as the National Space Day," the Minister added. He was addressing the Commemoration of the 60th year of the First Sounding Rocket Launch at a function at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launch Station (TERLS) on Saturday.
Date - 26/11/2023
Internet, tech can do harm if not regulated via prism of safety, trust: Rajeev Chandrasekhar
Internet and technology - unless regulated carefully through the prism of safety and trust - have the power to harm users, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Friday, adding that 'guardrails' have to be carefully developed without over-regulating innovation. The Minister of State for IT and Electronics said that while artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the biggest inventions of recent times, the government is committed to ensuring the safety of users on digital platforms, given that India is one of the largest connected nations in the world with almost 850 million Indians already using the internet and 1.2 billion estimated to do so by 2025-26. In a video message at the 'DATE with Tech' event, the minister also drew attention to the issue of deepfakes. "You have heard recently our Prime Minister call out the risks of deepfakes. We have all been aware, especially some of us from my generation, who always believe that technology is a great enabler and is a force for good, but the recent events in the last 10 years have also shown that unless regulated carefully and through the prism of safety and trust, internet and the broader technology ecosystem can also be a power for harm and criminality," the minister said.
Date - 25/11/2023
We are confronted with fundamental questions about ethical treatments of AI: CJI D Y Chandrachud
Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud on Saturday said identity and its recognition by the State plays a crucial part in what resources people get and their ability to express their grievances and demand their rights. He was addressing the plenary session of the 36th 'LAWASIA' conference virtually. He spoke on the topic of "Identity, the Individual and the State - New Paths to liberty". Noting that liberty is the ability to make choices for oneself and change our course of life, the Chief Justice said identity intersects with the person's agency and life choices.
Date - 25/11/2023
iPhone warning notifications to MPs: Apple team from US to meet CERT-In officials
Apple's cyber security executives from the US are expected to meet officials of CERT-In this month regarding the show cause notice issued to the company in the wake of several opposition MPs receiving a warning notification on their iPhones. Last month, several opposition leaders claimed they have received an alert from Apple warning them of "state-sponsored attackers trying to remotely compromise" their iPhones and alleged hacking by the government. CERT-In, which comes under Meity, had issued a show cause notice to Apple in this regard.
Date - 25/11/2023
AI can make video look real, create deepfakes; govt is addressing this threat of tech: Minister
"People ask me to talk about tech in the context of India. I say that there is no nation on the planet where tech is transforming the lives of 1.2 billion people daily, in and out, on a very fundamental basis. I think that is the story of Indian tech and how, over the last 9 years, we have created a digital economy that is now innovating, creating innovation, unicorns, and startups." This was stated by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Electronics & IT, during his fireside chat with Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev in Coimbatore. The discussions revolved around Indiaâ??s transformative journey since 2014, where it has forged a path to transform lives, democracy, and governance through the use of technology. As a former chip designer and an entrepreneur who founded Indiaâ??s earliest cellular network, including the one in Tamil Nadu - BPL Mobile, Chandrasekhar emphasized that India has come a long way since independence.
Date - 24/11/2023
AI can never match human ingenuity in advertising: Vikram Sahay, Jt Secy, I&B ministry
"Remember that advertisement is all about making a product or a service unique. Even the best of the software like ChatGPT will never offer that uniqueness. So, do not feel discouraged by them as they often compromise the quality of the advertisements," said Vikram Sahay, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, while delivering his keynote address at the 19th edition of the Marketing Conclave (MarCon), organised by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) on Wednesday in Mumbai. This year MarCon explored, through 30 sessions, across four tracks, the theme of "Tomorrow's Canvas: Tech and the Art of Marketing". The conference was co-powered by Whistle Feed. Addressing the conference's theme topic, Sahay delved into the dynamic intersection of technology and marketing, shedding light on innovative strategies to navigate the evolving landscape of digital advertising.
Date - 24/11/2023
FM Sitharaman stresses on building awareness among people to curb cyber fraud
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said there was a need to build awareness among people on cyber frauds and take the reins of technology in our hands to stop scamsters from gaming the system. Speaking at the 'DATE with Tech' event, the minister said to stop cyber frauds, where people are duped by way of a phone call or SMS, the government periodically reviews public sector banks, and regulator RBI reviews its own systems. Insurance companies also review their systems. "We are constantly doing what is required.... Unless awareness, unless we are able to build that alertness in the mind of people that I should not go by anything that is said on my phone is built, citizens are at risk," Sitharaman said.
Date - 24/11/2023
Commerce Ministry to collaborate with e-commerce companies to promote exports from districts
In a significant move to enable micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and boost e-commerce exports from the country, Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, is collaborating with the various e-commerce players to leverage the districts as export hubs initiative and promote e-commerce exports from the country. In the first such collaboration with different e-commerce platforms, DGFT has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Amazon India. As part of this MoU, Amazon and DGFT will co-create capacity building sessions, training and workshops for MSMEs in districts identified by the DGFT as part of the District as Exports Hub initiative outlined in the Foreign Trade Policy 2023, in a phased manner.
Date - 23/11/2023
PM Modi calls for setting up Social Impact Fund to implement Digital Public Infra in Global South
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday proposed setting up a Social Impact Fund to implement Digital Public Infrastructure in countries of the Global South and also called for global regulations for Artificial Intelligence (AI). At the virtual summit of G20 leaders, he said the decision to create a Digital Public Infrastructure Repository was taken during the grouping's New Delhi summit and more than 50 DPIs from 16 countries have been added to it. "To implement DPI in countries of the Global South, I propose to establish a Social Impact Fund. On behalf of India, I also announce an initial amount of USD 25 million for this. I hope that all of you will join this initiative," Modi said. He said in the age of Artificial Intelligence, there is a need to use technology responsibly. "There is an increasing concern all over the world about the negative use of AI. India has a clear thinking that we should work together on the global regulation of AI."
Date - 23/11/2023
Delhi notifies app-based bus aggregator scheme, move to cut use of intra-city private vehicles
The Delhi government has notified its app-based bus aggregator scheme aiming at reducing intra-city usage of private vehicles and pollution. The Delhi Motor Vehicles Licensing of Aggregator (Premium Buses) Scheme was notified after the approval of Lt Governor VK Saxena. Through the scheme, the government seeks to encourage the middle and upper-middle class to switch to public transport. Under the scheme, an aggregator will be required to ensure the safety and security of women passengers and provide a rapid response mechanism, including a panic button on its app that should be functional at all times and have modalities of API-based integration with law enforcement agencies.
Date - 22/11/2023
54th International Film Festival: AI's role in building virtual worlds, characters highlighted in VFX, Tech Pavilion
India's growth from 10th to the 5th largest media and entertainment economy has been phenomenal. Given the talent and volume of film and media content produced in the country, India will soon become the 3rd largest Media and Entertainment Industry in the world. This was stated by the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Singh Thakur at the 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa. Thakur also inaugurated the VFX and Tech Pavilion at the film festival. Established for the first time in Film Bazaar history by NFDC at IFFI, the VFX and Tech Pavilion will showcase some of the most dynamic, immersive and cutting edge advances in film-making technology in the field of animation, visual effects, virtual reality and CGI.
Date - 22/11/2023
NeGD organizes Digital Government Senior Leaders programme under Digital India
National e-Governance Division (NeGD), which operates under the aegis of the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), is conducting a Digital Government Senior Leaders programme in collaboration with IIM-Bangalore from November 20-25. Officials from the Central government and eight State and Union Territory departments are participating in the programme. The six days intensive workshop is intended to equip the participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to lead and navigate the complexities of digital transformation in the government sector. Organized under NeGD's Capacity Building scheme, this programme is designed to provide exposure to the concept of digital government. It will acquaint the government officers with the benefits of e-governance, and impact that digitization has on public service delivery, citizen engagement and organizational effectiveness.
Date - 21/11/2023
Promise of Artificial Intelligence to improve police work
In Starkville, a small town in the United States, police are able to access feeds from all private and public cameras using hardware and software developed by a company called Fusus. The AI-enabled system funnels live feeds from usually siloed cameras into one central location, and scans for people wearing certain clothes, carrying a particular bag, or traveling in a certain vehicle. The hardware is called SmartCORE and adds AI to ordinary surveillance cameras, then allowing the police to detect different objects, vehicles, clothing and people.
Date - 21/11/2023
Google leverages latest technology to launch largest ever online exhibition on Hindi Cinema
In a one-of-its-kind initiative to digitise the century-long history of the globally celebrated Hindi film industry, Google Arts & Culture on Monday launched the largest ever online exhibition on Hindi Cinema. The exhibit leverages technology, such as Google's Augmented Reality and Street View to offer an immersive experience across over 120 expert-curated stories and over 7,000 assets, including about 5,000 hi-res images and over 1,500 videos, posters and songs related to films spanning early classics such as, "Manthan," to modern blockbusters. The exhibit will be accessible to film enthusiasts and the public free-of-charge on the Google Arts & Culture platform.
Date - 21/11/2023
New SATHI centers to be announced after approval from competent authority: DST
The government on Monday said it will announce new centers to house major analytical instruments for sharing them with research institutions after approval from the competent authority. The recommendations of the empowered committee, chaired by former ISRO chairman K. Radhakrishnan, to examine 12 proposals to identify Sophisticated Analytical and Technical Help Institutes (SATHI), are under the consideration of Ministry of Science and Technology, officials in the ministry said. "The recommendations of the expert committee meeting held in Noida for the proposals received for the SATHI scheme are being processed. They will be announced after approval of competent authority," the Department of Science and Technology (DST) posted on X. The DST said it was also reviewing the Sophisticated Analytical Instrument Facilities (SAIF) programme, a separate scheme with a history of five decades.
Date - 21/11/2023
AlgoBharat summit to discuss future of Blockchain as a pillar in India's growth story
AlgoBharat, Algorand Foundation's India-focused initiative, announced the Algorand Impact Summit, one of the premier blockchain events of the year, being held in Leela, New Delhi on November 30 - December 1. India's significant strides in enhancing the nation's digital public infrastructure and building the regulatory framework for emerging technologies were celebrated during its G20 presidency. Following suit, Algorand Foundation will host policy officials, investors, founders, NGO heads, and business leaders including Dr RS Sharma (former civil servant with three decades of experience in digital governance and innovation), Staci Warden (global policy leader and CEO, Algorand Foundation), Chetna Gala Sinha (Indian social entrepreneur and CEO, Mann Deshi Women's Cooperative Bank), Jayson Berryhill (Co-Founder, Wholechain), Benedetto Biondi (CEO, Folks Finance). The awareness and activity in India's blockchain ecosystem have witnessed a steep rise in recent years, emerging as a transformative force with real-world utility across various sectors. The government's thrust on building the country's digital infrastructure, as well as the Reserve Bank of India's Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) pilot launch late last year, have further fueled the growth of innovation in India.
Date - 21/11/2023
Deepfakes issue: Govt will take major steps by 24th November, says Rajeev Chandrasekhar
Union Minister for Electronics & Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar has echoed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement on deepfakes and misuse of AI. On November 17, speaking at the Diwali Milan programme held at BJP Headquarters here in New Delhi, PM Modi urged people to exercise caution over the rising threats of artificial intelligence in generating 'deepfakes'. Sharing a personal experience, he said he was surprised to see a fake video in which he was performing Garba. "He (PM Modi) has absolutely flagged an issue that he has already flagged and repeatedly brought to the attention of the people of India that while the internet is a tool of empowerment, while AI is a tool of empowerment, growth and innovation, we must not forget that there are people on the internet that use AI and other forms of misinformation to cause harm, chaos in society, disorder and incite violence," said Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
Date - 21/11/2023
Finance ministry asks PSU banks to take measures to strengthen cybersecurity
The Finance Ministry has asked state-owned banks to review systems and processes related to their digital operation in view of the recent UCO Bank incident. According to sources, the banks have been advised to check their cybersecurity robustness and take measures to strengthen them. Banks should keep a tight vigil, and there should be readiness for future cyber threats, sources said. The Finance Ministry and RBI have been sensitising banks on this aspect at regular intervals amid the growing digitisation in the financial sector.
Date - 20/11/2023
Indian cyberspace seeing incidents at higher rate than global average: National Cybersecurity Coordinator
The Indian cyberspace has seen nearly double the number of cyber incidents as compared to the global average, National Cybersecurity Coordinator MU Nair said on Sunday. Addressing a session on 'Aligning Technologies to Future Conflicts' at the Synergia Conclave 2023, Nair said ransomware attack payments of nearly $1.54 billion have been made on an average over the past 10 months, which has doubled since 2022. "These payments are just the tip of an iceberg since several of these incidents go unreported," he said. Nair said the Indian cyberspace has seen cyber incidents at an average of 2127 times during the past six months, which is much more than the global average of 1108.
Date - 20/11/2023
Defence Ministers of India, Australia hold talks; agree to deepen cooperation in AI, anti-drone & anti-submarine warfare, cyber
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a bilateral meeting with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles in New Delhi today. Both the ministers reaffirmed their commitment towards further strengthening the bilateral defence relations. They expressed satisfaction at the increasing military-to-military cooperation between the two countries, including joint exercises, exchanges and institutional dialogue. The Defence Minister congratulated Minister Marles on the maiden and successful conduct of multilateral exercise 'Malabar' by Australia in August this year. Both ministers underscored the importance to further enhance cooperation in information exchange and maritime domain awareness between the two countries. The two sides are also in an advanced stage of discussion to conclude implementing arrangements on Hydrography Cooperation and cooperation for air-to-air refueling.
Date - 20/11/2023
Metaverse: Creating digital twins of cities for enhancing e-service delivery, disaster management
The major cities in India are making significant progress in using metaverse technologies to build their own digital twin in which there is seamless integration of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR). The digital delivery of products and services is at the heart of metaverse. When the virtual world is a replica of the real world, then a host of new digital services for improving the quality of urban life become possible. Metaverse supports the smart cities initiative across critical segments such as healthcare, water management, power management, traffic management, disaster management, infrastructure development and maintenance of law and order.
Date - 20/11/2023
UFO sighted over Imphal airport, IAF scrambles fighter jets, flights suspended for hours
The Indian Air Force scrambled two Rafale fighter jets to search for an 'Unidentified flying object' (UFO) after receiving information of its sighting near Bir Tikendrajit International (BTI) Airport in Manipur's Imphal on Sunday. A senior Airport Authority of India (AAI) official said that the flight operations at the BTI Airport in Imphal were suspended for three hours and twenty minutes from 2.30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon and the flight operations were resumed in the evening as usual after a "thorough checkup about the UFO". The official said that after the sighting of UFO within Imphal controlled airspace, two flights from Delhi and Guwahati have been diverted and three departing Agartala, Guwahati and Kolkata bound flights have been delayed and the flight operations restarted after getting clearance from the competent authority.
Date - 20/11/2023
Indian cyberspace seeing incidents at higher rate than global average: National Cybersecurity Coordinator
The Indian cyberspace has seen nearly double the number of cyber incidents as compared to the global average, National Cybersecurity Coordinator MU Nair said on Sunday. Addressing a session on 'Aligning Technologies to Future Conflicts' at the Synergia Conclave 2023, Nair said ransomware attack payments of nearly $1.54 billion have been made on an average over the past 10 months, which has doubled since 2022. "These payments are just the tip of an iceberg since several of these incidents go unreported," he said. Nair said the Indian cyberspace has seen cyber incidents at an average of 2127 times during the past six months, which is much more than the global average of 1108.
Date - 20/11/2023
Manned mission Gaganyaan in 2025, India's own Space Station by 2035, moon landing in 2040: Minister
Now it is a common sight to see people wearing Hawai chappals boarding the Hawai-Jahaz (Air Flight). Air travel in India is no longer a luxury of the elite. The governmentâ??s policies have made airfare affordable and the number of airports have been doubled from 75 in 2014 to over 150 today. This was stated by Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology. He was speaking on the occasion of the completion of 75 years of the Aeronautical Society of India (AeSI). Dwelling on the Aeronautical and Space sectors, Dr Jitendra Singh informed that after India's totally indigenous Maiden Manned Mission Gaganyaan in 2025, India will have its own Space Station by 2035 and an Indian will land on Moon in 2040.
Date - 19/11/2023
President Murmu raises 'deep-fake problem', says police need to be updated on technology
Highlighting the use of generative artificial intelligence by criminals and the problem of deep-fake, President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday said police officers have to always be updated in the field of technology. Addressing a group of Indian Police Service (IPS) probationers of 2022 batch who had called on her at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here, the president said that police forces have many challenges like cyber crime, drug cartels, left-wing extremism and terrorism. "Circumstances change rapidly due to the influence of new technology and social media. Generative artificial intelligence is used by criminals and problems like deep-fake are coming to the fore," Murmu said.
Date - 19/11/2023
AI plays role in news but has ethical challenges; media must commit to truth: Vice-President
"We stand at a crucial point in history, witnessing rapid global evolution driven by advancing technology. The digital age has ushered in a new era where Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly used to produce news content. While AI undoubtedly adds a new dimension to news reporting, it is crucial to recognize its limitations." This was stated by Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur during his address to the media fraternity on the occasion of National Press Day. The theme of the event was Media in the era of Artificial Intelligence. The event was presided by Smt. Justice Rajana Prakash Desai, Chairperson, Press Council of India. Thakur said that as Bharat was poised to become the third largest economy in just a few years from now, he looked forward to the media playing an increasingly constructive role in not only in highlighting the story of transforming India, but also the hopes, aspirations of a billion voices from across various regions and sectors.
Date - 17/11/2023
Delhi HC directs Centre to frame policy on online sale of drugs within 8 weeks
The Delhi High Court on Thursday gave the Central government eight weeks to frame a policy to regulate online sale of drugs or medicines. In August, the court had directed both the Centre and the AAP government to take action against individuals involved in online sale of drugs without a valid licence. A division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma (now elevated to SC) and Justice Sanjeev Narula had granted the Centre a period of six weeks to take appropriate measures and inform the court about its final stance on illegal sale of drugs online.
Date - 17/11/2023
India's scientific capabilities at par with international benchmarks: Jitendra Singh
The Union Minister of State (IC) for Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh said on Thursday that scientific breakthroughs have been used to bring 'Ease of Living' for the common man in the last decade. He said Indiaâ??s global supremacy will be determined by its scientific prowess. The recent twin achievements of Chandrayaan-3 and Covid vaccine have placed India's scientific community at par with international benchmarks, he noted. Jitendra Singh was briefing the media in New Delhi about the upcoming 9th India International Science Festival (IISF) - 2023 to be held in Faridabad in January 2024. IISF is an outreach festival for those who could get benefitted by science, technology and innovation. The role of science & technology has permeated in every aspect of our lives as almost all ministries and departments are having STI applications for sectoral development, the minister said.
Date - 17/11/2023
AI backed 'deep fakes' concerning, need to check it via awareness campaigns: PM Modi
Amid growing concerns around use of artificial intelligence (AI) for creating 'deep fakes', Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that the new challenges imposed by new age technology needs to be addressed through information campaigns. While speaking at a function in New Delhi PM Modi laid emphasis on the role of media to educate the public regarding the new emerging crisis. Prime Minister Modi while maintaining that India will be transformed into a 'Viksit Bharat' (developed India), said that this vision is not just a set of words but a tangible reality. He also acknowledged the strong support received for the 'vocal for local' initiative, indicating a growing awareness and preference for locally produced goods and services among the people. In his address, PM Modi also reflected on India's accomplishments amid the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. PM Modi also highlighted that these achievements instilled confidence among the citizens that the country is on a continuous path of progress.
Date - 17/11/2023
T-Hub marks 8 years of innovation, unveils T-Scale for startups, establishes industry partnerships
T-Hub, India's leading startup incubator, celebrated its 8th Foundation Day, on November 16, with a display of innovation and strategic collaborations. The event, themed "Infinite Innovation," showcased T-Hub's commitment to shaping the future of entrepreneurship. In the last 8 years, T-Hub has contributed to a total investment of $3.5 billion in the startups it has nurtured, fueled innovation with 600+ corporate partnerships, facilitated 500 mentor connections and engaged over 3000 startups. Distinguished guests including Jayesh Ranjan, IAS Principal Secretary, Information Technology (IT) Government of Telangana; BVR Mohan Reddy, Founding Director, T-Hub; Mahankali Srinivas Rao, CEO of T-Hub; Vamsi Reddy, Partner, Kaalari Capital; Raj P Narayanam, Executive Chairman and Founder, Zaggle, Sujith Jagirdar, CIO, T-Hub and Anish Anthony, CDO, T-Hub.
Date - 17/11/2023
India, USA sign MoU to boost cooperation and enhance innovation in startup ecosystem
India and the USA have signed an agreement to boost cooperation and enhance innovation in the startup ecosystem in the two countries. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on "Enhancing Innovation Ecosystems through an Innovation Handshakeâ?? under the framework of India-US Commercial Dialogue was signed between the two countries on November 14 in San Francisco. In June, Prime Minister Modi paid a state visit to the US at the invitation of President Biden. The leaders' Joint Statement during the official state visit announced the establishment of the "Innovation Handshake". The MoU was signed at the kick-off industry roundtable titled, "Decoding the â??Innovation Handshake": US-India Entrepreneurship Partnership" in San Francisco. At the event, supported by National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) and Startup India, CEOs from major ICT companies, executives from venture capital firms, and founders of startups in the critical and emerging technology space discussed how to enhance US-India technology collaboration.
Date - 16/11/2023
CAG GC Murmu expresses concern about security, integrity of data due to AI-generated malware
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) GC Murmu has expressed concern about the security and integrity of data as it can be manipulated by AI-generated malware. In a press release issued today, the CAG said that it has been following the developments in artificial intelligence (AI) closely and is concerned about the potential risks associated with the use of AI, such as the manipulation of data by AI-generated malware. "CAG of India is the Chair of SAI20, the G20 engagement group for Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI). During India's presidency of SAI20, CAG had chosen Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI) as one of the focus areas. A seminar on Responsible AI was organised at CAG headquarters to acquaint the senior officials with challenges and opportunities presented by AI in February 2023. Extensive discussions on Responsible Al were held as part of the Senior Officers Meeting of SA120 at Guwahati in May 2023 and at the SAI Summit in Goa in June 2023. The discussions emphasized the importance of international collaboration, capacity building and consultation with various stakeholders to derive optimum benefits from Al," read the CAG release.
Date - 16/11/2023
UCO Bank stops online IMPS transfers after a series of flawed payments
The government-owned UCO Bank has temporarily stopped online Immediate Payment System (IMPS) transfers as funds from transactions initiated by customers of other banks were credited to account holders of UCO Bank, but the bank did not actually receive the money. The incidents occurred between November 10 and 13, and the facility was stopped on Wednesday, UCO Bank said in a stock exchange filing. "The bank, as a precautionary measure, has made the IMPS channel offline and is working closely with stakeholders to resolve the issue and restore the IMPS services at the earliest. The matter has been reported to law enforcement agencies for further action," UCO Bank said.
Date - 16/11/2023
Dashboard: Govt launches portal for real-time, prompt and effective Parliament business
The Ministry of Science & Technology's software application called Dashboard, which enables real-time, prompt and effective Parliament business including Parliament Questions, Acts of Parliament and Gazette Notifications of Government of India as well as cabinet notes, was launched by Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology, on Tuesday. Earlier, the Minister laid the foundation stone of the new auditorium-cum-guest house complex in the premises of the "Technology Bhavan" which is the headquarters of the Department of Science & Technology (DST). He unveiled the plaque at the site and also took part in the Bhoomi Pujan. The new 500-seater state-of-the-art Auditorium Block (5000 sq meters) is being built in Technology Bhawan Complex with double basement car parking (9000 sq meters). The auditorium block is planned to be completed in 24 months. IRCON ISL is the Project Management Consultant for the project.
Date - 15/11/2023
Indigenous tech for mining and processing of critical minerals soon: Secy Kantha Rao
Secretary, Ministry of Mines, VL Kantha Rao, has said that the process of auctioning 20 blocks of critical minerals including lithium and graphite will be held in next two weeks. Interacting with the media after inaugurating the mining pavilion 'Connecting Beyond Mining' at the India International Trade Fair 2023 (IITF), in New Delhi on Tuesday, the secretary said that for mining and processing of critical minerals, indigenous technology will be developed in due course. Union Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi in his virtual message said, "Minerals are integral part of our daily life and they serve as raw material for many industries but are also crucial and vital to energy transition to a low carbon-emission economy and renewable energy technologies that will be required to meet the 'Net Zero' commitment as declared by our Prime Minister." Minister of State for Coal, Mines and Railways Raosaheb Patil Danve in his virtual message said that India is moving towards achieving self-reliance in every sector and the mining sector is also not behind in realizing this dream. The Ministry of Mines is participating in the 'India International Trade Fair' to showcase the success and opportunities of the mining sector.
Date - 15/11/2023
Sebi resolves over 3,500 complaints through SCORES in October
Sebi has disposed of 3,533 complaints against companies and market intermediaries through its online grievance redressal system SCORES in October, according to the data released by the capital markets regulator. As many as 16 complaints were pending for more than three months on SCORES as of October-end, involving 12 entities such as SBI Mutual Fund, UTI Mutual Fund, JSW Steel Ltd, Waree Renewable Technologies Ltd, Sundaram Mutual Fund and Tirupati Fincorp Ltd. At the beginning of October, there were 5,259 complaints pending and 3,369 fresh complaints were received, as per the data released by market watchdog Sebi on Monday.
Date - 15/11/2023
Bhubaneswar Police Commissionerate organises cyber safety awareness program for students
A cyber-safety awareness program was organised by the Bhubaneswar Police Commissionerate through poster and painting competitions among school and college students. How one can prevent oneself from cyber fraud was the main motto of this awareness program. Bhubaneswar police commissioner SK Priyadarshi, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Prateek Singh and more than five hundred students were present.
Date - 15/11/2023
Seas emerging as new frontier for global contestation; prowess in AI, robotics, drones critical: Vice-President
The immense unexploited wealth in seas makes them the new frontier for contestation among global players. The world needs a regulatory regime and its effective enforcement to contain the possibility of contesting claims of the seas and its assets. This was stated by Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar during his keynote address at the "Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue" in New Delhi today. Calling for freedom for navigation and overflight in accordance with established international Laws and Conventions, Dhankhar said, "We seek a just global regulatory regime that respects the right over EEZ, for the sustainable and equitable exploitation of marine resources and Sea-bed in high seas."
Date - 15/11/2023
CERT-In dealt with close to 14 lakh cyber security incidents in a year: Annual Report
CERT-In has recently released its annual report, which notes that the agency handled 13,91,457 incidents in 2022. The report is available on CERT-In's website. The type of incidents that CERT-In handled were "Website Intrusion & Malware Propagation, Malicious Code, Phishing, Distributed Denial of Service attacks, Website Defacements, Unauthorized Network Scanning/Probing activities, Ransomware attacks, Data Breach and Vulnerable Services." In case of each of these cyber security incidents, CERT-In came up with remedial measures which were implemented in coordination with relevant stakeholders.
Date - 15/11/2023
Digital Life Certificate using face authentication technology makes submission easier for pensioners
To enhance 'Ease of Living' for Central government pensioners, Department of Pension & Pensioners' Welfare has been promoting Digital Life Certificate (DLC) -- Jeevan Pramaan -- extensively, ever since submission of DLCs using biometric devices was commenced in 2014. Subsequently, the department engaged with MeitY and UIDAI to develop a Face Authentication technology system based on Aadhar database, whereby it is possible to submit LC from any Android based smart phone. As per this facility, the identity of a person is established through face authentication technique and DLC gets generated. This breakthrough technology, launched in November 2021, reduced the dependence of pensioners on external bio-metric devices and made the process more accessible and affordable to masses by leveraging smartphone-based technology. With a view to spread awareness amongst all the Central government pensioners as well as the pension disbursing authorities for use of DLC/ Face Authentication technology to submit Digital Life Certificate, DoPPW launched a nation-wide campaign in the month of November 2022 in 37 cities throughout the country. The campaign was a huge success with more than 35 lakh DLCs of Central government pensioner generated. A nation-wide campaign 2.0 is now being conducted from 1st to 30th November, at 500 locations in 100 cities across the country, targeting 50 lakh pensioners, in collaboration with 17 pension disbursing banks, ministries/ departments, pensioners' welfare associations, UIDAI, MeitY, etc.
Date - 14/11/2023
Govt policies & incentives driving India's defence manufacturing, R&D, exports
From a feeble Rs. 686 crores in FY 2013-14, India's defence exports have been growing at a steady pace and in 2023 the country clocked its highest defence export value of Rs. 15,920 crores. India is generally seen as the world's largest arms importer, but if the defence exports keep growing then, in a few years, the country could count among the world's major arms exporters. In a tweet on X in April, in response to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's announcement that India's defence exports have reached an all-time high of Rs 15,920 crore, Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted, "Excellent! A clear manifestation of India's talent and the enthusiasm towards 'Make in India.' It also shows the reforms in this sector over the last few years are delivering good results. Our Government will keep supporting efforts to make India a defence production hub." In the last ten years, the Central government has taken a number of measures to encourage defence manufacturing and reduce reliance on imports while encouraging exports. In 2020, the Department of Defence Production published the Defence Production & Export Promotion Policy (DPEPP), which declares that "Self-reliance in defence has been the cornerstone of India's defence production policy."
Date - 14/11/2023
Government e-Marketplace achieves GMV of Rs 2 lakh cr in 8 months, enables savings of Rs 45000 cr
The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has reached a significant milestone of over Rs. 2 lakh crore in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) within less than eight months of the current fiscal year, surpassing the GMV inscribed at the end of last fiscal year (2022-23). The average GMV per day has also witnessed significant growth and reached more than Rs. 850 crore per day in the current Financial Year. Within the constellation of noteworthy contributors to this momentous GMV achievement in the current financial year, the substantial role played by Central entities, including Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs), has been truly outstanding, constituting an overwhelming 83% of the total, the release from the Ministry of Commerce & Industry said.
Date - 13/11/2023
Govt, ADB sign $400 million loan to develop urban infra for efficient governance systems
The Government of India today signed a $400 million policy-based loan with Asian Development Bank (ADB) to support its urban reform agenda for creating high quality urban infrastructure, improving service delivery, and promoting efficient governance systems. The signatories to the loan agreement for the sub-programme 2, of the Sustainable Urban Development and Service Delivery Programme, were Juhi Mukherjee, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, signing for the Government of India, and Takeo Konishi, Country Director of ADB's India Resident Mission, signing for the ADB. While sub-programme 1 approved in 2021 with a financing of $350 million established national-level policies and guidelines to improve urban services, sub-programme 2 is supporting investment planning and reform actions at the state and urban local body (ULB) levels.
Date - 13/11/2023
Transactions in Government e-Marketplace surge to Rs 65,957 cr; target of 1.5 lakh cr in current fiscal
The transaction value in Government e-Marketplace (GeM has surged from approximately Rs. 8,505 crore in FY 20-21 to an impressive Rs. 65,957 crore in FY 22-23. The services sector has exhibited a staggering increase in the overall contribution to GeM Gross Merchandise Value or the total order value transacted through the platform, having jumped from 23% in FY 21-22 to nearly 47% in the current financial year. GeM has set a forward-looking target of surpassing Rs. 1.50 lakh crore in the current fiscal year
Date - 02/11/2023
'Parl panel on IT can't take up Apple warning message issue, it comes under govt's jurisdiction'
The parliamentary committee on IT cannot take up Apple's warning message issue as the matter comes under the government's jurisdiction according to Lok Sabha rules, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who is a member of the panel, claimed on Wednesday. The BJP leader's remarks came after some of opposition leaders, including Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, demanded that the parliamentary standing committee on communications and information technology take up the matter. Several opposition leaders on Tuesday had claimed that they received an alert from Apple warning them of "state-sponsored attackers trying to remotely compromise" their iPhones and alleged hacking by the government, a charge Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw rejected but assured a thorough probe. In a post on X in Hindi, Dubey said, "The country does not run by creating pressure by giving statements in newspapers. The Standing Committee on Information and Telecommunications is no longer headed by Shashi Tharoor and run by Rahul Gandhi (both Congress leaders). This committee runs under the rules of the Lok Sabha."
Date - 02/11/2023
Future of tech should be driven by coalition of nations, not just one or two nations: Rajeev Chandrasekhar
"We have maintained that international collaborations are extremely important, as we move forward in shaping the future of technology in an era where it is presenting some of the most exciting opportunities ever for mankind." This was stated by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Electronics & IT, during his address at the inaugural plenary session of 'AI Safety Summit 2023' being organised at Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire, in United Kingdom. "The future of technology, whether it involves innovation, partnerships, or the institutional framework for regulating technology and innovation for the benefit of all mankind, should be driven by a coalition of nations rather than just one or two countries. The institutional framework should be less episodic and much more sustained with strategic clarity,â?? the Minister said.
Date - 02/11/2023
Significant increase in demand for AI, blockchain, cyber security talent in India: Report
India's tech industry is going through a transformative stage and the growing demand for automation and technical skills like big data analytics and artificial intelligence has created the need for skilled talent in the industry, says a report. According to global recruitment firm Michael Page India, there was 28-30 per cent growth in the demand for Artificial Intelligence (AI), blockchain, Machine Learning (ML) and Cyber Security talent in the third quarter of 2023. "As AI continues to transform various sectors, companies are seeking top talent to harness the potential of this technology. The demand remains high for experienced talent at mid to senior levels," said Pranshu Upadhyay, Regional Director of Michael Page India.
Date - 01/11/2023
Transformative Technologies-Empowering Next Generation Networks: Opens in New Delhi on Nov 2
For the area of e-governance, digital education and digital healthcare, the last four years have been filled with a lot of hope and promise. The landmark policies of the Central and state governments and the technological innovations of the academic institutions and the private sector have led to several far-reaching enhancements in the scope of digital technologies in all the crucial sectors of society. By enabling improvements in governance systems, education, healthcare and other sectors, digital innovations are also fostering social and financial inclusion. People living in all parts of the country, including those in rural communities, are able to use their smartphones and computers to access government services, and the facilities for e-education and e-healthcare.
Date - 01/11/2023
Digital Life Certificate Campaign 2.0 to be organized at 500 locations in 100 cities from Nov 2
With the objective to enhance 'Ease of Living' for Central government pensioners, Department of Pension & Pensioners' Welfare has been promoting Digital Life Certificate (DLC) -- Jeevan Pramaan -- since 2014, enabling submission of DLCs using biometric devices. Subsequently, the department has been engaged with MeitY and UIDAI to develop a face authentication technology system based on Aadhar database, making it possible to submit LC from any Android based smart phone. Using this facility, the identity of a person is established through face authentication technique and DLC gets generated. This breakthrough technology, launched in November 2021, reduced the dependence of pensioners on external bio-metric devices and made the process more accessible and affordable to masses by leveraging smartphone-based technology.
Date - 01/11/2023
Skyroot Aerospace raises Rs 225 cr; the company was 1st to sign a MoU with ISRO
India's leading private space-tech company, Skyroot Aerospace has raised an additional $27.5 million, equivalent to Rs 225 crore, in a pre-Series C funding round led by Temasek, a global investment company headquartered in Singapore. The present capital infusion builds upon the company's previous raise in 2022, bringing its total funding to USD 95 million, which is the largest ever for an Indian Space-tech startup. Skyroot plans to utilize the newly acquired capital to drive its next phase of growth through increased investments in infrastructure, reinforcement of its technology leadership, attraction of top-tier talent, and the enhancement of its launch frequency and capabilities, all while maintaining a lean and agile core team, the Hyderabad-headquartered company said in a statement.
Date - 31/10/2023
World Cities Day: Sustainable urban development through Smart Cities Mission
Smart Cities Mission (SCM) is Government of India's flagship programme to provide world-class infrastructure, clean and sustainable environment and a decent quality of life to their citizens through the application of 'smart solutions'. In a recent release, the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs informed that of the total proposed projects under SCM, 6,041 (76%) projects worth Rs 1,10,635 crore have been completed and the remaining 1,894 projects worth Rs 60,095 crore are expected to be completed by 30 June 2024. Sustainable urban development is the core purpose of the Smart Cities Mission. The Government of India launched the Smart City Mission in 2015, two years after the United Nations announced October 31 as the World Cities Day. The World Cities Day aligns with U.N.â??s Sustainable Development Goal for developing sustainable cities and communities. Since 2013, the United Nations has observed World Cities Day on October 31 every year.
Date - 31/10/2023
ICMR data leak reveals personal info of 81.5 cr Indians: Report
The data breach noticed by the US-based cybersecurity and intelligence firm Resecurity mentioned that "on October 9, a threat actor going by the alias 'pwn0001' posted a thread on Breach Forums brokering access to 815 million 'Indian Citizen Aadhaar and Passport' records". Given the severity of the matter, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is expected to probe the incident after the ICMR files a complaint. Moreover, the cybersecurity analysts found one of the leaked samples containing 100,000 records of PII (personally identifiable information) related to Indian residents.
Date - 31/10/2023
Technocrats can add value to civil services delivery, India is steering the world in innovative tech: Minister
Technocrats can add value to Civil Services delivery. Educational background of technocrats and their expertise can help in accomplishing the goals of several flagship programmes initiated by the Government, particularly because most of these programmes are technology driven, like SVAMITVA, Gati Shakti, DB and Face Recognition Technology for DLC. This was stated by Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology. He was addressing the IIT Delhi Alumni Public Service Day function. "Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is now steering the world in innovative technologies. We are on course to our target of reducing Greenhouse gases emission, and achieve Net Zero by 2070," the Minister said.
Date - 30/10/2023
Solving the telecom conundrum: Revenue sharing for equitable networks
With over a billion subscribers as of March 2023, the Indian Telecom Sector has become a fundamental enabler of the Indian digital economy. However, this fundamental layer of our modern economy appears to be on shaky grounds. Recent years have seen an immense churn in this sector, owing to financial stress, consolidation, rapid multiple changes in technology that required significant multiple rounds of capital infusion, and regulatory updates. India is now down to only two telecom companies that are somewhat financially stable and have been able to raise large amounts of capital to support the humongous capital requirements for the burgeoning networks.
Date - 30/10/2023
Govt warns of multiple vulnerabilities in Mozilla Firefox, severity rating high
CERT-In, the national nodal agency for responding to computer security incidents as and when they occur, is reporting multiple vulnerabilities in Mozilla Firefox. The severity rating is high. The software affected are:
- Mozilla Firefox versions prior to 119
- Mozilla Firefox ESR versions prior to 115.4
- Mozilla Thunderbird versions prior to 115.4.1
- Mozilla Firefox for iOS versions prior to 119
Date - 30/10/2023
My Bharat portal will provide platform to crores of youth: Union Minister Anurag Thakur
Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Singh Thakur on Sunday said that the My (Mera Yuva) Bharat portal, to be launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will provide a platform to crores of youth where they can contribute towards nation building. The Union Minister was speaking to reporters after listening to the 106th edition of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Mann Ki Baat programme in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh. "PM Modi inspired everyone to organise the Run For Unity programme on October 31. The Meri Maati Mera Desh program will conclude in Delhi on that day. And on the same day, My (Mera Yuva) Bharat portal will be launched. This will provide a platform to crores of youth where they can contribute towards nation-building," Thakur said.
Date - 30/10/2023
'India may have 1/3rd share in mobile communication data by 2030'
With the advent of mobile communication, India is contributing hugely to the massive escalation of global data volume and by 2030 India's share may increase to one third or even more of the total data generated from the standard mobile communication, Science and Technology Secretary Abhay Karandikar said on Sunday. He was speaking at the Indian Mobile Congress (IMC). "We will have a variety of use cases from very high to a very low data rate, from very stringent latency environments to latency tolerant applications, heterogeneous radio access technologies and a range of access devices. This diversity in India will be a useful test scenario for cellular mobile communications, and also devices connected through Wi -Fi, drones, satellite, terrestrial networks, sensors as well as IoT," Karandikar pointed out.
Date - 30/10/2023
The debate that AI will take over does not have merit: Abhishek Singh, MD & CEO, Digital India Corporation
The national capital will host the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) summit in December this year, which will see participation from all member countries, a senior official at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) said on Friday. Abhishek Singh, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Digital India Corporation and National e-Governance Division of MeitY, revealed about the summit at a Public Affairs Forum of India event on Friday. "It will take some time for AI to be able to develop the cognitive skills like humans. However, by that time, humans will be able to use AI tools to create something new that AI can't create. So, the debate that AI will take over as humans does not have merit," he said.
Date - 29/10/2023
Explore tie-ups with deep tech startups: Government's science adviser
India's science adviser has asked science and technology clusters to collaborate with deep tech startups and strive to become self-sustainable in the future. Referring to the recently-announced draft National Deep Tech Startup Policy, Professor A K Sood, the principal scientific adviser to the government, has suggested that the clusters can effectively collaborate with the deep tech startups operating under this policy framework, according to an official statement. Sood was speaking at the first joint Science and Technology (S&T) Clusters' Meet in Rajasthan's Jodhpur.
Date - 29/10/2023
NCERT courses on Chandrayaan-3 promote scientific temper, instill sense of pride in country's achievements: Govt
In response to reports regarding 'mixing science with mythology' with reference to the Chandrayaan 3 Special Modules, the Ministry of Education has clarified that in the light of the rapid advancements and milestones achieved at the national level, it is imperative to equip our teachers and students with knowledge that transcends traditional textbooks. The Ministry says that this endeavor from NCERT is aimed at instilling a profound sense of pride in our country and its accomplishments. It is important to extend the curricular materials beyond textbooks, and present the nation's achievements in a manner that is accessible and captivating for our educational community. The successful landing of Bharat's Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon on August 23 is a monumental achievement for the country. Recognizing the significance of acquainting the 26 crore students in our school education system with this remarkable space initiative of India, NCERT has taken a proactive step in this direction, said the release from the Ministry of Education.
Date - 26/10/2023
Central Bank Digital Currency can play important role in cross-border payment: RBI Governor
Reserve Bank Governor Shaktikanta Das has said that the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), which is being promoted by the central bank, can play an important role in cross-border payments without much difficulty. The Reserve Bank, he said, has undertaken pilot projects with regard to promotion of the CBDC and the results have been "excellent". The CBDC as a pilot was introduced in the wholesale and retail segments and will now be extended to overnight money markets. "The learning has been excellent and more than what it was one year ago. We are even more convinced that CBDC can prove to be the most effective and efficient mode for cross-border payments in particular, other than of course domestic transactions. And this is not something which is very difficult," he said at an interaction at IMF Governor Talks at Marrakesh, Morocco early this month. He emphasised that while paper currency will continue, the CBDC is going to be the future currency of the world.
Date - 26/10/2023
Hackathon to identify tools for safe usage of 5G technology by police announced
A national hackathon was announced on Wednesday to identify tools for the safe usage of 5G technology by police during sensitive dealings. A curtainraiser to the exercise, named Vimarsh-2023, was conducted on Wednesday and its teaser was released on the website -- https://vimarsh.tcoe.in -- by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C). The BPRD functions under the Union home ministry as the central police think tank. The aim of the hackathon is to "develop tools for addressing the challenges and issues being faced by law enforcement agencies (LEAs)."
Date - 26/10/2023
Online scams strike at heart of country's financial stability: Delhi HC
Online financial scams strike at the heart of country's economic stability and there is an urgent need to address them not only to protect individuals but also to ensure the continued vitality of online financial systems, the Delhi High Court has observed. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, while denying bail to an accused in an online fraud case, asserted that when trust in online transactions is shaken, the public becomes increasingly reluctant to deal with digital systems, which can significantly impede economic growth, innovation, and financial inclusion. "This court notes that the seriousness of such scams extends far beyond the immediate victims. At their core, they strike at the heart of the nation's financial stability. By undermining trust in online transactions, these fraudulent activities have a cascading effect that resonates throughout the entire economic landscape," Justice Sharma said in a recent order.
Date - 26/10/2023
One Nation, One Election: Website launched during High Level Committee's second meeting
The High Level Committee constituted by the Government under the chairpersonship of Ram Nath Kovind, former President of India, to examine the issue relating to holding of simultaneous elections in the country and make recommendations thereon held its second meeting here today. Amit Shah, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Leader of Opposition, Rajya Sabha, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State (Independent Charge) Ministry of Law and Justice, N. K. Singh, former Chairman, 15th Finance Commission, Dr. Subhash C. Kashyap, former Secretary General, Lok Sabha, Harish Salve, Senior Advocate and Sanjay Kothari, former Chief Vigilance Commissioner attended the meeting. After welcoming the Members of the HLC to the second meeting, the Chairman of the Committee, Ram Nath Kovind, along with the members confirmed the minutes of the first meeting held on 23rd of September and the action taken on the decisions thereof.
Date - 25/10/2023
Cabinet approves MoC between India and Japan on Semiconductor Supply Chain Partnership
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was today apprised of a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) signed in July 2023 between the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan on Japan-India Semiconductor Supply Chain Partnership. The MoC intends to strengthen cooperation between India and Japan towards enhancement of the semiconductor supply chain, recognizing the importance of semiconductors for the advancement of industries and digital technologies, the statement released by the Union Cabinet said. The MoC shall come into effect from the date of signature of the Parties and shall remain in force for a period of five years. Both G2G and B2B bilateral Cooperation on opportunities to advance resilient semiconductor supply chains and leverage complementary strengths. MoC envisages improved collaboration leading to employment opportunities in the field of IT.
Date - 25/10/2023
Online gaming companies face Rs 1 lakh crore GST notices
India's online gaming industry has received show-cause notices amounting to Rs 1 lakh crore say sources. The notices come even as the industry has raised concerns about the applicable GST rates. The government has asserted that a 28 per cent GST rate should have been in place starting from October 1, as per the law. In August 2023, the GST Council amended the law, making it explicit that all online games involving bets, regardless of skill or chance, would be subject to a 28 per cent GST rate on the full value of the bets placed, effective from October 1. This clarification aimed to close any potential loopholes.
Date - 25/10/2023
From single digit to over 150 space startups, unshackling of space sector led to startup boom: Minister
The unshackling of the Space sector by the Central Government has led to startup boom, as a result of which, within a short span of just about four years, the number of space starups has gone up from a mere single digit to over 150, with some of the earlier ones like the Skyroot turning into lucrative entrepreneurs. This was stated by Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology during his visit to the newly setup facility of Skyroot in a premises of 60,000 Square Feet in Hyderabad which is possibly India's largest rocket factory in the private sector. "Skyroot is not only example of India's superlative talent and scientific acumen but it also has message for all of us that a huge potential was lying dormant for several decades before Prime Minister Narendra Modi came and broke the taboos of the past and opened India's Space Sector for Public Private Partnership," Dr Jitendra Singh said.
Date - 25/10/2023
Sebi empanels 12 entities to provide digital forensic services
Capital markets regulator Sebi has empanelled 12 entities, including Ernst & Young LLP and KPMG Assurance and Consulting Services LLP, to provide assistance to its search team for onsite data acquisition during search and seizure operations. The other empanelled entities are -- Baker Tilly Business Advisory Services, Cybermate Forensics & Data Security Solutions, Cyint Technologies, ECS Info Tech, Innefu Labs, Mahen Technologies, Nangia & Co LLP, Netrika Consulting India, Pelorus Technologies and Systools Software, according to a notice by Sebi last week. They have been empanelled for providing digital forensic services to the regulator following the completion of the empanelment process. The empanelment will be valid for a period of two years
Date - 24/10/2023
Bharat National Cyber Security Exercise 2023: Elevating cybersecurity preparedness to new level
The SCOPE Convention Centre in New Delhi was the venue for the Bharat National Cyber Security Exercise (NCX) 2023, an event of national significance, spanning from October 9 to 20. This occasion is a remarkable milestone in India's unwavering quest for cybersecurity excellence, said the release from the National Security Council Secretariat. This event served as a unifying platform for over 300 participants, representing a diverse spectrum of government agencies, public organizations, and the private sector, all committed to the safeguarding of critical digital infrastructure. Organized by the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), Government of India, in strategic partnership with Rashtriya Raksha University(RRU), Bharat NCX 2023, the closing session had Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, Chief of the Air Staff, deliver the motivational address to the participants.
Date - 24/10/2023
Cyber experts express concern about data security in India
Digital transformation and development of advanced technologies are progressing at full pace in India but cyber experts have expressed concern about the security of the sheer size of data that the country will have to manage, given its neighbouring adversaries as well as the growing sophistication of scammers. Indian technologists and business executives will have to collaborate, cooperate and create a comprehensive ecosystem to tackle tech-driven threats, the experts said on the sidelines of Singapore Cyber Week - 2023 held from October 17-19. In the last six months, the three most impacted industries in terms of weekly attacks per organisation were healthcare, education/research and utilities. The retail, hospitality, manufacturing and transportation sectors will also have to move fast on cybersecurity, the experts said.
Date - 23/10/2023
Armed forces equipped with advanced tech, drones, UAVs, Quantum, AI, cyber security: Jitendra Singh
India today is armed with state-of-the-art technology in the defence sector. The country's armed forces are equipped with advanced weaponry including drones, heliborne operations and UAVs and are ready to adapt to new frontiers like Quantum Computing, Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Security. This was stated by Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology, on October 22. He was addressing the Indian Military Heritage Festival, organised by the United Service Institution of India (USI) in New Delhi.
Date - 23/10/2023
Smart infra: Engineers develop new tunnelling method for Kashmir rail link project
Faced with a tricky terrain in the Himalayas, engineers of the Indian Railways have developed a new tunnelling method to complete the construction of Tunnel-1 on the 111-km-long Katra-Banihal section of the Kashmir rail link project. The 3.2-km-long single tube tunnel, located at the foot of the Trikuta Hills in the Katra-Reasi section of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link Project, has been described as the most difficult section of the project. "We have innovatively developed (I)-TM as Himalayan tunnelling method for tunnelling through the Himalayan geology to build tunnels in Jammu and Kashmir," Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had said recently. Explaining the new tunnelling method, a senior railway engineer said it involved providing pre-excavation support measures to tackle the "flowing conditions" encountered while excavating the tunnel.
Date - 23/10/2023
Integrated Pensioners' portal & Digital Life Certificate 2.0 portal being launched tomorrow
The Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare will be holding the Anubhav Awards 2023 Ceremony in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on October 23 to felicitate the awardees for their write-ups for the year 2023. Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister for Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, will confer the Awards. DoPPW had launched Anubhav Portal in March 2015. The portal provides an online system for the retiring and retired employees to submit and showcase their commendable work and share their experiences of working in the Government. They can also give suggestions for improvement in governance. 96 ministries, departments and organizations are registered on Anubhav Portal and more than 10,000 write-ups have been published so far.
Date - 22/10/2023
Mission Gaganyaan: Test flight successful, crew module touches down to be retrieved by ISRO
ISRO's unmanned test flight for Mission Gaganyaan, India's first human spaceflight, today lifted off from Sriharikota. S Somanath, Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), announced the successful conclusion of the 'TV-D1' (Test Vehicle Development Flight 1) project, which is vital for the ultimatesuccess of the Gaganyaan Mission. "We are very happy to announce the success of the mission. The purpose of the mission was to demonstrate the crew escape system. The vehicle went slightly above the speed of sound, before it initiated the crew escape system," S Somanath said from the mission centre.
Date - 21/10/2023
MeitY Secretary S Krishnan launches indigenous portable DC charger to help boost electric vehicle adoption
The indigenous Technology of 2KW DC Portable Charger, which can boost electric vehicle adoption in the country, was launched by S Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) on October 20. The technology has been developed by the Centre of Excellence at IIT Madras Research Park. Sunita Verma, GC (R&DE), MeitY, Prof. Ashok Jhunjhunwala, IIT Madras, and other dignitaries from MeitY and IIT Madras were present on the occasion. Addressing the gathering, S Krishnan said "The Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Make in India Make for the World' can be achieved by developing such technologies for taking the electric vehicle industry forward. This technology can be exported to other countries. India is moving from being an importing nation to being an exporting nation."
Date - 21/10/2023
NCCF should achieve turnover of Rs 50000 crore, develop common app with NAFED: Amit Shah
The National Cooperative Consumers Federation of India Limited (NCCF) should become self-reliant by achieving a turnover of Rs 50,000 crore by the year 2027-28. Amit Shah, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, said this during his address to the board of Directors of National Cooperative Consumers Federation of India Limited (NCCF) in New Delhi. He said that NCCF should emphasize on making Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) and other cooperative institutions across the country its members so as to ensure that the proportion of cooperatives in the share of capital of NCCF is relatively higher. He said that for this purpose NCCF will have to develop its business plan and change its business approach. Shah noted that NCCF is playing an important role in fulfilling the Ministry of Corporation's vision of 'Sahakar se Samriddhi'. He said that the Ministry of Cooperation, since its inception, has taken 52 initiatives in the last 26 months to strengthen the cooperative movement in the country and increase the share of cooperatives in the GDP.
Date - 20/10/2023
Google partners ONDC to enable metro ticket booking feature in its Google Maps app
Google is partnering with Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) to enable customers to book metro tickets directly through the Google Maps app. Bikram Singh Bedi, Managing Director of Google Cloud India said on Thursday that the initiative is under process at present and will be launched in a few months. "The experience will be rolled out in the next few months across metro cities in the country. It will be available via buyer apps integrated within the open network," Bikram Singh Bedi said.
Date - 20/10/2023
MeitY partners IBM to boost innovation, skill development in Quantum, AI & Semiconductor
To advance and accelerate innovation in AI, Semiconductor and quantum technology for India, three entities engaged with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) have signed a MoU with IBM on October 18. The three entities which have signed the MoU with IBM are IndiaAI, ISM and C-DAC. This body of work will aim to accelerate India's comprehensive national strategy for AI, strengthen efforts to be self-reliant in Semiconductors and advance its National Quantum Mission. These MoUs will help MeitY access IBMâ??s expertise to build and advance India's Competency and scale its growth mission in the AI, semiconductor and quantum industries. In a fillip to the IndiaAI initiative, the company will establish a world-class national AI Innovation Platform (AIIP) to focus on AI training, ecosystem development, and integrating advanced foundation models and generative AI capabilities with access to the IBM watsonx AI and data platform.
Date - 19/10/2023
Bharat Tech Summit: "Cloud, Data & AI are Enablers of NextGen Digital Transformation"
To deliberate on the implications of the Multi-Hybrid Cloud platform for India's Public Sector Units, ETGovernment organized the Bharat Tech Summit in Hotel Imperial, New Delhi, on October 18. The theme of the Summit was "Public Sector 2.0: A Digital Revolution' and it was organised in association with Nutanix, the leading global cloud computing company. Dr. Neeta Verma, former Director General, National Informatics Centre (NIC), delivered the keynote address at the Summit. The title of her keynote address was "Cloud, Data & AI: Enablers of NextGen Digital Transformation."
Date - 19/10/2023
Government eMarketplace: Ministry of Coal's procurement touches Rs 28665cr
The e-Procurement performance of the Ministry of Coal and Coal India Limited (CIL) over the past three financial years indicates a consistent upward trend. The Ministry's and CIL's procurement through the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has been increasing steadily. From 2020 to 2023, there has been continuous growth. Procurement through GeM has consistently risen, underscoring the significant transformation GeM has brought in the public procurement ecosystem, the Ministry of Coal said in a statement.
Date - 19/10/2023
NeGD organises State Capacity Building Workshop on AI for digital transformation in Kerala
A workshop on Artificial Intelligence for digital transformation is being conducted in Kerala on October 19 and 20. The workshop has been organised by the National e-Governance Division (NeGD), Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), under its Capacity Building Scheme in collaboration with their knowledge partners. More than 42 officials from 13 state departments such as State Digital Health mission, Department of Agriculture Development and Farmers Welfare, Animal Husbandry, State Goods and Service Tax, Rural Development, Dairy Development and Police Department are participating. The two-day intensive workshop is intended to equip the IT team working under various State Departments to maintain continuity in the adoption and implementation of emerging technology initiatives, the statement from the Ministry of Electronics & IT said.
Date - 19/10/2023
Govt tweaks licensing norms for laptop, computer imports; puts in place online authorisation system
The government on Thursday tweaked the cumbersome licensing norms to import IT hardware products like laptops and computers and put in place an online authorisation system for importers of these goods. The new licensing or authorisation regime, which will come into operation with immediate effect, is primarily aimed at monitoring imports of these products to ensure that they are coming from "trusted" sources, Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) Santosh Kumar Saranagi told reporters here. After taking into account the concerns of stakeholders of the sector, some "tweaking" in the policy has been made, and an end-to-end online system was launched for importers, he added.
Date - 19/10/2023
Economic Offence Unit in Bihar to take help of IIT, NIT students for cracking cyber crime cases
The Economic Offence Unit (EOU) of Bihar Police has decided to take help of IIT and NIT students to crack cyber crime cases in Bihar. Manavjeet Singh Dhillon, DIG of EOU, said that the department will soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with these institutions and hire students of computer science for the purpose. Cyber crime cases in Bihar are on rise. As per the data, the Economic Offence Unit (EOU) of Bihar Police has registered 309 cases in 2016, 433 in 2017, 374 in 2018, 1050 in 2019 and 1512 in 2020.
Date - 19/10/2023
Govt launches 'Apna Chandrayaan' portal to educate school students on the lunar mission
The 'Apna Chandrayaan' portal, which offers activity-based support material such as quiz and puzzles inspired by the Chandrayaan-3 Mission , was launched by Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Education and Skill Development, on October 17. Developed by NCERT,under the aegis of the Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education, this portal is meant for school students. Pradhan also released 10 special modules on Chandrayaan-3, offering a comprehensive overview of its various facets - including scientific, technological, and social aspects, as well as the emotional journey and team spirit of the scientists involved, said an official statement from the Minister for Education. While addressing the event, Pradhan described the success of Chandrayaan 3 one of the most significant achievements of the 21st century. He said that this event has inspired children in India. He suggested the development of the APP of the web portal to make it more accessible facilitating self-learning among students. Chandrayaan 3 has ignited confidence among students and inspired them to understand technology, which will help in developing scientific temperament among them, he mentioned, added the official statement.
Date - 18/10/2023
India stands for space collaborations for benefit of mankind, outer space should be free of conflict: Jitendra Singh
India stands for international Space collaborations for the larger benefit of mankind. It is our solemn commitment that outer space is used only for peaceful purposes and kept free of conflict. This was stated today by Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology. He was delivering the keynote address at the conference on 'Space - The final frontier for China in its quest for global leadership', organised by the Centre for Contemporary China Studies, Ministry of External Affiars, at Sushma Swaraj Bhavan in New Delhi. The Minister said, "We have consistently adhered to the principles of transparency, accountability and peaceful uses of Space. And therefore we urge upon every other nation including China to engage in open dialogue with others so that we share each other's missions, ventures without being secretive or suspicious and also ensure that we preserve a secure, safe and stable environment."
Date - 18/10/2023
MeitY's first Robotic Process Automation lab in Gorakhpur to upskill manpower in new age tech
Laying the new technology pathway, the Union ministry of electronics and information technology has launched its first Robotic Process Automation (RPA) lab under the Future Skill PRIME Project at the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) Gorakhpur. According to the Union government, the new lab was inaugurated during the 26th All India Director's Meet of NIELIT. The Meet is organised to promote the integration of emerging technology with education. The new state-of-the-art RPA lab under the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY), looks to upskill and reskill manpower in RPA domain. This initiative, a first-of-its-kind in Uttar Pradesh also intends to bridge the gap between industry and academia.
Date - 18/10/2023
Bharat Tech Summit opens today, deliberations on Multi-Hybrid Cloud & other tech for PSUs
It appears that the technological battle is over and Multi-Hybrid Cloud has won. Most major companies these days are now using the Multi-Hybrid Cloud platform. They are leveraging a multi-cloud environment to manage their business ventures and drive innovation. Open Source is the fuel that is driving major companies towards the Multi-Hybrid Cloud platform. The challenge can be keeping track of what is coming next, staying ahead of the technology curve, to position your enterprise for continued success. In the present scenario the Multi-Hybrid Cloud is the foundation of everything we do. By leveraging Open Source in a multi-cloud environment we can kickstart innovation.
Date - 18/10/2023
TechEagle deploys drones to swiftly deliver blood samples from remote villages to AIIMS Bilaspur
TechEagle, a Drone Delivery startup, has joined hands with AIIMS Bilaspur to transform emergency healthcare in Himachal Pradesh. The startup's drone technology is reshaping the delivery of patients' blood samples to rural areas, ensuring swift and efficient healthcare access to the state's remote population. Throughout the first half of October, the people of rural Himachal Pradesh experienced the transformative impact of TechEagle's initiative. The Vertiplane X3 took flight from AIIMS Bilaspur, making swift journeys to remote locations across the state.
Date - 18/10/2023
PM Modi, Google CEO discuss financial inclusion via UPI, electronics manufacturing ecosystem
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday virtually interacted with CEO of Google and Alphabet Sundar Pichai. During the interaction, the Prime Minister and Pichai discussed Google's plan to participate in expanding the electronics manufacturing ecosystem in India. The prime minister's office (PMO) said Modi appreciated Google's partnership with HP to manufacture chromebooks in India. Modi acknowledged Google's 100 languages initiative and lauded Google's efforts to make AI tools available in Indian Languages. He also encouraged Google to work on AI tools for good governance.
Date - 17/10/2023
PM reviews Gaganyaan Mission; Indian Space Station by 2035, manned mission to moon by 2040
The progress of India's Gaganyaan Mission went under review today at a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The potential of India's space exploration endeavours was analysed during the course of the meeting. The Department of Space presented a comprehensive overview of the Gaganyaan Mission, including the indigenous technologies that have been developed so far. These technologies include launch vehicles capable of carrying human beings into space and bringing them back safely on earth. ISRO is all set for the Flight Test Vehicle Abort Mission a key part of its ambitious human space mission Gaganyaan, between 7 am and 9 am this Saturday.
Date - 17/10/2023
FutureSkills Prime: VMware joins MeitY and Nasscom promoted digital skilling platform
FutureSkills Prime, a joint initiative of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) and Nasscom, has a new partnerâ??VMware, Inc. In a release on October 17, VMware has announced that it has partnered with FutureSkills Prime. The partnership aims to equip professionals with the skills and knowledge needed to stay competitive in today's rapidly changing technology landscape. By providing access to current technologies and enabling hands-on training, this partnership will focus on empowering fresh graduates by preparing them for careers in the tech industry, the company says in its release. Through this partnership, FutureSkills Prime and VMware will offer a comprehensive training program that covers the latest technologies and trends in cloud computing, virtualization, and networking. The courses are offered free and are a part of the ongoing digital skilling initiative by Nasscom and MeitY
Date - 17/10/2023
Certificate courses to be introduced on retail marketing through Skill India Digital Portal
Union Minister for Education & Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan has said certificate courses on retail marketing will be introduced for retailers of the country. He said this while launching Super-Power Retailer program, a retailer skill development program on Sunday. Pradhan said IIMs and IITs will be tasked to develop the courses. "If a retailer, who has passed only Class X, wants to enroll for a diploma or certificate course in his/her sector, there should be provision for this in the Skill India digital program," he added. He said digital learning will help in this endeavor. â??The Super-Power Retailer Program will empower our retailers and provide them training to expand their businesses and enhance consumer experiences. I am confident that the initiative will play a pivotal role in strengthening India's economy by skilling, reskilling, and upskilling the retailers by paving the way for their growth," he added.
Date - 17/10/2023
First semicon fab expected within a year, focus on components where India can lead: Vaishnaw
The country's first electronic chip manufacturing plant is expected to be in place within a year, according to Union Telecom and IT Minister Aswhini Vaishnaw. The government has initially earmarked USD 10 billion incentive for setting up a semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem in the country including a wafer fabrication plant. The wafer fabrication plants are the first building block of physical chips that are used in all high-tech electronic products. "We are focussing on some niche area where we can take global leadership. Telecom and EV (electric vehicles) have emerged as a big segment for semiconductors. If we focus on developing and manufacturing chips used in these segments then we can become global leaders in these two segments," Vaishnaw told PTI in an interview. He said the work is being done with a focus on these emerging areas.
Date - 16/10/2023
Centre plans online portal around Citizenship Amendment Act ahead of 2024 elections
Allaying fears around the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) of 2019, the Union government looks to launch a new digital platform that will help in clarifying key suspicions around the new Citizenship Act. According to top government sources, the move is in line with the smooth implementation of the CAA rules ahead of the 2024 general elections. The CAA was cleared by both the houses of the Parliament in 2019, but are yet to be notified by the Union government. The implementation of CAA will ensure citizenship to certain religious minority migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan who arrived in India on or before December 31, 2014. As per reports several rounds of discussions and presentations have taken place at the highest levels of government in this regard. While the final decision to implement CAA hangs in balance the Centre may soon go ahead by launching the online portal. The new portal is also seen as a key step towards expediting the implementation of CAA. According to reports, the new portal will provide detailed information on the eligibility criteria for individuals seeking citizenship under the CAA. This initiative seeks to enable eligible Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan to apply for citizenship without the intervention of state governments. It is also designed to curb corruption in the process, which has been observed in several instances of long-term visa grants.
Date - 16/10/2023
Andhra Pradesh CM inaugurates Infosys software development center in Vizag
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday inaugurated Infosys software development centre in Visakhapatnam. Spread across 83,750 sq ft and built at a cost of Rs 35 crore, the software centre is expected to house 1,000 employees. "Vizag (Visakhapatnam) has always had that potential to become a tier-1 city. It is one particular city wherein it has the potential to become something like Hyderabad, Bengaluru or Chennai," said Reddy, addressing the company's employees and executives after inaugurating the center. The chief minister observed that the southern state was left with no tier-1 city after the bifurcation of united Andhra Pradesh. Vizag, the largest city in the state, has the capacity to become a tier-1 city, he said.
Date - 16/10/2023
EV-Ready India Dashboard launched, provides data on adoption and forecasts of electric vehicles
Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy RK Singh launched a brand-new EV-Ready India Dashboard (evreadyindia.org) in New Delhi on Monday. Developed by policy and industry experts at thinktank OMI Foundation, the dashboard is a free digital platform focussed on near real-time electric vehicle adoption and forecasts, associated battery demand, charging density, and market growth trends. The dashboard is expected to facilitate greater inclusion across audiences, for the industry, policymakers and end users of electric vehicles, the Ministry of Power said in a statement.
Date - 16/10/2023
Chess prodigy Praggnanandhaa to work with ISRO to promote science & technology: Somanath
ISRO chairman S Somanath on Monday said chess grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa would be working with the nation's space agency to promote science and technology among the young people. Speaking to reporters here after visiting the young chess prodigy here at his residence, Somanath said, "...we are proud we have a Pragyan (rover) on the moon, and he is Praggnanandhaa on the ground...what we did for India on the moon, he has accomplished on the land." Further, the ISRO chief said: "He is also going to work with us to promote space, so I am very happy that Praggnanandhaa will be working with us to inspire young people to take science, engineering, and technology to make India a very proud and powerful nation."
Date - 16/10/2023
Sky not the limit for India's space journey, space economy projected to grow beyond $40 Billion by 2040: Minister
After the successful Chandrayaan-3 mission and the unlocking of the space sector by the government, sky is not the limit for Indiaâ??s Space journey. This was said by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology. Dr. Jitendra Singh was delivering the inaugural cum keynote address at 'Campus Dialogue' on Chandrayaan 3 under the theme â??Viksit Bharat @2047' at the Central University of Jammu today. While interacting with the academia and students, the Minister said, India's quantum leap in space research with India's space economy standing at $8 billion has been only possible due to the courageous decision taken by PM Narendra Modi to unlock the space sector from the shackles of the past.
Date - 15/10/2023
Hybrid hearings, e-filing, e-service are necessary; judges must develop tech-friendly mindset: CJI
Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud on Saturday said technology-friendly legal systems must be complemented by a change in mindset of each judge, member of the bar, registry official and administrative staff. Technology is a source of inclusion and any resistance to it often stems from "inner inertia to disturb the status quo and fear of the unknown", he said. CJI Chandrachud was speaking at an event here to celebrate the platinum jubilee of the Rajasthan High Court.
Date - 15/10/2023
E-governance in tradition: In this Ramleela in Delhi vistors get e-pass with QR code
The age-old tradition of Ramleela celebrations is being managed with digital technology during this festive season. The Ramleela committee In Delhi has announced that entry to the much-awaited event this year will also be allowed through electronic passes. The president of Lav Kush Ramleela Committee of Delhi Arjun Kumar told reporters on Saturday that in this digital age, visitors will be able to get an e-pass with a QR code which can be scanned at the time of entrance.
Date - 15/10/2023
MeitY AI working groups submit 1st edition of IndiaAI report; 'AI for all' is the goal
Seven working groups of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) submitted the first edition of IndiaAI report on October 13. The report was officially handed over to Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Electronics & IT. He said that this report will serve as Indiaâ??s guiding roadmap for the development of its AI ecosystem. "After months of dedicated research, the seven working groups that were constituted to build the core goals of the IndiaAI program, have submitted their formal report today. This comprehensive report lays out what will be the fulcrum of the IndiaAI strategy that was envisaged by PM Modi. He had talked about India for AI and AI for India. Through this roadmap IndiaAI will work to be a kinetic enabler of the 1 trillion dollar digital economy," the Minister said. "The Government of India's approach to AI has been holistic and ambitious, as evidenced by the breadth and scope of government interventions under the umbrella programme - IndiaAI," the statement released by MeitY said.
Date - 14/10/2023
Coal secy stresses on importance of cyber security, says threats are more sophisticated
Coal Secretary Amrit Lal Meena on Friday highlighted the growing importance of cyber security and said with the increasing use of online services and digital platforms, such threats have become more sophisticated. Speaking at a 'Workshop on Cybersecurity', Meena said it is important for organisations, businesses, and individuals to understand the trends and risks to protect themselves from cyber-attacks. The coal ministry organised the workshop to sensitise the PSUs and organisations under its administrative control about current cyber security challenges and adapt and implement best practices in their organisations.
Date - 14/10/2023
Sagar Maitri: DRDO's INS Sagardhwani sets sail on mission to establish scientific partnerships with IOR countries
INS Sagardhwani, an oceanographic research vessel belonging to the Naval Physical & Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL) of DRDO, embarked on a two-month long Sagar Maitri (SM) Mission-4 from South Jetty, Southern Naval Command (SNC), Kochi, on October 12. Samir V Kamat, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO, flagged-off the ship in the presence of Officiating Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (South) Rear Admiral Upal Kundu and other senior officials of DRDO and Indian Navy. "Sagar Maitri initiative of DRDO seeks to promote closer cooperation in socio-economic aspects as well as more significant scientific interaction, especially in ocean research among Indian Ocean Rim (IOR) countries. Under the aegis of this policy, DRDO initiated a scientific component named 'MAITRI (Marine and Allied Interdisciplinary Training and Research Initiative)', which focuses on establishing long-term collaboration with IOR countries in the field of â??Ocean Research and Development'," the Defence Ministry said in an official statement.
Date - 13/10/2023
e-Mobility: Kolkata Metro introduces paper-based QR Code tickets to do away with 'missing tokens' problem
The Kolkata Metro has started a Paper-Based QR Code Ticketing System on an experimental basis in the East-West Corridor to do away with the problem of missing tokens. The QR code tickets introduced on Wednesday are an alternative mode of ticketing system for commuters in Kolkata. "The problem of missing tokens will cease to exist. We noticed that some people did not return their tokens. Every month we lost approximately one thousand tokens. Secondly, the maintenance and downtime will be reduced to a large extent," Soumitra Biswas (Principal Chief Operations Manager) of Kolkata Metro said speaking to ANI on Wednesday.
Date - 13/10/2023
Cybersecurity body CERT-In issues high severity vulnerability warning for Google Chrome
Centre's cybersecurity body, CERT-In, has issued a high-severity rated warning cautioning against "multiple vulnerabilities" in popular web browser Google Chrome, which could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code and cause denial of service conditions on targeted systems. CERT-In that works under the Union ministry of electronics and information technology looks to secure Indian cyber space. The body works around the security quality management services in the form of cyber security audits, promotion of best practices and cyber security exercises/drills. In a latest vulnerability note issued this week, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) said a remote attacker could exploit certain vulnerabilities by sending a specially crafted request on the targeted system, and advised users to "apply appropriate updates as mentioned by the vendor".
Date - 13/10/2023
Supreme Court & IIT Madras sign MoU to facilitate digital tech for court proceedings
The Supreme Court has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with IIT Madras for the collaboration on using artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies for improving court proceedings and access to justice. An official statement from the Supreme Court said that the apex court under the leadership of the Chief Justice of India Justice DY Chandrachud is driving technological enhancement in making its process automated, user-friendly and citizen-centric to enhance access to justice. The MoU was signed following the visit of the Chief Justice of India to IIT Madras in July this year.
Date - 12/10/2023
UNICEF's 'Passport to Earning' digital learning platform builds financial skills in 1 million learners
UNICEF's global learning-to-earning solution, Passport to Earning (P2E), has skilled and certified more than one million young people in India in areas of financial literacy and digital productivity. This milestone marks a major step towards helping them gain skills relevant to the future of work and life. Notably, 62% of the young learners who benefitted from P2E courses in India are adolescent girls and young women. Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education, attended an online programme organised by UNICEF on October 11, the UN International Day of the Girl Child, to commemorate the milestone of one million certifications of its Passport to Earning (P2E) programme.
Date - 12/10/2023
MeitY launches 3 AI-powered technologies developed under intelligent transportion initiativ
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has today launched three indigenously developed technologies developed under the Intelligent Transportation System Endeavor for Indian Cities initiative. These technologies are: CMOS Sensor based Camera for Industrial Application, Thermal Sensor Camera for Intelligent Transportation System-(TvITS) and Online Sucro Crystal Imaging System (OSIS). S Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), launched these technologies at the 11th Traffic Expo and Smart Mobility Conference. Sunita Verma, Group Coordinator R&D, MeitY, and other senior representatives from the government and industry were present at the occasion.
Date - 12/10/2023
India's IN-SPACe unveils space economy vision, focus on demand creation, local manufacturing
Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe), the nodal agency under the Department of Space (DOS), on Monday unveiled the decadal vision and strategy for Indian space economy. IN-SPACe is an autonomous nodal agency formed in June 2020 to "promote, enable, authorize and supervise non-government entities" to undertake space activities. The decadal vision, through which it wishes to address the creation of demand, local manufacturing capabilities, and infrastructure and provide for a comprehensive regulatory framework that will encourage and facilitate private participation in the sector.
Date - 11/10/2023
Cutting-edge quantum-tech backed green hydrogen production unveiled to power green future
A new high throughput quantum backed green hydrogen production technology, developed by Green Keplerate Team from Banaras Hindu University, could boost green hydrogen production in bulk. The technology was inaugurated by Dr. Anita Gupta, Head of the Climate Change & Clean Energy Division, DST; Dr. Ranjith Krishna Pai, Scientist & Director of Climate Change & Clean Energy Division, DST; and Prof. R. R. Sonde, Chairman of the expert committee, IIT Delhi. Eminent domain experts drawn from all over the country were present at the event. The technology developed by the team consisting of Dr. Somenath Garai and Prof. S. Srikrishna showcased the uses of Green Hydrogen as eco-friendly energy alternatives. They introduced next-generation quantum-powered photo-catalysts with a charge transfer system coupled with high proton availability and mobility, and delivered quantum catalytic applications for energy generation.
Date - 11/10/2023
Digital public infrastructure approach can unlock value in space sector: Report
Digital public infrastructure-led approach for the downstream spacetech segment can unlock immense value and contribute to India emerging as a global leader in the sector, a global consultancy firm said in a report on Tuesday. The report titled 'Exploring opportunities for Indian downstream spacetech' authored by Deloitte, Nasscom and Indian Space Association (ISpA) said the downstream spacetech sector has the potential to deliver value-added and scalable solutions to domestic and global markets and made a strong pitch for collaboration by the private sector and the government. The report listed out three core satellite applications areas - Remote Sensing/Earth Observation; Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT); and Satellite Communication (SATCOM) and identified more than 200 use cases. "Digital public goods and digital public infrastructure (DPI) led approach for this segment can unlock immense value. The approach can become value-accretive and bring the dream of 'spacetech-as-aservice' to reality," a statement by Deloitte and Nasscom said.
Date - 11/10/2023
India's IN-SPACe unveils space economy vision, focus on demand creation, local manufacturing
Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe), the nodal agency under the Department of Space (DOS), on Monday unveiled the decadal vision and strategy for Indian space economy. IN-SPACe is an autonomous nodal agency formed in June 2020 to "promote, enable, authorize and supervise non-government entities" to undertake space activities. The decadal vision, through which it wishes to address the creation of demand, local manufacturing capabilities, and infrastructure and provide for a comprehensive regulatory framework that will encourage and facilitate private participation in the sector.
Date - 11/10/2023
Govt unveils digital system for exporter status certificates to be issued based on electronic data
In line with digital India vision, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry has launched a new initiative for issuing system based automatic 'Status Holder' certificates under the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023. The new system was launched on October 9 by Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry. Under this system, the exporter will not be required to apply to the office of Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) for a Status Certificate. Export recognition will be provided by the IT system based on available Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCIS) merchandise export electronic data and other risk parameters. According to the statement from the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, the new system not only reduces compliance burden and promotes ease of doing business but also recognizes the need and importance of collaboration within the Government.
Date - 10/10/2023
SC bats for use of tech, tells state info commissions to provide litigants hybrid hearing option
Highlighting the importance of technology in ensuring access to justice, the Supreme Court on Monday asked all state information commissions (SICs) to provide litigants the option of hybrid mode of hearing. A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud directed SICs across the country to ensure that e-filing of complaints and appeals is allowed to all litigants. "The use of technology is no longer an option. Properly deployed for the purpose of conducting hybrid or virtual hearing, technology has the potential to ensure access to justice by obviating the need for citizens to travel long distances to secure the right of being heard," said the bench, also comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra. "Consistent with the principles that access to justice is an integral part of fundamental rights under Article 21 and for that matter, a necessary concomitant of the freedom of speech and expression under Article 19 (1) (a) of the Constitution, we are of the considered view that it is necessary that all SICs across the country must provide hybrid mode of hearing to all litigants for the hearing of complaints and appeals," it said.
Date - 10/10/2023
Centre to computerise 1851 agri-rural development banks and state cooperative registrars
The government on Sunday announced it will computerise state cooperative registrars and 1,851 offices of Agriculture and Rural Development Banks (ARDBs) under a scheme with a budget of Rs 225.09 crore. Currently, the government is computerising all Primary Agriculture Credit Societies (PACS) in the country. "On the lines of the computerisation scheme of all PACS in the country, a centrally sponsored scheme has been approved for computerisation of 1,851 units of ARDBs of 13 states through a national unified software," the cooperation ministry said in a statement. The government has also decided to computerise the offices of Registrar of Cooperatives of all states and Union Territories, it said.
Date - 09/10/2023
IAF incorporating emerging tech, poised to embrace 21st century challenges: CDS Gen Chauhan
The Indian Air Force celebrated its 91st anniversary on Sunday (October 8). Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari unveiled the IAF's new ensign at the annual Air Force Day parade in Prayagraj to better reflect its values. During his address at the annual Air Force Day parade in Prayagraj, Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari called on the IAF to refine its strategy, enhance all-round capabilities and develop a flexible mindset to "prosecute" possible future wars, considering the current "complex" and "dynamic" strategic environment. In an address to air warriors on the occasion of the Air Force Day, the Chief of Air Staff said the current geopolitical landscape has provided the force an opportunity to reduce dependency on imports by developing indigenous capability.
