Families of fishermen worried after Pahalgam terror attack on tourists
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
31 minutes ago
- Time of India
‘Operation Sindoor strikes timed to avoid civilian casualties during prayers'
Nagpur: During Operation Sindoor , the strikes on the Pakistani terror establishments were deliberately timed between the last and the first namaz (prayer). This was done to ensure that no innocent civilians, who would have gathered for prayers at that time, were harmed, said Lt General (retd) Vinod Khandare, former principal advisor to the ministry of defence. Khandare was in the advisor's post when India struck targets in Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. Talking to TOI on the sidelines of his lecture organised by Jan Manch, he explained that the last namaz of the day takes place in the night and the first happens early in the morning. The idea was to strike only the terrorists and not the civilians, who may have gathered after the prayer calls. Khandare said that as India hit nine terror establishments, it made the terrorists realise that they were not safe at their hideouts in Paksitan. They may have secured themselves from attacks on the ground, but India struck from the air, he said. The debris will remind even the locals or other visitors that India struck deep in their base, said Khandare. Replying to a question on concerns over cases against security forces personnel, Khandare said there was a time when the entire bar council of Jammu and Kashmir was radicalised. They would take up cases against security forces without any charges. This was from 2007 till as late as around 2016. The situation has changed now, he said.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Indus Water Treaty Favoured Pakistan, Left India With Little Share: Lt Gen Vinod Khandare
Nagpur: Retired Lieutenant General Vinod Khandare, former Principal Advisor to the Union Ministry of Defence during Operation Sindoor , has termed the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 as "unfair and biased towards Pakistan ." Speaking at a Jansamvaad event organised by Janmanch NGO, Khandare stated that the political leadership of the time gave away significant control over India's river resources, leaving the country with a disproportionately small share of the Indus waters. "The Indus River, originating from the Himalayas, carries a large amount of silt and sludge that used to accumulate in our dams," he said. "We wanted to de-silt it for efficiency, but were told the treaty doesn't permit us. Despite this, we cleaned the river." Khandare pointed out that the river flows from Indian states like Punjab and Haryana into Pakistan's Punjab, significantly boosting their agriculture. "They reaped harvests, earned revenue, and used that very money to fund terrorism against us," he said, underscoring the strategic imbalance the treaty has created. He added that all that changed in 2016, after a team of experts were appointed to asses and review the pact. General Khandare also raised alarms over China's covert meteorological manipulation program. According to him, China's Department of Weather Modification, with over 37,000 personnel, has been closely studying Indian monsoon patterns. "We discovered one of their meteorological sensors in the Bay of Bengal," he revealed, adding that China intends to redirect rain clouds meant for the Indian subcontinent towards Tibet and Sichuan. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Search & compare rates from major search-engines, along with local, reputable engines. Hotel Deals | Search Ads Browse Now Undo The motive, he said, is to support Beijing's industrial shift from its eastern coastal belt to inland provinces. Touching upon India's evolving defence posture, Khandare highlighted Operation Sindoor as a turning point. "The military had full operational control without political interference, which enabled decisive surgical strikes and air operations like the one at Jabbar Top," he said. The operation targeted terrorist launchpads and training facilities in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, sending a strong message that no safe havens would be tolerated. Cyber warfare, he warned, is the new front. "Smartphones can now be weaponised. Cyberattacks, like the one that paralysed Estonia in 2008, can happen here too." He called for urgent investment in cyber resilience and civil defence, citing India's inadequate infrastructure—no public sirens in cities like Nagpur, and lack of shelters in urban areas, unlike Europe or Israel. "India's civil defence infrastructure remains alarmingly inadequate in the face of growing conventional and unconventional threats. Unlike countries like Israel, where every building has a shelter, or Europe, where metros are built underground for protection, Indian cities are ill-equipped. Nagpur, for example, lacks even basic sirens," Khandare said. General Vinod Khandare pointed out that while our armed forces may be battle-ready, the country lacks systems to protect its citizens in times of crisis or war. He further stressed the need for reforms in India's defence production. "With 41 ordnance factories underperforming, joint ventures and privatisation are no longer optional—they are essential," Khandare concluded by stating that only a self-reliant, strategically alert, and technologically equipped India can deter the evolving threats in a turbulent global order.
Deccan Herald
an hour ago
- Deccan Herald
India ready to share AI models with Global South: S Krishnan
The Indian government is open to sharing its AI models with the Global South after achieving reasonable capacity and scale, a senior government official said on Friday. While speaking at FICCI's conference Bhashantara 2025, Electronics and IT Secretary S Krishnan said that the development of technology for languages to help people communicate in a frictionless manner can lead to huge value addition to the economy. He said that the UN Under-Secretary-General, during a visit to India, had appreciated India's AI-related works. 'We had a discussion and then he said your model appears interesting. At a stage when you have adequate capacity both in terms of compute and in terms of the kind of models that you have, will you be willing to share this with the Global South? This is something that we have declared that we are open to doing and something that we will do,' Krishnan said. The Global South term refers to developing and less-developed countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America regions. The government has launched the Bhashini project for the development of AI-based language translation technology. Krishnan said most people in the country would prefer to communicate through voice as opposed to in writing. 'I think voice-based communication has a critical role to play and that is where India can truly lead. The minute you say it is voice, then it means that you have to pick it up in the language that they are most comfortable with and what they would like to speak in. This is clearly the challenge that there are a number of researchers, a number of innovators and others who are addressing nationwide,' he said. 'With more than 6 billion people globally not speaking English as their primary language and India home to 19,500 languages and dialects, data emphasised the vast commercial opportunities that lay ahead,' he said. Data said that website names in local scripts will ease communication for the vernacular masses.
