India

Uttar Pradesh Police enlists social media influencers, students as ‘Digital Warriors’ to fight cybercrime, fake news

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Uttar Pradesh’s Director General of Police, Prashant Kumar, stated that digital warriors—a group of social media influencers and college students—will work to raise awareness about cybercrime, combat misinformation, train citizens as cyber trainers, and promote the positive work and initiatives of the police.





Published Date – 21 December 2024, 04:56 PM


Uttar Pradesh Police enlists social media influencers, students as ‘Digital Warriors’ to fight cybercrime, fake news


Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Police has enlisted social media influencers and college students as “digital warriors” to strengthen its fight against cybercrime and combat fake news, an officer said on Saturday.

“The digital warriors (a network of social media influencers and college students) will raise awareness about cybercrime, counter misleading news, train ordinary citizens as cyber trainers, and publicise the commendable work and campaigns of the police,” said Uttar Pradesh’s Director General of Police, Prashant Kumar.

Kumar cited a pilot project run by the UP Police ahead of the Maha Kumbh Mela to combat fake news. This month-long project, which involved influencers and college students, was successful and has now been expanded statewide, he said.

“The Uttar Pradesh Police launched the ‘Digital Warriors’ initiative in 2018, which became active on WhatsApp. People from different sections of society were added as digital volunteers,” Kumar explained.

“In 2023, ‘WhatsApp Community Groups’ were created, adding all UP Police personnel, enabling them to refute fake news and publicise the commendable work of the police.” He added that currently, about 10 lakh people are connected as digital volunteers, and around 2 lakh policemen are linked through community groups.

“Owing to the limited access of these digital volunteers to WhatsApp and their limited activity on other social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter (now X), Facebook, YouTube, etc., there was a need to engage the younger generation of social media influencers and college/university students with the UP Police by making them ‘digital warriors,’” Kumar said.

Focusing on the benefits of training the younger generation, the UP DGP said, “By training college/university students, we can develop critical thinking skills, enabling them to analyze and verify information. These students will become digital warriors for UP Police and help report cybercrime and fake news.” He added that these students will also be able to raise awareness about fake news and cybercrime within their families and social circles.

Workshops will be organised in colleges, schools, or collectively at the Police Lines.

The workshops will feature cybercrime experts, fact-checkers, cyber trainers, and district cyber police station cells, who will share technical knowledge and practical experience.

Cyber Clubs will be established in schools and universities, with a teacher from each institution serving as the nodal officer.

Workshops and creative sessions, such as poster-making, slogan/short-story writing, and social media content creation, will be conducted through the cyber clubs, Kumar said.

India

Determined to resolve issues faced by tribals: Andhra Dy CM Pawan Kalyan

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Kalyan laid the foundation for a road project stretching up to 100 km in ASR district from Ballaguru village at a cost of Rs 105 crore and inaugurated newly laid roads of 32 km length

Published Date – 21 December 2024, 08:53 PM


Determined to resolve issues faced by tribals: Andhra Dy CM Pawan Kalyan

Pawan Kalyan during a visit to ASR district in Andhra Pradesh

Anantagiri (Andhra Pradesh):  Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Saturday said here that he is determined to resolve the issues faced by tribal people one by one and win their trust. The Deputy Chief Minister visited Ballaguru village of Anantagiri mandal in Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) district and other tribal hamlets to see their living conditions, especially lack of roads.

“He (Kalyan) promised to work with dedication to uplift the living standards of tribals,” said an official press release, adding that he wished for a state where tribals would not be compelled to carry their sick or pregnant women using makeshift arrangements such as sarees and cots.

On Saturday, Kalyan laid the foundation for a road project stretching up to 100 km in ASR district from Ballaguru village at a cost of Rs 105 crore and inaugurated newly laid roads of 32 km length. Further, he stressed that in tribal villages with up to 100 people roads will be laid under PM JANMAN (Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan) scheme. Earlier, only villages with 250 people could have benefitted under the scheme.

Up to 2,000 tribal villages in Andhra Pradesh do not have road infrastructure. Their living standards would be improved using Central and local schemes, he promised.