Date - 09/10/2023
DARPG to coordinate with Right to Service Commissioners for better delivery of e-Services
The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) convened the second meeting with the Right to Service Commissioners of various States and Union Territories in-line with the National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment's vision of boosting e-governance and improving e-service delivery in the nation on October 9. The RTS Chief Commissioners were also sensitized about the "NeSDA way forward" undertaken by the Department. Six NeSDA way forward monthly reports have been released by the Department for States and Union Territories. The reports set a baseline for the number of e-services and mandatory eservices provided by States and Union Territories on NeSDA â?? Way Forward dashboard. It also underlines the status of faceless, suo-moto delivery and unified service delivery portals. Moreover, the report assesses and compares the sector-wise e-services and highlights the state-specific opportunities to transition offline services to online platforms.
Date - 09/10/2023
Successful transition to renewable energy hinges upon renewed thrust on cyber security
In the first half of this fiscal year, from April to September, electricity consumption in the country grew nearly 8% to about 847 billion units. A significant part of this electricity consumption comes through renewable resources. Currently, India stands fourth in the world in Renewable Energy Installed Capacity (including large hydro projects). The country is fourth in wind power and solar power capacity. The country's renewable energy capacity as of July 2023 stood at about 179 GW (which is about 40% of the total energy capacity). The Government of India has set for itself the ambitious target of taking the renewable energy (nonfossil fuel-based) capacity in the country to 500 GW by 2030.
Date - 09/10/2023
Power consumption soars by nearly 8% to 847 billion units in first half of FY24
India's electricity consumption grew nearly eight per cent to about 847 billion units (BU) in the first half of this fiscal year from April to September, showing uptick in economic activities in the country. According to the official data, electricity consumption rose to about 847 BU during April-September 2023 from 786 BU in the same period of the previous fiscal. The industry experts opined that the widespread unseasonal rain in April, May and June has affected the power consumption as it could have grown in double digits in the country.
Date - 09/10/2023
5G smartphone shipments: Indian market likely to see 70-75% growth during festive season
The country saw a 65 per cent growth in 5G handset shipments till July this year (year-on-year), according to market research firm CMR. While value-for-money smartphones (Rs 7,000-Rs 25,000) saw a 61 per cent YoY growth, premium 5G smartphones (Rs 25,000 and above) saw a 68 per cent YoY growth. Samsung led the 5G shipments in India with a 25 per cent market share, followed by Vivo at 14 percent and OnePlus at 12 per cent, the data showed.
Date - 09/10/2023
Kerala is role model for cyber security governance: Minister P Rajeev
Kerala is a role model for cyber security governance as the state government is capable of providing adequate security to the cyber arena, said state revenue minister P Rajeev on Saturday. The minister, while speaking on the concluding session of the 16th edition of the c0c0n, a two-day international cyber conference that kicked off in Kochi on Friday, said that the work being done in the state through the c0c0n conference is a great achievement. "The state government is capable of providing adequate security to the cyber arena. The government is also providing necessary support to this sector by establishing the Digital University in the state. Kerala is a state where the internet is ensured through K-Fone in every house," the minister said.
Date - 08/10/2023
ISRO fights over 100 cyber attacks daily, organisation equipped to deal with such attacks: S Somanath
S Somanath, the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Saturday said that the country's space agency is facing more than 100 cyber-attacks daily. Somanath, while speaking on the concluding session of the 16th edition of the c0c0n, a two-day international cyber conference in Kerala's Kochi, further said that the possibility of cyber-attacks is much higher in rocket technology which uses ultra-modern software and chip-based hardware. "The organisation is equipped with a robust cybersecurity network to face such attacks," he said.
Date - 08/10/2023
ISRO preps first flight test to demonstrate crew escape system for human space mission
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has started preparations for unmanned flight tests as part of the Gaganyaan mission, the agency said on Saturday. A post on the ISRO's official handle on social media platform X read, "Mission Gaganyaan: ISRO to commence unmanned flight tests for the Gaganyaan mission. Preparations for the Flight Test Vehicle Abort Mission-1 (TV-D1), which demonstrates the performance of the Crew Escape System, are underway." According to ISRO, the success of this test flight will set the stage for the remaining qualification tests and unmanned missions, leading to the first Gaganyaan mission with Indian Astronauts.
Date - 07/10/2023
IIT-Delhi researchers achieve secure quantum communication for 380 km in standard telecom fiber
IIT-Delhi researchers have achieved an experimental breakthrough on secure quantum communication up to a distance of 380 kilometres in standard telecom fiber with a very low error rate that can be helpful in securing financial transactions and secret codes. This long secure length is the highest achieved so far, not only in India but globally, for the Differential Phase Shift (DPS) QKD protocol, according to officials. The results of the research by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Delhi researchers has also been published in the "Nature Scientific Reports" journal.
Date - 06/10/2023
IIT-Delhi researchers achieve secure quantum communication for 380 km in standard telecom fiber
IIT-Delhi researchers have achieved an experimental breakthrough on secure quantum communication up to a distance of 380 kilometres in standard telecom fiber with a very low error rate that can be helpful in securing financial transactions and secret codes. This long secure length is the highest achieved so far, not only in India but globally, for the Differential Phase Shift (DPS) QKD protocol, according to officials. The results of the research by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Delhi researchers has also been published in the "Nature Scientific Reports" journal.
Date - 06/10/2023
Swavlamban 2.0: Govt announces positive indigenisation list to boost domestic defence manufacturing
To promote manufacturing and innovation in the defence sector a number of new initiatives were announced by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during the plenary session of 'Swavlamban 2.0', the two-day seminar of Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO), which commenced in New Delhi on October 4. The main initiative was the release of the fifth Positive Indigenisation List of the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) comprising 98 items. Highly complex systems, sensors, weapons and ammunition have been included in the list. All these items will be procured from indigenous sources as per provisions given in Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 in a staggered timeline. The key items included in the list are futuristic infantry combat vehicle, remotely piloted airborne vehicles (up to 25 km range with payload of 2 kg for Army), shipborne unmanned aerial system, medium upgrade low endurance class tactical drone, next generation low-level light radar for Army and electro optic fire control system for naval platforms.
Date - 05/10/2023
Navy brings out dual-chip debit card for offline transaction by personnel in high seas
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday unveiled a unique dual-chip debit card that has been developed primarily to facilitate naval personnel at high seas carry out offline transactions if required. The 'SBI NAVeCash Card' can be used in online mode (as a regular debit card) as well as in offline mode while at sea with no direct connectivity with banks, the defence ministry said. Singh unveiled the card at the 'Swavlamban 2.0' seminar organised by the Indian Navy.
Date - 05/10/2023
RuPay domestic card scheme agreement signed between India's NPCI, UAE's Al Etihad Payments
NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has entered into a strategic partnership agreement with Al Etihad Payments (AEP) for Domestic Card Scheme (DCS) implementation in UAE. AEP is an indirect subsidiary of the Central Bank of UAE (CBUAE). This partnership agreement will facilitate real-time and cost-effective cross-border remittances using a beneficiary identifier. The agreement was signed on Thursday in the presence of Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal.
Date - 05/10/2023
Innovations, cloud computing and digital connectivity to drive egovernance: Pankaj Gupta, AWS India
Carving out a new digital landscape for e-governance in India, the cloud computing platform Amazon Web Services is betting big on transformational digitisation by scaling up its investments to $16.4 billion by 2030. While keeping an eye on government backed digital initiatives, Pankaj Gupta, Head â?? Public Sector Enterprises and Government, AWS India, tells ETGovernment about the future of egovernance that will be driven by innovations, cloud computing and digital connectivity. Edited excerpts: What do you think about the digital transformation in the government sector? Which sectors are seeing the fastest adoption? So just to give you a little background, AWS became the first global cloud service provider (CSP) to be empaneled by MeitY in 2017 to offer cloud services to public sector institutions in India. This gave confidence to government departments to use AWS Cloud for their e-governance or population transformation. Since then, we have been working with a lot of government departments across center, state, and non-profit organizations, and again, focusing on key domains like health, agriculture, education, skilling, and financial inclusion. Just to give you some examples.
Date - 05/10/2023
UPI goes to the Middle East: NPCI to sign pact with Al Etihad Payments of UAE today
NPCI International Payments Ltd, the international arm of the National Payment Corporation of India, will ink an agreement with Al Etihad Payments today in Abu Dhabi to facilitate cross-border transactions, an official said. The MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) will be signed on development of domestic card scheme of UAE based on India's RuPay debit and credit card stack, the official added. The agreement will be signed in the presence of Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, who is leading a business delegation to Abu Dhabi from October 5 to October 6.
Date - 05/10/2023
NIA's Anti-Terror Conference: Use AI to analyze databases for crushing terror, says Amit Shah
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Central and State agencies have succeeded in firmly curbing all forms of terrorism in the country in the last 9 years. We need to not only combat terrorism but also dismantle its entire ecosystem. This was stated by Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah. He was speaking at the two-day anti-terror conference organized by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in New Delhi today. Several dignitaries including Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nishith Pramanik, Home Secretary, Director Intelligence Bureau, Director General NIA, as well as Director Generals of Central Armed Police Forces, State Police Chiefs, and senior officials from the Union and State governments were present. At the conference, the Home Minister awarded medals to NIA officials for excellence in service.
Date - 05/10/2023
TRAI extends the date for receving comments on its consultation paper on broadcasting, cable services regulation
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had released a consultation paper on "Review of Regulatory Framework for Broadcasting and Cable services" on August 8. The last date of receiving comments from the stakeholders on the issues raised in the consultation paper was initially fixed as September 5 and counter-comments as September 19. Due to requests received from stakeholders for extension of time for submission of comments, the last dates for receiving written comments and counter comments were extended up to September 19 and October 3, respectively.
Date - 04/10/2023
Supreme Court initiates process to revamp its website, seeks suggestions before Oct 18
The Supreme Court of India on October 3 initiated the process of revamping its official website and has sought suggestions from all the â??concernedâ?? in this regard on or before October 18. The apex court in a notification issued on Tuesday has informed all stakeholders that the individual concerns should be shared online via the email itcell@sci.nic.in. "The Supreme Court of India has initiated the process of revamping of its official website. Accordingly, all concerned may share their suggestions for the official website through email at itcell@sci.nic.in on or before 18.10.2023," the SC notification said.
Date - 04/10/2023
Tata Technologies pays fine of Rs 25 lakh, settles shares issuance case with Sebi
Tata Technologies has settled with capital markets regulator Sebi a case pertaining to alleged violation of guidelines on disclosure and investor protection after paying a settlement amount of Rs 25 lakh. The order came after Tata Technologies filed a suomotu settlement application with Sebi proposing to settle "by neither admitting nor denying any conclusions" the enforcement proceedings that may be initiated against it for the alleged violation of DIP (Disclosure and Investor Protection) guidelines. "It is hereby ordered that any proceedings that may be initiated for the violations... are settled in respect of the applicant (Tata Technologies), the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) said in its settlement order passed on September 27.
Date - 04/10/2023
Bhashini and RBIH collaborate for bringing linguistic inclusion in the financial services space
Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) and Digital India Bhashini Division (DIBD) are collaborating to develop innovative solutions for breaking down the language barriers prevalent in the financial services landscape. During the Global Fintech Fest, a memorandum of understanding was signed between DIBD and RBIH. This strategic partnership is poised to revolutionize financial services by enabling communication in local languages. The primary objective is to extend the reach of digital financial services to users in their native tongues, ultimately striving for seamless banking experiences for all. Amitabh Nag, CEO of the Digital India Bhashini Division, highlighted the potential of voice as a medium in this endeavour.
Date - 04/10/2023
India's security concerns extend into economic, environmental, energy, cyber space: President
"India's security concerns extend way beyond preservation of territorial integrity and encompass other dimensions of well-being dealing with economy, environment, energy security, and cyber security among others." President Droupadi Murmu said this today, during her address to faculty and course members of 63rd National Defence College Course at Rashtrapati Bhavan. "The role of the Armed Forces has also expanded beyond traditional military matters. Future conflicts in the complex defence and security environment would require a more integrated multi-state and multi-agency approach. The NDC Course plays an important role in preparing military and the civil services officers to deal with the complex security environment of the future in a comprehensive manner," the President said, according to the statement issued by the President's Secretariat. The President said that the global geopolitical environment is dynamic and poses numerous challenges. In the fast-changing geopolitical environment, we need to be well prepared to tackle any adverse situation. There is a need to have a deeper understanding of national and global issues.
Date - 04/10/2023
HCLTech, Business Finland team up to drive digital innovation in generative AI, metaverse
IT services company HCL Technologies (HCLTech) has entered into an agreement with Business Finland to drive innovation and growth in areas of generative AI, metaverse, space and quantum technologies. This alliance strengthens HCLTech's presence in the Nordic region. The Noida-headquartered IT services giant will get early access to emerging technologies and innovations in Finland, according to a release. The collaboration will enable Finnish companies and technology startups to take their solutions to global enterprises through HCLTech's Innovation Network, eSTiPTM, which includes 1,500-plus startups, 14-plus venture capitalists, 16-plus trade commissions and five academic institutions globally.
Date - 04/10/2023
5G push: India climbs 72 places in global mobile speed ranking; ahead of Japan, UK, Brazil
The launch of 5G services in India turbocharged mobile download speeds here, pushing the country's ranking 72 notches higher to 47th spot in Speedtest Global Index, ahead of nations like Japan, the UK and Brazil, according to Ookla. India's speed performance has zoomed up 3.59 times since the introduction of 5G, it said dubbing the country's 5G advancement as "remarkable". In this global pecking order, India ranked not only ahead of its neighbours like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan, but also some G20 countries, such as Mexico (90th), Turkey (68th), the UK (62nd), Japan (58th), Brazil (50th place), and South Africa (48th place).
Date - 03/10/2023
Govt warns of multiple vulnerabilities in Google Chrome, Apple Safari
CERT-In, the Indian government's nodal agency for responding to computer security incidents as and when they occur, is reporting multiple vulnerabilities Apple Safari and Google Chrome. The severity rating in both cases is high. The vulnerabilities in Apple Safari could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code and spoof user interface on the targeted system.
Date - 03/10/2023
Electronics industry body seeks PLI scheme for non-semicondcutor sectors
Electronics industry body ELCINA has requested the government to come up with a production linked incentive scheme for non-semiconductor or computer chips sector which is dominated by imports, a senior official of the organisation said. According to Electronic Industries Association of India (ELCINA) report, total electronic component market in the country was estimated to be around USD 39 billion, of which 68 per cent requirement was met through imports in 2021-22. While speaking at 48th ELCINAAward Ceremony, organisation's new President Atul B Lall said that the government's scheme for devices has been hugely successful and the incentive scheme for semiconductor sector is seeing a lot of traction and some investments have started flowing in.
Date - 02/10/2023
Leveraging AI to create content, services in regional languages for digital inclusion
India is ranked among the most linguistically diverse countries in the world, ranking fourth in terms of the number of languages spoken. In the constitution, the Indian languages are grouped under 22 Scheduled languages. Since much of the content on the Internet is available in English and other national languages, those who speak in regional languages often face the problem of lack of access to digital infrastructure and services. To democratise the Internet and promote digital inclusion in the country, Reverie Language Technologies is developing advanced solutions which provide seamless access to content and services on the Internet to people who are versed only in the regional languages. In conversation with ETGovernment, Anurag Saxena, Chief Business Officer of Reverie Language Technologies, describes the company's initiatives for leveraging AI and other emerging technologies to develop local language services and products.
Date - 02/10/2023
Google's journey in India: from 5 employees in 2004 to largest employee base outside the US
Google India started with five employees in 2004 and since then, it has grown to be among the largest Google employee bases outside of the US. As smartphones have brought millions more online, Indians have become some of the most enthusiastic Google users. Using products like Gmail, Translate and Android, India is second only to the US in total number of mobile 'Search' queries. Search in 2003 started in English but the company quickly added Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil and many other languages going forward.
Date - 01/10/2023
TRAI releases consultation paper on digital transformation through 5G ecosystem
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Friday issued a consultation paper on "Digital Transformation through 5G Ecosystem". The objective of this consultation paper is to identify the policy challenges and suggest the right policy framework for faster adoption and effective utilisation of new technologies for the holistic and sustainable development of the economy driven by 5G ecosystem. The Ministry of Communications said in a statement that India is undergoing a rapid digital transformation that is reshaping its economy and society. Fast and reliable mobile communication technologies are helping the government in realising the objectives of Digital India programme. It is providing a boost to the economy and empowering citizens through services like unified payment interface (UPI) and several other innovative G2B and G2C applications. With the advent of technologies such as 5G, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented/ Virtual Reality (AR/VR) and Metaverse, India is poised to unlock new opportunities for growth and innovation, the ministry said. The 5G service was launched in India on 1st October 2022 and the telecom service providers are aggressively rolling out the 5G network across the length and breadth of the country. The government has taken several initiatives for building 5G infrastructure and for promoting R&D. TRAI has also made several recommendations for faster deployment of 5G network and services in the country, it said.
Date - 30/09/2023
NavIC navigation system will now be supported by microchips manufactured in India
For the first time the chipsets or microchips capable of receiving and processing the signals of the indigenous navigation system NavIC will be designed and manufactured in India by an Indian company. NavIC is a satellite based navigation system, developed by Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), which enables users to determine their precise geographic location and track their movements anywhere in India and 1500 kms beyond Indiaâ??s territorial boundary. Not all smartphones and navigational gadgets (or navigators) are compatible with NavIC. To use and decode NavIC signals, a navigating gadget should have a NavIC compatible chipset or microchip incorporated inside it.
Date - 30/09/2023
Online gaming: 28% GST comes into effect from October 1, CBIC makes announcement
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) is prepared to implement the 28 per cent GST (Goods and Services Tax) rate on online gaming, casinos and horse racing from October 1. This move comes with the consensus of all Indian states and follows the recent passage of amendments to GST laws in the Lok Sabha. CBIC Chairman Sanjay Agarwal said, "We are ready to implement a 28 per cent GST rate on online gaming from October 1 with the consent of all the states. The law for GST rate on online gaming will have to be passed by the assembly of states. Show cause notices to some online gaming companies are legal process."
Date - 29/09/2023
Govt approves 18 R&D projects worth Rs 46.74 cr in technical textiles
Ministry of Textiles approved a total of 18 Research and and Development projects worth Rs 46.74 crores across different areas of technical textiles, an official statement said on Thursday. Addressing the 7th Meeting of the Mission Steering Group (MSG) of National Technical Textiles Mission in New Delhi, Union Textiles Minister Piyush Goyal said, "Industry and Institute's pro-active and robust engagement is essential for the indigenous development of technical textiles in India." Among these 18 R&D projects, 14 are high value Projects, 3 are Prototype Grant projects and 1 is Ideation Grant project. The projects cover different application areas of technical textiles including 1 Projects from Geotech, 2 of Protech, 2 Indutech, 2 Sportech, 5 Sustainable Textiles, 3 Meditech, 3 Smart & E Textiles and 1 Geotextiles were approved during the meeting.
Date - 29/09/2023
DoT, NDMA conduct emergency communication tests with cell broadcast alert system
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) will be conducting comprehensive testing of the cell broadcast alert system. This initiative aims to bolster emergency communication during disasters and prioritize the safety and well-being of the people, the Ministry of Communications said in a statement on Friday. DoT is responsible for formulating developmental policies aimed at accelerating the growth of the telecommunications sector in India. Its mission is to ensure access to affordable and effective telecommunications services for all citizens while promoting innovation and safeguarding national security interests. The DoT works to enhance communication capabilities and support disaster management efforts to protect the well-being of people, the ministry said. To ensuring the safety of the people of India and their communities, the cell broadcast alert system will undergo rigorous testing across various telecom service providers. These tests will be conducted periodically in diverse regions throughout the country to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of the emergency alert broadcasting capabilities of different mobile operators and cell broadcast systems, it said.
Date - 29/09/2023
Pragyan rover has done what it was expected to do: ISRO chief
Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) S Somanath on Thursday said the Pragyan rover of its moon mission Chandrayaan-3 has done what it was expected to do, and it would not be a problem even if it fails to 'wake up' from the current sleep mode. The national space agency is now gearing up for XPoSat or X-ray Polarimeter Satellite launch which may take place in November or December, he said at a news conference here after visiting the famous Somnath temple in Gir Somnath district of Gujarat. On the status of Pragyan, currently in sleep mode on the moon, the ISRO chief said it will wake up if its electronic circuits have not been damaged due to the extreme weather on the moon as the temperature dipped nearly 200 degrees Celsius below zero.
Date - 29/09/2023
CRIIIO 4 Good: Govt launches online modules to advance gender equality, empower young people
CRIIIO 4 Good, a set of online, life skills learning modules to promote gender equality among girls and boys, was launched today by Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship. The modules were launched in association with the International Cricket Council, UNICEF, and the Board of Control for Cricket in India at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. While speaking at the event, Pradhan highlighted NEP 2020â??s emphasis on gender parity and equal opportunities as a fundamental principle. Through CRIIIO 4 Good, the power of sports and the popularity of cricket can be used as a medium to empower the girl child and spread awareness about gender equity, he added. He mentioned how the country witnessed history in the making with the passage of Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam and taking India to the forefront of women-led development. CRIIIO 4 Good is a series of 8 cricket-based animation films to promote gender parity, equip girls with life skills and encourage their participation in sports. Using the popularity for cricket, ICC and UNICEF released these modules to inspire children and youth to adopt critical life skills and appreciate the importance of gender equality. The programme can be accessed free of cost on criiio.com/criiio4good in three languages: English, Hindi and Gujarati.
Date - 28/09/2023
Ministry of I&B introduces key amendments to Cable Television Network Rules
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has issued a notification amending the Cable Television Network Rules 1994, thereby introducing a procedure for the renewal of Multi-System Operator (MSO) Registrations. In addition, an enabling provision has been inserted in the Rules for the sharing of infrastructure by the Cable Operators with Broadband Service providers to promote internet penetration to the last mile. The salient features of the amended Rules for MSO Registration are:
- MSOs shall apply for the registration or renewal of registration online at the Broadcast Seva Portal of MIB.
- MSO registrations shall be granted or renewed for a period of ten years;
- The processing fee of Rs. 1 lakh is kept for the renewal of registration also;
- The application for renewal of registration shall be within a window of seven to two months before the expiry of the registration.
- The renewal procedure is in line with the Government's commitment to ease of doing business as it will provide certainty to cable operators to continue their services without interruption and therefore make the sector attractive for foreign investment.
Date - 28/09/2023
Trai seeks views on use of high-range frequencies, allocation of E and V band spectrum
Telecom regulator Trai on Wednesday invited views on opening up high-range frequencies for use without licences as well as on allocation of some other airwaves. In a consultation paper, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) sought an opinion on allocation methodology, pricing and use of spectrum in E (71-76 and 81-86 GHz frequency range) and V band (57-64 GHz) over which telecom operators and internet companies have been at loggerheads. Spectrum in E and V band are considered capable of enabling wireless data transfer speed of up to 1 gigahertz -- equivalent to what can be delivered through optical fibre cables.
Date - 28/09/2023
Aiming for $300 billion turnover in electronic sector and 50 lakh additional jobs: Minister
India's target is to grow the domestic electronics sector to $300 billion by 2025. This was stated by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of state for Electronics & IT. He also said that the growth in tech and manufacturing sectors will create 50 lakh additional jobs in the next three years. Chandrasekhar was speaking at the Times of India Right To Excellence Tech Summit 2023. Companies like Apple, Micron and others are looking for trustworthy partners and economies, He said. "We are one of the fastest growing digital economies in the world, and are encouraging companies to move supply chains to India," he added.
Date - 27/09/2023
CBDT notifies changes to Rule 11UA in respect of Angel Tax for valuing investments in startups
The Income Tax Department has notified new angel tax rules that comprise a mechanism to evaluate the shares issued by unlisted startups to investors. While previously the angel tax - a tax levied on capital received on the sale of shares of a startup above the fair market value - applied only to local investors, the Budget for 2023-24 fiscal (April 2023 to March 2024) widened its ambit to include foreign investments. As per the Budget, the excess premium will be considered as 'income from sources' and taxed at the rate of up to over 30 per cent. However, startups registered by the DPIIT are exempt from the new norms.
Date - 27/09/2023
GST Council to meet on Oct 7; may review amendments in SGST law on online gaming
The GST Council will meet on October 7 and is likely to review the progress made by the states in incorporating changes with regard to taxation of online gaming in SGST laws as approved by the council in its August meeting. The GST Council, chaired by the Union Finance Minister and comprising state counterparts, had last month cleared amendments to Central GST and Integrated GST laws to give clarity on the levy of 28 per cent tax on the full face value of bets in online gaming, casinos and horse race clubs. The amendments also make registration mandatory for offshore e-gaming companies operating in India. It also provides for blocking of access in case offshore platforms fail to comply with GST registration and tax payment norms. Similar changes were required to be undertaken by the states in their respective SGST laws.
Date - 27/09/2023
Digital payment via UPI spikes on person-to-merchant transaction growth: Report
Digital payment through Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has seen a multi-fold jump with transactions crossing a landmark figure of 10 billion in August primarily driven by Person-to-Merchant (P2M) transactions, a report said. The number of UPI transactions in January 2018 was 151 million, and it reached 9.3 billion in June 2023, primarily driven by the growth in P2M transactions, the report by Worldline said. In January 2022, P2M transactions accounted for 40.3% of all UPI transactions compared to 57.5% in June 2023 and this percentage is likely to grow further, it said.
Date - 27/09/2023
Govt rubbishes Moody's report as baseless, says Aadhaar is world's most trusted digital ID
In response to Moody's claims that Aadhaar poses privacy and security risks, the government has issued a statement saying that the sweeping assertions against Aadhaar are baseless and that Aadhaar is the most trusted digital ID in the world. Over the last decade, over a billion Indians have expressed their trust in Aadhaar by using it to authenticate themselves over 100 billion times. To ignore such an unprecedented vote of confidence in an identity system is to imply that the users do not understand what is in their own interest, the statement from the government says. The statement notes that "the report in question does not cite either primary or secondary data or research in support of the opinions presented in it. The investor service did not make any attempt to ascertain facts regarding the issues raised by it from the Authority. The sole reference cited in the report is in respect of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), by referring to its website. However, the report incorrectly cites the number of Aadhaars issued as 1.2 billion, although the website prominently gives the updated numbers."
Date - 26/09/2023
The critical role of space technology in improving systems of governance
The success of Chandrayaan-3 mission, on August 23, made India the fourth country in the world to soft-land on the moon, and the first to land on the moon's south pole. On August 26, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was at ISRO headquarters in Bangalore. In his address to the ISRO scientists, Modi said that space technology was not only for sending satellites to orbit the earth and accomplishing interplanetary travels-it was also for improving the systems of governance in the country. "There should be no space between common man and space technology," Modi said.
Date - 26/09/2023
J&K tops in e-Governance service delivery, has 1028 online services: NeSDA report
In the area of e-governance service delivery, Jammu and Kashmir has achieved a significant milestoneby providing over 1,028 services in online mode to citizens, institutions and business establishments, according to an official release issued on Sunday. In the National e-services Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) report released by the Union Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Jammu and Kashmir secured the topmost position with an "impressive" 1,028 e-services, surpassing Madhya Pradesh with 1,010 e-services and Kerala with 911 e-services, it said. It said that the NeSDA report, released on Sunday, has firmly placed Jammu and Kashmir at the forefront of states and union territories in the provisioning of e-services.
Date - 25/09/2023
Govt launches Amazon Future Engineer Programme to train tribal students in advanced coding, AI
Phase II of the â??Amazon Future Engineer Programmeâ?? has been launched by National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), under Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs, in 54 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) spread across Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Telangana. The second phase would include an Advanced Block Programming and Artificial Intelligence curriculum. Anil Kumar Jha, Secretary (Tribal Affairs), inaugurated the three-day in-person teachers' training workshop as well as the EMRS Coders Expo, an exhibition of Top 20 Coding Projects from EMRSs during the previous academic year, in New Delhi today. Based on the encouraging results of last yearâ??s implementation, the revised module will introduce a customized coding and artificial intelligence (AI) curriculum that is aligned with CBSE skill education. This will be in addition to the current courses in coding, logical sequencing, learning loops, and block programming.
Date - 25/09/2023
Rajnath to launch Bharat Drone Shakti-2023; induct C-295 transport aircraft into IAF
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will on Monday inaugurate the Bharat Drone Shakti-2023 exhibition at the Hindon Air Base in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad, an official from Indian Air Force said on Sunday. As per the IAF, the Defence Minister would also formally induct the C-295 transport aircraft into the Indian Air Force. The induction ceremony will be done in the presence of top military officials including IAF chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari.
Date - 25/09/2023
India may soon emerge as a new global innovation hub: Rajeev Chandrasekhar
Giving impetus to the Centreâ??s flagship Digital India programme, the Union MoS for IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Monday said that India has been on the path of technology transition and may soon emerge as a new global innovation hub. The Union minister who recently participated in a groundbreaking ceremony of a semiconductor plant in Gujarat said that India was on the right track by witnessing the completion of its first-ever semiconductor plant within just 15 months of announcement. According to Chandrasekhar, as many as eight chip designing startups are already operational in the country. The Union minister maintained that there was tremendous potential for semiconductor manufacturing in India. Semiconductor manufacturing is considered a frontier of engineering and science. The Union MoS maintained that the investments in semiconductor technology will be directed to states with enabling environment through infrastructure and policies.
Date - 25/09/2023
80% of cyber crimes from 10 new districts: IIT report
Rajasthan's Bharatpur and Uttar Pradesh's Mathura have replaced Jharkhand's Jamtara and Haryana's Nuh as the infamous hotspots of cybercrime in India, according to a new study by an IIT Kanpur-incubated startup. The study also revealed that just the top 10 districts collectively contribute to 80 % of cybercrimes in the country. The findings have been mentioned by the Future Crime Research Foundation (FCRF) in its latest comprehensive white paper named 'A Deep Dive into Cybercrime Trends Impacting India'. Bharatpur (18%), Mathura (12%), Nuh (11%), Deoghar (10%), Jamtara (9.6%), Gurugram (8.1%), Alwar (5.1%), Bokaro (2.4%), Karma Tand (2.4%) and Giridih (2.3%) are the top contributors to cybercrime cases in India, collectively accounting for 80% of reported incidence, the FCRF claimed.
Date - 25/09/2023
'Digital payments transactions to breach all previous records this festive season'
Digital payments in India are set to swell past all previous records during the festive season this year. In a latest survey report by Nielsen Media India as many as 81% of consumers said that they intend to do all their festival shopping online with each one in two consumers maintaining that they are likely to up their spending as compared to past year. The digital payments through Unified Payments Interface (UPI), is reported to have crossed 10 billion monthly transactions in August earlier this year. The payment via UPI have taken center stage in this online shopping with 42% consumers surveyed said that they prefer UPI-based transactions when shopping for festive goods online. Further the survey also showed that about 57% of respondents favoured UPI as their preferred digital payment method for earning rewards and cashback. The survey, conducted on behalf of Amazon India, also highlighted that about 75% respondents were eager to purchase electronic gadgets and products such as smartphones, TVs, refrigerators, and ACs, along with luxury and authentic beauty brands, home furnishing and improvement items, and consumables online.
Date - 25/09/2023
AI can replace auditors and accountants, Union Finance secretary
Union Finance Secretary and senior IAS officer T.V. Somanathan on Saturday said Artificial Intelligence (AI) can replace the work being done by auditors and accountants. He was delivering the CA S. Hariharan memorial lecture here. Somanathan said that AI has specific implication for the economy and added that automation for business process can be much more potent with Artificial intelligence than it was without it.
Date - 24/09/2023
TRAI releases consultation paper on encouraging R&D in telecom, broadcasting, IT sectors
With the aim of encouraging R&D in telecom, broadcasting and ICT sectors, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released a consultation paper on September 22. In an official statement, the Ministry of Communications has said that the purpose of the consultation paper is to "develop a comprehensive eco-system for enhancing R&D in ICT Sector of the country, wherein there are well established processes for generating a pool of R&D scientists/ engineers, duly supported by the Government and Private Partners for development and innovation of ICT products and services for making India Atmnirbhar and promoting exports in the ICT Sector." The statement notes that the "advent and evolution of R&D over the years have been pivotal in developing and applying new technologies, shaping economic systems, and improving people's lives through several industrial revolutions. As recognized world over, the R & D ecosystem of a nation is linked to its economic growth and overall progress."
Date - 23/09/2023
India hosts international seminar on 'digital public infrastructure for financial inclusion'
The Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, in collaboration with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Asia and Pacific Department (APD), with support from the IMF South Asia Regional Training and Technical Assistance Centre (SARTTAC) hosted an international seminar on 'Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI): Enabler for Financial Inclusion and Productivity Gains' in New Delhi on Friday. The event held in hybrid format saw participation of Secretary (Economic Affairs), Ministry of Finance, Chief Economic Advisor, Government of India, senior experts from the IMF and World Bank joining in-person and representatives from over 100 countries across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East joining virtually. This seminar served as a platform for fostering peer learning, sharing global best practices, and promoting collaboration to harness the potential of Digital Public Infrastructure in advancing financial inclusion and productivity, the Union Ministry of Finance said in a press release. The IMF presented a comprehensive overview of India's remarkable journey in developing the India stack as a world-class Digital Public Infrastructure which has not only transformed the digital landscape in India but also offers powerful lessons for digital transformation worldwide. The IMF's paper 'Stacking up the Benefits: Lessons from Indiaâ??s Digital Journey' particularly commended India's Direct Benefit Transfer mechanism for effectively reaching over 87% of poor households during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting India's ability to deliver essential services through digital means.
Date - 23/09/2023
"Revival of Vikram, Pragyan automatic": ISRO scientist on waking up Chandrayaan-3
As Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) preps to revive Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander and rover from 'sleep mode' after almost two weeks, Nilesh M Desai, Director, Space Applications Centre (SAC) on Friday said that the 'revival' of the lander and the rover is "automatic" and cannot be nudged from the Earth. The Director of the Space Applications Centre, one of the major centres of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), said that signals will come as soon as the solar-powered lander and rover are charged because of the sunrise, which happened in the lunar surface on September 22. However, Desai said that till now no signals have come and that the efforts to establish contact with the Chandrayaan-3's lander Vikram and the rover Pragyan are underway.
Date - 23/09/2023
AI Chatbot for PM-KISAN Scheme launched; designed to provide seamless support to farmers
AI Chatbot for the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme was launched at New Delhi on Thursday by Kailash Choudhary, Union Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. This AI Chatbot launch marks a significant step towards enhancing the efficiency and reach of the PM-KISAN scheme, and providing farmers prompt, clear, and accurate responses to their queries. Launching the AI Chatbot, Choudhary said the initiative is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to bring positive change to lives of farmers and improve governance through use of technology. The minister said the AI Chatbot will help in accessing scheme information and resolving grievances. He also called upon the need to widen the service to link it with other related issues like weather information, soil conditions and bank payments. The minister complimented the Ministry officials for onboarding the technology in a short span of time and added that it will ease the burden for agriculture officials at the Centre and states.
Date - 22/09/2023
TRAI releases pre-consultation paper on inputs for formulation of National Broadcasting Policy
In its letter, dated July 13, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting had asked Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to provide its inputs under Section 11 of the TRAI Act, 1997, for formulation of the National Broadcasting Policy. In its letter Ministry of Information & Broadcasting had mentioned that the Broadcast Policy needs to identify the vision of a functional, vibrant and resilient broadcasting sector which can project India's diverse culture and rich heritage and help India's transition to a digital and empowered economy. The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting believes that a National Broadcasting Policy stipulating the vision, mission, strategies and the action points could set the tone for a planned development and growth of the Broadcasting sector in the country in the era of new and emerging technologies.
Date - 22/09/2023
ICG pollution control vessel 'Samudra Prahari' carries out a table-top exercise in Bangkok
Highlighting India's maritime expertise and commitment towards addressing shared challenges, particularly marine pollution, Indian Coast Guard (ICG) pollution control vessel 'Samudra Prahari' carried out a comprehensive pollution response table-top exercise and demonstration at Khlong Toei Port in Bangkok, Thailand on Wednesday (September 20, 2023), the final of its four-day visit. The exercise involved personnel from Thailand's Maritime Enforcement Coordination Centre (MECC), Customs Department, Marine Department, Royal Navy, Fisheries Department and other government officials, the Ministry of Defence said in a press release on Thursday. The exercise involved a scenario that devised and tested Thailand's maritime pollution response contingency plan in collaboration with the ICG. It fostered knowledge sharing and an interactive environment among the services, ensuring seamless cooperation during real-life oil pollution scenarios. The exercise demonstrated ICG's pollution response capabilities and India's shared commitment towards the region, the ministry said. Ahead of the exercise, a joint yoga session was conducted on the helo deck of the ship, involving embassy officials and Thai-MECC representatives. The participants were enlightened about the significance of incorporating Yoga into their daily lives, emphasising its unifying power and numerous benefits.
Date - 22/09/2023
MeitY announces AI Gamechangers Award, to be given during Annual GPAI Summit in Dec
As the council chair of Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence, India is going to host the Annual GPAI Summit which is being organised in Delhi in December 2023. The summit will see participation from AI Experts, multilateral organizations, and other relevant stakeholders from over 28 GPAI member countries and the European Union. The Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) is an international and multi-stakeholder initiative to guide the responsible development and use of AI, grounded in human rights, inclusion, diversity, innovation, and economic growth.
Date - 22/09/2023
Govt flags multiple vulnerabilities in Adobe products, severity rating high
CERT-In is reporting multiple vulnerabilities in Adobe products which could be exploited by a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the targeted system. The software affected are:
- Acrobat DC and Acrobat Reader DC version prior to 23.006.20320 for Windows and macOS
- Acrobat 2020 and Acrobat Reader 2020 version 20.005.30516 and prior for macOS
- Acrobat 2020 and Acrobat Reader 2020 version 20.005.30514 and prior for Windows
- Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) versions 6.5.17.0 and prior for all platforms
- AEM Cloud Service (CS) Release prior to 2023.8 for all platforms
- Adobe Connect versions 12.3 and prior for all platforms
Date - 22/09/2023
C-DOT and CSIR-NPL collaborate to develop NavIC based IST clock for telecom sector
Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), the premier telecom R&D center of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and CSIR-National Physical Laboratory (NPL) on Wednesday signed an agreement for 'Development of NavIC based IST traceable Primary Reference Time Clock (PRTC) for telecom sector'. The agreement was signed under the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) scheme of the DoT for providing funding support to domestic companies and institutions involved in technology design, development, commercialization of telecommunication products and solutions to enable affordable broadband and mobile services in rural and remote areas. The project focuses on the development of a device which shall provide direct Indian Standard Time (IST) traceability to all the Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) within ± 20 ns.
Date - 21/09/2023
DPDP Act Compliance: Govt begins consultations with key stakeholders from industry, institutions
Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, spearheaded discussions with key industry stakeholders during the inaugural Digital India Dialogues session, focusing on the implementation of the recently enacted Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act). These dialogues served as a platform for deliberations on the transition period required for specific provisions of the law, seeking valuable inputs for its effective implementation, an official statement said. During this session, the minister recounted the journey behind the creation of the historic legislation, detailing its evolution from inception to its current status as enacted law. Rajeev Chandrasekhar elaborated on how this law integrates into a broader mission aligned with the national vision which aims to establish contemporary and relevant laws tailored to Indian requirements along with platform obligations.
Date - 21/09/2023
Barring BigTech all Indian entities to get 12 month grace period to implement Data Protection rules
Clearing the air over the breather to the Indian companies over the implementation of recently enacted Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act), the Union government on Wednesday announced that barring the BigTech companies a 12 month transition period will be given to the Indian entities to comply with the new Data Protection rules. The Union government has maintained that the global technology majors that are already complying with similar rules like GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) in the European Union may not seek any extension of grace period to follow these new rules. "Industry seeks some more time for age-gating, different timelines for transition for different data fiduciaries. We look to implement most of the rules except age-gating in 12 months from now," Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Wednesday.
Date - 21/09/2023
Govt launches mobile app and portal for General Crop Estimation Survey
The mobile application and the web portal for GCES (General Crop Estimation Survey) was launched today by Manoj Ahuja, Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) today. This portal and mobile application have been designed to transform agricultural practices across the nation. Ahuja emphasized on the need of real time estimates and technology in agriculture. He said that the accuracy of the data is an important component for truthful and reliable outcome generation and the responsibility of ensuring accuracy of the data lies with the data providers as well. He requested all the states to adopt GCES portal and application to ensure credibility. Pramod Kumar Meherda, Additional Secretary, DA&FW, said that the successful adaptation of advanced technologies in different sectors of agriculture and requested states to adopt the GCES web portal and mobile application completely for better outcome and reliable estimation.
Date - 21/09/2023
Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar: Govt comes out with new national awards in science, tech, innovation
The Government of India has come out with a new set of National Awards in the field of Science, Technology and Innovation known as Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar. The objective of these awards is to recognize the notable and inspiring contribution made by the scientists, technologists, and innovators individually or in teams in various fields of science, technology and technology led innovation. The Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar shall be one of the highest recognitions in the field of science, technology, and innovation in India. Scientists, technologists and innovators working in government, private sector organizations, who have made distinguished contributions in terms of path-breaking research or innovation or discovery in any field of science, technology, or technology- led innovation shall be eligible for the awards.
Date - 21/09/2023
Chandrayaan-3 not exception, but an outcome of India's social, cultural, scientific ethos: Rajnath Singh in LS
The success of Chandrayaan-3 is not an exception, but the result of the development of India's social, cultural and scientific ethos. This was stated by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during a discussion on the success of Chandrayaan-3 mission and other achievements of the nation in the space sector in the Lok Sabha on September 21. He described the success of Chandrayaan-3 as a testament to the robust scientific ecosystem taking shape in the country. "Chandrayaan-3 shows that science education is improving in our schools & colleges and industries are producing & supplying quality products. Efforts were also made by previous governments. Therefore, everyone who has contributed towards developing scientific temperament within the nation deserves congratulations," he said.
Date - 21/09/2023
Chandrayaan 3: Sunrise at Shiv Shakti point on Moon; ISRO expects lander, rover to wake up soon
A new dawn broke on the lunar south pole (Shiv Shakti point) on Wednesday and the ISRO scientists have been engaged in trying to get Vikram lander and Pragyan rover, the two modules of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, to wake up from their sleep in the extremely cold lunar atmosphere. The ISRO website has the information that the lander and rover are expected to be woken up around September 22, once optimum sunshine is available. An ISRO official said the ground stations will try and revive the lander and rover modules, and the on-board instruments on Thursday or Friday, after optimum sunshine is available. According to ISRO scientists the chances of reviving Vikram and Pragyan are not too high. But it is not hopeless either. It is possible that the lander and rover might wake up without full functionality.
Date - 21/09/2023
KCC Ghar Ghar Abhiyaan, Kisan Rin Portal, WINDS manual launched; Nirmala Sitharaman assures full cooperation of banks
Kisan Rin Portal (KRP) and KCC Ghar Ghar Abhiyaan initiatives, which are focussed on extending the benefits of Kisan Credit Card (KCC) to every farmer across the nation, were launched by Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Finance Minister, and Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Agriculture Minister. The Union Ministers also launched the manual on Weather Information Network Data Systems (WINDS). According to government sources, these initiatives aim to revolutionize agriculture, enhance financial inclusion, optimize data utilization, and improve the lives of farmers across the nation. Delivering the keynote address on the occasion, Nirmala Sitharaman assured full cooperation of banks for the success of Ghar Ghar KCC Abhiyan. She said that the government under Prime minister Narendra Modi has allocated enough money under the KCC scheme to ensure easy short-term loans to farmers and their onboarding for the scheme. The finance minister commended the Ministry of Agriculture for its initiatives and successful implementation of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).
Date - 20/09/2023
India discusses cyber security, domestic defence industry with Malaysia
Ministry of Defence (MoD) said that the 12th meeting of Malaysia-India Defence Cooperation Committee (MIDCOM) was held in New Delhi on Tuesday. MoD said that the two chairs articulated steps in the direction of emerging areas of cooperation like cyber security and issues pertaining to global commons. It said that they identified means to enhance existing areas of collaboration, especially in the field of defence industry, maritime security and multilateral cooperation. The Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane shared an 8-point proposal with the Malaysian side to expand cooperation between India and Malaysia on a wide range of areas such as Government to government-level engagement, Tri-Service cooperation, Training, UN Peacekeeping, Bilateral Services Engagement, Defence Industrial Cooperation, Research and Development and Regional and Sub-Regional Engagements.
Date - 20/09/2023
Chandrayaan-3's success to have big impact on India's industrial, tech ecosystem: FinMin
Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Finance Minister, during her address in the Rajya Sabha on September 20 said that the success of Chandrayaan-3 will have a big impact on India's industrial and technological ecosystem. She briefed the House about the Chandrayaan-3 mission of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). "In 1975, we launched our first satellite Aryabhatta with the help of the Soviet Union's (USSR). Now, the success of Chandrayaan-3 will have a big impact on India's industrial and technological ecosystem. Although we needed help from the Soviet Union to launch our first satellite Aryabhatta, today we have launched 431 foreign satellites for other countries till July 2023," Sitharaman said in the Upper House. The Minister praised ISRO's innovative choices in the Chandrayaan-3 project, like choosing a route that allows a cost-effective and sustainable method of accomplishing the project.
Date - 20/09/2023
India's space journey discussed in Rajya Sabha; VP talks about Chandrayaan, Mangalyaan, Aditya-L1
"From the inception of our space programme, we have consistently pushed the boundaries of space exploration and our achievements in this domain. These have catapulted the nation onto the global center-stage. From Chandrayaan missions to the Moon, Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan) and Aditya Ll's solar exploration, India has shown that the sky is not the limit; it's just the beginning." Jagdeep Dhankhar, Vice-President and Chairman of Rajya Sabha, said this during his address today. "Over the span of nearly six decades, India's space programme has seen the country evolve from a nation relying on foreign launch vehicles to becoming fully self-reliant with its indigenous launch capabilities. Notably, India has not only developed the capacity to launch its own satellites but has also extended its services to launch satellites for other countries," the Vice-President said.
Date - 20/09/2023
Energetic ion variations study to improve accuracy of space weather forecasting
Substorm or brief disturbances in the Earth's magnetosphere and the resultant magnetic field dipolarization (reconfiguration of the local magnetic field from stretched tail like to quasi-dipole like) increases heavy ion flux in the inner magnetosphere, providing windows for understanding the change and improving the accuracy of space weather forecasting in the future, shows a new study. The magnetospheric substorm is a short-lived process that depends on the magnitude and direction of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF), solar wind velocity, and on the solar wind dynamic pressure. The southward direction of the IMF is a necessary prerequisite for substorm occurrence as it causes magnetic reconnection in the dayside magnetosphere. Generally, the average duration of the substorm is about 2-4 hours. During such a process, a significant amount of energy (around 1015 J) is extracted from the interaction between the solar wind and the magnetosphere. Through the course of time, this energy is ultimately deposited in the inner magnetosphere. Using the data from the Helium, Oxygen, Proton, and Electron (HOPE) Mass Spectrometer and Electric and Magnetic Field Instrument Suite and Integrated Science (EMFISIS) instrument onboard the Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) spacecraft, scientists of Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG), an autonomous institute of Department of Science and Technology conducted a statistical study of 22 substorm events for the period of 2018. They investigated the significant characteristics of magnetic field dipolarization, such as its time scale and associated enhancement in the energetic O+ and H+ ion flux.
Date - 20/09/2023
Lok Sabha to train MPs on use of hi-tech devices after row over women's reservation bill
Amid members' complaints of non-receipt of the copies of the women's reservation bill, the Lok Sabha secretariat on Tuesday said a walkthrough session MPs will be organised to make them acquainted with the multimedia devices available in the new Parliament building. A Lok Sabha Secretariat bulletin said the walkthrough session has been scheduled for Wednesday morning in the new chamber of the lower house for better understanding of the features and functionalities of the multimedia devices. When the Lok Sabha convened in the new parliament building Tuesday afternoon, several members including AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, said they had not received the Constitution (128th Amendment) Bill which was being introduced by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.
Date - 20/09/2023
Aditya-L1 successfully performs another manoeuvre, spacecraft on course to Sun-Earth L1 point
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has informed that its maiden solar mission - Aditya-L1 - has performed the Trans-Lagrangean Point 1 Insertion (TL1I) manoeuvre successfully and the spacecraft was now in a trajectory that will take it to the Sun-Earth L1 point. ISRO has also informed that it marked the fifth consecutive time that the ISRO had successfully transferred an object on a trajectory toward another celestial body or location in space. A post on the ISRO official handle on social media platform X read, "Aditya-L1 Mission | Off to Sun-Earth L1 point | The Trans-Lagrangean Point 1 Insertion (TL1I) manoeuvre is performed successfully. The spacecraft is now on a trajectory that will take it to the Sun-Earth L1 point. It will be injected into an orbit around L1 through a manoeuvre after about 110 days. This is the fifth consecutive time ISRO has successfully transferred an object on a trajectory toward another celestial body or location in space."
Date - 19/09/2023
PM Modi joins Whatsapp Channels; here's how to connect
Opening direct connection lines with Indian citizens, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday joined the new digital communication brandwagon by opening his account on WhatsApp Channels. The new feature offered by global BigTech major WhatsApp will help PM Modi in connecting with the public on a real time basis and widen his digital outreach. The new WhatsApp Channels helps users in one-way broadcasting channels and allows them to connect with a large number of subscribers simultaneously. The new method will give PM Modi another digital platform to engage with the public ahead of the Lok Sabha elections slated for next year. At present PM Modi is very active on various social media platforms, most notably on X (formerly known as Twitter). By joining the new platform, PM Modi will look to be ahead of other leaders and leverage his digital communication to stay connected with the public.
Date - 19/09/2023
Modi addresses Rajya Sabha in New Parliament Building; says, in digital age, we must make tech part of our lives
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Rajya Sabha in the New Parliament Building today. Addressing the House, he remarked that today's occasion is historic and memorable. New Parliament, he said, is not just a new building but is also a symbol of a new beginning. "This new building will infuse new energy in 140 crore Indians," he said. The Prime Minister stressed the need to achieve goals in a set time frame as the nation is no longer ready to wait. He said that the time has come to move with new thinking and style to meet the aspirations of the people and that will require expanding the scope of work and thought process. The Prime Minister said that the House can be a source of inspiration for the legislative bodies all over the country with regard to parliamentary probity.
Date - 19/09/2023
Digital India Talk Show at Delhi University: Sessions on UMANG, DigiLocker, NAD-ABC, Cybersecurity, myScheme, UX4G
A Digital India talk show cum interactive session was organised on September 18, 2023 at Delhi University. The second in a series of workshops planned over the next six months, it was organized as part of the Digital India Awareness campaign by the National e-Governance Division (NeGD), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). The programme was attended by more than 500 people from the University, which included students from various colleges, faculty and varsity staff. The programme began with lamp lighting, followed by keynote addresses by officials from both NeGD and Delhi University. J L Gupta, Director, NeGD, MeitY explained the objectives of Digital India Programme and how its key initiatives are bringing about digital transformation in the country, helping in better reach of such initiatives to the farthest corners of the country.
Date - 19/09/2023
Centre assesses roadmap for implementation of Digital Personal Data Protection Act
A month after clearing the key data protection regulation in the two houses of the Parliament, the Union government is now assessing the roadmap to enact the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA) tightening the regulatory framework around the BigTech companies operating in India. The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill was introduced in the Lower house of the parliament on August 3 and was cleared by Rajya Sabha on August 9. The legislation was enacted into law following the President's assent on August 11. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) looks to host key consultations with industry stakeholders and discuss the implementation of DPDPA in letter and spirit. According to MeitY, a meeting is scheduled later today in the national capital and the government looks to bring all the stakeholders onboard before implementing the new regulatory framework around citizen personnel data.
Date - 19/09/2023
SC seeks to 'tighten up' self-regulatory mechanism for TV, digital news platforms
The Supreme Court on Monday granted four weeks time to News Broadcasters and Digital Association (NBDA) to 'tighten-up' its self-regulatory framework around TV, digital news platforms and devise a new framework that brings much needed transparency and enhances the effectiveness of the current system in place. The SC bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, while acknowledging the request for another months time asked the NBDA, which is cochaired by Justice (retd) AK Sikri and RV Raveendran, to submit the new guidelines before the apex court. Earlier senior advocate Arvind Datar, representing the NBDA, requested an extension to ensure comprehensive and effective guidelines. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Union government, told SC that currently a self-regulatory mechanism comprising a three tier framework was already in place.
Date - 18/09/2023
India is using space tech in sectoral development projects, space tech has entered every household: Jitendra Singh
While celebrating Chandrayaan success, India is at the same time also using space technology and its applications in various sectoral development projects, said Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology. He was addressing a special session on "Emulating Chandrayaan-3 Success in Biomedical Sciences". "Space technology today has virtually entered every Indian household," he said. Dr Jitendra Singh said Space Applications are being utilised in sectors such as weather forecasting and disaster management, smart city project, infrastructure development, railway tracks and management of unmanned railway crossings, roads and buildings, telemedicine, covernance, and most importantly, the 'Svamitva' GPS land-mapping.
Date - 18/09/2023
ISRO's Aditya-L1 mission commences collection of scientific data with STEPS Instrument
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced today that its Aditya-L1 mission has commenced collecting scientific data, marking a milestone in India's solar exploration efforts. ISRO posted on X, "Aditya-L1 Mission: Aditya-L1 has commenced collecting scientific data. The sensors of the STEPS instrument have begun measuring supra-thermal and energetic ions and electrons at distances greater than 50,000 km from Earth. This data helps scientists analyze the behaviour of particles surrounding Earth. The figure displays variations in the energetic particle environment, collected by one of the units." The Supra Thermal and Energetic Particle Spectrometer (STEPS) instrument, a part of the Aditya Solar Wind Particle EXperiment (ASPEX) payload, has started its data-gathering operations.
Date - 18/09/2023
US delegation given presentation on India's defence innovation ecosystem fostered by iDEX
A US delegation led by Under Secretary (Research & Engineering), Department of Defence, Heidi Shyu met a team of Innovations for Defence Excellence-Defence Innovation Organisation (iDEX-DIO) under Ministry of Defence at IIT Delhi on Monday. Joint Secretary (Defence Industries Production) & Additional CEO of DIO Anurag Bajpai presented an overview on iDEX to the US delegation, explaining how the initiative is revolutionising the defence innovation ecosystem in India. He highlighted how iDEX is fostering innovation, in critical domains like Artificial Intelligence (AI), unmanned solutions, domain awareness, communications, space, cybersecurity, etc. He brought out how technologies developed by iDEX winners are acting as force multipliers for the Services and the innovators are beginning to make their mark globally with their dual-use solutions. The joint secretary explained that the India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) initiative will further deepen the strategic technology partnership and defence industrial cooperation between the two sides. He appreciated the momentum in INDUS-X activities and informed that iDEX and Defence Innovation Unit (DIU) teams have finalised two challenges to kick start joint challenges, to be launched soon. A showcase of select iDEX winners and defence innovation start-ups with cutting-edge dual-use technologies was also organised. Deep-tech innovations including on information security and cyber security, AI/ Machine Learning-based imaging, maritime technologies, wireless communication, space technologies and advanced sensors were showcased.
Date - 18/09/2023
Battlefield Surveillance System: Indian Army goes digital to enhance its capabilities to wage war
The Indian Army is making a major digital push which will facilitate faster decision making by top commanders by providing them with a fully integrated real-time picture of the area of operations. The Battlefield Surveillance System (BSS), a part of Project Sanjay, is about to be deployed. According to reports, extensive testing of BSS was carried out in plains, desert and later in the mountainous regions last year. Defence sources say that the Indian Army is looking at 2023 as the "year of transformation" and is working to transform itself into a "future-ready, technology-driven, lethal and agile force."
Date - 17/09/2023
Gaganyaan mission: Test vehicle of human spaceflight venture to be launched soon, says ISRO official
The first test vehicle mission of India's ambitious maiden human spaceflight venture Gaganyaan to validate the crew escape system will be launched in a month or two, a key ISRO official said on Friday. According to officials of the Bengaluru-headquartered national space agency, it would be the first of the four abort missions of the Gaganyaan programme. The first test vehicle mission, TV-D1, would be followed by the second test vehicle TV-D2 mission and first uncrewed mission of Gaganyaan (LVM3- G1). The second series of test vehicle missions (TV-D3& D4) and LVM3-G2 mission with robotic payload is planned next. The crewed mission is planned based on the outcome of the successful test vehicle and uncrewed missions, they said. "...immediately what we are now targeting is to validate the crew escape system. In a month or two, the mission will take place from Sriharikota," Gaganyaan Project Director R Hutton said at an international space conference here.
Date - 16/09/2023
Centre plans Tech Museum in Delhi to showcase emerging, future technologies
The Union government has planned to set up a 'Tech Museum' in the national capital to showcase emerging and future technologies of India, according to official documents. The CPWD, the premier construction agency of the Centre, has invited a request for proposal for consultancy services to plan, design and develop the state-of-the-art museum at the Nav Bharat Udyan being developed on the western banks of the Yamuna river. According to the documents, the 'Tech Museum' will be a premiere exhibition space focused on providing visitors with a better understanding of the latest technologies being used by India and creating a sense of pride in them about the achievements of the nation in various fields. The exhibits need to be presented in a manner and form that involve technologies that are futuristic, latest or first-of-its-kind such as 3-D mapping techniques, touch-enabled displays, depiction through AV projection, holograms, multi-touch interactive tables, touch kiosks, QR Code information and LED projection wall along with modern acoustics to provide a seamless and immersive experience for the visitors, the documents state.
Date - 16/09/2023
Engineering services, design, construction and R&D can achieve USD100 bn export target by 2030: Goyal
Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal has encouraged the engineering community to achieve the USD100 billion export target in engineering services, design, construction, and research and development (R&D) by 2030. While addressing at the 'Global Services Export Conclave on Design, Engineering, Construction, R&D and Environmental Services: Sustainable Energy, Transportation, and Infrastructure' in New Delhi on Friday, the minister extended his compliments and best wishes to engineers across the nation on Engineers Day. Highlighting India's growing global stature, as evidenced by the successful organization of the G20 Summit 2023 under India's Presidency, Goyal said the world's recognition of India's capabilities and leadership is evident from the adoption of the G20 New Delhi Leaders' Declaration on the first day of the G20 Summit 2023 with significant and bold decisions. India's voice is becoming the voice of not just the Global South but also the world now, he added. The Union minister urged Indian companies to expand globally, capturing new markets and leveraging India's abundant talent pool of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics) graduates to become leading global companies in their sectors.
Date - 16/09/2023
Govt looks to bring fibre-based home broadband network products under import licensing regime
The government is planning to bring the gamut of tech products used in fibre-based home broadband networks under an import licensing regime to boost local manufacturing of such telecom gear and reduce import dependence, mirroring recent moves on import of IT hardware. However, senior telecom industry executives warned that the move would make home broadband services costlier, degrade their overall quality, and throw up supply chain challenges that could disrupt rollout/expansion of fibre-based home broadband networks by the likes of Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is examining a proposal to usher in a licensing regime for import of key telecom finished products such as gigabit passive optical network (GPON) OLT/ONT systems, Wi-Fi access points, ethernet switches and wireless radio links, people aware of the development said.
Date - 16/09/2023
Govt launches Unified Portal for Agricultural Statistics to improve data management in agriculture sector
The Unified Portal for Agricultural Statistics ( www.upag.gov.in) was officially launched today by Professor Ramesh Chand, Member of NITI Aayog, Professor Ramesh Chand. The government expects to use this portal for addressing the complex governance challenges that India's agriculture sector is facing. Designed to streamline and enhance data management in the agricultural domain, the Unified Portal for Agricultural Statistics (UPAg) marks a significant step towards a more efficient and responsive agricultural policy framework. In his address, Professor Ramesh Chand complimented the team for such an initiative and touted it as an investment and a "giant step" in the realm of agriculture data management. He also mentioned that such an initiative was long overdue and it had a great potential to become a "great elephant" from a "small baby". He urged the audience to introduce a mindset shift in agriculture to bring about milestone changes.
Date - 16/09/2023
Defence Ministry leads as top procurer on Government e-Marketplace; contributes 16% of GMV
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has emerged as the leading Ministry amongst a total of 56 Ministries and Departments participating in the Government e-Marketplace (GeM). The MoD holds the top position in both order value and order quantity. Since its inception, the Ministry has contributed significantly to the Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) of GeM, which has reached an impressive Rs. 73,225.30 Cr as of September 12. In the current financial year, the procurement through GeM has already reached an impressive Rs. 18,790.60 crore as of September 12. The order value of the Ministry in fiscal year 2022-23 was Rs, 28,732.90 crore, while it amounted to Rs 15,091.30 crore in the fiscal year 2021-22. Under the aegis of the Department of Defence Production, the Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) had sold Goods and Services worth Rs. 2,642.66 crore on GeM in FY 2022-23.
Date - 15/09/2023
NavIC, India's own GPS support in iPhone 15, to be standard practice for all: MoS IT
Apple extending its support for ISRO-created navigation system called NavIC for iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max is a significant achievement for India and the government is planning to make it a standard practice that all devices using GPS technology should have NavIC-powered chipsets inside, said Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, on Thursday. Apple has adopted the Indian satellite navigation system NavIC, an alternative to the Global Positioning System (GPS), for its high-end iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max models for location-based services. This is the first time the iPhone maker has extended support for NavIC to its iPhone models.
Date - 15/09/2023
Govt flags multiple vulnerabilities in Notepad++, severity rating high
CERT-In, the Central Government's nodal agency for dealing with cyber security incidents as and when they occur, is reporting multiple vulnerabilities in Notepad++. The severity rating is high. These vulnerabilities could be exploited by a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code and obtain sensitive information on the targeted system. In its description of the vulnerabilities, CERT-In says: "These vulnerabilities exist in Notepad++ due to Heap buffer overflow in the Utf8_16_Read::convert() function; Out-of-bounds read error in CharDistributionAnalysis::HandleOneChar, nsCodingStateMachine::NextState, and FileManager::detectLanguageFromTextBeginning. A remote attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities by persuading a victim to open a specially crafted file."
Date - 15/09/2023
Skill India Digital platform launched to bring skilling initiatives under single umbrella
The government on Wednesday launched the Skill India Digital Platform to bring all skilling initiatives under a single umbrella and provide skill development and entrepreneurial support to people. More than 264 skilling courses from 42,623 centres from across the country will be available under the platform, which will also provide opportunities for job exchange, apprenticeship, and entrepreneurship. Skill India Digital Platform application can be downloaded on the app store and Google Play Store and is available in multiple Indian languages, according to an official statement.
Date - 14/09/2023
Union Cabinet approves MoU between India, Sierra Leone on cooperation in digital solutions
The Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the Memorandum of Understanding signed on June 12, 2023 between India's Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology and and the Ministry of Information and Communications of the Republic of Sierra Leone on cooperation in the field of sharing successful digital solutions implemented at population scale for digital transformation. The MoU aims to encourage closer cooperation and the exchange of experiences and digital technology-based solutions (INDIA STACK) in the implementation of both countries' digital transformational programmes, the Cabinet said in an official release. The MoU envisions greater collaboration leading to job opportunities in the sector of information technology.
Date - 14/09/2023
IIT Bhubaneswar collaborates with Whizhack Technologies for cyber security ecosystem
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar has signed an MoU with Gurgaon based Whizhack Technologies Private Limited in the field of cyber security, recently. Whizhack Technologies is a leading vertically integrated cyber security company. This association will help in establishing a research and development ecosystem at IIT Bhubaneswar for cyber security products and solutions, skilling and knowledge transfer, laboratory development and establishing cyber security center of excellence. On behalf of IIT Bhubaneswar, Prof Dinakar Pasla, Dean, Sponsored Research and Industrial Consultancy (SRIC) and on behalf of Whizhack Technologies, Kaushik Ray, co-founder and chief operating officer signed the MoU. Speaking on the occasion, Prof Dinakar Pasla said, "The strategic collaboration with Whizhack Technologies will promote National Cyber Security Mission towards developing indigenous cyber defense solutions for various safety critical infrastructure and application platforms. We will jointly establish center of excellence in the area of Cyber Physical Systems Security at IIT Bhubaneswar that will pursue research and development, training and knowledge transfer in related domain." Kaushik Ray from Whizhack Technologies said, "Cyber attacks on critical infrastructure are increasing especially with the growing tech adoption in these facilities. Some of the most commonly targeted critical infrastructure include gas pipelines, energy grids, transportation systems, oil refineries and healthcare facilities. The IIT Bhubaneshwar CoE will do path breaking research in areas like smart grid security, enable regional consulting, projects, train market ready professionals to address the critical shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals and build 'Made in India' products towards building a self-reliant Digital India."
Date - 14/09/2023
Digital Inclusion in the Era of Emerging Technologies: TRAI's consultation paper
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released a Consultation Paper (CP) on "Digital Inclusion in the Era of Emerging Technologies" on September 14. The consultation paper aims to explore and address the challenges and opportunities presented by the rapid advancement of emerging technologies, with a focus on ensuring inclusivity for all segments of society and industries particularly Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). In today's world, being connected online has become a way of life. Connectivity works as an essential tool for everyday functions such as accessing information, receiving basic services, working remotely, pursuing education, conducting financial transactions, and staying connected with loved ones. TRAI recognizes that digital inclusion is crucial empowerment of every citizen of the country at right moment, failing which the gaps in access of digital services may widen further and thereby depriving large segments of the society from an inclusive growth along with others who are well connected and availing the benefits of the digital services. In the consultation paper, TRAI emphasizes the need for a robust policy framework and collaborative efforts among stakeholders to ensure participation of individuals in digital economic activities.
Date - 14/09/2023
CJI announces onboarding of Supreme Court to National Judicial Data Grid portal, PM lauds move
With the Supreme Court of India onboarding the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) portal, the flagship project of the e-Courts project has completed the full circle. Now all three tiers of Indian judiciary are on NJDG portal. NJDG is recognized as a significant innovation under the ease of doing business initiative of the Government of India. A national repository of data relating to cases instituted, pending and disposed of by the courts across the length and breadth of the country, the NJDG gives real-time data regarding the pendency of cases in District Courts and High Courts across the country. Now the Supreme Court data has also become available on NJDG. On a click of a button, one may access case related information, statistics such as institution, pendency and disposal of cases, case-types, year-wise break-up of the Supreme Court of India.
Date - 14/09/2023
AI and digital solutions integration to bolster BFSI sector in India: Google McKinsey report
The integration of AI with digital solutions is set to enable India's BFSI sector to unlock access to its entire spectrum of products for over 700 million internet users in the country, according to a Google and McKinsey report. Around 87 per cent of financial services seekers commence their consumer journey online, the report said, adding that nearly two-thirds find online channels more helpful for making a purchase decision over traditional channels. Approximately 40 per cent use search and about 31 per cent use online videos to help them with their decisions. The report combines analysis of Google Search trends, revealing that online demand exceeded total purchases across all product categories by 3-5 times in 2022. Credit cards, home loans and car loans were amongst the most searched products, enjoying amongst the highest growth rates in online demand, with searches focused on factors like innovative features and prices, the report, titled 'AI revolutionizes inclusion and profitability for financial services', stated.
Date - 14/09/2023
India to sign MoU with Antigua & Barbuda for cooperation on digital transformation
The Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of India and the Ministry of Information, Communications Technologies, Utilities and Energy of the Antigua and Barbuda on Cooperation in the field of sharing successful Digital Solutions implemented at Population Scale for Digital Transformation. The MoU intends to promote closer cooperation and exchange of experiences and digital technologiesbased solutions (viz. INDIA STACK) in the implementation of digital transformational initiatives of both the country. MoU envisages improved collaboration leading to employment opportunities in the field of IT, the cabinet said in an official release. The MoU shall come into effect from the date of signature of the parties and shall remain in force for a period of 3 years.
Date - 14/09/2023
Hindi Diwas: Technology being leveraged to make Hindi the medium of science, says Amit Shah
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Ministers, including Amit Shah, on Thursday greeted the countrymen on the occasion of Hindi Diwas. "Best wishes to all my family members on the occasion of Hindi Diwas. I wish that Hindi language will continue to strengthen the thread of national unity and goodwill," the Prime Minister wrote on X (formerly twitter). Extending his warm wishes, Home Minister Shah in a message said, "India has been a country of diverse languages. Hindi unites the diversity of languages in the world's largest democracy. Hindi has been a democratic language. It has honoured different Indian languages and dialects as well as many global languages and adopted their vocabularies, sentences and grammar rules." He said the Hindi language played an unprecedented role in uniting the country during the difficult days of Independence movement, adding it instilled a feeling of unity in a country divided into many languages and dialects.
Date - 14/09/2023
Union Cabinet approves eCourts Phase III for 4 years with financial outlay of Rs 7210 cr
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the third phase of eCourts Project as a central sector scheme with a financial outlay of Rs 7,210 crore to be implemented over four years. The Centrally Sponsored Scheme of eCourts Phase III is being implemented under the joint partnership of Department of Justice, Ministry of Law & Justice, Government of India and eCommittee, Supreme Court of India, in a decentralized manner through the respective High Courts to develop a judicial system that would promote ease of justice by making the system more accessible, affordable, reliable, predictable, and transparent for all stakeholders. Briefing media after a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said the eCourts Mission Mode Project is the prime mover for improving access to justice using technology in line with the PM's vision of "Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas".
Date - 13/09/2023
Putin praises Modi's policies: Doing right thing in promoting Make in India programme
Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies in the Russian port town of Vladivostok on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that PM Modi is just doing the "right thing" in promoting the Make in India programme. He made the remarks while speaking at the 8th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in response to a media query on Russian-made cars. Putin said that domestically made automobiles must be used and India has already set examples through its policies under the leadership of PM Modi. In an address at the forum, Putin said, "You know, we did not have domestically made cars then, but we do now. It is true that they look more modest than Mercedes or Audi cars, which we bought in vast amounts in the 1990s, but this is not an issue. I think that we should emulate many of our partners, for example, India. They are focused on the manufacture and use of Indian-made vehicles. I think that Prime Minister Modi is doing the right thing in promoting the Make in India programme. He is right."
Date - 13/09/2023
India Game Developers conference in Hyderabad to spotlight South Asia's gaming evolution
Riding high on the last year's success, the India Game Developers Conference (IGDC) is now going to hold its 15th annual avatar. South Asia's biggest and most significant developer conference will come alive at HICC, Hyderabad from November 2 to 4, 2023. Packing a punch will be over 4,000 attendees, 150 plus speakers and more than 100 hyperactive sessions, the organisers said in a press release. Fuelled by a robust ecosystem of developers and users, the Indian gaming industry has emerged as the world's second largest market. It is estimated that by 2028, the Indian gaming market could touch $10 billion annually. In 2022, the vast expanse of gamers in the country had exceeded 400 million, clocking an impressive 40 million growth over the previous year. The massive 600 million plus smartphone user-base has given it a significant push. India has the highest mobile data consumption rate in the world at 20 GB per user per month. In-app purchases facilitated by UPI payments and localised content has also driven engagement. Designed as an event 'By the Industry, For the Industry,' the conference is organised by industry volunteers, aided by corporates and industry leaders. Over the years, the IGDC has emerged as a major driver of growth of the Indian gaming ecosystem. Upgrading every year, the conference series has been a must-attend event for scores of game developers, publishers and investors. They have immensely benefited from the IGDC's objective: Empowering game developers with insights, upskilling and networking options with industry leaders and investors.
Date - 13/09/2023
MATSYA 6000 Samudrayaan: India sets sights on manned deep ocean mission, reveals Union Minister Kiren Rijiju
After Chandrayaan-3's successful soft-landing on the moon's South Pole, India is planning to send three humans on a six kilometer deep journey to the ocean's floor. The name of India's first first manned deep ocean mission is Samudrayaan. This was stated by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Monday. Rijiju conducted an inspection of MATSYA 6000, India's manned deep water submersible, which will explore the depths of the ocean as part of mission 'Samudrayaan'. The submersible is being developed at the National Institute of Ocean Technology in Chennai. When the MATSYA 6000 submersible gets commissioned, three Indian explorers will be able to go in ocean depth to conduct a study of deep sea resources and biodiversity.
Date - 12/09/2023
Chandrayaan missions providing unmatched data for global scientific community: Scientist Debiprosad Duari
India's Chandrayaan missions have so far provided "unmatched data" for the international scientific community, paving the way for moon exploration from different dimensions, including the possibility of setting up a human habitation in future, eminent scientist Debiprosad Duari said. Duari said ISRO's three Chandrayaan missions have thrown more light on the presence of water ice, previously undiscovered minerals and elements, and temperature changes on the moon. "All the Chandrayaan missions have produced unmatched quality of data for not only India, but the entire world. Chandrayaan-1 in 2019 used the moon mineralogy mapper (collaborative instrument between NASA and ISRO), and for the first time observed and indicated the presence of 60,000 crore litres of water ice near the polar region. "Based on this information, its application in rocket fuel and other areas, including creating a synthetic biosphere where human beings can stay, were identified," he told PTI during an interaction at its Kolkata office.
Date - 12/09/2023
G20 India Summit showcased Bharat's technology capabilities, economic strength: Jitendra Singh
Union Minister of State (I/C) Science & Technology, Space and Atomic Energy Dr Jitendra Singh has said the G20 India Summit, that concluded on Sunday, showcased Bharat's technological capabilities as well as economic strength. "Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this government has institutionalised fusion between the traditional knowledge and the cutting edge of modern technology. We had the traditional knowledge library which is now known as the TKDL (Tradition Under Primal Knowledge Digital Library). Even the Bharat Mandapam or some of the latest monuments constructed by this government represent the best fusion of the latest scientific acumen, technology and architecture with the traditional heritage that we have inherited over the generations," Singh said while addressing the inaugural of the 'One Week One Lab' (OWOL) programme of CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (CSIR-NIScPR), New Delhi on Monday. The New Delhi Declaration adopted at the G20 Summit committed itself to implement India's initiative of 'Lifestyle for Environment Mission' (LiFE) and promote Artificial Intelligence towards achieving the United Nationsâ?? Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). By adopting the 'Green Development Pact,' G-20 has also reaffirmed its commitments to sustainable and green growth, he observed.
Date - 11/09/2023
G20 Summit: Principal Secretary to PM, Delhi LG review sites, Biden on Xi's decision to skip
Dr PK Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, along with Vinay Kumar Saxena, Delhi LG, undertook an extensive site visit of multiple locations across Delhi to review the preparedness for the upcoming G20 Summit. Principal Secretary is the chairman of the coordination committee related to the preparedness for the G20 Summit. In this capacity, the review exercise was undertaken by Mishra to ensure that all things are in place on ground as planned for hosting a memorable Summit. The visit was undertaken to ensure that all the Heads of States and other international dignitaries coming for the Summit have a glimpse of India's culture and a world class experience during the course of their visit. Along with Bharat Mandapam, around 20 locations including Rajghat, C Hexagon - India Gate, Terminal 3 of Airport and its VIP Lounge, Aerocity area, key segments of major roads, among others, were visited and reviewed by the Principal Secretary and LG.
Date - 04/09/2023
Aditya L1 Solar Mission: Home to Sun observatory, Udaipur behind 1 of spaceship's 7 payloads
Udaipur, counted among the top travel and wedding destinations in the world, which also witnessed many celebrities tie the knot, is now ready to script a success story in space segment as well. The scientists from Udaipur are extending their significant contribution to the solar mission Aditya L-1. They have contributed in the development of one of the seven payloads fitted in Aditya L-1. One of the team members, Dr. Anil Bhardwaj says that the name of this payload is Aditya Solar Wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX). With the launch of Aditya L-1 after 127 days, scientists of Udaipur Solar Observatory will be able to study every activity of the Sun for 24 hours. Now only 10 hours are available for research.
Date - 04/09/2023
Aditya L1's first orbit raising successful; ISRO has capacity to compete with NASA, says Jitendra Singh
The last nine years have witnessed a quantum jump in India's space journey, making India standing at par with NASA and Roscosmos, which are now collaborating with ISRO for space expeditions. This was stated by Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology. The minister speaking at a function for launching the â??Meri Maati Mera Desh' campaign at Tikri-1B Panchayat in district Udhampur which marks the beginning of the Amrit Kalash Yatras starting all over the country which includes collection of mitti and rice from every household symbolising the participation of the people in the prosperity of the nation. "India's recent Space marvels have opened up new vistas for India's space sector through public private partnership model and now the 'sky is not the limit' dictum has become true for India's Space Sector," Dr. Singh added.
Date - 03/09/2023
Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission complete, Pragyan rover in sleep mode; India on moon forever, says ISRO
The Chandrayaan-3's Rover Pragyan has completed its assignment and is now set into sleep mode. ISRO said on Saturday that the Pragyan Rover is now safely parked on the lunar surface. The battery of Chandrayaan-3's rover is fully charged, said ISRO. Pragyan Rover is expected to be in action again later this month, on September 22. The space agency's announcement came hours after its chief S Somanath said the lunar mission's rover and lander, 'Pragyan' and 'Vikram', respectively were functioning well and they would be put to "sleep" soon to withstand the night on the Moon.
Date - 03/09/2023
Aditya L1 in orbit, begins 1.5 million km voyage to study sun; sunshine moment for India, says Jitendra Singh
As the ISRO's trusted workhorse, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-XL) launched India's first Solar Mission, Aditya L1, from Sriharikota Range today, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh termed it as the "sunshine moment for India." "While the whole world watched this with baited breath, it is indeed a sunshine moment for India," he said, addressing ISRO scientists and engineers at the Mission Control Room soon after the PSLV-C57 ejected Aditya L1 around 1 pm IST. "Indian scientists had been working, toiling day and night for years and years together. But now comes the moment of vindication, the moment of redeeming the pledge to the nation," said Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Space and Atomic Energy.
Date - 02/09/2023
Aditya L1 blasts into space on 4-month voyage of 1.5 million km to study sun; Modi, Shah congratulate ISRO
After a flawless liftoff at 11.50 am today, ISRO's workhorse rocket PSLV successfully put its AdityaL1 spacecraft to study the Sun into orbit. From there it will be a long four-month journey for AdityaL1- suitably named after the Sun God in Hindu mythology- as it has to travel about 1.5 million km to its intended slot to study the Sun. The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has congratulated scientists and engineers of ISRO for the successful launch of Indiaâ??s first Solar Mission, Aditya -L1. In a X post, the Prime Minister said: "After the success of Chandrayaan-3, India continues its space journey. Congratulations to our scientists and engineers at @isro for the successful launch of Indiaâ??s first Solar Mission, Aditya -L1. Our tireless scientific efforts will continue in order to develop better understanding of the Universe for the welfare of entire humanity."
Date - 02/09/2023
India's solar mission Aditya L1 launched successfully
Adding another feather in the cap, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Saturday successfully launched its maiden solar mission, Aditya L1, from the spaceport in Sriharikota. The Aditya-L1 will be the first space-based observatory that will study the Sun, was on Friday launched using ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) successfully completed its three stages of separation in a little over 10 minutes of the launch. The said mission will see the spacecraft travel about 1.5 million km from the Earth over 125 days and will be placed in a Halo orbit around the Lagrangian point L1 which is considered closest to the Sun. ISRO said that the PSLV-XL rocket carries about 1,480.7 kg Aditya-L1 spacecraft. The 44.4 metre tall PSLV-C57 rocket with a lift off mass of 321 ton carrying Aditya-L1.
