AI Can Be As Dangerous For World As Nuclear Weapons: S Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar on Sunday said that artificial intelligence (AI) will be a profound factor for the world, after nuclear weapons.

Participating in the third edition of the Kautilya Economic Conclave, organised by the Institute of Economic Growth and the Finance Ministry, on its third and final day, S Jaishankar said that AI is going to be the next big thing and countries should be prepared to deal with its after-effects.

On AI, he further said that it is also going to become a profound factor in the global ecosystem. "AI will be as dangerous for the world as nuclear bombs once were," he observed.

Minister S Jaishankar also said that demographics, connectivity, and AI will change the global order.

"Globalisation can be weaponised in the next decade and the world must be cautious about it. Many people around the world blame it for the large number of job losses and other negative effects of the revolution. This issue will remain as long as there is change (globalisation)," he said, noting that the social and political reaction to globalisation has gained momentum in the last decade.

The realities of globalisation inevitably collide with protectionism, he said.

The External Affairs Minister also said that in today's era, the role of the United Nations has become only that of a spectator. Drawing a comparison with the business world, he said that the United Nations is an old business, which is taking up a lot of space, but is not changing according to the world.

On the ongoing Middle East conflict, he said that today the fight is taking place only for economic corridors, land and sea, but in the future, there will be fights over climate change also. He further highlighted that the Global South is feeling the impacts of these geopolitical tensions more acutely than others, raising concerns about the region's stability.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Supreme Court Dismisses Petition Seeking Review Of Its Poll Bonds Scheme Order

The Supreme Court has dismissed a batch of pleas seeking review of its February 15 verdict, which had scrapped the Modi government's electoral bonds scheme of anonymous political funding.

A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices Sanjiv Khanna, B R Gavai, J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said there is no error apparent on the face of the record.

The top court also rejected the prayer for listing the review petitions in an open court.

"Having perused the review petitions, there is no error apparent on the face of the record. No case for review under Order XLVII Rule 1 of the Supreme Court Rules 2013. The review petitions are, therefore, dismissed," the bench said in its order dated September 25 that was uploaded today.

The review pleas filed by advocate Mathews J Nedumpara and others contended that the matter related to the scheme falls in the exclusive domain of legislative and executive policy.

"The court failed to notice that even assuming the issue is justiciable, the petitioners therein having not claimed any specific legal injury exclusive to them, their petition could not have been decided as if a private litigation for the enforcement of rights which are specific and exclusive to them," Nedumpara had submitted in his plea.

He had said the court failed to notice that the public opinion could be sharply divided and the majority of the people of this country could probably be in support of the scheme, brought into existence by their elected representatives, and that they too have a right to be heard as much as the petitioners.

"The court failed to notice that, if at all it is venturing into the forbidden domain of adjudicating upon a matter of legislative policy, they have a duty to hear the public at large and that the proceedings ought to be converted into representative proceedings," the plea had said.

Holding that the 2018 electoral bond scheme was "violative" of the constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression and right to information, a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India Chandrachud had scrapped the scheme.

The top court had also directed the State Bank of India (SBI), the authorised financial institution under the scheme, to submit the details of electoral bonds purchased since April 12, 2019, to the Election Commission, which was asked to publish the information on its official website.

Under the electoral bonds scheme, ruling parties can coerce people and entities to contribute, the apex court had said and rejected as "erroneous" the Centre's argument that it protects the confidentiality of the contributor which is akin to the system of secret ballot.

The electoral bonds scheme, which was notified by the government on January 2, 2018, was pitched as an alternative to cash donations made to political parties as part of efforts to bring transparency in political funding.

On March 13, the SBI told the Supreme Court that a total of 22,217 electoral bonds were purchased and 22,030 redeemed by political parties between April 1, 2019 and February 15 this year.

In a compliance affidavit filed in the apex court, the SBI said as per the court's direction, it has made available the details of electoral bonds to the Election Commission of India before the close of business hours on March 12.

