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News18
a day ago
- Politics
- News18
While Modi Has 'Professionally Run' Govt, UPA Had 'Scam-Led' One: Jyotiraditya Scindia
Scindia told News18 that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brought a 'paradigm shift' into governance Jyotiraditya Scindia is someone who has been a minister in both Modi government 2.0 and the one running since June 2024, as well as during the Congress-led UPA. Ask him what was different working as a minister in UPA versus at present, and he sums it up in one sentence: it is now a 'professional environment". Speaking with CNN-News18 in an exclusive interview, Scindia said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brought a 'paradigm shift" into governance. 'I relish working in this professional environment, a target-driven environment. We are looking at transforming lives. There has never been a government in India that has been able to transform lives on such a large scale. 55 crore Jan Dhan accounts, Direct Benefit Transfer, and Ayushman Bharat schemes are big examples. We are catering to the population of the US in many schemes. This is a change on a social scale that our country has never seen before. In Modi, you have the capability of someone who has seen the pain at the grassroots level, and he changed things first at the state level in Gujarat and now is doing it at the national level," Scindia told CNN-News18. The Union Minister of Communications and DoNER explained how, prior to entering public service, he was a professional and worked for six years. When asked if he agrees with the perception that Modi works with a CEO-driven approach, Scindia said, 'absolutely". He described how in his previous role as the Civil Aviation Minister in Modi government 2.0, the number of airports in the country went up from 74 to 158. Scindia said that the Congress-led administration was a dismal failure in terms of connectivity, and it was a 'scam-led government", specifically in the vertical of telecom. 'We have today about 1.2 billion mobile subscribers (from 900 million in 2014) and 974 million people with internet connectivity (from 250 million in 2014)—which is nearly a four-fold jump in the last 10 years," Scindia said. The Union Minister went on to say that India had the fastest 5G rollout and will lead the world on 6G. 'Within 22 months, we had close to Rs 4.5 lakh crore of capex by private sector and public sector telcos. 99.6% of districts have been connected. Close to 300 million people are on 5G in India; that is a revolution. PM Modi has the capability to ideate and then execute plans," Scindia told CNN-News18.
News18
a day ago
- Politics
- News18
Cases Of Cyber Fraud In Rural India: MPs Express Concerns Despite Govt Assurances
Last Updated: At a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, MPs urged the government to enhance financial and digital literacy campaigns in smaller towns and villages Amid growing concerns over rising cyber fraud —particularly in rural parts of the country—the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs held a high-level meeting on Wednesday to examine the situation. Officials from key ministries, including Finance, Electronics & IT, Telecommunications, and regulatory agencies like TRAI and CERT-In, briefed the panel on the current landscape and preventive measures in place. The meeting follows a major CBI-led probe that uncovered 8.5 lakh suspicious bank accounts across 743 branches, triggering nationwide raids and the arrest of 10 individuals last week. The incident raised fresh concerns about the scale and reach of cybercrime. However, government officials presenting before the committee maintained that cyber fraud was on the decline. Officials from the Department of Financial Services (DFS), under the Ministry of Finance, claimed that only 9 paisa is lost to fraud in every Rs 10,000 of digital transactions—figures they described as indicative of a low fraud rate. This assessment did not sit well with several MPs, who questioned whether these statistics reflected the ground realities, especially in rural areas. 'Most rural users are digitally and financially illiterate. Meanwhile, in urban areas, even those who are well-educated often fall victim to scams," one MP said. 'We cannot generalise based on a few case studies or averages." Lawmakers cutting across party lines urged the government to enhance financial and digital literacy campaigns in smaller towns and villages. They highlighted the widespread use of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) systems for schemes targeting farmers, women, and low-income households, pointing out that these schemes often reach beneficiaries who lack the digital know-how to detect or report fraud. 'More than 70% of India's population lives in rural India. DBT and Jan Dhan are excellent initiatives, but they need to be supported by proper awareness and redressal mechanisms," National Democratic Alliance (NDA) member Krishna Prasad from the TDP stressed, say sources. Another MP from the opposition added, 'While digital coverage under government schemes is nearly 100%, awareness levels remain dismally low. How do we expect people to protect themselves?" In response, officials said efforts were underway to enhance cybersecurity infrastructure. These included additional firewalls, better grievance redressal systems, and interagency coordination. Some members raised deeper questions about systemic vulnerabilities. 'If all precautions are being taken, how do cases like Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi still happen?" an opposition MP asked, pointing to high-profile financial crimes that have dented public trust. 'Despite the government calling the kind of frauds happening as small, for a rural area, even a few paisa lost is money lost. We have seen such episodes and the ripple effect they can have, even on TV shows and OTT. It is the responsibility of the government to protect the common man's interest and every penny that they are entrusting the bank with," a member is said to have stated during the meeting. The two-day discussion titled 'Cyber Crime—Ramifications, Protection and Prevention" is being chaired by BJP MP Radha Mohan Das Agrawal. Thursday's session will include presentations from the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and National Investigation Agency (NIA), among others. Members are expected to ask questions on various aspects of international fraud in cyberspace and what the government is doing to protect the common man, especially with the risk of this money being used for anti-national activities. First Published: July 03, 2025, 00:51 IST
Time of India
2 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Campaign to eliminate tuberculosis rolled out