India

Maharashtra Cabinet: Fadnavis keeps Home, Shinde gets Urban Development, Ajit Pawar gets Finance

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Nagpur: Finally, the wait is over. Governor CP Radhakrishnan on Saturday approved the portfolio allocation to the ministers as recommended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The list was released after the conclusion of a weeklong winter session. Fadnavis will hold home, energy excluding renewable energy, law and judiciary, general administration, information and publicity and […]

Published Date – 21 December 2024, 10:33 PM


Maharashtra Cabinet: Fadnavis keeps Home, Shinde gets Urban Development, Ajit Pawar gets Finance

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis with Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde addresses the media on the last day of the Winter session of the State Assembly, at Vidhan Bhavan, in Nagpur, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024.

Nagpur: Finally, the wait is over. Governor CP Radhakrishnan on Saturday approved the portfolio allocation to the ministers as recommended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The list was released after the conclusion of a weeklong winter session.

Fadnavis will hold home, energy excluding renewable energy, law and judiciary, general administration, information and publicity and departments/subjects not allowed to any other minister. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will hold urban development, housing and public works (public enterprises) while Deputy CM Ajit Pawar will be in charge of planning and finance and excise.

Chandrashekhar Bawankule will hold the revenue department while Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil will be in charge of the water resources department including Godavari and Krishna Valley Development Corporation. Hasan Mushrif will hold medical education, Chandrakant Patil higher and technical education and parliamentary affairs, Girish Mahajan water resources including Vidarbha, Tapi, Konkan Development Corporation and disaster management.

Ganesh Naik will hold forest, Gulabrao Patil water supply and sanitation, Dadaji Bhuse school education, Dhananjay Munde food and civil supplies and consumer protection, Mangallrabhat Lodha skill development, employment, entrepreneurship and innovation, Uday Samant industries and Marathi Language, Jaykumar Rawal marketing and protocol, Pankaja Munde environment and climate change and animal husbandry and Ashok Uike tribal development.

Atul Save will hold OBC welfare, dairy development and renewable energy, Shabhuraj Desai tourism, mining and ex-servicemen welfare, Ashish Shelar information technology and cultural affairs, Dattatray Bharne sports, youths welfare, minorities development and Aukaf, Aditi Tatkare women and child development and Shivendraraje Bhosale public works excluding public enterprises.

Manikrao Kokate will be in charge of agriculture, Jaykumar Gore rural development and panchayat raj, Narhari Zirwal food and drug administration and special assistance, Sanjay Savkare textiles, Sanjay Shirsat social justice, Pratap Sarnaik transport and Bharatsheth Gogawale employment guarantee, horticulture, salt pan land development, Makrand Jadhav Patil relief and rehabilitation, Nitesh Rane fisheries and ports, Akash Fundkar labour, Babasaheb Patil cooperation and Prakash Abitkar public health and family welfare.

The minister of state Ashish Jaiswal will hold finance and planning, agriculture, relief and rehabilitation, law and judiciary and labour while the minister of state Madhuri Misal urban development, transport, social justice, medical education, minorities development and Aukaf. Minister of State Pankaj Bhoyar will hold home (rural), housing, school education, cooperation and mining while Meghna Sakore Bordikar will get public health, family welfare, water supply and sanitation, energy, women and child development.

Minister of State Indranil Naik will hold industries, public works, higher and technical education, tribal development, tourism, soils and water conservation while Yogesh Kadam will hold home (urban), revenue, rural development and panchayat raj, food and civil supplies and consumer protection, food and drug administration.

Fadnavis had expanded his cabinet with the induction of 39 ministers on December 15. Even though he had announced that the portfolio allocation would be done in two days, it was delayed due to hard negotiations among the MahaYuti partners. The strength of the Fadnavis-led cabinet is 42 against 43 permissible under the legislative norms.

Shinde insisted on allocating home, revenue and housing but BJP has rejected his demand while agreeing to give him housing. Ajit Pawar has retained planning and finance and in addition, got the excise department.

India

Movie ‘Mali’ focusses on environment and mental health and environment

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If we go out today after watching this film and do something for the environment, then the purpose of this film will be achieved,

Published Date – 23 December 2024, 06:59 AM


Movie ‘Mali’ focusses on environment and mental health and environment

Bollywood actress Padmini Kolhapure made a courtesy visit to Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami

Dehradun: Bollywood actress Padmini Kolhapure sat among the public here on Sunday and watched the film ‘Mali’, made on the theme of environment and mental health, and said it touched her heart.

