Month: August 2021

The Ministry of Electronics and Information and Technology on Monday informed that India will host the first Internet Governance Forum in the country that will be planned for three days, starting from October 20, this year.

“Anil Kumar Jain, the CEO, National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeiTY) and the Chairman of Coordination Committee, India Internet Governance Forum 2021 (IIGF), announced the launch of India Internet Governance Forum (IIGF) -2021 in a Press Conference, organised at Electronics Niketan, New Delhi. IIGF- 2021 will be planned for three days, starting from 20th October, 2021,” read the official release by the ministry.
The theme of this year’s meeting is Inclusive Internet for Digital India.

With this announcement, the Indian chapter of the United Nations-based forum namely the Internet Governance Forum has begun. It’s an Internet Governance policy discussion platform to bring representatives together from various groups, considering all at par to discuss public policy issues related to the Internet.

This mode of engagement is referred to as the multi-stakeholder model of Internet Governance, which has been the key feature for the Internet’s success. The multi-stakeholder concept is well adopted by IGF (Internet Governance Forum) under United Nations and by Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

Commenting on the announcement, Anil Kumar Jain, the Chairman of Coordination Committee, India Internet Governance Forum 2021 (IIGF) said, “India is the second-largest broadband subscription country in the world and also has the highest data consumption per user per month. Therefore, the aspirations of the Indians should be reflected in International policy formation and stakeholder discussion.”

“India Internet Governance Forum is the correct initiative for the country to ensure that the growth of broadband adheres to the lifestyle and requirements of the Indian community. IIGF 2021 is adopting the multi-stakeholder concept in organizing the event as per the true spirit of global IIGF. The coordination committee has apt representation from civil society, Government, Industry, Industrial association, trust, and other stakeholders,” Jain added.

Starting from August 2021, multiple Pre-IIGF engagement events will be held at several colleges and universities, as a precursor to the IIGF Inaugural event. The idea behind this is to engage the youth and students for their participation in the October event and prepare the next generation to be part if policy formation.

India Internet Governance coordination committee for IIGF-2021 features Anil Kumar Jain as Chairman, TV Ramchandran as Vice-Chairman, Jaijeet Bhattacharya as Vice Chairman, Dr Rajat Moona as Vice-Chairman and approximately 12 members representing Government, Civil Society, Industries, Trust, Associations etc. (ANI)

The high-level debate on ‘Enhancing Maritime Security – A Case for International Cooperation’ has begun at United Nations Security Council. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is chairing the debate through video conference.

The meeting will discuss ways to effectively counter maritime crime and insecurity and strengthening coordination in the maritime domain.
PM Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to preside over a UN Security Council open debate.

The meeting is being attended by several heads of state and government of member states of the UNSC, and high-level briefers from the UN System and key regional organizations.

The UN Security Council has discussed and passed resolutions on different aspects of maritime security and maritime crime. However, this will be the first time that maritime security will be discussed in a holistic manner as an exclusive agenda item in such a high-level open debate.

“Given that no country alone can address the diverse aspects of maritime security, it is important to consider this subject in a holistic manner in the United Nations Security Council. A comprehensive approach to Maritime Security should protect and support legitimate maritime activities while countering traditional and non-traditional threats in the maritime domain,” the MEA had said in a statement on Sunday.

The oceans have played an important part in India’s history right from the time of the Indus Valley Civilization.

“Based on our civilizational ethos that sees the seas as an enabler of shared peace and prosperity, Prime Minister Modi put forward the vision of SAGAR – an acronym for ‘Security and Growth for all in the Region’ in 2015,” the statement said.

This vision focuses on cooperative measures for sustainable use of the oceans and provides a framework for a safe, secure, and stable maritime domain in the region.

“In 2019, at the East Asia Summit, this initiative was further elaborated through the Indo-Pacific Oceans’ Initiative (IPOI) with a focus on seven pillars of maritime security including maritime ecology; maritime resources; capacity building and resource sharing; disaster risk reduction and management; science, technology and academic cooperation; and trade connectivity and maritime transport,” the statement said. (ANI)

Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) chief and former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala on Monday met former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav in Delhi to discuss the formation of the third front.