Ranchi: Aimed at eliminating tuberculosis and raising awareness across communities, the 'TB Free India' campaign was launched on Tuesday at the civil surgeon office auditorium, under the National Tuberculosis Eradication Programme. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The campaign, which started on July 1 and will conclude on December 31, aims to emphasize door-to-door screening, early identification, and free treatment of TB patients across the district. As part of the campaign, special efforts will be made to reach vulnerable populations in all blocks and urban pockets of the city. Accredited social health activists (ASHAs or "Saheyas") and health workers will conduct door-to-door TB screenings, ensuring that those suspected of TB receive free diagnostic testing, treatment, and medicines. Civil surgeon, Dr Prabhat Kumar, said, "Under the TB-Free Panchayat initiative, a total of 13 panchayats in Ormanjhi, Silli, and Angada blocks have already been declared TB-free. To support TB patients nutritionally and financially, the Nischay Poshan Yojana continues to play a vital role." Under this scheme, each registered TB patient receives Rs 1,000 monthly through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) and is also provided with a nutritious food basket to boost recovery. "Advanced diagnostic testing using CBNAAT technology is being carried out at Sadar Hospital and Rims, which helps in detecting Multi-Drug Resistant TB (MDR-TB)," Dr Kumar said.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
PM Modi on 10 years of Digital India: ‘It has become a people's movement'
With the government's flagship 'Digital India' programme completing ten years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that it has not remained a mere governance scheme, but has become a 'people's movement'. 'While decades were spent doubting the ability of Indians to use technology, we changed this approach and trusted the ability of Indians to use technology,' the Prime Minister wrote in a blog post on LinkedIn Tuesday. 'In 2014, internet penetration was limited, digital literacy was low, and online access to government services was scarce. Many doubted whether a country as vast and diverse as India could truly go digital. Today, that question has been answered not just in data and dashboards, but in the lives of 140 crore Indians. From how we govern, to how we learn, transact, and build, Digital India is everywhere,' Modi added. He said that in 2014, India had around 25 crore internet connections, which has today grown to over 97 crore. 'Over 42 lakh kilometres of Optical Fibre Cable equivalent to 11 times the distance between Earth and the Moon now connects even the most remote villages,' he said. The PM said that India's 5G rollout is among the fastest in the world, with 4.81 lakh base stations installed in just two years, with high-speed Internet reaching urban hubs and forward military posts alike including Galwan, Siachen, and Ladakh. 'India Stack, which is our digital backbone, has enabled platforms like UPI, which now handles 100+ billion transactions a year. Around half of all real time digital transactions happen in India. Through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), over Rs 44 lakh crore has been transferred directly to citizens, cutting out middlemen and saving Rs 3.48 lakh crore in leakages,' Modi said. The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), a government-backed initiative to create a national e-commerce network, has recently crossed 200 million transactions, with the last 100 million in just six months, Modi said. 'From Banarasi weavers to bamboo artisans in Nagaland, sellers are now reaching customers nationwide, without middlemen or digital monopolies,' he added. The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has also crossed Rs 1 lakh crore GMV in 50 days, with 22 lakh sellers including over 1.8 lakh women-led MSMEs, who have fulfilled orders worth Rs 46,000 crore, Modi said Through the $1.2 billion India AI Mission, India has enabled access to 34,000 GPUs at globally unmatched prices at less than $1/GPU hour making India not just the most affordable internet economy, but also the most affordable compute destination, the PM said. Soumyarendra Barik is Special Correspondent with The Indian Express and reports on the intersection of technology, policy and society. With over five years of newsroom experience, he has reported on issues of gig workers' rights, privacy, India's prevalent digital divide and a range of other policy interventions that impact big tech companies. He once also tailed a food delivery worker for over 12 hours to quantify the amount of money they make, and the pain they go through while doing so. In his free time, he likes to nerd about watches, Formula 1 and football. ... Read More
India Today
3 days ago
- Business
- India Today
Digital India turns 10, PM Modi says it's become a people's movement
On the 10th anniversary of the Digital India initiative, Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a detailed blog highlighting how the programme has transformed lives and empowered every section of the blog titled 'A Decade of Digital India', PM Modi said the initiative is no longer just a government programme but a 'people's movement.'"Digital India has not remained a mere government program, it has become a people's movement. It is central to building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat, and to making India a trusted innovation partner to the world," he in 2015, Digital India aimed to bring government services online, improve digital infrastructure, and make technology accessible to all citizens. According to the Prime Minister, what began as a vision to bridge the digital divide has now become a powerful tool for inclusion and Modi wrote that internet access has grown from just 25 crore users in 2014 to over 85 crore today. The country has laid over 42 lakh kilometres of optical fibre cables, and India has become one of the fastest nations in rolling out 5G services, with over 4.8 lakh 5G base stations set up in two said Digital India helped eliminate corruption by ensuring direct delivery of benefits. More than Rs 34 lakh crore has been transferred directly to citizens through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system, saving nearly Rs 3.5 lakh crore by cutting out middlemen and the impact of digital platforms, the PM said UPI has enabled over 100 billion real-time transactions every year, while initiatives like DigiLocker, CoWIN, and PM-WANI have made services faster and simpler. DigiLocker now has over 54 crore users and stores more than 775 crore also mentioned how the SVAMITVA scheme is using drones to map rural land and give property cards to villagers, helping them access loans and end land startups the backbone of a self-reliant India, PM Modi said the country is now home to more than 1.25 lakh registered startups and over 110 unicorns. The government's India AI Mission, he added, will provide affordable computing access and help Indian youth lead the global artificial intelligence his closing remarks, PM Modi said Digital India has shown how right intent, innovation, and inclusive policies can bring about major transformation. He urged citizens and innovators to continue building solutions that solve real problems, promote equality, and make India a leader in the digital world.- EndsMust Watch advertisement
