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The Hindu
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Operation Sindoor fallout: Chinese-made surveillance gear banned, aerial monitoring boosted for Independence Day
In the wake of Operation Sindoor, this year's Independence Day celebrations will feature enhanced aerial monitoring and a complete ban on the usage of 'Made In China' surveillance equipment in and around the Red Fort in the national capital. With Prime Minister Nadrendra Modi set to make his Independence Day address from the ramparts of Red Fort on August 15, the venue was taken over by the Ministry of Defence from July 15. This year, more guests are being invited to attended the Independence Day celebrations in comparison to previous years, sources said. Security agencies, intelligence agencies, and Defence Ministry officials who attended a recent high-level meeting regarding security at Red Fort held a detailed discussion on possible security breaches through unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Anti-drone systems 'Installation of anti-drone devices and radar systems near the Red Fort and possible threats were discussed in detail with defence forces. Ministry of Defence will be deploying anti-drone systems to stop any aerial breach and the Indian Air Force will be on high alert. Drones are among the key security concerns. We have also given clear instructions to the vendors installing CCTVs in and around the venue to not install any 'Made in China' equipment for surveillance purposes,' said an official. The Indian government has banned Chinese surveillance equipment, including CCTV cameras, citing potential data leakage risks. Another official said that aerial security is a major concern this Independence Day. Teams of experts have visited the Red Fort and surrounding areas to assess the minute details of all possible security threats. Another high-level meeting has been called on Friday to discuss the preparations for the event in detail, including the security aspect. Operation Sindoor was a drone-centric war, with Pakistan using loitering munitions and swarm drones. These attempts, however, were effectively neutralised by India's comprehensive and multilayered air defence architecture. Smart video surveillance Security agencies said that they will be installing intelligent video surveillance systems, including features such as a vehicle number plate recognition system, face detection, people movement counting, tripwires, audio detection, defocus, and spotting intrusions and abandoned or missing objects. The advanced facial recognition system facility on live cameras as well as on recorded videos will help to detect any matches with faces on the government's watch list database and provide alerts to the control room.
Axios
7 days ago
- Business
- Axios
Publishers race against Google Zero doomsday clock
Publishers are racing to readjust their businesses as the threat of "Google Zero" — a world where Google no longer distributes meaningful traffic to publishers — looms large. Why it matters: Traffic referrals from chatbots aren't expected to come close to offsetting traffic from traditional search. Publishers need to find new ways to make money now that one of their most reliable revenue streams is quickly evaporating. Driving the news: Wired is expanding its subscription offering with several new products at higher prices, including livestream AMAs with editors, audio narration for articles and new newsletters. Its new newsletters are Model Behavior by senior correspondent Kylie Robison covering AI and Made in China by senior writer Zeyi Yang and senior business editor Louise Matsakis. In an editor letter, Wired's global editorial director Katie Drummond framed the changes as a response to the " traffic apocalypse," citing the decline of Facebook traffic and Google search referrals. The solution is to "connect our humans to all of you humans," Drummond wrote. State of play: More media companies are investing in owned and operated channels and direct-to-reader products with newsletters, apps and events businesses. The Verge just released new site features that allow readers to directly follow its journalists and topics in a personalized feed on its homepage. The company is also launching new newsletters, including a daily flagship newsletter. Business Insider is investing in events, video and new products, including an AI-generated audio briefing, while pulling back from areas that were sensitive to search traffic like its SEO-driven commerce business, CEO Barbara Peng told Axios in June. Bustle Digital Group is expecting its most profitable year, driven by events with Nylon. It also launched an invite-only membership program. "Instead of being a website that publishes stories, we're now basically an events company," CEO Bryan Goldberg told Adweek. People launched a TikTok-like app in April with scrollable and swipeable original content, catering to fans of video-first mobile experiences over text-heavy articles. BuzzFeed is creating its own social media platform called BF Island where users can play with interactive and AI-powered features. Newsweek is launching more subscription products and expanding non-advertising revenue sources in an effort to hedge against search traffic losses. The big picture: Publishers are playing defense, building their own destinations and weaning themselves off platforms that use their content as training data. The goal is to own the audience connection and no longer be vulnerable to algorithmic and other platform shifts. Between the lines: Search traffic declines come as the publishing industry still grapples with the fallout of social media referrals. Social media traffic to news sites has cratered in recent years, as social apps prioritize short-form video over links. Traffic from search browsers now represents nearly three times the amount of referral traffic to publishers than social. Zoom out: Dozens of publishers have begun to strike content licensing deals with AI companies as a way to hedge against the revenue losses from traditional search. Those deals, which typically last between two and five years, aren't considered reliable enough for publishers to fully depend on them long term. What to watch: Google recently added a tool to its ad manager that allows publishers to collect micropayments from readers as its AI overviews erode referral traffic.