Date - 02/09/2023
Aditya-L1 Solar Mission: spaceship designed, assembled by Indian Institute of Astrophysics
The Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) on Tuesday said it has designed, assembled, and tested the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC), one of the seven payloads of India's first dedicated scientific mission Aditya-L1 conceived to study the sun. The ISRO is set to launch Aditya-L1 from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on September 2. The IIA said the VELC was developed in close collaboration with the ISRO. "IIA had to build India's first large sized 'Class to Clean Rooms' at (sic) its CREST campus in Hosakote to assemble VELC," IIA said in a statement.
Date - 30/08/2023
DigiLocker documents are considered valid by transport officers: Delhi govt tells HC
Putting all the speculations around the use of DigiLocker application as valid by the government transport authorities, the Delhi government has told the High Court that a notification that empowers the said officers for compounding traffic violation offences on the spot on the basis of digital documents has already been issued. The Delhi government has also clarified that all documents available on the Centre's DigiLocker application are considered valid by the authorities, further simplifying the process. These submissions were made by the Delhi government before a HC bench comprising Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula while responding to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking direction to empower officers for on-the-spot compounding of traffic violation offenses.
Date - 30/08/2023
Chandrayaan-3 mission: Union Cabinet passes resolution celebrating success of lunar mission
The Union Cabinet today passed a resolution to join the nation in celebrating the historic success of the Chandrayaan-3 Mission to the Moon. The resolution says that the Union Cabinet appreciates the monumental achievement of our scientists. This is not just a victory for our space agency but is a bright symbol of India's progress and ascent on the global stage. The Cabinet welcomes that 23rd August would be celebrated as the "National Space Day". The Cabinet congratulates the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for its efforts. Thanks to our scientists, India is the first country to land near the Moon's south pole. Landing on the moon, with predicted accuracy, in itself is a momentous achievement. Landing near the South Pole of the Moon, overcoming the arduous conditions, is a testament to the spirit of our scientists, who since centuries have sought to push the boundaries of human knowledge. The wealth of information being sent by the Pragyan rover from the Moon will advance knowledge and pave the way for ground-breaking discoveries and insights into the mysteries of the moon and beyond.
Date - 29/08/2023
Japan's lunar mission: After India's Chandrayaan-3, Japan could become world's 5th nation to land on moon
Japan's space agency on Monday postponed the planned launch of what it hopes will become the first Japanese spacecraft to land on the moon due to strong, high-altitude winds. Japan aims to launch the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) into space by mid-September with a lunar landing seen starting as early as January 2024. Japan would become the fifth country to achieve a moon landing after the United States, the former USSR, China and now India. The success of India's Chandrayaan-3 moon exploration mission this month contrasts with recent setbacks in Japan's space missions.
Date - 29/08/2023
G20 Summit 2023: DIAL working with govt to ensure best airport experience; flights impacted
The Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) has informed that it was working with different government bodies like the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), and the Delhi government to provide necessary support at the airport for delegates coming to attend the G20 summit. In a statement on Monday, the DIAL said that it has formed a team of senior officials who will monitor G20 arrival and departure operations to ensure the best experience for the arriving delegates. Further divulging the details about the preparations, the DIAL spokesperson said that terminal 3 now features prominently illuminated G20 summit logos, enhancing the visual appeal both inside and outside the terminal.
Date - 29/08/2023
US flags concerns on India's decision to impose import curbs on technological devices
With the USA raising concerns over India's decision to impose import restrictions on certain electronic devices, both countries have agreed to find a solution to the issue that addresses the concerns of both nations, according to a statement of USTR. The issue was flagged during a meeting between Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and US Trade Representative Katherine Tai here on August 26. The two ministers also directed their officials to continue their discussions to mutually resolve the last pending trade dispute with regard to certain poultry products at the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
Date - 28/08/2023
Chandrayaan-3 mission: 'ChaSTE' payload onboard Vikram lander captures valuable data on Moon temperature
The Chandrayaan-3 lander module which landed on the Moon's surface successfully has begun doing its set experiments and subsequently relaying them back to ISRO headquarters. In its latest update, ISRO on Sunday put out the first observations recorded by the 'ChaSTE' payload onboard Vikram Lander. Chandra's Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) payload was attached to measure the thermal conductivity and temperature on the moon. The payload was developed by a team led by the Space Physics Laboratory (SPL), VSSC in collaboration with Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad.
Date - 28/08/2023
Vyommitra female robot to fly into space under ISRO's Gaganyaan mission: Union Minister
India will send a robot "Vyommitra" in the second phase of the Gaganyaan mission. This was stated by Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh today. The spacefaring Vyommitra robot will be attired as a female. He informed that Vyommitra is designed to perform scientific experiments to assess how humans would act when sent into space. "After these two phases, astronauts numbering between one and three will be sent as part of the manned mission of the Gaganyaan project. I think this might start by 2024," Singh said.
Date - 27/08/2023
What's next for Chandrayaan-3 mission? Pragyan rover's lunar walk, experiments in progress
The south pole of the Moon welcomed its first visitor from earth on August 23. The lunar south pole is considered to be difficult to access for space ships from earth, and it is full of craters and trenches. But Chandrayaan-3 overcame these difficulties and its Vikram lander managed to touch down and establish communications with ISRO mission control in Bengaluru. A few hours after the historic landing, the 26-kg six-wheeled 'Pragyan' rover rolled out from the lander's belly. According to the latest updates from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the rover has traversed a distance of about eight metres on the lunar surface, and its payloads have been turned on. Yesterday ISRO announced on X (formerly Twitter) that Pragyan successfully rolled off the lander via a short ramp and "took a walk on the moon."
Date - 27/08/2023
Chandrayaan-3 mission expected to send info on lunar atmosphere, soil, minerals: Dr. Jitendra Singh
Chandrayaan-3 mission is expected to send home information about the Moon's atmosphere, soil, and minerals. This information could be the first of its kind for the scientific community across the world and it will have far-reaching implications in the times to come. This was stated by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State for Space, today. In an exclusive interview to a media agency, Dr Jitendra Singh said that the main focus of the science payloads onboard Chandrayaan-3 is to provide an integrated assessment of the lunar surface features, including the thermal properties and surface elements of the lunar topsoil (regolith) as well as the plasma environment near the surface, he said. It will also assess the lunar seismic activities and the impact of meteors on the lunar surface. "All these are essential for the fundamental understanding of the lunar near-surface environment and for making future lunar habitat developments for explorations," said Dr Jitendra Singh, who is also the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, and Atomic Energy.
Date - 27/08/2023
Chandrayaan-3 mission: August 23 will be celebrated as National Space Day, says Modi
"August 23 to be celebrated as National Space Day," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during his visit to ISRO. He arrived in Bengaluru today, August 26, to meet the team of ISRO scientists involved in the Chandrayaan-3 mission. He reached the ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) a few minutes ago. "I could not stop myself as I was not in the country, but I decided to visit Bengaluru first and meet our scientists right after visiting India," PM Modi said outside HAL airport in Bengaluru. PM Modi also met ISRO Chairman S Somanath and congratulated him on the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon. He hailed all the ISRO scientists who are involved in India's moon mission. While addressing team of ISRO scientists in Bengaluru, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave ISRO scientists the credit of awakening an entire generation and leaving a deep imprint on young minds.
Date - 26/08/2023
India, Greece commit to deepening engagements in IT, science, tech, defence, shipping, education
India and Greece on Friday agreed to upgrade bilateral ties to a strategic level and double the two-way trade by 2030. Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid an official visit to the Greek Republic at the invitation of Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Both leaders held high-level talks in a warm and friendly atmosphere and they noted the ongoing cooperation between the two sides and exchanged views on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest, said an India-Greece joint statement. Modi and Mitsotakis reiterated the need for further broadening and deepening bilateral engagements, in the field of defence, shipping, science and technology, cyber space, education, culture, tourism and agriculture. They took note of the signing of the MOU on Cooperation in the field of Agriculture, including the establishment of a Hellenic-Indian Joint Sub-committee on Agriculture for facilitating sectoral cooperation for mutual benefit.
Date - 26/08/2023
Mera Bill Mera Adhikaar: GST incentive scheme to be launched from Sept 1, cash prizes
The Government of India, in association with State Governments, is launching an 'Invoice incentive Scheme' by the name 'Mera Bill Mera Adhikaar' to encourage the culture of customers asking for invoices and bills for all purchases. The objective of the scheme is to bring a cultural and behavioural change in the general public to 'Ask for a Bill' as their right and entitlement. Every month, there will be 800 lucky draws of Goods and Services Tax (GST) invoices having a prize value of Rs 10,000 each, and 10 draws with a prize of Rs 10 lakh each, the finance ministry said in a statement. For the bumper prize of Rs 1 crore, a quarterly draw will be conducted for all invoices uploaded in the last three months (till the 5th of the month of the bumper draw). Initially the scheme will be launched as a pilot in Assam, Gujarat and Haryana and the Union Territories of Puducherry, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu. All B2C invoices issued during the previous month, which have been uploaded by the 5th of next month, will be eligible for the monthly draws.
Date - 25/08/2023
Chandrayaan-3 success a testament of our deep tech capabilities: MoS IT
India's capabilities are only increasing and Chandrayaan-3 is a testament that the country has the full potential as a nation to execute deep-tech technologies, Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Thursday. This is an exciting time for India's tech space as we are building deep tech capabilities, the minister said an event here. "We are a highly capable country and Chandrayaan-3 represents how we can execute these deep tech capabilities and that self confidence leads me to believe that the vision of our Prime Minister can be realised where the digital economy will be 20-25 per cent of the total GDP," he stressed.
Date - 25/08/2023
Chandrayaan-3: One small step for Pragyan rover, one giant leap for India
The Pragyan rover has rolled out from the Vikram lander and is now exploring the rocks and craters on the lunar surface, marking a successful next stage hours after Chandrayaan-3 made its historic landing on the Moon.
"The Ch-3 Rover ramped down from the Lander and India took a walk on the moon!" the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said in its message on Thursday morning.
The six-wheeled, solar-powered rover, named Pragyan ("wisdom" in Sanskrit) will amble around the relatively unmapped region and transmit images and scientific data over its two-week lifespan.
Date - 24/08/2023
Government e-Marketplace surpasses Rs 1 lakh cr Gross Merchandise Value milestone in record time
Procurement of goods and services from Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has crossed Rs 1 lakh crore so far this fiscal on account of an increase in buying activities by different ministries and departments, an official statement said on Wednesday. The Government e-Market (GeM) portal was launched on August 9, 2016, for online purchases of goods and services by all the central government ministries and departments. "GeM achieves the milestone within 145 days in 2023-24 against 243 days in 2022-23," the commerce ministry said.
Date - 24/08/2023
Chandrayaan-3: From agony of Chandrayaan-2 to ecstasy of lunar landing on August 23
There was an atmosphere of ecstasy, joy and celebration at ISRO's Mission Operations Complex here, as the country's third Moon mission Chandrayaan-3's lander module successfully made a touchdown on the lunar surface on Wednesday evening. It was in a way a 'journey' from agony to ecstasy -- the emotions could not have been more starker. When the Chandayaan-2's lander crash-landed on the Moon's surface nearly four years ago, failing in its mission to achieve a touchdown, ISRO scientists were crestfallen. The lessons learned from the failure of Chandrayaan-2 contributed to the success of India's third lunar mission, former space scientist with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) scientist, Nambi Narayanan, said after successful touchdown of the 'Vikram' lander on the lunar South Pole.
Date - 24/08/2023
Chandrayaan-3 mission: L&T, BHEL, Godrej, others worked with Isro on spacecraft project
The Chandrayaan-3's lander module has successfully touched down on the moon's south pole. India is now the world's fourth nation to land on the moon and the first nation to land on the moon's south pole. Several private sector companies have worked with ISRO for the Chandrayaan-3 mission. The aerospace wing of L&T was responsible for supplying crucial components for the launch vehicle of Chandrayaan-3. It supplied critical booster segments, namely the head-end segment, middle segment and nozzle bucket flange, among other things, as per reports.
Date - 24/08/2023
Chandrayaan-3 mission attracting global collaborations for India, soft-landing on moon today
"The Chandrayaan-3 mission is attracting wider international collaborations for India. With this mission, India has demonstrated its willingness to collaborate with the space faring nations of the world as an equal partner." This was stated by Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology.. The Minister was speaking after a high-level Mauritius delegation led by Minister for Information Technology, Communication and Innovation (MITCI), Darsanand Deepak Balgobin. The Mauritius delegation was in Delhi to discuss a proposal for a joint India-Mauritius satellite. India and Mauritius have agreed to utilize ISRO's ground station in Mauritius to offer support to third party missions. "By signing up the Artemis Accords during the landmark visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the United States, India has demonstrated its capability to collaborate in the Space sector with other nations of the world as an equal partner," said Dr Jitendra Singh.
Date - 23/08/2023
Using tech, India took big leap in financial inclusion, UPI is everywhere, green tech being promoted: Modi at BRICS
"Sectors such as defense and space, which were previously restricted, have now been opened up for the private sector. We have particularly focused on public service delivery and good governance. Through the use of technology, India has made a significant leap in financial inclusion. The greatest benefit of this has been received by our rural women." This was stated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his special message to the BRICS Business Forum Leaders' Dialogue. He invited BRICS business leaders to participate in India's developmental journey. On his arrival in South Africa, Modi was welcomed by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Date - 23/08/2023
A packed launch schedule for ISRO after Chandrayaan-3 mission
A mission to study the Sun, and launching a climate observation satellite, a test vehicle as part of Gaganyaan human space flight programme and an Indo-US synthetic aperture radar -- ISRO has a packed schedule ahead. In addition, XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite), the country's first dedicated polarimetry mission to study various dynamics of bright astronomical X-ray sources in extreme conditions, is also ready for launch, an ISRO official said on Tuesday. Aditya-L1, the first space-based Indian observatory to study the Sun, is getting ready for the launch, most likely in September first week.
Date - 23/08/2023
Chandrayaan-3 on Moon: President Murmu congratulates Isro scientists for making history
Congratulating ISRO scientists on the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon, President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday said it is a momentous occasion which has made India proud. In a video message after watching the live-telecast of Moon landing, the president said that Isro's scientists have made history with the landing of Chandrayaan-3 which is an event that happens once in lifetime. "I congratulate ISRO, everybody involved in the Chandrayaan-3 mission and wish them greater accomplishments ahead," she said.
Date - 23/08/2023
Chandrayaan-3 moon landing successful: India 1st country to land on lunar south pole
As the sun sets on Wednesday, India rises on the global space technology sphere with Chandrayaan-3 making a successful touch down on the lunar surface. The latest moon triumph by ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 makes India the fourth country in the world, after the US, China and former USSR, and first globally to land on the unexplored south pole of the moon. Commending the success, Prime Minister Modi in a virtual address said that this marks India's emergence as a space power. This is a historic movement for India, "Historic day for India's space sector. Congratulations to @isro for the remarkable success of Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission," PM Modi said. The Chandrayaan-3 Lander Module (LM) comprising the lander (Vikram) and the rover (Pragyan), made a touchdown near the south polar region of the Moon at 6: 03 pm on Wednesday. The successful Chandrayaan-3 mission touchdown with a robotic lunar rover is the second attempt by India Space Research Organisation in the last four years.
Date - 23/08/2023
31% e-services unavailable, only 1397 of 2016 mandatory e-services available: NeSDA report
Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DARPG) has released the fifth edition of 'National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) - Way Forward Monthly Report for States/UTs', which provides a detailed overview of status of e-service delivery across States and Union Territories. The July monthly report presents the status of e-services, mandatory e-services (as per NeSDA 2021) and highlights the best practices, across States and Union Territories. It also underlines the saturation level of e-services provided through the single unified service delivery portal in the States and Union Territories. The report especially features a deeper analysis of e-services provided under the education sector. The Report for July 2023 is available on the DARPG website.
Date - 22/08/2023
ISRO Chairman updates Minister on status, readiness of Chandrayaan-3 for moon landing
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman and Secretary, Department of Space, S Somanath called on Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science and Technology, Atomic Energy and Space, in New Delhi and apprised him of the status and readiness of Chandrayaan-3 for the moon landing scheduled on August 23, 2023. Chairman ISRO briefed the minister on the health status of Chandrayaan-3 and said that all systems are working perfectly and no contingencies are anticipated on Wednesday. The health of Chandrayaan3 is being continuously monitored, he informed. During the meeting, minister Jitendra Singh expressed his confidence in 'Chandrayaan-3' making a soft landing this time and hoped that it will script a new history of planetary exploration under the guidance of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Date - 22/08/2023
Chadrayaan-3 latest update: Smooth Sailing, says ISRO as Vikram lander gets closer to Moon
In its latest update on Chandrayaan-3 soft landing on lunar surface, Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) on Tuesday said that the mission is on schedule and systems are undergoing regular checks. "Smooth sailing is continuing, The Mission Operations Complex (at ISRO) is buzzed with energy and excitement!" ISRO posted on X, formerly Twitter. The space agency said all systems are undergoing regular checks and smooth sailing is continuing. The live telecast of the landing operations will begin at 5:20 pm on August 23, Isro wrote on its X (formerly Twitter) handle.
Date - 22/08/2023
Chandrayaan-3 new update: If factors unfavourable, moon landing to be postponed to Aug 27
If any factor regarding the lander module appears unfavourable, then the landing will be shifted to August 27. Nilesh M Desai, director of Space Applications Centre-ISRO, Ahmedabad said that the decision regarding the landing will be taken based on the health of the lander module and the conditions on the Moon. "On August 23, two hours before Chandrayaan-3 lands on the Moon, we will decide on whether or not it will be appropriate to land it at that time based on the health of the lander module and the conditions on the Moon. In case, if any factor appears to be not favourable, then we will land the module on the Moon on August 27. No problem should occur and we will be able to land the module on August 23," Director Desai said.
Date - 22/08/2023
Chandrayaan-3's lander and Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter start talking to each other
India's latest moon lander has established communication links with the Chandrayaan-2 mission's orbiter that is circling the moon since 2019, said Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). "Welcome, buddy!" said the Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter to the lander that was carried by the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft this year. "Two-way communication between the two is established," ISRO tweeted on Monday.
Date - 22/08/2023
Chadrayaan-3 latest update: Smooth Sailing, says ISRO as Vikram lander gets closer to Moon
In its latest update on Chandrayaan-3 soft landing on lunar surface, Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) on Tuesday said that the mission is on schedule and systems are undergoing regular checks. "Smooth sailing is continuing, The Mission Operations Complex (at ISRO) is buzzed with energy and excitement!" ISRO posted on X, formerly Twitter. The space agency said all systems are undergoing regular checks and smooth sailing is continuing. The live telecast of the landing operations will begin at 5:20 pm on August 23, Isro wrote on its X (formerly Twitter) handle.
Date - 22/08/2023
Mission to the moon: Chandrayaan 3 sets up lunar date, Russia's Luna 25 out of contest
After the crash-landing of its spacecraft Luna 25 on the lunar surface, Russia has bowed out of the race to the moon. India's Chandrayaan-3 is now the only spacecraft on way to the moon's south pole. The last and final step of Chandrayaan-3 was completed as the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully reduced the Lander Module's orbit, announcing that the it is expected to land on the moon's surface at 6:04 pm on August 23. ISRO's announcement of the date and time of the landing of Chandrayaaan-3 came around the same time when the Russian lander Luna-25 crashed into the moon after going into uncontrolled orbit. "The apparatus moved into an unpredictable orbit and ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the surface of the moon," Russian space agency Roscosmos said in a statement.
Date - 21/08/2023
MeitY-NSF research collaboration: India, USA announce 1st joint call for proposals
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology(MeitY) announced its first joint call for proposals under the MeitY-National Science Foundation (NSF) research collaboration. MeitY and NSF signed an Implementation Arrangement (IA) on Research Collaboration in May 2023. This MeitY - NSF collaborative research opportunity focuses specifically upon discoveries and innovations in areas of mutual interest as highlighted in the joint statement made by the Government of India and the United State of America during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Washington DC in June 2023. In the first joint call, proposals in the areas of semiconductor research, next generation communication technologies, networks and systems, cyber-security, sustainability and green technologies and intelligent transportation systems will be considered.
Date - 21/08/2023
IREDA inks MoU with govt; revenue target set at Rs 4350 cr for 2023-24, Rs 5220 cr for 2024-25
Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) has signed a performance-based Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India. The MoU, in alignment with guidelines issued by the Department of Public Enterprises, Ministry of Finance, outlines strategic targets that IREDA aims to achieve during the fiscal years 2023-24 and 2024-25. IREDA is a Mini Ratna (Category - I), Government of India, enterprise under the administrative control of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
Date - 21/08/2023
Efficient water management is key to water security, economic growth: President Mumru
The officers of Central Water Engineering Services called on the President of India Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on August 21. Addressing the officers, the President said that water is the fundamental need for life and water resources management has always been an important and challenging task for all generations. She added that contribution of officers of Central Water Engineering Services towards the water infrastructure development by providing Engineering solutions will make the country more resilient against natural and manmade water crises. The President said that sustainable development of water resources and efficient management of water is the key to water security and economic growth. She added that with greater economic growth and increasing urbanization and development, there will be a need for optimum utilisation of available resources.
Date - 21/08/2023
GST reward scheme: Mera Bill Mera Adhikar scheme to allow customers to upload invoice, participate in lucky draw
Individuals may soon get rewarded for uploading GST invoice on a mobile app as the government is likely to launch the long awaited 'Mera Bill Mera Adhikar' scheme soon. Under the invoice incentivisation scheme, cash prize of Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore monthly/quarterly could be given to individuals who upload invoice received from retailer or wholesaler on the app, two officials told PTI. The 'Mera Bill Mera Adhikar' mobile app will be available on both IOS and android platforms. The invoice uploaded on the app should have the GSTIN of the seller, invoice number, amount paid and tax amount.
Date - 21/08/2023
IIT Madras developing smart training solutions to help coaches, reduce foreign dependence
With an aim to help Indian athletes win more medals starting with the Paris Olympics 2024, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras is developing tools and software to maximise preparation and training. From SmartBoxer solution aimed at providing assessments of the Indian boxers on specific parameters to a wearable sweat monitor, the idea now is to help both players and coaches, and reduce dependence on foreign help. Officials say that foreign countries are reluctant to share their technology freely, due to which Indian athletes are at a disadvantage, and are forced to travel abroad for training with advanced sports technology.
Date - 21/08/2023
Chandrayaan-3 update: de-boosting operation successful, ISRO announces landing date, time
The second and final de-boosting operation of India's Moon mission Chandrayaan-3 successfully completed this morning. The lander Vikram has placed itself in an orbit where the closest point to the Moon is 25 km and the farthest is 134 km. It is from this orbit that it will try a soft-landing in the unexplored south polar region of the Moon on Wednesday. Chandrayaan-3 is set to land on the moon on August 23, 2023 (Wednesday), around 18:04 IST, the ISRO announced officially on Sunday. The spacecraft is now just three-day away from its final destination, the moon's south pole.
Date - 20/08/2023
India leveraging technology to transform governance, to make it inclusive: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the launch of the Digital India initiative in 2015 enabled the unprecedented digital transformation that has taken place in India over the last nine years. He underlined that Indiaâ??s digital transformation is powered by its unshakeable belief in innovation and its commitment to speedy implementation while also being motivated by the spirit of inclusion where no one is left behind. Modi addressed the G20 Digital Economy Ministers' Meet held in Bengaluru via video message on Saturday. Highlighting the scale, speed and scope of this transformation, the Prime Minister said India's 850 million internet users enjoy some of the cheapest data costs in the world.
Date - 20/08/2023
Govt unveils Green Hydrogen standards; sets emission threshold for electrolysis, biomass based production
In a significant move for the progress of the National Green Hydrogen Mission, the government has notified the Green Hydrogen Standard for India. The standard issued by the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy outlines the emission thresholds that must be met in order for hydrogen produced to be classified as "green," or made from renewable sources. The scope of the definition encompasses both electrolysis-based and biomass-based hydrogen production methods. After discussions with multiple stakeholders, the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has decided to define Green Hydrogen as having a well-to-gate emission (including water treatment, electrolysis, gas purification, drying and compression of hydrogen) of not more than 2 kg CO2 equivalent / kg H2.
Date - 19/08/2023
Tech must be inclusive, future can't be shaped by few countries & companies: MoS IT
Future of technology cannot be shaped by a few countries and companies and needs to be more inclusive and India Stack has transformed lives of citizens and built trust between the government and Digital Nagriks. This was stated by Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, said in Bengaluru on Friday. Chandrasekhar held bilateral meetings with the ministerial delegations and other senior representatives from Bangladesh, South Korea, France and Turkey at the fourth meeting of the G20 Digital Economy Working Group. Potential areas of collaboration such as digital public infrastructures, India Stack, AI, skilling and cybersecurity were explored during the meetings.
Date - 19/08/2023
Govt launches FloodWatch mobile app to provide real-time flood information using interactive maps
The mobile application called 'Floodwatch' was launched on August 17 by Kushvinder Vohra, Chairman, Central Water Commission (CWC). The app is aimed at disseminating information related to the flood situation and forecasts up to 7 days on a real-time basis to the public. The in-house developed user-friendly app has readable and audio broadcast facilities. The information in it is available in English and Hindi. Key features of the app include real-time flood monitoring where users can check up-to-date flood situations throughout the country. The app utilizes near real-time river flow data from various sources, and provides flood forecasts at the nearest location. Users can check the flood advisory at the station nearest to them on the Home Page itself.
Date - 18/08/2023
Digital economy to contribute over 20% of India's GDP by 2026: MoS IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar
Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Thursday forecast that the digital economy will contribute more than 20 per cent of the country's GDP in 2026. Addressing the 'G20 Digital Innovation Alliance Summit' Bengaluru, he said India is a preeminent nation that adopted technology very fast and has started offering solutions to the world. "The digital economy has gone from 4-4.5 per cent in 2014 of the total GDP to 11 per cent of the total GDP today. And we expect the digital economy to contribute over 20 per cent of our GDP by 2026," Chandrasekhar said. According to him, India adopted technology not just for innovation in a broader sense, but to deliver real solutions that have transformed people's lives, governance and democracy in the last few years.
Date - 18/08/2023
Mining, Oil & Gas Conclave '23 in Jaipur today; ministers, officials, experts to attend
The Mining, Oil & Gas Conclave '23 is being organised today (Friday, Aug 18) in Jaipur, by ETGovernment, an initiative of The Economic Times, with the aim of showcasing Rajasthan's achievements as a catalyst for India's economic growth and achievement of net-zero goals. The Department of Mines and Petroleum, Government of Rajasthan, is the host partner of this conclave. The theme of the conclave is "Fuelling the Future: Harnessing the Power of Extraction." India is among the world's largest consumers of minerals, oil and gas. By enhancing its capacity to extract important minerals, oil and gas, Rajasthan has become one of the fundamental drivers of the sustained growth of the country's economy. Coal is expected to remain India's biggest resource for electricity generation till 2024. India is the world's third largest consumer of oil and the fourth largest importer of gas (LNG). By 2030, India's gas requirements are set to double from today. Due to the growth of the EV industry, there is going to be heavy demand for critical minerals like lithium.
Date - 18/08/2023
AI based Bhashini integrated with CPGRAMS portal for grievance redressal in local languages
A total of 69,523 grievances were redressed by states and Union Territories in July, 2023. The pendency of grievances received on CPGRAMS portal has reduced to 1,79,077 grievances across the states/UTs governments, according to the 12th monthly report released by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) on the Centralized Public Grievance Redressal and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) for July, 2023. The report provides a detailed analysis of types and categories of public grievances and the nature of disposal. From May, 2023 onwards, DARPG has initiated the process of rankings states/UTs on the basis of their performance on CPGRAMS portal. Presently, DARPG ranks states/UTs across four categories namely, North Eastern States, Union Territories, with two other categories for states being bifurcated based on the number of receipt of grievances. This ranking is part of the endeavour of Government of India to assist the states/UTs to review and streamline their grievance redressal system and have a comparative assessment with other states/UTs. The Grievance Redressal Index includes 2 dimensions and 4 indicators.
Date - 17/08/2023
India's Chandrayaan-3, Russia's Luna25: Race to Moon's south pole heats up
The race to the uncharted south pole of the Moon is quickening with India's Chandrayaan-3 and Russia's Luna-25 gearing up for lunar landings next week, each mission holding significant implications beyond the thrilling competition in the skies. While Chandrayaan-3 plans to be the first to land on the Moon's south pole, Luna-25's swift trajectory has cast new light, say experts as anticipation builds up. The proximity, possible overlap, of their landing dates -- August 21-23 for Luna-25 and August 23-24 for Chandrayaan-3 -- has intensified global attention. Chandrayaan-3, the third mission in India's lunar exploration series, began its journey on July 14 this year and successfully entered lunar orbit on August 5. It is meticulously adjusting its orbit in preparation for a soft landing attempt within 40 days of launch.
Date - 17/08/2023
Chandrayaan-3 update: moon lander Vikram separates successfully, soft-landing on Aug 23
The Indian space agency, ISRO, on Thursday afternoon successfully detached the moon lander Vikram from the spacecraft's propulsion module today. The lander and rover, Pragyaan, are expected to land on the Moon on August 23. from the main spacecraft Chandrayaan-3. The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft comprises a propulsion module (weighing 2,148 kg), a lander (1,723.89 kg) and a rover (26 kg). "Thanks for the ride, mate! said the Lander Module (LM). LM is successfully separated from the Propulsion Module (PM). LM is set to descend to a slightly lower orbit upon a deboosting planned for tomorrow around 1600 Hrs., IST," Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) tweeted.
Date - 17/08/2023
1200 startups get funds under extended Digital India, DigiLocker to be available to MSMEs
Under the expanded Digital India scheme, which was cleared by the Union Cabinet on August 16, the Central Government will fund 1200 startups in tier 2 and tier 3 cities. The expanded Digital India scheme has a budget of Rs 14,903 crores, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed yesterday during a media briefing. The Central Government is going to expand the digital document verification facility Digilocker, which allows you to store and access essential documents online, to MSMEs and other organisations. "There are close to 40 crore people who have subscribed to Digilocker already. Through this system, small businesses can manage and safely keep their documents. Work has been progressing on the digital credit front as well. By the end of this year, you will get a good model. Just like how you have a model for digital payment, you will have one for digital credit," Ashwini Vaishnaw said.
Date - 17/08/2023
UPI facility for purchasing tickets launched at Noida Metro
Passengers not having change money for purchasing tickets on Noida Metro can now avoid hassle by using the UPI payment facility across all the stations of the rail network. Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC) Managing Director Lokesh M inaugurated the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payment facility at the Sector 51 metro station on Thursday. "The UPI facility for purchasing tickets from counters is now functional at all stations of the NoidaGreater Noida Metro corridor," an official of the NMRC said.
Date - 17/08/2023
Agnikul Cosmos, an IIT-Madras incubated startup, prepares for suborbital flight of Agnibaan rocket
Agnikul Cosmos, a space-tech startup incubated at IIT-Madras, is all set to take its maiden controlled sub-orbital flight. Its 3D-printed rocket Agnibaan SubOrbital Technological Demonstrator (SOrTeD) will soon take off from the launch pad at Sriharikota. The single-stage rocket powered by Agnilet semi-cryogenic engine was wheeled for integration with Agnikul's launch pad at Sriharikota on Tuesday and carrying out mechanical and electrical interface checks. Agnibaan SOrTeD is a single-stage launch vehicle driven by Agnikul's patented Agnilet engine - an entirely 3D-printed, single-piece, 6 kN semi-cryogenic engine, a company statement said.
Date - 17/08/2023
PM Modi's Independence Day speech: What did he say about IT and electronics sectors?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Nation from the Ramparts of Red Fort in New Delhi on the 77th Independence Day. In his address, he laid down his vision for the country's development and his government's plan to make India a developed nation by 2047. He also talked about how the technological landscape has been transformed in the last one decade. He stressed upon the importance of a digitally empowered India. In his address, Modi talked about the policies of the government that have contributed in making India the third largest startup ecosystem in the world. He talked about digital innovation in India and highlighted the remarkable transformation in India's digital landscape. He dwelled on the success of Digital India mission in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.
Date - 16/08/2023
Cabinet approves extension of Digital India project with Rs 14903 cr outlay
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved extension of Digital India project with an outlay of Rs 14,903 crore, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said. The minister said that the extended Digital India project will add on to the work done under the previous version of the scheme. "Prime Minister in the cabinet meeting has approved Digital India programme with outlay of Rs 14,903 crore," Vaishnaw said.
Date - 16/08/2023
E-Bus Seva Scheme: Cabinet allocates Rs 57613 cr for 10000 new e-buses in 100 cities
The PM e-Bus Seva Scheme has been approved by the Union Cabinet. This information was provided by Anurag Thakur, Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, at a briefing today. A sum of Rs 57,613 crore has been allotted to the scheme. The Centre and the states will share the cost of the scheme. The Centre will provide Rs 20,000 crore and the balance will be paid for by the state governments.
Date - 16/08/2023
Technology best tool to eliminate inefficiency and opacity in judicial processes: CJI Chandrachud
Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said "technology is the best tool at our disposal to eliminate the inefficiency and opacity surrounding the judicial processes. We have to tap into the full potential of technology to overcome the procedural barriers to justice. In pursuance of this, we are implementing the Phase III of the e-Courts project." Phase III of the e-Courts project seeks to revolutionize the working of courts in India by inter-linking all courts across the country, setting up the infrastructure of paperless courts, digitization of court records, and setting up advanced e-sewa kendras in all court complexes, he said. "Our aim is to create a judicial system that is more accessible, cost-effective, and affordable for every individual who seeks justice. We are already striving to make the court premises and court services disabled-friendly. For instance, we have operationalized screen-readable website and case files to remove the barriers faced by the blind community in accessing the court services," the CJI said.
Date - 16/08/2023
India getting ready for 6G, gearing up for quantum computers: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hailed the swift roll out of 5G technology in the country and said India is now getting ready for 6G and a task force has been set-up for the same. Addressing the nation on the 77th Independence Day Modi said the internet is now reaching every village and the country is now gearing up for quantum computers. "My country is the fastest country to roll out 5G. We have reached more than 700 districts and now we are getting ready for 6G. We have formed a task force," Modi said from the ramparts of the Red Fort. He said the world is going to be influenced by technology and even developed countries are willing to learn about the success of Digital India.
Date - 16/08/2023
India getting ready for 6G, gearing up for quantum computers: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hailed the swift roll out of 5G technology in the country and said India is now getting ready for 6G and a task force has been set-up for the same. Addressing the nation on the 77th Independence Day Modi said the internet is now reaching every village and the country is now gearing up for quantum computers. "My country is the fastest country to roll out 5G. We have reached more than 700 districts and now we are getting ready for 6G. We have formed a task force," Modi said from the ramparts of the Red Fort. He said the world is going to be influenced by technology and even developed countries are willing to learn about the success of Digital India.
Date - 16/08/2023
Tejas Networks bags $900 million order for BSNL's extensive 4G/5G network project
Tejas Networks has announced its collaboration with Tata Consultancy Services to supply Radio Access Network (RAN) equipment to Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limitedâ??s (BSNL) extensive 4G/5G network project. The order is worth Rs 7,492 Crore (approximately $900 million), and the contract involves the supply, support, and annual maintenance services for the RAN equipment. Tejas Networks is set to provide its advanced 4G/5G RAN equipment for approximately 100,000 sites, with the project scheduled for execution during the years 2023 and 2024. Anand Athreya, CEO and Managing Director of Tejas Networks said, "We are delighted to be selected as the sole supplier of 4G/5G RAN equipment for one of the largest mobile networks in the world. Our cutting-edge portfolio of baseband and radio products will enable BSNL to roll out a scalable and costeffective network that meets world-class performance and quality standards. This also furthers our mission to create India's first global-scale telecom and networking products company with an end-toend suite of wireless and wireline offerings."
Date - 16/08/2023
Drone Ki Udaan: Will train 15000 women's self-help groups to operate drones, says PM Modi
Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 77th Independence Day today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the Government is working with Women's Self Help Groups (SHGs) with the aim of creating 2 crore 'Lakhpati Didis' in villages. The PM observed that 10 crore women are today associated with Women's Self-Help Groups. "In villages today, one can find a Didi in the Bank, in the Anganwaadi and a Didi to provide medicines." The Prime Minister spoke about agri-tech and made a pitch for leveraging the potential of science and technology in rural development. The PM said that 15,000 Women's Self-Help Groups would be given loan and training for operating and repairing drones.
Date - 15/08/2023
PM Modi's Independence Day Speech: In technology driven world, India to have global role
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that there has been an unprecedented surge in India's exports and noted that India is now the world's fifth-largest economy due to the efforts of 140 crore citizens. Addressing the nation from the ramparts of Red Fort on Independence Day, the Prime Minister said India will become the third-largest economy in the next few years. He acknowledged the critical role that technology plays in shaping the future. â??World is technology-driven, with its talent in technology India will have new role and impact on global stage," PM Modi said.
Date - 15/08/2023
India getting ready for 6G and quantum computers, task force formed: PM Modi
Addressing the nation on the 77th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the swift roll out of 5G technology in the country and said India is now getting ready for 6G and a task force has been set-up for the same. He said that internet is now reaching every village and the country is now gearing up for quantum computers. "My country has had the fastest country to roll out 5G. We have reached more than 700 districts and now we are getting ready for 6G. We have formed a task force," Modi said from the ramparts of the Red Fort.
Date - 15/08/2023
Govt to set up Anusandhan National Research Foundation with Rs 50000 crore: President Murmu
President Droupadi Murmu on Monday said to foster the spirit of research, innovation and entrepreneurship, the Union government is setting up the Anusandhan National Research Foundation with an amount of Rs 50,000 crore for next five years. The foundation will seed, grow and promote research and development in colleges, universities and research institutions across the country, Murmu said while addressing the nation on the eve of the 77th Independence Day. Stating that the continued economic progress is driven by a two-pronged strategy, the President said, "On the one hand, there is a sustained push to unleash the forces of enterprise by making it easier to do business and generate job opportunities. On the other, proactive and expanded welfare initiatives for the needy have been taken in various domains. Giving priority to the deprived remains the focus of our policies and actions that have lifted a large number of people out of poverty in the last decade. Similarly, there are specific programmes to improve the conditions of tribals and encourage them to join the journey of progress. I appeal to our tribal brothers and sisters to enrich their traditions while embracing modernity."
Date - 15/08/2023
RBI to launch Public Tech Platform to facilitate credit through flow of digital info
The Reserve Bank will launch a pilot project for Public Tech Platform to facilitate frictionless credit through seamless flow of required digital information to lenders. "The platform is intended to be rolled out as a pilot project in a calibrated fashion, both in terms of access to information providers and use cases. It will bring about efficiency in the lending process in terms of reduction of costs, quicker disbursement, and scalability," RBI said in a release. During the pilot, the platform would focus on products such as Kisan Credit Card loans of up to Rs 1.6 lakh per borrower, dairy loans, MSME loans (without collateral), personal loans and home loans through participating banks, the central bank said in a statement.
Date - 14/08/2023
Data usage and ground-rules: Inside India's new Digital Personal Data Protection framework
A new law that defines how companies should process users' data came into force with the President giving assent to the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act passed by Parliament in the just-concluded monsoon session. The law arms individuals with greater control over their data while allowing companies to transfer users' data abroad for processing, except to nations and territories restricted by the Centre through notification. It also gives the government power to seek information from firms and issue directions to block content. While the new law seeks to establish a robust framework for the protection of personal data in the digital realm, it has drawn criticism from some quarters over broad exemptions granted to state entities and some of its provisions diluting the landmark Right to Information (RTI) law.
Date - 14/08/2023
No licence fee on permits for telecom infra firm, Rs 2 lakh entry fee for DCIP permits: TRAI
Telecom regulator Trai on Tuesday recommended the government creates new permits for digital infrastructure service providers but no licence fee is imposed on the companies. Entities registered under the proposed licence will be able to provide both active infrastructures like mobile antennae and base stations and passive infrastructure as service to telecom operators except core network elements and spectrum, according to Trai's recommendation on "Introduction of Digital Connectivity Infrastructure Provider (DCIP) Authorization under Unified Licence". "The Authority recommends that the new category of licence be called 'Digital Connectivity Infrastructure Provider (DCIP) Licence'," The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) said in its recommendations.
Date - 09/08/2023
MeitY to implement India Stack solutions for Trinidad & Tobago
A high level delegation from the Ministry of Digital Transformation, Trinidad & Tobago on Monday visited Electronics Niketan, Ministry of Electronics and IT, in New Delhi. The delegation was led by Hassel Bacchus, Minister of Digital Transformation and it included Dr Roger Gopaul, High Commissioner, Jacqueline Wilson, Chief Digital Transformation Advisor, Devindra Ramnarine, Senior Digital Transformation Advisor, Christopher John, Senior Project Manager and Danielle Seunarine, Associate Professional. The Indian side was represented by Alkesh Kumar Sharma, Secretary, MeitY, Abhishek Singh, P&CEO, NeGD and Sushil Pal, Joint Secretary, MeitY and senior officials of MeitY, MEA, NeGD, UIDAI, NPCI-NIPL. Speaking on the occasion, Abhishek Singh emphasised on India stack solutions, especially digital public infrastructure and foundational building blocks in form of Aadhaar (Digital Identity), DigiLocker & API Setu (Data Exchange) and UPI (Digital Payment).
Date - 08/08/2023
Cyber Surakshit Bharat: NeGD Organises 39th CISO Deep Dive Training Programme, MeitY initiative
National e-Governance Division (NeGD), under its Capacity Building scheme, organised the 39th CISO Deep-Dive training programme from August 7th-11th 2023 with 25 participants from Central Line Ministries at Indian Institute of Public Administration in New Delhi. This programme was organised under the Cyber Surakshit Bharat initiative. Cyber Surakshit Bharat, an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), was conceptualised with the mission to spread awareness about cybercrime and build capacities of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and frontline IT officials, across all government departments, for ensuring adequate safety measures to combat the growing threats in the cyber ecosystem. The idea behind the initiative is to enable organisations to become capable of defending their digital infrastructures and be future-ready in tackling cyber attacks.
Date - 08/08/2023
ASEAN meeting highlights need to leverage science & tech to bridge urban-rural divide
An online meeting of the Governing Council of ASEAN-India Science and Technology Development Fund (GC-AISTDF-8) highlighted the importance of India's ASEAN technology partnership for prosperity of today and for the next generations. "India recognizes that science and technology will be the enabling tool to meet the unmet needs of society and address the global challenges that we all face. We therefore need to leverage more on science and technology to bridge disparities between urban and rural divide with focus on affordable technologies for inclusive development, economic growth, and employment generation," said Dr Rajesh Gokhale, Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Chair of India ASEAN Working Group during the GC-AISTDF-8 meeting. The India ASEAN science and technology partnership encompasses all aspects of research and innovation, essential for both nations to achieve new heights together. Through the ASEAN-India Science and Technology Development Fund (AISTDF) and the plans of action for peace, progress, and shared prosperity, the collaboration extends to various areas like blue economy, healthcare, climate action, and sustainable development. The aim is to leverage science and technology to bridge disparities between urban and rural areas, with a specific focus on developing affordable technologies, the Ministry of Science & Technology said in a statement.
Date - 08/08/2023
GSAT-24, jointly launched by NewSpace India Limited and Tata Play, successfully commissioned
NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), a Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the Department of Space (DOS), collaborated with Tata Play and launched GSAT-24 satellite in June 2022. Tata Play commenced the use of this satellite, now in its orbital position, starting August 7, 2023. The inauguration ceremony was held at Tata Playâ??s Broadcast Centre in New Delhi. On the occasion, Apurva Chandra, Information & Broadcasting Secretary, said, â??Congratulations to the Department of Space (DoS) and Tata Play for successfully commissioning GSAT-24. This event unlocks one more step towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat and self-reliance in the field of space and communication." "Currently Tata Play has 600 channels. With the inclusion of ISRO satellite, it would be able to transmit 900 channels benefitting the general public. It is the culmination of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of privatisation and establishment of NSIL, which for the first time launched a demand based satellite in collaboration with Tata Play. These channels would now be available all across the country, including the hilly North-East and Andaman & Nicobar islands," the Secretary added.
Date - 08/08/2023
Govt committed to ensuring Digital India RISC-V microprocessor is Indian ISA: Minister
The government is ready to back the industry in developing cutting-edge competitive systems, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekar said on Sunday. India has an exciting opportunity and to make that opportunity fruitful, it should focus on developing commercially and globally competitive technology, he said. "The government is fully committed to making sure that DIR-V (Digital India RISC-V) microprocessor is the Indian ISA (Instruction Set Architecture), and we are ready to back the industry in developing cutting edge competitive systems," he said in a virtual address at the Digital India RISC-V Symposium in Chennai. The Government of India, working towards realising the ambition of self-reliance under the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' campaign, has rolled out the Digital India RISC-V Microprocessor programme with an overall aim to make micro-processors for the future in India.
Date - 07/08/2023
DigiTech Conclave & Awards '23: Gold, Silver awardees for exemplary e-gov projects
The climax of the DigiTech Conclave & Awards â??23 was a glittering awards ceremony in the evening of August 6, when the government departments that have done exemplary implementation of e-Governance initiatives were given the prestigious DigiTech Awards. The award winners were chosen by an impartial jury consisting of senior government officials, academics and intellectuals. Deloitte India was the knowledge partner. From the 370+ nominations that were shortlisted, the jury, after hours of deliberation and cross-examination, selected the most deserving projects for receiving the awards.
Date - 07/08/2023
TDB-DST ropes in Alchemy Recyclers for recovery of precious metals from e-waste
The Technology Development Board (TBD) under the Department of Science & Technology (DST) on Monday signed the second agreement under the initiative 'technology intervention towards garbage free cities'. TDB signed an agreement with Alchemy Recyclers of Gujarat for the development of an integrated plant for the recovery of precious metals from e-waste, jewellers waste, and automobile catalyst waste'. The board has agreed to fund Rs 1.14 crore out of the total project cost of Rs 1.90 crore, the Ministry of Science & Technology said in a statement. The initiative is aimed at encouraging proposals that will not only eliminate waste from Indian cities but also utilize technological interventions to generate wealth from waste. Taking inspiration from the Prime Minister's vision, the Swachh Bharat Mission: Urban 2.0 aimed to make all our cities free from garbage and emphasizes on cleanliness, the Technology Development Board, a statutory body of the DST, Government of India, invited applications from Indian companies having innovative indigenous technologies at the commercialization stage in the waste management domain, ministry said.
Date - 07/08/2023
e-Mobility: Jio-bp creating public EV charging infra, battery swapping network
Jio-bp is partnering with several players from automobile sector, real estate and mall developers, ecommerce players, fleet operators, corporates and other large establishments to create a public EV charging infrastructure and battery swapping network. Operating under the brand Jio-bp Pulse, Jio-bp has added over 1,000+ public charge points in FY 2022-23, taking their network strength to 1,400+ across 8 cities and major highways and is expected to grow multifold again in FY 2023-24. This includes seven of country's major charging hubs (100+ charge points) with dozens other hubs under construction. Also, built facility at malls, public parking place, work place and residential areas.
Date - 07/08/2023
Sahkar Se Samriddhi: CRCS digital portal launched, 1555 cooperative societies to benefit
The digital portal of the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies (CRCS) office was launched in Pune today by Amit Shah, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation. Several dignitaries including Eknath Shinde, Chief Minister of Maharashtra and B L Verma, Union Minister of State for Ministry of Cooperation, were present on the occasion. In his address, Amit Shah said that the culture of cooperatives spread across the country from Maharashtra only. He added that if we look at the direction of development of the cooperative movement today, then the cooperative movement has progressed and flourished only in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka, which is, the parts of the earlier Mumbai state. He said that it is absolutely relevant to start the work of complete digitization of the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies in Pune, Maharashtra. Shah informed that the work of the Central Registrar (CRCS) office, which operates the multi-state cooperatives, is becoming completely digital today. "The work of cooperative societies like opening new branches, expansion to other states and auditing is being done online now. With the creation of this new portal, the activities like registration, amendment of bylaws, auditing and monitoring by the Central Registrar can be done online," he said.
Date - 06/08/2023
5 crore ABHA accounts created on NCD portal: PM applauds digital health facilities
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to express his satisfaction on crores of citizens getting full benefits from digital health facilities. In a tweet, Union Health Minister, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya informed that more than 5 crore Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHA) have been created through NCD portal under the National Program for Non-Communicable Diseases.
Date - 06/08/2023
ISRO transfers IMS-1 satellite bus technology to private firm Alpha Design Technologies
ISRO on Saturday said it has transferred the IMS-1 Satellite Bus Technology to Alpha Design Technologies Pvt. Ltd in a step towards enhancing private industry participation in the country's space sector. NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of ISRO, facilitated the technology transfer through an agreement signed during an event held at the NSIL headquarters on August 2, the space agency said on its website. The technology transfer documents were formally handed over by D Radhakrishnan, Chairman and Managing Director of NSIL to Col. H S Shankar (Retd.), Chairman and Managing Director of ADTL. ADTL is one of the two private players identified to receive the transfer of this technology through Interest Exploratory Note (IEN) published by NSIL, it said.
Date - 06/08/2023
DigiTech Conclave '23: Data is of utmost importance for governance; tech leaders discuss effective ways to use it
On day 2 of the DigiTech Conclave '23 in Goa on Saturday, a panel discussion was held on Impactful and scalable projects by states for end-to-end digital services. Participating in the discussion, Dr Sanjay Mukherjee, Metropolitan Commissioner, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), Government of Maharashtra, said "in MMRDA, essential work that we are doing is that we are developing the entire metropolitan area of Mumbai. We are trying to develop the infrastructure in the whole region. The aim of MMRDA is to see to it that the last man gets the benefits of technology." In MMRDA you don't have paper files. Everything is digital, everything is online, he said.
Date - 05/08/2023
Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies goes digital to promote ease of biz in cooperative sector
Union Minister for Home and Cooperation Amit Shah will launch the digital portal of the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies (CRCS) office in Pune on Sunday, August 6. In line with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Sahkar se Samridhi', the Ministry of Cooperation said it has taken several initiatives to strengthen the cooperative movement in the country. In this direction, the office of the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies is being computerized to promote ease of doing business in the cooperative sector, the Ministry of Cooperation said in a statement on Saturday. The main objectives of computerization of the Central Registrar's office include:
- Completely paperless application and processing
- Automatic compliance with Multi State Co-operative Societies Act (MSCS Act) and Rules through
- software
- Enhancing Ease of Doing Business
- Digital communication
- Transparent processing
- Improved Analytics and MIS (Management Information Systems)
Date - 05/08/2023
DigiTech Conclave & Awards 23 opens today in Goa, focus on India's DPI, e-gov awards
During the two years of Covid pandemic, the Central and state governments used digital technologies to keep the systems of governance functioning and ensure that the daily requirements of the population were being met. Cloud based Co-WIN system was used to streamline the process of delivering over 2.2 billion vaccine doses, including first, second and precautionary (booster) doses, and issuing digital vaccination certificates to every individual. But the two years of the pandemic also revealed several bottlenecks in governance systems and the gaps to bridge using new emerging technologies like AI, ML, Internet of Things and others. The pandemic has made the Central and state governments realise that emerging technologies are not merely business propositions and technological tools; these tech innovations also have the potential to make seminal socio-economic contributions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has coined the phrase 'minimum government, maximum governance,' to explain his government's vision for using digital technologies for delivering good governance to the country. Which emerging technologies are being deployed in the country by the central and state governments? Is India doing enough to take advantage of the vast range of digital technologies? What are the challenges on the path of egovernance and what are the solutions to these challenges.
Date - 04/08/2023
GST Council: 28% GST on online gaming stays, effective from Oct 1, review after 6 months
The GST Council in its 51st meeting held yesterday via video conferencing decided to levy 28% tax at face value at entry level in case of online gaming, casinos and horse racing. The council decided to complete the process of making amendments in the relevant Acts needed for imposing the tax at the earliest and start taxing these items effective from October 1. A review would be undertaken after six months of the implementation. â??The council agreed today to come back after six months to review the way in which this (28 per cent GST rates on casinos and online gaming) is getting implemented," Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Finance Minister said after the 51st GST Council Meeting. The council recommended certain amendments in the CGST Act 2017 and IGST Act 2017, to provide clarity on the taxation of supplies in casinos, horse racing and online gaming.
Date - 03/08/2023
Govt launches Study in India portal to simplify academic journey of international students
The Study in India portal was jointly launched by Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, and Dr. S. Jaishankar, Union External Affairs Minister, today in New Delhi. Dr Subhas Sarkar, Minister of State for Education, Annpurna Devi, Minister of State for Education, Rajkumar Singh, Minister of State for Education and External Affairs, and senior members of Ministry of Education and Skill Development and Ambassadors of more than 10 countries attended the event. On the occasion, students from Russia, Thailand, Japan, Ethiopia, Ecuador, Kazakhstan and Republic of Korea who are currently studying in India, presented souvenirs from their culture as a token of respect to dignitaries.
Date - 03/08/2023
Centre tables Digital Protection Bill, sidesteps demands for scrutiny over privacy
Sidestepping the opposition's demands for scrutiny of key provisions in the Data Protection Bill, the Union minister for IT Ashwini Vaishnaw tabled the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill in Lok Sabha on Thursday. Rejecting all apprehensions around the Bill, which opposition alleged that it violated the fundamental right to privacy, Vaishnaw maintained that the Bill was open for discussion but shall not be referred to a parliamentary panel for scrutiny as this was a 'normal bill'. The Bill once cleared will become the country's first-ever legislation that looks to check data misuse and penalise entities found violating digital privacy of citizens. The new bill also spells out comprehensive guidelines that will check data proliferation by foreign digital platforms while spelling out penalties on both government and private entities for personnel data misuse.
Date - 03/08/2023
Education ministry picks Oracle Cloud Infra to modernise edtech platform DIKSHA, lower IT costs
The Ministry of Education has selected Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) to modernise the national education technology platform Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA). The migration will help make DIKSHA more accessible and lower its IT costs. This migration will help make DIKSHA more accessible and lower its IT costs. The platform supports 1.48 million schools across all of India's 35 states and union territories and is available in 36 Indian languages. Under the multi-year collaboration agreement, OCI will help the Ministry of Education use DIKSHA to provide educational resources to millions of additional students, teachers and collaborators across India.
Date - 03/08/2023
Gaganyaan: First test vehicle mission for validation of crew escape system planned in Aug-Sept
The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh on Thursday said the first test vehicle mission for the validation of crew escape system for Gaganyaan, the maiden human space flight mission of India is planned in August-September 2023. In a statement laid on the table of the Rajya Sabha, Singh informed that all subsystems pertaining to test vehicle TV-D1 mission have been realized and the crew module integration is completed. He also added that static tests of all crew escape system motors have been completed as also ground testing of crew module propulsion system is completed. Training of crew (astronauts) is nearing completion. The minister said the objective of the Gaganyaan mission is to demonstrate the capability of conducting human space flight mission to low earth orbit (LEO) on-board Indian launch vehicle. The orbital module consists of a crew module and a service module. Crew module, which is a pressurized module, acts as living quarters for the crew. The orbital module will be positioned in ~400 km circular orbit around earth for 1 to 3 days and the crew module will return at the designated location in sea.
Date - 03/08/2023
Govt imposes import restrictions on laptops, tablets, computers with immediate effect
The government on Thursday imposed import restrictions on laptops, tablets, all-in-one personal computers, ultra small form factor computers and servers with immediate effect. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) in a notification said that exemption from import licensing is provided for up to 20 items per consignment for R&D, testing, benchmarking and evaluation, repair and return, product development purposes. The import of such goods would be allowed against a valid Licence for Restricted Imports. The move is expected to cut imports from countries like China.
Date - 03/08/2023
Centre launches digital crop survey in 12 states on pilot basis
The Union government has launched digital crop survey in 12 states on a pilot basis from kharif (summer-sown) season of this year for better sowing data collection. "Government has launched pilot on Digital Crop Survey (DCS) in the 12 states from Kharif 2023," Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. DCS reference application has been developed as an open source, open standard and inter operable public good, he sad. "Further, geo-referenced cadastral maps with Geographic Information System (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) technologies are used to ensure the farmland position," Tomar said.
Date - 02/08/2023
GST Council Meeting: 28% tax on online gaming, casinos, horse racing discussed
A meeting of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council, chaired by Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Finance minister, was held via videoconferencing today. This high-level meeting is taking place less than a month after the previous meeting. The issues related to the 28% tax levy on online gaming, casinos and horse racing were likely discussed. The Finance Minister is expected to brief the media shortly
Date - 02/08/2023
DGT partners Amazon Web Services India to upskill students in emerging technologies
The Directorate General of Training (DGT) is collaborating with Amazon Web Services (AWS) India to upskill students in cloud computing, data annotation, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML), to boost their capabilities and employability. This initiative will benefit students enrolled in the institutions under the DGT, an apex organisation responsible for implementing long-term institutional skill training through an extensive network of about 15,000 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and 33 National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs), across India. The DGT operates under the aegis of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE).
Date - 01/08/2023
Govt flags vulnerability in Minify Source HTML module of Drupal; medium severity rating
In its new vulnerability note, CERT-In has warned about Cross Site Scripting Vulnerability in the Minify Source HTML module of Drupal. The severity rating is medium. The affected software are:
- Minify Source HTML module versions prior to 1.13.0
- Minify Source HTML module versions 2.0.0 to 2.0.2
Date - 01/08/2023
Gamers urge FinMin to reduce 28% GST on online gaming, saying high taxes will lead to illegal gaming firms
Online gamers' association on Tuesday requested Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for a reduction of 28% Goods and Services Tax (GST), saying high taxation would lead to mushrooming of illegal gaming firms. Gamers from Tier II and Tier III cities under the aegis of 'Indian Gamers United' in an open letter to finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that high taxation will push the gamers towards illegal and offshore platforms where no tax is payable but will put the gamers into a very high risk. The association also pitched for making a distinction between games of chance like gambling and games of skill like gaming.
Date - 01/08/2023
India partners with Israel to implement best technologies for ensuring water security
In May 2023, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras signed a letter of intent with Israel to build an â??India-Israel Center of Water Technology' (CoWT) in Water Resources Management and Water Technologies. The initiative aims to develop capacity for ensuring the implementation of Israel's best water technologies for Indian requirements and develop environmentally and socially sustainable supply systems for water security. The LoI for establishing the center was signed by Manoj Joshi, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Prof V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, and Naor Gilon, Ambassador of Israel to India. S Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister, and his Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen, were present at the occasion of the signing of the LoI. India faces a number of challenges in water security-a 2018 report from NITI Aayog, "Composite Water Management Index," notes that nearly 600 million people in the country are facing high to extreme water stress. The report also mentions that India is placed at 120th amongst 122 countries in the water quality index, with nearly 70% of water being contaminated. Israel is the global champion of water management; there is a lot that the stakeholders in India can learn from Israel.
Date - 01/08/2023
Date for accepting applications under PLI scheme 2.0 for IT Hardware extended till August 30
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has extended the application window for accepting applications under Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme 2.0 for IT Hardware till August 31. The application portal for this scheme is now live and applicants can register and apply at the website: https://2.pliithw.com/login. The PLI Scheme 2.0 offers a production linked incentive to boost domestic manufacturing and attract large investments in the value chain. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave its approval to introduce this scheme for enhancing Indiaâ??s manufacturing capabilities and enhancing exports on May 17. The scheme was notified on May 29. This scheme is expected to result in broadening and deepening of the manufacturing ecosystem by encouraging the localisation of components and sub-assemblies and allowing for a longer duration to develop the supply chain within the country.
Date - 31/07/2023
Dedicated portal, customer care centre being planned to promote handloom sector: Spl Secretary
The handloom sector constitutes an important part of the non-formal sector of Rajasthan's economy. The artisans of the state are globally known for their unique hand-spinning, weaving, and printing style. Based out of small towns and villages, they run small family or community owned businesses. They transfer their skills from one generation to the next. In an exclusive conversation with ETGovernment, Neha Giri, Special Secretary, Department of Industries & Commerce, Government of Rajasthan describes the initiatives that her department is taking to promote the handloom sector. Edited excerpts: The Government of Rajasthan has recently appointed you as the Special Secretary of the Industries & Commerce Department. How do you view this responsibility? I am honored to be appointed as the Special Secretary in the Industries & Commerce Department. This is the third time that I am being posted in this department, having previously served in the Bureau of Investment Promotions and as MD of RHDC. I consider this as an opportunity to further specialize in this sector. Returning to a familiar department allows me to leverage my knowledge and experience. As a Special Secretary, my role is primarily administrative, serving as a link between various organizations and corporations under the Industries & Commerce Department. I try to resolve the diverse issues, ranging from budget announcements to establishment matters and industry-related grievances. I have to oversee and facilitate the implementation of various administrative initiatives.
Date - 31/07/2023
India is now among Apple's top 5 markets; premium smartphone segment grows 112%
India is now among Apple's top 5 markets globally as the iPhone maker continued to lead the ultra-premium segment (Rs 45,000 and above) with a 59 per cent share in the second quarter of 2023, a report showed on Monday. India's premium smartphone segment, that grew 112 per cent (year-on-year) in the April-June period, now contributes a record 17 per cent to its overall shipments, according to Counterpoint Research. In the overall India smartphone market, Samsung remained at the top position for the third consecutive quarter with an 18 per cent share.
Date - 31/07/2023
Why India can afford to wait and watch before regulating AI
India should not rush with a "comprehensive" law that might become outdated quickly. India's position on regulating AI has swung between extremes - from no regulation to regulation based on a "risk-based, no-harm" approach. In April this year, the Indian government said it would not regulate AI to help create an enabling, pro-innovation environment which could possibly catapult India to global leadership in AI-related tech.
Date - 31/07/2023
Not surprising if critical and emerging technologies come up as key metrics of power: EAM Jaishankar
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said it will not be surprising if critical and emerging technologies come up as one of the most important metrics of power, and added that concerns in the CET field are influenced by how market share and production dominance are leveraged in other areas. The questions of who invents and manufactures, market shares, resources, skills and talent pool in relation to CET are becoming increasingly critical in the global arena, Jaishankar said while virtually addressing the 'Semicon India 2023' event organised here. The minister also said a more self-reliant India will also be more self-reliant in semiconductor production.
Date - 31/07/2023
Ministry of Education launches mobile app ULLAS; signs 106 MoUs to foster innovation, research, knowledge exchange
The Ministry of Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship signed 106 Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with various organizations and institutions on July 30, on the occasion of the Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam 2023 and the 3rd anniversary of the National Education Policy. The MoUs encompass partnerships with both public and private entities to foster innovation, research, and knowledge exchange in multiple domains, ushering in a new era of collaboration in education and industry-academia linkages. The signing took place in the presence of Union Minister of Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of State for Education, Subhas Sarkar, Minister of State for Education Annapurna Devi and Minister of State for Education Rajkumar Ranjan Singh. Dharmendra Pradhan also launched the mobile application of ULLAS. He said that the ULLAS mobile application marks a significant milestone in harnessing the potential of technology to facilitate widespread access to basic literacy. This user-friendly and interactive app available both on android and ios and will serve as a digital gateway for learners to engage in diverse learning resources through the DIKSHA portal of NCERT.
Date - 31/07/2023
Govt flags multiple vulnerabilities in Microsoft Edge Chromium; severity rating medium
In its new vulnerability note, CERT-In, the Indian governmentâ??s nodal agency for cyber security incidents when they occur, is warning about vunerabilities in Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based)--versions prior to 115.0.1901.183 . The severity rating is medium. The multiple vulnerabilities reported in Microsoft Edge (Chromium) could be exploited by a remote attacker to trigger elevation of privilege, spoofing, security restriction bypass, remote code execution, denial of service condition and data manipulation on the targeted system. In its note, CERT-In provides the following overview of the vulnerability: "Multiple vulnerabilities exist in Microsoft Edge (Chromium) due to Use after free in WebRTC; Use after free in Tab Groups; Out of bounds memory access in Mojo; Inappropriate implementation in WebApp Installs, Picture, Web API Permission Prompts, Custom Tabs, Notifications and Autofill; Insufficient validation of untrusted input in Themes. A remote attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities by persuading a victim to visit a specially crafted Website. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow a remote attacker to trigger elevation of privilege, spoofing, security restriction bypass, remote code execution, denial of service and data manipulation on the targeted system."
Date - 30/07/2023
India's semiconductor programme part of endeavour to promote Make in India: Jaishankar
The 'Modified Semicon India Programme' is a part of a larger endeavour to promote manufacturing in India, as part of the 'Make in India' initiative and in line with the vision of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat', External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Sunday. He made the remark while addressing the second day of the ongoing SemiconIndia conference in Gujarat's Gandhinagar on Sunday. Jaishankar highlighted the nation's strategic vision and ongoing efforts to secure a pivotal role in critical and emerging technology. Talking about its goal, the EAM said, "You are also deeply familiar with the steadily expanding production of electronic products in the country. It is a natural outcome of the journey of India from being the fifth-largest economy currently to the third largest, which is our current goal. Our strong interest in expanding this aspect of manufacturing is reflected in the Modified Semicon India Programme which provides appropriate fiscal incentives. This too is a facet of a larger endeavour to promote manufacturing in India, articulated in the 'Make in India' initiative and the vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat."
Date - 30/07/2023
MeitY announces MoU between CeNSE, Lam Research; SEMI to support India Semiconductor Mission
Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) announced the exchange of signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE) at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, and Lam Research India at the ongoing SemiconIndia in Gandhinagar on July 29. Initiated by MeitY, this collaboration brings together the academic excellence of IISc's CeNSE and the global expertise of Lam Research, a major supplier of innovative wafer fabrication equipment. Lam Researchâ??s goal is to utilise Semiverse Solutions to develop a 60,000 strong workforce in nano-fabrication in India over the next 10 years. The SEMI today announced its intent to support the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) in creating a semiconductor manufacturing and design ecosystem in India. The collaboration would build on the successful execution of ISMâ??s SemiconIndiaâ??s two editions and continue SEMIâ??s tradition of bringing stakeholders in the end-to-end semiconductor ecosystem together. An MoU is under development.
Date - 30/07/2023
SemiconIndia 2023 deliberates next-gen designs, cutting-edge advancements in semiconductor industry
Semiconductor industry leaders deliberated on strategy for India's robust, vibrant and competitive presence in the global semiconductor ecosystem on the second day of the ongoing SemiconIndia 2023 in Bengaluru on Saturday. The event attracted huge participation from the industry, academia and government. In the session on Next-Gen Computing, Balaji Baktha, CEO, Ventana Micro Systems discussed the critical aspects around digital autonomy and sovereign datacenter infrastructure powered by RISC-V. Raja Koduri, CEO, Mihira AI highlighted the future of computing and emphasized the value of time and financial resources for startups. Panel discussions were organised to deliberate on various themes, including semiconductor packaging. Gursharan Singh, SVP, Micron Technology, Jeffery Chun, Simmtech, Noboru Yoshinaga, Disco and Raja Vinay, Air Liquide discussed about the supply chain strategy and roadmap of Micron's Assembly, Testing, Marking and Packaging (ATMP) plant in India. The panel led by Dr Hem Takiar, Micron Technology and other dignitaries - Prof. Tummala Rao, Georgia Tech, Dr Surya Bhattacharya, IME Singapore, Devan Iyer, Amkor and Amrit Manwani, Sahasra shared their views on the importance of packaging research and innovation in driving future performance of semiconductor packaging in India. The panelists highlighted the potential of India in large-scale R&D and how consortia model and industry-relevant research could play a key role.
Date - 30/07/2023
Future is Bright, Future is India in the global semiconductor ecosystem: Chandrasekhar
"We intend to build a robust, vibrant, globally competitive presence in the global semiconductor ecosystem in the next 10 years with the capital that Prime Minister Modi has given us. We certainly want to do what countries to the North of us took 200 billion dollars in 30 years and could not succeed. The Future is Bright and the Future is India in the semiconductor ecosystem," Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, said during his address on the second day of the Semicon India conference 2023. The attendees in the conference included stakeholders from universities, startups, major semiconductor companies and various government partners in India. "India has successfully built strong partnerships with other countries, including Japan and the USA, in areas of cutting-edge technology, including semiconductor design and manufacturing. In the last 15 months, there have been important visits and agreements between India and other nations, marking significant milestones in developing a semiconductor ecosystem in the country," he said.
Date - 29/07/2023
CDAC, Arm partner to enable semiconductor startups in India through Arm Flexible Access for Startups
Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) today announced a collaboration with Arm, the world's leading semiconductor IP company, to broaden the support under the Design Linked Incentive Scheme (DLI) and further enable the semiconductor market growth in India at Gandhinagar. As part of this announcement, the Arm Flexible Access for Startups program is now broadening its qualification criteria to welcome applications from startups that qualify under MEITY's SemiconIndia futureDESIGN DLI scheme. Arm Flexible Access for Startups provides low-risk, easy access to industry-proven technology, technical support, an extensive ecosystem, and Arm's broad developer base so silicon startups can move fast, experiment with ease, and design with confidence. With Arm Flexible Access, startups building products across all markets have the best chance of success with a fast, low-risk journey to building a working prototype, securing the next round of funding, and instilling confidence in potential investors.
Date - 29/07/2023
New toll system: Automatic Number Plate Recognition Camera, satellite navigation linked to FASTag
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has undertaken a pilot on Delhi â?? Meerut Expressway for tolling with the use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition Camera linked to FASTag. A Consultant has been engaged for Barrier less tolling with the help of the use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition Camera and Satellite Navigation tolling. A team of experts, including international subject matter experts, are currently engaged on the study of global good practices and readiness assessment as well as preparation of standards and specifications and requisite legal changes. The ultimate aim of this system of Automatic Number Plate Recognition Camera linked to FASTag is to reduce waiting time of vehicles at toll plazas. Currently about 97% of the toll collection in the country, amounting to nearly Rs 40,000 crore, happens through FASTag.
Date - 28/07/2023
Digital payments rise 13% YoY at March-end 2023: RBI data
Digital payments across the country registered a growth of 13.24% in a year through March 2023, as per RBI's index that measures the adoption of online transactions. RBI's Digital Payments Index (RBI-DPI) stood at 395.57 at end-March 2023 compared to 377.46 in September 2022 and 349.30 in March 2022. "The RBI-DPI index has increased across all parameters driven by significant growth in payment infrastructure and payment performance across the country over the period," Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said in a statement on Thursday.
Date - 28/07/2023
Digital payments rise 13% YoY at March-end 2023: RBI data
Digital payments across the country registered a growth of 13.24% in a year through March 2023, as per RBI's index that measures the adoption of online transactions. RBI's Digital Payments Index (RBI-DPI) stood at 395.57 at end-March 2023 compared to 377.46 in September 2022 and 349.30 in March 2022. "The RBI-DPI index has increased across all parameters driven by significant growth in payment infrastructure and payment performance across the country over the period," Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said in a statement on Thursday.
Date - 28/07/2023
India AI, Meta India partner to spur advancements in AI, emerging technologies
India AI, which is an Independent Business Unit (IBU) under Digital India Corporation, and Meta in India have signed a MoU to establish a framework for collaboration in the field of Artificial Intelligence and other emerging technologies. The objective of this partnership is to make Meta's open-source AI models available for use in the Indian AI ecosystem. The MoU was signed on June 26 by Abhishek Singh, CEO of India AI, and Shivnath Thukral, Director & Head of Public Policy, Meta in India. The objective of the MoU is to establish a framework for collaboration and cooperation between India AI and Meta in the field of Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies including to make Metaâ??s open-source AI models available for use by the Indian AI ecosystem. Abhishek Singh, CEO of India AI said, "India is at the forefront of adopting digital technologies and it is evident that AI and Emerging Technologies will play a pivotal role in expanding the advantages of technology to a broader population. Through this partnership with Meta, the joint research and development endeavours will tackle large-scale challenges by leveraging cutting-edge AI technologies like Llama and other open-source solutions."
Date - 27/07/2023
Army's first ever Aadhaar centre opened through Army Postal Service, an initiative of DoP
The first ever Permanent Aadhaar Enrolment Centre (PAEC) for Indian Army was jointly inaugurated by Alok Sharma, Director General Postal Services & Lt Gen Rajinder Dewan, Quartermaster General for army at 1 Central Base Post Office (CBPO), New Delhi on July 25. aj Gen M K Khan, Addl DG, Army Postal Service (APS), was also present. The PAEC will facilitate Aadhaar related services (enrolment and updation) for tri-services personnel (defence and civil) and their dependents through their Field Post Offices (FPO) in 48 identified locations in the country. All Command HQs, Corps HQs and selected FPOs are identified for establishment of PAEC services. The Department of Posts (DoP) and UIDAI believe that these PAEC will enable training, equipment and tech support. These 48 PAEC will be functional in both field and peace locations.
Date - 27/07/2023
India missed the bus repeatedly on electronics; country 12 generations behind in semiconductors: Minister
"India has missed the bus repeatedly on electronics and semiconductors. There was a lack of strategic and political vision and a big dose of incompetence. Fairchild semiconductors, which is the precursor to Intel, came to India in 1957 for a packaging unit and we chased them away. That packaging unit went on to become Asia's largest packaging hub in Malaysia. We set up a fab for silicon and germanium transistors that had shut down. India's major VLSI facility, Semi-Conductor Laboratory (SCL), perished, as a mysterious fire in 1989 halted production until 1997." This was stated by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Electronics & IT, at Gandhinagar in Gujarat, during a media interaction. "In 1987, India was just two years behind the latest chip manufacturing technology. Today, we are 12 generations behind â?? this is how far behind we are as a nation in the area of semiconductors," he added. Chandrasekhar emphasised the major strides made by the Government under Prime Minister Modi in rebuilding India's electronics ecosystem and pushing the country to become one of the world's fastest-growing electronics manufacturers. He highlighted the significant opportunity that India possesses in the semiconductor space and how the Government is determined to utilise it.
Date - 27/07/2023
Defence tech: India working on indigenous Long-Range Surface to Air Missile air defence system
Making significant strides in defence technology space, the Indian military establishment may soon possess an indigenous three-layered long-range surface-to-air missile (LRSAM) defence system. According to reports, a proposal to develop LRSAM defence system, pending with the Defence Ministry may soon get a final go ahead. The defence system, which can intercept and neutralize enemy aircraft and missiles at ranges of approximately 400 kilometers is estimated to cost over $2.5 billion and will make India join the elite group of nations possessing indigenous capabilities to effectively target hostile assets in the air at such extended ranges. As quoted by a news wire, the three-layered surface-to-air missile system will be equipped with missiles designed to engage targets. The new system is likely to widen the versatility of modern state-of-the-art defence technology mechanisms in the country. This comes at a time when India is closely working with Israel to produce a medium-range surface-to-air missile system (MRSAM), which will be capable of targeting aerial threats at distances exceeding 70 kilometers.
Date - 27/07/2023
Make in India: Samsung to manufacture Galaxy Fold 5, Flip 5 phones in India
Samsung will manufacture its flagship devices Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5 in India to meet local requirements, a senior company official said. Samsung plans to launch the most expensive and high-end devices from its stable in India on August 18 and the pre-booking with offers will start at midnight of July 27. "Both Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Flip 5 will be manufactured at India factory in Noida," Samsung SouthWest Asia President and CEO J B Park said. According to market research and analysis firm Techarc estimates, foldable (including flip) smartphones will contribute over 1.8 % of the total smartphone revenues for 2023.
Date - 27/07/2023
Samudrayaan: Datasets gathered by OMe 6000 AUV useful in estimating undersea resources
Samudrayaan under the Deep Ocean Mission has been launched in September 2021, as a Central sector scheme of the Ministry of Earth Sciences with the approval of the Cabinet. Samudrayaan is a project under the Deep Ocean Mission. Under the Samudrayaan project of Deep Ocean Mission, MATSYA 6000 manned submersible design has been completed so far, according to the Union Minister for Earth Sciences Kiren Rijiju. Rijiju in a written reply in the Lok Sabha said on Wednesday: Under the mission, deep water autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) namely Ocean Mineral Explorer (OMe 6000) has been deployed for exploration. Deep sea mineral exploration was performed using OMe 6000 AUV during December2022 using research ship Sagar Nidhi at Polymetallic Manganese Nodule (PMN) site at a depth of 5271 m in the allocated area of International Seabed Authority at Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB). About 14 sq km area has been surveyed with all scientific payloads to generate high resolution seabed features to understand and validate the resource potential at exploration site. About 1 km x 0.5 km area has been mapped using high resolution cameras for quantitative polymetallic manganese nodule resource abundance, distribution and deep-sea biodiversity.
Date - 27/07/2023
Carbon Capture, Alternate Battery Technology, AI get discussed at Empowered Technology Group meet
Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India and the Chairperson of the Empowered Technology Group (ETG) Professor Ajay Kumar Sood convened the first meeting of the Technology Advisory Group (TAG) for the ETG today at Vigyan Bhawan Annexe in New Delhi. The meeting brought together TAG members, ETG members, key government officials, and experts from academia to discuss priority areas of scientific research and technology development particularly in carbon capture utilisation and storage, alternate battery technologies, and Artificial Intelligence. Addressing the TAG meeting, Professor Ajay Kumar Sood said, "Empowered Technology Group is a forum to identify the most pertinent scientific challenges before the country and discuss the most suitable technologies which should be adopted. Some of the technologies might be contemporary, while some are futuristic, which would allow us to become technology ready for the future. TAG will help ETG in brainstorming and actualising ideas on how country's technology needs should be met."
Date - 26/07/2023
STARFIRE: RRI develops new algorithm to quantify terrestrial Radio Frequency Interference in space
Scientists at Raman Research Institute (RRI), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology, have developed an algorithm called STARFIRE which can estimate the Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) emitted by FM radio stations, WiFi networks, mobile towers, radar, satellites, and communication devices, and use this calculation for designing and fine-tuning the antennas and other instrument components of missions like India's Probing ReionizATion of the Universe using Signal from Hydrogen (PRATUSH). PRATUSH is one of the several mission opportunities in space contemplated to address the growing RFI on land, to study the birth of the first stars and galaxies in the Universe using the 21-cm hydrogen line obtained from the far side of the moon. "The RFI emitted by Frequency Modulation (FM) stations is one of the major concerns for the frequency band of our scientific interest," said Dr. Mayuri Rao, faculty, RRI, and co-author of the latest study published in the journal Astronomy and Computing by Elsevier.
Date - 26/07/2023
Agriculture needs user-centric problem-driven digital solutions, not tech driven
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the government was creating an Agri Accelerator Fund or Rs 2200 crore to support agricultural startups, during her speech at the Union Budget session 2023-24 in the Parliament. "The fund will aim at bringing innovative and affordable solutions for challenges faced by farmers. It will also bring in modern technologies to transform agricultural practices, increase productivity and profitability," she said. She informed that through the Agri Accelerator Fund, digital public infrastructure for agriculture will be developed as an open source, open standard and interoperable public good. The idea behind the fund is to promote innovation and agri-entrepreneurship and enable the rise of startups which will develop digital solutions for the diverse problems that the farmers face. The government believes that digitisation is important for bringing prosperity to the agriculture sector. Rapid growth in the agriculture sector is critical for achieving the goal of growing Indiaâ??s economy to $5 trillion.
