Latest news with #ChandraSekhar
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Over 75% BSNL mobile towers upgraded to 4G in Hyderabad, says Telecom official
BSNL has claimed that over 75% of its mobile towers across Hyderabad have already been upgraded to 4G, with work in progress to cover the remaining and further allotment of 2,430 sites for new sites is under planning, said principal general manager M. Chandra Sekhar. This upgrade ensures that BSNL mobile users experience seamless 4G connectivity city-wide, he said and also noted the public sector telcom body's ongoing commitment to developing indigenous 5G technology, which will soon be rolled out to the public, he added. He was speaking at the strategic partners business development meeting with key franchisees involved in mobile business and Telecom Infrastructure Providers (TIP) catering to FTTH services for the Hyderabad region recently. The transmission network in Hyderabad has also been upgraded to the advanced MAAN (Metro Aggregation Access Network), enabling higher bandwidth availability in both 4G mobile and FTTH (Fiber to the Home) services to urban and Bharatnet services to rural areas, he said. The recent commissioning of an International Gateway (IGW) here has eliminated the need to route traffic through Chennai and in significantly enhancing internet speeds and latency performance, said Mr. Chandra Shekar. He announced a significant reorganisation of the Hyderabad Business Area, with the creation of Operational Area-3 (OA-3) headquartered at Lingampally. It is aimed at tapping into high-potential zones, including Gachibowli, Lingampally, Nanakramguda, and Kondapur, with a particular focus on catering to the connectivity needs of high-rise buildings and developing urban clusters. The BSNL official also reminded about the recent launch of Q-5G services in Hyderabad by chairman and managing director Robert J. Ravi, marking the introduction of India's first indigenous Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) solution. This service is tailored to deliver high-speed enterprise internet connectivity, a critical move for the digital transformation of local businesses.
The Hindu
02-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Union Government comes up with an AI-based app that helps prevent potential financial risks online
The Union Government has come up with an Artificial Intelligence (AI) application to help users prevent potential financial risks online. To create awareness about fraudulent transactions, spam and fraud calls, an innovative feature, Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI), has been developed and successfully tested, according to Union Minister of State for Rural Development and Communications Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar. In an exclusive interaction with The Hindu at his camp office, near here, Mr. Chandra Sekhar said, 'The FRI AI app will enable us to profile people based on their historical activities and the complaints that have been received by the police, banks and other institutions. There are 500 institutions in our digital intelligence platform. We take all that data and we indicate whether that person is a very high risk for fraud, or high risk, or medium risk for fraud,' said Mr. Chandra Sekhar. The government had already run the FRI pilot project with two financial entities — PhonePe and SBI — where two lakh high-risk transactions had been blocked in two weeks. 'When you initiate a transaction to a potential fraud, this app will alert you with a message — this person is a high likely a fraud — to make sure that you verify before sending money. This AI-embedded app is working with 99% predictability. Now, we are going to deploy this platform in all the financial institutions. And, the security aspect is being reviewed every two weeks,' he added. Sanchar Saathi This apart, a 'Sanchar Saathi' mobile app was built by the Union Government in 20 languages. It was designed to arrest spam calls, identify lost mobiles, and report fraud calls. 'The app is already launched in English language and will be made available in other languages in a couple of weeks,' he said. The government was also focused on developing its own technology for telecommunications, and it had already achieved a significant progress in terms of last mile connectivity. 'Ranging from high-speed cable network to telecom towers every nook and corner, there is gigantic effort by the government in the past three years for a giant leap in communications,' Mr. Chandra Sekhar said. Shearing details, he said there would be revival and rejuvenation of India's national telecommunications company, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), with best standards possible. 'The BSNL has turned around, and we are also working on change of culture. So far, it has only 2G and 3G, we now started launching 4G, as decided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to build indigenous 4G technology,' he said. 'Private companies have been using imported technology for 4G or 5G. As long as you have money, you can purchase and install the technology, that is an easy project. But, at BSNL, we want to use our own 4G, which has started three years ago. It is a collaboration between private Tejas Networks, TCS and C-DOT, which is a Government of India organisation. The C-DOT has written the software, Tejas developed hardware and TCS integrated all of these,' he said. 'The BSNL is the one executing the entire project. So, whatever the private players have done in 30 to 40 years, our people have to do it in two to three years, which is the challenge,' said Mr. Chandra Sekhar. Over 1,00,000 towers of 4G had been installed in the last one year to take the initiative forward. As part of rejuvenation, over ₹600 crore worth new batteries, generators and other equipment was procured. 'For BharatNet, we tendered 16 packages to lay ₹1.4 lakh crores worth cables across India. At least in half of circles, the work has started. The initiative facilitates high-speed Internet and TV at ₹400 per household, and there is ₹10,000 subsidy on the upfront cost,' the Union Minister said.