The electoral bond controversy had become a major poll issue during the Lok Sabha elections as the opposition alleged it was an "extortion racket", while the ruling BJP defended the scheme, saying it had a laudable objective of bringing transparency in poll funding.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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जिस पार्टी के प्रमुख कार्यकर्ता ही अवैध ड्रग्स कारोबारी हों, वह देश को नशा मुक्त कैसे बनाएगी : अमित शाह

केंद्रीय गृह मंत्री अमित शाह (Amit Shah) ने शुक्रवार को गुजरात के गांधीनगर जिले के मनसा नगर पालिका के विकास कार्यों का उद्घाटन एवं शिलान्यास किया. इस कार्यक्रम को संबोधित करते हुए अमित शाह ने कांग्रेस पर जमकर निशाना साधा. अमित शाह ने कहा कि दिल्ली में दो दिन पहले 5,600 करोड़ रुपये की ड्रग्स पकड़ी गई. यह ड्रग्स दिल्ली पुलिस ने पकड़ी थी. दिल्ली पुलिस की इस कार्रवाई से इंटरनेशनल ड्रग्स सिंडिकेट का पर्दाफाश हुआ.

उन्होंने कहा कि प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी ने 2014 से 'नशा मुक्त भारत' का एक अभियान चलाया. इसके परिणाम देखिए. जब कांग्रेस की सरकार थी तब 2004 से लेकर 2014 तक 10 साल में कुल एक लाख 52 हजार किलोग्राम ड्रग्स पकड़ी गई थी. लेकिन 2014 से 2024 तक मोदी सरकार ने 5 लाख 43 हजार 600 किलोग्राम ड्रग्स पकड़ी है.

अमित शाह ने कहा कि एक ओर कांग्रेस की सरकार थी, उस वक्त 768 करोड़ रुपये कीमत की ड्रग्स पकड़ी गई. इन नशीली दवाइयों को पकड़ने का अभियान जो नरेंद्र मोदी की सरकार ने शुरू किया, उसमें केवल 10 साल में 27 हजार 600 करोड़ रुपये की ड्रग्स पकड़ी गई. इतना बड़ा अंतर कैसे आया? कांग्रेस की सरकार भी कर रही थी, मोदी की सरकार भी कर रही है.

उन्होंने कहा, "अंतर यह आया कि जो इस मामले में पकड़ा गया वह मुख्य आरोपी तुषार गोयल दिल्ली प्रदेश कांग्रेस के आरटीआई सेल का अध्यक्ष था. जिस पार्टी के प्रमुख कार्यकर्ता ही अवैध ड्रग्स के कारोबार में लिप्त हों, वह भारत को नशा मुक्त बना सकती है क्या?"

केंद्रीय गृह मंत्री ने कहा कि मोदी सरकार आने से पहले जम्मू-कश्मीर, पंजाब, हरियाणा दिल्ली तक समग्र उत्तर भारत को कांग्रेस ने नशे के कारोबार में डूबा कर रखा था. भारतीय जनता पार्टी (भाजपा) की नरेंद्र मोदी सरकार ने 36 गुना ज्यादा मूल्य की अवैध ड्रग्स पकड़कर इस पर करारा प्रहार करने का काम किया है. उन्होंने कहा कि प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी ने ड्रग्स फ्री इंडिया की जो संकल्पना की है, नशा मुक्त भारत की संकल्पना की है, वह केवल और केवल भारतीय जनता पार्टी ही सिद्ध कर सकती है.

यह भी पढ़ें -

एकला चलो रे... महाराष्ट्र में अमित शाह के इस बयान से महायुति में क्यों मची हलचल?

तबीयत बिगड़ने पर खरगे ने PM मोदी पर साधा निशाना, तो अमित शाह भड़के; जाने पूरा मामला

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Centre Introduces New System To Identify, Block International Spoof Calls

Centre has introduced a new system to identify and block incoming international spoofed calls before they can reach Indian telecom subscribers. 

This comes amid a spate of incidents where users were "digitally arrested", and threatened with mobile disconnection, cybercriminals even impersonation of government officials or law enforcement agencies, including false accusations involving drugs, narcotics, and sex rackets. Recently, Vardhaman Group head was cheated of Rs 7 crore. 

How Does The System Work

The system has been deployed in two phases - First, at the Telecom Service Provider (TSP) level, to prevent calls spoofed with phone numbers of their subscribers. Second, at a central level, to stop calls spoofed with the number of subscribers from other TSPs. 

The Centre said all four TSPs have successfully implemented the system.

The Centre said around 4.5 million spoofed calls are being stopped from entering the Indian telecom network. The next phase, involving a centralized system which will eliminate the remaining spoofed calls across all TSPs, is expected to be commissioned soon.

Recently, a fraudster impersonating Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, a fake virtual courtroom and documents closely resembling original ones were part of the elaborate plan through which Vardhman Group head SP Oswal was duped of Rs 7 crore.