Date - 26/07/2023
Defence Tech: Army to procure indigenously developed drones under iDEX initiative
In a move towards bolstering defense capabilities by deploying the new age tech in the sector, the Indian Army has signed a contract for the procurement of an indigenous Remotely Piloted Aerial Vehicle (RPAV), also termed as small drones, developed through the iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) channel. The new advanced drones will be used for surveillance, targeting, tracking capabilities and to conduct precise operations against enemy targets. The state-of-the-art RPAV is developed under the aegis of iDEX, and is seen as another step towards self-reliance in the key defence technology space. The procurement will give a key boost to the development of such cutting-edge technology, which is developed locally. The new innovations in the sector will further enhance operational effectiveness in the defense and aerospace sector. The iDEX initiative, launched in April 2018 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi looks to primarly promote self-reliance, innovation, and technological development in the defense and aerospace sectors. The program engages various stakeholders, including Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), start-ups, individual innovators, research and development institutes, and academia to develop a culture of innovation and indigenization.
Date - 26/07/2023
Electricity board in Patna to use AI, automation to stop power theft and make engineers accountable
To combat electricity theft and reduce losses, the Bihar State Power Holding Company (BSPHCL) will now use artificial intelligence (AI) and other modern applications. As per a ToI report, BSPHCL Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Sanjeev Hans, chaired a meeting where the decision to leverage AI and other tools to tackle power theft and hold field engineers accountable was taken. As per the report, by incorporating AI, the company aims to detect electricity theft, streamline energy accounting, and identify consumers involved in illegal practices. The energy accounting pilot projects in Bhagalpur and Muzaffarpur have yielded encouraging results, paving the way for further advancements in the field. As part of their strategy, the Special Task Force (STF) will intensify raids and crackdown on power theft offenders. To enhance transparency and accountability, the company is set to launch the "Raid and FIR Management System" portal from August 1. This portal will provide real-time updates on STF raids and the fines imposed on electricity thieves.
Date - 26/07/2023
Govt warns of Mallox Ransomware using brute force to target unsecured MS SQL servers
Like many other ransomware threats, the Mallox ransomware follows the double extortion technique: it steals data before encrypting an organisation's files and then threatens to publish the stolen data on the leak site as leverage to convince victims to pay the ransom fee. In its new advisory, CERT-In, the Indian government's nodal agency for dealing with cyber security incidents when they occur, warns that the "Mallox Ransomware is currently targeting unsecured Microsoft SQL Servers, using them as entry points into victims ICT infrastructures to distribute the ransomware. It has also been observed that the threat actor group has used brute force techniques on publicly exposed MS SQL instances to gain initial access to the victims network infrastructure." The note from CERT-In contains a detailed figure offering a pictorial explanation of Mallox Ransomware attack. According to CERT-In, securing the Microsoft SQL server instances is essential to prevent Mallox Ransomware attacks.
Date - 25/07/2023
Chandrayaan-3 Update: final orbit-raising manoeuvre executed, begins journey to Moon
India's third lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3, completed its fifth and final Earth-bound orbit-raising manoeuvre on July 25, marking a crucial phase of the spacecraft's lunar trajectory. Now the spacecraft is on course for its journey towards the Moon's south pole. This information has been released by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). "The spacecraft is expected to attain an orbit of 127609 km x 236 km. The achieved orbit will be confirmed after the observations," ISRO said in a tweet. ISRO expects the next firing, that is the TransLunar Injection (TLI), to take place on August 1, 2023, between 12 midnight and 1 am Indian Standard Time. Earlier, on July 25, the fourth firing of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft took place from the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru. The Chandrayaan-3 mission to the Moon was launched on July 14.
Date - 25/07/2023
President completes one year in office, promises use of tech for transparency, launches e-book
Droupadi Murmu, the 15th and current President of India since 2022, completed one year in office today, July 25. She expressed happiness that through the use of innovative technology Rashtrapati Bhavan has been able to connect with more and more people in the past one year. She expressed confidence that Rashtrapati Bhavan officials would continue to work for making the system more transparent and effective by using technology and innovation. To mark the completion of one year of her presidency, President Murmu participated in a number of activities. She laid the foundation stone for the redevelopment of Shiva Temple situated in the President's Estate. She laid the foundation stone for the construction of a Cricket Pavilion at the sports ground of Dr. Rajendra Prasad Kendriya Vidyalaya, President's Estate.
Date - 25/07/2023
AIS, e-verification, other tech initiatives have simplified tax procedures: Minister
"The Introduction of technology-driven initiatives have simplified and streamlined tax procedures and made them more taxpayer-friendly. I hope that the simplification of tax processes will continue in future." Pankaj Choudhary, Union Minister of State (Finance), said this during his address at the 164th Income Tax Day celebrations at New Delhi on Monday. He lauded the Income Tax Department's efforts for making compliance easy for the taxpayers by introducing Annual Information Statement (AIS), everification, updated returns and system of alerts on mobile phones and emails. The 164th anniversary of Income Tax Day was observed by Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and all its field offices across India on Monday. The main function was held at the Plenary Hall, Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.
Date - 25/07/2023
RuPay blooms in Bhutan; over 10000 RuPay cards issued by Bhutan National Bank
NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL), the international wing of National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has said in a release that it has issued over 10,000 RuPay cards in Bhutan. In fact, Bhutan is the fourth foreign country to use RuPay cards, which are already functioning in Singapore, UAE and Nepal. Rina Penkar, Deputy Chief - Product Development, NIPL, said, "We are glad to witness RuPay achieving the milestone of 10,000 issuance in Bhutan. We would also like to extend our gratitude to Bhutan National Bank for encouraging the widespread adoption of RuPay in Bhutan - the first country to issue as well as accept RuPay cards. We look forward to making RuPay the most preferred card for the residents of Bhutan." The Prime Ministers of India and Bhutan, Narendra Modi and Lotay Tshering, had jointly launched the RuPay cards in Bhutan November 2020. The card scheme is a cross-border payment initiative aimed at promoting low-cost digital payment solutions and advancing digital financial inclusion.
Date - 25/07/2023
Paraphrasing Kant, CJI says: "Law and technological developments share dialectic relationship..."
Chief Justice of India DY Chadrachud seemed to paraphrase the German philosopher of dialectical reason, Immanuel Kant, when he said that law and technological developments share a dialectic relationship and each of these two push the other forward. While addressing the 60th convocation ceremony of IIT Madras, the CJI said, "It is often said that technology develops at a speed which the law cannot keep up with. This may seem true in the heat of the moment, but if we take a step back, our history is a testament to the fact that law and technological developments share a dialectic relationship. They speak to one another constantly, each pushing the other forward." CJI emphasised how developing technologies has helped the judicial process, "Today, videoconferencing technology has transformed the way we communicate and work."
Date - 24/07/2023
Govt warns of ransomware Akira which steals & encrypts vital data to conduct extortion
In its new advisory, CERT-In, the Indian government's nodal agency for responding to computer security incidents when they occur, is warning of an Internet virus called "Akira" which steals vital personal information and encrypts data leading to extortion of money from people. The CERT-In advisory says: "A recently emerged Ransomware operation dubbed Akira is reportedly active in cyberspace. This ransomware is targeting both Windows and Linuxbased systems. This group first steals the information from the victims, then encrypt data on their systems and conducts double extortion to force the victim into paying the ransom. In case the victim does not pay, they release their victim's data on their dark web blog. The group is known to access victim environments via VPN services, particularly where users have not enabled multi-factor authentication. The group has also utilized tools such as AnyDesk, WinRAR, and PCHunter during intrusions. These tools are often found in the victim's environment, and their misuse typically goes unnoticed."
Date - 23/07/2023
Aviation Security Control Center of CISF set up to meet cyber, physical challenges of aviation sector
The Aviation Security Control Center (ASCC) of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at Mahipalpur campus in New Delhi was inaugurated by Amit Shah, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation on July 22. Sheel Vardhan Singh, Director General CISF, and several senior officers of the force were present on the occasion. In his address, Amit Shah noted that the aviation sector is one of the most dynamic, publicly visible and international environment sensitive sectors. He lauded the CISF for doing a commendable job in effectively establishing the security arrangements, right from the day of assuming the responsibility of the aviation sector. "CISF has established itself in Aviation Security in particular and internal security apparatus in general by continued proactive operational orientation," Shah said.
Date - 23/07/2023
8738 Public Charging Stations for electric vehicles operational in the country
The data available with Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Ministry of Power, shows that a total of 8,738 Public Charging Stations (PCS) are operational in the country as on June 30. Under Phase-II of FAME-India Scheme, incentives are provided to buyers of electric vehicles in the form of an upfront reduction in the purchase price of electric vehicles. The incentive granted is linked to battery capacityâ??Rs 10,000/KWh for e-3W and e-4W with a cap of 20 % of the cost of the vehicle. The incentive for e-2W has been fixed at Rs 10,000/KWh with a cap 15% of the cost of the vehicle with effect from June 1. The Government on May 12 approved a Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for manufacturing of Advance Chemistry Cell (ACC) in the country. The total outlay of the scheme is Rs. 18,100 Crore for a period of 5 years. The scheme envisages establishing a competitive ACC battery manufacturing set up in the country (50 GWh).
Date - 22/07/2023
CJI cautions about misuse of tech, social media, AI; says human values, justice matter
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the buzzword these days, but it has its flip sides and can end up being a tool to perpetuate discrimination. D Y Chandrachud, Chief Justice of India, said this in Chennai during his address to graduating students at the 60th convocation of IIT Madras. "Technology, especially one fostering quicker communication to a larger spectrum of audiences such as social media, and artificial intelligence (AI) which has permeated all sectors, should create affordances against misuse because human values and individual privacy are of paramount importance," he said. Contending that "new technology cannot exist in a vacuum" and hence has to be made benign with safeguards for affable use, the CJI said technology should facilitate reliable use without causing any trepidation among the people about the possible breach of their personal liberty.
Date - 22/07/2023
Centre launches WINDS portal, AIDE app for farmers insurance, manuals for YES-Tech
New technological initiatives for the welfare of farmers were launched by Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Agirculture Minister, and Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister for Earth Sciences. These initiatives include the YES-Tech Manual, WINDS portal and door to door enrollment app AIDE (Sahayak). The launch of these initiatives marks a turning point in India's crop insurance landscape. At the launch ceremony, Narendra Singh Tomar congratulated the department for ensuring that every scheme is accessible to every farmer by using technology. "With a view to make it more effective, the manual, portal and app have been launched today. We used to think that why the correct weather information is not available, even if the information is received, there was no means to convey it down to the bottom, so efforts were made to make it accessible to every village by using technology," he said.
Date - 22/07/2023
DoT, NDMA conduct Cell Broadcast Alert System testing to enhance emergency communication during disasters
In collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority, The Department of Telecommunications is conducting a Cell Broadcast Alert System testing to enhance emergency communication during disasters and ensure the safety and well-being of citizens. The tests of Cell Broadcast Alert System are being conducted on each Telecom Service Provider. These tests will be performed from time to time in various regions across the country to gauge the efficiency and effectiveness of emergency alert broadcasting capabilities of the systems in place of various Mobile Operators and Cell Broadcast Systems. The Cell Broadcast Alert System is a state-of-the-art technology that allows us to send critical and time-sensitive messages for disaster management to all mobile devices within a designated geographical area, irrespective of whether the recipients are residents or visitors. This ensures that important emergency information reaches as many people as possible in a timely manner.
Date - 21/07/2023
Seven High Courts in India adopt to digital live streaming of proceedings: Meghwal
Initiating digital transformation in the judiciary system, the live streaming of court proceedings is now implemented across seven High Courts in India. According to the Union ministry of law and justice, the seven High Courts currently live streaming the proceedings include High Courts of Gujarat, Guwahati, Orissa, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Patna and Madhya Pradesh. The live court feed is available on the website of e-Committee of the Supreme Court. The new process allows media and other interested persons to join the court proceedings from remote locations. The Union minister of law Arjun Ram Meghwal, in a reply in Rajya Sabha maintained that the rules and procedure for all judicial live streaming in individual High Courts was an administrative matter and falls within the purview of concerned High Courts. "Central government has no direct role to play in the matter," Meghwal said. The live streaming of court proceedings was enacted into force during the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak when most of the courts in the country were functioning via virtual platforms. Later the Supreme Court cleared the proposal to telecast the court proceedings live to bring in better transparency in the courtroom.
Date - 21/07/2023
NIF transfers herbal formulation technology to Indian Genomix for commercialization
A technology transfer arrangement can help to scale two environment-friendly technologies, an indigenous herbal formulation with the potential to control Mastitis, an ailment common among dairy animals, and an indigenous herbal supplement with positive influence on growth performance of broiler chicks, for end users, the Ministry of Science & Technology said in a statement on Wednesday. The National Innovation Foundation (NIF), an autonomous body of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, has recently entered into a technology transfer arrangement for these indigenous technologies with Indian Genomix, a Hyderabad-based company which has WHOGMP certification ensuring quality assurance for medicinal products. This initiative is a step towards scaling up outstanding traditional knowledge which has been sustained by society over generations. These technologies were scientifically studied and found effective in control of mastitis in dairy animals and as poultry feed supplements, the ministry said. NIF had embarked on integrating outstanding indigenous knowledge systems with farmers with the support of regular service providers or formal systems. Farmers rely on these knowledge systems for cost-effective, sustainable practices in livestock production systems, it said.
Date - 20/07/2023
TRAI releases report on drive tests conducted at 20 locations across country and surrounding areas
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), with the assistance of the Telecom Service Providers, conducted Drive Tests at twenty locations and surrounding areas. These twenty locations are: Balasore, Erode, Vizianagaram, Gangtok, Aizawl, Dimapur, Shillong, Itanagar, Jabalpur, Prayagraj, Wayanad, Gandhidham & Kandla port, Bikaner, Amritsar, Mysuru, Mysuru-Bengaluru HW, Jabalpur-Chakghat HW, Prayagraj-Banda HW, Bikaner-Nagaur HW and Amritsar-Pathankot HW, in the quarter ending March 2023. The drive tests were conducted to assess the network quality provided by cellular mobile telephone service providers for voice and data services.
Date - 20/07/2023
Indian Railways adopts innovative technology to link popular area with station name
For the convenience of railway passengers, Indian Railways is deploying innovative technology to link popular areas with the station name. Under this initiative, 175 popular areas have already been linked with 725 stations. This facility will become available to passengers from tomorrow (July 21). These changes have been incorporated in the journey planner station search of e-ticket booking website. The functionality shall be displayed on the journey planner and electronic reservation slip of the ticket. This new approach is expected to lead to better planning of journeys and personalized passenger experience in ticket booking on websites and Mobile apps. The Indian Railways also believes that this initiative will facilitate tourism by making station search easier. Also, better connectivity will become available for passengers.
Date - 20/07/2023
Remote code execution vulnerability reported in Adobe ColdFusion, CERT-in warns high severity
A vulnerability has been reported in Adobe ColdFusion which may allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code and may result in complete compromise of the targeted system. Here are the ColdFusion versions affected by the vulnerability:
- ColdFusion 2018 versions prior to Update 18
- ColdFusion 2021 versions prior to Update 8
- ColdFusion 2023 versions prior to Update 2
Date - 20/07/2023
14th Clean Energy Ministerial and 8th Mission Innovation meeting begin in Goa
The 4th Energy Transitions Working Group (ETWG) meeting under India's G20 Presidency began in Goa on Wednesday. On the sidelines of the main event, the 14th Clean Energy Ministerial and 8th Mission Innovation meeting too commenced on day 1 with great enthusiasm and active participation from more than 34 member countries. The theme for this year is 'Advancing Clean Energy Together'. The first day of the CEM witnessed an attendance of more than 800 individuals, including CEM workstream coordinators, international agencies, researchers, policy experts, industry professionals, and more. The event featured about 30 side events organised by over 50 partners. These side events focused on various themes such as energy efficiency, clean fuels, clean power, mobility and industry decarbonisation. CEM14-MI8 also features a public-facing a technology and cultural showcase demonstrating cutting-edge advances in clean energy from India and around the world. The technology and cultural showcase, which is being held at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Goa from July 19-22, was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Goa Dr Pramod Sawant, in presence of Sudin Dhavalikar, Minister of Power, Goa, Pankaj Agarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Power, Government of India, Ajay Tewari, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Power, Government of India, and Abhay Bakre, Director General, Bureau of Energy Efficiency.
Date - 20/07/2023
ECI to issue digital time vouchers to political parties for campaigns on Doordarshan, AIR during elections
Allotment of time to political parties on All India Radio and Doordarshan during election will now be online. The Election Commission of India, has amended the existing scheme for the use of Government-owned electronic media by political parties. This has been done by introducing a provision to issue digital time vouchers through an Information Technology (IT) platform. With this facilitation, the political parties will not be required to send their representatives to ECI and CEO Offices for collection of the time vouchers physically during elections. This step reflects the Commission's commitment to leveraging technology for the betterment of the electoral process and ease of all stakeholders. Recognizing the advancements in technology, the Commission has been providing IT based options for interface with political parties. Recently, the Commission also introduced a web portal for online filing of financial accounts by political parties with the Election Commission.
Date - 19/07/2023
India, Sri Lanka hold virtual meet to discuss connectivity issues
India-Sri Lanka held a virtual meeting last week to discuss ways to strengthen connectivity and resumption of ferry services between the two countries. According to the High Commission of India, Colombo, the joint committee is established under an MoU on passenger transportation by sea. During the meeting, the two sides were led by their respective representatives including Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways of the Government of India and KDS Ruwanchandra, Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Aviation of the Government of Sri Lanka. The discussion during the virtual meeting was around resumption of ferry services between the two countries connecting mutually agreed points. Both sides agreed that the resumption of ferry services will boost regional trade and tourism and promote stronger people-to-people ties.
Date - 19/07/2023
UMANG e-governance offerings, e-services swell to 500
Widening the e-governance services offered under the UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance) platform, the e-services offered by National e-Governance Division (NeGD) is set to swell to 500. This comes after the BLS E-Services has announced to integrate UMANG into its platform. BLS E-Services is a digital solutions provider that works in citizen services and banking correspondent space. With the new tie-up NeGD eyes a much wider accessibility of UMANG services through agents or human-assisted platforms. The new services will be offered under the PPP model by BLS E-Services which is a subsidiary of BLS International Service that provides visa, passport and consular services in 64 countries.
Date - 19/07/2023
Every parcel of land to get unique ID, e-courts to be linked to land records: President Murmu
"Acceleration of rural development is essential for the overall development of the country. For the development of rural areas, modernization of land records is a basic requirement as the livelihood of most of the rural population is dependent on land resources. A comprehensive integrated land management system is of utmost importance for the overall development of rural areas." This was stated by Droupadi Murmu, during the ceremony for the presentation of "Bhoomi Samman" to 9 State Secretaries and 68 District Collectors along with their teams. Faggan Singh Kulaste, Minister of State, Steel & Rural Development and Kapil Moreshwar Patil, Minister of State Panchayati Raj, were also present during the occasion along with other dignitaries and guests. The President said that digitization increases transparency. Modernization and digitization of land records would have a great impact on the development of the country. Digitization of land records and its linkages with various government departments would help in proper implementation of welfare schemes. It would also be of great help in case of loss of documents due to calamities like flood and fire.
Date - 19/07/2023
Dharmendra Pradhan calls for modern, technology based approach for teaching Hindi
Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has called for a modern, technology based approach for teaching of Hindi language in different parts of the country. The Minister chaired a meeting of the Governing Council of Kendriya Hindi Shikshan Mandal, Agra in New Delhi today. Kendriya Hindi Shikshan Mandal is the society that runs the Kendriya Hindi Sansthan. While reviewing the ongoing and proposed work plan of the Sansthan for the current year, Pradhan emphasized the need to consolidate and synergize the work of all Central educational institutions and other organizations involved in various aspects of teaching Hindi language to people in the country and abroad. He said that promotion of all Indian languages is among the topmost priorities of the Government, and this also finds an echo in the recommendations of NEP 2020. The Minister further said that a knowledge of Hindi was an important binding factor for people with different mother-tongues. He called upon Kendriya Hindi Sansthan to expand its courses for training Hindi teachers especially in non-Hindi speaking states through online means so that its reach could be increased manifold. He also stressed that the courses being offered should be in sync with the emerging demands and requirements.
Date - 18/07/2023
CRCS-Sahara Refund Portal to be launched today, will strengthen the cooperative movement
Amit Shah, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, will launch 'CRCS-Sahara Refund Portal' in New Delhi today. The purpose of this portal is to strengthen the cooperative movement in the country and to protect the interests of the members of the cooperatives. It is pertinent to mention that to address the grievances of genuine members and depositors of Sahara Group of Cooperative Societies for payment of their legitimate deposits, the Ministry of Cooperation had filed an application in the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India. The Hon'ble Supreme Court vide its order dated 29th March, 2023 had directed that Rs. 5000 Crores be transferred out of the "Sahara-SEBI Refund Account", to the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies (CRCS) for disbursement against the legitimate dues of the genuine depositors of the Sahara Group of Cooperative Societies. The 'CRCS-Sahara Refund Portal' has been developed for submission of legitimate claims by the genuine depositors of the Sahara Group of Cooperative Societies namely- Sahara Credit Cooperative Society Ltd., Saharayan Universal Multipurpose Society Ltd., Humara India Credit Cooperative Society Ltd. and Stars Multipurpose Cooperative Society Ltd.
Date - 18/07/2023
Universal Postal Union evaluating UPI for cross border payments on global postal network
Masahiko Metoki, Director General of Universal Postal Union (DG UPU), met Minister of Communications, Electronics & IT and Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday. Metoki is on a three-day visit to India for the inauguration of the UPU Regional Office. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had approved the establishment of a Regional Office of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in New Delhi, in May. Ashwini Vaishnaw shared the vision of the transformation of the post offices into a digitally powered network, which is capable of doorstep delivery of government services in remote areas. Post offices in India have been a successful model for financial inclusion through UPI (Universal Payments Interface) and IPPB (India Post Payments Bank).
Date - 18/07/2023
Here's how to claim refund on CRCS-Sahara portal launched by Centre
With the Union government on Tuesday launching the new CRCS-Sahara Refund Portal to help about 10 crore depositors of Sahara Group to claim back their money digitally and secure their money that was struck in four cooperative societies of Sahara Group. "The process of returning the money of depositors, which was stuck in four cooperative societies of Sahara Group, has started with the launch of Sahara Refund Portal," Union minister for home Amit Shah said on Tuesday. Here's how to claim refund: The new portal can be accessed by logging on to the Ministry of Cooperation website (https://mocrefund.crcs.gov.in). According to the latest directives all depositors in the cooperative societies of the Sahara Group can submit their claims by logging into this portal and completing the online application form.
Date - 18/07/2023
Digital competition law panel likely to finalise its report by August, says official
The government-appointed digital competition law panel is looking into various aspects, including that of multiple agencies regulating competition in the digital markets, and is likely to finalise its report in August, according to a senior official. Chaired by Corporate Affairs Secretary Manoj Govil, the committee, which has been given more time to finalise its report, has so far held 11 meetings. On the competition issues in the digital markets, various regulatory agencies and departments are involved, including the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, a senior government official said on Monday. The panel is looking into various aspects of the digital markets as well as various regulations that are there, the official said, adding that consultations are going on.
Date - 18/07/2023
US and India discuss bilateral collaboration in emerging technology
Laying a new roadmap for bilateral collaboration on Critical and Emerging Technology: Quantum Technologies and Artificial Intelligence for Transforming Lives, the US secretary for the Department of Energy on Tuesday met Union MoS of tech and PMO Jitendra Singh to formally launch a call for proposals in this regard. The new programme is designed by the Indo-US Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF) and the Secretariat for USISTEF. The meeting holds special significance as it follows closely on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to the United States. Under the new programme USISTEF will select and support promising joint US-India technology innovations and entrepreneurial initiatives that are both commercially viable and socially relevant.
Date - 18/07/2023
Trai extends deadline for comments on discussion paper on boosting tech innovation
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has extended the deadline for stakeholder comments and counter-comments on its recent discussion paper on creating a holistic framework to drive cutting-edge tech innovation in digital communications via transparent and safe live testing environments, popularly known as regulatory sandboxes. Trai has now sought comments and counter-comments on the consultation paper by July 31 and August 16 respectively after stakeholders sought more time. It had earlier sought the submissions by July 17 and August 1 respectively. Last month, the regulator had invited stakeholder views on the ideal eligibility criteria for companies to participate in such a sandboxing framework and on ways to encourage participation of startups and small & medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the mega digital tech innovations endeavour. It has also sought suggestions on ways to protect consumer interests in a sandboxing environment, especially from potential data breaches, fraud and other security risks.
Date - 18/07/2023
Startups to increase 10 times in 4-5 years; skill development is important: Minister
Hailing India's remarkable progress in building unicorns and startups, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar prophesised that the next 4-5 years will witness substantial growth for such enterprises and the startups in the country will increase by 10 times. Speaking at a Conclave in Hyderabad, the Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Electronics and IT, highlighted India's remarkable progress in creating unicorns and startups, how they have successfully entered areas in emerging technologies such as AI, Web3, and deep tech. The Minister, who engaged with industry leaders and aspiring young entrepreneurs, emphasised the transformative journey India has embarked upon since 2014.
Date - 17/07/2023
2146 cyberattacks hit an Indian firm weekly, compared to 1239 attacks per firm globally
A single Indian organisation suffered 2,146 cyber attacks on average per week in the last six months, compared to 1,239 attacks per organisation globally, according to Check Point's 'Threat Intelligence Report 2023' on Monday. According to the report, healthcare (4,839), followed by education and research (3,532), government/military (3,017), and insurance and legal (2,523) were the most attacked industries in India. Globally, the second quarter (Q2) of 2023 saw an 8% surge in global weekly cyberattacks. The report noted that the education and research sector experienced the highest number of attacks per week and Africa and APAC faced the highest annual increase in weekly attacks per organisation.
Date - 17/07/2023
Indian Council of Agricultural Research celebrates its 95th foundation day as Technology Day
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) celebrated its 95th Foundation Day at National Agriculture Science Complex, Pusa, New Delhi on Sunday. Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar who is the president of ICAR Society was the chief guest at the event. Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Kailash Choudhary, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare also attended. While appreciating the historic journey of ICAR and its overall achievements during the last 94 years, Tomar noted that India is a surplus nation in terms of food grains and providing food to 80 crore people of the country. With the encouragement of Prime Minister, new technology in agriculture has been promoted through various new mission programs for the benefit of farmers. Agricultural products from India are being preferred globally and millets are getting significance in the International Year of Millets, he added. This is happening because of sincere efforts of farmers and scientists. The minister said exports earning from agricultural and horticultural product have crossed USD 50 billion. He informed that government is giving emphasis on organic farming and natural farming and a separate mission has been initiated with budget provision of Rs 1,500 crore for promotion of eco-friendly agriculture. Further, he lauded the scientists and farmers for their great service to the nation in making the country not only self-sufficient in many commodities but also becoming exporter of food items.
Date - 17/07/2023
Himachal CM launches portal to help disaster hit natives
Saying the state faced the worst calamity in 50 years, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu on Sunday launched the Aapda Rahat Kosh -- 2023 website, a digital platform aimed at aiding the disaster-affected people of the state. Individuals can donate money from anywhere using various payment methods like debit card, credit card, net banking, QR code and UPI, an official statement said. During the launch, the Chief Minister said the magnitude of the disaster is vast and people across the country and abroad have expressed their desire to assist.
Date - 17/07/2023
AI for India 2.0: AI training course in Indian languages launched on World Youth Skills day
The Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship has launched AI for India 2.0, a free online training programme on Artificial Intelligence, on World Youth Skills' Day (15 July). A joint initiative of Skill India and GUVI (an IIT Madras and IIM Ahmedabad incubated company), this NCVET and IIT Madras accredited online programme will equip youth with frontier skills. The launch of this AI skill development programme was done by Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship. The programme has been curated in 9 Indian languages. Speaking on the occasion, Pradhan said that emerging technologies like AI should not be allowed to become a prisoner of language. He called for technology courses in Indian languages. He added that this is a good beginning towards dismantling language barriers in technology education and future-proofing our Yuva Shakti, particularly those in rural areas.
Date - 16/07/2023
'Need global cybersecurity efforts to check new challenges posed by AI'
IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday called for coordinated cybersecurity efforts and strategies at global, national and organisational levels to protect cyberspace and societies, as he emphasised the need for shared solutions to tackle the challenges, being compounded by new technologies like AI. The minister exhorted G20 member countries to come together and think through these challenges, share solutions and tools, and "co-operate across boundaries". Citing platforms like UPI, ONDC and CoWIN, the minister said that India with its robust digital public infrastructure has ensured true democratisation of technology for the benefit of its people. "We have seen in many parts of the world, technology has been cornered by a few big-tech companies...is that the right model for a country, democracy or society which is evolving so fast?" Vaishnaw said asserting that India has been clear in its approach on democratising technology to ensure it is inclusive, accessible to all, and not cornered by a handful of companies.
Date - 15/07/2023
IIT campus to be set up in Abu Dhabi; Ministry of Education, IIT Delhi sign MoU with UAE
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Ministry of Education, Government of India, Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) and the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) to establish first campus of IIT Delhi in Abu Dhabi. The IIT Delhi - Abu Dhabi campus is expected to launch its academic programs in 2024. IIT Delhi - Abu Dhabi is expected to offer a diverse range of programs covering Energy and Sustainability, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science and Engineering, Mathematics and Computing and other disciplines of engineering, sciences, and humanities. The signing took place in the presence of Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India. The MoU was signed by Hamad Al Mheiri, ADEK Under Secretary, Sunjay Sudhir, Indian Ambassador to the UAE and Professor Rangan Banerjee, Director, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi.
Date - 15/07/2023
India's UPI to be interlinked with UAE's IPP; rupee, dirham to be promoted for cross-border transactions
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Central Bank of UAE (CBUAE) have signed two agreements in Abu Dhabi to establish a framework for cross-border transactions in local currencies and interlinking of payment and messaging systems. The memorandum of agreements (MoUs) were signed by RBI governor Shaktikanta Das and CNUAE governor Khaled Mohamed Balama, in the presence of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, the Reserve Bank said in a statement. The MoUs are for 'establishing a framework to promote the use of local currencies viz. the Indian rupee (INR) and the UAE dirham (AED) for cross-border transactions' and 'cooperation for interlinking their payment and messaging systems'.
Date - 15/07/2023
Technology, tactics are need of the hour; armed forces investing in new tech: CDS Chauhan
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan has said that international geo-politics is in a flux and the national strategy should aim to absorb the changes in such a way that it meets the challenges and exploits the opportunities. Inaugurating the DRDO Directors' Conclave, an annual event of DRDO, in New Delhi on July 14, General Chauhan stressed the need to perform, reform, transform, inform and conform to meet the emerging challenges. Referring to the "Technology Requirements emerging from Theaterisation", he said superiority in technology and tactics is the need of the hour and Indian Armed Forces are investing in new technologies to win engagements. Highlighting the principles of jointness, integration and theaterisation, General Anil Chauhan said in the national security realm, the concept of theaterisation is a fundamental change that is on the anvil. "It is one of the most ambitious changes with far reaching implications attempted post-independence. The start on this journey depends on the right steps being taken first towards jointness and integration. Theaterisation involves creation of tri service theatre specific structures for effective response along the entire spectrum of conflict," he said.
Date - 15/07/2023
Guidelines for operationalisation of production linked incentive scheme 2.0 for IT hardware approved
Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme 2.0 for IT hardware was notified vide notification No. CG-DL-E-30052023-246165 dated May 29, 2023 with a budgetary outlay of Rs 17,000 crore. The scheme is aimed at broadening and deepening the IT hardware manufacturing ecosystem in the country. For effective implementation, the operational guidelines of production linked incentive scheme 2.0 for IT hardware have been finalised and are available online at: https://www.meity.gov.in/esdm/production-linked-incentive-scheme-pli-20-it-hardware
Date - 15/07/2023
Google versus CCI: SC to hear on October 10 the case related to Android mobile device
The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned for October 10 the cross-petition of Google India and the Competition Commission of India (CCI) challenging the verdict of an appellate tribunal in a case related to Google's alleged anti-competitive practices in the Android mobile device case. A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices PS Narasimha and Manoj Misra said it wanted some time to "get ready" with the case. The bench posted the cross-pleas for final disposal on October 10 and asked the parties to complete the filing of pleadings by October 7.
Date - 14/07/2023
Sagar Sampark: India's own DGNSS aims to strengthen digital transformation of maritime sector
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Wednesday inaugurated the indigenously developed Differential Global Navigation Satellite System (DGNSS) 'Sagar Sampark' for further strengthening digital transformation of the Indian maritime sector, as part of the Digital India campaign, to bring in efficiency and efficacy of marine operation in the country. Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal, while speaking on the occasion, said that the launch of 'Sagar Sampark', at six locations under DGLL, will definitely enhance the capability of the DGLL in the field of radio aids to marine navigation. "Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we have been making steady progress in the modernisation of the marine sector. Our endeavour to bring in technological interventions to find solutions to marine challenges will bring efficiency and create efficacy for value creation by the sector. We have given a steady rise in the shipping volume, and we have given top priority to safety in the navigation of ships," he added.
Date - 13/07/2023
PACS to be computerised, all farmers to get Kisan Credit Card, micro-credit from NABARD: Amit Shah
The government has decided to provide Kisan Credit Cards to farmers who come under PM Kisan Yojna. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said this while addressing the 42nd Foundation Day function of NABARD as the chief guest at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi yesterday. Lauding the initiatives of NABARD, Amit Shah said that India which has about 65 percent rural population cannot be imagined without NABARD. He said that NABARD has worked as the backbone of this country's rural economy, infrastructure, agriculture, cooperative institutions and self-help groups of this country for the last 4 decades. The Union Home Minister noted that so far an amount of about Rs. 8 lakh crore has gone to the rural economy through NABARD for capital formation. He said that under various schemes, NABARD has refinanced Rs.12 lakh crore to the rural agricultural economy to meet the needs of agriculture and farmers and to strengthen and diversify agri-production.
Date - 13/07/2023
Online gaming to be taxed 28%, satellite launches by ISRO get exemption: GST Council
At the 50th meeting of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council held yesterday, under the chairpersonship of Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Finance & Corporate Affairs Minister, the government has decided that online gaming, horse racing, casinos to be taxed at uniform rate of 28% on full face value. A Group of Ministers (GoM) was constituted to look into the issues related to taxation on casinos, horse racing and online gaming. The GoM submitted its first report in June, 2022 and it was placed before the GST Council in its 47th GST Council meeting wherein, it was decided that the GoM may relook into all the issues once again. The GoM submitted its report and it was placed before the 50th GST Council meeting. The GoM, in its second report has recommended that since no consensus could be reached on whether the activities of online gaming, horse racing and casinos should be taxed at 28% on the full-face value of bets placed or on the GGR, the GST Council may decide.
Date - 12/07/2023
Wipro hops aboard AI bandwagon, announces ai360, will invest $1 billion on AI
Wipro has announced that it plans to invest up to $1 billion on AI. The company has announced a programme called ai360 which will bring together 30,000 Wipro experts in data analytics and AI with Wiproâ??s technology and advisory ecosystem from four global business lines. Wipro plans to grow ai360 into a comprehensive and artificial intelligence-first innovation ecosystem, with the goal of integrating AI into every platform, tool, and solution used in the company and offered to clients. Along with the launch of Wipro ai360, the company will also invest $1 billion in advancing AI capabilities over the next three years, it informed in an exchange filing.
Date - 12/07/2023
Startup Odisha partners with Technolplat, Wadhwani Foundation and Her Money Talks
Startup-Odisha, an initiative of the MSME Department of the Government of Odisha, on Tuesday announced the successful completion of its first cohort of the pre-incubation program. With an impressive registration count of 62 aspiring entrepreneurs, the program saw 23 participants successfully complete the rigorous training and mentorship curriculum. Among them, nine talented individuals showcased their innovative ideas, and three exceptional startups have been selected to receive comprehensive support from Startup Odisha to propel them to the next level. The pre-incubation program, initiated by Start-up Odisha, is aimed to empower and equip emerging entrepreneurs with the necessary skills, knowledge, and resources to transform their ideas into successful ventures. The overwhelming response received during the registration phase is a testament to the vibrant entrepreneurial spirit and potential that exists in the state, according to a government release. In another development, Startup Odisha also announced strategic partnerships with Technolplat Ltd, Wadhwani Foundation, and Her Money Talks. These partnerships are poised to further strengthen the startup ecosystem in Odisha, bringing in valuable expertise, global networks, and access to capital, the agency said.
Date - 12/07/2023
Chandrayaan-3 mission countdown: ISRO conducts launch rehearsal
In a run up to the key Chandrayaan-3 launch, the Indian Space Research Organisation is reported to have undertaken a 24-hour 'launch rehearsal' simulating the entire launch preparation and process for this week's Chandrayaan-3 mission to the moon. According to the national space agency, the mission Chandrayaan-3 is slated to be launched at 2.35 pm onboard a Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3) from the spaceport at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on July 14. "The 'Launch Rehearsal' simulating the entire launch preparation and process lasting 24 hours has been concluded," the space agency headquartered in Bengaluru said in a tweet on Tuesday.
Date - 12/07/2023
Govt launches ATR Module of AuditOnline for holistic audit of all panchayat accounts
The Action Taken Report (ATR) Module of AuditOnline was launched by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) today through video conferencing, at a virtual event presided over by Kapil Moreshwar Patil, Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj. Sunil Kumar, Secretary, MoPR, Dr. Chandra Shekhar Kumar, Additional Secretary, MoPR, Alok Prem Nagar, Joint Secretary, MoPR, Vikas Anand, Joint Secretary, MoPR and senior officers from the Office of the Comptroller & Auditor General of India were present during the launch. Senior officers from the State Panchayati Raj Departments and representatives from the Directorate of Local Fund Audit attended the event in virtual mode. Panchayat functionaries from states and union territories also participated in the virtual launch.
Date - 12/07/2023
We are bringing space tech in schools, digitisation in govt depts: DM Siddharthnagar
Named after Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha), Siddharthnagar is among the top 10 best performing aspirational districts, according to the delta rankings released by NITI Aayog. Launched by the Prime Minister in January 2018, the Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP) aims to quickly and effectively transform 112 most underdeveloped districts in the country. Located in Uttar Pradesh, Siddharthnagar district is in the news for setting up India's first rural space lab in a government primary school. "Our aim is to transform at least two government schools at block level to have a rural space lab and teach space technology to the students," said Sanjeev Ranjan, Collector & District Magistrate of Siddharthnagar, in an exclusive conversation with ETGovernment. He shared information on the initiatives taken by the district administration in education, health and nutrition, financial inclusion, agriculture and infrastructure development.
Date - 12/07/2023
Withdrawal of Foxconn from its JV with Vedanta changes nothing about India's chip dream: Govt
The government has declared that the decision of Taiwanese giant Foxconn to withdraw from its semiconductor joint venture (JV) with Vedanta has no impact on India's semiconductor goals. Both Foxconn and Vedanta have significant investments in India and are valued investors who are creating jobs and growth, said Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar. "It was well known that both companies had no prior semiconductor experience or technology and were expected to source Fab tech from a tech partner," he said in a tweet. While their JV VFSL had originally submitted a proposal for 28nm fab, "they could not source appropriate Tech partner for that proposal," the minister informed.
Date - 11/07/2023
MeitY's Grain-Ex system for appearance based e-Quality detection system inaugurated
An appearance based detection system-Grain-Ex through machine vision technology for pulses developed under â??National programme on Electronics and ICT applications in Agriculture and Environment (AgriEnIcs)-was launched by Bhuvnesh Kumar, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), at the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) in Kolkata. The government believes that the appearance based e-Quality detection system for 14 types of pulses (Grain-Ex), would bring about a transformative change in the e-NAM markets for quality based pricing. This will be helpful for more than 1,200 e-NAM connected markets. The Additional Secretary also inaugurated the inaugurated Product Design Centre (PDC) set up at C-DAC, Kolkata. The centre has prototyping and system designing facilities equipped with all the software and printing technologies for system designing, prototyping, ideation and fabrication. This facility will be beneficial to startups, enterpreneurs and MSME's of the eastern region of the country.
Date - 11/07/2023
Govt warns of severe vulnerability in Cisco that lets hackers break traffic encryption
In its new vulnerability note, CERT-In is reporting an Information Disclosure Vulnerability in Cisco. The severity rating is "high." The components affected by the vulnerability are mainly the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Fabric Switches. The note from CERT-In says: "A vulnerability has been reported in Cisco ACI Multi-Site CloudSec encryption feature of Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Fabric Switches in ACI mode which could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to read or modify inter site encrypted traffic."
Date - 11/07/2023
Foxconn to pursue chipmaking without Vedanta; intends to apply for incentives under modified semicon policy
A day after withdrawing from the $19.5 billion semiconductor JV with Vedanta, Taiwan's Foxconn said that it intends to pursue chipmaking in India by applying for incentives under India's semiconductor manufacturing policy. This is according to a report from Reuters. Under the Government of India's Modified Semicon India Programme, a financial incentive of 50% of the project cost is available to companies or joint ventures for setting up of Semiconductor Fabs in India. Fiscal incentive of 50% of the project cost is available for setting up of Display Fabs of specified technologies. India expects its semiconductor market to be worth $63 billion by 2026.
Date - 11/07/2023
ULIP playing significant role in transforming India's logistics sector: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hailed the role of Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP) in transforming India's logistics sector. Sharing a tweet by Union Minister Piyush Goyal, the Prime Minister tweeted: "The single window platform of logistics has brought about an unprecedented change in the transportation of goods. This is not only saving both time and cost, but it is also going to be very helpful in the country's self-reliance. Earlier, Piyush Goyal, Minister for Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs & Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, shared a video on the salient features of PM GatiShakti stating that it is the "backbone of business".
Date - 11/07/2023
India's space startups explore niche markets, global collaborations
From aiming to refuel satellites in orbit to monitoring the Earth's health, Indian startups in the space sector are exploring niche markets with the hope of striking it big as opportunities for global commercial collaborations open up. India becoming a signatory to the Artemis Accords and the focus on the space sector, particularly on addressing issues related to export control and technology transfer, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to the US will open up doors for private players, industry leaders believe. Since India opened up its space sector in 2020, more than 150 start-ups have come up in areas such as building rockets and satellites, setting up astronaut training facilities and exploring possibilities for space tourism.
Date - 10/07/2023
Report Fish Disease app to provide timely scientific advice to aqua farmers: Ministry
Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing food producing sectors, and has immense role to play in meeting the rising demand for protein. Further, the sector provides livelihood and employment to about three crore fishers and fish farmers in the country. Foreseeing the immense potential for development in the sector and to bring Blue Revolution, the Government of India has implemented a flagship scheme "Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY)" with investment of Rs 20,050 crore, the highest ever investment in Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector in the country. According to the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, fish is considered as one of the healthiest a source of animal protein and omega 3 fatty acids, and offers immense potential to mitigate malnutrition. However, diseases are a serious constraint for the growth of aquaculture, and huge economic losses are reported by farmers due to aquatic animal diseases. Early detection is considered to be key to the control of diseases, and can only be achieved through a structured surveillance programme.
Date - 10/07/2023
Blockchain can be a powerful tool for India to achieve its development goals: Anil Kakani, AlgoBharat
Despite the transformative capabilities of blockchain technology, its widespread adoption in India continues to face significant scepticism. While several Indian startups are working towards addressing ecosystem challenges, international blockchain players have generally weared away from the Indian market due the regulatory narrative. Going against the grain, Algorand, a layer-1 blockchain protocol, has decided to foray into the Indian market through its Indian arm AlgoBharat and is looking to leverage blockchain technology to drive real world impact. "We firmly believe India's startup community members will be the global pioneers of Web3 innovation," Anil Kakani, Vice President, Algorand Foundation and India Head of AlgoBharat, told ETGovernment in an exclusive interview. While the Foundation is actively involved in several countries worldwide, including helping nations like the Marshall Islands launch their central bank digital currency (CBDC), this is the first time it has established a dedicated team in any country.
Date - 10/07/2023
Will transfer SSLV tech to industry: ISRO chairman S. Somanath
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Monday announced that it will transfer its Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) to the private sector amid growing demand for small satellites. The SSLV, which has had two development flights, seeks to provide on-demand services to put satellites weighing up to 500 kg in a low-earth orbit. "We have built our own SSLV which will be transferred to the industry and produced in large numbers to meet the growing demand," ISRO chairman S. Somanath said at the inauguration ceremony of the India Space Congress organised by SIA India. The space agency has decided to opt for the bidding route to transfer the mini-rocket to the industry, a senior official said.
Date - 10/07/2023
India set to become world's 4th country to send spacecraft to moon's surface: Minister
"Scheduled to be launched from Sriharikota this week, Chandrayaan-3 will make India the fourth country to land its Spacecraft on the surface of the Moon. After such a quantum rise in our space expertise, India can no longer wait to be left behind in its march to the moon," Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, said in an interview to a news agency. "Chandrayaan-3 is aimed to demonstrate India's capability in soft landing and roving on the surface of the moon. The complex mission that entails getting the spacecraft to enter the moonâ??s orbit has been executed very precisely. After the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the surface of the moon, the rover, which has six wheels, will come out and will work for 14 days on the moon. With the support of multiple cameras on the rover, we will be able to receive images," the Minister added. Giving full credit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for providing an enabling environment for space workers and taking path-breaking decisions, like unlocking the space sector for Public Private Partnership (PPP), Dr Jitendra Singh said that based on the current trajectory of growth, India's space sector could grow into a $1 trillion economy in the coming years. He noted that the primary objectives of Chandrayaan-3 mission are threefold: to demonstrate safe and soft landing on the lunar surface, to demonstrate rover roving on the moon and to conduct in-situ scientific experiments.
Date - 09/07/2023
Biotech startups crucial to India's economy, country has huge bioresources: Minister
Biotech StartUps are crucial to India's future economy. The country had just about 50 Biotech Startups 8 to 9 years back, now we have around 6,000. Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Science and Technology, said this while inaugurating a discussion meeting for fostering biomanufacturing initiative of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), in New Delhi. "I think we still need to have more biotech startups because biotechnology has the potential to become an instrument of global trade," he added. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had awakened India to the merits and huge potential of Biotechnology in this country.
Date - 09/07/2023
ISRO invites citizens to witness live launch of Chandrayaan-3
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Friday invited citizens to witness the launch of Chandrayaan-3 from the Launch View Gallery at SDSC-SHAR, Sriharikota, by registering at lvg.shar.gov.in/VSCREGISTRATIO. "Vehicle electrical tests completed. Citizens are invited to witness the launch from the Launch View Gallery at SDSC-SHAR, Sriharikota, by registering at https://lvg.shar.gov.in/VSCREGISTRATIO," tweeted ISRO. Earlier, the Director of the Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO), S Somanath, announced that Chandrayaan-3, India's planned third lunar exploration mission, will be launched on July 14 at 2.35 pm from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
Date - 08/07/2023
India in exciting phase in technology space: Rajeev Chandrasekhar
India is in an "exciting period" in the history of the country when it comes to the technology space, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Friday said. Speaking at the 113th annual general meeting of industry body Southern India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) in Chennai, Chandrasekhar said the country has developed capabilities, capacities, and confidence in the last nine years, particularly with regard to technology and innovation. Releasing the "Emerging Tech Trends in 2023" guide at the event, the minister said that in the global value chain, electronics is the second highest traded commodity after hydrocarbons and energy but India did not find a place in it before 2014.
Date - 08/07/2023
BHEL signs TAL agreement with General Electric for gas turbines
BHEL has been manufacturing and supplying GE-design Gas Turbines to various customers in India and abroad since 1986. Under this extension Agreement, BHEL will gain enhanced rights for existing /uprated and new gas turbine models. BHEL, in partnership with GE, is the market leader for Gas Turbines in India. As of date, BHEL has supplied about 230 GE-design Gas Turbines to various oil refineries, process industries, and utilities in India and to various overseas customers. In addition, for the last 25 years, BHEL GE Gas Turbine Services (BGGTS) - a 50: 50 JV between BHEL and GE, is providing aftermarket support for engineering, repair, and maintenance services to various customers. India's focus on achieving net zero emissions and including green hydrogen in the energy mix will also require future-ready power technologies. As per the agreement, BHEL will also be able to supply Gas Turbines with fuel blends viz. Hydrogen, Methanol, Syngas, etc., and in hybrid configuration contribute towards accelerating the energy transition in India; and through Aero-derivative Gas Turbines help in grid balancing vis-Ã -vis the nationâ??s ambitious renewable energy build-up target.
Date - 08/07/2023
Digital India Dialogues: Catalysing design of NextGen processors, IPs, embedded systems
The Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar addressed a Digital India Dialogues session in Bengaluru on Thursday focusing on the revised production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for IT hardware. The session brought together stakeholders from the tech industry such as experts, industry representatives and startups. The minister actively interacted with them, addressing their queries on improving the ecosystem. While addressing the session the minister said, "The government is working closely with startups, industry and academia to create rapidly expanding server & IT hardware manufacturing ecosystem in India. Our ambitions are clear - a $300 billion electronics industry and a $1 trillion Digital Economy by 2026. The government will act as an enabler in catalysing India's IT hardware ecosystem that includes data centres, servers, etc. This PLI scheme for IT hardware has been carefully designed this time with inputs from the industry. India represents one of the fastest-growing consumer markets in the electronic manufacturing ecosystem as we have digitised our economy, Government and public services at an unprecedented rate."
Date - 07/07/2023
Govt launches 3rd edition of National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment
V. Srinivas, Secretary, DARPG, launched the third edition of the National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) on July 6. The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) has developed the NeSDA framework with an overall objective to measure the depth and effectiveness of existing e-governance service delivery mechanisms from the citizen's perspective. This framework, based on the Online Service Index (OSI) of UN eGovernment Survey, has been customized for the Indian federal structure and the e-Governance landscape of the states and union territories. DARPG undertakes NeSDA study biennially. This study assesses states, union territories, and informs the central government about the effectiveness of e-Governance service delivery. NeSDA helps the respective governments improve their delivery of citizen centric services and shares best practices across the country.
Date - 07/07/2023
ONDC rolls out digital ops in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata
The Centre's Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), an initiative to establish a standardised framework for digital commerce in the country has rolled out its digital operations in Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata. Under the new initiative, the Union government looks to create an open and interoperable digital commerce ecosystem that can facilitate seamless transactions between various stakeholders, including buyers, sellers, service providers, and government entities. The programme is backed by the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). Speaking on going beta live T. Koshy, MD and CEO, ONDC, said that the move will help bring new businesses join the new digital ecosystem which will be benefiting for all while the initiative also brings along new insights for future course correction and upgradation in the system. According to ONDC, the network is now beta live and accessible for buyers in seven cities including Bengaluru and Meerut, where operations were launched in September 2022 and December 2022, respectively. Under the initiatives consumers will be able to purchase from the sellers on the ONDC network through four active buyer applications -- Paytm, Mystore, Spice Money, and Magicpin.
Date - 06/07/2023
India, US to develop, deploy digital public infra in developing countries
India and the United States will soon develop and deploy Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) in developing countries, a joint statement said, on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US. The statement talks about developing a 'US India Global Digital Development Partnership' under which the two countries will bring together technology and resources from both countries to enable development and deployment of DPIs in developing countries. This will include appropriate safeguards to protect privacy, data security and intellectual property, the statement said.
Date - 06/07/2023
With over 140 space startups, India has gained sound footing globally: Jitendra Singh
With over 140 space startups in a short span of time, India has gained sound footing and the world has begun to acknowledge India's capabilities and potential in space technology. Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, said this while addressing the inaugural session of the G20 Space Economy Leaders Meeting (4th edition). Singh added that the credit goes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who opened up India's Space Sector to private players which has enabled a quantum jump in the last few years. Even though India began its space journey several years later compared to some other countries, it is India today which is offering vital clues and inputs for the benefit of world's leading space agencies. The Minister pointed out that the very fact that during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to the USA, Space related agreements comprised a major component of the agenda is an indication that even the countries which claim to be pioneers in Space technology are today looking up to India for value addition in their Space related activities.
Date - 06/07/2023
TAP software platform misused by high-frequency traders: Sebi sends notice to NSE
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has sent a notice to the National Stock Exchange (NSE) demanding an explanation over the alleged misuse of software by some high-frequency traders to fire a barrage of orders without being noticed and crowding out rival brokerages. This has been reported in The Economic Times. Some high-frequency traders are alleged to have manipulated the platform in 2013 to execute "thousands of orders" without being detected and crowding out other users. The alleged misuse of the trading access point (TAP) software in 2013 was unearthed four years later by the income-tax (I-T) department during a probe into the co-location scam in which Chitra Ramkrishna and Ravi Narain, former MD and CEO of the NSE, are among the accused, as reported by The Economic Times.
Date - 06/07/2023
'Whole government approach' to be considered for framing digital competition laws
Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Rajeev Chandrasekhar have discussed various issues related to the digital competition law. A panel chaired by Corporate Affairs Secretary Manoj Govil will be preparing a report on digital competition law. This report will examine various regulatory aspects in dealing with challenges emerging from digital economy. On Tuesday, Sitharaman, who is in charge of finance and corporate affairs ministries, held a meeting with Chandrasekhar, the minister of state for electronics and technology as well as entrepreneurship and skill development.
Date - 05/07/2023
Govt organising international conference on green hydrogen ecosystem from July 5 to 7
The Government of India is organizing an International Conference on Green Hydrogen (ICGH-2023) during 5th - 7th July 2023 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, to bring together the global scientific, policy, academic and industrial leaders to discuss recent advances and emerging technologies in the entire green hydrogen value chain. The conference will enable the sector stakeholders to explore the evolving green hydrogen landscape and innovation-driven solutions in the sector, thus strengthening the sustainability ecosystem of the sector. The conference is being organized by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. R. K. Singh, Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy, will inaugurate the conference, in presence of Rameshwar Teli, Union Minister of State for Petroleum & Natural Gas. Hardeep Puri, Union Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Housing & Urban Affairs, and Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology will address the valedictory session. Several senior officials of the government will address the conference.
Date - 05/07/2023
Digital India Dialogue: Chandrasekhar to address session on PLI 2.0 for IT hardware in Bengaluru Thursday
The Union Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Electronics & IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar will be addressing a Digital India Dialogues session on the recently revised production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for IT hardware in Bengaluru on Thursday (July 6). The meeting will have stakeholders from the technology ecosystem including experts, representatives of industry associations and startups. The focus of the meeting will be on stimulating the development of advanced processors, intellectual properties (IPs) and embedded systems. These consultations are in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's consultative approach to law and policy making, the MeitY said in a statement on Wednesday. The minister will be arriving in Bengaluru in the morning and will attend a media interaction which will be followed by the consultations. Through the provision of financial incentives, the government seeks to encourage localisation of IT hardware components and sub-assemblies. The scheme covers laptops, tablets, all-in-one PCs, servers and ultra small form factor devices. In doing so, the government aims to catalyse domestic IT hardware manufacturing ecosystem of India, thereby creating Indian champions in IT hardware industry, the ministry said.
Date - 05/07/2023
Union Cabinet approves Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, set for Monsoon session
The Union cabinet has approved the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill. The bill can now be tabled in Parliament during the monsoon session slated to begin on July 20, 2023. Released for public consultation in November 2022, the DPDP Bill, a second attempt at a legal framework for data protection, sets out rights and duties of citizens and obligations of organisations for using data. The bill is aimed at protecting personal data, and its proposed regulations include provisions requiring companies to inform consumers how their data is being processed. Talking to the media, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister for Electronics & Information Technology, has confirmed that the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill will be tabled during the Monsoon session, along with the Telecom Bill.
Date - 05/07/2023
Trai directs Google, WhatsApp, Meta to take measures to avoid pesky calls, phishing, spam
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) held a meeting with over-the-top (OTT) platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Meta and Google as part of joint efforts to devise measures to check pesky calls and messages as well as phishing attempts, officials said. While a few models to check spam and phishing are being worked on, the regulator does not want to disclose the details so as not to alert fraudsters. "We will have a collaborative effort with the OTT players. They will do the due diligence on the issues pointed out by us. Broadly, the platforms agree on the pain points," a senior Trai official told ET on condition of anonymity.
Date - 05/07/2023
Sebi issues consultation paper on cyber security, resilience framework for regulated entities
Sebi on Tuesday came out with a consultation paper on boosting cyber security framework for entities regulated by it. The consultation paper on 'Consolidated Cyber security and Cyber Resilience Framework (CSCRF) for Sebi Regulated Entities' looks at providing a common structure for multiple approaches to cyber security to prevent any cyber-risks and incidents. Sebi said the framework is based on five concurrent and continuous functions of cyber security as defined by NIST -- Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover.
Date - 05/07/2023
Bharat 6G Alliance launched to drive innovation, collaboration in next-gen wireless technology
As a continuously evolving sector with high technological obsolescence, the telecom sector has seen transformation from wire-line to mobile services, which has become lifeline of the people. Mobile services have also seen transformation from 2G to 3G to 4G to 5G and now 6G is in horizon. In furthering the nation's vision of universal and affordable connectivity, developing indigenous technology, developing telecom and semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem, taking lead in 6G technology, Union Minister for Communications Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday announced formation of the Bharat 6G Alliance (B6GA), a collaborative platform consisting of public and private companies, academia, research institutions, and standards development organizations. The website for Bharat6G Alliance was also launched, the link for the same is https://bharat6galliance.com
Date - 04/07/2023
Private sector should invest more in aeronautical quality assurance research and testing: Defence Secretary
Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane has said the government is committed to ensure quality assurance in military aviation and taking appropriate measures to remove obstacles in indigenization of defence manufacturing industry. Aramane was delivering keynote address at a workshop on 'QA Reforms in Military Aviation for Promoting Indigenous R&D and Manufacturing' in New Delhi on Monday. Stating that the country is progressing in line with PM's vision of Aatmnirbharata in defence, Aramane said it is a challenge but systems are being put in place and measures are being taken to achieve it. He urged the private sector to invest more in aeronautical quality assurance research and testing. The aviation sector is a complex domain with advanced technology and critical considerations for fight safety and mission success. To address these risks, the global aviation industries operates under the airworthiness framework governed by state or government agencies. In India, the Technical Airworthiness Authority (TAA) consisting of DGAQA, which ensures airworthiness through quality assurance, and Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC) which ensures airworthiness of designs, provides airworthiness certification and quality assurance for all Indian aviation industries.
Date - 04/07/2023
India is competing with developed nations in digital and 5G technologies: PM Modi
"India is marching ahead in various fields, including digital technologies and 5G technologies," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his virtual address during the inauguration of Sai Hira Global Convention Centre at Prasanthi Nilayam in Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh. The Prime Minister noted that 40% of the total real-time online transactions are taking place in India. He also pointed out that India has the third largest startup ecosystem in the world. "Our startups are on the forefront for developing digital and 5G technologies," he said. "On one hand spiritual centres are reviving in the country and simultaneously India is leading in economy and technology. Today India is among the world's top five economies. India has the world's third-largest startup ecosystem in the world," he said.
Date - 04/07/2023
Coursera to be IIT Guwahati's new online platform for BSc course in Data Science, AI
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati is launching an online Bachelor of Science degree course in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence on the online degree learning platform Coursera. A release from IIT Guwahati said that the course will prepare learners for high-paying and fast-growing careers in data science and artificial intelligence (AI). The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 emphasises the need for training and preparing professionals in cutting-edge areas that are fast gaining prominence, such as machine learning, AI and big data analysis for enhancing the employability of the youth. According to the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2023, tech roles, including AI and machine learning specialists, data analysts, and data scientists, are expected to grow by more than 30% by 2028. To meet this demand and implement NEP 2020 recommendations, IIT Guwahati is opening up access to the complete online degree programme through multiple admissions pathways, the release said.
Date - 04/07/2023
Why can't India put enough e-buses on roads to replace its ageing bus fleet?
Among the array of strategic, technological, economic and environmental agreements that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden signed during the former's recent visit to Washington DC, there was the agreement which stipulates that the USA will partner India in facilitating the deployment of 10,000 electric buses on Indian roads. Electrification of the public transport system, especially the buses plying in the urban areas, is a key priority for the Indian government under the policy of decarbonisation for dealing with the problem of climate change. The government is trying to introduce electric buses (e-buses) primarily through the publicly funded State Transport Undertakings (STUs). The central government's policies encourage the leasing of e-buses and not outright purchase by the STUs. The manufacturers of the buses are paid by the STUs on a per kilometer basis for a period of 10 to 12 years. In most cases, the manufacturer deploys the e-buses, takes care of the maintenance, while the STUs decide the routes on which the e-buses will travel and employ the conductors who are responsible for the ticketing.
Date - 03/07/2023
ECI opens portal for 3 types of financial reports; political parties can file accounts online
The Political parties will now be able to file their financial accounts online to the Election Commission. The measure has been enabled with the launch of a new web-portal (https://iems.eci.gov.in/) to facilitate the online filing of Contribution Report, Audited Annual Account and Election Expenditure Statement by the Political Parties. These financial statements are required to be submitted by political parties to the Election Commission and the Chief Electoral Officers of States and Union Territories, as per the Representation of People's Act, 1951 and the transparency guidelines issued by the Commission, from time to time, over the last many years. In a letter addressed to all political parties, ECI has said that the facility has been created with twin objectives: firstly, to facilitate political parties in overcoming the difficulties in physical filing of reports, and secondly, to ensure timely filing of financial statements in the prescribed formats.
Date - 03/07/2023
CBIC plans biometric authentication, tighter GST filing to check PAN, Aadhaar misuse
Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) is working on biometric authentication of risky entities under GST as it looks to crack down on fraudsters who are misusing the PAN and Aadhaar of other people to obtain GST registration, CBIC chief Vivek Johri said. Johri further said that the tax authorities are also discussing some more tightening in the GST return filing system to limit the scope of claiming Input Tax Credit (ITC), when taxes have not been paid by suppliers in the supply chain. The biometric authentication of authorised representatives or directors or partners of a company will be made for new registration applications and existing businesses registered under Goods and Services Tax (GST) if tax officers have a suspicion that the entities are being set up only to fraudulently claim ITC.
Date - 03/07/2023
CJI Chandrachud launches 5 digital courtrooms in Supreme Court
Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud launched new digital facilities at five courtrooms in the Supreme Court today. The five courtrooms are equipped with Wi-Fi, which removes the need for the presence of physical law books and papers in these courtrooms. Chandrachud said that the physical books will be very much part of reference in cases where needed. "We have made courts 1 to 5 Wi-Fi-enabled. The bar rooms are WiFi-enabled as well. All courtrooms will now be like that â?? no books and papers â?? which is not to say that we will not rely on books and papers at all," he said. Speaking at the launch Chandrachud also sought feedback on the functionality of the new Wi-Fi-enabled courtrooms. The Supreme Court on Monday reopened after a six-week summer vacation, marking the implementation of this significant digitization measure.
Date - 03/07/2023
Centre names MU Nair as next National Cyber Security Coordinator
The Union government on Monday cleared the name of Lt Gen M. Unnikrishnan Nair as next National Cyber Security Coordinator (NCSC). Nair, who was last year appointed as chair of Signal-officer-in-Chief at the Army Headquarters replaces Lt Gen (retd.) Dr Rajesh Pant. According to the Union government, Nair, who assumes the new charge at National Cyber Coordination Centre (NCCC), will be India's third cyber security chief after Lt Gen Dr Rajesh Pant and Gulshan Rai. In the past Nair has held key positions including additional director general, signal intelligence, chief of staff of a corps and command. The National Cyber Coordination Centre (NCCC) is an elite cyber security agency that coordinates with different government agencies in matters related to cybersecurity. The body is established by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), which operates under the Union ministry of electronics and Information Technology.
Date - 03/07/2023
For non-compliance with cyber security framework, RBI imposes Rs 65 lakh fine on bank
The Reserve Bank has imposed a penalty of Rs 65 lakh on city-based AP Mahesh Co-operative Urban Bank, for non-compliance with provisions of Cyber Security Framework for Primary (Urban) cooperative banks. This information has been provided by Hyderabad Police. The central bank imposed the monetary penalty of Rs 65 lakh on AP Mahesh Co-operative Bank after the RBI's thorough cyber audit and the Hyderabad police investigation revealed the bank's significant lapses which led to the breach pertaining to the case wherein hackers breached the bank's systems through phishing mails and siphoned off Rs 12.48 crore in January 2022. "The RBI's thorough cyber audit and the police investigation revealed the bank's significant lapses which led to the breach. This is the first time ever that such an action has been taken against any Bank. All banks should adhere to cyber security practices to avoid such loss of public money and crucial data," a release from Hyderabad Police said.
Date - 03/07/2023
In the tech net: Governments race to regulate AI tools the world over
Rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) such as Microsoft-backed OpenAI's ChatGPT are complicating governments' efforts to agree to laws governing the use of the technology. Here are the latest steps national and international governing bodies are taking to regulate AI tools: Australia Seeking input on regulations The government is consulting Australia's main science advisory body and considering next steps, a spokesperson for the industry and science minister said in April.
Date - 03/07/2023
Tech and research key in emerging new global world order: Jaishankar
Technology and research are keys for development in the emerging new global world order, Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Monday. While speaking at a programme in the national capital Jaishankar said that in present times no country can progress without technology and research. In an interaction with students in Delhi, an outreach programme to mark nine years of the present government, Jaishankar said that there was a need for understanding globalism and its impact on local markets. The Union minister maintained that no country can achieve development without embracing technology and investing in research and development. Jaishankar said that significant changes have occurred in the past nine years under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Date - 03/07/2023
India a top tech destination for Taiwanese tech firms: Taiwan minister Kao Shien-Quey
In an attempt to bring down their exposure to the Chinese market amid increasing tension, leading Taiwanese technology firms are looking at relocating their manufacturing bases to India. Deputy Minister for Taiwan's National Development, Kao Shien-Quey said major Taiwanese technology giants are looking at India as a key destination to strengthen their global supply chains. "There is huge scope for collaboration between New Delhi and Taipei in areas of emerging and critical technologies including manufacturing of semiconductors and electronics equipment," news agency Press Trust of India quoted Kao Shien-Quey. Kristy Tsun-tzu Hsu, the director at premier policy think-tank Taiwan ASEAN Studies Center at Chung-Hua Institution of Economic Research, described India as an important country for Taiwan and said Taiwanese companies operating in China are looking at "decoupling" the global supply chain from that country while maintaining it for the domestic consumers.
Date - 02/07/2023
Mission Gaganyaan: crew module recovery divers complete training at Indian Navy facility
The first batch of crew recovery team of Mission Gaganyaan completed Phase-1 of training at Indian Navy's Water Survival Training Facility (WSTF) at Kochi. Utilising the state of the art facility, the team consisting of Indian Naval Divers and Marine Commandos underwent recovery training of the crew module in varied sea conditions. The two weeks training capsule covered a brief on the conduct of the mission, actions to be taken during medical emergencies and familiarisation with different aircraft and their rescue equipment. The training also validated the SOPs formulated jointly by the Indian Navy and ISRO. On the concluding day, Dr. Mohan M, Director of Human Space Flight Centre, ISRO witnessed the recovery demonstration and interacted with the team. The team trained at WSTF will now be involved in recovery of test launches planned by ISRO in the forthcoming months.
Date - 02/07/2023
Patents by startups, along with industry linkages, encourage innovation, motivate enterprise: Jitendra Singh
The filing of Intellectual Property Rights (patents and trademarks) by startups, along with Industry linkages, will encourage innovation and motivate enterprise in India. This was said by Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology during his inaugural address at the 'National Intellectual Property Festival', organised by the CSIR at the National Physical Laboratory in New Delhi. The Minister noted that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government came up with the IPR Act in 2016. "The passage of this act has brought down the time taken for Trademark Registration process to just one month. Earlier than one year was being spent on Trademark Registration," he said. "Soon after this, 'Startups Intellectual Property Rights Protection' scheme was brought in, which envisages 80% rebate in patent filing," the Minister said.
Date - 02/07/2023
Adopt innovative tech like AI to keep pace with changing times and implement ethical practices: President Murmu to ICAI
Droupadi Murmu, President of India, graced the 75th Foundation Day celebrations of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) in New Delhi yesterday. Speaking on the occasion, the President said that this is a special day not only for the CA community but also for the accounting and auditing profession. The Chartered Accountant community is a strong pillar of the business sector which gives strength to good governance. She said that they have an important responsibility of analysing the true health of the economy. Speaking about the increasing number of women Chartered Accountants in recent times, the President said that it is a well-known fact that women are generally skilled finance managers or accountants. She added that household saving in India is a tradition and women have a habit of saving for tough times.
Date - 02/07/2023
GST@6: FinMin celebrates 6th year of technology driven, technology enabled GST
The 6th Goods and Services Tax (GST) day was celebrated yesterday with the vision GST@6 Simplified Tax Holistic Development. Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs, presided over the programme as the Chief Guest. Pankaj Chaudhary, Union Minister of State for Finance, was the Guest of Honour. Senior officials from the Ministry of Finance, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) and Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and other government departments were present. In her address at GST Day 2023, Nirmala Sitharaman said, "GST is the embroidery that stitches the diversity of Indian markets into the fabric of economic progress. The GST Council meetings have become the shining examples of cooperative federalism, where the Centre and States have deliberated, discussed, and decided on various complex issues to make GST more responsive and nuanced. Even today, and certainly in the future, the success of GST is predicated on the feedback loop between the taxpayer and the department." The Finance Minister recalled the fragmented state of the Indirect Tax System in India where every state was effectively a distinct market. She said that GST had united the country's markets. She highlighted the benefits that the MSME were having from GST. She pointed out that the centerpiece of the GST-Facilitation Revolution has been technology. "GST is technology-enabled and technology-driven," she said. She appreciated the efforts of technology professionals and CBIC officers, whose efforts have made the grand vision of the GST project a reality.
Date - 02/07/2023
Why India risks falling behind in the AI race
India's tech industry is being less than bold in embracing artificial intelligence. It's hoping to create solutions for corporate clients by building on top of somebody else's investment in foundational technologies, hardly a strategy for pathbreaking success. ChatGPT's high-voltage debut last year has galvanized China. Baidu Inc.'s Ernie, which claims to have outperformed Microsoft Corp.- backed OpenAI's model on some measures, has pulled Ant Group Co. and JD.com into the bot-building race. Tech czars like Wang Xiaochuan, the founder of the search engine Sogou, have also joined the quest, drawing talent to the industry. On money flow, the US is still beating China six to one, but the number of venture deals in the Asian country's AI industry is already outpacing consumer tech, according to Preqin data. India's startup landscape, meanwhile, is caught in a time warp, with embarrassed investors marking down their stakes in Byju's, an online education company collapsing under the weight of its own reckless growth. The easy funding from the pandemic era has dried up. As financiers push founders for profitability, they're discovering that in many cases even the revenue is fake.
Date - 01/07/2023
Isro looks to launch Chandryaan-3 to Moon between 12-19 July
Facing several delays, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is now in final stages of preparations to launch Chandrayaan-3 on mission Moon between July 12-July 19. There are, however, unconfirmed reports that the Indian space agency will set Chandrayaan-3 launch in motion on July 13 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota. According to Isro chairman, S Somanath, while the exact launch date is yet to be determined, the agency is considering the earliest possible time frame between July 12 and 19 for the launch. "The current window of opportunity is between July 12 and 19. We will aim for the earliest possible date, perhaps July 12, 13, or 14, and progress towards the end, unless there are any technical issues that arise," Somamath said.
Date - 29/06/2023
Digital India takes centerstage as global chip maker Micron to set up $2.75 bn assembly line in Gujarat
In a leg-up to Centre's Digital India programme, the Gujarat government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with computer storage chip maker Micron. Under the new pact Micron will set up a $2.75 billion semiconductor assembly and test facility at Sanand in Ahmedabad. Micron, is a leading global manufacturer of memory and technology storage solutions and designs and produces a wide range of semiconductor devices, including dynamic random-access memory (DRAM), NAND flash memory, and other advanced memory technologies. These products are used in various applications, such as computers, servers, mobile devices, consumer electronics, automotive systems, industrial equipment, and networking devices. The company's solutions enable data storage, retrieval, and processing in a wide range of electronic devices and systems.
Date - 29/06/2023
Google I/O Regional Connect: Tech giant open-sources Indian speech data, location info
Tech giant Google has open-sourced research models and datasets to help developers build solutions with India-focused speech data and location information, Manish Gupta, head of Google Research India told ET. Through its collaboration with Google as part of Project Vaani, Bengaluru's research university Indian Institute of Science is now open sourcing the first set of speech data comprising over 4,000 hours across 38 languages. "Out of the 125 languages we committed to supporting, 75 had a zero data corpus which means the amount of data corpus available in digital form to AI researchers was zero. In the 4,000 hours of speech data that has been put out, for a few languages, it's the first such instance that digital data has been made available. We could expect innovations in these zero corpus languages now," Gupta said speaking on the challenges arising out of the diversity of Indian languages.
Date - 29/06/2023
National Workshop on Panchayat Development Index focuses on building data ecosystem
The report on the Panchayat Development Index was released by Kapil Moreshwar Patil, Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj, at the National Workshop on Panchayat Development Index (PDI) held yesterday. The primary concern of the National Workshop was to develop strategic plan and roadmap on integration of Ministry's portal and dashboard to build a vibrant data ecosystem, and to assess the schematic progress in alignment with LSDGs (Localization of Sustainable Development Goals) at panchayat level. The focus was also on developing institutional mechanisms for implementation of the Panchayat Development Index with active support of different ministries, departments, panchayats and knowledge partners.
Date - 29/06/2023
CHAMPIONS 2.0 Portal, mobile app for geo-tagging cluster projects launched on MSME day
On the occasion of International MSME Day, the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) celebrated the 'Udyami Bharat-MSME Day'. During this programme, several new initiatives of the Ministry, including CHAMPIONS 2.0 portal and mobile app for geo-tagging of cluster projects and technology centers were launched. The results for 'MSME Idea Hackathon 2.0' were also declared and 'MSME Idea Hackathon 3.0' for women entrepreneurs was launched. Narayan Rane, Union Minister for MSME, was the chief guest of the programme. Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma, the Union Minister of State for MSME, was the guest of honor. Addressing the gathering, Narayan Rane emphasized the importance of MSMEs in the countryâ??s GDP and exports and expressed hope that MSMEs will contribute to 50% of the country's GDP by 2030. He congratulated all stakeholders on the event's success and urged everyone to take steps towards making India a $5 trillion economy.
Date - 28/06/2023
DoT announces 5G & Beyond Hackathon, 100 startups to win prizes, showcase 5G innovations
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has announced the 5G & Beyond Hackathon 2023. In this 100 startups are to be awarded 100 lakh for the development of 5G products and solutions. The aim of the hackathon is to shortlist India-focused cutting-edge ideas that can be converted into workable 5G and beyond products and solutions. The DoT has invited applications from June 28, 2023. Hundred winners of the hackathon will share a total prize pool of Rs one crore, and the unique opportunity to scale and implement their 5G products and solutions to make them market ready with the support of mentors from government, industry, academia, telcos and OEMs.
Date - 28/06/2023
IBC Media in partnership with MeitY conducts Digital India Alt Hack for student innovators
With an aim to work with government, industry, and educational institutions in India and globally to upskill students in emerging technologies and make them industry ready, IBC Media struck strategic partnerships with MeitY (Ministry of Education and Information Technology), Govt of India, Digital India and IIT Delhi. IBC Media successfully completed its 8-day onground boot camp on 19-26 June 2023 in IIT Delhi. During the program, student developers were introduced to blockchain and Web3 technologies, education & training, ideation and intense guided building sessions. The boot camp was organised to take this innovation program across 8,000 colleges/ universities and give further impetus to its vision of building the largest talent community in emerging technologies, innovation and investments, the company said in a statement.
Date - 28/06/2023
Govt signs MoU with Pixxel Space to deploy pathfinder satellites for building models on crop mapping, crop health
The Union Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Pixxel Space India Pvt. Limited to build a project for enhancement of India's agriculture ecosystem. The objective of the project is to leverage sample hyperspectral data from Pixxel's pathfinder satellites to develop analytics models focused on crop mapping, crop stage discrimination, crop health monitoring, and soil organic carbon assessments. This will enable the Government to develop use cases with hyperspectral data provided by PIXXEL. MNCFC on behalf of the DA&FW will associate with Pixel team for developing and implementing the suitable methodologies. C. S. Murthy, Director, MNCFC, signed the MoU on behalf of Government of India, whereas Abhishek Krishnan, Chief of Staff represented Pixxel Space India Limited. Manoj Ahuja, Secretary, DA&FW, Pramod Kumar Meherda, Additional Secretary, DA&FW and other senior officers of the Ministry at New Delhi were present during the signing of the MoU.
Date - 27/06/2023
UTPRERAK to help improve energy efficiency of Indian industry: Union MoS Power Krishan Pal
The Union Ministry of Power has set up a dedicated Centre of Excellence to accelerate industry adoption of clean technologies and thus scale up India's contribution to the global energy transition. Named UTPRERAK -- Unnat Takniki Pradarshan Kendra, the Centre of Excellence to Accelerate Adoption of Energy Efficient Technologies -- seeks to play a catalytic role in improving energy efficiency of Indian industry. The Centre, named otherwise as Advanced Industrial Technology Demonstration Centre (AITDC), has been set up by the Bureau of Energy efficiency (BEE), Ministry of Power, at Badarpur, New Delhi campus of the National Power Training Institute (NPTI). Union Minister of State for Power Krishan Pal inaugurated the center at NPTI Badarpur, New Delhi on Monday, June 26, 2023. The center is mandated to become the key reference and resource institution on industrial energy-efficient technologies. As its name indicates, the Advanced Industrial Technology Demonstration Centre will demonstrate and showcase energy-efficient technologies in key industry sectors. It will act as an exhibition cum information centre and knowledge repository. It will be a knowledge exchange platform, where best practices from across various key sectors could be diffused among industry professionals through workshops and seminars. More than 10,000 energy professionals are proposed to be trained in next five years, the Ministry of Power said in a statement.
Date - 27/06/2023
World MSME Day 2023: MSMEs and India's spectacular growth trajectory
The MSME sector is contributing about one-third of the country's GDP and about half of the country's exports. MSMEs are now spread all over the country and are playing a vital role in the manufacturing, trading, and services sectors. Greetings to all on World MSME Day 2023! Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has emerged as one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. During the Covid-19 pandemic, our GDP had fallen to -5.71% (2020-21) but bounced back to 9.05% in 2021-22. Despite the disturbance in the supply chain due to the Russia-Ukraine war and global recession, the resilience displayed by the economy has been tremendous and we have achieved a growth rate of 7.2% for 2022-23.
Date - 27/06/2023
DRDO organises 'Anusandhaan Chintan Shivir' to encourage defence R&D in industry, academia
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) organised an 'Anusandhaan Chintan Shivir' in New Delhi today, with the aim of encouraging Defence R&D within the industry and academia. Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan was the Chief Guest at the event. A list of 75 technology priority areas were released during the 'Anusandhaan Chintan Shivir'. The list identified by the DRDO is further divided into 403 technological categories, which further spread out to 1,295 current and future technology development tasks. The senior officials in DRDO believe that unveiling the 75 technology priority areas will provide a major fillip to the defence manufacturing sector by encouraging the industry to indigenise and innovate on defence technologies in order to place India on the self-reliance trajectory. This will promote military technology design and development in the country through engagement with industry and academia.