Interacting with the audience after a special screening of the film held at the ‘Silver City’ multiplex here, Kolhapure said, “This film has been shot beautifully in your state, Uttarakhand. This is a beautiful film which has been made on a beautiful subject.”

She thanked the people who came to the theatre in large numbers to watch the film

The actress said, “It feels good to see such a large audience.”

She urged people to think for the future generation and contribute to environmental protection.

“If we go out today after watching this film and do something for the environment, then the purpose of this film will be achieved,” she said.

The film has been produced by Kolhapure’s husband Pradeep Sharma and directed by Shiv Shetty and Sonali Rana.

Most of the film has been shot in Dehradun and local actors like Sujata Sharma and Anita Negi have played roles in it.

India

Mohali Building Collapse: Hours after being pulled out of rubble, Himachal woman dies

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Our teams are working. Efforts are underway to clear the debris as soon as possible. Lighting arrangements have been made for the operation.

Published Date – 22 December 2024, 05:18 AM


Mohali Building Collapse: Hours after being pulled out of rubble, Himachal woman dies

Mohali building collapse

Chandigarh: A 20-year-old woman, hailing from Himachal Pradesh, died after she was pulled out of the debris of a four-storey building that collapsed in the Sohana village of Punjab’s Mohali district on Saturday, officials said.

Drishti Verma, a native of Theog, was rescued from the rubble in critical condition and was rushed to Sohana Hospital, Viraj S Tidke, officiating deputy commissioner, said.

Verma, however, succumbed to her injuries.

A multi-storey building collapsed Saturday evening, with at least five people trapped in its rubble.

Police have booked building owners — Parwinder Singh and Gagandeep Singh, Mohali Senior Superintendent of Police Deepak Pareek said.

Several excavators were pressed into service as part of the rescue operation.

Officials said a National Disaster Response Team (NDRF) team was carrying out the operation.

Medical teams, along with an ambulance, have also been deployed.

Tidke said anyone with apprehension that their family members may be the ones trapped in the debris can dial district control room number 0172-2219506.

He said all major hospitals in the city, such as Civil Hospital (attached within Medical College), Fortis, Max and Sohana, have been put on alert to cater to the wounded.

He said that required equipment and machinery have been made available to the rescuers, in addition to those brought by the NDRF and army.

Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann expressed his sorrow at the incident.

“Sad news has been received that a multistorey building near Sohana in Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (Mohali) has collapsed. The entire administration and other rescue teams have been deployed at the spot. I am in constant touch with the administration,” he wrote on X.

“We pray that there is no loss of life, we will also take action against the culprits. Appeal to the people to cooperate with the administration,” he added.

Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav, who was at the spot, said a multi-agency rescue effort was underway.

Mohali SSP Pareek said, “Our teams are working. Efforts are underway to clear the debris as soon as possible. Lighting arrangements have been made for the operation.”

A resident said a loud noise was heard when the building collapsed.

Preliminary information suggests the building, which also had a gym, collapsed due to digging in an adjacent plot.

A gym member said she escaped the collapse as she skipped her session on Saturday. Anandpur Sahib MP Malvinder Singh Kang and Mohali MLA Kulwant Singh reached the spot to oversee the rescue work.

Kulwant Singh said, “It is an unfortunate incident. Rescue operation is in full swing.”

India

Maharashtra CM Fadnavis allocates portfolios, see who’s got what

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Fadnavis, apart from Home Ministry, will also handle Energy, Law and Judiciary, General Administration Department and Information and Publicity Departments

Published Date – 22 December 2024, 09:28 AM


Maharashtra CM Fadnavis allocates portfolios, see who’s got what

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis with DCMs Eknath Shinde, Ajit Pawar, Legislative Council Chairman Ram Shinde and MLCs poses for a group photo on the last day of the Winter session. — Photo:PTI

Nagpur: More than two weeks after he took the oath of office, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has allocated portfolios to his Council of Ministers, retaining the crucial Home Department with him.

Fadnavis will also handle Energy, Law and Judiciary, General Administration Department and Information and Publicity departments, an official statement said here on Saturday.

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was allocated Urban Development, Housing and Public Works Department (public enterprises). Ajit Pawar, another deputy CM, got Finance and Planning, State Excise.

Notably, Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar had handled the Home and Finance, respectively, in the previous Eknath Shinde-led government. Leaders of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena said they expected their party would get the Home Department.

