Latest from Aghani Aghani
Indian Express
10 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Tech should be for empowerment, not exclusion: Aaditeshwar Seth, Professor, IIT Delhi
Aaditeshwar Seth is a pioneer in the Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D) space in India, and has built several tech platforms, with an eye on empowering the disadvantaged sections of society. A professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Delhi and running the ACT4D (Appropriate Computing Technologies for Development) research group, his interests include building tools for environment and natural resource management in rural areas, participatory information sharing systems in low-literacy environments, and the ethics of information systems. He is the co-founder of The CoRE Stack (Commoning for Resilience and Equality), a digital public infrastructure consisting of datasets and tools that can be used by rural communities to improve sustainability in their farms and villages. He is also the co-founder of Gram Vaani, an organisation designing tech tools to enable voice-based participatory media services for rural communities. Aaditeshwar is an engineering graduate from IIT Kanpur and has a Ph.D from the University of Waterloo. Aaditeshwar spoke to on the trends and challenges in the ICT4D space in India, the projects that have worked and those that failed, and his views on designing technology to empower the voiceless. Edited excerpts: Aaditeshwar Seth: Things have changed a lot. The space, which was once driven by internal purpose, now has a lot of new actors. There are nonprofits, startups, social enterprises, governments, international organisations, and large corporations. There are companies like Google and Microsoft eyeing this space, perhaps looking at it from a market opportunity perspective rather than as a development challenge. Not only has the number of innovations and investors increased, but the pace of this work, even in underdeveloped regions, has accelerated. But on the negative side, we have not thought about how to design technology with users in mind. We are not mindful enough about the harm it can cause. We talk about minimising risks, but do not follow through. Perhaps some are reinventing the wheel. The irony is that communities have often already lived these journeys. But their wisdom has not been translated into frameworks or principles to guide on how we build new technologies. I feel that, after all these years, we could have done things in a more thoughtful way. Many players are in the space with goals that are not necessarily aligned with earlier development objectives. Their metrics are different; it could be something like user count, and you will do anything to increase it. But if the metrics were of real impact, like how many government schemes became accessible because of the tools, the outcome would have been different. These are not things that did not work, but rather things that could have been done much better. Aaditeshwar Seth: The key issue is the principles that should have been followed for such projects. They are simple ones like extensive pilots, testing before scaling, understanding potential harm, and minimising risks. These principles have not been fully internalised by the ecosystem. For instance, there was a public health project involving ASHA and Anganwadi workers, delivering vaccines and last-mile healthcare. The data collected — like vaccine scheduling, stock issues, and shortfalls — was useful for performance monitoring and planning. However, this data was sent upward but not returned to the health workers or communities in a way that would help them. For example, a worker could have called a family before a vaccination day or tallied how many vaccines were needed. But the system did not empower frontline workers; it added reporting burdens without direct benefits. Similarly, NREGA has a strong MIS for transparency and has been used for social audits. However, the data is not easy to access. Only someone with specific skills can navigate the MIS. In theory, it meets all criteria, but in practice, there are missed opportunities. Currently, users of such data are limited to financial accounting purposes. On the ground, there are still issues of network connectivity in rural areas, and photo uploads often fail, delaying payments. Women's labour especially gets impacted — for example, work like digging pits for mango planting or water conservation may need flexible timings, but the system now expects workers to log attendance at fixed hours. Technology was introduced to prevent leakage and corruption, but has ended up creating rigidity in the system. Aaditeshwar Seth: One example is using voice technology for education. With Google Assistant, voice recognition, and transcription, users with limited literacy are able to access information effectively. Even on social media platforms like WhatsApp or Facebook, communities are organising unions and social movements. People are figuring out how to use these platforms effectively. Another example is Gram Vaani, which improved social accountability through communication tools. People could call in, discuss problems with government schemes like NREGA, and get verified information. This helped social audits and improved access. These platforms worked not necessarily because of the specific project but because the underlying principles were strong. Aaditeshwar Seth: This is a project focused on rural communities and climate resilience. Issues like falling groundwater levels, soil erosion, and deforestation are being tackled using tech tools. These tools are being used for water and land-use planning, for deciding on where to build check dams or farm ponds. With mobile access, people can now view land-use patterns and rainfall to improve water availability planning. These systems are also tied to schemes