Date - 27/06/2023
Exports from aquaculture cross Rs 57586 cr; app launched to track fish diseases which hinder growth
For strengthening the farmer-based disease reporting system and for improving the reporting of aquatic animal diseases in the country, the Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (MoFAHD), has come up with the ReportFishDisease (RFD) app. The RFD app will be launched by Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister of MoFAHD, on June 28 at Krishi Bhawan in the presence of Dr. L. Murugan, Union Minister of State for MoFAHD, and several senior officers of the Ministry and related departments. Developed by ICAR-NBFGR under National Surveillance Programme for Aquatic Animal Diseases (NSPAAD) and funded under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana by the MoFAHD, this app will help the farmers in reporting incidence of diseases in finfish, shrimps, and molluscs on their farms with the field level-officers and fish health experts. This shall help farmers in getting the scientific advice for efficient management of disease.
Date - 27/06/2023
Government e-Marketplace sees 10x procurement growth in 3 years, GMV tops Rs 4.29 lakh cr
The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has seen 10x growth in the last 3 years. Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, said this at the 'Kreta-Vikreta Gaurav Samman Samaroh 2023' organized by GeM in New Delhi. He praised all stakeholders of GeM for the success of the portal and for bringing transformational change in the countryâ??s public procurement system. Goyal noted that GeM is endeavouring to achieve the vision of a unified, transparent and efficient procurement system through leveraging technology and analytics. He emphasised how GeM has enabled benefits of scale and achieved multidimensional growth in the last 7 years. He said that the saving of taxpayers' money due to increased use of GeM by Central and State Departments for procurement of goods and services has resulted in its better utilisation for public welfare projects. The Minister expressed hope that overall procurement of goods and services from the government portal GeM would cross Rs 3 lakh crore in FY 2022-23 as it has already crossed Rs 2 lakh crore in 2022-23.
Date - 27/06/2023
Government e-Marketplace sees 10x procurement growth in 3 years, GMV tops Rs 4.29 lakh cr
The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has seen 10x growth in the last 3 years. Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, said this at the 'Kreta-Vikreta Gaurav Samman Samaroh 2023' organized by GeM in New Delhi. He praised all stakeholders of GeM for the success of the portal and for bringing transformational change in the countryâ??s public procurement system. Goyal noted that GeM is endeavouring to achieve the vision of a unified, transparent and efficient procurement system through leveraging technology and analytics. He emphasised how GeM has enabled benefits of scale and achieved multidimensional growth in the last 7 years. He said that the saving of taxpayers' money due to increased use of GeM by Central and State Departments for procurement of goods and services has resulted in its better utilisation for public welfare projects. The Minister expressed hope that overall procurement of goods and services from the government portal GeM would cross Rs 3 lakh crore in FY 2022-23 as it has already crossed Rs 2 lakh crore in 2022-23.
Date - 27/06/2023
Google's Alphabet and Airtel join forces to deliver internet using laser beam in remote areas
Google parent Alphabet has already tried and failed to bring internet access to rural and remote areas by using high-altitude balloons in the stratosphere. But now, the company is delivering internet service to remote areas by using beams of light. The project known as Taara is part of Alphabet's innovation lab called X, also nicknamed the "Moonshot Factory." It was initiated in 2016 after attempts at using stratospheric balloons to deliver internet ran into problems due to high costs, company executives said.
Date - 27/06/2023
Partnership with US to make India a global innovation hub for digital public infrastructure
The partnership between the US and India to enable development and deployment of digital public infrastructure (DPI) in developing countries will provide India with an opportunity to solidify its position as a global digital innovation hub, setting an exemplary model for other nations to follow, Nasscom has said. US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi intend to work together to provide global leadership for the implementation of DPI to promote inclusive development, competitive markets, and protect individual rights. "The partnership focuses on fostering open and inclusive digital economies through the development and deployment of DPIs in developing countries, leveraging India's successful implementation," Nasscom said in a statement.
Date - 26/06/2023
Google to set up global fintech centre in Gujarat under its India digitisation program
Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Saturday said the search giant will open its global fintech operations center at GIFT City in Gujarat through its existing $10 billion India digitisation fund. "It (the fintech centre) will cement India's fintech leadership, thanks to UPI, and Aadhaar. We are going to build on that foundation and take it globally," Pichai said. Pichai's statements come after he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his three-day state visit to the US.
Date - 26/06/2023
Is AI for all or does it lead to privacy concerns and social disempowerment?
In his address to the US Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the remark, "The Future is AI; America and India." At an event, on the last day of Modi's tour of the USA, President Joe Biden gifted him a t-shirt with his quote, "The Future is AI America & India", written on it. Both leaders said that they were keen on getting their nations to collaborate in the areas of new and emerging technologies, especially AI. India's tryst with AI is not a recent phenomena. The Indian government started talking about using AI for improving governance about 5 years ago. Recognising the potential of AI to provide large incremental value in areas such as agriculture, health, education, finance, transportation and security, NITI Aayog came up with its National Strategy on Artificial Intelligence (NSAI) in 2018. This strategy focuses on five sectors that the government thinks will lead to maximum benefit: healthcare, agriculture, education, smart cities and infrastructure and smart mobility and transportation.
Date - 26/06/2023
Prime Minister Modi, President Sisi discuss strategic partnership in IT, digital infra, defence, renewable energy
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was received by the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi at Al-Ittihadiya Palace on 25 June 2023. Both leaders agreed that the newly established â??India Unitâ?? in the Egyptian Cabinet was a useful tool in steering bilateral collaborations. They discussed ways to further deepen the partnership between the two countries, particularly in areas like trade and investment, information technology, defence and security, renewable energy, agriculture, health, culture and people to people ties. Modi and Sisi also discussed cooperation in G-20, highlighting the issues of food and energy insecurity, climate change and the need for the Global South to have a concerted voice. Modi looked forward to welcoming Sisi in New Delhi in September 2023 for the G20 Leaders Summit.
Date - 26/06/2023
BSNL, L&T Technology Services join hands to enable enterprises to deploy private 5G network
L&T Technology Services has announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) to drive and enable global enterprises in their private 5G network deployments. BSNL and LTTS plan to co-innovate and jointly bring to market private 5G connectivity solutions to accelerate digital transformation for enterprises. According to the agreement framework signed by both companies, the spectrum will be provided by BSNL using both PLMN or isolated allotment. LTTS will anchor the private network requirements by deploying equipment, applications, servers, technology and software, and core for the integration of devices and sensors within the customer's ecosystem. This partnership marks LTTS' foray into the 5G private network space, with LTTS assuming the role of a master system integrator for customers, offering choice of technologies, equipment and use case buildout, while BSNL will be the official network provider.
Date - 26/06/2023
India doesn't want imported weapons; our aim is 'Make in India, Make for World': Rajnath Singh
National security is the government's top-most priority and it is committed to protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of the country. Rajnath Singh, Union Defence Minister, said this while addressing a 'National Security Conclave' in Jammu on June 26. He asserted that India has witnessed a paradigm shift in its security scenario in the last nine years. Elaborating on the blueprint on national security, the Defence Minister said that the government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been working on four directive principles: to enable the country to deal with threats to its security and sovereignty, to take every action to protect national interests, to create safe conditions within the country to facilitate progress, improve the lives of the people & fulfil their aspirations and to build an environment with friendly countries to tackle global challenges. Rajnath Singh stated that no stone is being left unturned to equip the military with latest weaponry and modern technology, assuring the Nation that the Armed Forces are fully capable of protecting the borders and the seas. "Our goal is to bring our Armed Forces in the frontline of modern militaries," he said.
Date - 26/06/2023
AI backed virtual investigator to help police in fighting cyber crime, developed by IIT-K
A virtual investigator will guide the police in fighting cyber crime. It will provide the necessary advice for the entire process of dealing with cyber criminals, from catching them to helping convict them in a court of law. This initiative is backed by the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-K). The fight against spiralling cases of cybercrime will begin in Telangana and will consequently move to other states. Prof. Manindra Agarwal, head of the state-of-the-art C3iHub of IIT Kanpur, has developed AI-backed tools for the Telangana police that will serve as a step-by-step guide for the police from commission to conviction, like an investigator.
Date - 23/06/2023
Joint space mission: India, US will send Indian astronaut to International Space Station in 2024
India and the US are joining hands to send an Indian astronaut to the international space station in 2024, US President Joe Biden said on Thursday after a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Addressing the media after bilateral talks with Modi, Biden said India and the US were collaborating in nearly every human endeavour in delivering progress across the board. "From designing new ways to diagnosing and treating new illnesses like cancer and diabetes to collaboration on human space flight, including on sending an Indian astronaut to the international space station in 2024...," Biden said with Modi by his side. Modi also said that India has decided to sign the Artemis Accords and taken a great leap forward.
Date - 23/06/2023
It takes two to tango: What cements Indo-US partnership?
In 1952, a phrase emerged in America, it was called "It takes two to tango", but this phrase really caught popularity when used in the context of diplomatic affairs between Russia and America by American President Ronald Regan in 1982. Since then, it has been an idiom used to press on the need to take mutually beneficial steps in any relationship, diplomatic or non-diplomatic. As Prime Minister Modi's landmark visit to the United States draws to a close, it becomes extremely interesting to see how these two democracies tango their way through the new phase of Indo-America relationships. It has never been easy for the bald eagle and the elephant to tango as both of their abilities, priorities and interests remains varied, but this enduring dance of 60 years shows the much-needed element of resilience in its complete form. This visit by the Prime Minister is different than others before him, he becomes only the fourth leader in the world to address the joint session of congress twice, a respect bestowed upon two of America's best friends, Nelson Mandela and Winston Churchill. It is both a remarkable gesture towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as the people of India. Americans overwhelmingly love India, more than 70% Americans favor Indians while only 15% favor China. This is majorly due to the highly successful Indian diaspora that we have all over the world. The bosses of three American behemoths namely IBM, Alphabet and Microsoft are Indians as well as three of its top 5 business schools. But despite the depths of people-to-people ties, like any realistic relationship, India and America have their own set of differences. The matured part on both sides is that both are willing to talk out their differences, resolve old biases and start a new chapter every single time.
Date - 23/06/2023
How to deal with crypto disputes, offences in India? Law enforcement officials seek training
Much has been talked about regulating cryptocurrencies in India in recent times, but the question whether it is legal or not still eluding the comprehension of common man. Cryptocurrencies as a payment medium are not regulated by the government except for some informal statments by ministers and officials every now and then. The RBI has announced that cryptocurrencies are not regulated by any central authority. However, the RBI on the other hand has released its own central bank digital currency (CBDC) on pilot, which is again virtual money. It is clear that there are no rules and regulations or any guidelines laid down for settling disputes while dealing with cryptocurrency. Dealing or trading in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT, etc is at investors' risk. Despite these apprehensions and confusion, crypto adoption in India is on the rise, according to CoinSwitch, one of India's largest virtual digital assets (VDAs) trading platform. There is always a huge risk looming around these deals and the law enforcement agencies are mostly clueless about how to deal with the offences and disputes arising out of crypto transactions
Date - 22/06/2023
TeleLaw: Department of Justice partners with NALSA, CSC for mainstreaming legal aid
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has partnered with National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and CSC e-Governance Service India Limited for mainstreaming legal aid to the marginalised communities through the system of TeleLaw. The TeleLaw services will be provided through the lawyers engaged by the Common Services Centers (CSCs). TeleLaw envisages the use of communications and information technology for the delivery of legal information and advice. This e-interaction between lawyers and people would be through the videoconferencing infrastructure available at the CSCs, mostly at the level of the VLEs.
Date - 22/06/2023
How technology helped Surat make Guinness World Record on International Yoga Day
Surat, the commercial heart of Gujarat, made Guinness World Record on International Yoga Day by enabling the participation of over 1.5 lakh people in a mammoth yoga session. Tech solutions played a major role in enabling the city to encourage and inspire so many people to safely and comfortably participate in the yoga celebrations. The yoga program covered a staggering 12.5 km path, commencing from the Y-Junction and concluding at Surat Airport Gate, with detours through SVNIT Circle and Ratnabhumi Party Plot. While the sheer number of participants was noteworthy, the exceptional execution of the event showcased technological innovation and adaptability. Drones, CCTV cameras and other technological solutions played a key role in ensuring the event's success.
Date - 22/06/2023
PM Kisan mobile app comes with face authentication feature
The PM-Kisan mobile app with face authentication feature was launched by Union Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar under the Central government's ambitious and popular scheme for income support to farmers 'Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi'. The app sets the best example of modern technology with face authentication feature through which farmer can complete e-KYC remotely, sitting at home easily by scanning face without OTP or fingerprint and help other farmers to do e-KYC at their home. Recognizing the need to make e-KYC mandatory, the Government of India has extended the ability of farmers to perform e-KYC to officers of state governments, so that each officer can complete the e-KYC process for 500 farmers, the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare said. Thousands of farmers present in Krishi Vigyan Kendras across the country, as well as officers of the Central and state governments and representatives of various government agencies and agricultural organizations were virtually connected to the event held at Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi on Thursday. Union minister Tomar said that Prime Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi is a very comprehensive and ambitious scheme of the Government of India, in the implementation of which the state governments have performed their role very diligently, as a result of which we are in a position to pay the installment of the scheme about 8.5 crore farmers after KYC. The more refined this platform the more it will be useful for PM-Kisan and whenever any benefit has to be given to the farmers, complete data will be available with the Central and state governments, so that no problem can arise in data verification.
Date - 22/06/2023
Digi Yatra app user base crosses one million mark
The number of passengers who have installed the Digi Yatra application on their mobile phones has crossed one million this week. Since its inauguration by Minister of Civil Aviation and Steel Jyotiraditya M. Scindia on December 1 last year, over 1.746 million people have used this facility, according to the ministry data. Digi Yatra application user base as on June 20 was 10,20,000 of which 8,66,000 on Android and iOS 1,54,000, the ministry said. While Varanasi witnessed the highest percentage (76.40%) of passengers using this facility, Vijayawada stood in second place with 62.20 per cent. The Digi Yatra was initially launched at three airports -- New Delhi, Bengaluru and Varanasi -- in December 2022 which was followed by Vijayawada, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Pune in April this year.
Date - 22/06/2023
DRDO collaborates with L&T for indigenous air independent propulsion system for Indian Navy submarines
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) signed a contract with Larsen & Toubro for realisation of two Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system modules for Kalvari Class of Submarines of the Indian Navy. These modules constitute the core of the fuel cell based AIP system, indigenously developed by Naval Materials Research Laboratory (NMRL) of DRDO with L&T as prime industry partner, an association spanning more than a decade, according to a press release. L&T on Wednesday said the energy modules (EMs) comprising fuel cells produce the required power, along with on-board hydrogen generation. The technology of this indigenous AIP system is unique that generates hydrogen on demand thereby obviating the need for carrying hydrogen onboard which is a major safety concern for a submarine. On realisation and integration of these modules in the submarines, India will join an elite club of a handful of nations who have indigenously developed fuel cell based submarine AIP technology which is critical for increasing the endurance of conventional submarines. Principally this is green technology since the by-product of the reaction is non-polluted water which can be released into the oceans.
Date - 22/06/2023
5G mobile connectivity in India to account for 57% by 2028 end: Ericsson report
The 5G subscription in India is estimated to have reached about 10 million by 2022 end, and is seen accounting for about 57 per cent of mobile subscriptions in the country by the end of 2028, making it "the fastest growing" 5G region globally, according to Ericsson Mobility Report. With the launch of 5G services in October 2022, the major 5G Indian market is witnessing huge network deployments under its Digital India initiative, it observed. The geopolitical challenges and macroeconomic slowdown in some markets notwithstanding, communications service providers globally are continuing to invest in 5G, the June 2023 edition of the Ericsson Mobility Report revealed. "5G subscriptions in India reached about 10 million by end of 2022 and are estimated to account for about 57 per cent of mobile subscriptions in the country by the end of 2028, making it the fastest growing 5G region globally," it said.
Date - 22/06/2023
ITU approves Bharat 6G vision framework
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has approved the 6G vision framework at its meeting held in Geneva from June 12 to June 22. The sixth-generation or 6G technology has been named "IMT-2030" by the telecoms agency of the United Nations (UN), according to a statement by the ITU-APT Foundation of India (IAFI) on Thursday. "India administration delegation by Mr TK Roy, DDG in the DoT, played a critical role in getting the ubiquitous connectivity being accepted as a key usage scenario," the IAFI said.
Date - 22/06/2023
5G mobile subscriptions in India will reach 700 million by 2028: Ericsson
5G mobile subscriptions in India reached about 10 million by end of 2022 and are estimated to reach around 700 million by the end of 2028, accounting for about 57% of mobile subscriptions in the country, a report showed on Wednesday. Average data traffic per smartphone is projected to grow from 26GB per month in 2022 to around 62GB per month in 2028, according to the Ericsson Mobility Report. The smartphone subscriptions in India, as a percentage of total mobile subscriptions, are expected to grow from 76% last year to 93 per cent in 2028.
Date - 21/06/2023
MyGov seeks content writer, researcher; ideal candidate must be data driven, capable of weaving visual story
MyGov is the citizen engagement platform of Government of India. It is an Independent Business Division under Digital India Corporation, which is a Section 8 company under the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY). The MyGov website is hosted and managed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC). On the website of MeitY, there is information that MyGov is looking for a content writer and researcher. Here's a summary of the MyGov's description of an ideal candidate: The candidate should be familiar with researching, coordinating, collecting and writing content including for articles, blogs, infographics and videos. He should be aware of the big picture and be a details-oriented person, someone who is data-driven, who can weave a visual story. He should have an understanding of the news and the pulse of the news. The ability to work in a dynamic and exciting environment with strict deadlines and in a team is highly valued.
Date - 21/06/2023
Ahead of Modi's visit to US, govt clears $2.7 billion Micron chip testing plant
Ahead of Narendra Modi's visit to the USA, the Indian cabinet has approved the US chipmaker Micron Technology's $2.7 billion plan for a new semiconductor testing and packaging unit. Commenting on the news, Dr. Ajay Kumar, former Defence Secretary, said, "This is a historic day in India's journey in electronics manufacturing. A top semiconductor company from the USA is coming to India to set up its first fab for testing. I am sure this will pave the way for many more fabs by Micron and many others." The government agreed production-linked incentives worth 110 billion rupees ($1.34 billion) for the plant, which is set to be built in Gujarat. Cabinet approval was required due to the size of the incentive package, the source added. Micron's plan had been previously reported but not approved by the cabinet.
Date - 21/06/2023
For DigiYatra face recognition tech, IDEMIA selected as technology partner by GMR Group
GMR Group has selected IDEMIA as technology partner to implement face recognition technology for DigiYatra service at Delhi International Airport, Hyderabad and Goa. French company IDEMIA is a global leader in identity technologies and biometric solutions. The company has deployed biometric and digital technologies at over 250 airports across the globe including at Singapore's Changi Airport. Face recognition technology has already been implemented at Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) for DigiYatra that facilitates entry of domestic travellers into the airport without showing identity documents.
Date - 21/06/2023
Average disposal time of public grievances by central ministries, departments has reduced to 16 days: Dr Jitendra Singh
For the first time, the average disposal time of public grievances by Central Ministries and Departments has been reduced to 16 days, as recorded in May 2023. Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, said this during his speech after launching the Grievance Redressal Assessment and Index (GRAI) 2022 in New Delhi today. The Minister noted that there has been a decline of almost 50% in the average disposal time for Central Ministries and Departments from 32 days in 2021 to 18 days in 2023. Progress in May, 2023 alone showed 1,16,734 grievances redressed, with an average disposal time of 16 days per grievance. The number of disposed Public Grievance cases has consistently increased, crossing 1 lakh cases per month multiple times. "The adoption of the 10-Step CPGRAMS reforms resulted in a significant decrease in the average time for grievance disposal. These reforms have enhanced the efficiency, accountability, and accessibility of the grievance redressal process, benefiting citizens and improving public service delivery," he said.
Date - 21/06/2023
CERT-In warns of multiple vulnerabilities in Google Chrome for desktop
In its new vulnerability note, CERT-In has warned about vulnerabilities in Google Chrome for Desktop .The severity rating is high. The software affected are:
- Google Chrome versions prior to 114.0.5735.133 for Mac and Linux
- Google Chrome versions prior to 114.0.5735.133/134 for Windows
Date - 19/06/2023
How emerging tech is reshaping India's public surveillance system for disease outbreaks
The Union Health Ministry is using the IDSP network on a real-time basis to actively monitor and track the cases of H3N2 subtype of seasonal Influenza across all the states and union territories in the country. This was recently being reported in several major media outlets. Smallpox has been eradicated in India-in fact, it has been eradicated worldwide. Polio has to a large extent been eliminated in India. All this shows that significant progress has been made in the country in the implementation of programmes for identification, rapid cure and vaccination of the vulnerable sections of society against communicable and non-communicable diseases. The progress in healthcare that the country has made would not have been possible without the development of versatile Public Surveillance Systems (PSS) for diseases. The first PSS that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched came in 2004. It was called the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP). The mission of IDSP was: "To strengthen the disease surveillance in the country by establishing a decentralized State based surveillance system for epidemic prone diseases to detect the early warning signals, so that timely and effective public health actions can be initiated in response to health challenges in the country at the Districts, State and National level."
Date - 19/06/2023
Starlink, Amazon, OneWeb seek satcom spectrum allocation without auction
About three-fourth respondents including Starlink, Amazon, OneWeb have advocated for allocation of satellite communication spectrum through an administrative process and not through auction, according to space sector industry body ISpA. On Trai's consultation paper, telecom operators Reliance Jio and Vodafone have opposed allocation of spectrum for satellite communication through an administrative process citing the Supreme Court order, which declared that the right to use such spectrum can only be transferred through a transparent auction. However, Bharti Airtel has backed the demand of satellite companies to allocate spectrum through administrative processes. Bharti Group holds a majority stake in OneWeb. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released a consultation paper on the Assignment of Spectrum for Space-Based Communication.
Date - 19/06/2023
Government e-Marketplace showcases its e-governance vision globally, at VivaTech Paris
Government e-Marketplace (GeM), an online platform for public procurement in India, showcased its success story at Europe's largest technology and start-up event, VivaTech, held in Paris. The four-day event brought together a global community of visionary start-ups, investors, organisations, researchers, corporations and talent, who have exemplified the use of technology and innovation in driving human welfare. Speaking at a panel discussion, highlighting strategies to unlock the full potential of technology in driving human welfare, Satya Narayan Meena, ACEO and Chief Financial Officer, GeM, emphasised the platform's role in promoting equitable access.
Date - 18/06/2023
6th edition of DARPG's Secretariat Reforms report highlights e-governance initiatives
The May, 2023, 6th edition of the 'Secretariat Reforms' report has been released by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG). This report shows that in May 3.71 lakh public grievances were disposed, and 1.8 lakh physical files reviewed out of which 86,454 files were weeded out. On the issue of e-office implementation and analytics, the report says that all 75 Ministries which were identified for e-office 7.0 migration have adopted e-office 7.0. The number of active e-files was 25,93,223 in May, and the number of active physical files was 8,68,490.
Date - 18/06/2023
MeitY organises roadshow in Amsterdam to promote Digital Innovation Alliance
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) Startup Hub, Government of India, together with FICCI organized a roadshow in Amsterdam to promote Digital Innovation Alliance (DIA) Initiative under G20 with the objective of promoting G20 DIA Summit being held from August 17-19, 2023 in Bengaluru. MeitY Startup Hub CEO Jitendra Vijay said that G20 Digital Innovation Alliance is an initiative launched under India's G20 Presidency by MeitY to bring together the startup ecosystem from G20 nations and the nine invited guest countries, according to an official statement. Today we are in the Netherlands because the Netherlands is also part of the EU system and one of the 29 countries that are participating in this program. So with the government of the Netherlands, we organised this meeting with the startups and the startup stakeholders of this country, he said.
Date - 18/06/2023
From cars to aircraft, the world runs on Indian software and digital technology
India has come a long way from being the back office of the world two decades ago when call centres mushroomed in Indian metros. Now, Indian technology has started powering aerospace and automobile sectors. As vehicles and aircraft increasingly use complex digital technology and algorithms and aerospace companies expand business, India provides a ready supply of digital engineering talent. Lower cost of Indian talent drives offshoring from developed countries. Auto majors bet on Indian digital tech As the software content in vehicles is growing, with systems like smart cockpits becoming an integral part of the auto ecosystem, India has become the go-to place to source digital engineering and talent, ET reported recently. With its combination of readily available skilled engineers and ER&D (engineering research and development) hubs that offer low-cost solutions, India has become the destination for auto OEMs, or original equipment manufacturers, such as Renault, BMW, Jaguar Land Rover and Honda to secure their digital content needs, according to a recent JP Morgan Equity Research report.
Date - 18/06/2023
NSA Ajit Doval pitches for critical tech for India through initiatives like iCET
NSAAjit Doval on Saturday pitched for bringing critical and emerging technologies into India through initiatives like India-USA initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) and sent a message to global investors by describing India as a cost effective and productive destination. "There is no antagonism in the world towards India. We should bring in critical and emerging technologies into the country through initiatives like the iCET. India is a cost effective and productive destination," Doval said while delivering the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Memorial Lecture. iCET was brought into shape by Doval and his US counterpart Jack Sullivan earlier this year. The PM's USA visit next week is expected to announce a deal for jet engines under iCET.
Date - 18/06/2023
Digital India will shape global future of technology: Rajeev Chandrasekhar
Riding on Centre's flagship Digital India programme, India's digital economy is set to swell to 20 percent of the GDP by 2026, Union Minister of State for IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Thursday. According to Chandrasekhar, the digital economy has seen a massive growth in the past nine years of the current dispensation. "India's digital economy stood at mere four percent of GDP in 2014," he said, adding that the current digital economy has already scaled up to 10 percent of the GDP. "Digital India will certainly lead India and we will be among the global powers that will shape the future of technology," Union MoS said. While speaking at an event in the national capital, Chandrasekhar said that India was ready to embrace the latest technology based on AI and ML. The Union MoS said that technology will help improve human intelligence rather than replace human beings.
Date - 16/06/2023
Cybercrime impacts common man, house panel to suggest ways of improving cybersecurity: Jayant Sinha
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance will submit a report suggesting recommendations to plug the regulatory and legal gaps to curb cybercrime cases in financial transactions. The committee chaired by former Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha held a meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Finance (Department of Financial Services) and National Payments Corporation of India. "With the spike in digital and UPI transactions, cybercrime is now impacting the common man. This parliamentary panel is holding meetings with various stakeholders on this issue," Sinha said.
Date - 16/06/2023
CoWIN data not hacked, the portal is breach-proof: MeitY tells Parliamentary Committee
Cyber security experts from Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), which functions under the aegis of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), have informed a parliamentary panel that there was no breach reported in the CoWIN portal (the COVID vaccination portal). The Parliamentary Committee on Communication and IT met today to discuss the issue of citizens data security and privacy. Appearing before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communication and IT, the officials from MeiTY said that they were probing the issue. When asked about the status of enquiry in the alleged breach of data from the CoWIN portal, the government officials said that the data leaked by bots was collated from several sources.
Date - 16/06/2023
Standardization of agri data platforms as digital public goods top priority: Tomar at G20 AWG meeting
The 3-day meeting of the agriculture ministers under the Agriculture Working Group (AWG) of the G20 began in Hyderabad on Thursday. Over 200 delegates from member countries, invited countries and international organizations are participating in the meeting. Under India's chairmanship of G-20, the Agriculture Working Group meeting is being organized in Hyderabad during 15-17 June 2023. Tomar said that the priority areas of the Agriculture Working Group are food security and nutrition with a focus on improving social protection systems to promote agro-diversification and enhance food security; sustainable agriculture and financing green and climate resilient agriculture with a climate smart approach focused on climate resilient technologies and farming system models for sustainable agricultural production; strengthening infrastructure for small and marginal farmers, women and youth, sharing technology and investment and through increasing economic opportunities inclusive agricultural value chains and food systems to enhance the resilience and efficiency of value chains; and digitalization for agricultural transformation with emphasis on standardized agricultural data platforms as digital public goods and leveraging new emerging digital technologies to transform the agri-food sector. These are being discussed in different sessions of the meeting. Speaking with media on the occasion, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar said that agriculture priority sectors are being discussed in the meeting. These areas form the basis of this year's Agriculture Working Group. Tomar said that India has full commitment towards food security and nutrition under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, policies have been made accordingly and its successful implementation is also being ensured.
Date - 16/06/2023
Cyclone Biparjoy: Authorities deploy HAM radio, mobile units for seamless communication
Cyclone Biparjoy will make landfall near Jakhau Port in Gujarat's Kutch district today. This will be the second cyclone to hit the state in two years after 'Tauktae' in May 2021. Packing wind speeds up to 140 kilometres per hour, Cyclone Biparjoy threatens to cripple communication networks. To enable smooth exchange of information, authorities have turned to HAM radio. Learning from past experiences, Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA) has deployed six HAM radio teams, two of them in Kutch, and mobile units for seamless communication after Biparjoy hits the shore near Jakhau port.
Date - 15/06/2023
T-Hub and Renault Nissan collaborate to propel innovation in tech ecosystem
Country's leading innovation ecosystem T-Hub on Wednesday announced its strategic partnership with Renault Nissan Technology Business Centre India (RNTBCI), a global technical and development center for the 'Open Innovation Challenge'. The collaboration aims to run a corporate innovation program that will connect startups with leading industry experts, provide proof-of-concept (PoC) grants, and facilitate engagement with startups for industry-driven use cases. This partnership between T-Hub and RNTBCI will explore and leverage the creative potential of Indian tech startups in the thriving innovation ecosystem, a joint statement said. T-Hub's extensive network and expertise in nurturing startups will enable RNTBCI to connect with leading technological startups possessing unique skills aligned with the Renault Nissan tech innovation strategy. By tapping into T-Hub's vast innovation ecosystem, RNTBCI aims to enhance its innovation capabilities and foster the growth of disruptive solutions within the mobility market, the statement said. Through this collaboration, T-Hub startups will have the opportunity to receive mentorship from Renault Nissan Tech experts, engage in paid PoC projects, and pitch their innovative solutions to the corporate leadership at Renault Nissan. This exchange of knowledge and resources will enable startups to further develop their products and gain exposure to potential customers and investors, it said.
Date - 15/06/2023
MeitY collaborates with Google for online safety campaign
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and Google have announced a collaboration on cyber safety where Google will now work with the government to amplify its "Stay Safe Online" campaign. Google will launch a series of videos featuring YouTube creators to educate users to responsibly share information online. The series will delve into specific skills to better evaluate the quality of information available online. Creators will shed light on how to establish credentials of the source and understand their motivations, corroborate content with subject-matter experts, and gather cited and verifiable evidence. Additionally, YouTube has also established a digital literacy program called "Hit Pause", which promotes critical thinking about online information.
Date - 15/06/2023
Digital Personal Data Protection: Why government should bring it to Parliament this monsoon session
The Government of India has denied the reported breach of the CoWIN database containing personal information of vaccinated persons. This is not the first such scare. Perception that information people routinely provide - bank account, credit card, Aadhaar, passport, insurance numbers, etc - is not safe is damaging. Sustaining the pace of digitisation requires giving people the confidence that their data is safe. Misplaced or not, this perception of safety must be addressed with a robust regulatory data protection framework. GoI must bring the proposed Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Bill 2022 to Parliament in the monsoon session, and ensure its speedy passage and implementation. Though the need for a strong data protection framework to secure privacy was raised 11 years ago by the AP Shah Committee, serious efforts were initiated six years ago after the Puttaswamy judgment and the Justice Srikrishna Committee report. The DPDP Bill, a second attempt at a legal framework for data protection, sets out rights and duties of citizens and obligations of organisations for using data. Released for public consultation in November 2022, it builds on stakeholders' views and recommendations of the joint parliamentary committee on the earlier iteration. India is digitalising at a rapid pace, outstripping other major economies. The growth in digital payments, 48.6 billion real-time digital payments in 2021, reflects this. Restoring confidence in the safety of people's data will help accelerate the growth of the digital economy. A framework that provides assurance to digital users is critical, and assistance on this front can be sought with technological partners like the US. Getting spooked by real or perceived threats is not an option for Digital India.
Date - 15/06/2023
Leverage digital revolution, embrace IT innovations to create efficient governance: Bharat Lal tells civil servants
The Director General of National Centre for Good Governance Bharat Lal has emphasized the pressing requirement for civil servants to fully capitalize on the digital revolution and embrace the latest IT innovations, thereby advancing digital governance. By embracing data-driven methodologies and harnessing the potential of technology, civil servants can enhance their decision-making processes, facilitate effective resource allocation, and ensure the delivery of services to the citizens. He underscored the significance of grievance redressal in real-time, which lies at the heart of good governance, enabling equal opportunities for all citizens, Lal added. The DG on Tuesday launched the 2-week capacity building programme (CBP) for civil servants of Maldives at the NCGG's Mussoorie campus. The National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) has signed an MoU with the Government of Maldives to enhance the skills and capabilities of 1,000 civil servants in the field of public administration and governance by 2024. As part of the agreement, NCGG has already imparted training to 685 officers from Maldives. The Ministry of Personnel said in a statement that the initiative is in alignment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Neighbourhood First' policy, which emphasizes strengthening bilateral ties and fostering regional cooperation with neighbouring countries.
Date - 14/06/2023
Geological Survey of India Training Institute gets accredited as 'Athi Uttam'
Geological Survey of India Training Institute (GSITI) functioning under the Ministry of Mines has been awarded with the accreditation by the National Accreditation Board of Education and Training (NABET) in recognition of the services it has rendered and high standards maintained in the field of earth science training. The Ministry of Mines in a statement said on Tuesday that the assessment was made on the basis of the inspection of all standard operating procedures and methodologies followed by the institute in different levels. The team from Capacity Building Commission (CBC), NABET and Quality Control of India conducted the on-site assessment and awarded the Certificate of Accreditation with the grading of Athi Uttam. Established in 1976, GSITI with its headquarters at Hyderabad, has six regional training divisions (RTD) located at Hyderabad, Nagpur, Jaipur, Lucknow, Kolkata and Shillong. Four field training centers (FTCs) are also established at Chitradurga (Karnataka), Raipur (Chhattisgarh), Zawar (Rajasthan) and Kuju (Jharkhand). These centers are established as per the vision of the Ministry of Mines to impart various trainings to geoscience professionals, teachers, researchers and students in various subjects of geology.
Date - 14/06/2023
Leverage digital revolution, embrace IT innovations to create efficient governance: Bharat Lal tells civil servants
The Director General of National Centre for Good Governance Bharat Lal has emphasized the pressing requirement for civil servants to fully capitalize on the digital revolution and embrace the latest IT innovations, thereby advancing digital governance. By embracing data-driven methodologies and harnessing the potential of technology, civil servants can enhance their decision-making processes, facilitate effective resource allocation, and ensure the delivery of services to the citizens. He underscored the significance of grievance redressal in real-time, which lies at the heart of good governance, enabling equal opportunities for all citizens, Lal added. The DG on Tuesday launched the 2-week capacity building programme (CBP) for civil servants of Maldives at the NCGG's Mussoorie campus. The National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) has signed an MoU with the Government of Maldives to enhance the skills and capabilities of 1,000 civil servants in the field of public administration and governance by 2024. As part of the agreement, NCGG has already imparted training to 685 officers from Maldives. The Ministry of Personnel said in a statement that the initiative is in alignment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Neighbourhood First' policy, which emphasizes strengthening bilateral ties and fostering regional cooperation with neighbouring countries.
Date - 14/06/2023
Geological Survey of India Training Institute gets accredited as 'Athi Uttam'
Geological Survey of India Training Institute (GSITI) functioning under the Ministry of Mines has been awarded with the accreditation by the National Accreditation Board of Education and Training (NABET) in recognition of the services it has rendered and high standards maintained in the field of earth science training. The Ministry of Mines in a statement said on Tuesday that the assessment was made on the basis of the inspection of all standard operating procedures and methodologies followed by the institute in different levels. The team from Capacity Building Commission (CBC), NABET and Quality Control of India conducted the on-site assessment and awarded the Certificate of Accreditation with the grading of Athi Uttam. Established in 1976, GSITI with its headquarters at Hyderabad, has six regional training divisions (RTD) located at Hyderabad, Nagpur, Jaipur, Lucknow, Kolkata and Shillong. Four field training centers (FTCs) are also established at Chitradurga (Karnataka), Raipur (Chhattisgarh), Zawar (Rajasthan) and Kuju (Jharkhand). These centers are established as per the vision of the Ministry of Mines to impart various trainings to geoscience professionals, teachers, researchers and students in various subjects of geology.
Date - 14/06/2023
Security in digital economy a global challenge, partnership approach needed: MoS Chandrasekhar
Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that security in the digital economy is a global challenge and a partnership approach is needed to tackle it. He was addressing G20 delegates at the Global Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) summit at the third Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG) meeting here in Maharashtra. "The digital economy security is neither a domestic issue nor a domain in which selective cooperation is enough," said the Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology. He asserted that a common understanding must be devised to improve the domestic, legal, technical, and economic aspects of security in the digital economy.
Date - 13/06/2023
No direct breach of Cowin portal or database: Rajeev Chandrasekhar
Quelling all speculations around the reports of data breach on the CoWIN platform, Union Minister of State for IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Monday asserted that the government was in the process to verify the claims and initially it does not look that Cowin app or database has been directly breached. Chandrasekhar maintained that "the data being accessed by bot from a threat actor database, which seems to hv been populated wth previously stolen data stolen in the past," Chandrasekhar said in a tweet. According to the Union MoS, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has immediately called in and was under the process to review the matter. The Union minister also said that the government was working on a comprehensive framework of data storage, access and security standards in the country. "With reference to some alleged Cowin data breaches reported on social media, @IndianCERT has immediately responded and reviewed this," Chandrasekhar said in a tweet.
Date - 13/06/2023
Every CAPF should have a dedicated team to work on drone technology and anti-drone measures: Amit Shah
The Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said every unit of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) should constitute a dedicated team to work on drone technology and anti-drone measures to ensure national security. Shah was addressing a Chintan Shivir of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers posted in Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and National Security Guard (NSG) in New Delhi. The Home Minister said that good law and order is very important for the progress of any nation, which can be ensured only through a strong police administration. The Government of India has always made efforts to strengthen the police administration system and make it people-oriented so that it meets the expectations of the common people along with their safety, he said.
Date - 13/06/2023
NPCI plans to take UPI to Gulf nations, including Bahrain and Saudi Arabia
NPCI is in talks with Gulf countries, including Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, to expand its Unified Payments Interface (UPI) service in those nations. The discussions are currently in early stages, but the Gulf countries are showing interest. UPI will be helpful to millions of Indians who live and work in the Gulf countries and have to regularly transfer part of their income to their families in India. Dilip Asbe, managing director and chief executive, NPCI, said, "NPCI is in initial discussions with a few Gulf countries for developing cross-border remittances using UPI, which will be primarily bank account-to-bank account transfers. The discussions have been facilitated by the Reserve Bank of India and other-country central bank collaboration, and by our Indian mission offices."
Date - 13/06/2023
Technology 'master key' to unlocking real potential of Indo-US relationship: US Ambassador Sandhu
Describing technology as the force multiplier for the Indo-US partnership, India's Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu said tech is the "master key" to unlocking the real potential of the relationship. Sandhu's comments come ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US next week. Modi has been invited by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for an official State Visit, which will include a State Dinner on June 22. "If you ask me, what I would bet on the most, what is that one force multiplier for this relationship, and for global wellbeing indeed, it is tech. It is that master key to unlock the real potential in the relationship," Sandhu said on Monday. "There is a lot of synergy and complementarity between us in the tech space. Tech, to me, is powered by trust. It is as much strategic as (it is) commercial," he added.
Date - 13/06/2023
Quest for eco-friendly plastics: IIT-Gawahati and NRL join hands to find a solution
A report from the United Nations says that every minute the equivalent of a garbage truck plastic waste is dumped into the oceans. Plastic waste is the biggest environmental problem that the world faces today. According to the United Nations report, about "7 billion of the 9.2 billion tonnes of plastic produced from 1950-2017 became plastic waste, ending up in landfills." To find a solution to the global plastic problem, IIT-Gawahati has joined hands with Northeast's largest PSU refiner Numaligarh Refinery (NRL) they have managed to develop a form of plastic that is biodegradable. The research is being carried out in the campus of IIT-Gawahati where the institute has established the 'NRL - Centre of Excellence (CoE)' for study on biodegradable and environmentally sustainable plastics. The partnership between IIT-Guwahati and Assam-based NRL for establishing the CoE on bioplastics is a first-of-its-kind academic-industrial collaboration and it is likely to foster R&D work along with production of biodegradable plastics utilising the waste and intermediate materials.
Date - 13/06/2023
Defence Space Agency: India's initiatives to build its defence capabilities in space, the last frontier
A significant part of India's economy and social sector schemes are being powered by the country's space infrastructure. ISRO is operating one of the world's largest fleet of satellites, which provide critical services like remote sensing, navigation, communications and broadcast. The worth of the country's space assets has been estimated to be more than $40 billion (if we include the cost of the ground based space systems). However, the services that these space assets provide to the government and the masses are invaluable. If the country loses its space assets, a significant part of the economy will face operational problems. It makes sense for India to invest in the creation of systems for defending its space infrastructure. The creation of Defence Space Agency (DSA) was approved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 28 September 2018. The DSA was created along with the Defence Cyber Agency (DCA). Both DSA and DCA are tri-service agencies-they serve all the three branches of the armed forces and they draw their personnel from all the three branches.
Date - 13/06/2023
Technology 'master key' to unlocking real potential of Indo-US relationship: US Ambassador Sandhu
Describing technology as the force multiplier for the Indo-US partnership, India's Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu said tech is the "master key" to unlocking the real potential of the relationship. Sandhu's comments come ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US next week. Modi has been invited by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for an official State Visit, which will include a State Dinner on June 22. "If you ask me, what I would bet on the most, what is that one force multiplier for this relationship, and for global wellbeing indeed, it is tech. It is that master key to unlock the real potential in the relationship," Sandhu said on Monday. "There is a lot of synergy and complementarity between us in the tech space. Tech, to me, is powered by trust. It is as much strategic as (it is) commercial," he added.
Date - 13/06/2023
Quest for eco-friendly plastics: IITGawahati and NRL join hands to find a solution
A report from the United Nations says that every minute the equivalent of a garbage truck plastic waste is dumped into the oceans. Plastic waste is the biggest environmental problem that the world faces today. According to the United Nations report, about "7 billion of the 9.2 billion tonnes of plastic produced from 1950-2017 became plastic waste, ending up in landfills." To find a solution to the global plastic problem, IIT-Gawahati has joined hands with Northeast's largest PSU refiner Numaligarh Refinery (NRL) they have managed to develop a form of plastic that is biodegradable. The research is being carried out in the campus of IIT-Gawahati where the institute has established the 'NRL - Centre of Excellence (CoE)' for study on biodegradable and environmentally sustainable plastics. The partnership between IIT-Guwahati and Assam-based NRL for establishing the CoE on bioplastics is a first-of-its-kind academic-industrial collaboration and it is likely to foster R&D work along with production of biodegradable plastics utilising the waste and intermediate materials.
Date - 13/06/2023
Defence Space Agency: India's initiatives to build its defence capabilities in space, the last frontier
A significant part of India's economy and social sector schemes are being powered by the country's space infrastructure. ISRO is operating one of the world's largest fleet of satellites, which provide critical services like remote sensing, navigation, communications and broadcast. The worth of the country's space assets has been estimated to be more than $40 billion (if we include the cost of the ground based space systems). However, the services that these space assets provide to the government and the masses are invaluable. If the country loses its space assets, a significant part of the economy will face operational problems. It makes sense for India to invest in the creation of systems for defending its space infrastructure. The creation of Defence Space Agency (DSA) was approved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 28 September 2018. The DSA was created along with the Defence Cyber Agency (DCA). Both DSA and DCA are tri-service agenciesâ??they serve all the three branches of the armed forces and they draw their personnel from all the three branches.
Date - 13/06/2023
iGOT Karmayogi platform creates a level playing field for all govt officials: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that training is an opportunity for every level and for every official in the government, and with this objective, the iGOT Karmayogi platform has brought about a level playing field. He said that iGOT Karmayogi registration crossing the 10 lakh user base mark shows that people in the system are keen to learn. He added that Karmayogi Mission seeks to improve the orientation, mindset and approach of the government personnel so that they feel content and happy, and as a by-product of this improvement, the governance system improves organically. While inaugurating the first-ever National Training Conclave at the International Exhibition and Convention Centre, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, the PM emphasised the importance of aspects like service orientation of government work, ownership in realising the aspirations of common man, need to break hierarchy and using experience of every person in organisation, importance of Jan Bhagidari, the zeal to improve and innovate the system, among other things. Modi added that the training modules should be oriented and developed such that these aspects are inculcated among the government officials.
Date - 12/06/2023
Government e-Marketplace to organise district level buyer-seller workshops in UP
Government e-Marketplace (GeM) is organizing buyer-seller workshops in all the 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh from tomorrow till 31st August, 2023. These workshops aim to enhance the understanding of GeM's functionalities among buyers and sellers in the state, as well as provide a platform to address any queries or concerns they may have. The buyer-seller workshops are a significant step towards ensuring accessibility and participation from every corner of the state. GeM believes in empowering buyers and sellers in the remotest districts of Uttar Pradesh by providing them with the necessary knowledge and resources to leverage the benefits of the platform effectively. These workshops will serve as a platform to address queries, provide guidance, and discuss any issues faced by the users at the district level. During the workshops, participants will receive comprehensive training on GeM's features, registration processes, and various aspects of online procurement. GeM experts will be available to provide hands-on assistance and address specific concerns faced by buyers and sellers.
Date - 12/06/2023
Ability to wage cyber war best defence against cyber attacks from state level adversaries
The establishment of Defence Cyber Agency (DCA), under the aegis of Ministry of Defence, was approved by the Central Government in 2018. It was reported in 2021 that the agency was fully functional and that to mitigate cyber threats from state level cyber adversaries the DCA had established Cyber Emergency Response Teams (CERT) in all the three Services. Recently, the national security agencies conducted a weeklong cyber defence exercise to test the capabilities of India's civilian and military digital infrastructure. The exercise was conducted under the aegis of DCA and its main objective, according to official sources, was to test the resilience of the firewalls which guard India's critical infrastructure. India's defence servers are (in most cases) protected by air-gap and standalone servers. Air-gapping is a way by which the network administrators create an "obstacle" made of air to keep hostile programming code that hackers try to insert for compromising the integrity of networks. Since there are no cables or WiFi connections, the hostile code cannot travel beyond the physical boundaries of the network.
Date - 12/06/2023
Rumors of Co-WIN data breach; Health Ministry says CoWIN guarded by firewalls, data safe
Some media outlets are claiming that the Co-WIN portal has been hacked. Reports say that there has been breach of data of beneficiaries who have received COVID vaccination in the country. Under the aegis of the Union Health Ministry, the Co-WIN portal is the repository of the data of beneficiaries who have been vaccinated against COVID19. Certain posts on the social media platform Twitter have claimed using a Telegram (online messenger application) BOT, the personal data of individuals who have been vaccinated is being accessed. It is reported that the BOT has been able to pull individual data by simply passing the mobile number or Aadhaar number of a beneficiary.
Date - 12/06/2023
Now use UPI to buy tickets from RAPIDX ticket vending machines
RAPIDX has become the first local train service in the country to offer its commuters the facility of paying for their tickets through UPI. The commuters can use UPI to buy their tickets from the RAPIDX ticket vending machines (TVMs). Apart from TVMs, RAPIDX has several other ticketing options, such as commuter cards or national common mobility cards (NCMC). Commuters also have the option of generating a digital QR code from RAPIDX Connect, the all-in-one mobile application, and make ticket payments through UPI. The app features a UPI payment system. To use it, commuters have to select the "buy ticket" option on the screen. After that they have to select their destination and number of tickets. Four payment options will then appear on the screen-one of these options will be UPI.RAPIDX has become the first local train service in the country to offer its commuters the facility of paying for their tickets through UPI. The commuters can use UPI to buy their tickets from the RAPIDX ticket vending machines (TVMs). Apart from TVMs, RAPIDX has several other ticketing options, such as commuter cards or national common mobility cards (NCMC). Commuters also have the option of generating a digital QR code from RAPIDX Connect, the all-in-one mobile application, and make ticket payments through UPI. The app features a UPI payment system. To use it, commuters have to select the "buy ticket" option on the screen. After that they have to select their destination and number of tickets. Four payment options will then appear on the screenâ??one of these options will be UPI.
Date - 12/06/2023
Digital economy to surpass 20% of Indiaâ??s GDP by 2026: Rajeev Chandrasekhar
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister for Electronics and IT, said that the digital economy's contribution to India's overall economy has surpassed all expectations in the past nine years. In 2014, while the digital economy accounted for 3 to 3.5 percent of the overall economy, it is 10 percent today. He said that by 2026, the digital economy in India is likely to be 20% of India's GDP. The Union minister while speaking at the GPI Global Summit in Pune said that the rapid adoption of digital technology has helped India emerge as a global market, which is now one of the most lucrative markets for e-services, e-commerce, digital payments, and online entertainment. According to Chandrasekhar, the Centre's strategy of pushing =key citizen centric schemes to online platforms (through e-governance initiatives) has helped bridge the governance gap and bring efficiency, accountability and transparency.
Date - 12/06/2023
AI offers new opportunities; also brings concerns of privacy, fake news: Amitabh Kant
"While artificial intelligence (AI) offers exciting new opportunities, such technologies also bring with them new risks, threats to personal privacy and concerns about fake news," Amitabh Kant, Panjim, India's G20 Sherpa said. He was speaking at the second G20-SAI Summit of the SAI20 Engagement Group here. Kant said the world is interconnected today with technology. It plays a crucial role in the functioning and the transformation, and helps to collect, process and disseminate information more quickly and efficiently. "And with this vast data, we are seeing the emergence of generative artificial intelligence. These are playing a very critical role in the lives of citizens, they have both a positive as well as disruptive potential," he added.
Date - 12/06/2023
Govt approves projects of Rs 7500 cr to develop fishing harbours, fish landing centres
Projects to the tune of more than Rs 7,500 crore for the development of modern fishing harbours and fish landing centres have been approved by the Centre. Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, laid the foundation of the project on modernization and upgradation of Cochin Fishing Harbour at Thoppumpady, Samudrika Hall, Willingdon Island, Cochin Port Authority, Cochin. The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India, in March 2022 sanctioned the proposal of Cochin Port Trust for Modernization and upgradation of Cochin Fishing Harbour at Thoppumpady at a total cost of Rs.169.17 crore with central financial assistance of Rs.100 crore under PMMSY in a convergence with the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways under Sagarmala. The project will benefit 700 fishing boats operating at Cochin fishing harbor, which will support direct livelihoods of about 10000 fishers and indirect livelihoods of about 30000 fishers across the value chain. It is envisaged that the modernization project will support substantial improvement in the hygienic conditions and increase in earnings from export of fish and fish products.
Date - 11/06/2023
Quantum jump in startups to 90,000 with more than 100 unicorns: Dr Jitendra Singh
A two day "Young Startup Expo," organised by CSIR-IIIM, was inaugurated by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, at Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir. In his speech, Dr Singh said, "this startup expo offers an excellent opportunity to explore new avenues for industry as well as entrepreneurs in the region." He said that his government was giving top priority to Jammu and Kashmir. On the subject of the success of startups in the country, he said, "Startups in India grew 300 times in the last 9 years from just around 350 startups before 2014. There has been a quantum jump in Start-ups to more than 90,000 with more than 100 unicorns." He added that India had no dearth of talent, capability, innovation and creativity in the youth, but they were lacking a favourable milieu and proper patronage from the political leadership which was provided by Prime Minister Modi. He emphasised that the startups are creating several new job opportunities in niche sectors.
Date - 11/06/2023
Online allotment of accommodation in AIIMS Delhi to promote absolute transparency
To enhance transparency, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi has decided to transition to an online system for the allotment of official accommodation. The decision came following a number of complaints regarding the current offline allotment process. "In order to promote good governance and to ensure absolute transparency in the allotment of official accommodation, it has been decided that all requests for house allotment shall be received and processed online only and housing seniority lists shall be transparently displayed and updated online in real-time basis for all types of official accommodation available with AIIMS New Delhi," according to an office memorandum issued by AIIMS Director M Srinivas on June 9. The offline allotment system has often resulted in opacity, making it difficult to ensure fairness and accountability in the allocation of accommodation to faculty members, officials and staffers, Dr Srinivas said.
Date - 11/06/2023
Approval of pumped storage projects fast-tracked; hydro power on speed; clearances in record time
The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has accorded concurrence to Upper Sileru Pumped Storage Project (PSP) of 1350 MW being developed at Sileru, Alluri Sitharama Raju district of Andhra Pradesh by APGENCO (a government of Andhra Pradesh undertaking) in record time of 70 days against the stipulated timeline of 90 days. To expedite the process of concurrence of Hydro PSPs, the Central Electricity Authority, Ministry of Power, Government of India has recently revamped the process for concurrence of Detailed Project Report (DPR) of these projects. The CEA has established a single window clearance cell for this purpose. The Central Water Commission (CWC) has nominated nodal officers for fast-tracking the clearance of design aspects. It has also designated more groups for examination of design aspects of DPRs to further fast-track the clearances. The Geological Survey of India (GSI) has nominated nodal officers for fast-tracking the clearance of geological aspects of DPRs, and CEA has requested GSI to involve their subordinate and field offices in states to further fast-track the clearances.
Date - 09/06/2023
20 R&D projects in Geotech, Protech, Indutech, Sustainable Textiles, Sportech, Buildtech, Speciality Fibres cleared under NTTM
20 R&D projects across key strategic areas of Geo tech, Protech, Indutech, Sustainable Textiles, Sportech, Buildtech segments and Specialty Fibres (Carbon Fibre and Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene) during the 6th MSG meeting. The 20 approved R&D projects are: 3 Projects of Geotech, 6 of Protech, 1 of Indutech, 1 of Sportech, 2 of Sustainable Textiles, 2 of Buildtech, 2 of Carbon Fibres, 2 of Specialty and Functional Fibre, 1 of Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE). While addressing the meeting, Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Textiles, Commerce and Industry and Consumer Affairs, said that it is necessary to identify the areas where high strength lightweight technical textiles could be used as an alternative material in automobile, aviation, infrastructure and medical sectors for enhancing efficiency, advancement and sustainability.
Date - 09/06/2023
Now use your Aadhaar and phone number to verify your LinkedIn identity
Microsoft-owned business and employment-focussed social media platform LinkedIn has introduced a new and free identity verification feature for more than 100 million of its customer base in India. In India, the ID verification is performed by HyperVerge, a third-party identity verification service, that uses government-owned digital wallet for government IDs DigiLocker. This verification will be shown on one's LinkedIn profile and is available for those with a valid Aadhaar number and an India phone number. This feature will be available and free to all eligible LinkedIn members in India. While the verification process on LinkedIn is voluntary, being verified could significantly enhance a member's credibility when engaging with other professionals, and can help open doors to new opportunities, the company said in a statement.
Date - 08/06/2023
CERT-In issues alert on MOVEit software; hackers targeting zero-day vulnerability
In its new vulnerability note, CERT-In has issued an alert on MOVEit software. The vulnerability note says, "A SQL injection vulnerability exists in MOVEit Transfer which could allow an unauthenticated attacker to gain unauthorised access to MOVEit Transfer's database." The note adds, "This vulnerability in Progress MOVEit Transfer web application is due to SQL injection. Depending on the database engine being used (MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, or Azure SQL), an attacker may be able to infer information about the structure and contents of the database in addition to executing SQL statements that alter or delete database elements." The affected software are: MOVEit Transfer versions prior to 2021.0.6 (13.0.6), 2021.1.4 (13.1.4), 2022.0.4 (14.0.4), 2022.1.5 (14.1.5), and 2023.0.1 (15.0.1). A zero-day vulnerability has been reported in MOVEit software. There are several reports of this vulnerability being exploited by hackers.
Date - 08/06/2023
Now use your Aadhaar and phone number to verify your LinkedIn identity
Microsoft-owned business and employment-focussed social media platform LinkedIn has introduced a new and free identity verification feature for more than 100 million of its customer base in India. In India, the ID verification is performed by HyperVerge, a third-party identity verification service, that uses government-owned digital wallet for government IDs DigiLocker. This verification will be shown on one's LinkedIn profile and is available for those with a valid Aadhaar number and an India phone number. This feature will be available and free to all eligible LinkedIn members in India. While the verification process on LinkedIn is voluntary, being verified could significantly enhance a member's credibility when engaging with other professionals, and can help open doors to new opportunities, the company said in a statement.
Date - 08/06/2023
Cyber drills, exercises between nations needed to enhance online security: CERT-In DG
Cyber drills and exercises between nations needed to strengthen the information security framework. Sanjay Bahl, Director General of India's nodal agency for dealing with cyber threats, Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), said this at the G20 international conference on cyber security exercises for the banking sector. As per the official statement released by the RBI, Bhal stressed the need for the global community to work together and also highlighted three global challenges in countering cyber attacks. "He (Bahl) pointed out that cyber drills and exercises could help in building long-lasting relationships and in leveraging each other's strengths to enhance preparedness," the RBI statement issued after the conclusion of the event said.
Date - 07/06/2023
e-Conomy report: India's digital economy to grow over fivefold at USD 1 trillion by 2030
India's digital economy is expected to surge more than fivefold to USD 1 trillion by 2030, led by a growing appetite for digital products and services -- especially in its smaller cities, according to a joint research report released on Tuesday by Google, Temasek, and Bain and Company. Titled 'India e-Conomy Report', the research states India is in its 'Digital Decade' and its Internet economy will grow to 12-13 per cent of its GDP by the end of the decade from the current 4-5 percent. A phenomenal rise in online activities for day-to-day life has put India well ahead of some of the world's largest economies.
Date - 07/06/2023
Election processes must be integrated with new tech, including AI: CEC Rajiv Kumar
"The Election processes are so robust that all guidelines, information, and forms have been codified and standardized. They need to be integrated in a way through AI tools for easy reference, search and interactive training," Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar while inaugurating the hostel complex at India International Institute of Democracy & Election Management (IIIDEM), Dwarka. He also said that the election officers have to be trained with the latest technologies. The inauguration was attended by several senior officials from the Election Commission of India and IIIDEM. IIIDEM is the training and capacity building arm of the Election Commission of India established in 2011 to train, prepare and equip election officials and other stakeholders for delivery of free, fair, credible and error-free elections.
Date - 07/06/2023
Helium leakage detection technology deployed to address contaminated water issue in Delhi
The Delhi government has decided to employ helium leakage detection technology to easily identify any leaks in the water pipeline. According to the Delhi Government (led by AAP), this modern technology can provide relief to people in Delhi whose health and wellbeing are being threatened by contaminated water. "From now onwards, there will be no need to dig up roads to identify water leaks in the underground pipeline," said an official. Delhi's Water Minister, Saurabh Bhardwaj, inspected equipment for detecting leaks and contaminated water in the pipeline in the Shahpur Jat area. The Minister also tested the technology to assess its effectiveness in identifying leaks in the pipeline. He said that complaints about the supply of contaminated water had been received from the Shahpur Jat area in the past few days. This had led the Delhi government to adopt this new helium leakage detection technology.
Date - 07/06/2023
Meri LiFE app: Participation in sustainable lifestyle hits 2 crore mark in first month
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday lauded more than 2 crore participations on Meri LiFE app in less than a month of its launch. Sharing a tweet by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, the Prime Minister tweeted: "Encouraging trend, indicating a collective spirit to make our planet better." Bhupender Yadav in his tweet said: "There couldn't have been a better way to mark World Environment Day! Participation on Meri LiFE App breaches the 2 crore mark in less than a month since its launch," and shared a screenshot o the app's dashboard.
Date - 07/06/2023
AIIMS eHospital services face malware attack, no data breach reported
Months after facing its worst cyber attacks, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Tuesday said that the eHospital services in the hospital faced another malware attack which was dealt with professionally and there was no data breach reported. The Centre has also denied any cyber breach. The AIIMS website ehospital.aiims.edu allegedly suffered a cyber attack and a message 'Virus found' was seen. AIIMS New Delhi denied any cyber attack or data breach. "A malware attack was detected at 1450 hrs by the cyber-security systems in AIIMS, New Delhi. The attempt was successfully thwarted, and the threat was neutralised by the deployed cyber-security systems," the health institution posted in a tweet.
Date - 07/06/2023
DST supported technologies offer solution to plastic pollution; private partners invited for wider application
A bunch of technologies supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) are in the process to be deployed in various applications to beat plastic pollution, the Ministry of Science & Technology said on Monday. These technologies tackle the increasing menace of plastic pollution through reducing, reusing and recycling plastic, paving the path towards sustainable development, the ministry said in a statement. Many of these technologies are being used at a pilot scale and scaling them up could bring relief from this ever growing challenge. The technology development and transfer division of the department funds technology development projects including materials, devices and processes, it said.
Date - 06/06/2023
Of 424 foreign satellites launched by India, 389 in last 9 years: Jitendra Singh
Out of 424 foreign satellites launched till date by India, 389 were launched in the last nine years, and out of $174 million earned, 157 million came in the last nine years and, likewise, out of 256 million Euros earned so far, 223 million came during the 9 years of the Modi regime. This was stated Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology in an interview with DD News. He said that Indiaâ??s Space sector is fast gaining a preeminent position in the world and the countries which started their space programmes long before us are today seeking our services and our facility to launch their satellites. Jitendra Singh pointed out Indiaâ??s Space Applications have become a big source of livelihood opportunities through the rise of 130 odd startups. He said that these startups could rise to prominence because the space sector was opened up by the Modi government. He said that the technical institutes in Trivandrum, Jammu and Agartala have 100 percent placements for students and about 50 percent of them go to NASA to pursue higher studies.
Date - 06/06/2023
People must be trained in cyber hygiene, need for cyber crisis management plans: Rajesh Pant
Rajesh Pant, National Cyber Security Coordinator, has proposed the Delhi Declarations for G20 nations to promote cyber peace and cooperation for preventing, mitigating, and investigating incidents in cyberspace. Pant cited various G20 action plans on cyberspace and said that the G20 supports the existing UN cybersecurity norms. "I want to propose today something that I'm calling the Delhi Declaration," Pant said. He said that the G20 encourages nations to adopt norms of responsible state behaviour in cyberspace and that the norms of Delhi Declarations have already been accepted by the UNO.
Date - 06/06/2023
Defence tech: Germany explores ways to work with India on Rs 43000 cr submarine project
Amid growing cooperation over technology sharing in the defence sector, India and Germany on Tuesday indicated to explore ways to co-develop key defence platforms including India's ambitious procurement plan of six stealth conventional submarines, which is likely to cost around Rs 43,000 crore. German defence minister Boris Pistorius who met his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh on Tuesday maintained that the two countries were capable of building a much wider and sustainable defence relationship. Singh meanwhile, invited German companies to explore new areas of cooperation and invest in the new UP and Tamil Nadu defence corridors. According to the defence ministry, during the discussions India's proposal to acquire six stealth conventional submarines at an estimated cost of Rs 43,000 crore, did come up for discussion and the German defence minister Pistorius expressed his country's interest in participating in the project. Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) is among the key contenders for the project.
Date - 06/06/2023
IIT Hyderabad's iTIC Incubator, Greenko launch BUILD program to support student innovators pan India
iTIC Incubator at IIT Hyderabad, in collaboration with Greenko Group, has launched a new program called Bold & Unique Ideas Leading to Development (BUILD) on the occasion of World Environment Day on Monday, June 05. The program was launched at IIT Hyderabad by Dr Anil Chalamalasetty, MD and CEO, Greenko Group and Prof. BS Murty, Director, IIT Hyderabad, in the presence of Dr AS Kiran Kumar (former chairman, ISRO), faculty of IITH and partner incubators. The primary objective of BUILD is to support undergraduate students and recent graduates to give shape to their innovative ideas and eventually turn them into a startup. Under the BUILD initiative, iTIC incubator at IIT Hyderabad signed an MoU with 14 incubators pan India to promote the BUILD program and to scout, shortlist and support 75 innovators. i-TIC Incubator has launched a national call for applications on its website. Benefits to selected innovators include financial aid of up to Rs one lakh, mentorship, prototyping support and co-working space. At the end of the 12-month program, innovators could get a chance for pre-incubation support and further grants at iTIC Incubator at IIT Hyderabad, according to a press release.
Date - 06/06/2023
NHAI's 'Sustainability Report' highlights environment sustainability initiatives in highway projects
Various initiatives taken by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) towards environment sustainability have been highlighted in first 'Sustainability Report for FY 2021-22'. The report, released by released by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari recently, covers NHAI's governance structure, stakeholders, environment and social responsibility initiatives. The Data Lake tool developed by NHAI is a signifi cant step towards digitizing the highway network in India, enabling NHAI to manage the vast amount of data generated by its infrastructure effectively. The tool's features, such as real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and analytics capabilities, have enabled NHAI to improve the safety and performance of the highways and roads under its supervision. The report underlines the effectiveness of various efforts made by NHAI for environment and energy conservation. From FY 2019-20 till 2021-22 direct emission reduced by 18.44 percent and 9.49 percent due to less fuel consumption. NHAI continues to work towards reducing indirect emissions as well, by transiting towards clean and green energy sources, the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways said.
Date - 06/06/2023
e-Mobility push: Centre mulls comprehensive EV policy for public transport across Indian cities
Keeping e-mobility adoption its top priority, the Centre may soon rollout a comprehensive policy on public transport across Indian cities giving the electric vehicles a 'very large' space to operate. According to Tarun Kapoor, advisor to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government is working on a key draft that indicates that a large number of Indian cities have poor public transport systems and there was a need for a policy to introduce public transport that was sustainable and run on green energy. Kapoor maintained that there was a need for the EV manufacturers to work on innovation that may help and make new gen EV much affordable while reducing the size of battery.
Date - 06/06/2023
Startup20 Engagement Group meet in Goa: Call for creation of startup ecosystem in all G20 nations
At the Startup20 Engagement Group meeting in Goa, the G20 nations joined forces to call for the creation of a global startup ecosystem for growth and innovation. During the meeting, there were crucial discussions and meetings aimed at strengthening collaboration and aligning efforts towards the growth and support of startups globally. During the press conference held later in the day, Dr. Chintan Vaishnav, Chair of Startup20, addressed the media, highlighting the progress made and the significance of the Policy Communique. He expressed his satisfaction with the agreement reached by all delegates on the Communique, marking a pivotal moment in the journey of the G20 nations towards fostering startup ecosystems worldwide. Dr. Vaishnav emphasized the collective efforts and extensive consultations undertaken with G20 nations to arrive at this crucial juncture. In his statement, Dr. Chintan Vaishnav underscored the importance of specific action points outlined in the Communique. The key action points include the creation and adoption of a definition framework for startups, creating a network institution to support startups and ecosystem stakeholders across G20, increasing and diversifying access to capital, easing market regulations for startups, and prioritizing the inclusion of underrepresented communities within the startup ecosystem as well as the scaling up startups of global interest.
Date - 05/06/2023
India poised to become IT superpower on 6 pillars of development: MeitY Secretary Alkesh Sharma
Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), conducted a seminar on 'Growth avenues for Indian IT industry and emerging tech ecosystem' in New Delhi on Monday on its 32nd Foundation Day. Secretary, MeitY, Alkesh Kumar Sharma, said, "Today, the world is talking about digital transformation. India is moving from e-governance to digital governance, where each service has to be online. The six major pillars of development that make India an IT superpower are connectivity, lowcost data, affordable devices, people-friendly policies, future-ready talent and cyber security." Arvind Kumar, Director General, STPI, said, "Over the last three decades, the STPI has achieved many milestones. It mitigated the three basic concerns of the industry, including ease of doing business, high-speed internet and computing devices."
Date - 05/06/2023
GIS-based masterplan for Ayodhya approved, complete makeover of infrastructure is on
With large-scale development works underway, Ayodhya is seeing a complete makeover in its infrastructure. Roads in several parts of the city have been dug up to lay fresh sweet lines. This is creating temporary problems for the residents as they have to deal with the problem of water-logging, sound of construction and dust. The GIS based master plan has been approved for Ayodhya this time and it has been decided that the natural features of the city will not be disturbed at all. "Construction has been going on since long ago and we have marked the places where construction has been done and they are being revised through patterns. Revival of the Tamsa and Tilorki rivers was done last year, after which many people have got a lot of relief from water-logging," said Vishal Singh, Ayodhya's municipal commissioner.
Date - 04/06/2023
Srinagar aims to get 'smart' by June 2024, 125 projects worth Rs 930 crore sanctioned
With a total of 125 projects worth Rs 930 crore sanctioned under the Smart City Mission, an initiative of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Srinagar looks set to become a smart city by June 2024. Athar Amir Khan, CEO, Srinagar Smart City Ltd (SSCL) and Srinagar Municipal Commissioner, said that out of the 125 projects, 56 projects worth Rs 320 crore have been completed, rest of the 69 projects are under execution. Some of the projects have progressed 80-90 percent while some are at initial stages. "Most of the projects will be completed by December end of this year. Around 16 projects which are under execution will be completed by June 2024," Khan said.
Date - 04/06/2023
Tata Group signs MoU with Gujarat Govt to build Rs 130 billion EV battery plant
The Tata group has signed an agreement with the Gujarat government to establish a lithium-ion cell factory. The company will invest approximately Rs 13,000 crore ($1.6 billion). This manufacturing plant will support India's aim to develop its own electric vehicle (EV) supply chain. The electric car market in India is rather small compared to the nation's population. Currently, Tata Group dominates the electric vehicle market, which made up about 1 percent of the total car sales last year.
Date - 03/06/2023
RBI proposes robust norms on cyber resilience, digital payment security controls for PSOs
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has proposed to establish robust governance mechanisms for authorised non-bank payment system operators (PSOs) to effectively address emerging cybersecurity risks. Towards this goal, the central bank has issued a 'Draft Master Directions on Cyber Resilience and Digital Payment Security Controls for Payment System Operators'. The draft directions cover governance mechanisms for the identification, assessment, monitoring and management of cybersecurity risks, including information security risks and vulnerabilities. They also specify baseline security measures to ensure safe and secure digital payment transactions. The central bank said existing instructions concerning security and risk mitigation for card payments, prepaid payment instruments (PPIs) and mobile banking will remain in effect.
Date - 03/06/2023
Startup20 Engagement Group gears up for its 3rd meeting in Goa
Startup20 Engagement Group, operating under the India's G20 presidency, is all set to host its third meeting in Goa on June 3-4. International delegates from G20 nations and Indian delegates are arriving from Friday. Under India's G20 presidency, Startup20 serves as a prime opportunity to foster collaboration, exchange ideas, and shape the future of startups and entrepreneurship on a global scale, according to the Ministry of Commerce & Industry. Embracing the spirit of "Sankalpana," a Sanskrit term for collective resolve, brings together international delegates and experienced members of the Indian startup ecosystem, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange, the ministry said.
Date - 02/06/2023
BIS notifies 31 Indian standards for Ayush herbs and products
In a new push for standardization in the field of Ayush, the national standards body Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has notified 31 Indian standards related to the traditional medicine system, which includes 30 herbs and one product (stainless steel neti pot). These standards were recently published through gazette notification. BIS has also created an additional department for enabling dedicated focus on Ayush at BIS. The Ministry of Ayush said this initiative by BIS for development of standards and accreditation/ certification of Ayush will augment international trade by ensuring quality of products and services, provide confidence to the manufactures and bring benefits to consumers in terms of reducing costs, enhancing performance and improving safety. BIS has recently added another pillar to its robust structure of standardisation in India by establishing an additional department with a dedicated focus on Ayush at BIS, the ministry said, adding that the move will not only provide an impetus to the process of standardization but also will aid its objectives to ensure quality of Ayush products and services at all levels.
Date - 02/06/2023
Rising cyber crimes, white collar crimes deliberated by parliamentary panel
The issues of cyber security and rising incidence of cyber and white collar crimes were at the centre of deliberations at a meeting of a key parliamentary panel. Experts from the industry were quizzed by lawmakers about various facets of unlawful activities, including the rising cases of fraudulent loan apps. Sources said that the members of the Standing Committee on Finance sought the views of experts about the trends in cybercrime and what measures can be taken to mitigate the risks.
Date - 02/06/2023
Multiple vulnerabilities in Google Chrome, severity rating high: CERT-In
In its new vulnerability note, CERT-In is reporting multiple vulnerabilities in Google Chrome. These vulnerabilities could be exploited by an attacker to execute arbitrary code and denial of Service (DoS) conditions on the targeted system. The vulnerabilities have been detected in Google Chrome versions prior to 114.0.5735.90/91 for Windows, and Google Chrome versions prior to 114.0.5735.90 for Mac and Linux.
Date - 02/06/2023
Parliamentary panel seeks views on cyber security and measures to plug future risks
The issue of 'cyber security and rising incidence of cyber/white collar crimes' was at the centre of deliberations at a meeting of a key parliamentary panel as experts from the industry were quizzed by lawmakers about various facets of unlawful activities, including fraud loan apps. Sources said the members of the Standing Committee on Finance sought the views of experts about various trends in cyber crime and what measures can be taken to mitigate the risks. The issue of fraud lending apps, which have been hitting headlines with rising complaints of people being swindled or forced to pay exorbitant interest rates, also came up for discussion at the meeting. Senior officials of different fintech firms and public policy and advocacy groups were among the industry stakeholders who deposed before the committee.
Date - 02/06/2023
CITIIS 2.0 to further promote city investments on innovation and sustainability
The City Investments to Innovate, Integrate and Sustain 2.0 (CITIIS 2.0), a program conceived by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) will be implemented in collaboation with the French Development Agency (AFD), Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau (KfW), the European Union (EU), and National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA). The program envisages to support competitively selected projects promoting circular economy with focus on integrated waste management at the city level, climate-oriented reform actions at the state level, and institutional strengthening and knowledge dissemination at the national level. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved the programme, which will run for a period of four years -- from 2023 to 2027. The funding for CITIIS 2.0 would include a loan of Rs 1,760 crore (EUR 200 million) from AFD and KfW (EUR 100 million each) and a technical assistance grant of Rs 106 crore (EUR 12 million) from the EU.
Date - 01/06/2023
Universal Postal Union regional office to be established in New Delhi to enhance postal technology
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved the decision to establish a regional office of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in New Delhi, to undertake UPU's development cooperation and technical assistance activities in the region by entering into an agreement with UPU. The approval enables India to play active role at multilateral organizations in postal sector with emphasis on South-South and Triangular cooperation, the government said. India will provide a field project expert, staff and office setup for UPU's regional office. Projects on capacity building and trainings, improving efficiency and quality of postal services, enhancement of postal technology, e-commerce and trade promotion, etc will be prepared and implemented for the region by this office in coordination with UPU, it said.
Date - 01/06/2023
FinMin working with MeitY, RBI to clamp down on ponzi apps: Nirmala Sitharaman
Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday said the finance ministry is working with MeitY and RBI to clamp down on ponzi apps to prevent them from taking away hard earned money of gullible investors. Cautioning investors against ponzi apps, Sitharaman said investors should do their due diligence and should not be lured by claims of lucrative returns made by them. The Union finance ministry is working with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to clamp down on ponzi apps. Cautioning investors against ponzi apps, Sitharaman said investors should do their due diligence and should not be lured by claims of lucrative returns made by them. "There are also apps which are coming out and reaching out to people saying we can do this," we can do that. Your money will fetch you this much.
Date - 01/06/2023
Ex-Sebi ED Radhakrishnan Nair, former SBI Card CEO Prasad join MobiKwik advisory board
Former Sebi Executive Director and Irdai member Radhakrishnan Nair, and ex-MD and CEO of SBI Card Hardayal Prasad have joined MobiKwik's advisory board, which has been set up by the company to enhance its understanding of regulations, compliance, and industry dynamics. The idea behind the drive is to further strengthen the firm's position in the BFSI and fintech sectors. "With a combined experience of eight decades across various financial domains such as banking, securities, insurance, investments, credit cards, payment services, and IPOs, Radhakrishnan Nair and Hardayal Prasad bring unique perspectives that are expected to drive innovation and propel MobiKwik towards even greater growth and success," MobiKwik said in a statement. Nair has over 40 years of experience in banking, securities, and insurance industries. He is serving as an independent director in several other companies, including ICICI Bank and its subsidiaries.
Date - 01/06/2023
India's cyber security operation is set to be among world's top 3 markets: Trend Micro
Trend Micro India, a subsidiary of the USD 2-billion cyber security company, has said that its India operations is set to become one of its top three markets in the world in the next 2 to 3 years. The company plans to focus on extended detection and response (XDR) and cloud business to achieve the goal. Sharda Tickoo, Trend Micro technical director for India & SAARC said, "We are now among the top five markets in our global operations. In the next 2-3 years, we aim at becoming one of the top three markets for our parent company." The company has recently acquired Bengaluru-based Anlyz, a leading provider of security operations centre (SOC) technology, to expand its research and development capabilities in India. With this acquisition, the company's R&D strength has been expanded to approximately 75 professionals.
Date - 01/06/2023
The race to deploy quantum computing to remodel governance, economy, communications
The launch of Quantum Computer Simulator (QSim) Toolkit in 2021 by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) can be seen as the first major initiative taken by the Indian government to ensure that India does not become a laggard in the global quantum race. QSim is providing support to researchers and students in India for doing quantum computing research in a cost effective manner. Recently, the Union Cabinet approved the National Quantum Mission for augmenting scientific and industrial R&D for accelerating economic activity led by cutting-edge quantum technologies. With a budgetary allocation of Rs. 6003.65 crore from 2023-24 to 2030-31, the mission is expected to create an ecosystem for development of quantum computers of 50-1000 physical qubits in 8-years on platforms like superconducting and photonic technology. The present National Quantum Mission can be seen as an offspring of the National Mission on Quantum Technologies and Applications (NM-QTA), which was first revealed in the 2020 budget speech. The budget for NM-QTA was Rs 8000 crore for a period of five years. After its launch, it went through numerous revisions and in April 2023, it led to the approval of the National Quantum Mission.
Date - 01/06/2023
Digital Rupee: RBI expands scope of CBDC's pilot, more banks and locations included
The Reserve Bank of India has announced that it is gradually expanding the scope of the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) pilot to include more banks and locations. Retail digital rupee offers features of physical cash like trust, safety and settlement finality in digital mode. It can be used to conduct transactions just as currency notes are used. The first pilot project on Digital Rupee -Wholesale Segment (e rupee-W) was launched on November 1, 2022. This pilot was followed by the first pilot for retail digital rupee (e rupee-R) launched on December 1, 2022. These pilots were launched in Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru and Bhubaneswar, comprising participating customers and merchants in a closed user group (CUG). Other locations, including Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Gangtok, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Indore, Kochi, Lucknow, Patna and Shimla are being added to the pilot in phases. Initially only four banks- State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, Yes Ban and IDFC First Bank were in the pilot projects. Subsequently bank of Baroda, Union Bank of India, HDFC Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank got added.