But BJP sources indicated that the saffron party, which won 132 out of 288 seats in the November 20 Assembly polls against the Shiv Sena’s 57 and Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party’s 41 seats, would not cede the important portfolio. The portfolios were allocated on Saturday after the week-long winter session of the State Legislature ended here earlier in the day.

Among the key portfolios allocated to BJP Ministers are — Chandrashekhar Bawankule (Revenue), Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil (Water Resources- Krishna and Godavari Valley Development corporation), Chandrakant Patil (Higher and Technical Education, Parliamentary affairs), Girish Mahajan (Water Resources- Vidarbha , Tapi, Konkan Development Corporation and Disaster Management).

Among the Shiv Sena Ministers, Gulabrao Patil has got Water Supply and Sanitation, Dadaji Bhuse – School Education, Sanjay Rathod – Soil and Water Conservation and Uday Samant – Industries and Marathi language.

From the NCP, Hasan Mushrif has got Medical Education, Dhananjay Munde – Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection, Dattatrey Bharne – Sports ,Youth Welfare and Minority Development and Aukaf, Aditi Tatkare – Women and Child Development and Manikrao Kokate – Agriculture.

India

Mohali building collapse: Five still trapped under rubble, rescue ops underway

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Several excavators pressed into service as part of the rescue operation; police book two building owners in the incident 

Published Date – 22 December 2024, 09:43 AM


Mohali building collapse: Five still trapped under rubble, rescue ops underway

Rescue work underway after a multi-storey building collapsed on Saturday, at Sohana village in Punjabs Mohali district on Sunday. — Photo:PTI

Chandigarh: A rescue operation at the site where a four-storey building collapsed in Sohana village of Punjab’s Mohali district continued on Sunday, officials said. The multi-storey building collapsed on Saturday evening, with at least five people trapped in its rubble. A 20-year-old woman died in the incident on Saturday evening.

The woman hailing from Himachal Pradesh, died after she was pulled out of the debris of the building. She was rescued from the rubble in critical condition and was rushed to a hospital, but she succumbed to her injuries. The rescue effort continued overnight.

A man hailing from Ambala Cantt told reporters at the site that his 29-year-old son, who used to visit a gym in the building, was missing. Police have booked two building owners in the incident. Several excavators were pressed into service as part of the rescue operation.

National Disaster Response Team (NDRF), Army, state rescue teams have been working since Saturday evening to address the crisis. Medical teams, along with an ambulance, have also been deployed at the site since Saturday evening.

As the operation continued at the site, required equipment and machinery have been made available to the rescuers, in addition to those brought by the NDRF and Army.

India

Four killed in separate road accidents in MP’s Raisen district

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According to police officials, a truck, coming from behind rammed two-wheeler, killing its three riders on the spot

Published Date – 22 December 2024, 10:43 AM


Four killed in separate road accidents in MP’s Raisen district

Representational Image

Raisen: Four persons were killed in two separate road accidents in Madhya Pradesh’s Raisen district, police said on Sunday. A motorbike collided with a tractor-trolley on Saturday night in Udaipura town, around 100 km from the district headquarters.

A truck coming from behind then crushed the two-wheeler, killing its three riders, Udaipura police station in-charge Yashwant Singh said. The deceased have been identified as Lakhan Singh Rajput (35), Devesh Singh Rajput (21) and Raja Shrivas (21), the police said.

In another accident, a motorcycle rider, identified as Chen Singh Lodhi (23), was killed after being hit by a truck on Bhopal-Deori road on Saturday night, an official said. The police seized the trucks involved in both the accidents and registered a case against drivers, the officials said.

India

From reel to real: Cops nab wanted gangster during ‘Pushpa 2’ show

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Meshram was on run for 10 months and was eventually tracked down after police learnt about his interest in the recently-released film

Published Date – 22 December 2024, 11:39 AM


From reel to real: Cops nab wanted gangster during ‘Pushpa 2’ show


Nagpur: Moviegoers watching a late-night show of ‘Pushpa 2‘ at a multiplex in Maharashtra’s Nagpur witnessed a real-life action scene as police stormed the cinema hall and arrested a man wanted in murder and drug cases.

The dramatic arrest of Vishal Meshram shortly after midnight on Thursday left the packed audience stunned, but police assured them that they could continue enjoying the movie as they nabbed the accused and took him away.