like NREGA, which provides funds for constructing such assets. But in practice, the scheme implementation is often top-down. The selection of locations for structures is affected by local power dynamics. Tools are now being developed to allow communities to submit demands online, identify suitable locations based on scientific data, and improve social accountability. This open platform approach helps even small farmers to participate in decision-making. The process involves providing a village location, and the platform suggests optimal interventions. This is also designed to work collectively, not just farmer by farmer. The goal is to use satellite data and machine learning to map conditions and needs. Communities can then verify and submit demands, and platforms can push these to government schemes like NREGA. The panchayat ultimately needs to approve these plans, but this method increases transparency and social accountability. This project has been underway for about two years. It uses satellite data (like from ISRO), combines it with machine learning, and makes it available via mobile apps and dashboards. The team includes environmental researchers, field organisations, engineers, and academic collaborators from institutions like IIT Delhi. The key is to design technologies that put power into the hands of marginalised people. For example, Gram Vaani enabled people to voice their problems, and once these were publicly known, leaders had to act. Similarly, in the current project, people can identify good locations for structures themselves, reducing dependence on officials or auditors. Aaditeshwar Seth: The book talks about how often technology reinforces existing power. But the goal is to design, deploy, and manage technology so that it empowers those without power. Commercialisation of the tools is one way out for marketing them, but if the tools are simple, you might not need a large marketing budget. Word-of-mouth and thoughtful design can reduce costs. Academia can also anchor and support such initiatives. A long-term vision could be to link such tech platforms with income-generating schemes. Instruments like carbon credits are emerging. If communities can demonstrate results, like restored water tables, they could perhaps benefit from these credits. Over time, cooperatives or community-owned models can connect to these markets. Aaditeshwar Seth: It is a lab with students, faculty, and collaborators working on research problems. Earlier, we worked on low-cost computing for community radio stations. The lab supports research, and then deployment happens through organisations like Gram Vaani or CoRE Stack. Currently, all our focus is on CoRE Stack. The lab offers access to real-world problems, and the deployments benefit from research. Both are symbiotic. Aaditeshwar Seth: There are many interesting use cases. For example, using AI for multilingual communication or translating messages to make systems like Gram Vaani more accessible. These things are getting easier, but context still matters. Determining what information applies in what situation is still hard. Unlike a mobile phone, where actions are deterministic, AI systems have uncertainties like misinformation. Users need critical thinking to question what they are seeing or reading. So while AI has great potential, it also demands more awareness from users. But if done right, it can help scale impact.
News18
11 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Maa Box Office Collection Day 1: Kajol's Horror film Opens With Rs 4 Crore
Last Updated: Kajol returns to the big screen with Maa, a mythological horror thriller directed by Vishal Furia. The film opened with Rs 4.15 crore on its first day. After a three-year break from the big screen, Kajol returned with Maa, a mythological horror thriller directed by Vishal Furia. The Day 1 numbers are finally in. According to early estimates by Sacnilk, Maa opened with a respectable Rs 4 crore on its first day. Not bad for a genre that's still pretty niche in Bollywood. As per early estimates, Maa earned Rs 4.15 crore on its opening day. The report also highlights that the film recorded an overall Hindi occupancy of 16.49 per cent on Friday. Morning shows started slow with just 8.23 per cent occupancy, but numbers picked up by the afternoon, reaching 20.08 per cent. The evening shows saw a further boost, clocking in at 21.16 per cent. A part of the review of Maa by News18 read, 'The concept and story have substance, but the film lacked largely because of its style of storytelling. Besides, the film also has a lot of stereotypes that could have been done without. Besides the exaggeration that the palace had a almost 30-feet tall Kali maa's stone carved statue, the way people from Chandrapur talk in the film, everything seems to be a cliche that all the Bengalis would be running away from. It only gets disappointing to see Ronit Roy, who plays a vital part in the film, deliver all his Hindi dialogues with such a heavy Bengali accent. A lot would argue that it is not how people from Bengal speak when they talk in Hindi." In Maa, a mythological horror thriller, Kajol takes on the powerful role of Ambika, a fearless mother who will stop at nothing to protect her daughter from dark, supernatural forces. The film blends myth and mystery, marking Kajol's first foray into the horror genre. Alongside her, the cast includes Indraneil Sengupta, Jitin Gulati, and Kherin Sharma. Directed by Vishal Furia, Maa is backed by producers Ajay Devgn and Jyoti Subbarayan. First Published: June 28, 2025, 11:20 IST
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Glastonbury Organiser Says Those Who Don't Agree With Festival's Politics 'Can Go Elsewhere'