Date - 31/05/2023
India's defence tech exports up 23 times to Rs 16000 cr in FY23
Emerging as one of the leading defence technology exporters, the exports from India are reported to have swelled to nearly Rs 16,000 crore in FY 2022-23. The exports that stood at mere Rs 686 crore in FY 2013-14 have seen a jump of about 23 times in the past one decade. Also India's expenditure on defense procurement from foreign countries is reported to have shrunk considerably from 46 percent of the overall expenditure in 2018-19 to 36.7 percent reported in December 2022. According to the latest numbers shared in the Lok Sabha, among the key defence exports from India include aircraft such as Dornier-228, artillery guns, Brahmos Missiles, PINAKA rockets & launchers, radars, simulators, and armoured vehicles. The Atmanirbhar Bharat programme has made significant contributions towards pushing the domestic design, development, and production of defense equipment within the country. Apart from these the global demand for indigenous technology backed war systems and equipment including the LCA-Tejas, Light Combat Helicopters, Aircraft Carriers, and MRO activities has also seen an uptick in the past one year. According to government sources, there has been quite a buzz over these defence systems and so far over a dozen countries have shown interest in these systems and have even sought more details.
Date - 31/05/2023
India to push for AI-based portal to help MSME supply chains across developing world
India will push for creation of an Artificial Intelligence based portal at the G20 that will house various data on supply chains particularly helping MSMEs in the developing world. "An international body such as the UNCTAD could house it," a senior government official said. The discussions are at initial stages but the attempt is to push for tangible outcomes that can provide some solution, the official added.
Date - 31/05/2023
Delhi to implement Integrated Traffic Management System by the end of 2024
Delhi is set to have an Integrated Traffic Management System (ITMS) by the end of 2024. This system is expected to reduce congestion, enable faster and smarter vehicular movement. A detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Rs 1400 crore project has been prepared and is ready for implementation, following a comprehensive survey of various intersections in the city, said Surender Singh Yadav, Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic). The survey includes analyzing factors such as traffic volume, average road speed, pedestrian movement, stoppage time, and average travel time at junctions.
Date - 31/05/2023
Android malware masquerading as BFSI, e-com apps detected by Indian researchers
A sophisticated malware campaign known as DogeRAT (Remote Access Trojan) has been exposed by Indian researchers. Distributed via social media and messaging platforms, DogeRAT is capable of masquerading legitimate gaming, productivity, fintech and e-commerce apps. It can even appear like Netflix and YouTube apps. Once installed in the device of the victim, DogeRAT gains unauthorised access and starts collecting sensitive information, including contacts, messages, and banking credentials. DogeRAT utilises open-source Android malware to steal sensitive information and compromise the security of victims' devices, impacting various industries, particularly banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI), e-commerce, and entertainment. The malaware is not limited to just creating phishing websites; it is also into distributing modified RATs or repurposing malicious apps to execute scam campaigns that are low-cost and easy to set up, yet yield high returns.
Date - 31/05/2023
To uplift electronics sector, MeitY invites applications for incentives under PLI 2.0
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has invited applications for incentives under PLI 2.0 for IT Hardware. The details of the scheme have been released on MeitY's website. The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had given approval to introduce the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme 2.0 for IT Hardware for enhancing India's manufacturing capabilities and enhancing exports - Atmanirbhar Bharat on May 17, 2023. The scheme was notified on May 29, 2023. The window of applications under PLI Scheme 2.0 for IT Hardware will open from June 01, 2023.
Date - 30/05/2023
To boost off-shore wind energy, govt waives ISTS charges of 25 years for projects commissioned before Dec 2032
The Central Government has decided to grant waiver of ISTS charges to off-shore wind energy projects commissioned on or before 31 December 2032. The government has also decided to extend the waiver to green hydrogen and green ammonia projects. This decision has been taken to facilitate wider execution of offshore wind energy initiatives, and to promote the expansion of green hydrogen and green ammonia projects. The intention is to encourage the offtake of renewable energy. As per the notification issued by the Ministry of Power, a complete waiver of ISTS charges (Inter-State Transmission Charges) has been given for off-shore wind power projects commissioned on or before 31st December, 2032 for a period of 25 years from the date of commissioning of the Project.
Date - 30/05/2023
ISRO's GSLV NVS-1 Navic satellite launches today; will provide navigational services
After a 27.5 hour countdown, which began at 7.12 AM on Sunday, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will today launch its first second generation navigation satellite on board a GSLV rocket. This second generation navigation satellite series is designed to ensure the continuity of NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) services. The navigation satellite NVS-01, weighing 2,232 kg, will be carried into space by the 51.7 metre tall Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle from the second launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SHAR) here, about 130 km from Chennai. This is ISRO's fourth launch mission of 2023. Approximately 20 minutes after the launch, the rocket will deploy the satellite in a geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) at an altitude of about 251 km, ISRO informed. Once deployed in the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit, engineers will perform several orbit-raising maneuvers to push it into its desired orbit around the planet.
Date - 29/05/2023
Space sector reforms were a bold move by the Modi govt: former officials of ISRO, Antrix
The Indian space sector reforms was a different sort of a surgical strike, a bold move carried out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi headed central government, said former senior officials of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)/Antrix Corporation Ltd. According to them, the government had largely kept the Department of Space officials out of the reform drawing board owing to conflict of interest and inherent opposition to change. "It was a surgical strike," said Dr Tapan Misra, retired senior official of ISRO and Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Sisir Radar Private Ltd.
Date - 28/05/2023
India Defence Conclave 2023: India has traversed unlimited 'Space' in last 9 years
The Union Minister of State (I/C) for Science and Technology, and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh on Friday said that in the last nine years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has traversed unlimited "Space". Addressing the India Defence Conclave 2023 organised by ETGovernment in New Delhi, Singh said, Prime Minister Modi has taken several policy initiatives in the past nine years to encourage indigenous design, development and manufacture of defence equipment, thereby promoting Atmanirbharta in defence sector. As a result, there is a quantum jump in Space sector in the last nine years which surpasses the progress made in the preceding nearly six decades before that, he said. It is pertinent to mention that India's defence industry is now capable of manufacturing wide variety of high-end requirements -- tanks, armoured vehicles, fighter aircrafts, helicopters, warships, submarines, missiles, electronic equipment, special alloys, special purpose steels, and variety of ammunition.
Date - 27/05/2023
Adopt technology like executive, judiciary: Union minister Meghwal urges state legislatures
The Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal on Thursday urged officials of state legislatures to adopt technology the way the executive and the judiciary have done to improve their functioning. When the executive, through the Digital India programme, and the judiciary, through the eCourts project, have adopted technology to their benefit, the legislature should also use it to its advantage, the minister of state for Parliamentary Affairs said. Delivering the valedictory address at a two-day workshop on 'National eVidhan Application (NeVA)' here, Meghwal said there was an initial hesitation when technology was introduced in the industry, such as steam, electricity, IT solution and artificial intelligence.
Date - 26/05/2023
India's digital economy an example for entire world: President Droupadi Murmu
President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said India's digital economy has become an example for the globe and urged young IT professionals to come forward to use technology for the welfare of people including vulnerable sections such as handicapped and senior citizens. She was addressing the second convocation of Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT Ranchi) at Namkum. "India's digital economy has become an example for the entire world ... who could have imagined street vendors using digital means to sell fruits, vegetables," President Murmu said. She said that more than one lakh startups were registered in India, making it the third largest global tech-startup ecosystem.
Date - 26/05/2023
Digital public infrastructure for agriculture built on open source, open standard, interoperability: Add Secretary
India's digital public infrastructure for agriculture is built as an open source, open standard and interoperable public good. This is meant to enable inclusive, farmer-centric solutions through relevant information services for crop planning and health, improved access to farm inputs, credit and insurance, help for crop estimation, market intelligence, and support for growth of Agri Tech industry and start-ups. These points were made by Dr. Pramod Kumar Meherda, Additional Secretary, Government of India. He said that the Digital Crop Survey will establish a clear picture of crops being sown across all the farmlands in the country during the different agriculture seasons. The project aims to create one verified source of truth about the farmer and his/her crop-sown data. He opined that a robust, effective, on-time, transparent digitally driven crop survey system that uses the latest technological advancements such as visual and advanced analytics, GIS-GPS technologies and AI and ML is a critical need to effectively address the above listed issues. He was speaking at a workshop on Digital Crop Survey organized with the states by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, in New Delhi.
Date - 26/05/2023
Gupshup brings UPI payments on feature phones
The convenience of UPI payments on feature phones has become available. The homegrown conversational engagement platform Gupshup has made this announcement. GSPay, the native app built by Gupshup.io uses the power of SMS messaging to deliver an easy-to-use payments experience, without the need for a data plan or internet connectivity, according to the company. "This innovative capability will bring vast numbers of feature phone users into the digital and payments ecosystem. We're glad to work with NPCI and Nokia and Airtel Payments Bank to make this a reality," Beerud Sheth, CEO and Co-founder, Gupshup.io, said in a statement.
Date - 26/05/2023
AI supercomputer AIRAWAT ranks 75th in top 500 ISC 2023 list
India's AI supercomputer 'AIRAWAT', installed at C-DAC, Pune has been ranked 75th in the world. It was announced in the 61st edition of Top 500 Global Supercomputing List on Tuesday at the International Supercomputing Conference (ISC 2023) in Germany. The recognition puts India on top of AI supercomputing nations globally. The system is installed under National Program on AI by Government of India. Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), Alkesh Sharma said, "Artificial Intelligence is the most promising technology in the digital age. India has a strong ecosystem and competitive advantage for AI due to its massive data availability, strong digital economy and skilled workforce. India has been working in the applied AI with focus on Natural Language Processing, Image Procession, Pattern Recognition, Agriculture, Medical Imaging, Education, Health Care, Audio assistance, Robotics and developing solutions for the strategic sectors." The country will pursue AI technology to empower citizens and organisations to solve the most pressing problems of society and economy to make the world a better place, he added. President & CEO, NeGD and MeitY Additional Secretary Abhishek Singh stated, "Proof of Concept (PoC) AI Research Analytics and Knowledge Dissemination Platform (AIRAWAT) of 200 AI petaflops mixed precision peak compute capacity is currently funded by MeitY and implemented by C-DAC, Pune."
Date - 25/05/2023
Foreign registered gaming portals sent Rs 4000 cr abroad illegally; ED is investigating
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has detected illegal foreign remittances of about Rs 4,000 crore foreign-registered online gaming websites and companies operating in the country in alleged violation of the foreign exchange law. Multi-state raids by ED are currently in progress. In a statement, ED said that Rs 19.55 lakh and more than USD 22,600 in cash were seized apart from freezing 55 bank accounts during this operation carried out under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). Investigations are being carried out in premises in Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. According to ED, these online gaming companies and websites were registered in small island countries like Curacao, Malta and Cyprus.
Date - 25/05/2023
200000 5G sites in 700 districts commissioned in 8 months, 200000th 5G site at Gangotri
The Char Dhams are covered with 5G mobile connectivity. Most of the towers in the Char Dham yatra route have been connected. High internet bandwidth for seamless connectivity for pilgrims visiting the Char Dhams-Badrinath, Kedarnath,Gangotri, Yamnotri-has now become possible. Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister for Communications, Railways and Electronics & IT, and Pushkar Singh Dhami, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand launched the 2,00,00th 5G site at Gangotri. They dedicated the fibre connectivity at Char Dham to the nation. Various senior officials from the Center and the state government also joined the ceremony in person and virtually. Prime Minister Modi had launched the 5G services on 1st Oct 2022 and within 8 months of launch, 2,00,000 sites covering 700 districts have been installed. The 5G network has been rolled out in all 28 states and 8 UTs now. This is one of the fastest 5G rollouts in the world.
Date - 25/05/2023
UDAN 5.1 launched; designed to provide last mile connectivity through helicopters in remote areas
Following four successful rounds of the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) - Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) and with the version 5.0 of the fifth round underway, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has launched UDAN 5.1 to further enhance the connectivity to remote areas of the country and achieve last mile connectivity through helicopters. For the first time under RCS-UDAN, this round is designed specifically for helicopter routes.
Date - 25/05/2023
Blockchain technology for secure, efficient and trustworthy e-governance platforms
To be effective, the e-governance systems must be centralised and linked to a huge client-server database. But centralisation and linking to an all-encompassing database leads to all kinds of operational challenges and exacerbates the problems of data security and privacy. With the introduction of blockchain technology, most of these problems can be eliminated and the e-governance system can be fully secured. The Government of India is working on developing policies for enhancing e-governance platforms through shared blockchain architecture. The vision is to facilitate transparent, efficient, secure and trusted e-governance systems for delivering services to citizens and businesses. Research and development on blockchain technology is being spearheaded by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). First introduced in 2009 by Satoshi Nakamoto for the development of the cryptocurrency called Bitcoin, blockchain is a system which acts as a single resource for truth and enables a shared ledger among various parties involved in transactions. In his original paper Nakamoto had used the words "block" and "chain" separately, but by 2016, the technology had a single name "blockchain."
Date - 25/05/2023
Proposed Digital India Act will focus on online safety, AI will be regulated: MoS IT
The proposed Digital India Act will have a large section devoted to online safety and trust to ensure that people approach the internet without any fear and mistrust, Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said. He also said that the Digital India Act (DIA) will address any kind of asymmetric relationship between big tech companies and startups to check distortion of things that startups want to do on the internet. "Online safety and trust is going to be a huge section in the DIA," Chandrasekhar said.
Date - 24/05/2023
Cybersecurity mission from USA in India to enhance cyber ability of the 2 countries
The US Department of Commerce has sent its Cybersecurity Business Development Trade Mission to Mumbai with an agenda to enhance the abilities of the two nations to address and resolve the growing risks from cyber threats. The cybersecurity companies in India are making their presence felt in the world and the USA feels that there is ample scope for collaboration between the two countries. The delegation from the US Department of Commerce is in India from May 22-26, with meetings in Mumbai and New Delhi. It comprises 13 American cybersecurity companies which will hold meetings with Central and state government officials, and regulators in the cybersecurity space. Both sides will provide their inputs on the cyber challenges.
Date - 24/05/2023
Two-day national workshop on NeVA being organised by Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs
A two day National Workshop on the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) is being organised in Delhi by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs on 24 and 25 May. Piyush Goyal, Leader of House, Rajya Sabha and Union Minister for Ministry of Commerce and Industry is the Chief Guest on the occasion. Several ministers and high officials from the center and state are attending the workshop which is focused on encouraging the state legislatures and union territories to move towards the NeVA platform and bring in transparency, accountability and responsiveness in their conduct of House business, through the use of technology. The workshop will be attended by all the stakeholders of NeVA project including the secretaries and senior officers of state assemblies, nodal officers of the state governments and National Informatics Centre (NIC).
Date - 24/05/2023
Centre approves digital communication system between banks and CEIB to check loan defaults
Centre has cleared a prompt digital reporting and communication mechanism to plug defaults on loans of over Rs 50 crore. According to reports, the Union government while ending the paper-based communication system has now put in place a digital mechanism under which the Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB) will send a report digitally regarding borrowers to the PSU banks for a loan amount of Rs 50 crore or higher at pre-approval stage within 15 days of request. At present it is mandatory for all the government holding banks to furnish a report from CEIB regarding the loan seekers of Rs 50 crore or more and those who have a pending default, before processing any loans. The new system was cleared by the Union finance minister in due consultation with all the stakeholders. Under the new system the government has introduced a digital system to streamline the process of communication between banks and the Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB).
Date - 24/05/2023
India's first second-generation navigation satellite to be launched by ISRO on May 29
India will send up its first second-generation navigation satellite on May 29 morning, using its Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) rocket. For the first time, an indigenous atomic clock will be flown in the navigation satellite NVS-01. According to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the rocket GSLV-F12 carrying 2,232 kg NVS-01 navigation satellite is scheduled to lift off at 10.42 a.m. from the second launch pad in Sriharikota rocket port in Andhra Pradesh. The rocket will deliver the satellite into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) from where it will be further taken up by firing the onboard motors.
Date - 23/05/2023
Infosys launches Infosys Topaz: AI-first set of services, solutions using AI technologies
Infosys has launched Infosys Topaz, which leverages Infosys applied AI framework to build an AI-first core that empowers people to deliver cognitive solutions that accelerate value-creation. This is an AI-first set of services, solutions and platforms using generative AI technologies. According to the official release from the company, Infosys Topaz helps amplify the potential of humans, enterprises and communities to tap into the next generation of opportunities to create value from unprecedented innovations, connected ecosystems and pervasive efficiencies. According to Infosys, the chief benefits of Infosys Topaz is that it accelerates growth, builds connected ecosystems and unlocks efficiencies of scale. Accelerate growth: Infosys Topaz converges the power of Infosys Cobalt cloud, and data analytics to AI-power business, delivering cognitive solutions and intuitive experiences that revitalize growth. Over 12,000 use cases, help seed and fast track new ideas. For example, a food and beverages chain leveraged Infosys Topaz to autonomously connect unconnected data signals coming in from new partners to deliver superior off-store consumer experience with 95% accuracy. Infosys Topaz Generative AI Labs delivers ready-to-use industry solutions to bring the value of AI to more functions, thus helping businesses become more cognitive, faster.
Date - 23/05/2023
Exhibition on outcomes of IMPRINT II projects held at IIT Delhi
A day-long exhibition showcasing the outcomes of the projects under the IMPacting Research INnovation and Technology (IMPRINT) II scheme, aimed to bring forth the public-private collaborative funding for the research projects creating products and patents, was held at IIT Delhi on Monday. The IMPRINT initiative is a unique example where government and the academia are working with industries right from the inception on ideas that can be taken to the market, and many of the technologies and products from this scheme have reached the market, said Dr Akhilesh Gupta, Secretary Science and Engineering Broad (SERB) and Senior Advisor Department of Science and Technology (DST) at the inaugural of the Technology Display of IMPRINT outcomes. Gupta added that support for such industry-driven research can give rise to models of working on the PPP mode on ideas that are driven by the industry, can make the Indian industry more innovative, encourage more deep tech startups, and make them at par with the developed countries.
Date - 23/05/2023
100 smart cities are real incubators of the New Urban India: Union Minister Hardeep Puri
The Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep S. Puri has said the implementation of Smat Cities Mission at city level done by a special purpose vehicle, is playing an instrumental role in monitoring the projects to utilize the full potential of this path-breaking project. The minister stated that India's urban future will draw heavily from the innovations being nurtured in these 100 smart cities. Participating in the consultative committee meeting of Smart Cities in Goa on Monday, Puri apprised the members of the committee of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs about the progress of Smart Cities Mission. The minister further stated that Smart Cities Mission launched on 25 June, 2015, is aimed at providing core infrastructure, clean and sustainable environment and a decent quality of life to their citizens through the application of 'smart solutions'. 100 cities selected through a two-stage competition to be developed as smart cities are showing satisfying progress, he said.
Date - 23/05/2023
Now link RuPay credit cards with Google Pay to pay through UPI
In association with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), Google Pay has launched support for RuPay credit cards on Unified Payments Interface (UPI). Users have the facility to pay their online and offline merchants where RuPay credit cards are accepted through Google Pay and UPI. Currently, this feature is available to RuPay credit card holders from Axis Bank, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, HDFC bank, Indian Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Punjab National Bank and Union Bank of India. "The integration of RuPay Credit Card on UPI delivers a remarkable user experience seamlessly combining the convenience of UPI with the benefits of RuPay Credit Card," said Nalin Bansal, Chief Relationship Management and Key Initiatives, Corporate Business from NPCI.
Date - 23/05/2023
Online filing of ITRs 1,4 enabled by the Income Tax Department
The Income Tax department has enabled online filing of income tax returns (ITRs) 1 and 4, filed by individuals, professionals and small businesses, for the 2022-23 fiscal. In a tweet, the Income Tax Department said that the software and utilities for preparing other ITRs/ Forms will be enabled shortly. In a reply to a tweet by an individual, the department said; "ITR 1 and 4 for A.Y. 2023-24 are enabled for filing in online mode at the e-filing portal. Earlier, excel utilities for ITR 1, 2 & 4 for A.Y. 2023-24 had already been enabled. The software/utilities for preparing other ITRs/ Forms will be enabled shortly. Information regarding the same will be made available to the taxpayers on the e-filing portal."
Date - 23/05/2023
CERT-In flags vulnerabilities in Microsoft Edge Chromium; severity rating high
In its new vulnerability note, CERT-In reports vulnerabilities in Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based). The severity rating of the vulnerabilities is in the "high" category. The software affected are Microsoft Edge versions prior to 113.0.1774.50. The multiple vulnerabilities reported in Microsoft Edge could be exploited by a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service condition on the targeted system, the vulnerability note from CERT-In says. The vulnerabilities are there in Microsoft Edge due to a use-after-free in Autofill UI, Guest View, Navigation and DevTools; Type confusion in V8 and Inappropriate implementation in WebApp Installs. A remote attacker could exploit these issues by beguiling the unsuspecting user to open a website or file that has been corrupted with a code.
Date - 23/05/2023
DRDO issues advisory to its personnel: avoid social media, calls from unknown numbers
Pradeep Kurulkar, a senior scientist with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), was arrested for allegedly leaking sensitive information to enemy spies. The DRDO has now issued a strong advisory to its personnel asking them not to take calls from unknown numbers and to avoid social media platforms. Speaking to the media, a senior DRDO official said, "We have been issuing advisories and holding lectures by experts on maintaining cyber discipline but this incident has happened." "After the arrest of senior Scientist Pradeep Kurulkar, we have issued a strong advisory to all our personnel to maintain cyber discipline like not taking calls from unknown numbers or foreign numbers," he said.
Date - 22/05/2023
BSNL to upgrade digital connectivity, shells out Rs 15000 crore over 4G deployment
In a major digital connectivity push, the government backed telecom major Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) is reported to have cleared a deal worth Rs 15,000 crore for deployment of 4G technology across its country-wide networks. With 4G services on its network BSNL, a wholly government owned telecom Public Sector Undertaking (PSU), looks to improve its digital connectivity, mostly in remote areas. According to a regulatory filing by the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), the deployment of 4G network for BSNL pan-India will be undertaken by a consortium led by TCS and the company has received an Advance Purchase Order valued over Rs 15,000 crore from BSNL. "The consortium led by Tata Consultancy Services Limited has received an Advance Purchase Order valued over Rs 15,000 crore from BSNL, a 100 per cent government of India owned Public Sector Undertaking, for the deployment of a 4G network across India," TCS said in a regulatory filing.
Date - 22/05/2023
ONDC is an engine of growth that can redefine e-commerce industry: Union minister Piyush Goyal
The Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal said Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) was created to democratise the existing ecommerce ecosystem of the country. In his virtual address at the 'ONDC Elevate' program in Bengaluru on Monday, Goyal said that ONDC is an engine of growth that has the potential to redefine the e-commerce industry completely. The minister said that a significant number of sellers on the network is itself a testimony to ONDC's impact as digital commerce is being re-imagined. Goyal engaged with all network participants during the open house, noting their feedback and guiding them to redouble their efforts to democratize digital commerce in India. The minister also noted in response to queries from participants that, "any marketplace joining ONDC should come with serious commitment, and not for namesake". He also pointed out that when a platform comes on ONDC, it should be in the spirit of give and take, and not just simply taking benefit from the network without contributing back to its progress.
Date - 22/05/2023
Over 250 million e-KYC transactions, 1.96 billion Aadhaar authentications in April
1.96 billion Aadhaar authentication transactions were carried out in April 2023. This represents a jump of more than 19.3 percent over April 2022, indicating the growth of the digital economy and usage of Aadhaar in India. A vast majority of these authentication transaction numbers were carried out by using fingerprints. This type of transaction is followed by demographic and OTP based authentications. Face authentication too is witnessing a good usage across sectors for easy service delivery. While Aadhaar saturation among the adult population continues to be near universal, the saturation level among all age groups has now climbed to 94.8 percent, indicative of the reach and adoption of Aadhaar among residents. During the month of April more than 15.44 million Aadhaars were updated on request from the residents.
Date - 22/05/2023
SBI's procurement from Govt eMarketplace lags behind smaller counterparts in 2022-23
The State Bank of India was slow in procuring goods and services from Government eMarketplace (GeM portal) in 2022-23 and lagged behind smaller counterparts, including Canara Bank and Punjab National Bank, according to recently released the government data. Canara Bank has emerged as the largest buyer among the state-owned banks in 2022-23, making total purchases of Rs 592.82 crore from the GeM portal. Punjab National Bank (Rs 164.57 crore) was the second largest, followed by Indian Overseas Bank (Rs 159.82 crore), State Bank of India (Rs 158.22 crore), Indian Bank (Rs 111.59 crore), Bank of India (Rs 63.81 crore), Bank of Baroda (Rs 48.63 crore), Union Bank of India (Rs 37.03 crore), Bank of Maharashtra (Rs 10.26 crore), Punjab and Sind Bank (Rs 9.98 crore), UCO Bank (Rs 5.30 crore) and Central Bank of India (Rs 4.54 crore) in 2022-23. The Government eMarketplace (GeM) is an online platform for public procurement. The portal was launched on August 9, 2016, by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry with the objective to create an open and transparent procurement platform for government buyers. The purchases through GeM by Government users have been authorized and made mandatory by the Ministry of Finance.
Date - 22/05/2023
Kenya evinces interest in India's PDPs, looks at digital IDs, Aadhaar, UPI, eKYC, ONDC
Aiming to provide digital identity to all Kenyans by February 2024, Kenya is looking at India as a source for efficient, secure and scalable public digital platforms (PDPs). According to the country's Cabinet Secretary for Information Communication and Digital Economy Eliud Owabo, Kenya aims to issue digital cards to enable people to access government benefits in a secure and transparent manner. Kenya had launched the Huduma Kenya (Kenyan Services) project in 2013 to provide permanent identification numbers and cards to its citizens. But now the Kenyan government is looking for a digital system to help in the online identification of Kenyans.
Date - 21/05/2023
AWS to invest $12.7 bn in building India cloud infrastructure by 2030
Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud arm of e-commerce giant Amazon, on Thursday announced plans to invest Rs 1,05,600 crore ($12.7 billion) into cloud infrastructure in India by 2030 to meet growing customer demand for cloud services in the country. This investment is estimated to contribute Rs 1,94,700 crore ($23.3 billion) to India's total gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030. The planned investment in data centre infrastructure in India will support an estimated average of 1,31,700 full-time equivalent jobs in Indian businesses each year, said the company.
Date - 19/05/2023
CJI inaugurates training cell in SC complex for e-filing, e-office, cyber security
A training-cum-examination center has been inaugurated by the Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud in the additional building complex of the Supreme Court. "The training cell of the Supreme Court will conduct awareness and training programmes for its staff in e-filing, e-office and other skills along with induction training for newly appointed personnel and orientation training for promoted officers on a regular basis," a statement from the apex court said. The statement also informed that in the training-cum-examination center special training programmes will be conducted for staffers for stress management, anxiety management and mental health at the workplace. "Team building, leadership, organisational behaviour in government, ethics and values in public governance are also among the focus areas for training," the statement said.
Date - 19/05/2023
Analytics-powered state dashboard to aid data-driven decision making launched by Odisha CM
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday rolled out the State Dashboard, a data and analytics-powered platform which will streamline performance monitoring of government schemes, aiding data-driven decision making. Launching the dashboard, Patnaik said, "Technology has been the fulcrum of our governance model. We will continue to use the best of technology to improve the effectiveness of governance and bring transparency in public services." "The launch of the integrated Dashboard will carry forward the 5T governance model (transparency, teamwork, technology, timeliness, transformation). It will facilitate seamless data-driven decision-making to ensure time-bound outcomes aligned with our 5T governance model," he added.
Date - 19/05/2023
India eyes global IT manufacturing centerstage, clears Rs 17000 cr incentives under PLI 2.0 scheme
In a move that may bring India to the global technology centerstage, the Union cabinet on Wednesday cleared Rs 17,000 crore incentives for the second phase of the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for IT hardware. The move looks to attract major global IT companies including Dell, HP, Apple, and Samsung to establish manufacturing units in India. According to the Union IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the incentives under the PLI 2.0 were more than doubled as compared to the initial version of the plan. The Union minister said that the new incentives are likely to bring investments worth Rs 2,430 crore and generate about Rs 3.35 lakh crore in additional incremental production and create 75,000 direct employment opportunities in the next six years. The Union minister maintained that the scheme allows applicants to select 2023, 2024, or 2025 as the base year for commencing production. Under the new scheme, IT majors can receive incentives of up to 5 percent on incremental sales which will be 3 percent more as compared to the initial phase offering of around 2 percent.
Date - 18/05/2023
TRAI extends deadline for feedback on assignment of spectrum for spacecom services
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had released a consultation paper on 'Assignment of Spectrum for Space-based Communication Services' on April 6, and invited stakeholders' feedback on the issues raised in the paper by May 04 and for counter comments by May 18. However, keeping in view the request of stakeholders and industry associations for further extension of time for submission of comments, it has been decided to extend the last date for submission of written comments and counter comments up to June 01 and June 15, 2023 respectively. No further requests for extension would be considered, the government said in a press release on Wednesday. The comments/counter comments may be sent to Akhilesh Kumar Trivedi, Advisor (Networks, Spectrum and Licensing), TRAI, preferably in electronic form at advmn@trai.gov.in. He may be contacted for any clarification/ information on +91-11-23210481, the release added.
Date - 18/05/2023
Try new tech, explore new frontiers to make govt communication citizen-centric, minister tells I&B officials
The Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur on Wednesday exhorted the officers of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting including its media units and officers of the Indian Information Service (IIS) to explore new frontiers in communication with the people and employ new technologies in that process. The Minister was addressing a gathering as he inaugurated a day-long 'Chintan Shivir', a conclave on 'Citizen Centric Communication as a Tool for Good Governance' in New Delhi. Thakur said that the media landscape is fast changing and so is the way people consume information. To that end there is a need to adapt new methods of information dissemination to meet the needs of the 21st century, he added. Stating that the Indian Information Service (IIS) is a vital part of the government, the minister said this Chintan Shivir has provided the officials with a unique opportunity to collaborate, self-introspect and timely course correct the work in the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. He encouraged the officers to work towards a higher effectiveness through better utilization of resources, coordination of efforts, sharing of information and working as a single team.
Date - 18/05/2023
Medtronic announces Rs 3000 cr new investment in Telangana, to expand engineering & innovation center in Hyderabad
In a significant move towards the growth of the healthcare technology sector in India, Medtronic plc, the global leader in healthcare technology, announced an investment of approximately Rs 3,000 crore (more than $350 mn) to expand the Medtronic Engineering & Innovation Center (MEIC) in Hyderabad. MEIC is Medtronic's largest research and development (R&D) center outside of the US. The investment is a part of Medtronic's overall global R&D led innovation and growth strategy, the company said in a press release in Hyderabad on Thursday. Medtronic supports the Telangana government's efforts to position Hyderabad as a global hub for healthcare technology research and innovation, it said. This investment builds on the initial investment of $160 million in MEIC that was announced back in 2020 and expands the company's footprint in India. MEIC currently employs 800+ people, primarily engineers, and is expected to grow to 1,500+ over the next 5-year period with the new investment. With this expansion, MEIC aims to leverage the sizeable pool of diverse and skilled talent in India involving engineering, mobile apps, application and desktop software, cloud/ web apps, data engineering, embedded software, product security, and cyber-product security. The investment will support in key healthcare technology areas like robotics, imaging and navigation, surgical technologies, and implantable technologies, the company said. Telangana minister KT Rama Rao said, "Telangana has been a front-runner in the field of life sciences and was also one of the first states in India to recognise medical devices as a high-potential and high growth sector. The expansion of MEIC in Hyderabad is a testament to the city's robust ecosystem and Hyderabad's growing prominence in the global med-tech sector. We are thrilled to continue our support for Medtronic's growth and look forward to their continued contributions to healthcare innovation in the state and country."
Date - 18/05/2023
UP looks to set up IT talent pool, to train 1000 youth in 5G technology
Setting up a new IT talent pool in the state, the Uttar Pradesh government has announced a new 5G technology programme to create a technology trained youth for future employment prospects. According to the state government, the move is aimed to catch up all the new IT related opportunities in the state that are growing with top global IT majors planning to set up their new facilities in the state. The new initiative which is part of the Skill Development Mission, will equip young individuals with the necessary IT skills. The state government in a statement maintained that it expects a significant rise in demand for individuals proficient in 5G technology within the telecommunications sector in the coming years. The state government looks to cash in on the new IT expansion in the entire telecom ecosystem that also includes hardware, software, and services.
Date - 18/05/2023
NPCI partners with SBI Card and Paytm, launches nextgen co-branded RuPay credit cards
NPCI has partnered with SBI Card and Paytm to launch Paytm SBI Card on the RuPay network. With the entry of NPCI, the partnership between SBI Card and Paytm, which began in 2020, has expanded further. Paytm founder and CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma told reporters that India is at the cusp of the next payments revolution where credit will become the mainstream payment choice. "Together with SBI Card, Paytm RuPay credit card will be a great choice for consumers. Our users are already savvy on QR code-based payments and with RuPay credit cards working on UPI QR codes, transactions through mobile phones will get a further boost, marking a new era in digital payments," he added.
Date - 18/05/2023
Dept of defence production notifies 164 more items under positive indigenisation list
Towards reliance in defence sector, 164 positive indigenisation list (PIL) items, with an import substitution value of Rs 814 crore, have been indigenised within the timelines, the Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday. The items have been notified by the Department of Defence Production (DDP), Ministry of Defence (MoD). The indigenisation of these items has been achieved by Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) either through industry partners, including MSMEs, or in-house. The DPSUs-wise list of these indigenised items is available on the Srijan Portal (https://srijandefence.gov.in/NotificationDt12052023.pdf). The DDP has notified four PILs consisting of 4,666 items, including line replacement units (LRUs)/ Sub-systems/ Spares & Components for DPSUs (1st PIL - 2,851; 2nd PIL - 107; 3rd PIL - 780; 4th PIL - 928).
Date - 17/05/2023
Mumbai Police expose racket of fake mobile SIMs, DoT cuts 30,000 illegal SIMs
A major racket of fake multiple SIM cards issued on single names has been exposed by Mumbai Police. The Department of Telecom has swung into action and deactivated 30,000 such SIMs in Mumbai, an official said on Tuesday. The SIM cards, issued by telephone service providers, were analysed by DoT Mumbai LSA on its subscriber database and 62 groups identified where similar images were detected for different names. With a threshold of 50 or more subscribers in a group, there were a total of 8,247 subscribers identified in these 62 groups.
Date - 17/05/2023
Sanchar Saathi portal launched; users can now block and trace lost/stolen mobiles
Aimed to ensure safety and security of the mobile phone users, the Union government on Tuesday launched the Sanchar Saathi portal. The portal helps users to block stolen or lost mobiles using CEIR (Central Equipment Identity Register); to know mobile connections registered in one's name (Know your mobile connections); and to identify fraudulent subscribers through ASTR (Artificial Intelligence and facial recognition powered solution for telecom SIM subscriber verification). While launching the portal in New Delhi, Union Minister of Communications, and Electronics & IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, said the three reforms are being introduced today to safeguard the mobile users across the country. Various frauds such as identity theft, forged KYC, banking frauds can take place by misusing mobile phones. This portal has been developed to prevent such frauds, the minister said, adding that user safety is an important part of the draft telecom bill. By using Sanchar Saathi portal, which is already active in testing mode, more than 40 lakh fraudulent connections have been identified and more than 36 lakh such connections have been disconnected so far. Vaishnaw urged the users to visit the portal and avail the services.
Date - 17/05/2023
Global tech show to be part of Vibrant Gujarat summit 2024
A tech show is set to be a new feature in the next edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024, the preparations of which are underway. Sources in the state government said that apart from showcasing the initiatives of the Union government under the Digital India platform, the show will feature emerging technologies like industry 4.0, internet of things (IoT), smart infrastructure, consumer technologies, services technologies in the fields of finance, health, education and agriculture, and new technologies in the environment and tourism sectors among others. To be called the Vibrant Gujarat Global Tech Show, the event will be inaugurated on January 9, 2024. According to officials involved in the preparations of the event, the business days of the show will be January 10 and 11, while it will be open to public on January 12 and 13.
Date - 17/05/2023
CERT-In warns of IBM WebSphere Application Server Information Disclosure Vulnerability
In its vulnerability note released today, CERT-In warns of vulnerability in certain IBM software applications. The affected software are: IBM WebSphere Application Server Liberty Continuous delivery, IBM WebSphere Application Server version 9.0, and IBM WebSphere Application Server version 8.5.0.0 - 8.5.5.22. According to CERT-In, the vulnerability in the IBM WebSphere products could allow a remote attacker to access sensitive information on the targeted system. This vulnerability exists in IBM Runtime Environment, Java Technology Edition IBMJCEPlus and JSSE components in the IBM SDK.
Date - 17/05/2023
7.08 cr digital life certificates generated; 96.02 lakh datasets downloaded from OGD
A new report released by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) notes that since inception a total of 7.08 crore Digital Life Certificates (DLCs) have been generated. In the month of April 2023, approximately 2.3 lakh DLCs were generated. More than one crore families in India are classified as pensioner families. Jeevan Pramaan is a biometric enabled digital service for pensioners. On the MyGov platform, around 3.08 crore people have registered. Till the end of April 2023, MyGov has 979 discussion themes and 1410 tasks. From the Open Government Data Platform (OGD), till April 2023, more than 6.02 lakh resources have been contributed under 12,984 catalogs and 2,906 Visualizations and 1, 89, 996 APIs have been created. 96.02 lakh datasets have been downloaded.
Date - 17/05/2023
All pension disbursing bank portals to be integrated to provide ease of living for pensioners
The Department of Pension & Pensioners' Welfare has decided to integrate all portals related to pension disbursal in the newly created 'Integrated Pensioners' Portal' with an objective to ensure ease of living for pensioners at large. The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions said the task of integration of pension seva portal of SBI and Canara Bank with Bhavishya portal have been completed. With this integration, the pensioners can now get their pension slip, status of submission of life certificate and Form-16 through the integrated pensioners' portal. All 18 pension disbursing banks and ANUBHAV, CPENGRAMS, CGHS, etc will be integrated in the new pensioners' portal. In line with the government's objective of transparency, digitization and service delivery, the Bhavishya platform introduced by the department has ensured end-to-end digitization of the pension processing and payment. The Bhavishya system has got the 3rd rank among all the Central government e-Governance service delivery portals as per the NeSDA Assessment 2021.
Date - 17/05/2023
CERT-In warns of vulnerabilities in VMware Aria Operations, severity rating high
In its new vulnerability note, CERT-In is reporting multiple vulnerabilities in VMware Aria Operations which could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code and escalate privileges on the targeted system. The vulnerability note from CERT-In mentions four vulnerabilities. The first vulnerability is "Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2023-20877)," which could be exploited by an authenticated attacker with ReadOnly privileges to perform code execution leading to privilege escalation. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code and escalate privileges on the targeted system. The second vulnerability is "Deserialization Vulnerability (CVE-2023-20878)," which exists in VMware Aria Operations due to insecure deserialization. An attacker with administrative privileges could exploit this vulnerability by executing arbitrary commands and disrupt the system. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code on the targeted system.
Date - 16/05/2023
Amadeus to provide high-tech boarding, check-in, baggage facilities for Noida Airport
Noida International Airport (NIA) has signed an agreement with technology firm Amadeus for providing a Passenger Processing System (PPS). The PPS includes check-in, boarding, baggage reconciliation, and DigiYatra-enabled biometric capabilities at the upcoming airport. Under the agreement, Amadeus will design, supply, commission, operate, and maintain the cloud-hosted end-to-end PPS for the airport. It will also provide several smart and modern capabilities including biometric-based DigiYatra integration at every passenger touch point to enable smooth passenger experiences. According to NIA officials, the self-service PPS touch points at the airport, including check-in kiosks, automated bag drops, and eGates, will be fully integrated and communicate in real-time with airline departure control systems and other stakeholders to facilitate a seamless travel experience for travelers.
Date - 16/05/2023
Uttar Pradesh RERA invites EoI for AI use in quasi-judicial process in e-Courts
Uttar Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority (UPRERA) has invited expression of interest (EoI) from Indian consulting/ Information Technology firms for conceptualizing, developing and implementing an intelligent quasi-judicial decision-making system (Smart Court). UP RERA wishes to leverage emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and natural language processing (NLP) for designing, developing, and implementing an 'Intelligent Quasi-Judicial System - Smart Court', that would enable the Authority in achieving an efficient, fair, explainable, and speedy processing of complaints filled. AI is a technological ability to efficiently and seamlessly perform a complex task which significantly required human intelligence by leveraging the capabilities of big data, machine learning, neural networks, pattern recognition, self-learning, predictive analytics, data science, and natural language processing approaches, the Authority said in a press release.
Date - 16/05/2023
Centre names Ravneet Kaur as CCI chairperson, appointment comes 7 months after last full-time chief demitted office
The Centre has cleared the name of Ravneet Kaur as Chairman as the Chairperson of the Competition Commission of India (CCI). Kaur will replace Sangeeta Verma, Member-CCI, who was working as acting chairperson of CCI since October 22 last year. The announcement of a full-time CCI chairperson comes about seven months after the incumbent Chairperson Ashok Kumar Gupta demitted office on October 25. The Union government initially appointed Verma as acting CCI chief for a three month period, which was later extended. As per the official government order issued on May 15, Ravneet Kaur has been appointed as the Chairperson of the Competition Commission of India (CCI). According to the official order, Ravneet Kaur, a 1988-batch Punjab cadre IAS officer will assume the position for a period of five years from the date of assuming charge or until reaching the age of 65, or until further orders are issued.
Date - 16/05/2023
National Technology Week highlights India's technological advancement and innovation
The National Technology Week, which was held under the theme 'School to Startup - igniting young minds to innovate' from May 11 to 14 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, concluded on Sunday. The event was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who highlighted the importance of supporting and nurturing young scientists in the country. The Prime Minister informed the audience that over 10,000 ATAL tinkering labs in 700 districts have become innovation nurseries, with 60 percent of these labs in government and rural schools. More than 75 lakh students are working on over 12 lakh innovation projects in Atal Tinkering Lab, which is a testament to young scientists emerging from schools and reaching the remotest corners of the country. The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of nurturing young talent and supporting them in implementing their ideas, noting that hundreds of startups have been incubated at Atal Incubation Centres (AIC). He hoped that the Tinker-preneurs of India will soon become leading entrepreneurs of the world. According to NITI Aayog, the exhibition saw a participation of more that 5,000 school students, 1,500+ other visitors, 800 exhibitors, 200+ student exhibitors, and 100+ startups from various sectors showcasing their innovations and products. The event aimed to promote and recognize the contribution of technology in India's progress and development. Under AIM Pavilion, 75 exhibitors from AIM participated, including 40 exhibitors from school innovations of Atal Tinkering Labs, from 21 states across the country, and 35 Startups from across the country that have been incubated under Atal Incubation Centers.
Date - 15/05/2023
Maiden Brahmos Supersonic cruise missile hits bull's eye: Indian Navy
The Indian Navy successfully test-fired a BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from its frontline guided missile destroyer INS Mormugao, Defence officials said on Sunday. The missile firing demonstrated the Indian Navy's firepower at sea, they said. INS Mormugao, the latest guided-missile destroyer, successfully hit 'Bulls Eye' during its maiden Brahmos Supersonic cruise missile firing. The ship and its potent weapon, both indigenous "mark another shining symbol of #Aatmanirbharta and Indian Navy's firepower at sea" the Western Naval Command, Indian Navy, announced on its official Twitter handle. INS Mormugao is the second ship of the Visakhapatnam-class stealth guided-missile destroyers of the Indian Navy, which was built at Mazagon Dock Limited, Goa.
Date - 15/05/2023
Sanchar Saathi portal to be launched nationwide, to help track and recover lost mobile phones
Sanchar Saathi portal, a citizen centric initiative of Department of Telecommunications to empower mobile subscribers, strengthen their security and promote awareness about government initiatives, will be unveiled this week to help people track and find their lost mobile phones. The new portal -- www.sancharsaathi.gov.in -- is set to be unveiled on May 17, the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day. Besides other services, like finding how many mobile connections exist on one's name, this new portal will help people track and find their lost mobile phones.
Date - 15/05/2023
New photonic memory developed with multilevel capability for optoelectronic data storage applications
Indian scientists have developed a new photonic, functional memory based on tin oxide slanted nanorod arrays in which both the optical and electrical stimuli can be used to modulate switching characteristics. The can be used for developing high-density and high-efficiency computing systems, according to the Ministry of Science & Technology. Recently, researchers from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bangalore, an autonomous institution of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of India, have designed such a functional memory based on tin oxide slanted nanorod arrays that shows great potential for the development of high-density and high-efficient computing systems. In this restive memory (non-linear passive two-terminal electrical component which changes its internal resistance between high and low resistance states), both the optical and electrical stimuli can be used to modulate the switching characteristics, including multilevel cell operation. The CeNS team consisting of Swathi SP, Athira M., and S. Angappane developed the photonic memory in which the tin oxide slanted nanorod arrays are used as an active layer. The tin oxide nanostructures are prepared by electron-beam evaporation through a technique called the glancing angle deposition (GLAD) technique.
Date - 13/05/2023
Japanese semiconductor giant Renesas pledges all support for India's digital future
Toshi Shibata, CEO of Renesas Electronics Corp, a global leader in advanced semiconductor solutions, met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Friday. The company which has significant operations in India, tweeted: "Our CEO Toshi Shibata met with India's PM @narendramodi to discuss the role that our industry plays & how we can contribute to India's vision for a digital future. We're committed to enabling #semiconductor ecosystem and digital infrastructure in #India." Replying to the tweet by Renesas Electronics, the Prime Minister said: "Had a productive meeting with Mr. Toshi Shibata, CEO of @RenesasGlobal. We discussed aspects relating to tech, innovation and India's strides in the world of semiconductors."
Date - 13/05/2023
India rising to become a global player in all things technology: MoS IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar
The Union Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Electronics & IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Thursday said the government's focus has been to push India from being an outlier to become a serious, competitive participant in the global value chains. "As part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's India Techade vision, we believe that the supply chains and global value chains have to and will continue to diversify and our policies are focused on ensuring that India is a competitive, efficient partner in the chains," Chandrasekhar said while addressing the 15th AGM of Public Affairs Forum of India (PAFI) in New Delhi. Stating that a number of global players like Apple, Samsung, Cisco who are a dominant part of the global value chain are shifting to India, he said that is a clear testimony to the country's growing strength in the global value chain.
Date - 12/05/2023
Digital transformation is a tool to speed up development: PM Modi on National Technology Day
Lauding the digital transformation in the country and use of technology to empower citizen centric governance, Prime Minister Modi on Thursday said that technology is not necessarily about reflecting dominance but was a tool to speed up its development across the nation. "India considers technology as a tool of the nation's progress, not a means to assert its dominance," PM Modi said. While addressing an event on the National Technology Day, which also marks the anniversary of India's nuclear tests in Pokhran in 1998, PM Modi emphasized the need for developing an inclusive environment for advancement, creativity, and Sustainable Development Goals and use of technology as a source to empower. "Our aim is to develop a prosperous and self-reliant nation," PM Modi said. According to PM Modi, technology can act as a powerful tool to empower when it is utilized in a social context. He maintained that accessibility of technology will not just eliminate inequalities but also promote social justice. "Initiatives in easy passports, Digi Yatra, and DigiLocker have ensured social justice and enhanced ease of living."
Date - 12/05/2023
PM Modi lauds Cisco's initiatives in wide range of opportunities available in India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday met Chairman and CEO of Cisco Chuck Robbins in New Delhi. They held discussions over the investment plans by Cisco in India. Robbins later in a tweet said, "Thank you for your leadership, Honorable PM of India, @narendramodi! Thrilled to announce @Cisco is investing in manufacturing in India, with an aim to drive over $1B in combined domestic production & exports." Replying to the tweet by Robbins, the Prime Minister said: "Delighted to meet you @ChuckRobbins and good to see @Cisco harnessing the wide range of opportunities available in India."
Date - 12/05/2023
UIDAI focuses on capacity building of Aadhaar operators to improve residents' experience
Amid residents' concerns over the cumbersome processes for Aadhaar enrolment and updates, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has launched a nationwide capacity building drive to augment efficiency of thousands of Aadhaar operators across the country. The Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY) said in statement on Thursday that the initiative will strengthen the ecosystem further by making the operators aware of latest changes in policies/ procedures in the Aadhaar ecosystem and cut down errors at operator level during enrolment, updates and authentication processes. Most importantly, it will further improve experience of residents. As part of the programme, the UIDAI has conducted several training sessions in various states and Union Territories including north-eastern region in the past few months. As operators work at the ground level, and are responsible for enrolment, update and authentications, it is imperative that they possess a sound understanding of processes, guidelines and policies, Meity said.
Date - 12/05/2023
Automated Return Scrutiny Module for GST returns in ACES-GST backend application rolled out by CBIC
Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC) has rolled out the Automated Return Scrutiny Module for GST returns in the ACES-GST backend application for Central Tax Officers this week. This module will enable the officers to carry out scrutiny of GST returns of Centre Administered Taxpayers selected on the basis of data analytics and risks identified by the system. In the module, discrepancies on account of risks associated with a return are displayed to the tax officers. Tax officers are provided with a workflow for interacting with the taxpayers through the GSTN Common Portal for communication of discrepancies noticed under FORM ASMT-10, receipt of taxpayer's reply in FORM ASMT-11 and subsequent action in form of either issuance of an order of acceptance of reply in FORM ASMT-12 or issuance of show cause notice or initiation of audit / investigation. Implementation of this Automated Return Scrutiny Module has commenced with the scrutiny of GST returns for FY 2019-20, and the requisite data for the purpose has already been made available on the officers' dashboard.
Date - 12/05/2023
FutureDesign Roadshow: MeitY plans DLIs for semicon start-ups
Electronics and IT Ministry is set to add more start-ups under Design Linked Incentive programme during the third SemiconIndia Future Design roadshows to be held in the national capital on Friday, a government official said. Qualcomm, NXP Semiconductors, Renesas Electronics, General Atomics Global Corporation, venture capitalists Sequoia Capital, Matrix Partners, Celesta Capital etc are scheduled to participate in the roadshow. "At SemiconIndia futureDESIGN Roadshows under the DLI Scheme, more start-ups will be added to the DLI Scheme pool. It will help in handholding them in development of indigenous technologies around semiconductors," the ministry official said. The government has plans to approve semiconductor manufacturing units this year and designs of chipsets are crucial for indigenous development of the technology.
Date - 12/05/2023
India Post launches Bharat eMart portal to provide logistics for small traders
'Bharat eMart' portal has been created through a MoU signed between India Post, Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) and Tripta Technologies. The MoU was signed in Delhi in the presence of Minister of State for Communications, Devusinh Chauhan on Tuesday. The 'Bharat EMart' portal will provide the facility of pick-up of consignments from the premises of traders and will ensure delivery at the doorsteps of the consignees across the country. It is expected to benefit eight crore traders associated with CAIT. India Post in the recent past has entered into similar agreements with Government e-Marketplace (GeM), Regional Centers of Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED), to provide pick-up and delivery of parcels at the doorsteps of the consignees. India Post is trying to onboard itself on the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) platform, being developed by the Ministry of Commerce as a logistics service provider.
Date - 10/05/2023
Centre's 'advisory' for mobile phone manufacturers: Ensure FM radio receiver on all handsets
Clearing the air over compliance norms regarding the government backed digital information network, the FM radio, the Union ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) has issued an advisory to all mobile phone manufacturers in India, requesting them to ensure that the FM radio receiver function is not disabled in phones sold in the country. The advisory comes weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched as many as 91 FM transmitters of 100 Watt to widen the radio connectivity in the country. The Union ministry has also asked the new phone manufacturers who currently do not offer the FM radio feature to include this feature on the mobile handsets to be sold in India. The Union government has directed the Indian Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) and Manufacturers' Association for Information Technology (MAID) to distribute the advisory to all mobile phone manufacturers and brands.
Date - 10/05/2023
Web3 cos can be of great help to govt agencies in curbing cyber frauds: Binance's Jarek Jakubcek
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a recent speech said emerging technologies, along with unprecedented advancements across sectors, are also bringing along more and more complicated threats in the form of different forms of cyber fraud; however, Modi said, the technologies are providing highly effective solutions as well. The transparency of blockchain technology has rendered it a powerful investigative tool that makes tracking down criminals more adept. In the current nascent and fast-evolving Web3 space, there is a collective effort and a shared responsibility amongst investigative units, law enforcement agencies, Web3 organizations as well as individuals to combat security challenges. For instance, in 2022, the Binance Investigations team responded to over 47,000 law enforcement requests, with an average response time rate of three days, which is faster than any traditional financial institution. In the same year, Binance had also organized and participated in over 70 anti-cybercrime workshops for global investigators and cybercrime fighters. In an exclusive interview with ETGovernment, Jarek Jakubcek, the head of Law Enforcement Training at Binance, and a leading global expert in cybercrime, shed light on how organizations can enhance blockchain and Web3 literacy to ensure that users are well-informed on the security risks, with a focus on investigations and crime prevention.
Date - 10/05/2023
Chandigarh to house India's first of its kind Centre for Cyber Operations
Setting up the new age digital infrastructure to take on the future cyber security challenges, the Centre has laid the foundation of one of its kind of cyber security centre in Chandigarh that will strengthen the security apparatus around the digital ecosystem. Launched on Monday by the defence minister Rajnath Singh, the new Centre for Cyber Operations and Security (CenCOPS) is said to house a cutting-edge facility that aims to assist police forces in Chandigarh and surrounding areas with complex cybercrime investigations while strengthening their cybersecurity systems. As per Union defence ministry the new state-of-the-art facility is the first of its kind in India and will bolster the cybersecurity setup in Chandigarh and the surrounding areas. The project is awarded to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under the Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children (CCPWC) scheme and will incur a cost of Rs 88 crores. The new Centre is likely to be up and running within next six months.
Date - 10/05/2023
Chandigarh to house India's first of its kind Centre for Cyber Operations
Setting up the new age digital infrastructure to take on the future cyber security challenges, the Centre has laid the foundation of one of its kind of cyber security centre in Chandigarh that will strengthen the security apparatus around the digital ecosystem. Launched on Monday by the defence minister Rajnath Singh, the new Centre for Cyber Operations and Security (CenCOPS) is said to house a cutting-edge facility that aims to assist police forces in Chandigarh and surrounding areas with complex cybercrime investigations while strengthening their cybersecurity systems. As per Union defence ministry the new state-of-the-art facility is the first of its kind in India and will bolster the cybersecurity setup in Chandigarh and the surrounding areas. The project is awarded to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under the Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children (CCPWC) scheme and will incur a cost of Rs 88 crores. The new Centre is likely to be up and running within next six months.
Date - 10/05/2023
Truecaller welcomes all govt actions in mission to make communication safe and efficient
As Swedish caller identification app Truecaller touched 250 million active users milestone in India, CEO and co-founder Alan Mamedi believes there is still a lot of headroom for growth here, and does not anticipate any changes in how its "privacy-focused, permission-based system" works as new regulations come up in the country. Mamedi asserted that the company will be compliant with the upcoming data protection laws in India and "welcomes any and all actions in the mission to make communication safe and efficient". Mamedi, who was recently in India along with Truecaller's Chief Strategy Officer and co-founder Nami Zarringhalam, said the company appreciates Trai consultation on Caller Name Presentation (CNAP) and remains "very supportive of this and any future initiatives they have". The telecom regulatory authority of India (Trai) recently asked telecom companies to take immediate action to curb pesky calls and messages, initiating a slew of measures to crackdown on the issue of spam, and instances of fraud.
Date - 09/05/2023
Technical training complex, automated driving track for BRO personnel inaugurated in Pune
Border Roads Organisation (BRO) celebrated its 64th Raising Day on Sunday (May ) at all its detachments across the country. The main function 'Chief Engineers and Equipment Management Conference' was organised at BRO School & Centre in Pune, which was attended by the Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt. To mark the day, the MoS Defence inaugurated the BRO technical training complex and an automated driving track at the premises. These facilities will enhance the training standards of the BRO personnel and help them to be better prepared for various challenges. A BRO-centric software, developed as part of 'Digital India' initiative, was also launched on the occasion. This software - Recruitment Management System, Electronic Measurement Book & Work Management System - has been developed to automate various aspects of functioning of the BRO for smoother and faster output and increased transparency, according to a defence press release. Further, an MoU was signed between the BRO and GRSE for construction of indigenous Class 70R Double Lane Modular Bridges. These bridges will help in bolstering the operational preparedness of the Armed Forces.
Date - 09/05/2023
Smart policing: Here's how modernization assuring citizens of enhanced safety across states
Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared his vision for policing at the Guwahati Conference, enunciating the concept of SMART Police -- a force which would be strict and sensitive, modern and mobile, alert and accountable, reliable and responsive and techno-savvy and trained. The police force is now realising the benefits of this modernization, ultimately assuring the citizens of their safety. The police forces in all states are updating their technology to suit the needs of the general public. The use of high-resolution CCTV cameras with night vision facilities in Chandigarh Union Territory, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana is a case in this regard.
Date - 09/05/2023
CISO deep-dive training programme under Cyber Surakshit Bharat organised by NeGD
CISO Deep-Dive training programme has been organized by the National e-Governance Division (NeGD), under its Capacity Building scheme, from 8th-12th May 2023, at Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi. Officials from Central Line Ministries and States and UTs are participating in the programme. The five-day intensive training programme is designed for CISOs from Central and state and UT governments, subordinate agencies and PSUs, including public sector banks and insurance companies, technical wings of police and security forces, CTOs and members of technical and PMU teams, and other officers responsible for security of IT systems in their respective organisations. Cyber Surakshit Bharat, an initiative of Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), was conceptualised with the mission to spread awareness about cybercrime and build capacities of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and frontline IT officials, across all government departments, for ensuring adequate safety measures to combat the growing menace. The aim of the initiatives is to ensure that the government departments have the capacity to protect their digital infrastructures and are ready to thwart cyber-attacks.
Date - 09/05/2023
C-DAC transfers STATCOM and Railways VCU technologies to industry partners
Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Thiruvananthapuram, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), transferred indigenous technology of power quality solution and railways VCU solutions to industry partners in the presence of MeitY Secretary Alkesh Kumar Sharma in New Delhi on Thursday. Alkesh Sharma speaking on the occasion said the Prime Minister's vision of 'Make in India - Make for the World' can be achieved through more and more indigenisation of technology and taking it forward by the industry. "The STATCOM technology will help the masses in integration of different renewable sources of energy to the grid without depleting power factor and can help the grid in unbalanced grid conditions. Also, the VCU and its offshoot technologies given to the Indian Railways will ultimately help the passengers, freight, Shatabdi and Tejas trains to have more indigenisation of the technologies," he added. Sharma further said, "India is slowly transforming and strengthening itself in the R&D and manufacturing sector in which the industry partners has more roles to play as Indian entrepreneurs and stakeholders to take this mission forward and this synergy will make India an 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'." There is a huge market for the new and innovative, upgraded, devices, and the whole advantage of this technology is on efficiency which will be a win-win situation for both the developer of the technology and the industry, in which the momentum gain of Indian technology will be crucial as an exporter hub, he added.
Date - 08/05/2023
Modern technology a great enabler in bringing transparency and accountability in governance: Bharat Lal
The Director General of National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) Bharat Lal has said modern technology is a great enabler in bringing transparency and accountability in governance. The officers should learn and adopt these modern tools of information and communication technology (ICT) to better serve the people, he advised. While speaking at the valedictory function of NCGG's flagship capacity building programme (CBP) for 58th batch of civil servants of Bangladesh in New Delhi on Sunday, Lal urged the public servants to reduce the gap between the citizens and the government, and do away with the old colonial mindset. The 58th CBP was attended by 45 officers from Bangladesh. The programme focused on imparting new knowledge in the field of public policies, programmes, governance, use of technology and new skillsets to the officers to design and execute effective public policies and programmes to improve the quality of life of citizens, according to the Ministry of Personnel.
Date - 08/05/2023
India opens its digital infrastructure for testing on global standards
Resetting the global technology order, India is set to showcase its innovative digital infrastructure that has emerged as a key economic driver in the past few years. In a recently concluded G7 Digital and Tech Ministers' Meeting held in Japan, the Union government is reported to have invited global technology experts to examine India's telecom stack in line with the global standards. In the G7 meeting led by Union IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, India showcased the success of its key digital initiatives including Aadhaar, UPI, and Cowin. During the meeting Vaishnaw maintained that the digitisation wave propelled by Digital India initiative has not just helped in creating a formidable digital infrastructure across the country but has also helped in its adoption far and wide. While expressing his happiness over the growing global interest in the Indian technology sector, the Union minister on Thursday said that India is emerging as a technology powerhouse and is attracting global attention for its growth journey in technology development.
Date - 08/05/2023
Cybersecurity alert issued against 'Royal' ransomware that attacks health, education sectors
The Indian cyber security agency has issued a warning against the "Royal ransomware" virus that attacks critical sectors like communications, healthcare, education, and even individuals and seeks pay-off in Bitcoins for not leaking personal data in the public domain. The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team or CERT-In has stated in the latest advisory that this Internet-spread ransomware sneaks in through phishing emails, malicious downloads, abusing RDP (remote desktop protocol) and other forms of social engineering. This ransomware, cyber experts told, was first detected in January 2022 and it got active sometime around September last year even as the US authorities issued advisories against its spread.
Date - 08/05/2023
Zoom gets pan India unified licenses from DoT; to offer Zoom Phone to MNCs
ZVC India of US-based Zoom Video Communications on Wednesday announced that it has received the Unified License with Access - All/PAN India, NLD National Long Distance, and ILD - International Long Distance from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India. With these licenses, the company will be able to offer Zoom Phone, its cloud PBX service, to multinational corporations (MNCs) and businesses operating in India. Zoom Phone is a global cloud PBX application service, enabling MNCs and businesses in India to have a single communication platform for their global workforce. Zoom partners with international telecommunication providers and offers phone numbers and calling plans in 47 countries and territories bundled with cloud PBX service, making it simple for customers to deploy and manage their phone services. The company in a statement said Zoom Phone offers a robust set of features for the modern workforce, including intelligent call routing, auto attendants, interactive voice response, shared line appearance, call queuing, call analytics, voicemail, recordings and transcriptions, desktop/ mobile app experience optimized for business users and integrations with CRM applications.
Date - 04/05/2023
Trai seeks direct access to telcos data for DoT, draws plan for ease of doing business
A move that may tighten the data compliance noose around the top telcos, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has suggested that the Department of Telecom (DoT) should create a secure system to access service providers' data such as command logs and supply chain documents. While Trai believes that the move is likely to simplify the existing security conditions prescribed in the telecom licence agreement, this may add an extra compliance burden on the telecom operators, and may henceforth widen the scrutiny net. At present the telecom service providers are required to keep records of all their operation and maintenance command logs for 12 months. The same information is also required to be stored for the next 24 months in a non-online mode, which becomes voluminous.
Date - 04/05/2023
UIDAI allows residents to verify email, mobile number seeded with Aadhaar
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has allowed residents to verify their mobile numbers and email IDs seeded with their Aadhaar. This step has been taken keeping user benefits in mind. It had come to the notice of the UIDAI that, in some instances, residents were not aware or sure about which of their mobile numbers were seeded to their Aadhaar. Hence residents were worried that Aadhaar OTP might be going to some other mobile number. Now, with this facility, the residents can check these quite easily. The facility can be availed under 'Verify email/mobile Number' feature on the official website (https://myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in/) or through the mAadhaar App. It has been developed for the residents to verify that their own email and mobile number is seeded with respective Aadhaar.
Date - 04/05/2023
Defence tech: DRDO, Navy successfully test air droppable container system
Breaching another milestone in the defence technology sector, the Indian Navy and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) have successfully tested an ingeniously built air droppable container system that can carry up to 150 kg of payload. According to the ministry of defence (MoD), the container was dropped from an IL 38SD aircraft during a maiden trial that took place off the coast of Goa on April 27. The purpose of the trial was to enhance the naval operational logistics capabilities by providing a quick response to meet the requirement of critical engineering stores to ships that are deployed more than 2,000 kms from the coast. This reduces the need for ships to come close to the coast to collect spares and stores. The new container was developed in collaboration with three DRDO laboratories including Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam; Aerial Delivery Research & Development Establishment (ADRDE), Agra; and Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Bengaluru.
Date - 03/05/2023
DRDO conducts design validation trial of underground ammunition storage facility
Centre of Fire, Explosive and Environment Safety (CFEES), a Delhi-based laboratory of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has designed and developed a vertical shaft based underground ammunition storage facility. It enables upward vertical dissipation of blast effects considerably reducing the blast effect on surrounding utilities. The design validation trial of this underground ammunition storage structure was successfully conducted on April 30, 2023. The instrumented blast trial was carried out in presence of the Armed Forces by detonating 5,000 kgs of TNT in one of the chambers of the underground facility, according to the Ministry of Defence. The ministry in a release said the CFEES team conducted the trial with precision and utmost safety in place. All the parameters recorded during the trial matched with estimated values. This facility will ensure that an explosion within will not cause damage to the adjacent chamber and also ensuring full operability of the remaining facility.
Date - 03/05/2023
India and Israel to deepen collaboration in innovation and startups: Jitendra Singh
NEW DELHI : India and Israel have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Industrial Research and Development Cooperation, with a focus on several key technology areas, including aerospace, electronics instrumentation, civil infrastructure and engineering, ecology, environment, earth and ocean sciences and water, among others. The multi-sectoral agreement was signed between the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D), Ministry of Defense of the State of Israel, in the presence of Union Minister Jitendra Singh, at the CSIR-Science Centre in New Delhi. During the meeting, Daniel Gold, Head of DDR&D, Israeli Ministry of Defence, led a high-level delegation that called on Jitendra Singh. The two sides discussed various issues of mutual interest, including enhancing collaboration in the areas of innovation and startups.
Date - 03/05/2023
StarBerrySense payload developed by IIA functioning as expected: Dept of Space
A new low-cost star sensor developed by astronomers from off-the-shelf components was recently launched by ISRO on board PSLV C-55. In its first-ever space test, the sensor, which is mounted on the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM), is performing well, and the initial data has now validated its design as well as its function, the Department of Space confirmed on Monday. The department in a statement said the StarBerrySense payload developed by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), was launched on April 22. This novel low-cost sensor designed to quickly calculate where the satellite is pointing is being tested in space for the very first time. The astronomers from the Space Payloads Group at the institute have announced that not only has StarBerrySense withstood the harsh conditions in space and is functioning as expected, the initial data shows that it is able to calculate the pointing direction, it said. For any space mission, it is crucial to know where the satellite is being pointed to at any given time. While there are several ways to do this, a star sensor provides the most accurate information about a spacecraft's orientation. The start sensor designed by the Space Payloads Group at IIA is capable of finding its pointing direction in space by identifying the stars in its field of view, it said.
Date - 02/05/2023
NTPC and NPCIL sign agreement for a joint venture to develop nuclear power plants
NTPC Ltd. has signed a supplementary joint venture agreement with Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL) in New Delhi on Monday for development of Nuclear Power Projects. The agreement was signed by Ujjwal Kanti Bhattacharya, Director Projects, NTPC Ltd. and Ranjay Sharan, Director Projects, NPCIL in the presence of R.K. Singh, Minister of Power, New & Renewable Energy, K.N. Vyas, Secretary DAE & Chairman Atomic Energy Commission, Alok Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Power, Gurdeep Singh, CMD NTPC, B C Pathak, CMD NPCIL and senior officials of Ministry of Power and Department of Atomic Energy. Initially, the JV company will develop two Pressurized Heavy-Water Reactor (PHWR) projects, Chutka Madhya Pradesh Atomic Power Project 2x700 MW and Mahi Banswara Rajasthan Atomic Power Project 4x700 MW, which were identified as a part of fleet mode nuclear projects.
Date - 02/05/2023
Consultations to amend laws around sedition in advanced stages, Centre tells Supreme Court
Coming out clear on upgrading governance laws around sedition, the Centre on Monday told the Supreme Court that the government has already initiated the process to review the colonial-era sedition provisions. The Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice JB Pardiwala after acknowledging the Attorney General's statement that section 124A of the Indian Penal Code is being reexamined, has postponed the hearing on a group of petitions contesting the sedition law. The Supreme Court bench has posted the matter for hearing in the second week of August. Earlier the petitions filed in the apex court questioned the constitutional validity of the provision. According to the Attorney General of India, the review process was in its advanced stages, and before it was sent to Parliament, the court will have a chance to examine it.
Date - 02/05/2023
NITI Aayog releases compendium on best practices in 14 sectors including e-governance, digitization
NITI Aayog in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme on Monday released the 'Best Practices in Social Sector: A Compendium, 2023'. This compendium includes 75 case studies cutting across 14 key social sectors, sourced from all states/UTs and 30 ministries and departments of the Government of India, NITI Aayog said in a statement. Launching the compendium, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog Suman Bery said this publication provides an opportunity for peer-to-peer learning among states, to applaud the efforts of innovations taking place in the states and to adopt practices that are best suited to the context. The document serves as an active tool for innovation and scale up, he added. The utility of the compendium lies in the potential of its case studies being replicated across states and Union Territories," observed BVR Subrahmanyam, CEO, NITI Aayog. "This document is not only significant for peer learning among states, but also an important source for other countries to learn from India's successes," said Shoko Noda, Resident Representative, UNDP India. "As India is celebrating 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav', NITI Aayog and UNDP are bringing out this compendium showcasing 75 best practices in the social sector which truly highlight the theme 'Achievements @75' at the grassroot level," said Dr Yogesh Suri, Senior Adviser, NITI Aayog.
Date - 02/05/2023
Government looks to release Digital India Act first draft by July-August
The Union government is readying to release the first draft of the new Digital India Act (DIA) by late July or early August, said people aware of the matter. "We will start pre-draft consultations in the first week of May in which we will invite lawyers, public policy consultants and other experts to submit their views on what should be included in the new Act. We will also give them (stakeholders) 45 days to upload their written submissions," said a senior government official, who did not wish to be identified. The electronics and information technology ministry will then study the submissions and may invite government and private legal experts to vet the final draft before it is released for public consultation, said the official.
Date - 01/05/2023
CERT-In warns of Denial-of-Service (DoS) attack by abusing SLP
In its recent vulnerability report, CERT-In has warned that vulnerability has been reported in Service Location Protocol (SLP) which could be exploited by a remote attacker to cause denial-of-service conditions on the targeted system. According to CERT-In, the vulnerability exists in Service Location Protocol (SLP) due to improper service validation. The vulnerability note from CERT-In notes: "An unauthenticated remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability by registering arbitrary services and use spoofed UDP traffic to cause a denial of service attack with a significant amplification factor. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow a remote attacker to denial-of-service condition on the targeted system."
Date - 30/04/2023
Modern analogue dataset to be used as reference tool for ecological studies in Central Ganga Plain
Scientists have developed a modern analogue dataset based on biotic and abiotic proxy records from different depositional settings like lakebeds, river beds, forest floors, and croplands across two interfluves of the Central Ganga Plain (CGP) that would be an accurate reference tool for the palaeo-ecological studies in the CGP, according to the Ministry of Science & Technology. The ministry in a statement on Saturday said the Central Ganga Plain serves as a food basket for thickly populated India and is undergoing significant upheavals in terms of climatic (monsoonal) variability in recent decades. Future scenario assessment requires rigorous climate models which are built utilizing key data inputs (of this eco-system) emerged from well-dated palaeo-reconstructions. A considerable number of records are available from the Central Ganga Plain with restricted information on palaeo-environmental reconstruction. Modern proxies to distinguish different ecology and depositional environment at the appropriate spatial scale are limited, and generation of such proxies is vital for decoding the past environment in the CGP.
Date - 30/04/2023
ULIP integration with digital systems to add value to coal logistics: Secy Amrit Lal Meena
Secretary, Ministry of Coal, Amrit Lal Meena chaired a meeting on the integration of Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP) with the digital systems of the Ministry of Coal in New Delhi on Friday. During the meeting, Meena directed the coal companies to identify the problems/ pain points which they are currently facing and try to workout a solution through ULIP integration. He further urged the ULIP team to visit the coal mines for better understanding. ULIP has emerged as a digital gateway for the logistics ecosystem to access data available with various government systems for track/ trace, authentication, document digitization, process automation as well as discovery services. At present 33 systems from seven ministries are integrated through 106 APIs covering more than 1,600 data fields for usage by the stakeholders, the ministry said in a statement.
Date - 29/04/2023
Govt working to provide tech access to every citizen across the country: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asserted that his government was working towards giving people in every nook and corner of the country affordable access to technology. "Today many education courses are available on DTH services. FM radio & DTH have both shown a window to the future of Digital India," he said. PM Modi in a virtual address after launching 91 FM transmitters that will be accessible across 18 states and two union territories said the move would take FM radio services to more than two crore people staying in remote regions and give them affordable access to information.
Date - 29/04/2023
India's technologically empowered young talent to shape future of tech design for world: MoS IT
The Union Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Electronics & IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Wednesday said that in the next five years, centres of gravity in the technology space will be rebuilt around newer geopolitics and newer talent pools for which India is strongly positioned. "We are living in extremely interesting times for technology space and in the next five years, centers of gravity will be rebuilt around newer geopolitics and newer talent pools for which New India is strongly positioned," Chandrasekhar said while delivering the presidential address virtually at the inauguration of Pratap Subrahmanyam Centre for Digital Intelligence, Security Hardware and Architecture Centre (PS CDISHA) at IIT Madras. The center has been created through contribution of one of IIT-M alumni from the class of 1985, Pratap Subrahmanyam. As part of the Computer Science Engineering Department, it will work in the areas of Computer Architecture, Security, Machine Learning and VLSI Design.
Date - 28/04/2023
Authentication transactions via Aadhaar swell to 2.31 bn in March
Keeping pace with the Centre's digitisation bid, the authentication transactions via Aadhaar have swelled to about 2.31 billion in March 2023. According to an official data released by the Union ministry of electronics & IT, the number of authentication transactions through Aadhaar stood at 2.26 billion in February, early this year. The government data maintains that the majority of the authentications were done through biometric fingerprint, followed by demographic and OTP authentication methods. As per the latest data, during March 2023, over 311.8 million e-KYC transactions were conducted, representing a rise of 16.3% as compared to February. The Union ministry said that the Aadhaar e-KYC service has played a significant role in improving customer experience and facilitating ease of doing business for both banking and non-banking financial services.
Date - 27/04/2023
AI-governance: Delhi broadens scope for using AI to deliver services via integrated portal
Drawing the new e-governance roadmap, people centric services from as many as 180 government websites across 50 departments in Delhi are accessible via one integrated portal. Launched on Tuesday, the new portal is now functional for key Delhi government departments including the transport and public works departments. Among the key features of the new e-governance initiative via the new portal is that the integrated system broadens the scope to induct artificial intelligence in future courses to manage future needs. The Delhi government also looks to incorporate AI in its future functioning. The Delhi CM Kejriwal maintained that the new portal will help in key data handling with an auto archival process for protecting data and content. According to Kejriwal, the portal will work across devices enhancing accessibility with GIGW/W3C compliance and multilingual support.
Date - 27/04/2023
AI backed predictor discovery algorithm to improve Indian summer monsoons forecast
With a newly devised algorithm using Artificial Intelligence, scientists can now improve the predictability of the Indian summer monsoons (ISMR) 18 months ahead of the season, according to the Union Ministry of Science & Technology. The algorithm called predictor discovery algorithm (PDA) made using a single ocean-related variable could facilitate skillful forecast of the ISMR in time for making effective agricultural and other economic plans for the country, the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. The team consisting of IASST Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, and Cotton University, Guwahati, devised a predictor discovery algorithm (PDA) that generates predictor at any lead month by projecting the ocean thermocline depth (D20) over the entire tropical belt between 1871 and 2010 onto the correlation map between ISMR and D20 over the same period. Scientists at the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), Guwahati, an autonomous institute of DST along with their collaborators have found that the widely used sea surface temperature (SST) is inadequate for calculation of long-lead prediction of ISMR. They found this was because the potential skill of ISMR estimated by the predictor discovery algorithm (PDA) using SST-based predictors was low at all the lead months
Date - 27/04/2023
UP notifies norms making Aadhaar must for caste, domicile, income certificates
Mandating the use of digital identity, Aadhaar, as a prerequisite compliance criteria for seeking caste, domicile, income or solvency certificates from the state revenue department, the Uttar Pradesh government has notified new norms under which the applicant seeking the above certificates would be required to present their Aadhaar cards. According to the latest notification issued by the state revenue department, in cases where the individual does not possess an Aadhaar card, they must provide proof of application for the ID until they receive it. So far the Aadhaar card is not mandatory, but officials encourage applicants to provide it to obtain comprehensive information on beneficiaries of various government schemes in the state. By invoking the Section 7 of the Aadhaar Act 2016, which is done for the first time in regard to issuance of the above certificates, the state government looks to use the Aadhaar data to implement the family ID programme, which aims to collect details of beneficiaries.
Date - 27/04/2023
India leads the change for global digital regulatory frameworks
Taking impetus from far and wide sectoral reforms in digital and data security in India, now the global counterparts are setting up new regulatory frameworks to ensure a safe and trusted internet by holding social media platforms accountable for their users' data. The proposed Digital India Act (DIA) that looks to promote the growth of the digital economy in the country, is set for a course correction by taming down the influence of global technology majors operating in the country. It is noteworthy that the new digital regulations being worked out across EU and other western countries look to tighten the noose around US BigTech companies. According to Union minister of state for electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) that requires social media platforms such as Google, Facebook, and Twitter to maintain independent auditing, share data with relevant authorities, and adopt a code of conduct by August of this year will prevent dominant tech companies from abusing their power. The EU is however, not alone in pulling the plug over the BigTech companies. The UK government is reported to have introduced new legislation aimed at curbing Big Tech's market power and protecting consumers from rip-offs. The bill includes measures to combat fake reviews, subscription traps, and businesses that breach consumer rights law.
Date - 26/04/2023
EU-India Innocenter hosts 8 high-impact European tech startups at T-Hub Hyderabad
EU-India Innocenter, an initiative funded by the European Union's research and innovation framework programme Horizon 2020, is back in India for the second time in six months to promote innovation, sustainability, and growth in key sectors like sustainability, health-tech, logistics, mobility, and deep tech. The EU-India Innocenter's week-long in-country programme in Hyderabad and Bengaluru from April 17-22, has eight high-impact European tech startups ready to explore and scale in the Indian market. The programme provides a strategic network of ecosystem facilitators like VCs, potential partners and corporations from India and many European countries, including government representatives from both sides. With India being one of the largest growing markets in the world and the EU being one of India's largest trading partners and foreign investors, this initiative aims at further deepening the EU-Indian Partnership through the innovation corridor. Eight startups have been selected based on their stage of development, annual recurring revenue, growth rate, and distinctive IPs in India. The cohort includes Cast AI, AgeVolt, AEInnova, Spotlite, BOSAQ, Resistomap, Foliomax, and Newborn Solutions. Two of these startups, Cast AI and AgeVolt have already explored the Indian market peripheries during the last trip and are now ready to 'enter and scale' in the market. The remaining six startups are under the 'explore and validate' phase and will be testing their waters for the first time in India. These selected startups participated in the programme's flagship demo day called the Blue Carpet Night - Showcasing European Innovation, on April 18 at T-Hub Hyderabad, where they pitched to potential customers, business partners, mentors, investors, ecosystem leaders, and government representatives. The event, taking place post G20 Startup20 meet in Hyderabad, aims at deepening collaboration among the EU India startup ecosystem. The flagship demo-day witnessed ecosystem players from TCS Limited, Wells Fargo, Hexagon, CIE-IIIT Hyderabad, Heifer International, RICH, etc.
