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Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Two arrested for assaulting police officer
T'puram: Two known criminals assaulted an officer from Fort Police station while attempting to interfere with police duties at Pazhavangadi on Tuesday. The accused—Krishna Prasad (21) and Sharukh Khan (27), both residents of Thiruvallam—were arrested shortly after the incident. Prasad faces criminal cases across multiple police stations, while Khan previously served a one-year sentence under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act. According to police, the duo, reportedly under the influence of drugs, were creating a public disturbance near Horticorp. When officers arrived following local complaints, they found the two assaulting a civilian. While trying to intervene, civil police officer Rahul T sustained serious injuries after being slapped and kicked by the accused. Other officers at the scene managed to subdue the duo and take them into custody. Fort police booked the accused on non-bailable sections of BNS and Kerala Police Act. As per data shared by the district crime records bureau, the number of attacks against cops rose to 37 in 2024 from 12 in 2022. TNN
News18
02-07-2025
- 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
25-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
UST deploys Juniper's AI-driven networking solution Mist across offices globally
NEW DELHI: Digital transformation solutions provider UST has deployed Juniper Networks ' artificial intelligence (AI)-led networking platform, Mist, across all its offices in the Americas, Asia Pacific (APAC), and the Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). By unifying wired access, wireless access, and data center switching under a common Marvis AI engine , UST said it has been able to achieve reduced total cost of ownership (TCO), along with enhanced network performance , connectivity, and reliability for its global workforce. Since deployment, UST has already seen a significant drop in trouble tickets and better network performance across the board. The integration of the Marvis AI engine may also unlock further opportunities for applications such as smart infrastructure and geolocation services for UST's 30,000-plus employees, according to a joint statement released on Wednesday. 'Partnering with Juniper Networks to deploy its Mist AI-Native Networking Platform has been instrumental in not only enhancing our global network infrastructure, but also in enabling seamless connectivity, reliability, and security for our workforce,' said Krishna Prasad, chief information officer, UST. 'With Juniper, UST has not only improved the user experience of its global workforce, but it has also streamlined IT operations and reduced complexity, all while paving the way for future innovation,' said Sajan Paul, area vice president & country manager (India & SAARC), Juniper Networks. 'From the Marvis AI engine and assistant, every layer of Juniper's solution empowers our IT teams to proactively manage and resolve issues, delivering seamless user experience for our employees worldwide,' said Ranjith Ravindran, head of infrastructure, UST.
New Indian Express
31-05-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
India sees 3,000+ active COVID-19 cases, 26 deaths; Kerala, Maharashtra, Delhi lead surge
NEW DELHI: India's active COVID-19 cases have surged past 3,000, with Kerala, Maharashtra and Delhi driving the spike, according to government data. As of May 31, the country reported 3,395 active cases -- a jump of 2,385 since May 19. As many as 26 deaths were reported on Saturday, up from 11 deaths recorded till May 26, according to Krishna Prasad, a health data analyst. According to the Kerala-based data expert, as many as 26 states and UTs are reporting active cases. Most states have started recording COVID-19 cases, which was not so until May 19, when a clear pattern of rise was reported in the country. Kerala is the worst affected, with 1,336 active cases reported on Saturday. On May 26, the southern state reported 430 active cases. Six deaths were reported, four up from May 26 in the state. Apart from Kerala, which has reported six deaths, Maharashtra has reported seven deaths. The two states are followed by Karnataka (3), Delhi (3), Uttar Pradesh (2), Tamil Nadu (1), Gujarat (1), Rajasthan (1), Madhya Pradesh (1) and Punjab (1). Maharashtra also recorded an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. The state, which has reported seven deaths, including one on Saturday, has recorded 467 cases, up from 209 on May 26.
New Indian Express
25-05-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
India detects cases of new NB.1.8.1 and LF.7 COVID strains; experts say no need to panic
NEW DELHI: Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases across Southeast Asia, one case of the newly emerging NB.1.8.1 variant and four instances of the LF.7 variant have been detected in India, according to the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG). The two Omicron subvariants are contributing to a rise in infections in Singapore, Hong Kong, China and other Southeast Asian countries. One case of NB.1.8.1 was identified in Tamil Nadu in April, while four cases of LF.7 were detected in Gujarat in May. As of May 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified LF.7 and NB.1.8 subvariants as 'variants under monitoring,' and not 'variants of concern' or 'variants of interest.' 'Considering the available evidence, the additional public health risk posed by NB.1.8.1 is evaluated as low at the global level,' the WHO said. In India, the predominant circulating variant is JN.1, which accounts for 53 percent of tested samples. This is followed by BA.2 at 26 percent, while other Omicron sublineages make up 20 percent. Experts have said there is no reason to panic, adding that the strain is not severe and most patients have reported only mild symptoms. As of 19 May, India had reported 257 active COVID-19 cases. While 93 cases were recorded during the week of 5–12 May, the number rose to 164 in the week of 13–19 May. One death was reported from Kerala during this period. 'In May, India reported 257 cases and one death,' said Krishna Prasad, a health data analyst. States including Kerala (95), Maharashtra (56), Tamil Nadu (66), Karnataka (13), Gujarat (7), and Delhi (5) have seen a slight rise in cases in May, he added. However, authorities said 257 is a very low number considering India's large population. Most cases are mild and do not require hospitalisation. On Saturday, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava held a review meeting on the recent COVID-19 cases reported from several states, including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Karnataka. Authorities stressed that a robust nationwide system is in place for monitoring respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and the ICMR's sentinel surveillance network. 'It is observed that most of these cases are mild and under home care,' official sources added.