Michael Eavis has insisted that politics still play an important part of Glastonbury's identity. The 89-year-old festival founder was recently interviewed by the Glastonbury Free Press about whether he thinks that the huge-scale music event still stands for something (as reported by The Guardian). 'Oh heaven's above, yes, of course it does,' he said. 'And I think the people that come here are into all those things.' Michael added: 'People that don't agree with the politics of the event can go somewhere else.' As well as musical performances, this year's Glastonbury will include a number of political events. These will include a talk about 'what['s] next for the Left' by commentators like Ash Sarkar and Gary Younge, as well as a debate about the rise of the 'far-right' in our contemporary society with Labour's Zarah Sultana. Green Party MP Caroline Lucas will also make an appearance for a discussion titled Saving The Planet But Not Leaving Workers Behind, while Gary Lineker will take part in a panel called Standing Up For 'Getting Along' In A World That's Being Pushed Apart. One of the most talked-about acts at this year's Glastonbury will be Kneecap, who are due to appear after one of its members was charged with a terror offence. Kneecap have long maintained that they've been the victims of a 'witchhunt' and 'smear campaign' ever since their set at the Coachella music festival in April, where they expressed solidarity with Palestine amid the current conflict in the Middle East, leading the crowd in a chant of 'free Palestine' and projecting the message 'fuck Israel' onto the screens behind them. Days later, it was reported that counter-terrorism officers were assessing a resurfaced video filmed at one of the group's gigs that took place five months earlier, during which they reportedly declared 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah'. It was subsequently confirmed that musician Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh – better known to Kneecap fans by stage name Mo Chara – had been charged with a terror offence, for allegedly brandishing the flag of the proscribed terrorist group Hezbollah, after being handed it by a member of the crowd at Kneecap's London show in November 2024. Kneecap responded: 'We deny this 'offence' and will vehemently defend ourselves. This is political policing. This is a carnival of distraction. We are not the story. Genocide is.' Prime minister Keir Starmer has voiced the opinion it is 'inappropriate' for Kneecap's Saturday afternoon slot to go ahead, to which the group wrote on Instagram: 'You know what's 'not appropriate' Keir?! Arming a fucking genocide…' Michael Eavis' daughter Emily is now one of the event's organisers, and shared her take on the Kneecap controversy during an interview on Wednesday morning. 11 Must-See Performances If You're Watching Glastonbury From Home This Year The BBC Sets The Record Straight About Why They Won't Be Airing Neil Young's Glastonbury Set Glastonbury Organiser Breaks Silence On Controversy Over Kneecap's Spot On This Year's Line-Up
News18
12 minutes ago
- General
- News18
Paps call her Lal Pari and Poonam Pandey's reaction? Pure masala! News18
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Rhyl Journal
12 minutes ago
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
Enzo Fernandez will be even better next season
The Argentina midfielder, signed from the Portuguese giants for a then British record £106.8million two years ago, took time to find his feet at Stamford Bridge. But he excelled in the second half of the 2024-25 season, finishing the campaign with eight goals, and has continued to shine at the Club World Cup. The 24-year-old scored in the opening win over Los Angeles FC and created two goals in as many minutes as the Blues beat Esperance Tunis 3-0 in their final group game on Tuesday. Their reward is a last-16 clash with Benfica in Charlotte on Saturday. Maresca told reporters at his pre-match press conference: 'I'm very pleased with Enzo, especially because, first of all, he's a nice boy. He's polite, he's a good boy. 'Then he's worked very well in all aspects inside the pitch, outside the pitch. Our struggle at the beginning was (for him) to understand the way we want to play. 'But he is doing fantastic in terms of numbers, goal assists. This is what we want from our attacking players. 'I've said many times that I prefer to have the attacking players score 10-12 goal each, rather than just a striker with 40 goals. 'So his contribution this season has been top and I am sure next season will be even better.' Despite that, Fernandez could face competition for his place after Maresca suggested he sees Brazilian Andrey Santos more as an attacking player than a defensive one. The highly-rated 21-year-old has rejoined the club this summer after a successful loan spell at Strasbourg and made his debut as a second-half substitute against Esperance. Maresca said: 'His season has been very good but I think you need time to adapt. 'In terms of position, I see Andrey in this moment in more like Enzo's position than Romeo's (Lavia) position. 'The Premier League demands (players) to be physically strong. In this moment, I see Andrey more of an attacking player than defensive in the field.' Maresca added that he hopes 19-year-old defender Josh Acheampong will stay with the club despite being linked with Newcastle and Borussia Dortmund. He said: 'My idea or my plan with Josh is quite clear. I think he potentially can be a top defender for this club. I feel the best plan for Josh is to be with us.' Maresca would also like England international Trevoh Chalobah to stay, but offered no guarantees. He said: 'All the players that are here with us, I don't want to lose them but when the transfer window is open, unfortunately, anything can happen – not only for Trevoh, for (all) the 25 players of the squad.' Maresca expects a tight contest against Benfica. He said: 'It's going to be a balanced game, a tough game. In this kind of game the small details are very important.'