Date - 26/04/2023
Government proposes 30 documents as proof of identity for DL and vehicle registration
Soon, you will be able to get a driving licence or get your vehicle registered by submitting documents other than Aadhaar, voter ID card or passport. The Union road transport ministry has proposed to expand the list of acceptable documents for proof of identity, address and age to 30 to get a licence or registration certificate. In a communication to states and Union Territories seeking their feedback by May 10, the ministry has shared the list of proposed documents. These include ration card or PDS photograph card, service certificate of central and state government employees issued by a gazetted officer, Kisan photograph passbook, disability ID card and marriage certificate issued by the government. As per the proposal, transgender ID cards or certificates issued by the government will also be treated as a valid document. The ministry has told states that it has taken reference from the list of acceptable documents for update of Aadhaar while proposing the list of additional documents that would suffice for issuing DLs or registration certificates.
Date - 26/04/2023
Centre sets eye on e-Courts Phase III, lines up Rs 2038 cr to digitise over 3.1 bn documents
Keeping up the digitisation pace, the Union government is set to digitise more than 3.1 billion documents, including legacy records and pending cases under the phase-III of the e-Courts project. The project led by the Department of Justice under the Union law ministry, which will be the nodal agency to implementation of phase-III is expected to cost Rs 2,038.40 crore. The e-court project is a part of a Union government funded scheme to digitise the judiciary process with a timeline of four years. The scheme was announced by Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman during her latest budget speech early this year. The total financial outlay for the project is estimated to be around Rs 7,210 crore. "For efficient administration of justice, Phase III of the eCourts project will be launched with an outlay of Rs 7,000 crores," Sitharaman said during her budget speech in February.
Date - 25/04/2023
'Transformation in manufacturing, infrastructure, start-up culture within India are game changers': EAM S Jaishankar
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar delivered the keynote address at the India-Latin America Business event, highlighting ten important reasons why the India-Panama business collaboration has strong prospects and merits-focused endeavours. "As the 5th largest economy, our presence across the world is steadily growing. Transformation in manufacturing, infrastructure, innovation and startup culture within India are game changers," he said, while delivering the keynote address. "Nearing $50 billion, India-Latin America trade has a much-diversified basket. Significant increase in investments and interest in mining, energy, agro and infrastructure sectors will power it further," the minister said at the event, which he later tweeted.
Date - 25/04/2023
Use climate smart technologies to develop dairy industry: President Droupadi Murmu
President Droupadi Murmu has said dairy industry should be developed by adopting environment friendly and climate smart technologies, at the same time keeping animal welfare in mind. While addressing the 19th convocation ceremony of the National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, on Monday, Murmu highlighted that NDRI is promoting various technologies to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases from dairy farms. Along with this, emphasis is also being laid on sources of clean energy like biogas production, she said. Murmu called upon the students to always try to learn new things and work for the welfare of the people. "Some of you students must become job providers and entrepreneurs in the dairy industry. There are immense possibilities of growth in this industry and you should take advantage of these possibilities. Efforts are being made by NDRI to promote entrepreneurship and startups in the dairy sector in different parts of the country. It is expected that you will start as an entrepreneur by taking advantage of this and other schemes of the government and make the best contribution to the progress of the nation," she said.
Date - 25/04/2023
National Generic Document Registration System adopted by 28 states for land records: Centre
As many as 28 states/UTs have adopted the National Generic Document Registration System (NGDRS) for land records. The Department of Land Resources (DoLR) said eRegistration is being done in these states/UTs or they have started sharing data with the national portal of NGDRS through user interface/ API. According to the latest data provided by the Land Resources Division of the DoLR, Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN) or BhuAadhar has been adopted by 26 states/UTs and pilot testing done in seven more states/UTs. Some states are also using ULPIN in SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages Abadi and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) portal. As on April 18, computerization of Record of Rights (RoRs) has been completed in 6,22,030 (94.62%) villages out of 6,57,403 villages. A total of 1,28,72,020 Cadastral maps/FMBs have been digitized (75.62%) out of 1,70,22,935 Maps/FMBs) while Cadastral maps have been linked to RoRs in 4,22,091 villages (64.21%) out of 6,57,403 villages. 4,922 (92.82%) Sub Registrar Offices (SROs) have been computerized and 4,031 (76.01%) SROs integrated with revenue offices out of a total of 5,303 SROs. 3,297 (85.73%) modern record rooms (MRRs) have been established out of sanctioned 3,846 MRRs (total MRR 6,866).
Date - 25/04/2023
Digital revolution enabling panchayats to become smart: PM Modi
Launching the integrated e-GramSwaraj and GeM portal for procurement of goods and services at the panchayat level in Madhya Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that the move will help the rural economy while creating new opportunities in the hinterland. "In this era of digital revolution, Panchayats are also being made smart," PM Modi said. "The GeM portal for public procurement at the Panchayat level will make procurement by the Panchayats easy and transparent. Local cottage industries will find a strong avenue for their sales," he said. He laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation, projects worth Rs. 17,000 crores. He said that at the village Panchayats were coming up as the life force of Indiaâ??s development. "Gram Panchayat Vikas Yojana is helping Panchayats to work effectively."
Date - 24/04/2023
Machine learning: As AI tools gain heft, the jobs that could be at stake
Scottish revival singer-songwriter Ewan MacColl's 1986 track 'My Old Man' was an ode to his father, an iron-moulder who faced an existential threat to his job because of the advent of technology. The lyrics could finds some resonance nearly four decades on, as industry leaders and tech stalwarts predict the advancement in large language models such as OpenAI's GPT-4 and their ability to write essays, code, and do maths with greater accuracy and consistency, heralding a fundamental tech shift; almost as significant as the creation of the integrated circuit, the personal computer, the web browser or the smartphone. But there still are question marks over how advanced chatbots could impact the job market. And if the blue collar work was the focus of MacColl's ballad, artificial intelligence (AI) models of the generative pretrained transformer type signify a greater threat for white collar workers, as more powerful word-predicting neural networks that manage to carry out a series of operations on arrays of inputs end up producing output that is significantly humanlike. So, will this latest wave impact the current level of employment? According to Goldman Sachs economists Joseph Briggs and Devesh Kodnani, the answer is a resounding yes, and they predict that as many as 300 million full-time jobs around the world are set to get "automated", with workers replaced by machines or AI systems. What lends credence to this stark prediction is the new wave of AI, especially large language models that include neural networks such as Microsoft-backed OPenAI's ChatGPT. The Goldman Sachs economists predict that such technology could bring "significant disruption" to the labour market, with lawyers, economists, writers, and administrative staff among those projected to be at greatest risk of becoming redundant. In a new report, "The Potentially Large Effects of Artificial Intelligence on Economic Growth", they calculate that approximately two-thirds of jobs in the US and Europe are set to be "exposed" to AI automation, to various degrees.
Date - 24/04/2023
Sonowal to inaugurate National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways & Coasts at IIT-M
The Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal will inaugurate National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts (NTCWPC), IIT M - Discovery campus in Chennai on Monday (April 24, 2023). Under the Sagarmala Programme, NTCWPC has been established in IIT Madras at a cost of Rs 77 crore. The institute acts as a technological arm of the Ministry and develops cutting-edge technologies and application products to provide solutions to various challenges faced by ports and shipping sector. The institute has world class capabilities for undertaking the 2D and 3D investigations of research and consultancy nature for the port, coastal, waterway sector across all disciplines. Modelling of ocean, determining the coastal and estuarine flows, sediment transport and morpho dynamics, planning of Navigation and Maneuvering, estimation of dredging and siltation, consultancy in port and coastal engineering - designing the structures and breakwaters, autonomous platforms and vehicles, experimental and CFD modelling of flow and hull interaction, hydrodynamics of multiple hulls, ocean renewable energy coupled with port facilities are some of the areas where expertise has already been developed for the benefit of the country, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said in a statement.
Date - 23/04/2023
SAIL-Bokaro Steel Plant ink pact with TCIL to explore use of 5G tech in mining
Maharatna steel PSU Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL)-Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL) signed a Memorandum of understanding with Telecommunications Consultants India (TCIL) to explore the potential of application of 5G/ IT/ telecom and other wireless communication technologies in SAIL-Bokaro Steel Plant. This project would include SAIL's Mines and Collieries, Central Coal Supply Organization and the SAIL refractory unit in Jharkhand. According to an official statement, SAIL-BSL has taken the initiative of becoming the first public sector undertaking (PSU) in the country to take initiative for setting up a dedicated 5G network with the help of TCIL which will pave way for the application of fifth-generation mobile system/information technology/telecom technologies in steel manufacturing, according to a statement from the Ministry of Steel released on Friday evening.
Date - 22/04/2023
2,605 4G mobile towers to provide connectivity to 3,721 villages in Arunachal Pradesh
2,605 4G mobile towers for providing connectivity to more than 3,721 villages in Arunachal Pradesh with a total outlay of Rs 2,675 crore has been approved by Goverment of India. The inauguration ceremony to dedicate some of these mobile towers to the nation will be performed on April 22, 2023 in Itanagar by Minister for Communications, Railways and Electronics and IT Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw; Minister for Law and Justice Shri Kiren Rijiju; Minister of State for Communications Shri Devusinh Chauhan and Arunachal Chief Minister Shri Pema Khandu with senior officials from the central and state governments. The towers will provide 4G coverage in uncovered villages, thereby bringing digital connectivity to 336 villages, including several areas which have remained unconnected since Independence. It is expected over 70,000 subscribers shall be benefited and expected data usage may cross 40TB every month.
Date - 22/04/2023
India to have 146 carbon neutral airports by 2025: Jyotiraditya Scindia
Pushing green mobility, Union Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Thursday announced to add as many as 121 new airports as 100 percent carbon neutral by 2025. According to Scindia, at present there are about 25 airports in India that are utilizing 100 percent green energy. While speaking virtually at the two-day EU-India aviation summit after being testing positive for Covid-19, Scindia maintained that India and the European Union share a mutual goal of combating climate change. The aviation industry, which is facing intense pressure to cut carbon emissions, has taken several measures to minimise the carbon footprint and mitigate emissions.
Date - 21/04/2023
MeitY to authorise private entities to perform Aadhaar authentication; seeks views
With an objective to make Aadhaar people-friendly and enable its voluntary use to perform Aadhaar authentication under any law or as prescribed, the government has proposed to provide for preparation of the proposal for performance of such authentication by entities other than government ministries and departments for prescribed purposes. Through an amendment enacted in 2019 to the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016, it was provided under section 4(4) of the Act that entities may be allowed to perform authentication if the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is satisfied that the requesting entity is compliant with standards of privacy and security specified by regulations and is permitted by law to offer authentication services or seeks authentication for a prescribed purpose. Pursuant to this amendment, the said purposes were prescribed by the Aadhaar Authentication for Good Governance (Social Welfare, Innovation, Knowledge) Rules, 2020. These rules provided that Aadhaar authentication by requesting entities may be allowed in the interest of good governance, preventing leakage of public funds, promoting ease of living of residents and enabling better access to services for them, for the purposes of usage of digital platforms to ensure good governance, prevention of dissipation of social welfare benefits and enablement of innovation and the spread of knowledge
Date - 20/04/2023
New technologies ensure transparency in public audit, but human intelligence indispensable: President Murmu
President Droupadi Murmu has said technologies such as blockchain, data analytics, virtual audit rooms, etc can be used widely for ensuring transparency and compliance. However, technology cannot and should not replace the need for human intervention. The President visited the National Academy of Audit and Accounts, Shimla on Wednesday and interacted with officer trainees of the Indian Audit and Accounts Service. Addressing the officer trainees at the NAAA, Murmu urged young officers to understand the value of human touch and sensitivity towards issues concerning the nation and its citizens, while taking decisions and implementing policies. The recent launch of the One Indian Audit & Accounts Department One System is a praiseworthy initiative, she observed
Date - 20/04/2023
Indian startups grew 300 times in last 9 years: Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh recently said that StartUps in India grew 300 times in the last 9 years. Dr Jitendra Singh was speaking at a function at Rashtrapati Bhavan where "National Innovation Awards", instituted by the Union Ministry of Science & Technology, were presented to "Grassroot Innovators" by the President of India, Droupadi Murmu. The Minister said that there were just around 350 StartUps before 2014, but after Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the clarion call from the ramparts of the Red Fort in his Independence Day address and rolled out special StartUp scheme in 2016, there has been a quantum jump in StartUps to more than 90,000 with more than 100 Unicorns.
Date - 20/04/2023
National Quantum Mission gets Cabinet approval to scale up R&D for quantum technologies
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved the National Quantum Mission (NQM) at a total cost of Rs 6003.65 crore from 2023-24 to 2030-31, aiming to seed, nurture and scale up scientific and industrial R&D and create a vibrant and innovative ecosystem in Quantum Technology (QT). The government said this will accelerate QT led economic growth, nurture the ecosystem in the country and make India one of the leading nations in the development of quantum technologies and applications. The new mission targets developing intermediate scale quantum computers with 50-1000 physical qubits in eight years in various platforms like superconducting and photonic technology. Satellite based secure quantum communications between ground stations over a range of 2,000 kilometres within India, long distance secure quantum communications with other countries, inter-city quantum key distribution over 2,000 km as well as multi-node Quantum network with quantum memories are also some of the deliverables of the mission.
Date - 19/04/2023
Scientists probe characteristics of EMIC waves identified in Indian Antarctic station Maitri
Scientists have identified Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron (EMIC) waves, a form of plasma waves in the Indian Antarctic station, Maitri, and studied its characteristics. These waves play an important role in precipitation of killer electrons (electrons having speed close to speed of light, which form the radiation belt of planet Earth), which are hazardous to our space-borne technology/instruments. The study can help understand the impact of energetic particles in the radiation belts on the low orbiting satellites, according to the Ministry of Science & Technology. More than 99 percent of the matter in the visible universe consists of plasma. The Sun, solar wind, the interplanetary medium, near-Earth region, magnetosphere (the cavity in which the Earth lies and stays protected from the wrath of the Sun), and upper part of the atmosphere all consist of plasma -- the fourth state of matter. The study of plasma waves provides information on regions inaccessible to humans, transport mass and energy across different regions, how they interact with charged particles, and control the overall dynamics of the Earth's magnetosphere, the ministry said in a press release on Tuesday. One such wave is the Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron (EMIC), traversing plasma waves observed in the Earth's magnetosphere. They can resonate with electrons with a wide energy range -- from 500 keV to hundreds of MeV, and make them precipitate to high-latitude atmosphere.
Date - 19/04/2023
Centre rolled out 5G services across 600 districts in less than 200 days: Union MoS Chauhan
Pledging Centre's commitment towards rolling out the latest 5G services across India in record time, the Union minister of state for communications Devusinh Chauhan announced that India has covered 600 districts with 5G services in less than 200 days. While speaking at the G20 Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG) meeting in Hyderabad, the minister said that new public policies of the central government were inspired by 'Antyodaya' vision, which is also instrumental in working towards inclusive welfarism and development. "India has covered 600 districts with 5G in less than 200 days , that is one of the fastest in the world," Union MoS said, adding that, "India has second largest telecom network with the lowest data rate in the world and development of indigenous 4G, 5G technologies in a short span of time has surprised the world."
Date - 19/04/2023
NHAI working to develop 10,000 kms of digital highways to connect remote locations
NHAI is working towards development of around 10,000 km of Optic Fibre Cable (OFC) infrastructure across the country by FY2024-25. National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML), a fully owned SPV of NHAI, will implement the network of digital highways by developing integrated utility corridors along the national highways to develop OFC infrastructure. Around 1,367 km on Delhi - Mumbai Expressway and 512 km on Hyderabad - Bangalore Corridor have been identified as pilot routes for the Digital Highway development. Providing internet connectivity to remote locations across the country, the OFC network will help to expedite the roll out of new age telecom technologies like 5G and 6G.
Date - 19/04/2023
AI based crime analysis, new cybercrime management ecosystem to make cities safer: Amit Shah
Laying a new technology roadmap for the criminal justice system, Union home minister Amit Shah has sought to develop a new ecosystem for cybercrime management. According to Shah, there is a need to enhance the use of Artificial Intelligence based on the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) database for critical analysis of crimes. "Enhanced use of Artificial Intelligence should be made to utilise the CCTNS database for critical analysis of crimes, thus, making cities safer for women, children and vulnerable sections," Shah said on Tuesday. While reviewing the compliance status of tech projects including functioning of MHA dashboard, Government Land Information System (GLIS), Budget Utilization, E-Office and Special Recruitment Drive, Shah maintained that there was a need to avoid any administrative crunch at key positions that may not just impact project implementation but also cause security threat.
Date - 19/04/2023
5G Rollout: 600 Indian Districts Covered in Less Than 200 Days, MoS Communications Says
India has covered 600 districts with 5G services in less than 200 days, which is one of the fastest in the world, Union Minister of State for Communications Devusinh Chauhan said on Monday. Speaking at the second meeting of G20 Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG) here, he said public policies of the central government have been fundamentally inspired by the vision of 'Antyodaya' and they have been instrumental for inclusive welfare and development. "India has covered 600 districts with 5G in less than 200 days , that is one of the fastest in the world," he was quoted as saying in an official release.
Date - 18/04/2023
TRAI invites stakeholder views on Low Power Small Range FM Radio Broadcasting
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released a consultation paper (CP) on issues related to Low Power Small Range FM Radio Broadcasting in New Delhi on Monday. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) vide its reference dated 07.03.2022 had sought recommendations of the Authority, under section 11(1)(a)(i) of the TRAI Act, 1997 on the need and timing for introduction of new service provider for drive-in theatres application. The low-power short range FM radio broadcasting is an effective method of sound broadcasting for services that are intended for limited locations and reception areas. Some of the examples for such services include drive-in theatres, hospital radio services, amusement parks, business premises, closed communities such as residential complex, small habitations, local events such as air shows and sports events, etc.
Date - 18/04/2023
India emerging into a space economy with private participation: Jitendra Singh at G20 meeting
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Space Dr Jitendra Singh described India as an emerging space economy. Addressing the inaugural session of G20 Space Economy Leaders Meeting in Shillong on Monday, Singh said India is one of the few countries that have built end-to-end capability in space. Over the years, space technology has penetrated to all walks of life. As a result, there is a huge demand for space based services which have huge commercial potential, he said. G20 Space Economy Leaders Meeting is being organised under India's G20 presidency by the Department of Space, Government of India. "Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government has decided to open up the space sector for the private industry through the 2020 Space Sector reforms to increase their participation in end-to-end space activities with the hand holding by ISRO," said Dr Singh.
Date - 18/04/2023
IRCTC warns its customers of malicious Android application hosted on a phishing website
IRCTC has sent email to tens of millions of its customers warning them of a malicious Android application (irctcconnect.apk) hosted on a phishing website (https://irctc.creditmobile.site) which is being circulated over instant messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, and others. The email from IRCTC warns that this android app (APK file) is malicious and infects the mobile device. The cyber criminals who are behind this fraudulent app are sending phishing links at mass level and insisting users to download this android application. They are impersonating IRCTC officials to trick victims into revealing their sensitive net banking credentials like UPI details, credit and debit card information etc.
Date - 17/04/2023
With STPI support, Jaipur set to become a major hub of IT, ITeS startups: DG Arvind Kumar
To cater to the growing needs of the IT and ITeS startups in Rajasthan, STPI Jaipur has created a state of the art incubation center of 20,000 square feet. This facility provides services like incubation, statutory assistance, office space and value added services like data-com, co-location services, PMC and other benefits. In conversation with ETGovernment, Arvind Kumar, Director General, Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) shares the details of the benefits that startups can expect from the new incubation facility. Union Minister for Communications and Electronics & IT Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurated an incubation center at STPI Jaipur. What kind of benefits can be expected for startups from this incubation center? We have created a 20,000 square feet incubation facility at STPI Jaipur to primarily cater to the needs of small and medium scale entrepreneurs in the IT and ITeS sectors. We already had a small incubation facility of around 4,000 sq ft in Jaipur. After the inauguration of the new incubation facility, the scope of the incubation center has become much bigger. In this facility, we will provide space to a number of startups to operate on a plug and play model. There will also be space for conducting original research and development. The IT and ITeS sectors in Rajasthan will receive a big boost with the coming up of this incubation facility.
Date - 17/04/2023
Innovate to empower India in science and technology: Defence Minister exhorts youth
Terming it to be an essential aspect of character development, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has appealed to the youth to the youth to come up with new ideas and initiatives to empower the country in the fields of science and technology, and join the government in its efforts to make India safe, strong and self-reliant. He was addressing the 16th convocation of Janardan Rai Nagar Rajasthan Vidyapeeth (Deemed-to-be-University) in Udaipur on Saturday. The defence minister stressed that the use of technology will increase across all sectors in the coming times and there is a need to achieve excellence in science and technology. The defence minister called upon the young ignited minds to ideate, innovate, research and make headways in the fields of science and technology to take the county to new highs. He asserted that the "government is providing a level-playing field to young minds to build a safer, stronger and self-reliant 'New India'". He added that "approximately one lakh startups and over 100 unicorns operating in India now are a proof of this country's success in developing a startup-based innovation ecosystem."
Date - 16/04/2023
US seeks deeper bilateral cooperation with India in emerging technologies
A high level US delegation led by Senator Todd Young called on Union Minister of State (I/C) Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh and sought deeper bilateral cooperation with India in areas like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Quantum, Cyber Security, Semiconductor, Clean Energy, Advanced Wireless, Biotechnology, Geosciences, Astrophysics and Defence, etc. Singh told the US delegation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the last nine years, took personal interest in science, technology and innovation, and tried pro-actively to implement social sector schemes through science based solutions to bring ease of living for the common man. The minister said the patronage received from Modi has opened new opportunities and possibilities in all areas of scientific endeavours, but more so in areas of Space, Biotech, Geospatial and Sustainable Startups. He pointed out that since 2014, in every Independence Day speech, PM Modi has flagged key scientific challenges and projects like cleanliness, Hydrogen Mission, Digital Health Care system, Deep Ocean Mission, Clean Energy and Startups.
Date - 15/04/2023
CERT-In reports multiple vulnerabilities in SAP software
In its new advisory, CERT-In has reported multiple vulnerabilities in SAP products. The severity rating is high. The SAP software affected by the vulnerabilities include: SAP Business Client, SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform, SAP NetWeaver Application Server, SAP Diagnostics Agent, SAP GUI for HTML, SAP Customer Relationship Manager (CRM), SAP Web Dispatcher and Internet Communication Manager, SAP Commerce, SAP Application Interface Framework The multiple vulnerabilities could allow an attacker to escalate privileges, inject arbitrary code, disclose sensitive information, allow unrestricted file uploads, perform DoS attacks, allow an unauthorized user to start a restricted transaction, perform Crosssite scripting (XSS) attacks, redirect users to arbitrary URL and bypass security restrictions on the targeted system.
Date - 15/04/2023
New age technology to help National Education Policy realise modern India dream: PM Modi
Laying emphasis on the role of technology in education, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that the Union government has made key provisions in this year's budget and as many as 30 'Skill India International Centers' will be opened where youth will be trained through New Age Technology. "In this year's budget, the Prime Minister informed that 30 Skill India International Centers will be opened where youth will be trained through New Age Technology, and an initiative has been taken to provide training to small artisans through PM Vishwakarma Yojana and also to connect them with MSME," PM Modi said on Wednesday. In a virtual address to the newly-inducted teachers in Madhya Pradesh, PM Modi said that the Centre lays special emphasis on skill development to promote employment and self-employment
Date - 12/04/2023
IIT Kanpur incubated startup gets TDBDST funding for commercializing Machine Vision, Robotics Systems
Technology Development Board (TDB), an initiative of the Department of Science & Technology (DST), has entered into an agreement with MLIT-18 Technology Private Limited, a company incubated at Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre, IIT, Kanpur to enable the startup to develop the infrastructure for commercializing Machine Vision and Robotics System for Automation in Manufacturing Industry. TDB has pledged support of Rs. 4.12 crore to the firm for the project. MLIT-18 has indigenously developed solutions which will be a direct substitute to the quality assurance and inspection system for industrial automation in manufacturing industries and railways. In the project under TDB support, the company has proposed an import substitute for many major automation solutions like wagon inspection, thermal detection in mining industries, sieve analysis and pre-delivery inspection in automobile industry. The working system is already deployed at customer sites like Ultratech (Aditya Birla), Birla copper unit, Mahindra Igatpuri, etc. The entire design, algorithm and assembly in the developed product is indigenous. The company has a manufacturing site at Maharashtra for the realization of AI and robotics systems in the automation industry and railway.
Date - 11/04/2023
CERT-In warns of multiple 'high severity' vulnerabilities in Google Chrome for desktop
A new advisory released by CERT-In warns that multiple vulnerabilities have been detected in Google Chrome for desktop. The severity rating for the vulnerabilities is high. In India, Google Chrome is the most popular browser-in the month of December 2022, its share in the Indian browser market was about 86.32 percent. According to CERT-In, the vulnerabilities in Google Chrome for desktop could be exploited by a remote attacker to bypass security restrictions and execute arbitrary code. The vulnerabilities could also be used to obtain sensitive information on the targeted system. The causes for these vulnerabilities are the heap buffer overflow in visuals and browser history, use after free in frames, Networking APIs and Vulkan; out of bounds memory access in DOM bindings; inappropriate implementation in extensions, FedCM and WebShare; insufficient validation of untrusted input in safe browsing; incorrect security UI in picture and navigation; insufficient policy enforcement in Intents; out of bounds read in accessibility.
Date - 11/04/2023
Touchless biometric capture system to be developed jointly by UIDAI and IITBombay
A robust touchless biometric capture system which facilitates easy, anytime, anywhere usage is being developed by Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-Bombay). As part of a memorandum of understanding signed on Monday, UIDAI and IIT Bombay will carry out joint research to build a smartphone based capture system for fingerprints. Conventional touchbased fingerprint systems can face the issue of elastic distortion and non-uniform contact area, which can be avoided in touchless systems. With the technological advancements that are taking place in modern times, it has now become possible to devise systems for capturing biometrics through smartphones.
Date - 11/04/2023
New ecosystem enabled growth of startups in India from 350 to 90000 in 9 years: Jitendra Singh
The new ecosystem nurtured by the Union government has enabled the number of startups grow from aound 350 in 2014 to more than 90,000 and today there are more than 100 unicorns, said Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (I/C) for Science & Technology. He was speaking at a function at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday for giving away National Innovation Awards, instituted by the Union Ministry of Science & Technology. The awards were presented to 'Grassroot Innovators' by the President of India Droupdi Murmu. Giving all the credit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the success of India's startup industry, the minister said, "after Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the clarion call from the ramparts of the Red Fort in his Independence Day address and rolled out the special startup scheme in 2016, there has been a quantum jump in startups. He said that Prime Minister Modi opened the space sector for private participation leading to more than 100 startups in the Space sector within just about three years. Likewise, biotech went up from around 50 to nearly 6,000, he said. He noted that there was no dearth of talent, capability, innovations and creativity in the nation's youth, but they were lacking a favourable milieu and proper patronage which was provided by Prime Minister Modi, and it is also now evident that we have so much innovative talent even in our rural youth.
Date - 10/04/2023
Sikkim CM Prem Singh Tamang launches Jio 5G network in Gangtok
The chief minister of Sikkim, Prem Singh Tamang, launched the Reliance Jio True 5G network in the state capital Gangtok on Sunday. With this launch, Jio's 5G network is now present in every state of India, according to a statement by the telco Jio, at the 5G launch event in Sikkim, demonstrated the immersive benefits of 5G in the field of healthcare, through Jio Community Clinic medical kit, and the AR-VR device, Jio Glass, the statement added. Starting today, Jio users of Gangtok will be invited to the Jio Welcome Offer, to experience unlimited data at up to 1 Gbps speeds, at no additional cost
Date - 10/04/2023
Government launches Blockchain project to explore potential of Web3
The Union government has undertaken a research project in Blockchain technology system, which is aimed at evolving the blockchain technology stack for end-to-end blockchain application development. According to official sources, the project titled 'Design and Development of a Unified Blockchain Framework for offering National Blockchain Service and Creation of Blockchain Ecosystem', will also enable Open Application Programming Interfaces (Open APIs) for seamless integration and offering blockchain-as-a-service (BaaS) over distributed infrastructure. Official sources said that though the ministry of electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has not conducted any formal study on the economic and technological opportunities that Web3 provides, it is aware of the field's potential and this resulted in the framing of the National Strategy on Blockchain in 2021.
Date - 08/04/2023
MeitY Notifies Amendments to IT Rules Related to Online Gaming, Spread of False Information
Reaffirming its commitment to protecting the safety and trust of digital citizens, the Ministry of Electronics and IT has notified amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, related to online gaming and spread of false and misleading information regarding government business. The aim of these amendments was to enforce greater due diligence by online gaming and social media intermediaries, the ministry said in a release on Thursday evening. Elaborating on the new rules at a press conference, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, said, "Online gaming is certainly a huge opportunity for India and Young Indians. We see the Indian online gaming ecosystem to expand and grow into a multi-billion dollar industry and be an important catalyst to India's One trillion-dollar Digital economy goal by 2025-26, with very clear restrictions on online wagering and betting."
Date - 07/04/2023
Government To Notify Fact Check Body Through IT Ministry
IT ministry will notify an entity that will flag false information posted online pertaining to the government, Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Thursday. While releasing final guidelines for online gaming, the minister said that the final rule is still in work. "Government has decided to notify an entity through Meity and that organisation then would be the fact checker for all aspects of content online and only those that are related to the government," Mr Chandrasekhar said.
Date - 07/04/2023
Source:-https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/government-to-notify-fact-check-body-through-it-ministry-3926474
India emerging as world's major bioeconomy with fast growing biotech startups: Jitendra Singh
Union Minister of State for Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh said the Indian industry is the backbone of the world economy and has the potential to revolutionize technology. Integration of research, startups, academia and industry is no longer an option but a dire necessity to attract young innovators in the country, he said. He exhorted the industry to help India achieve the target of $300 billion BioEconomy by 2030 and $1 trillion BioEconomy when the country celebrates India@100 in 2047. "India has developed four indigenous vaccines in just two years under Mission Covid Suraksha and augmented the manufacturing of Covaxin. Our country became pandemic ready by creating the necessary infrastructure for smooth development of future vaccines," said Jitendra Singh, while delivering the inaugural address at the 20th anniversary celebrations of Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises (ABLE), at India Habitat Centre in New Delhi on Friday. Singh added that India is emerging as the world's major bioeconomy with fast growing biotech startups. He told the audience that in the Global Innovation Index 2022, India has moved to 40th rank from 81st position. "We must now aspire to be in the top 25 in the near term and in the top five by India @ 100. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has provided a huge impetus to innovation by adding Jai Anusandhan to the country's evergreen slogan of Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan," he said.
Date - 07/04/2023
CERT-In issues new security alerts on multiple versions of Android OS
India's cybersecurity watchdog CERT-In issued a new alert on multiple vulnerabilities that have been discovered in Android OS. CERT-In earlier this week warned about multiple vulnerabilities found in Apple's MacOS. It declared that the severity rating is high and the software affected are: Apple MacOS Ventura versions prior to 13.3, Apple macOS Big Sur versions prior to 11.7.5, and Apple MacOS Monterey versions prior to 12.6.4. The new alert on Android OS says these vulnerabilities could be exploited by an attacker to execute arbitrary code, gain elevated privileges, gain access to sensitive information and cause denial of service (DoS) conditions on the targeted system. The versions affected by these vulnerabilities are: Android versions 11, 12, 12L, 13.
Date - 07/04/2023
Digital startups call for antitrust probe into Google in-app billing fee
Top startups in India have urged the country's competition watchdog CCI to launch an inquiry into Alphabet's Google for allegedly bypassing an antitrust directive by charging a high service fee for in-app payments, a filing shows. The Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF) filing marks the latest tussle between Google and Indian startups, which have repeatedly criticized the US company for imposing unfair business restrictions that hurt smaller players. "Google's policy change of charging service fee even on transactions processed by third-party payment processors ... has detrimental consequences for users and app developers," the 15-page confidential March complaint by ADIF said.
Date - 07/04/2023
India tops in AI penetration among men and women: Stanford AI Index Report 2023
The share of Indian publications on AI has been steadily increasing -- from 1.3 percent in 2010 to 5.6 percent in 2021. While 71 percent respondents from India feel positive about AI products, only 35 percent of the respondents from the United States feel positive. In 2022, for the first time, researchers from Canada, Germany and India contributed to the development of large language and multimodal models. As of 2022, a large proportion of GitHub AI projects were contributed by software developers in India (24.2%). These are findings of Stanford University's recently unveiled 2023 AI Index Report. For the first time, the AI Index has recognized the important role that India is playing in the global AI ecosystem. The report also suggests that "as of 2022, the three countries or regions with the highest AI skill penetration rates were India (3.2), the United States (2.2), and Germany (1.7)." Even for women, the AI skill penetration rates in India are higher than that in the USA. The report says: "For all countries in the sample, the relative AI skill penetration rate is greater for men than women. India (2.0), the United States (1.3), and Israel (0.9) have the highest reported relative AI skill penetration rates for women."
Date - 06/04/2023
Weather based agro advisories using advanced tech provided to farmers: Jitendra Singh
India Meteorological Department (IMD) runs an operational Agrometeorological Advisory Services (AAS) such as Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa (GKMS) scheme for the benefit of farming community in the country. Under the scheme, medium range weather forecast at district and block level for next five days is generated and based on the forecast, 130 Agromet Field Units (AMFUs) located at state agricultural universities (SAUs), institutes of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), etc and District Agromet Units (DAMUs) at Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) under ICAR network prepare Agromet Advisories on every Tuesday and Friday for the districts under their jurisdiction and for the blocks of the district of their location and communicate to the farmers to take decision on day-to-day agricultural operations. This information was given by the Minister for State (IC) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Jitendra Singh in a written reply in Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Presently agromet advisories are being prepared on every Tuesday and Friday for all the agriculturally important districts (approx 700) and around 3,100 blocks by 130 AMFUs and 199 DAMUs.
Date - 06/04/2023
Qualcomm, Nvidia spar for top spot in AI chip efficiency tests
Artificial intelligence chips from Qualcomm Inc beat Nvidia Corp in two out of three measures of power efficiency in a new set of test data published on Wednesday, while a Taiwanese startup bested both in one category. Nvidia dominates the market for training AI models with huge amounts of data. But after those AI models are trained, they are put to wider use in what is called "inference" by doing tasks like generating text responses to prompts and deciding whether an image contains a cat. Analysts believe that the market for data center inference chips will grow quickly as businesses put AI technologies into their products, but companies such as Alphabet Inc's Google are already exploring how to keep the lid on the extra costs that doing so will add.
Date - 06/04/2023
Meta releases AI model that can identify items within images
Facebook-owner Meta published an artificial intelligence model on Wednesday that can pick out individual objects from within an image, along with a dataset of image annotations that it said was the largest ever of its kind. The company's research division said in a blog post that its Segment Anything Model, or SAM, could identify objects in images and videos even in cases where it had not encountered those items in its training. Using SAM, objects can be selected by clicking on them or writing text prompts. In one demonstration, writing the word "cat" prompted the tool to draw boxes around each of several cats in a photo.
Date - 06/04/2023
NIC is yet to pick the winners of National Government Cloud bid
Six months after floating a tender, the National Informatics Centre (NIC) is still evaluating bids for managing the National Government Cloud. The validity of the bids expires next month and industry executives expect a rebid. A cloud service provider empanelled with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) told ET, "The tender says the bid has a six month validity period. It has already been six months. It may not have been a successful request for proposal. It may come up for a rebid, there is no information". A top NIC official, however, in response to ET's queries on the number and names of companies who had applied for the same said, "The above tender is currently under evaluation. The process is going on."
Date - 06/04/2023
World's first defamation case against ChatGPT? Australian mayor readies lawsuit
The lawyers said they sent a letter of concern to ChatGPT owner OpenAI on March 21 over fix errors in its content. A regional Australian mayor said he may sue OpenAI if it does not correct ChatGPT's false claims that he had served time in prison for bribery, in what would be the first defamation lawsuit against the automated text service. Brian Hood, who was elected mayor of Hepburn Shire, 120km (75 miles) northwest of Melbourne, last November, became concerned about his reputation when members of the public told him ChatGPT had falsely named him as a guilty party in a foreign bribery scandal involving a subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of Australia in the early 2000s.
Date - 06/04/2023
Not planning any law to regulate AI growth in India: IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw
The government is not considering any law to regulate the growth of artificial intelligence (AI) in India, IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Wednesday. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Vaishnaw said that though AI had proven to be an enabler of the digital and innovation ecosystem, it had ethical concerns and associated risks. "AI has ethical concerns and risks due to issues such as bias and discrimination in decision-making, privacy violations, lack of transparency in AI systems, and questions about responsibility for harm caused by it," Vaishnaw informed the lower house.
Date - 05/04/2023
CERT-In warns users of multiple vulnerabilities in certain versions of Apple's MacOS
In its latest release, CERT-IN has warned about multiple vulnerabilities being found in Apple's MacOS. CERT-IN declares that the severity rating is high and the software affected are: Apple MacOS Ventura versions prior to 13.3, Apple macOS Big Sur versions prior to 11.7.5, and Apple MacOS Monterey versions prior to 12.6.4. CERT-IN or ICERT (The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team) is Government of India's nodal agency to deal with cyber security threats like hacking and phishing. The organisation is an office within the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), and its focus is on strengthening the security of India's Internet system. The CERT-IN release says that the vulnerabilities in Apple macOS could allow attackers to disclose sensitive information, bypass security restrictions, spoof VPN server, read or modify information, gain root privileges, execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service conditions on the target system.
Date - 05/04/2023
ONDC to reimagine concept of quick commerce: Nandan Nilekani
Nandan Nilekani, co-founder and non-Executive Chairman, Infosys said that the concept of quick commerce will get reimagined with the use of Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC). "There's a shared vision in what is possible with technology. ONDC acts as a great example of it as it was a shared vision of DPIIT and Ministers made possible and it was also set up as a non-profit. The speed at which ONDC transformed from an idea to reality has been unthinkable," he said. He believes that this has only been possible because of India's investment in digital public infrastructure and support from the government.
Date - 05/04/2023
Trai opens consultation to repeal regulation on dial-up, leased line internet service
Pushing key reforms to upgrade India's communication network for the transition into the new digital 'era', the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) on Monday issued a draft to repeal the regulation on quality of service of dial-up and leased line internet access service. "Authority decided to repeal the Regulation on quality of service of dial-up and leased line internet access service, 2001 (4 of 2001) with effect from the date of its notification in the Official Gazette," the Trai draft said. Trai has sought comments on the draft by April 17. According to the Trai, there were no dial-up subscribers now and high-speed broadband services were provided through optical fibres, wireless technologies such as 4G.
Date - 03/04/2023
Modern technology has increased global crime, it also offers solutions: PM Modi
Stressing the role of technology in taking on the modern day crime that is becoming 'global due to modern technology', Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that there was a need to further expand the ambit of forensic science in investigations and use modern technology that is largely the part of the problem while also being the solution. "Even though crimes are becoming global due to modern technology, it is also the solution," PM Modi said. While addressing officials at the diamond jubilee celebrations of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), PM Modi said that there was a need for an innovative approach to deal with cyber crimes. According to PM Modi, the recent tech-innovations and adoption of new e-governance module like the Direct Benefit transfer has helped to serve the poor in a much better way. "The government has so far transferred 27 lakh crores to the poor." PM Modi maintained that the new e-governance model has helped in reaching out to the 'right' beneficiaries, "and they are getting their full entitlement with the trinity of Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, and Mobile where more than 8 crore fake beneficiaries have been removed from the system," PM Modi said adding that due to DBT, about Rs 2.25 lakh crore was saved from going into the wrong hands.
Date - 03/04/2023
Platform Economy: Way forward for India's fast-track digital enterprises, governance
Digitalization has led to the emergence of technological advancement across the globe. The applications of cloud computing, big data, and new algorithms have changed the nature of global business in the recent past. The platform economy has also arrived in businesses as a by-product of these technologies. As a result, the influence of the platform economy with respect to the Indian market is on the rise. What is more, the transformation of organizations from traditional to platform business models is taking place. Similarly, the market trend is facilitating innovative categories of platforms to create a fresh opportunity for businesses and their ecosystem in strategizing avenues for the future. Speakers at the roundtable discussion (RTD) on 'The Power of Digitization and Connected Operations for Transforming Service Delivery in Government' observed, "Today technology has occupied such an important place in modern society that it is next to impossible to imagine life without it. With the growing needs of consumers and organizations, the transformation of organizations from traditional to platform business is imminent sooner or later."
Date - 03/04/2023
PM Modi hails 'Make in India' as defence exports swell past Rs 15,920cr in FY23
Commending the 'Make in India' efforts that have led the Indian defence exports swell to an all-time high of Rs 15,920 crore in the financial year 2022-2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that this was a clear manifestation of India's talent and the enthusiasm towards 'Make in India.' "Excellent! A clear manifestation of India's talent and the enthusiasm towards 'Make in India.' It also shows the reforms in this sector over the last few years are delivering good results. Our Government will keep supporting efforts to make India a defence production hub," PM Modi said in a tweet. Announcing the new feat, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the rise was a remarkable achievement. The country's defence exports in 2021-22 was Rs 12,814 crore, according to official data. "India's defence exports have reached an all-time high of Rs 15,920 crore in FY 2022-2023. It is a remarkable achievement for the country," Singh said on Twitter.
Date - 02/04/2023
India's digital infrastructure needs strict cybersecurity measures, strong PPP: Experts
With the increasing pace of digitalization in governments and enterprises, cybersecurity risks have increased exponentially, leaving India's digital infrastructure under constant threat. The need of the hour is to fortify cybersecurity postures and collaborate closely with industry experts to raise awareness and educate people on best practices to secure the digital ecosystem and enable cyber resilience, said senior government officials and a cyber law expert. While speaking recently at the SecuFest conference in Kochi, Saurabh Gupta, Joint Secretary, National Intelligence Grid, Union Ministry of Home Affairs said that there is growing need for a strong publicprivate partnership to secure the digital ecosystem effectively and enable cyber resilience. "The collaboration between the government and industry experts is crucial in safeguarding India's digital infrastructure effectively. Similar to physical infrastructure security challenges, digital infrastructure is also vulnerable to cyber threats. The key is to obtain timely intelligence and to mitigate threats quickly."
Date - 02/04/2023
India's digital public infrastructure can help developing world: G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant
India's digital public infrastructure, with open standards, open API, and interoperability as its fulcrum to facilitate easier adoption, can potentially benefit the developing world, G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said Thursday. In his inaugural address at a side event of the four-day G20 sherpa meeting that began at Kumarakom, Kerala on Thursday, Kant highlighted the success of India stack -such as Aadhaar, Co-Win, UPI, DigiLocker, BHASHINI and their potential benefit for the world. "DPI (Digital Public Infrastructure) have a crucial role in providing inclusive access to public services effectively and efficiently," he said at the event organised by the G20 Secretariat in partnership with Nasscom, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), and Digital Impact Alliance (DIAL).
Date - 31/03/2023
Defence tech: Centre clears Rs 36400 cr worth contracts to upgrad national security apparatus
In a leg-up to boost self-reliance in defence technology, the Ministry of Defense has cleared deals worth Rs 36,400 crore (approximately $4.9 billion) to upgrade the security apparatus across the three army wings. According to the Defence Ministry, under the deal with Bharat Dynamics Limited, two regiments of upgraded versions of the Akash air defence missile systems will be supplied to the Indian Army at an estimated cost of Rs 6,000 crore. The deal will further strengthen India's defense capabilities and enhance its missile systems. The Akash is a surface-to-air missile (SAM) system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and produced by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) for the Indian armed forces. The Akash system is designed to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft and missiles from a range of 30 km and an altitude of up to 18,000 meters.
Date - 31/03/2023
NCLAT verdict in CCI-Google case cautionary message to all BigTech players in India: MoS IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar
Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Wednesday said the decision by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) in the Google-Competition Commission of India (CCI) case is "a cautionary message to all platforms and companies". The NCLAT said that Google will have to pay the fine of Rs 1,337.76 crore, imposed on it by the CCI in October last year for anti-competitive practices in relation to Android mobile devices. "This important judgement is a cautionary message to all platforms and companies," Chandrasekhar said in a tweet.
Date - 30/03/2023
Startup industry body welcomes NCLAT order validating Google's abuse of dominant position
Startup industry body ADIF said that the NLCAT order upholding a penalty on Google validates the global technology giant's abuse of dominant position by bundling Android OS and Play Store with its apps is real and regressive for Indian startup ecosystem. The NCLAT (National Company Law Appellate Tribunal) has upheld the orders of the fair trade regulator CCI imposing a penalty of Rs 1,337.76 crore on tech major Google in the Android mobile devices case, with some modifications. "ADIF welcomes NCLAT order, as it cements the fact that the abusive dominance by Google due to its bundling of Android OS and Play Store with its own apps is real and regressive for Indian startup ecosystem," Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF) said in a statement. The startup body said that the mandatory pre-installation of Gmail, Chrome, Search, Maps and Youtube creates entry barriers, and price asymmetry and restricts innovation in these segments.
Date - 30/03/2023
Over 6000 railway stations provide with highspeedWi-Fi facility: Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw
Strengthening the Digital India initiative, Indian Railways has made available the facility of free high-speed Wi-Fi service at 6,108 stations so far across its network for the convenience of the passengers, said Union Minister of Railways, Communications and Electronic & Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday. The provision of Wi-Fi at stations depends upon the availability of infrastructure such as optical fiber cable and other resources, he said in reply to a question in Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Uttar Pradesh holds the number one position where free Wi-Fi has been installed at the maximum number of stations under PPP followed by Maharashtra, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan. UP has installed free Wi-Fi in 768 stations, Maharashtra 566 stations, West Bengal 510 stations, Andhra Pradesh 509 stations and Rajasthan 463 stations.
Date - 29/03/2023
Scan & Share service from Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission crosses 10 lakh patient registrations
The utilization of the Scan & Share service being provided under the umbrella of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) has crossed 10 lakh patient registrations within six months of the launch of the service. Notably, the service has clocked 5 lakh patient registrations only last month. The steep rise in numbers indicates the growing popularity of the Scan and Share service. Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) is an initiative of the National Health Authority (NHA) for enabling digital interventions for bringing efficiency in the delivery of healthcare services. Scan & Share service uses the modality of QR-code based information sharing. The participating hospitals display their QR codes at their patient registration counters. The patients use their smartphones to scan the QR codes using a mobile app for the service (available in ABHA app, Aarogya Setu, Driefcase, Paytm, Bajaj Health and Ekacare). The patient then creates their ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) or logs in to an existing ABHA account. After logging in, patients can share their ABHA profile with the hospital to complete their registration without having to fill the form physically. This paperless registration results in instant token generation thereby helping the patient skip the long queue by simply using their ABHA.
Date - 29/03/2023
Draft rules on online gaming being scrutinised, to be notified soon: MoS IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar
Draft rules on online gaming, ready after 'extensive consultation', are being scrutinised and will be notified soon, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar said. Chandrasekhar was speaking at the Times Network India Digital Fest in New Delhi on Tuesday. "Our approach or our response to a sector is not based on comfort or discomfort as much as harm legality and illegality," he said. "The basic principle is that online gaming represents platforms in the sense who are operating on the internet, and we will certainly make it very, very difficult and certainly illegal for any wagering to happen on these games."
Date - 29/03/2023
Stringent security measures in place for DRDO technology transferred to industry partners: MoS Defence Ajay Bhatt
DRDO undertakes design and development of products for use by Indian Armed Forces. After successful product trial and evaluation, the technology of the same is transferred to industries for mass production by signing a Licensing Agreement for Transfer of Technology (LATOT). The current DRDO policy for Transfer of Technology (ToT) came into force on August 19, 2019. Till date, DRDO has signed 670 Nos of LATOTs with industries under this policy. The Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt in a written reply to Derek O' Brien in Rajya Sabha said on Monday, as per the 'Security Manual for License Defence Industries', issued by Department of Defence Production, the Licensee industry is required to put in place the prescribed minimum standards of security and other safeguards for production and sale of defence items, in the interest of national safety and security. DRDO transfers both defence and dual use technologies to private companies. As per the LATOT signed between DRDO and the industry for transfer of DRDO developed technology, the recipient industry is bound not to transfer or sublicense the know how/technology obtained from DRDO to any party without prior written approval of DRDO. Futher, the LATOT mandates the industry to take all necessary measures to ensure that the technology is not passed on, disclosed, or given access to, except to such of their Directors, officers and employees and their subcontractors to whom it is necessary to pass on, disclose or give access to, for the purpose of execution or manufacture of the product under the said LATOT.
Date - 28/03/2023
Centre plans to deploy new scanning tech to clear bottlenecks at airport security checkpoints
Clearing all security bottlenecks at the airports by upgrading the scanning technology, the civil aviation ministry is laying new groundwork to install X-Ray baggage scanners at airports. According to the government sources, with the new scanners installed the passengers will not be required to remove electronic items from their hand baggage during the security checks fast tracking the security checks. Currently all the electronic items are required to be removed from the hand baggage and are separately scanned at the airports. The process slows down the security check process and often results in creating long queues at the security checkpoints. According to the minister of state for Civil Aviation V K Singh, the ministry is conceptualising to install Computed Tomography X-Ray (CTX) baggage scanners at airports which will allow passengers to get their electronic items directly scanned from their hand baggage.
Date - 28/03/2023
TRAI releases drive test report after assessing telecom network quality in 20 locations across India
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), with the assistance of the telecom service providers, conducted drive tests at 20 locations and surrounding areas across the country to assess the network quality provided by cellular mobile telephone service providers for voice and data services, the Ministry of Communications said in a release on Monday. The drive tests were conducted to evaluate the key performance indicators (KPIs) for the networks of all telecom service providers operating in the region. The KPIs for voice services are Coverage; Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR); Drop Call Rate; Block Call Rate; Handover Success Rate; and Rx Quality. The KPIs for data services are Download and Upload Throughputs, Web Browsing Delay, Video Streaming Delay and Latency, the ministry said. The areas covered in drive tests were Madurai, Eluru, Karimnagar, Mangalore, Amravati, Bhilwara, Rewari, Bhatinda, Ujjain, Varanasi, Maheshwar, Tengnoupal, Teliamura, Darjeeling-Kalimpong and national highways (110 & 717A), Assam & Arunachal Pradesh and National Highway (27, 127, 715, 15 & 13), Rohtak-Rewari Highway, Ajmer-Bhilwara HW, Ujjain to Sendhwa HW, Varanasi-Lucknow HW and Bhopal-Sagar HW in the quarter ending December 2022, it said.
Date - 28/03/2023
Role of Deep Tech in national security indispensable despite challenges: India Invest report
National security protects citizens from externalthreats, helps to preserve territorial integrity, and contributes to economic stability by deterring aggression and ensuring access to vital resources, says a report published by Invest India, the investment promotion agency run by the Central government. The report titled 'Deep Tech & National Security' released by Invest India explains the significance of Deep Tech in these words: "DeepTech or deep technology is a term used to refer to the class of technologies that are based on scientific and engineering breakthroughs and have the potential to be commercialized, including disruptive technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, 3D Printing, Advanced Materials, Internet of Things (IoT), Blockchain and Augmented & Virtual Reality."
Date - 27/03/2023
ISRO's heaviest LVM3 rocket successfully puts into orbit 36 internet satellites
Executing one of biggest technology marvels, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has successfully placed in orbit one of its heaviest LVM3 rocket carrying 36 internet satellites of UK-based OneWeb group. "LVM3-M3/OneWeb India-2 mission is accomplished. All 36 OneWeb Gen-1 Satellites injected into the intended orbits. In its sixth consecutive successful flight, LVM3 carried 5,805 kgs of payload to Low Earth Orbit," ISRO said in a statement. Commending the latest ISRO feat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the launch reinforces India's leading role as a global commercial launch service provider. "Congratulations @NSIL_India @INSPACeIND @ISRO on yet another successful launch of LVM3 with 36 @OneWeb satellites. It reinforces India's leading role as a global commercial launch service provider in the true spirit of Aatmanirbharta," PM Modi tweeted.
Date - 27/03/2023
New AI powered traffic management system launched in Goa, to make way for emergency vehicles
An AI powered integrated traffic management and eChallan system is managing the traffic at the Merces junction, in northeastern part of Panaji, the capital of Goa. This system was recently launched by the Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. According to the Chief Minister, the AI powered system is capable of detecting emergency vehicles such as ambulances and fire trucks and automatically clearing the road. He said that the system would benefit traffic police by monitoring traffic and helping with security. Sixteen smart signals are being deployed in Goa to manage the traffic. The smart system is expected to bring down the major accidents in the city, and also help the local police in tracking the movement of anti-social elements. The Chief Minister said that the day was not far when AI would be used to make arrests.
Date - 27/03/2023
NISAR: The earth science satellite developed jointly by NASA-ISRO to produce planet's fine-resolution images
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the USA and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) have jointly manufactured an earth science satellite named NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar). The mission objectives of the satellite include design, develop and launch dual frequency (L and S band) radar imaging satellite and to explore newer applications areas using L & S band microwave data especially in surface deformation studies, terrestrial biomass structure, natural resource mapping and monitoring and studies related to dynamics of ice-sheets, glaciers, forests, oil slick, etc. Union Minister of State for Science & Technology, Space and Earth Sciences Dr Jitendra Singh informed this in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha earlier this week.
Date - 25/03/2023
Hackathon presents systems for barrier-free tolling and intelligent traffic management on highways
Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL), mandated by NHAI to carry out electronic tolling, in collaboration with MeitY Start-up Hub has organized a hackathon with Indian tech start-ups to foster innovation and technology-driven solutions to address the challenges of tolling and traffic management on the national highways in the country. The theme of the hackathon was barrierless tolling system and intelligent traffic management system (ITMS) that will enhance safety and efficiency on the national highways, according to the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. Applications were invited, and after detailed presentations and rigorous evaluation of the applicants from various tech startups, a panel of jury consisting of senior officials from NHAI, MeitY and IIT Madras shortlisted top five applicants in each of the two categories of 'barrierless tolling' and ITMS.
Date - 25/03/2023
Indigenous defence tech: IAF awards Rs 3700 crore worth contract to BEL for radars and warning receivers
Taking another step towards self-reliance in defence technology development and procurement, the defence ministry has awarded over Rs 3,700 crore contract to Maharatna PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for supply of radars and receivers. "These essentially embody the spirit of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' and will help facilitate the realisation of the country's journey to achieve self-reliance in defence manufacturing," the Indian Air Force (IAF) said in a statement. According to the defence minister, the two year contract with BEL will help enhance the operational capabilities of the Indian Air Force. As per the statement released by defence ministry, the first contract worth over Rs 2,800 crore pertains to the supply of Medium Power Radars (MPR) 'Arudhra' for the IAF, and the second, at an overall cost of around Rs 950 crore, relates to 129 DR-118 Radar Warning Receivers (RWR).
Date - 25/03/2023
UIDAI joins ranks with SETS for deep tech research in AI, cyber security
Making new head winds in deep tech domains, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and state-owned Society for Electronic Transactions and Security have joined ranks to conduct joint research for the development of tools and AI products. Under the memorandum of understanding (MoU), the two organisations are slated to carry out joint research in deep tech and emerging tech areas including cyber security, IoT security, mobile device security, financial network slice security and hardware security. The MoU also opens new areas of cooperation for Scientists and officers from the two government backed bodies "to work on Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain Technology for Cyber Security, Quantum Security and Cryptography focused innovations, such as Quantum Random Number Generator, Crypto API Libraries, Quantum-Safe Cryptography, etc," UIDAI said in a statement.
Date - 24/03/2023
ICMR releases ethical guidelines for AI in healthcare and biomedical research involving human participants
With the ever increasing application of AI in every field, the disruptive technology is making significant inroads in all aspects of life, including healthcare. Some of the recognized applications of AI in healthcare are in the areas of surgery-assisting robots, diagnosis, finding new links between genetic codes, medical imaging, therapeutics, clinical decision-making, public health surveillance, data analysis, prediction of pandemics, and health management systems. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), India's apex body for formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research, has released the document titled Ethical Guidelines for AI in Healthcare and Biomedical Research. The document declares that "AI technology in healthcare must undergo rigorous clinical and field validation before application on patients/ participants. These are necessary to ensure safety and efficacy." Dr Rajiv Bahal, Secretary, Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, and Director General, ICMR, says, "The adoption of AI technology in healthcare is growing in India. However, AI as data-driven technology has many potential ethical challenges which include algorithmic transparency and explainability, clarity on liability, accountability and oversight, bias and discrimination."
Date - 24/03/2023
Income Tax department rolls out 'AIS for Taxpayer' mobile app
The 'AIS for taxpayer' mobile app rolled out by the Income Tax Department will enable taxpayers to view their information as available in the annual information statement (AIS) and taxpayer information summary (TIS). This app is being provided free of cost by the Income Tax Department and is available in the Google Play & App store. The purpose of the app is to provide the taxpayer with a comprehensive view of the AIS and TIS, which contain information collected from various sources related to the taxpayer. Once they have downloaded this app in their mobile phone, the taxpayers can use it to view their information related to TDS and TCS, interest, dividends, share transactions, tax payments, Income Tax refunds, other information (GST Data, Foreign Remittances, etc.) as available in AIS and TIS. The app also has the facility to enable the taxpayer to provide his feedback on the information displayed in the app.
Date - 23/03/2023
India's first solar mission Aditya L1 to take off by mid-2023; Chandrayaan-3 aims to make precise moon landing
In yet another technology advancement in the space sector, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Wednesday announced that the launch of Chandrayaan-3, India's third lunar mission, and the first solar mission Aditya L1 will commence later this year. According to ISRO chairman S. Somanath who also holds the position as secretary of the department of space, Aditya-L1, India's first solar mission, will be "a very unique solar observation capability for which instruments have already been delivered, and ISRO is in the process of integrating them in the satellite." Somanath said that "I am also eagerly waiting for this (Aditya-L1) launch to happen, possibly by the middle of this year, and I am sure we will make this mission a great success."
Date - 22/03/2023
Prime Minister Modi unveils Bharat 6G vision document, launches 6G research and development testbed
Preparing the ground for the launch of 6G services in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday unveiled the Bharat 6G vision document and launched the 6G research and development testbed. He also inaugurated the new International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Area office and innovation centre. Speaking on the occasion, Modi said as India presides the G20 and aims to reduce the regional divide, the country will also be hosting a meeting of the Global South. He added that "the Global South is seeking to bridge the technological divide and India is pitching for universal connectivity among the Global South." The PM launched the 'Call before u dig' app, which provides an interface for digging agencies to enquire about the existence of underground utility assets and inform the utility asset owners about the upcoming digging activities. This will enable both sides to coordinate for saving the existing underlying utility assets from damage.
Date - 22/03/2023
Centre provided adequate funding for Kisan drones to promote their use in agriculture sector: Union minister Tomar
As drones are poised to play a big role in agriculture, the government has made provisions for funding the use of drones for kisans, said Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar. In a written reply in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, the minister said drones can be used for planting seeds from air, spreading pesticides and fertilizers, making aerial surveys of the farmland and locust control. Under the guidelines of Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM), the following provisions have been made for funding kisan drones: Financial assistance @ 100 percent of the cost of drone up to a maximum of Rs 10 lakhs per drone is provided for purchase of drones for their demonstration by institutes under Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Farm Machinery Training & Testing Institutes, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), state agricultural universities (SAUs), state and other Central government agricultural institutions/departments and public sector undertakings (PSUs) of Government of India engaged in agricultural activities. The farmers producers organizations (FPOs) are provided grants up to 75 percent of the cost of agriculture drone for its demonstrations on the farmers' fields. A contingency expenditure of Rs 6,000 per hectare is provided to these implementing agencies that do not want to purchase drones but will hire drones for demonstrations from custom hiring centers (CHCs), hi-tech hubs, drone manufacturers and start-ups. The contingent expenditure to the implementing agencies which purchase drones for drone demonstrations is limited to Rs 3,000 per hectare.
Date - 22/03/2023
Robust backup & replication platform ensures disaster recovery and business continuity in Indian Railways: RailTel ED CK Prasad
RailTel Corporation, a Mini Ratna PSU under the Ministry of Railways, is one of the largest neutral telecom infrastructure providers in India. The company owns pan-India optical fiber network and undertakes a wide variety of mission critical projects for the Indian Railways. CK Prasad, IRSSE, Executive Director, RailTel Corporation, in an exclusive interview with ETGovernment's Arpit Gupta, elaborates on the solutions that RailTel has developed for the Indian Railways to ensure disaster recovery and business continuity. The Indian Railways uses a number of digital applications -- these include eOffice Digital Workspace, Unique Medical Identity Card (UMID), Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) and e-Drawing Approval System (eDAS). How does RailTel safeguard the data of these digital applications? The digital applications of Indian Railways are supported by a robust integrated backup and replication platform with a single pane of management dashboard for business continuity. The backup and replication platform is a comprehensive data protection and disaster recovery solution. It enables creation of image-level backups of virtual, physical and cloud machines and restore from them. The data transfer and resource consumption are optimised, and the recovery time in case of a disaster is minimal. The data protection solution provides a centralized console for administering backup, restoration and replication on all supported platforms (virtual, physical, cloud) across RailTel tier-III data centers at Secunderabad and Gurugram. The console allows the automation and scheduling of routine data protection operations and their integration with solutions for alerting and generating compliance reports.
Date - 22/03/2023
Digitalisation of tax procedures improved disposal of taxpayer grievances: MoS Finance Pankaj Chaudhary
The Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said online tax payment system (TIN 2.0) on which till now 19 banks have onboarded, made available new payment modes to taxpayers for payment of taxes. This has led to faster credit of taxes paid, he added. The minister said the government has taken a number of measures in recent years to maintain continuity and stability of taxation, further simplify and rationalise various provisions to reduce the compliance burden, promote the entrepreneurial spirit and provide tax relief to citizens. Giving out more details in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha Monday, the minister stated that the maximum, minimum and average amount of income tax returns filed and processed by the Income Tax e- filing portal within a span of 24 hours for AY 2022-23 is as under:
Date - 21/03/2023
Smart meter consumers find technology user-friendly, easy to pay bills: CEEW report
The smart meter project was started with an objective to automating the reading of meters and sending electricity bills to 2.90 crore houses on time. Scaling up smart meters will lead to further digitalisation, automation and efficiency of the power system. Further, we envision almost all smart meters to be prepaid. This will significantly reduce the financial burden of discoms as prepaid metering reduces the cost of financing their operations. Smart meters will help bring down the cost of electricity by 2-2.5 percent," said RK Singh, Union Minister of Power, and New and Renewable Energy Singh was speaking at the 'National Dialogue on Smart-metered India for a Digitalised and People-centric Power Sector', organised by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) in collaboration with IntelliSmart in New Delhi on Monday. The minister further added that the consumer would be at the centre of India's smart meter system. "We are focusing on the rights of consumers and have set up a consumer redressal mechanism to ensure that there is timely resolution of complaints. Accountability now pervades the power system." He emphasised the role of domestic manufacturers in India's smart meter transition and urged them to keep meter prices consumer friendly.
Date - 21/03/2023
eOffice-Sparrow: As Centre completes adoption of digital governance, states now race to follow suit
After the Central government's adoption of digital workplace solution 'eOffice 7.0' and an online employee appraisal system 'Sparrow' from February this year, state governments have now set the deadline to turn their offices 100 percent digital beginning this April. To offer a one-stop end-to-end services of eOffice and Sparrow to Central and state governments and public sector undertakings, the government's special purpose vehicle CSC e-Governance Services India, technology partners National Informatics Centre and National Informatics Centre Services Incorporated have signed a memorandum of understanding. As of March 15, 2023, the government completed 94.56 percent of the eFile adoption. "Over 10 lakh government officials are using the eFile module, part of the eOffice 7.0. The number of users is growing day by day." National Informatics Centre's deputy director general and eOffice product head Rachana Srivastava told ETGovernment.
Date - 21/03/2023
AI can transform productivity, contribute $15.7 trillion to global economy by 2030: CAG Girish Chandra Murmu
At the meeting of the SAI20 Engagement Group of G20, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India Girish Chandra Murmu has said the democratization of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology is inevitable and that the world had reached the stage where AI technologies could contribute up to $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030. The SAI20 Engagement Group brings together the world's supreme audit institutions. Murmu said that AI technologies can lead to the development of services which bring innumerable benefits to the citizens, and create an environment which fosters inclusive socio-economic growth. He said that AI could be used to orchestrate targeted and timely interventions in the economy to provide timely assistance to the needy. The event, organized in Guwahati from March 13-15, was chaired by the CAG, and was attended by national and international delegates from G20 member Supreme Audit Institutions, and other international organizations. Under the guiding philosophy for India's presidency of G20, 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam' -- "One Earth, One Family, and One Future", the CAG proposed the collaboration of SAI20 on two priority areas - Blue Economy and responsible AI.
Date - 21/03/2023
DRDO's RCI laboratory ropes in CUMI for ceramic radome technology used in missile systems
Carborundum Universal Ltd (CUMI), an organisation in the field of material sciences and part of the 120-year-old Murugappa Group on Monday announced that it has signed a Licensing Agreement for Transfer of Technology (LAToT) with DRDO's Research Centre Imarat (RCI) laboratory for technology to manufacture ceramic radomes (GELCAST process) technology used in missile systems. The LAToT was handed over at AERO INDIA 2023 in Bengaluru in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Ceramic radome technology is considered state of the art missile technology the world over. Since missiles undergo extremely high surface temperatures while travelling through the atmosphere, ceramic is considered an optimal radome material. The design of ceramic radomes for defence activities requires deep expertise and stringent testing at every stage to ensure reliability and accuracy.
Date - 20/03/2023
eCourts: Technology crucial in improving access to justice, says Law minister Kiren Rijiju
Union Minister for Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju has said the government launched the eCourts Integrated Mission Mode Project in the country for computerisation of district and subordinate courts with the objective of improving access to justice using technology. In a written reply to a member's query in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, the minister said as part of the National e-Governance Plan, the project has been under implementation since 2007 for ICT development of the Indian judiciary based on the 'National Policy and Action Plan for Implementation of Information and Communication Technology in the Indian Judiciary'. "The eCourts project is being implemented in association with the e-Committee Supreme Court of India and Department of Justice. Phase I of the project was implemented during 2011-2015. Phase II of the project started in 2015 under which 18,735 District and Subordinate courts have been computerised so far," the Union minister said.
Date - 18/03/2023
Foreign cyberattacks figure big in NIC officers training
The first national-level training programme for senior officials from the National Informatics Centre (NIC) took up the recent cyberattack on Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the 2021 Mumbai power outages involving entities linked to China and 2022 ransomware attack on Oil India Limited (OIL) with an aim to strengthen government servers and thwart attacks from enemy countries and cyber hackers. NIC provides technology-driven solutions to central and state governments, having data centres with nationwide ICT infrastructure, to support e-governance services and various initiatives of digital India. The training programme was held at the Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) in Gandhinagar under the Union home ministry. "The training will be conducted in multiple batches over the next two years. The first batch comprises 25 NIC officers who are at the helm of digital affairs for the Union government. During this period 2,000-2,500 NIC officers at various levels will be trained at the Centre," Colonel Nidhish Bhatnagar, director, School of Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Security at RRU, told ET.
Date - 18/03/2023
Union health ministry approaches CERT-In over attempt to hack its website
The Union health ministry has asked the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to look into the reported attempt of hacking of its website allegedly by a Russian hacker group. Cyber security experts from CloudSEK have claimed that Russian hacker group 'Phoenix' targeted the website and managed to get access to the ministry's Health Management Information System portal, has details of all the hospitals of India and employees and physicians. "We have sought details and asked the CERT-In to look into the alleged hacking of the health ministry's website. They will submit a report," an official source told PTI.
Date - 18/03/2023
Isro scouts for young tech talent via YUVIKA 2023 programme to drive future innovations
In a bid to create a pool of tech talent to drive future innovations, Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has come up with a new ISRO YUVIKA 2023 education programme module for children. According to Isro, the new programme will be conducted by the space agency itself and would teach young children the fundamentals of space technology, science, and applications. Under the programme students can register themselves online at isro.gov.in/YUVIKA as part of the registration process. The portal will accept registrations between March 20 and April 30. The new science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) module backed ISRO YUVIKA 2023 programme is specifically designed for school-age children who are interested in the newest developments in space science and technology.
Date - 17/03/2023
MoS IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar inaugurates India offices of Salesforce and Truecaller
The Union Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Electronics & IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar has said that the policies of the Narendra Modi government on ease of doing business have helped New India's manufacturing and startup ecosystem and encouraged global companies to open offices here, which in turn, will bring in opportunities for jobs and entrepreneurships for young Indians. Welcoming the move by Salesforce and Truecaller to open their India offices in Hyderabad and Bengaluru respectively, the minister said, "This speaks of India's growth as a trusted technology partner to the world that has been made possible, thanks to the government's proactive policies and our vibrant startup and innovation ecosystem." Chandrasekhar was virtually addressing the inauguration of the offices of these global technology companies from New Delhi on Thursday. Speaking about India's rise as preeminent nation in the use of technology, the minister said, "For long India was known as a back office to the world, with our digital economy defined by the presence of number of companies in the IT/ITeS space. After the Prime Minister took over in 2014, he envisioned the digital economy to play a larger and a more expansive role in the India growth story and be a larger part of the emerging India GDP."
Date - 17/03/2023
In DigiYatra check-in, passengers' data is stored in their own device, not in centralized storage: Govt
Under DigiYatra check-in, passengers' data is stored in their own device and not in centralized storage. In the DigiYatra process, there is no central storage of passenger's personally identifiable information (PII) data. All the passengers' data is encrypted and stored in the wallet of their smartphone. It is shared only between the passenger and the airport of travel origin, where passenger's DigiYatra ID needs to be validated. The data is purged from the airport's system within 24 hours of departure of flight. The data is shared by passengers directly, only when they travel and only to the origin airport, the Ministry of Civil Aviation clarified on Thursday. The data cannot be used by any other entity since it's encrypted. This process is voluntary, and provides the convenience of smooth, hassle-free and health risk-free travel, the ministry said. On Wednesday, replying to a Twitter user, Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya M. Scindia tweeted, "Passengers' personal information data is not stored in any central repository or by the Digi Yatra Foundation. The data is stored in the passenger's own phone in the DigiYatra secure wallet. Rest assured, no data is being collected or stored."
Date - 17/03/2023
How to update demographic details in Aadhaar free of cost online? Will they reflect automatically in other cards?
As Aadhaar number has emerged as a universally accepted proof of identity for residents in India, people are increasingly expecting the government to make its maintenance simpler and easier. And rising to the expectations, the government is bringing in reforms to make Aadhaar an instrument to fulfill most of the daily tasks that used to be cumbersome in the past, all thanks to the technology. In a latest move, the Centre made the process of updating demographic details of the card holders very simple and now it's free of cost. If there is a need to change demographic details such as name, date of birth, address, etc, the residents can use regular online update service, or may visit nearest Aadhaar center. In such cases normal charges will apply.
Date - 17/03/2023
Robotic surgery training facility to come up in AIIMS in 3-6 months
India's first training center for robotic surgery will soon start in AIIMS in Delhi. The prestigious hospital is planning to float an Expression Of Interest (EOI) to invite companies which deal in advanced robotics to develop robotic surgery training facilities in the AIIMS campuses. An order stating that the Institute will provide 500 sqft of space across its campuses, including the main hospital, has been issued from the Office of the Director Dr M. Srinivas. The Institute will also provide academic spaces, cadavers, tissues, and pool of trained faculty, for the training facility The robotic surgery training facility is expected to come up in the next three to six months and it will be run on a no-profit-or-loss principle.
Date - 16/03/2023
IMD using advanced tech to improve weather forecast and warning services: MoS S&T Jitendra Singh
The Union Minister of State for S&T and Earth Sciences Dr Jitendra Singh has said IMD has taken various initiatives in recent years for improvement in dissemination of weather forecast and warning services based on latest tools and technologies. The forecasts and warnings are disseminated to users including disaster managers by email on regular basis. In addition to this, WhatsApp groups are created including disaster managers and IMD officials and forecast and warnings are disseminated through this facility also. The forecast and warnings are uploaded in social media and website for reference by all concerned. The nowcasts related to severe weathers are disseminated through SMS also to the registered users, he said in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on Wednesday. In 2020, IMD has launched seven of its services (Current Weather, Nowcast, City Forecast, Rainfall Information, Tourism Forecast, Warnings and Cyclone) on 'UMANG' mobile app for use by public. In 2020, IMD had developed mobile app 'MAUSAM' for weather forecasting, 'Meghdoot' for Agromet advisory dissemination and 'Damini' for lightning alert, he informed. Singh said IMD follows a seamless forecasting strategy. The long range forecasts (for the whole season) issued are being followed with extended range forecast issued on every Thursday with a validity period of four weeks. To follow up the extended range forecast, IMD issues short to medium range forecast and warnings daily valid up to next five days with an outlook for subsequent two days. The short to medium range forecast and warning at district and station level are issued by state level meteorological centers (MCs)/regional meteorological centers (RMCs) with a validity of next five days and are updated twice a day. The short to medium range forecast is followed by very short range forecast of severe weather up to three hours (nowcast) for all the districts and 1,171 cities and towns. These nowcasts are updated every three hours.
Date - 16/03/2023
Gaganyaan mission allocated Rs 9023 crore to achieve its objectives: MoS Jitendra Singh
The Union Minister of State (I/C) Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh on Wednesday informed the parliament that a budget of Rs 9,023 crore has been allocated towards achieving the objectives of Gaganyaan mission. The Department of Space is also in the process of formulating a comprehensive, overarching space policy that shall provide a further boost to the entire space ecosystem, the minister said. In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Singh said the scope of Gaganyaan programme is to demonstrate human spaceflight capability to low earth orbit and safe return. He said ISRO is developing indigenous technologies for human rated launch vehicle, Habitable Crew Module, Life Support System, Crew Escape System, Ground Station Network, crew training and recovery. These technologies are crucial to meet the objectives of Gaganyaan mission and to take up any further interplanetary missions, the minister added.
Date - 16/03/2023
BlackBerry establishes IoT center of excellence in Hyderabad
BlackBerry Limited on Wednesday announced the new 'BlackBerry IoT Center of Excellence, Engineering and Innovation' in Hyderabad. The world-class engineering center is recruiting India's best embedded software engineers to help build the next generation of software-defined-vehicles (SDVs) and advance innovation in other 'Internet of Things' industries, using the company's trusted, safety-certified BlackBerry QNX product portfolio and award-winning in-vehicle software platform, BlackBerry IVY, the company said in a statement. Ahead of the company's annual TechForum India event in Bangalore on March 29, BlackBerry is announcing new plans to scale up operations to meet growing industry demand for its mission-critical embedded software solutions and engineering services, both in India and worldwide. By the end of 2023, the Hyderabad facility - set to be the second largest for BlackBerry's IoT division globally, after Canada - is expected to host over 100 software engineers across a wide range of technology positions and skill sets, including senior management, technical project management, product engineering, cloud software development, integration and service delivery, it said. Mattias Eriksson, President of BlackBerry IoT says, "Today is another milestone for BlackBerry's ongoing investment in skills and innovation and signifies the importance of India as a home to world-class software innovators. We are pleased to expand BlackBerry IoT's global software innovation network in Hyderabad, underscoring our commitment to serve our customers and partners and continue our rapid growth as an IoT software leader, especially in the automotive sector."
Date - 15/03/2023
Critical drug developed under TDF for radiological and nuclear emergencies gets DCGI approval
Manufacturing and marketing licenses for the commercial use of Prussian blue insoluble formulations, developed under the Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme, have been granted to Scott-Edil Pharmacia Ltd, Baddi, Himachal Pradesh and Skanttr Lifescience LLP, Ahmedabad, Gujarat by Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI). The drug has been developed by the industry based on the technology of Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences (INMAS), Delhi, a laboratory of Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), according to the Ministry of Defence. The drug will be available under the trade name of Pru-DecorpTM and PruDecorp-MG. The formulations are used for decontamination of Cesium and Thallium. It is one of the critical medicines listed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for radiological and nuclear emergencies, the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V. Kamat has congratulated the organisation as well as the industry on this achievement. He stated that the development of these drug formulations under the TDF project and the approval of DCGI is a successful endeavour of the DRDO for promoting the industry to achieve Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'.
Date - 15/03/2023
India to breach all tech barriers to emerge as global knowledge-based economy: Jitendra Singh
India is set to breach all technology barriers to emerge as a world leader in a knowledge-based economy driven by innovation and technology, Union minister Jitendra Singh said. According to Singh, at present India stands as one of the leading nations of the world in terms of scientific and technological prowess. "India has, under the leadership of PM Sh @NarendraModi, emerged as the world's third-largest #StartUp ecosystem and is home to the fastest-growing Unicorns. Youngsters including Women, are scripting the story of success for a thriving innovation led economy": #CII Summit 2023," Singh said in a tweet. While addressing the plenary session of the 28th edition of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Partnership Summit, Jitendra Singh said that the Innovation prowess of any country is instrumental in shaping and sustaining its industrial sectors, delivering economic growth, jobs, wealth creation and ensuring a strategic edge.
Date - 15/03/2023
Oxford Quantum Circuits installs Quantum Computer in Equinix IBX Data Center, to allow open access to businesses globally
Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC), a leading global Quantum Computing as a Service (QCaaS) company, and Equinix, Inc., a digital infrastructure company, on Tuesday announced that OQC aims to make one of the most powerful quantum computers available commercially to businesses worldwide via Equinix's TY11 Tokyo International Business Exchange (IBX) data center. OQC is installing its quantum hardware in TY11 and plans to leverage Equinix's on-demand interconnection solution, Equinix Fabric, to make its Quantum Computing as a Service available to businesses and organizations around the world on Equinix's global platform in late 2023. Once connected to Equinix Fabric, businesses will benefit from the ease of access to quantum computing as if it is on-premises, meaning that they can trial and experiment with the ground-breaking technology by directly connecting to QCaaS within their own digital infrastructure with greater security and ease, said Equinix in a press release.
Date - 14/03/2023
AIC-BARC introduces Shesha for wet waste management and rapid bio-composting technology
A start-up entrepreneurship workshop was organized by Atal Incubation Centre (AIC) - BARC, DAE Convention Centre, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai, on Friday. AIC-BARC is established under the ambit of Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog to create a start-up eco-system based on spin-off technologies of Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). AIC-BARC started its operations on December 22, 2022 by signing incubation agreements for spin off technologies of Bhabha Atomic Research centre (BARC) with four industries. In the workshop, two technologies namely SHESHA (for wet waste management) and rapid bio-composting (for dry waste management) were introduced by BARC scientific experts in the field and their business models were also presented. Demonstration of working models in Anushaktinagar and nearby areas for both SHESHA and rapid bio-composting plants were arranged for the participants. These technologies aim to contribute towards the Swachchha Bharat Mission of the Government of India. Additionally, waste is being converted to wealth, by way of product arising from refuse, that goes back to nature ensuring continuation of biogeochemical cycles and replenishing soils with vital nutrients, according to a DAE statement. SHESHA is a novel, compact helical shaped waste converter aimed to manage the biodegradable waste generated in small housing societies, restaurants, etc in-situ, thus allowing decentralized processing of the biodegradable waste. The system has tremendous potential to process the waste as well as generation of good quality fuel and manure required for soil applications. The name Shesha has been given on the basis of the serpentine shape of the digester (its resemblance to the snake Shesha) as well as Sanskrit name of waste.
