Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, over 5,000 pandemic-related phishing websites have surfaced, designed to steal users' credentials via fake payment offers and discounted Covid tests, among others.   Recently, phishing ads for fake QR codes and vaccination certificates for...

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After my story on the smooth process at the Pune passport office was published on 5th August hailing the remarkable efficiency of a once shabbily operated passport office, what hits us now is an anti-climax!   I got  several calls complaining that the Pune police verification is slow;...

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The last I had visited the swanky Pune passport office at Mundhwa was way back in 2012-13, not to get or renew a passport, but to protest in front of it.  My ire was aimed then at the shabby and irresponsible working of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) which was in a public-private-partnership...

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Death is often a merciful release, if it is an old person suffering in pain. It is those left behind who go through the trauma of loss and bereavement.   However, when my husband passed away in May after a prolonged and painful battle with cancer, I had not reckoned with the kind of...

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A bombshell report Sunday on military-grade Pegasus spyware from Israeli firm NSO used by governments around the world to snoop on a long list of more than 50,000 people in 50 countries has injected a fresh round of ammunition into the raging debate over digital surveillance - especially when...

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The chief data protection regulator in the UK has expressed grave concerns over the inappropriate use of live facial recognition (LFR) technology in public places.   Unlike CCTV, LFR and its algorithms can automatically identify who you are and infer sensitive details about...

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‘Dogs and Indians not allowed.’   So said the ubiquitous British Raj sign-board, symbol of a sentiment that eventually snowballed into the Quit India movement whereby the brown natives turned the tables against the gora saheb, to assert their sovereignty. However, it appears that, in...

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Innumerable RTI (Right to Information) activists and users across the country have sought information since April 2020, regarding various issues related to the catastrophic COVID-19 pandemic that directly affects every citizen of this country. But information has been denied by the ministry...

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The Union Cabinet, chaired by prime minister (PM) Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved the 'Model Tenancy Act' for circulation to all states and Union Territories for adoption, by enacting fresh legislation or amending existing rental laws suitably.   "It (the model act) will help...

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To support its subscribers during the second wave of Coronavirus pandemic, Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has now allowed its members to avail second non-refundable Covid-19 advance.   Members who have already availed the first Covid-19 advance can now opt for a second...

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Facebook will no longer remove claims posted on its platforms that Covid-19 is either man-made or lab manufactured, as US President Joe Biden has called upon intelligence agencies to probe the so-called "lab-leak hypothesis".   The social network had earlier banned such claims as part...

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While asking the union government to frame within two weeks a uniform national policy on hospital admissions, the Supreme Court has said that no patient should be denied hospitalisation or essential drugs in any state and union territory (UT) for lack of local residential proof of that state...

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A message is being circulated widely on WhatsApp and other social media with a claim that the benefits under two of the prime minister's (PM's) schemes—the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY)—can be claimed for COVID-related...

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Proving all tech experts right, the Co-WIN a platform used by Central government for registration of COVID-19 vaccine and booking appointments, crashed as soon as it started registrations for those above 18 years. Further, for all those who are registering, the platform failed to show any...

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A hacker going by the name ‘Shiny Hunters’ has leaked approximately 20 million BigBasket user records containing detailed personal information (which include email ids, mobile numbers, date of birth and home addresses) and hashed passwords on a popular hacking forum. The said database ( 15 gb...

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Hearing a petition on oxygen supply, the Delhi High Court on Saturday observed that it will "hang" whoever obstructs movement of oxygen.   The observation was made by the bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli during hearing of a plea by Maharaja Agrasen Hospital over shortage...

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With country's population of old set to double over the next few decades, government should look to provide complete tax waiver on senior citizen savings scheme (SCSS) and help the elderly build some sort of social security, said the SBI Ecowrap report.   According to the report, the...

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As artificial intelligence (Ai) technology gets all-pervasive, the European Union is considering a ban on the use of AI for mass surveillance and social credit scores, among other applications.   The leaked draft proposal, first reported by Politico and is expected to be made official...

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A man in the US has sued the Detroit Police Department for arresting him after he was falsely accused of shoplifting based on a faulty facial recognition match.   The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Robert Williams, The Verge reported on...

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The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought reply from Centre and states, on a plea alleging cancellation of nearly four crore ration cards, in the absence of linkages with the Aadhaar card.   A bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and comprising justices A.S. Bopanna and V....

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