Time of India
23-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
'No Indian Should Be Out of Network — Digitally or Medically, as India Advances from Digital Dependence to Digital Dominance': Union Minister Dr Chandra Shekhar
New Delhi: Reflecting on India's rapid transformation in both digital connectivity and healthcare access, Union Minister Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar declared that the country has moved from 'digital dependence to digital dominance' over the past decade — with sweeping gains in affordable mobile internet, world-leading 5G rollout, and the scaling up of Ayushman Bharat , now the world's largest public health insurance programme. 'No Indian should ever be out of network — digitally or medically,' the minister said, calling for industry and public partnerships to bridge the last-mile gaps in rural healthcare and digital inclusion . Speaking at the inaugural edition of ETHealthworld FutureMed X - The Smart Patient Care Summit, Dr. Chandra Sekhar, who has worked extensively across both telecom and healthcare sectors, emphasised how connectivity and care are becoming twin pillars of India's progress. Turning to healthcare, the minister highlighted that the Ayushman Bharat scheme has become the world's largest public health insurance programme, having provided more than nine crore cashless treatments worth ₹1.25 lakh crore. He noted that out-of-pocket healthcare expenses in India have fallen significantly, from 62 per cent to 39.4 per cent, easing financial pressure on millions of households, particularly in rural areas. Over 1.5 lakh Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres have been established to bring quality primary care closer to communities. India's healthcare workforce has also expanded considerably, with over one lakh doctors graduating annually and postgraduate medical seats increasing by 127 per cent. The country now has about 13 lakh allopathic doctors and nearly 19 lakh total practitioners across systems of medicine, moving closer to WHO standards for doctor-patient ratios. However, a key challenge remains: most doctors are concentrated in urban areas, even though 60 per cent of Indians live in rural regions. India's digital healthcare infrastructure continues to grow rapidly, with 36 crore teleconsultations conducted to date, peaking at half a million consultations per day. The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission has integrated 55 crore health records, while the Tele-MANAS helpline now offers round-the-clock mental health support in multiple languages. An experimental COVID-era immunisation tracking app has evolved into a nationwide vaccination tracker. According to the minister, more than 95 per cent of India is now covered by 4G, with only 30,000 remote villages, largely in forests or hilly terrains, yet to be connected to 3G or 4G networks. These gaps are actively being addressed. India's mobile network today serves nearly 1.2 billion subscribers and offers the world's lowest data rates. The country also achieved the fastest 5G rollout in the world, with more than 250 million Indians already using 5G services. More than 80 per cent of the population can access 5G, provided they have compatible devices. The Union minister noted that India has also connected 2.14 lakh villages with high-speed optical fibre, with more than seven lakh kilometre of fibre already laid. However, ongoing highway and industrial works have caused frequent cable cuts. A new Rs 1.3 lakh crore project will connect another 40,000 gram panchayats, maintain and repair existing fibre, and enable 1.5 crore rural households to access affordable high-speed internet without upfront costs. To cover ultra-remote terrains, satellite communication services like Starlink have been licensed. 'This connectivity is not just about faster data; it is about faster development across sectors like education, governance, and most importantly, healthcare,' Dr. Chandra Sekhar said. Dr. Chandra Sekhar called on innovators and entrepreneurs to help tackle remaining gaps in healthcare delivery. He emphasised opportunities to expand telemedicine services in rural India, supported by networks of trained nurses and mobile medical units. He also encouraged the use of drone technology to deliver medicines and emergency supplies to underserved regions. Improving electronic prescriptions, enhancing interoperability of health records, and addressing counterfeit drug risks were also identified as key priorities. The minister said India could learn from international experiences — for instance, fragmented EMR systems in the US led to inefficiencies, while India has the opportunity to build more integrated, user-friendly systems from the start. The country's late-mover advantage could help avoid legacy mistakes and drive global best practices. He also stressed the need to strengthen preventive care, expand home-based services such as occupational therapy and hospice care, and promote workforce planning that reflects regional needs. He pointed out that mental health services — including school-based counselling — need more investment, alongside case coordination to help patients navigate India's complex healthcare system. Dr. Sekhar also suggested that India develop opportunities for mobile preventive care units (for dental, mammograms, vaccinations, screenings), create real-time medical language translation tools, and promote community health worker networks to deliver care and education in local languages. 'India should be a living laboratory for the world,' he concluded. 'Every Indian deserves global-standard healthcare — and no Indian should ever be out of network, digitally or medically.'