Date - 14/03/2023
Amid growing global isolation, Russia looks to focus on new areas of technology cooperation with India
Amid growing global isolation, Russia looks to further its cooperation in technology while cementing its economic ties with India. In a latest move India-Russia Business Forum 'Cooperation for Development and Growth' is scheduled to be held in New Delhi, on March 29-30. The business meet will look to push new areas of economic cooperation including IT, construction & mechanical engineering. According to Anton Kobyakov, Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation, the Forum will discuss opportunities for creating high-tech alliances in different areas: IT, cybersecurity, industry and manufacturing, smart cities, transport, logistics and healthcare. The cooperation in the technology sector also aims to create a conducive ecosystem for the Russian companies as they refocus on new markets. "The Russia-India cooperation format is one of the drivers of region-wide efforts to improve the architecture of inter-state relations in the Asia-Pacific Region (APR). The Forum is designed to strengthen businessties between the Russian and Indian business communities, to support Russian businesses entering the Indian market and to acquaint Indian partners with specific export offers," Kobyakov said.
Date - 13/03/2023
AI powered Robots and monitoring systems to save lives on India's beaches
There is a long line of Hollywood movies featuring cyborgs and robots that are programmed to wage war, destroy and kill. But on Indian beaches, we could soon encounter robots powered with advanced AI that are programmed to save lives. Goa has become the first state in India to augment the life-saving capabilities of its fabulous beaches with an AI powered self-driving robot and a monitoring system. Goa's self-driving robot and the monitoring system have a personality, in the sense that they have names - the former is called Aurus and the latter Triton. The Government of Goa took decision to deploy the AI-powered systems following an increase in beach-related incidents due to rising domestic and foreign tourists on the coastline. A recent study shows that there are about 200 swimming related fatalities in Goa every year. Most of the fatalities are reported on the popular beaches like Baga, Calangute, Arambol, Sinquerim and Morjim.
Date - 13/03/2023
Union IT Minister Vaishnaw meets Japanese Digital Minister to collaborate on latest technologies
Union Minister for Communications, Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, met the Digital Minister of Japan Kono Taro in New Delhi on Saturday. The two held a discussion on collaborating on new technologies, India's digital public infrastructure, and the country's telecom stack. Following his meeting with Japanese digital minister, Vaishnaw shared the information on Twitter. He tweeted, "Met the Digital Minister of Japan, @konotaromp, and discussed cooperating in emerging technologies and India's digital public infrastructure and India telecom stack." The meeting of Ashwini Vaishnaw with Japanese digital minister was held only a few days before the India visit of Prime Minister of Japan, Kishida Fumio.
Date - 12/03/2023
Digital India Techade: MeitY discusses strategies for tech implementation to 'transform lives of citizens'
The Union Minister for Electronics and IT, Communications and Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday urged officials of the ministry, heads of departments and officials to come up with innovative ideas on how MeitY can contribute in transforming lives of all strata of society, especially deprived sections. Addressing the officials of the ministry at a day-long Chintan Shivir in New Delhi, Vaishnaw asked them to think out of box and ahead of time for usage of technology to ease the living of common man of the country. He emphasized that schemes and projects should be reviewed for their higher effectiveness and relevance with the goals of the ministry. Secretary, MeitY, Alkesh Kumar Sharma, senior officers from the ministry and heads of organizations participated in the discourse. More than 200 officers participated from ministry, its organizations and field offices in the Shivir.
Date - 12/03/2023
GIGW 3.0: Version 3 of Guidelines for Indian Government Websites seeks to enhance usability of mobile apps
Formulated by National Informatics Centre (NIC), the third version of the government's Guidelines for Indian Government Websites (GIGW 3.0) has now been released. The first two versions of GIGW were formulated in-house with some external inputs. A different procedure was followed for GIGW 3.0 -- it was developed jointly with Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification (STQC), Directorate of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), according to official sources. This means that the experience of STQC Directorate auditors and the cybersecurity experience of CERT-In is incorporated in the new guidelines. As in earlier versions, GIGW 3.0 too has benefited from the inputs of industry and experts. Providing guidance to government organizations for improving user interface and user experience is the key thrust of GIGW3. The guidelines are designed to incorporate features like intuitive page loading (using AI and analytics) based on user profile, and they will enable state-of-the-art content management (CMS), user-centric information architecture (IA), and centralized monitoring dashboard, sources said. The GIGW 3.0 takes cognizance of the mobile revolution and seeks to enhance the accessibility and usability of mobile apps deployed by government organizations. The guidelines provide inputs on the steps that government organizations can take to leverage public digital infrastructure devised for bringing efficiency and transparency in the government's delivery of services, benefits and information. Covered in GIGA 3.0 are the critical aspects such as API level integration for integration with social media, India Portal, DigiLocker, Aadhaar-based identity, single sign-on, data sharing in open formats, etc.
Date - 12/03/2023
Rules to handle data captured by invasive gadgets discussed at first consultation on proposed Digital India Act
Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Thursday held the first-ever consultation on the proposed Digital India Act and discussed rules to handle data captured by invasive gadgets like spy glasses and wearable devices. The draft of the Digital India Act will be firmed up after two more rounds of discussion with stakeholders, the minister told PTI in a virtual interview after the first consultation in Bengaluru. He said that the draft is likely to be issued in April and it will be followed up with more rounds of public consultation for about 45-60 days before being placed in the Parliament for final approval. "We have undertaken for the first time ever consultation around the principal architectural design of legislation. The outcome of this consultation will be a draft. The draft in turn will be consulted extensively for a period that will be not less than 45 to 60 days," Chandrasekhar said.
Date - 11/03/2023
India, US sign MoU on semiconductor supply chain, innovation partnership; to propel growth of IT, electronics sectors
Following the Commercial Dialogue, held in New Delhi on March 10, India and the USA have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on establishing semiconductor supply chain and innovation partnership. The US Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo is on a visit to New Delhi on an invitation from Piyush Goyal,Union Minister of Commerce and Industry. During her visit, the India-US Commercial Dialogue was re-launched on Friday with the objective of discussing cooperation for unlocking new trade and investment opportunities between the two countries. The MoU signed between the two countries seeks to establish a collaborative mechanism between the two governments on semiconductor supply chain resiliency and diversification in view of US's CHIPS and Science Act and India's Semiconductor Mission.
Date - 11/03/2023
Quantum computing, data analytics, AI to transform Indian Railways: Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw
The Union Minister for Railways, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw wants to transform the Indian Railways by using new and emerging technologies. Speaking at a technical seminar organized by the Centre of Railways Information System (CRIS), he suggested that Artificial Intelligence, quantum computing, and data analytics should be deployed to bring efficiency to the operations of the Indian Railways. He talked about the transformative role that the use of Artificial Intelligence, quantum computing, and data analytics could play in the Indian Railways. He said that a sudden change in our way of working and the technologies that we use is needed for enabling India to catch up with the rest of the world. He exhorted the Indian Railways to lead the transformation in India by adopting latest technologies. The minister said that the Modi government was determined to do everything that was "desh key heit mein and railways key heit mein." (Everything that was in the interest of the country and of the railways.)
Date - 10/03/2023
AI powered Bhashini to break the internet's language barrier, foster digital inclusion and digital empowerment
The Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution lists 22 languages, which have been referred to as scheduled language. But the country is home to 122 major languages and 1,599 dialects and mother tongues. Despite the rich linguistic diversity, much of the internet content in the country is available only in English. The Central Government plans to break the language barrier of the internet through an AI powered translation system called Bhashini. Part of the National Language Translation Mission, Bhashini is a translation system that will connect Indians, who use local languages, with the internet. The non-English speaking masses in the country will be able to access global content and upload their own content in their own language. Bhashini is also expected to encourage the participation of startups and individual innovators by giving them easy access to AI and Natural Language Processing (NLP) resources. RS Sharma, who has headed the National Health Authority, TRAI and UIDAI in the past, sees Bhashini as a landmark project that will lead to digital inclusion and digital empowerment. He says, "the AI powered Bhashini project will transform the way people in India access the internet. Instead of accessing internet content in English, they will do so in their own language. There will be an increase in content in Indian languages."
Date - 09/03/2023
World's largest publicly assembled datasets will drive INDIAai program: Rajeev Chandrasekhar
The INDIAai program is scheduled for launch later this month. Union Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Electronics & IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar has said the INDIAai program will be one of the largest publicly assembled datasets in the world. He said that the INDIAai program along with the Fintech ecosystem will catalyze the next generation of Fintech and internet. He said that the emergence of India's fintech ecosystem has helped resolve the decades' long problem of ensuring government subsidies reach beneficiaries without leakages and intermediation. He termed the Unified Payments Interface as a crucial component of the Fintech ecosystem. He said, "India today has amongst the highest fintech adoption rates in the world at 87 percent as opposed to the world average of 67 percent." He talked about the success that the Modi government had achieved in revitalizing India's economy. He said, "A single dimensional, digital economy that we inherited in 2014 has become a broad-based, high growth, independent, asynchronous component of the digital economy that is growing rapidly and creating innovation in its wake."
Date - 08/03/2023
Grievance Appellate Committee: The portal to go for digital nagriks if Facebook, Twitter fail to resolve their issues
If people are dissatisfied with the decision of a social media platform, they should be able to appeal online to the government - this is the idea behind the Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC) portal that was launched by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on February 28. Minister of State for IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar says, "GAC is an extension of our government's views, policies and vision about creating easier ways of resolving disputes - whether it's about taxation or the grievance redressal of Digital Nagriks." The About page of the GAC portal says: "GAC aims to ensure a Safe & Trusted and Accountable Internet for Indian users. The GAC deals with the appeals of users (Digital Nagriks) aggrieved by decisions of Grievance Officers of social media intermediaries and other intermediaries on complaints of users or victims against violation of the IT Rules and any other matters pertaining to the computer resources made available by the intermediaries."
Date - 08/03/2023
Centre plans to establish a digitally controlled, smart power system resilient to cyber attacks
RedEcho, the cyber hacker group with China links, has in the past targeted power supply systems in India. Groups linked to China have been accused, in an NYT report, of being responsible for the October 2021 outage in Mumbai. Globally, there are a number of instances of power grids and other power installations being targeted by hackers. The power grid in California has been targeted by hackers a number of times in the last 10 years. Aware of the damage that hackers and natural disasters can cause to power supply installations, the Indian government is planning a modern and smart transmission system that is resilient against cyber attacks and natural disasters. The system will also allow a greater mixing of renewable energy. The new transmission system will use Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, and it will be built by using robots and drones. The use of robots and drones is expected to minimize human intervention and minimize life risks. It will also save time and ensure greater accuracy during construction and maintenance. RK Singh, Union Power and NRE Minister, says, "A modern transmission grid is necessary to achieve the government's vision of 24X7 reliable and affordable power, and meet the sustainability goals." The decision to create a new transmission system has been taken on the basis of a report from a task force set up by the Power Ministry in September 2021, under the chairmanship of CMD, Power Grid Corporation of India Limited. The taskforce was asked to suggest ways of modernizing the transmission sector and making it smart and future ready.
Date - 08/03/2023
Technology and skills will transform the future of young Indians: MoS IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar
The Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Thursday said the country is today at an inflection point - the most exciting period in its history. "Never before in the 75-year-old history of Independent India have there been so many opportunities available for young Indians," the minister said, while addressing a session with students at HRIT Group of Institutions, Ghaziabad as part of the New India for Young India series. Giving out some data pointers on India's progress in the past eight years, Chandrasekhar said, "Today, young Indians are driving the country's progress in India's Techade. There are more than 90,000 startups, including 110 unicorns, in which young Indians are playing a big part. They have achieved their success due to their hard work and efforts and not because of any connections or famous last name."
Date - 03/03/2023
Technology driven SMART-PDS should be implemented in all states/UTs: Union minister Piyush Goyal
SMART-PDS, a technology driven initiative which is the need of the hour, should be implemented by all the states/UTs at the earliest, said Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Textiles and Commerce & Industries while addressing conference of food ministers of all states/UTs in New Delhi on Thursday. The minister emphasised on a transparent and accountable system urging to reduce human intervention and promote automation in the existing processes. He said transparency should be of utmost importance for free supply chain of foodgrains under Public Distribution System. Appreciating Andhra Pradesh Command Control, the minister stated that the Central government along with state governments will work together for implementing it in other states also. On the storage front, the Union minister stated that Food Corporation of India (FCI) is upgrading their godowns into 5-star rated godowns and state governments can also upgrade their godowns. With regard to settlement of pending claims of state governments, he said it is being done on priority basis and would be settled immediately.
Date - 02/03/2023
ICT empowers citizens through access to info, flattens hierarchies in public service delivery systems: G20 experts
With the role of ICT increasingly being recognized globally for fighting corruption, many countries are progressively using it to improve efficiency, reduce corruption through promoting transparency, unmasking government data to public review/ analysis, automating government processes, restricting discretion of officials and restraining the need to interact with the gatekeepers/ officials to access key services. ICT not only enables citizens' empowerment through access to information but also flattens the hierarchies in public service delivery systems, opine experts participating in a side event held on the theme 'Leveraging ICT for combating corruption in Public Sector' as part of the first G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group (ACWG) meeting under India's G20 Presidency that began on Wednesday in Gurugram, Haryana. Experts from various walks of life spoke at the event, which was attended by delegates from various member countries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been stressing on the power of digitization and bridging the digital divide to promote transparency, flow of information, and communication to curb corruption at all levels in the society. In keeping with this goal, the side event of the ACWG meeting saw active participation of government agencies such as Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), Direct Benefit Transfer and Government E-Marketplace to discuss how integration of automation of government processes have made public delivery efficient and non-discretionary.
Date - 02/03/2023
India's robust digital networks and infrastructure can make 5G connectivity cheapest: Bill Gates
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on Wednesday said India has "great" digital network and high levels of smartphone usage with "very good" connectivity and added this will be the cheapest 5G market. Under the G20 presidency of India, a session on 'Building resilient and inclusive economies- the Promise of Digital Public Infrastructure' was held on Wednesday in New Delhi. Gates, who addressed the session, appreciated India's competitive private market, reliable and low-cost connectivity, and went on to say this will be the cheapest 5G market. India has great digital network and very high percentage of people using smartphones, he noted.
Date - 02/03/2023
ETGovernment Explained: How e-Governance transforming into data driven, predictive AI-governance
Notwithstanding the trivial projection of the movies, which create the scary scenario of AI powered robots enslaving mankind, there are several social sectors in India which are amenable to the application of AI technologies. The Indian government has already established a number of AI-backed projects in the area of delivery of services to the people. Bipul Pathak, IAS, Director General, J&K Institute of Management, Public Administration and Rural Development (IMPARD), says, "Over the years, e-Governance has been transforming into data driven and predictive AI-governance. The rule of human beings in the system is coming down and the machine learning systems take control of the data and provide the analysis and solutions." Pathak notes that "AI will take a predictive role. For instance, if your passport will about to expire, the system will inform you in advance that you have to get your passport renewed."
Date - 02/03/2023
IRCTC onboards Easebuzz to ensure secure digital ticket bookings
Widening its digital offering, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), has joined ranks with online Easebuzz Payments Platform to ensure secure payment services for the passengers during booking train tickets online. IRCTC is the online ticketing arm of Indian Railways and country's largest online train & travel ticket booking platform. According to a recent statement, the passengers can now make secure transactions while booking tickets online. The new partnership will further strengthen the digital infrastructure of IRCTS with the online booking process now integrated with the new payment gateway. The new digital payment platform will further ensure that the sensitive information and payment details of the rail commuters will be protected while they book their tickets online. The new partnership will also help in proper channelising the traffic on IRCTC portal, which many times face breakdown during the booking of tickets. With this IRCTC can handle a large volume of transactions for travel ticket bookings.
Date - 01/03/2023
Govt offers 5G testbed facility free of cost to recognised start-ups and MSMEs till January 2024
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) under the Ministry of Communications has offered the usage of 5G testbed free of cost to the start-ups and MSMEs recognised by the Government of India up to January 2024. All 5G stakeholders such as industry, academia, service providers, R&D institutions, government bodies, equipment manufacturers, etc can utilise this facility at a very nominal rate, the ministry said in a press release on Monday. This is being offered to encourage usage of the testbed and give a fillip to the development of indigenous technologies/ products in line with 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' vision, the ministry said, adding that several start-ups and companies are already using the testbed for testing their products and services. In March, 2018, keeping in view India's specific requirements and to take lead in 5G deployment, DoT approved financial grant for the multi-institute collaborative project to set up 'Indigenous 5G Test Bed' in India with total cost of Rs 224 crore. The eight collaborating institutes in the project were IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) Madras, IIT Delhi, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Bombay, IIT Kanpur, IISc Bangalore, Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering & Research (SAMEER) and Centre of Excellence in Wireless Technology (CEWiT).
Date - 28/02/2023
NCERT starts DIKSHA security audit by third party after data breach reports
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has initiated a third-party security audit of the Diksha (Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing) app, following reports of a breach of data belonging to the government-run platform. Diksha is a national platform for school education developed by Bengaluru-based EkStep Foundation. It is an initiative of the NCERT under the aegis of the Ministry of Education. As per its website, Diksha has almost 167 million enrolments. The audit is to further ensure that data remain secure on Diksha, said the Central Institute of Educational Technology (CIET), which is part of the NCERT to promote the use of technology in education.
Date - 27/02/2023
CSIR-CMERI R&D to focus on futuristic technologies and climate change: Director Naresh Chandra Murmu
Going forward, the R&D focus of the CSIR-CMERI will be in the areas of climate change, sustainable engineered materials, AI, IoT and 5G technologies for agricultural, MSME, strategic and societal sectors, said its director Dr Naresh Chandra Murmu on Sunday. Speaking on the occasion of the 66th foundation day of CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) in New Delhi, Dr Murmu said the institute is now focussing on futuristic technologies like hydrogen-powered tractors, industry 5.0 for MSME, collaborative robots (COBOT), autonomous unmanned ground vehicle, humanoid diving robot, etc. Dr N. Kalaiselvi, Director General, CSIR and Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Science & Technology, Department of Scientific & Industrial Research, lauded the societal development work of the institute and wished that every CSIR laboratory should adopt the model of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management system employed by CSIR-CMERI to have a 'Green Colony'. She said the institute is doing real service to society through its mechanized drain cleaning system and other societal technologies touching the people's lives in the true sense of the term. The institute also developed a bio-diesel production system at its Ludhiana center.
Date - 27/02/2023
To strengthen safety oversight capabilities, DGCA to hire 400 tech staff, increase offices to 19: DG Arun Kumar
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) plans to ramp up its technical staff to 1,100 by hiring another 400 people in the next one to two years as well as increase the number of offices to 19 as the watchdog strengthens the safety oversight capabilities, according to its chief Arun Kumar. Kumar, who will be superannuating on February 28 after being at the helm for nearly four years, described his tenure as a "roller coaster ride" during which various steps were taken to improve aviation safety and the regulator also dealt with multiple headwinds, including engine issues and safety concerns over SpiceJet. India's aviation safety oversight ranking jumping to the 55th position from 112th place earlier under the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) coordinated validation mission, rollout of eGCA for processes at the regulator, introduction of regulations for transgenders who want to be pilots as well as compulsory breath analyser tests for air traffic controllers are among the key developments during the tenure.
Date - 27/02/2023
DST signs LoI with Germany's Fraunhofer ISE on hydrogen and clean energy technologies
A letter of intent (LoI) was signed between the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Germany's Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE) for a long-term collaboration focusing on hydrogen technologies. The LoI was signed by Dr Anita Gupta, Scientist G and Head, Energy Technologies Cell, DST and Prof. Dr Christopher Hebling, Director, Hydrogen Technologies, Fraunhofer ISE in the presence of Secretary, DST, Dr S. Chandrasekhar in New Delhi on Saturday. India and Germany share the goal of decarbonizing their economies and are committed to collaborating jointly in the pursuit of energy security and climate protection, the Ministry of Science & Technology said in a press release. Both countries have committed to develop a national green hydrogen economy to facilitate achievement of the Paris Agreement targets, it said.
Date - 26/02/2023
US keen to deepen ties with India in technology sector: US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen
Terming India as its trusted trading partner, US treasury secretary Janet Yellen on Saturday backed "friend-shoring" to bolster the resilience of supply chains, which was showing progress with Apple and Google expanding their production in the country. Yellen, who met the country's top technology leaders on the sidelines of the G20 meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors, said the US was keen to deepen ties with India in the tech sector. "As we look towards the future, I am eager to deepen our ties in the technology sector. The US is advancing an approach called 'friend-shoring' to bolster the resilience of our supply chains," she said, addressing the select industry meet. She said the US was doing this by strengthening integration with its many trusted trading partners, including India.
Date - 26/02/2023
Govt to approve up to two chip manufacturing units this year: Rajeev Chandrasekhar
The government expects to approve up to two applications this year to start building electronic chip manufacturing plants in the country, Minister of State for Electronics and IT (MeitY) Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Friday. While speaking on the sidelines of the SemiconIndia Future Design Conference, the minister told PTI that the current situation of slowdown in the electronic chip business will not have any impact on India's semiconductor programme as the impact is cyclical in nature but the programme has been conceived with long-term vision. "The year 2023 will be an important milestone. We will cross Rs 1 lakh crore in mobile phone exports this year. We will be certainly announcing one to two fabs in India to be commencing construction," Chandrasekhar said.
Date - 25/02/2023
Industry-led semiconductor research center to be established soon: MoS IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar
India Semiconductor Research Centre (ISRC), a private industry-led research house, will be established soon, said Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, on Friday. A modern research fab and a semiconductor laboratory will be co-located with the ISRC. These announcements were part of the second Semicon India Future Design Roadshow at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru. The roadshow was launched to encourage startups, next-generation innovators, and business leaders to invest in the semiconductor sector in India. In addition, the government plans to introduce an education curriculum as part of the Future Skills programme. "It has been developed in collaboration with industry experts and academics. Many colleges will have new degrees, new electives, and new certification programs in Very Large-Scale Integration (VLSI). We are actively working with fab companies to create on-the-job-training type of internships for students in the semiconductor space," he said
Date - 25/02/2023
Indian technical textile market has potential to grow faster than 12%: Union minister Piyush Goyal
The Union Minister for Textiles, Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on Friday said it is time for the Indian textile industry to focus on scale, quality, speed and higher volume. He was addressing the keynote session of 'Technotex 2023: Envisioning Indian Technical Textiles @2047', the 10th edition of the international exhibition and conference on technical textiles, at Bombay Exhibition Centre in Goregaon, Mumbai. Stating that this is the right time to capture world markets, the minister said, "It is time we started looking at scale and more composite plants, to use more modern technology to meet the needs of large corporate buyers across the world. Many international companies tell me that they are not able to find high-quality high volume suppliers, even though many would prefer to have a relationship with India and work with a democracy with transparent rule-based systems. In this context, it is time we look at growth, scale and speed. Today is the right time to capture world markets. Our Free Trade Agreements with UAE and Australia came into force last year. We are also working on agreements with other countries including those of the European Union. The direction is to become an international player; no country has become a developed nation without playing an integral role in the global supply chain. We have to integrate our economy with those of the developed countries to reach our potential and the desire of our young population." The minister said given the vast range of usage for technical textiles, this is the area of the future. "I appeal to startups as well as large corporations to consider expanding rapidly in the technical textiles field. Our share of the global market is about 2.5 percent; I believe that the Indian market will grow faster than 12 percent if we are able to showcase its purposes."
Date - 25/02/2023
Digital innovations have emerged as great leveller, enabler of growth: DEA Secretary Ajay Seth
Ajay Seth, secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, has highlighted how digital innovations have emerged as a great leveller and enabler of growth and through the experiences of many countries, including India, it is evident that digital public infrastructure (DPI) is one of the most transformational digital innovations. On the sidelines of the first G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting under G20 India Presidency, Seth was making a speech at the opening of a high-level symposium on digital public infrastructure (DPI) in Bengaluru on Friday. The symposium saw a panel discussion on DPI for innovative, resilient, inclusive growth and efficient governance with the participation of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman; the Republic of Indonesia Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani Indrawati; Central Bank of Brazil Governor Roberto de Oliveira Campos Neto; International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva; and Bank for International Settlements General Manager Agustin Carstens, the ministry informed through a statement on Friday.
Date - 24/02/2023
Centre working on new agri-tech ecosystem to open further growth avenues: PM Modi
Making new technology inroads in the agriculture sector, the Union government is now working on a broader plan to open new innovative avenues to enhance growth of the agri-sector. "This year's Budget focuses on agri-tech, creating funding avenues for entrepreneurs in the agriculture sector," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday. While addressing a post-budget webinar on agriculture and cooperative sectors, PM Modi maintained that the Centre was working on new key initiatives to further evolve the sector. Highlighting the efforts of his government, PM Modi said that the Union Budget 2023-24 focuses on the agriculture sector, and steps are being taken to reduce India's import dependence on oilseeds and edible oils. India spends around Rs 1.5 lakh crore on import of cooking oil.
Date - 24/02/2023
DigiYatra checks in over 1.6 lakh+ passengers in 2 months, app downloads swell past 422000
Months after launching DigiYatra, the new digital security system for passenger check-in at the Delhi, Bengaluru, and Varanasi airports, the Union ministry of civil aviation on Thursday said that biometric boarding system using Facial Recognition Technology has started gaining ground with over 1.6 lakh+ passengers already using the new technology for security clearance at the three airports. According to the latest data, the total app user base of Digi Yatra on the Android Play Store & iOS Apple App Store has swelled to 4,22,000 between December 1, 2022 and February 23, 2023. The latest data also shows that the number of Digi Yatra users has increased from 0.09 percent of total passengers on 1st December 2022 to 28 percent of total passengers on February 13 with the highest of 37 percent of total users on February 2. At present the Airports Authority of India is working to implement Digi Yatra at Kolkata, Pune, Vijayawada and Varanasi airports. The AAI, which plans to implement the Digi Yatra across airports going forward, has maintained that at present major airports in India are at various stages of implementing Digi Yatra. In the first phase, it was launched in December 2022 at Delhi, Bengaluru, and Varanasi Airports. The implementation of Digi Yatra under phase I is also planned at Kolkata, Pune, Vijayawada, and Hyderabad Airports by March 2023.
Date - 24/02/2023
CoWIN to become the platform for universal immunization in India
In the middle of 2022, India crossed the milestone of administering 200 crore vaccine doses. The CoWIN platform played a critical role in the achievement of this milestone. According to RS Sharma, one of the architects of CoWIN, the CoWIN platform is recognized as the world's biggest digitally verifiable vaccination certificate generating platform. Naveen Kumar was the Special Secretary, Department of Health, Medical & Family Welfare, Government of Andhra Pradesh, during the period of the pandemic. He gives credit to RS Sharma for the success of the CoWIN platform. He says: "I think the entire credit for covid management should go to RS Sharma who got the CoWIN system implemented quickly. The CoWIN system enabled the government to keep track of who was vaccinated and who was not." About his experience of tackling the pandemic in Andhra Pradesh, Naveen Kumar says, "The scale of vaccination that happened at that time is something that has never happened in the country ever before. Even for polio, this kind of vaccination exercise did not take place. In Andhra Pradesh, we used technology to monitor the health of the people. We used to do fever surveys. After analysis of the fever data, whoever needed critical care was shifted to the hospital."
Date - 23/02/2023
Workers equipped with advanced digital skills contribute Rs 10.9 lakh cr to India's GDP, reveals AWS-sponsored study
Workers in India equipped with advanced digital skills, including cloud architecture or software development, contributed an estimated Rs 10.9 lakh crore (USD 507.9 billion) to India's annual gross domestic product, an AWS-commissioned study said on Wednesday. According to the study conducted by Gallup on behalf of AWS, workers with advanced digital skills earn 92 percent higher salaries in India compared to those with a similar education who do not use digital skills at work. "Digital skills yield big economic benefits. We have seen dividends for the GDP for India's GDP to the tune of about USD 508 billion. People who have advanced digital skills, command higher salaries," Gallup, Managing Consultant, Rohit Kar said while sharing findings of the report. The study was conducted in two phases covering 2,005 working adults and 769 employers in India across a variety of public and private sector organizations and industries.
Date - 23/02/2023
Digital transformation, AI-driven techplatforms replacing repetitive manual processes, bringing inefficiency: CAG
With the objective of defining 'Responsible AI', especially in the context of India, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) Girish Chandra Murmu hosted a seminar at the CAG office in New Delhi on Wednesday. Eminent personalities from the field participated and shared their expertise on the subject. The G20 Secretariat and other sister G20 engagement groups such as Women20, Science20, Think20, Environment and Sustainability, Tourism, and Digital Economy also participated in the seminar. Addressing the seminar CAG Murmu said the forum has provided an opportunity for the supreme audit institutions to engage in meaningful consultations for enhancing transparency, accountability and good governance. During our chairmanship SAI India has chosen two themes namely Responsible Artificial Intelligence and Blue Economy for such deliberations under the G20 framework, he added. "In this era of express technological advancement, digital transformation and AI are rapidly becoming the centre of attention for the public sector enterprises. Health, Education, Taxation - there are many examples, where digital transformation and AI-driven tech platforms are replacing repetitive manual processes and bringing in efficiency," the CAG observed.
Date - 23/02/2023
NIC's digital platform to monitor state government court cases and alerts officials for timely filing of response
The NIC has created the Litigation Management System (LMS) for departments, corporations, boards and other state bodies to monitor the status of their cases. The system is integrated with various courts and has been successfully implemented in several states in the country. If a case is filed against any government body in any court, the Litigation Management System immediately sends an alert to the concerned senior officials of that department. "Whenever a new case is registered in any court, the data is pushed into our system and we push the data to the concerned administrative secretaries, head of departments and other concerned officials of the relevant departments. We provide the information that this case has been registered in this court-this enables the concerned officials to track whether a reply has been filed in response to the petition," says Deepak Bansal, Deputy Director General and State Informatics Officer, Haryana NIC. In Haryana, the Litigation Management System was implemented in January 2019. It was launched by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. This Litigation Management System has led to simplification of the procedures that are followed for the allocation of court cases to the concerned officers. When a petition is filed against any government body, the concerned officers are able to file the appropriate statement of facts in response. A system of dashboard reports, SMS, and email alerts are used for timely filing of reply. As the filing and pendency of cases can easily be monitored using the Litigation Management System, there is less the chances of a government body failing to respond to the petition filed in court within the stipulated period and getting slapped with a contempt of court order.
Date - 22/02/2023
Smart energy meter and EV charger technologies developed by C-DAC transferred to industry partners
The Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) Alkesh Kumar Sharma witnessed the transfer of indigenous technology developed by C-DAC, Thriuvananthapuram on smart energy meter and electric vehicle charger to industry partners, in New Delhi on Tuesday. Speaking on the occasion, Sharma said the Prime Minister's vision of 'Make in India - Make for the World' can be achieved with developing more and more indigenisation of technology and taking it forward by the industry. He further said that India has moved from importing nation to exporting nation and as industry partners, all have become great stakeholders to take this mission forward and this synergy will make India self reliant. There is a huge market for the new and innovative devices, and the whole advantage of this technology is on efficiency which will be a win-win situation for both the developer of the technology and the industry, and ultimately India gains, he added. Additional Secretary, MeitY, Bhuvanesh Kumar said the development of technology for smart energy meters and electric vehicle chargers is a good initiative when the country is importing the same from outside. The requirement of these two applications will grow manyfold in coming years, he added.
Date - 22/02/2023
Companies need to invest more in cybersecurity, 5G to propel internet user base to 25 bn in 2023: Rajesh Pant
National Cyber Security Coordinator Lt Gen (Retd) Dr Rajesh Pant has emphasized the need for companies to invest more than 10 percent of their information technology assets in cybersecurity, as the number of internet users is expected to reach 25 billion by the end of 2023 with the advent of 5G technology. Speaking at the 17th India Digital Summit, organized by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) in partnership with Google and MessageBird, Dr Pant emphasized that cybersecurity must never be compromised and that companies must invest in security to meet the challenges of the future. Dr Pant also discussed the 'splinternet' concept, where lack of cooperation between nations has led to cybercriminals taking advantage of the absence of international laws and regulations, making it difficult for agencies to solve cybercrimes. According to Dr Pant, cybercrime is the biggest man-made risk to the economic progress of a nation, with a total loss of approximately $6 trillion last year.
Date - 22/02/2023
Trai recommends framework for rating of buildings/areas for digital connectivity; to introduce certification
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Monday released its recommendations on 'Rating of Buildings or Areas for Digital Connectivity'. The exponential growth in digitalization during last decade has revolutionized the world impacting everything, from economy, innovation, science and education, to health, sustainability, governance, and lifestyles. Digital technologies are fundamentally changing business models, institutions and society. The demand for digital connectivity has increased many folds in recent years and COVID-19 has further given impetus to surge in the demand across all segments of users, irrespective of their locations, the Ministry of Communications said in a press release. In the past, TRAI and the government have taken various policy initiatives to fulfil the demands of telecom connectivity. These policy interventions have helped in improving connectivity, resulting in wider coverage and higher data throughput. However, all these efforts have fallen short in achieving the desired level of digital connectivity experience of the users, who now prefer to work from anywhere, at any time. The rollout of 5G network has further stimulated the need of seamless experience of the 5G services, specifically inside the buildings. TRAI has conducted many studies to assess the quality of connectivity, identify challenges in providing connectivity and to suggest the way forward. Based on these studies TRAI published a monograph on 'Quest for a good quality network inside multi-storey residential apartments: Reimagining ways to improve quality'.
Date - 21/02/2023
eOffice 7.0: All 58 ministries, 98 Central departments set to migrate to modern digital workplace solution
Come March, all Central government offices, including as many as 58 ministries, 98 departments, and a number of autonomous organizations, will migrate to 'eOffice 7.0' - a modern digital workplace solution, revolutionizing governance like never before in the past. Offices of the President's Secretariat (Rashtrapati Bhavan), Vice President's Secretariat (Upa-Rashtrapati Nivas), Prime Minister, and Council of Ministers, will be using the upgraded version of the software developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC), improving internal efficiencies through electronic administration leading to informed and quicker decision-making, which in turn results in better public service delivery. The usage of new technology is expected to save the government "Precious time and Exchequer" each day. eOffice is Unicode compliant for local language support and is a web-based cloud-enabled product. It brings together the independent functions and systems under a single framework. The aspects of extendibility, scalability, security, interoperability, and open standards form the backbone of the overall architecture. It is easy to replicate eOffice across governments at the Central, state, and district. One of the significant features of eOffice is enabling organizations to integrate their workflow systems/portals- dashboards with eOffice for file-based approvals, using a standard-based API approach.
Date - 21/02/2023
NIXI propelled internet growth in India by making access affordable and faster: Anil Kumar Jain, CEO
By establishing internet exchanges in the country, the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) has contributed seminally in enabling more efficient use of international bandwidth, reducing the cost of internet access, and improving the quality of services for the internet users by avoiding multiple international hops and reducing latency. In 2003, when NIXI was established the cost of internet access in India was highest in the world. By establishing internet exchanges in the country, NIXI has contributed seminally in enabling more efficient use of international bandwidth, reducing the cost of internet access, and improving the quality of services for the internet users by avoiding multiple international hops and reducing latency. Anil Kumar Jain, CEO of National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI), spoke with ETGovernment's Anoop Verma on the work that NIXI has been playing in bringing down the cost of internet access and improving the quality of internet experience in the last 20 years.
Date - 09/02/2023
Blockchain one of many promising technologies for finance and banking sectors: MoS Bhagwat Kisanrao Karad
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has observed that Blockchain Technology (BCT) is one of many promising technologies and its usefulness will depend on how it is adopted and adapted to a wide array of uses. This was stated by Union Minister of State for Finance Bhagwat Kisanrao Karad in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. The minister further stated that RBI has informed that BCT has been listed as one of the innovative technologies, leveraging on which innovators can apply to test their products in RBI's sandbox environment. RBI has stated that their regulatory sandbox has not identified any specific areas as such for the use of BCT for Indian banks. However, under the cross border payments theme of the Regulatory Sandbox of RBI, participating entities have tested certain blockchain based applications, he added.
Date - 08/02/2023
Indian Institute of Science collaborates with Samsung to boost semicon R&D
Samsung Semiconductor India Research(SSIR) has announced a new partnership with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to promote research and development in the field of on-chip Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) protection. The research agreement was exchanged by Balajee Sowrirajan, CVP and MD at Samsung Semiconductor India Research, Bengaluru, and Govindan Rangarajan, Director, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), in Bengaluru on Wednesday. The partnership aims to build cutting-edge ESD device solutions to protect ultra-high-speed serial interfaces in advanced Integrated Circuits (ICs) and system-on-chip (SoC) products. The related research will be carried out by Prof. Mayank Shrivastava's group at the Department of Electronic Systems Engineering (DESE), IISc. Solutions arising from this research will be deployed in Samsung's advanced process nodes, according to a press release. ICs and SoCs are essential for practically any system, from small to big, that we see around us, but they are very sensitive to ESD failures, especially those developed using advanced nanoscale CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) technologies. A majority of IC chip failures and field returns are attributed to ESD failures. This is also rare expertise and industries holding the art of designing ESD protection devices and interface concepts lead the market. Thus, R&D in ESD technology for highly reliable interfaces and SoCs that operate at low power and high speed is an integral part of the semiconductor innovation effort. IISc is one of the few institutes in the world leading ESD device research, the release said.
Date - 08/02/2023
Adequate farm power crucial for mechanization and increased agri production: MoS Shobha Karandlaje
The National Council of Applied Economic Research's (NCAER) latest report on "Making India a Global Power House of Farm Machinery Industry" was released by the Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmer's Welfare Shobha Karandlaje in New Delhi on Tuesday. The NCAER is one of India's premier economic policy research thinktanks. This study was sponsored by Mahendra & Mahendra, according to an official press release. NCAER has analyzed the non-tractor farm machinery industry from both demand and supply side perspectives, bringing out the challenges in the sector, and recommending measures and reforms by benchmarking global practices in their report. The report, amongst other things, stresses that India needs a vision for the next 15 years to convert itself into a production and export hub for non-tractor farm machinery, the release said. Availability of adequate farm power is very crucial for timely farm operations for increasing production and productivity and reducing losses. With the increase in intensity of cropping, the turnaround time is drastically reduced, which demands availability of adequate power for timely farm operations for subsequent crop. Though we are witnessing considerable progress in farm mechanization, its spread across the length and breadth of our country still remains uneven. Our farm power availability is at 2.49 Kw/ha in year 2018-19 which is much lower as compared to Korea (+7 kw/ha), Japan (+14kw/ha), USA(+7kw/ha), the government said.
Date - 08/02/2023
Use technology effectively to make payments, accounting and tax collection systems seamless: President Murmu
The Revenue Service and the various Accounts Services are going to play a much bigger role than before in ensuring that every rupee of taxpayers' money is used for the country's development and well-being of people, President Droupadi Murmu has said. Through accounting, auditing and budgeting, these services have a huge responsibility to support the government realise its budget objectives of creating growth opportunities for citizens, especially the youth, inclusive development, and achieving many other national goals, Murmu said while addressing probationary officers of Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Indirect Taxes), Indian Civil Accounts Service, Indian Defence Accounts Service, Indian Railway Accounts Service and Indian Post & Telecommunication (Finance & Accounts) Service who called on her at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Saturday. The President said there is a rising expectation among the people for greater efficiency in service delivery, along with transparency and accountability and to meet these expectations, it is imperative for the government departments to modernize their systems by making best use of information & communication technology. Keeping pace with the fast changing world of technology is an area of challenge. To maximize the reach of services, we need to keep updating our knowledge and systems. We have to see how best we can use technology to make our payment, accounting and tax collection systems smooth and seamless. IT tools have been used in auditing not only to uncover wrongdoings but also to evaluate and monitor the processes and outcomes of various government schemes, she added.
Date - 05/02/2023
Digi Yatra to be implemented at Kolkata, Pune, Vijayawada and Hyderabad airports by March: Civil Aviation Ministry
With an objective to provide seamless and hassle-free check-in experience for passengers at airports, the Ministry of Civil Aviation will implement Digi Yatra at Kolkata, Pune, Vijayawada and Hyderabad airports from March this year, the Minister of State for Civil Aviation VK Singh informed Lok Sabha on Thursday. The main objective of Digi Yatra is to enhance passenger experience by eliminating the need for verification of ticket and ID at multiple touch points and to achieve better throughput through existing infrastructure using a digital framework. The project is under implementation stage. The expenditure on implementation of Digi Yatra is borne by airport operators, the minister said in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha. The Ministry of Civil Aviation does not provide any budgetary support for its implementation. To give wide publicity to Digi Yatra, the airport and airline operators are doing in-flight announcements, publicity through boarding passes, providing help desk support and displaying banner and films, etc at the airports. Publicity is also being done through social media. Airports Authority of India (AAI) has awarded the work for implementation of Biometric Boarding System at Kolkata, Pune, Vijayawada and Varanasi airports, the minister said in the reply.
Date - 03/02/2023
ISRO engaged in development of technologies essential for human space tourism: Union minister Jitendra Singh
Union Minister of State (I/C) for Atomic Energy and Space Jitendra Singh on Thursday said the government is taking measures to augment domestic capacity for future realisation of space tourism. In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Singh said ISRO has also carried out a few feasibility studies for a sub-orbital space tourism mission onboard a liquid propellant stage booster. Singh said through Gaganyaan, India's maiden human spaceflight programme, ISRO is engaged in development of various technologies, which are essential building blocks for human space missions.
Date - 03/02/2023
Centre to set up 100 5G labs across India to develop new apps and services
With the 5G roll-out now gaining momentum in India, the Centre on Wednesday announced to set up 100 labs in the top engineering institutions to develop 5G apps and services. India rolled out 5G services in October last year and several hundred cities and towns now have 5G services, courtesy Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. "To realise new opportunities, business models and employment potential, the 5G labs will cover applications such as smart classrooms, precision farming, intelligent transport systems and healthcare applications," said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Union Budget 2023-24 speech. The rollout of 5G services can unleash new economic opportunities and help the country leapfrog the traditional barriers to development, spur innovations by startups and business enterprises, and advance the 'Digital India' vision, the Economic Survey for 2022-23 had said on Tuesday.
Date - 02/02/2023
India secures 1st rank in 'AI talent concentration' on Network Readiness Index 2022, overall 61st among 131 countries
India has improved its position by six slots and is now placed at 61st rank as per the Network Readiness Index 2022 (NRI 2022) report released recently. In its latest version of 2022, the NRI Report maps the network-based readiness landscape of 131 economies based on their performances in four different pillars: Technology, People, Governance, and Impact covering a total of 58 variables. The report has been prepared by the Portulans Institute, an independent non-profit, nonpartisan research and educational institute based in Washington DC. The country has not only improved its ranking, but also improved its score from 49.74 in 2021 to 51.19 in 2022. It is noteworthy that India leads in several indicators. The report states that India secured 1st rank in AI talent concentration", 2nd rank in "Mobile broadband internet traffic within the country" and "International Internet bandwidth", 3rd rank in "Annual investment in telecommunication services" and "Domestic market size", 4th rank in "ICT Services exports", 5th rank in "FTTH/Building Internet subscriptions" and "AI scientific publications". The NRI-2022 report states that India has a greater network readiness than would be expected given its income level. India is ranked 3rd out of 36 in the group of lower-middle-income countries after Ukraine (50) and Indonesia (59). India has a score higher than the income group average in all pillars and sub-pillars.
Date - 20/11/2022
Govt has earmarked Rs 1000 crore to fund chip design startups: Rajeev Chandrasekhar
The government has set aside Rs 1,000 crore to fund semiconductor design startups, Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said. The Centre is also working to build an end-to-end semiconductor ecosystem, which includes the new fund, and the semiconductor packaging and manufacturing components, he added. "We clearly want to be able to say that the next generation of devices and products, like India Stack or next-gen platforms, are being architected and designed in India. We have set aside a Rs 1,000 crore fund that will be directly used to invest by the government, with matching contributions from the states as capital into TECHNOLOGY semiconductor design startups," Chandrasekhar said.
Date - 18/11/2022
Market research must include smart use of technology besides physical surveys to get ground reality: Piyush Goyal
Union Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday pitched for use of physical surveys combined with the smart use of new technology in the market research to get the response from the ground. Addressing a seminar at the Market Research Society of India, the minister also said the market research industry in India has matured significantly in the last few years as there is more use of technology, analytical skills and artificial intelligence. "Given the complexities of a large and diverse nature of India, we must adopt technology intelligently, smartly and make sure that we don't lose the essence of our work in the outcomes. The market research should have real resonance on the ground, " Goyal said. While technology should be adopted and encouraged, doing physical surveys, especially in a country like India, where dialect differs within the state, should also be encouraged, an official statement quoted the minister having said at the event.
Date - 18/11/2022
India, Australia to mutually cooperate in cyber threat assessment, next-gen telecom capacity building
India and Australia on Thursday discussed strategic cooperation in the cyber sector, including cyber threat assessment, next-generation telecommunications capacity building, and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. India and Australia convened their fifth Bilateral Cyber Policy Dialogue which was co-chaired by Ministry of External Affairs Joint Secretary, Cyber Diplomacy Division, Muanpuii Saiawi and Tobias Feakin, Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. The Cyber Policy Dialogue held in New Delhi was organised under the auspices of the India-Australia Framework Arrangement on Cyber and Cyber-Enabled Critical Technology Cooperation and Plan of Action 2020-2025 for a comprehensive and deeper cyber cooperation.
Date - 18/11/2022
Digital life certificate: Over 21 lakh central govt pensioners use face authentication technology
This year, over 21 lakh central government pensioners have used the digital life certificate (DLC) facility since November 1, the Centre said on Wednesday. The biometric-enabled digital service does away with the requirement for pensioners of the central or state governments or any other government organisation to submit their physical life certificate every November in order to ensure continuity of their pension. The Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare (DoPPW) under the Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions had launched a nationwide campaign to promote DLCs for central government pensioners. All the registered pensioners' associations, pension disbursing banks, central ministries and Central Government Health Scheme centers had been directed to promote DLCs by organising special camps, DoPPW said in a statement.
Date - 17/11/2022
In India, technology is a force of equality and empowerment; a weapon in the war against poverty: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said in India, technology is a force of equality and empowerment. Addressing the Bengaluru Tech summit via video conference, the PM called Bengaluru the home of technology and thought leadership, an inclusive and innovative city. For many years, Bengaluru has been number one in India's Innovation Index, he added. India's technology and innovation have already impressed the world, Modi said and emphasized that the future will be much bigger than the present because of the country's innovative youth, and increasing tech access. He said Indian youth has ensured globalisation of technology and talent. He said, "We are using our talent for global good." The Prime Minister further said that India is using technology as a weapon in the war against poverty. He gave examples of use of drones for Svamitva scheme and Jan Dhan Aadhar Mobile (JAM) trinity to elaborate on poor friendly measures. The Svamitva scheme brought authenticity to the property record and gave the poor access to credit. JAM ensured direct benefit transfer and became the backbone of many welfare schemes, the Prime Minister said. He also referred to GeM 'a government run successful e-commerce platform'. "Technology has helped small businesses find a big customer. At the same time, this has reduced the scope for corruption. Similarly, technology has helped with online tendering. This has accelerated projects and boosted transparency. It has also hit a procurement value of Rs one trillion last year", Modi said highlighting the strides made by GeM.
Date - 17/11/2022
Trai forms committee with financial regulators to curb phishing and cyber frauds
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has formed a joint committee of financial regulators, including officials from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) to effectively curtail the growing menace of phishing and cyber frauds through a process involving whitelisting. "We are trying to address the issue of unsolicited commercial communication (UCC) through the joint committee of financial regulators such as the RBI and Sebi," Trai secretary V. Raghunandan told ET. He said that the panel analysed the matter and has dentified certain areas in a bid to find ways to prevent financial frauds largely aimed at luring mobile subscribers with a phishing link. Last week, Trai chairman PD Vaghela had led a detailed discussion with
Date - 16/11/2022
How 5G can become a game changer for e-commerce
After years of soon-to-be-launched reports, 5G services have finally been rolled out in India. Users and companies are eager to experience the magic of 5G, known for blazing fast speeds and the gamut of online experiences it brings. Just as 4G had a profound impact across the country, 5G too promises to drive inclusion from smaller towns and rural areas once it is made accessible in all parts of the country. The e-commerce industry will benefit massively from this, with millions of consumers and SMBs from underserved parts of the country set to experience what e-commerce truly has to offer. The transition from in-store to online shopping will be made easier with the advent of 5G. For example, it will allow Extended Reality and Artificial Intelligence to unleash their true potential, resulting in a plethora of new shopping experiences. With powerful 3D interfaces, the customer can check out a product from all angles and order it from the comfort of their homes. More importantly, higher bandwidth will provide impetus to Live/video commerce, which will help retailers offer their customers a more immersive shopping experience. That said, the accessibility and affordability of the hardware supporting these technologies will be a crucial factor in its adoption.
Date - 15/11/2022
Digital content, broadcasting cannot be defined as 'telecom services': IAMAI on draft Telecom Bill
Internet and social media intermediaries such as Meta, Google, and Twitter have told the government that definition of 'telecommunications' in the draft Telecom Bill, 2022 is "overly broad" and must exclude "broadcasting services as well as all content including digital content" from its purview. These companies said this in their feedback on the draft bill submitted under the umbrella of Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI). ET has seen a copy of the submission. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), which released the draft telecom bill in September, has extended the last date for receipt of comments and feedback to November 20.
Date - 15/11/2022
DoT plans to seek Trai view on free airwaves for 6G-based tech experiments
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will seek sector regulator's views in a bid to open up spectrum in the 95 gigahertz (GHz)-3 terahertz (THz) frequency range for free allocation for experiments to develop new technologies like 6G-driven products and solutions. "The department will ask for suggestions from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) for airwaves in the 95 GHz to 3 THz band, to use it for experimental purposes to develop products and solutions based on new technologies particularly the sixth generation (6G)," a senior official told ET. The spectrum allocation could be for 10 years. The terahertz, or THz, refers to trillions of cycles per second, and frequency range lies between the microwave and infra-red regions. The band is being potentially TECHNOLOGY considered for a 6G network worldwide.
Date - 11/11/2022
EU-India InnoCenter's 20 innovative tech startups set to scale Indian innovation ecosystem
The EU-India InnoCenter, an initiative funded by the European Union's research and innovation framework programme, is bringing high-impact and unique tech startups with a focus on sustainability-tech, deep-tech, logistics and mobility that will enhance the emerging tech talent pool while diversifying the technology outlook in the country. The combination of European R&D with Indian government investment in amplifying the same, will automate, digitise, and decarbonise the Indian market in these industry sectors and help deepen collaboration and innovation among European startups and the Indian TECHNOLOGY industrial ecosystem. The EU, one of India's largest trading partners and foreign investors, aims to deepen collaboration and innovation by bringing startups from Europe and stakeholders from India together through this initiative. The programme enables the startups to explore the Indian market, validate their offering, and learn about sector-specific opportunities and regulations while collaborating with Indian stakeholders.
Date - 11/11/2022
ISRO set for first runway landing experiment of reusable launch vehicle from Karnataka's Chitradurga
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set for the first runway landing experiment (RLV-LEX) of Reusable Launch Vehicle - Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD) from aeronautical test range in Karnataka's Chitradurga district, with its Chairman S. Somanath indicating that weather is being monitored. "We are looking at the climate. Climate is still not good. So, we are waiting for the wind and other systems to become benign. We will do that, " Somanath, also Secretary in the Department of Space, told PTI. According to ISRO officials, the RLV wing body will be carried using a helicopter to an altitude of three to five km and released at a distance of about four to five km ahead TECHNOLOGY of the runway with a horizontal velocity. After the release, the RLV will glide, navigate towards the runway and land autonomously with a landing gear in the defence airfield near Chitradurga.
Date - 09/11/2022
Made in India 5G gear to be commercially available by March: DoT secretary
Full-fledged indigenously designed and developed fifth generation(5G) equipment that includes core and radio network components could be commercially available by March next year, a top official said. The move could pitch India as a major telecom technology player, taking on companies from the likes of the US, Finland, Sweden and Korea. "The processes will take an extra three to four months. So, I potentially feel that by March next year, it (C-DoT) will be in a position to actually commercialise both radio and core equipment, " K Rajaraman, secretary, Department of Telecommunications (DoT), told ET. The 5G stack is still undergoing testing and was initially expected to be completed by the end of this year.
Date - 08/11/2022
DRDO launches testing and evaluation facility for Indian Navy's Sonar systems at NPOL Kochi
Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO) has launched the Hull Module of Submersible Platform for Acoustic Characterization & Evaluation (SPACE) facility at Naval Physical & Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL) Kochi recently. It is a state-of-the-art testing and evaluation facility for Sonar systems developed for use by the Indian Navy onboard various platforms, including ships, submarines and helicopters. The SPACE facility is based on the concept design and requirements projected by NPOL and has been constructed by L&T Shipbuilding, Chennai. This will be mainly utilized for evaluating Sonar systems, allowing for quick deployment and easy recovery of scientific packages such as sensors and transducers, according to a Defence TECHNOLOGY PEOPLE WHO READ THIS ALSO READ Technology npol kerala inland vessel rules indian register of shipping defence ministry l&t shipbuilding, chennai defence research & development organization Ministry statement on Monday. The ministry further said the SPACE is one-of-a-kind facility in the world. "The uniqueness of this facility lies in the specially designed submersible platform, which can be lowered up to depths of 100 meters using a series of synchronously operated winches. The design and construction of the platform meet all the statutory needs of Indian Register of Shipping and the vessel classifying authority and strictly adhere to the inspection and registration criteria as per Kerala Inland Vessel Rules," it added.
Date - 08/11/2022
Indian Railway Innovation portal: 768 entities to participate in innovation challenges
Indian Railways has embarked upon an innovation journey through launch of 'Startups for Railways' initiative on June 13 this year. So far, 768 entities have registered themselves on the Indian Railway innovation portal to participate in innovation challenges floated by Railways, according to the Ministry of Railways. So far, 13 innovation challenges have been uploaded against which good response in form of 311 offers have been received. All the offers are being evaluated through a two-stage process and one innovation challenge has already been finalized, the ministry said. As many as 311 offers have been received against 13 TECHNOLOGY problem statements uploaded so far on innovation portal. Of the total participants, startups are 123, individual innovators 60, MSMEs 81 and R&D organizations/institutes 18, the ministry said.
Date - 05/11/2022
IIT Guwahati's CoE provides boost to innovation in nanoelectronics and healthcare devices
The Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronic and Information Technology successfully achieved the goals set for the Center of Excellence (CoE) in Research and Development of Nanoelectronic and Theranostic Devices established in 2014. Appreciating the success of the CoE, Prof. Dr TG Sitharam, Director, IIT Guwahati said, "It is with great pride to note that the faculty members working at IIT Guwahati's Centre for Nanotechnology in collaboration with MeitY have worked tirelessly towards the success of establishing this pioneering Centre of Excellence. This visionary support by the MeitY has been instrumental in expanding the base of nanoelectronics inventions and innovations in the country well in line with the twin missions of GoI - TECHNOLOGY 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' and 'Make in India." At the time of its inception, IIT Guwahati and MeitY collectively planned and envisioned this CoE with major long-term objectives.
Date - 04/11/2022
To deepen broadband penetration, DoT removes mandatory testing for telecom equipment
The Department of Telecommunications(DoT) has moved certain products like routers, cordless phones, transmission terminal equipment and LAN switches, etc from mandatory testing to a self-certification regime in a bid to speed up the penetration of broadband in the country. The change, which will come into effect from January 1, will help companies to reduce the time taken to test and certify a product before being sold in the market. Firms like Cisco and TP-Link are set to benefit as they just need to self-certify their imported products and sell in the Indian market. Currently, devices like routers etc are primarily imported from countries including China. There was a severe shortage of products like routers and LAN switches in the recent past, forcing telecom operators and internet service providers to petition DoT for help. The main reason for the shortage was delay in testing as Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC) used to certify all the products and sometimes the testing and certification could take months.
Date - 04/11/2022
Grievance appellate committee for social media users' complaints in 2 weeks: Rajeev Chandrasekhar
The government will finalise the proposed modalities and terms of references for setting up grievance appellate committees to address social media users' complaints in the next 10-12 days, and expects the panel to be in place by November 30, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Tuesday. The minister also made it clear that compliance of IT rules and laws is not a "pick and choose" or "cherry picking" option for social media platforms. He said once the government comes out with the proposed framework for GAC (grievance appellate committees), it will be followed by meetings and discussions with stakeholders. The hardening of stance against the big tech companies comes at a time when discontent has been brewing over TECHNOLOGY alleged arbitrary acts of platforms on flagged content, or intermediaries not responding fast enough to grievances, and even de-platforming users without following proper procedures.
Date - 02/11/2022
CM Yogi inaugurates north India's first hyperscale data center in Greater Noida; Yotta D-1 to lead 5G revolution
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated north India's first hyperscale data center Yotta D1 built at a cost of Rs 5,000 crore and spread over an area of 300,000 square feet at the upcoming Data Centre Park in Greater Noida on Monday. MoUs worth Rs 39,000 crore were also signed between the UP government and Hiranandani Group to be spent on projects in the next five years. The MoUs were signed by Arvind Kumar, IIDC and ACS IT & Electronics, Government of Uttar Pradesh, Ritu TECHNOLOGY Maheshwari CEO, Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority and Akshay Tripathi, MD, UP Electronics Corporation Limited (UPLC). Speaking on the occasion, CM said, "The north India's first data center will give momentum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Digital India movement. The data center will increase data storage capacity of the country, which until now stood at two percent only despite the fact that 1.5 billion mobile phone and 650 million internet users in the world are from India using 20 percent of data. Yet for storage of data, we had to look for centers abroad."
Date - 01/11/2022
Revised Personal Data Protection Bill may relax rules on data localisation: MoS IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar
The revised version of the personal data protection (PDP) bill is likely to contain relaxed provisions on data localisation or crossborder flow of data but will ensure that all data belonging to Indian citizens remains available for law enforcement agencies or any other government organisation which is legally entitled to access such data, minister of state for electronics and information technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar told ET in an exclusive interview. "The internet is global and has data as its underlying basic element. For a robust internet innovation ecosystem, there has to be (a) flow of data. However, we also recognise that in our national interest, there are requirements of protecting a digital nagrik's data protection and privacy rights," Chandrasekhar said. Cross-border flow of data will, therefore, be permitted as long as the government is able to access the data legally and such data of citizens is safe even if it is stored in cloud architecture, he added.
Date - 10/10/2022
Artificial Intelligence to act as catalyst in India's transformation into a developed nation by 2047: Piyush Goyal
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Textiles Piyush Goyal on Friday said Artificial Intelligence will help the country become a developed nation by 2047. "AI will act as a catalyst in India's journey towards becoming a developed nation by 2047 and bring prosperity to every citizen of this country," the minister said while addressing the 3rd edition of Global Artificial Intelligence Summit & Awards in New Delhi. Goyal said Artificial intelligence will truly be a catalyst in India's development journey, and added that 'The Make in India' program when juxtaposed with AI technology, will enable India to become the factory of the world providing both equipment and technology to the world. He noted that the huge talent pool available in the country will definitely help in exploring newer ways to take AI in every sector of economic activity. The minister appreciated the Department of Science and Technology for its wonderful work in supporting the efforts of the scientific community of the country over the years, and particularly during the challenging times of Covid. The government is using AI to redefine the way it works, he said citing the example of Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP), which is leveraging AI to improve the entire logistics ecosystem of the country. Similarly initiatives like PM Gatishakti National Master Plan, which aims at developing our infrastructure smarter; ONDC, which aims at democratising E- commerce, GeM which has made a significant impact for government procurement - all these are leveraging Artificial Intellegence to bring efficiency and better delivery of services.
Date - 08/10/2022
IIT Guwahati develops 3D printed sentry post that Army can set up anywhere within 24 hours
The IIT Guwahati has developed a 3D printed sentry post for the Indian Army which can be set up at its intended site within 24 hours by the Army's engineer wing, defence sources said on Thursday. Defence spokesman Lt Col Mahendra Rawat said that the prototype showcases the capability of rapid construction using 3D printed technology which can be utilised in the border areas where traditional construction is challenging due to inclement weather conditions, terrain and altitude limitations. The 3D printed sentry post is completely modular and can be transported to the construction site and assembled at the location. Rawat said the 3D printing technology can be an alternative to conventional construction methods, which has many limitations like longer construction time, availability of material at site etc.
Date - 07/10/2022
C-DoT 5G mobile antenna to be ready in 6 months for commercial rollout
Made in India 5G radios will be ready for commercial deployment in six months, a top official of state-run C-DoT said. The technology jointly developed by C-DoT, Jio's Radisys India, VVDN Technologies and Wisig Networks was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the India Mobile Congress to make a 5G call. C-DoT Executive Director Rajkumar Upadhyay told PTI during an interaction at IMC that the organisation has completed prototype development and proof of concept of the 5G radios that are for sending and receiving wireless signals. "Our 5G core and 5G radio are completely indigenously developed which makes India among a few countries that have their own 5G technology. Operators desire multiple integration and call scenario tests in their network before it goes for commercial deployment. We will start these tests soon in BSNL's network and we hope to complete this in the next six months," Upadhyay said.
Date - 04/10/2022
E-mobility push: Centre set to replace its petrol and diesel cars with electric powertrain vehicles
The Centre is looking at replacing the government fleet of petrol and diesel cars with electric powertrain vehicles, and the exercise will commence with the issue of a tender to procure 3,500 EV units shortly. Convergence Energy Services (CESL), the state-run company that handles the acquisition of EVs for central and state government departments, said the size of the program could expand as more and more electric vehicles are launched by automakers at the affordable end of the market. Central and state governments have a combined fleet of about 600,000 petrol and diesel cars. CESL chief executive Mahua Acharya told ET that the company has received a 'qualified' demand for 3,500 electric vehicles, a tender for which may be floated shortly.
Date - 03/10/2022
Sebi looks to step-up social media surveillance, AI backed intelligence tools to check violation
Adapting to the latest technology times, capital markets watchdog Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) looks to broaden its surveillance of social media and other digital platforms through a web intelligence tool based on artificial intelligence and data analytics. According to top sources, Sebi plans to use these new technology tools to probe violations of various securities laws by individuals, groups and other entities. The regulator has already invited Expression of Interest (EOI) from solution providers to implement, install and maintain a 'Web Intelligence Tool'. Interested parties can submit the bids by October 3, the regulator said. According to Sebi, the rise in internet usage over the last few years has resulted in production of immense amounts of unstructured publicly available data on the web. "This unstructured data has the potential to provide deep investigation insights about various entities, individuals, groups and topics related to violations of various securities laws," Sebi maintained.
Date - 19/09/2022
Karnataka sets up its first hi-tech digital healthcare center in Bengaluru
Karnataka's first hi-tech primary healthcare centre (PHC) that offers free as well as affordable services under one roof was inaugurated in Malleswaram on Saturday. The PHC, titled comprehensive urban primary health centre (CUPHC), is equipped with facilities such as testing, diagnostic laboratory, treatment and dispensary at Palace Guttahalli. It was opened to the public by chief minister Basavaraj Bommai. Claiming the PHC to be a model for other states and the first of its kind, Bommai announced that as many as 20 similar hospitals would be built across Bengaluru in a few months. "While the government will open Namma Clinics in all wards in the next three months, hospitals like this CUPHC will be set up in 20 other locations," he said. "The government has already taken steps to open four centres of Jayadeva Hospital in Bengaluru and one of them equipped with 50 beds will come up at KC General Hospital in Malleswaram soon," the CM said.
Date - 19/09/2022
E-vehicle popularity gaining momentum in Rajasthan, sales see sharp uptick
The popularity of electric vehicles is gaining momentum in Rajasthan, where the number of such vehicles has jumped six times in three years, as people are increasingly adapting to the emerging mobility model. Looking at the comfort and easy mobility in city life, the sale of two-wheelers is the highest, while the sale of four-wheelers is the lowest, as consumers are still apprehensive about the charging infrastructure, particularly on highways and in the outskirts. According to Rajasthan's Transport Department data, the sale of electric vehicles in the state has increased approximately six times till the first week of September since 2019. "There is continuous increase in the sale of electric vehicles in the state, as more and more people are shifting towards better and advanced technology. The rising trend is also due to the policy of the state government, which is providing grants on purchase of e-vehicles," Transport Department Commissioner KL Swami told PTI.
Date - 19/09/2022
Online portal launched for Raksha Mantri awards for Excellence in Defence and Aerospace Sector 2021-22
The Ministry of Defence has launched an online portal for submitting applications for Raksha Mantri's Awards for Excellence in Defence and Aerospace Sector 2021-22 on Friday. The objective of Raksha Mantri's Awards, managed by Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA) under Department of Defence Production(DDP is to give further boost to government's 'Make in India' initiative, for achieving self-reliance in Defence manufacturing and reward excellence in the fields of Indigenization, Innovation and Exports by the Indian Defence Industries (both private as well as DPSUs/PSUs), the ministry said. This initiative will facilitate widening of Industrial base in the Defence and Aerospace sector, identify 'hidden gems' from private industries especially from the MSME/start-up segments and promote them as role models for others, the ministry said. Applications for Raksha Mantri's Awards under various categories will be accepted only through the online portal and the processing of applications for the awards will also be done online. Last date of filing online applications is September, 29, 2022. RM Award Cell of DGQA will be managing the portal and the helpline facility (email: rmawardsmod-dgqa@gov.in; Tele: 011-24196951).
Date - 17/09/2022
Digital engineering set to become main force in India, may generate 50-60% of ER&D revenue: Report
India has emerged as a leading destination for digital engineering, and its share in the overall ER&D revenue is expected to "grow substantially" from the current 28-30 percent, according to a report by Nasscom-Deloitte. In the field of engineering, research and development (ER&D), digital engineering (DE) is gradually displacing traditional engineering as the main force, said the report titled 'the future growth sectors in digital engineering'. National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) President, Debjani Ghosh said, "India is advancing into the fourth industrial revolution with an optimistic digital transformation revenue amounting to 50-60 percent in overall ER&D revenues in the coming years". India, the report noted, has already established a strong presence in this market due to its growing talent pool, developing environment for partnerships and favourable encouragement towards this industry from government institutions.
Date - 16/09/2022
Intel launches AI Global Impact Festival to help governments showcase their skilling initiatives
The second annual Intel AI Global Impact Festival is now live. The purpose of this festival is to celebrate enriching lives with AI innovation by next-generation technologists and future developers in partnership with government partners, academic institutions, and communities. Intel Digital Readiness Programs empower non-technical audiences with appropriate skill sets, mindsets, toolsets, and opportunities to use technology impactfully and responsibly in the AI-fueled world. The first annual AI Global Impact Festival was organized by Intel in 2021, where 135 countries and more than 113,000 visitors from across the globe participated in the virtual event. This year too, countries from across the globe, including India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, the USA, the People's Republic of China, Poland, Germany, and Israel, are showcasing their efforts to build an AI-ready generation. The Festival acts as a platform for Intel's partners from among governments, academic institutions, and the implementation sector to share with the world their best practices on AI skilling for their population.
Date - 16/09/2022
Technology and digital transformation key to build modern railways: Railway Board Member DC Sharma
The railway ecosystem is changing in terms of management and environment but the theme remains the same; the economy will only grow when the railway sector is strengthened, said DC Sharma, member, Traction & Rolling Stock (L/A), Railway Board, Ministry of Railways, at an event in New Delhi on Friday. Speaking at the event titled "Futuristic Technologies for Indian Railways" at Rail Tech 2022, the official said innovation and technology are crucial for railways. Cleanliness, safety, passenger amenities, aiming toward Net Zero Carbon Emission, green trains, and freight are a few of the recent advancements in the rail industry. Thefundamental objective, he said, is to carry more in order to lower the cost of logistics. The vision of Indian Railways is to be a global leader in railways, said Vivek Lohia, MD, Jupiter Wagons Ltd. He further said, "Indian Railways has changed drastically over the time. It has become a technologically transformed mode of transportation.
Date - 27/08/2022
In a first, Goa farmers set to use drone tech to make agriculture low-cost, high output
Drone agriculture is soon going to be a reality in Goa as Don Bosco and the Chinchinim agricultural club will launch an agri-drone for the farmers in the state on August 29. This is the first time that such a technology is being launched in Goa. It will eliminate the need for manual sprinkling of plant care and pest control agents. "The drone is going to change agriculture in Goa," said Don Bosco priest Fr George Quadros, who is also credited with introducing mechanical transplanting of paddy crops in Goa. "There are many fallow lands in Goa that need reviving, but the cost of labour is very high. This is an effort to make agriculture viable by introducing low-cost high production tech so that people take to cultivation again," he said. The agri-drone will be a service product that farmers can rent to spray liquid organic fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides.
Date - 26/08/2022
DRDO, Navy successfully flight test VL Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile from ITR Chandipur
Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO) and the Indian Navy successfully flight-tested Vertical Launch Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile (VL-SRSAM) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Odisha on Tuesday. The flight test was carried out from an Indian Naval Ship against a high-speed unmanned aerial target for demonstration of vertical launch capability. The missiles, equipped with indigenous Radio Frequency(RF) seeker, intercepted the target with high accuracy. The VL-SRSAM system has been indigenously designed and developed by DRDO. During the test launch, flight path and vehicle performance parameters were monitored using flight data, captured by various range instruments such as Radar, Electro-optical tracking system (EOTS) and Telemetry systems deployed by ITR, Chandipur. The launch was monitored by senior scientists from various DRDO labs involved in the design and development of the system such as Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad and R&D Engineers, Pune.
Date - 24/08/2022
India's first indigenous hydrogen fuel cell bus developed by KPIT-CSIR launched in Pune
Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh on Saturday launched India's first truly indigenously developed hydrogen fuel cell bus developed by KPIT-CSIR in Pune. Singh told the gathering that Prime Minister Modi's Hydrogen Vision is important for India to ensure affordable and accessible clean energy, meet climate change goals and create new entrepreneurs and jobs. He said Green hydrogen is an excellent clean energy vector that enables deep decarbonization of difficult-to-abate emissions from the refining industry, fertiliser industry, steel industry, cement industry and also from the heavy commercial transportation sector. The minister informed that the fuel cell utilizes Hydrogen and Air to generate electricity to power the bus and the only effluent from the bus is water, therefore making it possibly the most environmentally friendly mode of transportation. For comparison, a single diesel bus plying on long-distance routes typically emits 100 tons of CO2 annually and there are over a million such buses in India.
Date - 22/08/2022
Defence ministry develops AI powered face recognition system to spot anti-social elements under mask
The Indian government has developed a facial recognition system that can identify anti-social elements with or without disguise, with face masks or monkey caps on, even in low-resolution images at restricted zones as well as public places. The Ministry of Defence (MoD), in its latest report titled 'AI in Defence', revealed the Face Recognition System under Disguise (FRSD), along with other AI-based systems, mainly developed for the Indian Army. 'Face recognition in the wild' on surveillance camera feeds is a difficult problem to solve due to the low resolution of the images captured from the cameras. This problem becomes even more challenging to solve with the added complexity of various facial disguises, crowd occlusions and varied illuminations. According to the MoD report, the FRSD algorithm has been trained in such a way that the face recognition system can see through several disguises like face-masks, beard, moustache, wigs, sunglasses, head-scarves, monkey caps and hats, etc.
Date - 19/08/2022
DEPwD to introduce 3D printing technology replacing manual customisation of prosthetics
With an objective to improve quality of life and bring more precision to devices like artificial limbs and spinal braces to enhance mobility of persons with locomotor disabilities, the central government's department of empowerment of persons with disabilities (DEPwD) is gearing up to introduce 3D printing technology to gradually replace manual customisation of such devices which is the norm as of now. Delhi based Pt Deendayal Upadhyaya National Institute for Persons with Physical Disabilities (PDUNIPPD) has successfully tested the technology on Delhi-based 18 year old Payal Solanki, who was diagnosed with cancer in her left pelvic bone at the age of 13, but she defeated the disease in 2018. However, she developed unequal limb length post-surgery which later resulted in some changes in her spine. Payal is the first recipient of a 3D printed spinal brace. Dr G. Pandian, assistant professor, prosthetics and orthotics, who steered the test, said it was about two months ago that Payal visited PDUNIPPD. She was diagnosed with unequal limb length, four inches shorter than the other side and a spine deformity called scoliosis. "First a manually-customised brace was given to her but then when the proposal for 3D technology came up I thought she was suited for the test as she is young and will benefit from this advanced technology for correction of scoliosis," he added.
Date - 16/08/2022
GRL accelerates authorization of biometrics devices for Aadhaar
Granite River Labs (GRL), a global provider of enginee ring services and test automation solutions for digital connectivity, is making it quicker, easier, and less expensive for IT suppliers to meet the strict requirements for Indian public sector biometrics equipment tenders. As the only USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) authorized independent test laboratory in India, GRL supports local systems integrators and solution providers to achieve up-to-date USB-IF certification - an essential requirement for state and national biometrics device bids locally. India's booming market for biometrics devices is being driven by government initiatives, such as the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), created to provide every resident with an "Aadhaar" - a unique, 12-digit identity. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology's Standardization Testing and Quality Certification (STQC) Directorate requires every product to be certified according to the Biometric Device Certification Scheme (BDCS) before it can be used for UIDAI. The certificates are valid for 3 years, after which products must be recertified. Compliance to USB-IF specifications is a key requirement.
Date - 09/08/2022
Digital eye: Delhi Police to set up 1000 IP motion detection CCTVs for high level security for I-Day celebrations
The Delhi Police has planned to deploy more than 1,000 Internet Protocol (IP) based CCTV cameras in and around Red Fort in response to threats from various terror outfits warning of disrupting the Independence Day celebrations. Prior to the 75th anniversary of India's Independence Day celebration on August 15, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) issued a warning on Thursday over potential assaults by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Shinzo Abe, the former prime minister of Japan, was recently shot and killed at a public event there. The IB report, which is 10 pages long, references this assault and calls for Delhi police to impose rigorous entrance regulations at the location on August 15. According to the document that ANI was able to get, every area of the arena would have 80 percent 2-megapixel IP-based CCTV cameras and 20 percent 4-megapixel IP-based CCTV cameras.
Date - 04/08/2022
IIT Bombay, IIT Kanpur jointly develop new air purification technology that deactivates COVID-19 virus in 1 minute
Indian Institute of Technology, IIT Kanpur and IIT Bombay have jointly developed a new "Anti-Microbial Air Purification Technology". This technology will be effective against COVID-19 virus along with the air pollutants. The technology has been tested at CSIR-IMTECH and has proven to be able to deactivate corona virus with an efficacy of 99.9% within just 1 minute. This new Air purification technology is developed by AiRTH, a startup incubated at the Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC), IIT Kanpur. As the new technology has received the CSIR-IMTECH validation, the technology can be termed pioneering in its efforts to combat COVID. As per the official statement by IIT Kanpur, Ravi Kaushik, CEO and Founder of AiRTH realized the limitations in the existing purification technologies, while he was pursuing his Masters in Environmental Engineering at IIT Bombay. With guidance and support from Professor Amitabha Bandopadhyay, Professor-in-charge of the Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre, IIT Kanpur, AiRTH was incubated. The Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, played a crucial role in testing the prototypes, with validation from trusted and respected laboratories of India like CSIR-NPL, CSIR-CDRI, amongst others. AiRTH Anti Microbial Air Purifiers are already in use in hospitals, protecting immuno-compromised cancer patients at fatal risk even from a common cold. AiRTH's technology has helped Corporates, both Private and Government by ensuring business continuity and encouraging their employees to return to clean air offices. The technology developed by AiRTH exemplifies the vision of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' and 'Made in India' initiative.
Date - 27/07/2022
IIIT Hyderabad unveils AI-driven iRASTE Telangana for predictive insights to prevent accidents
With emerging technologies powering the future, three AI-driven projects were unveiled at the International Institute of Information Technology-Hyderabad (IIIT-H) on Tuesday by Telangana IT & industries minister KT Rama Rao - iRASTE(Intelligent Solutions for Road Safety through Technology & Engineering) Telangana, Bodhyaan car platform and MicroLabs at IIIT-H. Project iRASTE Telangana, result of a collaboration between INAI at IIIT-H, Intel, Uber and TSRTC, will use AI and ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) for predictive insights to prevent accidents. TSRTC vehicles on highways will be taken up as part of the project. Bodhayaan, a car data capture platform set up at IIIT-H, will use cameras, including night vision cameras, LIDAR sensors and radars with high computational power for capturing and processing real-time data on the car. This platform can be used by researchers, academics, and start-ups in India. The MicroLabs has been set up at IIIT-H in collaboration with CSIR-IGIB for genomic surveillance of communicable diseases and preparation of real time dashboards or heatmaps for state health officers.
Date - 13/07/2022
Rapidly charging e-cycle developed with Na-ion batteries and supercapacitors
Scientists have used nano-materials to develop Na-ion-based batteries and supercapacitors, which can be rapidly charged and have integrated them in e-cycles. The low-cost Na-ion-based technologies would be cheap and are expected to reduce the cost of the e-cycles significantly. Sodium-ion (Na-ion) batteries have triggered academic and commercial interest as a possible complementary technology to lithium-ion batteries because of the high natural abundance of sodium and the consequent low costs of Na-ion batteries. Professor in the Department of Physics at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Dr Amreesh Chandra, has been researching to develop energy storage technologies, which are based on Na-ion, and his team has developed a large number of nanomaterials. The team has used sodium iron phosphates and sodium manganese phosphates which they synthesized to obtain Na-ion-based batteries and supercapacitors with support from the Technology Mission Division (TMD) of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India. These sodium materials were combined with various novel architectures of carbon to develop a battery.
Date - 06/07/2022
High-speed Expendable Aerial Target 'ABHYAS' successfully flight-tested off Odisha coast
ABHYAS, High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) was successfully flight-tested from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Odisha on Wednesday. The performance of the aircraft at low altitudes including sustained level and high maneuverability was demonstrated during the test flight. The target aircraft was flown from a ground-based controller in a pre-designated low-altitude flight path, which was monitored by various tracking sensors deployed by ITR, including radar and an electro-optical targeting system, a government statement said. ABHYAS was designed and developed by the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO). The air vehicle was launched using twin under-slung boosters which provide the initial acceleration to the vehicle. It is powered by a small gas turbine engine to sustain a long endurance flight at high subsonic speed. The target aircraft is equipped with Micro-Electromechanical Systems-based Inertial Navigation System for navigation along with the Flight Control Computer for guidance and control along with Indigenous Radio Altimeter for very low altitude flight and Data Link for encrypted communication between the Ground Control Station and Target Aircraft. The vehicle is programmed for fully autonomous flight. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO, Armed Forces and the Industry for the successful flight trial of ABHYAS and said that the development of this system will meet the requirements of aerial targets for the Armed Forces. Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman, DRDO G. Satheesh Reddy appreciated the efforts of the teams associated with the design, development and testing of the system.
Date - 30/06/2022