Meshram was on the run for 10 months and was eventually tracked down after police learnt about his interest in the recently-released film, an official from Pachpaoli police station said on Sunday.

The gangster had 27 cases against him, including two of murder and drug trafficking, and was known for his violent tendencies, even attacking police in the past, he said.

Authorities had been pursuing him relentlessly, using cyber surveillance and tracking his movements in a new sports utility vehicle (SUV), the official said.

After tracking him on Thursday, police deflated the vehicle’s tyres outside the cinema hall, located in central part of the city, to prevent his escape, he said. When police personnel entered the hall during the movie’s climax, Meshram was engrossed in the film.

The police surrounded him and made the arrest swiftly, giving him no chance to resist, the official said. Meshram is currently lodged in the Nagpur Central Jail and will soon be transferred to a prison in Nashik, the police said.

India

CCPA fines coaching institute for misleading ads on UPSC exam results

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“The decision was taken to protect and promote the rights of consumers as a class and ensure that no false or misleading advertisement is made of any goods or services which contravenes the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act,” according to an official statement issued on Sunday

Published Date – 22 December 2024, 03:04 PM


CCPA fines coaching institute for misleading ads on UPSC exam results

Representational Image

New Delhi: The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty of Rs 2 lakh for misleading advertisement on Shubhra Ranjan IAS Study regarding the UPSC Civil Service Exam 2023 and has directed the coaching institute to discontinue the misleading advertisements with immediate effect.

“The decision was taken to protect and promote the rights of consumers as a class and ensure that no false or misleading advertisement is made of any goods or services which contravenes the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act,” according to an official statement issued on Sunday.

“In view of the violation of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, the CCPA, headed by Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare, and Commissioner Anupam Mishra has issued an Order against Shubhra Ranjan IAS Study for misleading advertisement regarding UPSC Civil Service Exam 2023,” the statement said.

Coaching Institutes and online edtech platforms use pictures and names of successful candidates to influence prospective aspirants, without disclosing the courses opted by such candidates or the fees paid by them and the length of the course so attended, the statement pointed out.

Shubhra Ranjan IAS Study in its advertisement made the following claims: 13 students in the Top 100, 28 students in the Top 200, and 39 students in the Top 300 in UPSC CSE 2023. Further, the advertisements prominently depicted photographs and names of the successful candidates of the UPSC Civil Service Exam 2023, without mentioning any information about the specific course opted for by such candidates.

Shubhra Ranjan IAS Study prominently displayed successful candidates’ names and pictures and simultaneously advertised various types of courses provided by them on its official website.

However, the information concerning the course opted by the said successful candidates in the UPSC Civil Service exam 2023 was not disclosed in the advertisement. The institute offers nearly 50+ courses.

However, the DG Investigation report found that most of the claimed successful students took the Political Science and International Relations (PSIR) crash course and test series which comes into play after clearing the preliminary examination. By deliberately concealing information about the specific course opted by each of the successful candidates, the Institute made it look like all the courses offered by it had the same success rate for the consumers, which was not right.

It is the right of the consumer to be informed about the specific course that successful candidates have taken from the coaching institute to make it into the final selection of CSE. For the potential consumers, this information would have contributed to their making an informed choice about the course to opt for their success at CSE.

Section 2(28) (iv) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, defines misleading advertisements, including those which involve “deliberately concealed important information.”

Information regarding the specific course opted by successful candidates is important for the consumers to know so that they can make informed choices while deciding which course and coaching institute to join.

The institute also used terms such as “Shubhra Ranjan IAS” and “Students of Shubhra Ranjan IAS” in its advertisements and letterheads, creating a deceptive impression that Mrs Shubhra Ranjan is or was an IAS officer.

This constitutes a misrepresentation and unfair trade practice under the Consumer Protection Act 2019, thereby misleading the public and potential students into believing that the services or guidance provided by them are directly associated with the credibility of an IAS officer, the statement said.

The Institute submitted that it was a clerical mistake, which is not tenable as the term Shubhra Ranjan IAS or @shubhraranjanias has been frequently used on its letterheads and in its advertisements.

The institute utilized deceptive practices to create a perception of exceptional quality and success. An advertisement should be a truthful and honest representation of facts by making disclosures in such a manner that they are clear, prominent and extremely hard to miss for viewers to notice, the statement added.