Time of India
20-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
India can step up as Living Laboratory for the world, says Union Minister Chandra Shekhar
New Delhi: Reflecting over India's large population base and its diversity, Union Minister Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, voiced that the country can step up as a"living laboratory" for the world, and offer scalable models for digital transformation of healthcare. Speaking at the inaugural edition of ETHealthworld FutureMed X - The Smart Patient Care Summit, the Minister of State for Communications & Ministry of Rural Development, said the country has the potential to serve as a "living laboratory" for the world. and building on the existing evidence India can develop its own high-quality scalable solutions and drive healthcare digital transformation.' With collaboration between entrepreneurs and the government, we can make this process successful and ensure that our citizens receive healthcare services that meet global quality standards, the minister added. Delivering the Chief Guest address, Dr Chandra Sekhar noted, with record investment in medical education, the country is nearing to achieve the World Health Organisation (WHO) optimal number of doctors and integration of telemedicine has further boosted access to services. Speaking further, the Union Minister stressed that entrepreneurs in the country can explore innovative business models to address healthcare challenges, such as drone-based delivery of essential medicines and mobile vans equipped with trained MBBS doctors and physicians. Advocating for self-reliance, Dr Chandra Sekhar said that India needs to develop its own system and needs to focus on investing in primary and preventive care. By leveraging digital infrastructure and implementing price controls, along with effective workforce planning, the country can overcome existing healthcare challenges, he added. The inaugural edition FutureMed X - The Smart Patient Care Summit designed to discuss and understand the dynamics of AI-driven diagnostics , IoT-enabled healthcare , telemedicine, and data-driven decision-making—paving the way for a more intelligent, connected, and patient-first healthcare ecosystem.
The Hindu
13-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Union Minister Pemmasani directs officials on traffic diversions for Sankar Vilas ROB construction in Guntur
Union Minister of State for Rural Development Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar on Friday instructed senior officials of the Traffic, Electricity, and GMC departments to ensure timely execution of traffic diversions, utility pole relocations, and other groundwork associated with the construction of the Sankar Vilas Road Over Bridge (ROB) in Guntur City. Chairing a review meeting at Guntur Collectorate on Friday (June 13), Dr. Chandra Sekhar assessed the progress of ongoing development works within the city limits and evaluated the status of multiple urban projects launched earlier, with an aim to identify any unresolved issues. Focusing on the Sankar Vilas ROB, the Minister noted that traffic-related challenges and inter-departmental bottlenecks were being addressed, with most issues from Sharada Colony to under the Nehru Nagar-Kankaragunta flyover already resolved. He added that pillar construction work for the ROB is expected to begin in a week to 10 days. Dr. Chandra Sekhar also discussed drainage and traffic concerns at three other ROB locations in coordination with officials from Railways and GMC. He praised GMC sanitation workers and officers for their commitment, while acknowledging that certain areas still face challenges. Discussions were held on reinstating garbage bins removed under the earlier Swachh Bharat initiative. Projects under the AMRUT 2.0 scheme are advancing toward the tendering phase, the Minister said, adding the Gorantla water tank centering is expected to be completed in the next 2–3 months. Works at Bongaralabeedu, Nallapadu, and the Narnie Venkateswara Rao Auditorium are also progressing steadily. Additionally, land acquisition for the Guntur Channel is slated for completion within five to six months, he said. The meeting was attended by MLAs B. Ramanjaneyulu, Mohammed Naseer Ahmed, Galla Madhavi, Collector S. Nagalakshmi, Deputy Collector A. Bhargava Teja, MLC Chandragiri Yesuratnam, Mayor Kovelamudi Ravindrababu (Nani), Commissioner Puli Srinivasulu, and senior officials from Revenue, Railways, GMC, GGH, Traffic, and R&B departments.