Mulayam Singh Yadav’s presence in the meeting holds significance as Uttar Pradesh assembly elections are due early next year.
This meeting came in the backdrop when Opposition parties especially Trinamool Congress and Nationalist Congress Party have been holding deliberations to form a united Opposition against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party at the Centre.

Last Month, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was on a visit to Delhi to hold meetings with several Opposition leaders to chalk out strategies for future politics.

Notably, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also met Chautala in the national capital earlier this month. (ANI).

Ghulam Rasool Dar, a BJP sarpanch along with his wife, was on Monday shot dead by unidentified gunmen in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag.

Following the attack, the couple was rushed to hospital where they succumbed to injuries, confirmed Jammu and Kashmir BJP leader Altaf Thakur.
J-K Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha condemned the attack and said that the perpetrators of violence will be brought to justice soon.

“I strongly condemn the brutal terrorist attack on Sarpanch GH Rasool Dar and his wife Jawhara Banoo of Redwani Bala, Kulgam. This is an act of cowardice and perpetrators of violence will be brought to justice very soon. My deepest condolences to the bereaved family in this time of grief,” Sinha said.

Terming the killing as “barbaric and cowardly”, BJP’s Altaf Thakur said: “Attacking and killing innocent people will lead to nowhere and the acts reflect the frustration on part of the terrorists.”

Thakur also urged the police to nab the attackers and hand them stern punishments. Unidentified gunmen fired on Dar, the district president of Bharatiya Janata Party’s Kisan Morcha and his wife.

“The cowards of Pakistan, in a terrorist attack, have killed BJP’s Gulam Rasool Dar and his wife, Jawhara Banoo. Dar is the same person who very happily unfurled the Indian flag on August 5, on the occasion of revocation of Kashmir’s special status,” Ravinder Raina, BJP’s President J-K said.

Mehbooba Mufti, President Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (JKPDP) has also condoled the death of the couple. “Extremely sorry to hear that BJP District President and his wife have been shot dead by militants today. My condolences to their families and loved ones,” she tweeted.

Former chief minister and National Conference President tweeted, “I unequivocally condemn the assassination of Ghulam Rasool Dar and his wife. They join a long list of mainstream politicians killed for their political beliefs. My condolences to his family and colleagues. May Allah grant the departed place in Jannat.” (ANI)

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) informed that a Maoist couple having a bounty of Rs 8 lakh on their heads surrendered in Chhattisgarh on Monday.

The couple was involved in various violent crimes including the encounter with Telangana Greyhounds on March 2, 2018, where nine Maoists were neutralised and one police personnel lost his life.
Raju Karam (Area Committee Member), Central Committee protection group Commander of central regional bureau of CPI (Maoist) along with his wife Sunita Karam, a protection group member of the central regional bureau, left the path of violence and surrendered at Superintendent of Police office Bijapur in the presence of CRPF Bijapur, said the CRPF in a statement.

Commandant CRPF’s 85 battalions and SP Bijapur along with other state police officials were also present at the time when the couple surrendered.

“While the security forces continue to fight the armed Maoist guerrillas, they also exhort the Maoists to give up arms and renounce the path of violence. The Maoists who surrender before the security forces are welcomed into the mainstream with open arms,” the CRPF mentioned.

These initiatives have made many armed Maoists realise the hollowness of their ideology and also identify the harassment and discrimination they face in their cadres, CRPF further said. (ANI)

Bollywood actor Sonam Kapoor, who is currently in Mumbai, shared a glimpse of her dubbing session for an upcoming project.

Sonam took to her Instagram story and shared her video from the dubbing studio. While showcasing the studio, Sonam in the end says, “Dubbing.” The actor did not mention for which project she has been dubbing.

Meanwhile, on the film front, Sonam will be next seen in ‘Blind’. She was last seen in the 2019 release ‘The Zoya Factor’. She also had a cameo role in Anil Kapoor and Anurag Kashyap’s ‘AK vs AK’, which had released on Netflix last year.