Time of India
07-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Recover excess payment for imported ITI panels: Govt
Mumbai: The state govt issued an order on Monday to recover Rs 2.13 crore paid for Made in China interactive panels, a year after TOI reported on how norms favoring indigenous products were violated to procure devices for smart classrooms in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs). An inquiry has also been initiated against 13 officers in the procurement section of the Department of Vocational Education and Training (DVET). The vendor, who acknowledged to the inquiry committee that it supplied Made in China panels, is now replacing them at no extra cost. The govt's order says Rs 2.13 crore was paid over and above the right price. That excess amount will have to be recovered from the vendor in 15 days. In two of the four purchase orders, price per panel ballooned by 151% with a warranty period of 5 years. In the remaining two, the markup soared to a staggering 227%, with a warranty period of merely one year. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai TOI had reported on Dec 18, 2023 about the procurement of interactive panels at an inflated cost as part of a plan to install smart classrooms in ITIs. The majority of the Chinese-made panels were procured through funds received under Strive, a skills strengthening project of the World Bank and Govt of India. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The tender was floated on the govt e-marketplace portal after disabling the "Make in India" purchase preference, contrary to what procurement agencies are encouraged to choose. The manufacturer was subsequently blacklisted on the portal and no state govt could purchase any of these panels. The govt inquiry, while acknowledging the allegations, found that all the bidders submitted their bids from the same IP address, thus inferring that there was no real competition: "it is clear that all the tenderers who are suppliers of BenQ submitted their tenders from the same IP address in both the tenders." Other observations include that "the period of warranty published in the tender was reduced in the supply and re-warranty orders and financial benefits were given to the suppliers". Moreover, "the tenderers were given illegal exemption in Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) and they were given financial benefit". "The country of origin was deliberately ignored. Therefore, it was possible for the supplier to provide the Chinese-made interactive panels." Additionally, the report said, "BenQ manufacturer was biased towards other manufacturers by conducting a tender process which was favourable and materials were procured at exorbitant prices reducing competition." Also, "an assembled OPS was purchased from another manufacturer, Digital Audio Video Solutions, Nagpur, pretending to be an OPS manufactured by BenQ. OPS or Open Pluggable Specification is a slot in interactive panels that allows for quick access to various applications and features. " The connivance between DVET and the manufacturers was clear as the inquiry report said, "The specifications prepared by the technical specifications committee were exchanged at the directorate level in both tenders published and thereby assisted BenQ suppliers in qualifying." The report concluded: "As per the detailed investigation as above, it is pointed out that there was a serious irregularity in the procurement process carried out through both the tender processes. "
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Business Standard
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Farmers sinking deeper into debt: Rahul Gandhi criticises Modi govt
Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Thursday alleged that farmers are sinking "deeper" into debt every day and stated that this system is "killing" farmers quietly, but relentlessly, while Modi ji who promised to "double" farmer's income is "busy" watching his own PR spectacle. In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi cited a media report that claimed 767 farmers in Maharashtra have taken their own lives in just three months. "Imagine... in just 3 months, 767 farmers in Maharashtra have taken their own lives. Is this just a statistic? No. These are 767 shattered homes. 767 families that will never recover. And the government? Silent. Watching with indifference". Rahul Gandhi highlighted that, "Farmers are sinking deeper into debt every day--seeds are expensive, fertilizers are expensive, diesel is expensive... but there's no guarantee of MSP. When they demand loan waivers, they are ignored" He alleged, "But those with billions? Their loans are easily waived by the Modi government. Just look at today's news--Anil Ambani's ₹48,000 crore SBI "fraud." "Modi ji promised to double farmers' income--today, the reality is that the lives of those who feed the nation are being cut in half. This system is killing farmers--quietly, but relentlessly, while Modi ji is busy watching his own PR spectacle," the Congress MP noted. Rahul Gandhi, on Wednesday, raised concerns over India's growing dependence on "Made in China" products, calling it a serious threat to the nation's agricultural backbone. In a post on X, Rahul cited a media report that claimed that India's agricultural sector, the backbone of its economy, is facing a severe crisis due to foreign dependence on essential fertilisers. The country imports 80% of its specialty fertilisers from China, and the recent halt in supplies has sent shockwaves through the farming community. "India is an agrarian country, and the farmer is the backbone of our economy. But today, that very backbone is bending under the weight of foreign dependence. India imports 80% of its speciality fertilisers from China, and now China has halted the supply," he said. Rahul Gandhi said that the farmers are already struggling with shortages of essential fertilisers like urea and DAP. The addition of specialty fertilisers to the list of scarce resources has further exacerbated the situation. "This isn't the first time, farmers across the country are still struggling with shortages of essential fertilisers like urea and DAP, and now a new 'Chinese crisis' looms over speciality fertilisers. On one hand, the Prime Minister is busy printing his photos on fertiliser sacks, while on the other, our farmers are becoming increasingly dependent on "Made in China," Rahul Gandhi said. Further, the Congress MP accused the government of negligence and failing to promote domestic production despite repeated warnings, adding that the government has failed to formulate a policy or plan to promote domestic production of fertilisers, leaving farmers dependent on imports. "Despite knowing that this supply could be disrupted at any moment, the government made no preparations. When the need of the hour was to promote domestic production, they made no policy, no plan," Rahul said."Will the Indian farmer now be helpless even in his own soil? As precious time and healthy crops are lost, the farmer, drowning in debt and despair, is asking: 'Kiska Sath, Kiska Vikas," he added.
The Hindu
02-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Rahul Gandhi targets Modi government over shortage of specialised fertilizers from China
Citing a news report that China had stopped the supply of 'specialised fertilizers', the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday (July 2, 2025) criticised the Narendra Modi government. 'India is an agrarian country and our farmers are the backbone of the economy. But this backbone is now bending because of foreign dependence,' Mr. Gandhi said in a post on Facebook on Wednesday (July 2, 2025). 'India imports 80 per cent speciality fertilizers from China. But now they have suddenly stopped supply,' the Congress leader said, sharing a news report that claimed China has stopped supplying fertilizers, affecting Indian farmers. Farmers were already battling shortages of essential fertilizers, including urea and diammonium phosphate (DAP), and now they had to deal with the 'China crisis' in speciality fertilizers, Mr. Gandhi claimed. 'Prime Minister can get his photo printed on fertilizer sacks while farmers are becoming dependent on 'Made in China'. There was no preparation despite knowing that these supplies can stop anytime. When there was a need to encourage domestic production, no plan was prepared,' the Congress leader said. 'Will farmers now become dependent on others even in their own land?' Mr. Gandhi said, adding that farmers 'drowning in losses and frustration' were questioning the paradigm of development.