Mr Oswal, chairman and managing director of the textile manufacturer, was put under "digital arrest" on August 28 and 29 and made to transfer Rs 7 crore into multiple accounts. Police have managed to freeze these accounts and recover over Rs 5 crore so far.

Read more: A Call, Digital Arrest, Rs 7 Crore Transferred: How Vardhman Boss Was Duped

One of the key techniques used by every scammer in a 'digital arrest' is surveillance and victims are asked to stay on a video call over Skype, Zoom or any such platform on their laptop and switch to a video call on their phone even if they move to another room. 

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, several victims have lost large amounts of money to scammers carrying out 'digital arrests'.

Experts say the fear psychosis that scamsters create in the minds of their victims, makes them believe that whatever they are being told is real and they are indeed under investigation for serious crimes, with the potential of being locked up for an extended period if they don't comply. 

Read more: Surveillance, Fear: How People Are Losing Crores To 'Digital Arrest' Scams

Next Course Of Action

Cybercriminals have devised new ways to scam people, trying to bypass technological safety measures deployed by the Centre to protect users. The Telecom department has urged people to report such crimes which would help the department to devise new strategies to counter cyber fraud.

The Centre has provided the Chakshu portal to report such calls on the 'Sanchar Saathi' platform. 

The Chakshu facility is a step towards safeguarding users from cyber fraud. It provides a streamlined process for reporting suspicious activities and helps in the early detection and prevention of potential fraud.

The telecom department is using AI tools to identify the mobile connections taken on forged documents or taken exceeding the prescribed limits for an individual. Such mobile connections along with telecom resources and mobile handsets used in fraudulent activities are being weeded out from the telecom ecosystem.

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Trinamool Leader Arrested In RG Kar Hospital Corruption Case: CBI

A doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital and an alleged confidant of its former principal Sandip Ghosh, Ashish Pande, has been arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the corruption case it is investigating alongside the horrific rape-murder of a young doctor that had shocked the country. Officials of the Central agency claimed Ashish Pande is also a member of Trinamool Congress and is associated with its student wing.  There, however, has been no confirmation or comment on the matter from the Trinamool Congress. 

He will be produced in court Friday. 

This is the fifth arrest in the corruption case. 

Earlier, the agency had arrested Sandip Ghosh and three others -- his bodyguard Afsar Ali, Suman Hazra and Biplab Sinha, vendors supplying medical equipment to the hospital when Ghosh was the principal.

Ashish Pandey, who is also employed at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, is reportedly associated with the Trinamool Congress Students' Wing - TMCP. He was allegedly the TMCP unit president of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad (students' unit) state president and party spokesperson Trinankur Bhattacharya told news agency Press Trust of India: "We are yet to hear details about the case. But as of now, we can say that the law will take its own course and we have faith in the justice system." 

Ashish Pandey was earlier mentioned in the list of 59 people at the hospital who were issued show-cause notices by the hospital administration and asked to appear before an inquiry committee set up after the rape and murder of the second year post-graduate student. 

Ashish Pandey had to be rescued by security personnel after he was heckled and pushed by the protesting junior doctors when he went to the hospital to appear before the inquiry committee looking into complaints of harassment and intimidation on campus. 

Leader of Opposition in the Bengal assembly Suvendu Adhikari asserted that Pandey was a "strongman of the TMC, who was part of the propagator of the threat culture in state-run medical colleges".

"With his arrest and interrogation, CBI will be able to reach to the bottom of this culture at medical colleges and find out all those involved," Mr Adhikari was quoted as saying by PTI.

Sandip Ghosh was arrested by the CBI in connection with the case registered after allegations of financial irregularities surfaced. The Calcutta High Court had handed over the investigation to the CBI after the Kolkata Police registered a case based on complaints filed with the police.

The financial irregularities case involves irregularities in award of contracts, getting the infrastructure-related tasks of the hospital done by individuals or firms instead of getting them done by the state public works department (PWD), the sale of biomedical waste which is illegal, and sale of selling organs from unidentified bodies brought for postmortem, at "lucrative prices" outside.

Sandip Ghosh has also been arrested in connection with the rape-murder case and has undergone two polygraph tests.  He and the police officer who initially investigated the rape and murder of the doctor have been accused of attempting to hide evidence and sabotage the investigation. 

The trainee doctor was raped and murdered inside the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College on August 9. The key suspect, civic volunteer Sanjay Roy, a was seen on CCTV during investigation after the doctor's body was found. 