‘Blind’, the shoot for which kickstarted on December 28 in Glasgow, United Kingdom, is a Bollywood remake of the 2011 released Korean crime-thriller of the same name, directed by Ahn Sang-hoon.

The Bollywood adaptation is being directed by Shome Makhija and produced by Sujoy Ghosh, Avishek Ghosh, Manisha W, Prince Nahar, Sachin Nahar, and Hyunwoo Thomas Kim. ‘Blind’ is scheduled to release in 2021. (ANI)

Actors Aditya Roy Kapoor and Sanjana Sanghi are gearing up for the next shooting schedule of their upcoming film ‘Om- The Battle Within’.

Taking to Instagram, Sanjana posted a picture of a photo of her and co-star Aditya Roy Kapur from what appears to be an airport.

“Onto our next leg,” she captioned the post.

In the image, Sanjana is seen wearing ripped jeans and paired with the same colour denim jacket over a white tee. On the other hand, Aditya chose to wear a grey T-shirt and paired it with loose tracks.

According to several reports, the team is in Qatar for the shoot of ‘Om’, which is being directed by action director Tinu Verma’s son Kapil Verma. The film is touted as an action thriller. (ANI)

The Lok Sabha on Monday passed three bills without discussion — the Limited Liability Partnership (Amendment) Bill, 2021, the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2021, and the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2021, amid ruckus in the house.

Soon after the Lok Sabha resumed at 12:30 pm Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman moved for considering and passing the Limited Liability Partnership (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
The Bill aims to amend the Limited Liability Partnership Act 2008. It proposes to decriminalise 12 offences under the Limited Liability Partnership Act and foster ease of doing business in the country.

“The Bill is a very important bill which aims to bring the ease of doing business between smaller and big partners. Many criminal offences will also have been brought down to the minimum, where it is compoundable, we will compound them,” Sitharaman said.

Opposition MPs gathered in the Well of the Lok Sabha, sloganeering over ‘Pegasus Project’ media report, as Sitharaman spoke on The Limited Liability Partnership (Amendment) Bill, 2021.

Sitharaman also moved Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2021. The bill will insure bank deposits up to Rs 5 lakh. Under DICGC Bill 2021, 98.3 per cent of all deposits will get covered and in terms of deposit value, 50.9 per cent deposit value will be covered.

The Union Finance Minister urged the opposition to participate in the discussion, but the ruckus continued.
Both the bills were passed without discussion.

Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was moved in the Lok Sabha for consideration and passing by Union Minister Arjun Munda. This bill was also passed without discussion in the house.

Later the Lok Sabha was adjourned till 2 pm. This is the fourth time when the Lok Sabha was adjourned today. Earlier, it was adjourned till 11: 30 am, noon and 12:30 pm amid sloganeering by the opposition MPs in the House. (ANI)

Ahmedabad-based Zydus Cadila’s three-dose COVID-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D is expected to get an emergency-use nod from the expert committee this week, sources said.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya last week during the question hour in the Rajya Sabha had said, “The government expects that in October-November, four more Indian pharmaceutical companies will start production of indigenous vaccines that will help to meet the domestic demand, Biological E and Novartis vaccines will also be available in the market in the coming days, while Zydus Cadila will soon get an emergency use nod from Expert Committee.”
Zydus Cadila last month had said that it has applied for emergency use authorisation (EUA) with the Indian Drug regulator for its three-dose COVID-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D, and plans to manufacture 10-12 crore doses annually.
The company has conducted the largest clinical trial for its COVID-19 vaccine in India so far in over 50 centers.

The EUA is expected to be given for adults first, though the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) had earlier asked the Ahmedabad-based firm to return with more data on its ZyCoV-D.

Earlier, during a press briefing, a Member of NITI Aayog Dr V K Paul had said that the DCGI is examining Zydus Cadila’s COVID vaccine for children.

“ZuCoV-D is the first-ever plasmid DNA vaccine for human use, it has proven its safety and efficacy profile in our fight against COVID-19,” MD of Cadila Healthcare Dr Sharvil Patel said. (ANI)