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Pawan Kalyan Renounces 11-Day Penance At Tirumala Temple

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Wednesday visited the Tirumala temple here and renounced his 11-day penance (Prayaschitta Deekhsa), which he undertook to atone for the alleged sins of the previous YSRCP government at the hill shrine.

The Deputy Chief Minister was accompanied by his daughters Aadhya Konidela and Palina Anjani Konidela.

"Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan who undertook an 11-day penance for the protection of Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) visited Sri Venkateswara Swamy on Wednesday and renounced his penance," said an official press release.

During his visit, the Deputy Chief Minister carried 'Varahi Declaration' book with him to the deity, the contents of which he will reveal in a meeting in Tirupati on Thursday.

"Deputy Chief Minister and Janasena president Pawan Kalyan had Tirumala Srivari (deity) darshanam (visit) today. Pawan Kalyan took Varahi Declaration book along with him," said a Janasena press release.

Currently, Pawan Kalyan is on a three-day visit to the temple. Following his visit to the deity, the Janasena founder had lunch at Matrasri Tarigonda Vengamamba Nitya Annadana (blessed food) centre.

Before visiting the temple, Pawan Kalyan's youngest daughter, Palina Anjani Konidela, gave a declaration at Tirumala temple that she has faith in Lord Venkateswara.

Palina Anjani Konidela is reportedly a non-Hindu and Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) - the official custodian of Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati - rules mandate that non-Hindus have to declare their faith in the deity before making a visit to the temple.

"Palina Anjani Konidela gave the declaration for Srivari (deity) visit in Tirumala. She signed the documents provided by TTD staff. As Palina Anjani is a minor, her father Pawan Kalyan also endorsed the documents," said a Janasena press release.

The declaration assumes significance as BJP leaders and several Hindu outfits had demanded that YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, a Christian, has to issue a similar declaration before his recent cancelled visit to the temple.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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At Haryana Rally, Rajnath Singh's "Damaad Ji" Jibe At Congress

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched a fierce criticism of the Congress party on Wednesday, alleging that its leadership was involved in taking land from farmers.

Speaking at a rally in Haryana's Pehowa, Mr Singh referred to Robert Vadra, the son-in-law of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, and said, "It is their 'damaad ji' (son-in-law) who took the land of farmers. It was not some relative of the BJP who did that."

Mr Singh accused the Congress of making false promises and not delivering on them. "They make promises and mislead the public, and then those promises are never fulfilled. They should not make promises that they cannot keep," he said.

Speaking on the alliance between Congress and the National Conference (NC) in Jammu and Kashmir, Mr Singh mentioned their promise to reinstate Article 370. "Congress and NC have formed an alliance and say that they will bring back Article 370. Abrogation of Article 370 was important. It was Modi ji who abrogated Article 370. Only the central government has the authority to implement or abolish Article 370, not the state government," he emphasised. 

He also reassured the public that no injustice would be done to the Agniveers. "We need young people in the armed forces. Countries like China, America, and France engage youth in short-term military services. Political parties should unite when it concerns national security," he said.

Mr Singh also criticised Congress for questioning the armed forces' actions during the surgical strikes and airstrikes.

"When our soldiers conduct surgical strikes and airstrikes, Congress raises questions about it. Our Army has shown that India can not only defend itself on its side of the border but can also launch operations across the border if needed," he said.

Mr Singh highlighted the achievements of the BJP-led central government over the past decade, and said that India became the fifth-largest economy.

"In 2014, India was the 11th-largest economy. Today, it is the fifth-largest, and by 2027, we will become the third-largest after the United States and China. We are also the first country to reach the south pole of the moon," he said.

Comparing the financial support provided to Haryana, Mr Singh said, "When Congress was in power, they allocated Rs 21,564 crore to Haryana, whereas under the BJP, the amount increased to Rs 78,345 crore."

He urged the people to vote for the BJP in the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections. "I appeal to you all to support the BJP. Congress makes promises but can never fulfil them. They spoke about a one-rank-one-pension scheme but failed to implement it. Their chief ministers face corruption charges, while no BJP minister faces any corruption allegations," Mr Singh said.

Haryana will go to the polls on October 5 to elect its 90-member state legislative assembly, with the results set to be announced on October 8. In the 2019 elections, the BJP emerged as the single largest party, winning 40 seats, while Congress secured 30 seats.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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