Published on: November 14, 2024
Snippets : 14 NOVEMBER 2024
Snippets : 14 NOVEMBER 2024
- Karnataka is poised to become India’s first state to designate a DGP-rank officer specifically for cybercrime oversight, reinforcing its role as a pioneer in cybercrime management since establishing India’s first cybercrime police station in the early 2000s. Currently, Karnataka’s police structure includes four DGP roles overseeing the state police chief, CID, Fire and Emergency Services, and Prisons and Correctional Services. This new, fifth DGP role will lead the Cyber Economics and Narcotics (CEN) wing, recently approved by the state government, to address the surge in cybercrime, such as fake news, harassment, and data theft, which has led to significant financial losses—Bengaluru alone saw Rs 1,242.7 crore lost in cyber-related incidents within the first eight months of 2023. The CEN wing will operate independently, reporting directly to the new DGP, with a structured hierarchy involving an ADGP, IGP, and seven SPs managing investigations across seven regions. This separation from CID reflects the government’s focus on enhancing coordination and investigative efficiency, anticipating future cybercrime trends, and strengthening communication with other states. Additionally, Karnataka is developing a cybercrime database and new investigative techniques to proactively counter cyber threats.
- The State government has launched the distribution of APAAR IDs, a unique 12-digit identifier for schoolchildren, as part of the “One Nation, One Student ID” initiative, aiming to provide a lifelong identifier similar to Aadhaar to streamline academic and administrative processes. Designed to align with the National Education Policy (NEP) and the National Credit and Qualifications Framework (NCqF), APAAR IDs aim to standardize student identification across government, aided, and private schools, integrating with DigiLocker for secure storage of academic records, exam results, holistic report cards, and extracurricular achievements, as well as supporting national testing, admissions, scholarships, and benefits. Despite the State’s objections to the NEP, APAAR adoption is proceeding, generating debate among educationists. Critics argue that adopting APAAR contradicts Karnataka’s State Education Policy (SEP) and might infringe on student privacy, viewing it as a federal attempt to centralize control over education, which falls under the Concurrent List. Additionally, some question the necessity of APAAR, as Karnataka already has the Student Achievement Tracking System (SATS), soon to be upgraded to SATS 2.0.
- The Karnataka State government has appointed H.N. Nagamohan Das, a retired Karnataka High Court judge, to lead a commission of inquiry into implementing internal reservations for Scheduled Caste (SC) communities in Karnataka. This commission is tasked with recommending an approach to fairly distribute reservations among SC sub-communities within two months. It will gather empirical data on the representation of different SC sub-communities in public education and employment. Previously, Mr. Das headed a commission that successfully recommended increasing SC reservation from 15% to 17% and ST reservation from 3% to 7%. He is also involved in the investigation of “40% commission” allegations linked to the previous BJP administration. The internal reservation demand stems from significant pressure by Dalit groups, with the Dalit Left faction arguing that Dalit Right communities disproportionately benefit from the current 17% SC reservation. Historically, the A.J. Sadashiva Commission’s 2012 report recommended a structured sub-reservation matrix within the SC quota to address disparities between Dalit Left and Dalit Right communities, identifying groups like Lambanis, Bhovis, Koracha, and Koramas as distinct sub-communities in need of equitable representation.
- India’s armed forces are conducting Poorvi Prahar, a significant tri-service military exercise in the forward areas of Arunachal Pradesh near the Line of Actual Control (LAC), to enhance defense readiness and operational efficiency across the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Held amid ongoing tensions along the LAC, particularly in eastern Ladakh, this exercise, running from November 10 to 18, aims to boost India’s preparedness for joint operations on land, air, and sea. The exercise includes the deployment of advanced weaponry, such as the M-777 howitzers in mountainous eastern sectors, and integration of next-generation technologies like swarm drones, loitering munitions, and First-Person-View (FPV) drones for situational awareness and precision targeting. Rafale fighter jets from Hasimara Air Station provide air superiority, while Chinook and Rudra helicopters enhance troop mobility and logistical support. Poorvi Prahar also trials real-time data-sharing using satellite communication and AI-driven analytics, working towards a unified command system that coordinates efforts across all service branches for a cohesive operational picture. This exercise underscores India’s focus on future-ready military operations, technological innovation, and the establishment of joint command structures to streamline inter-service coordination, thereby improving defense capabilities and rapid response effectiveness.
- India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted the maiden test of its long-range cruise missile on Tuesday at the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, Odisha. This missile, once operational, will become the world’s longest-range non-nuclear cruise missile, capable of striking targets 1,000 km away. The missile is an advanced version of the Nirbhay cruise missile and has been developed to be launched from both mobile ground launchers and ships with universal vertical launch modules. It has a payload capacity exceeding 450 kg. During the test, the missile followed a planned trajectory using waypoint navigation, demonstrating its ability to perform complex maneuvers at various altitudes and speeds. The test was deemed successful, with all subsystems meeting their objectives. The project was led by DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Establishment in Bengaluru, with Bharat Dynamics Limited and Bharat Electronics Limited collaborating as development-cum-production partners. This test, approved four years ago, marks a major milestone in India’s indigenous missile development program, which will contribute to strengthening the country’s defence capabilities and future cruise missile projects.
- India has joined the global effort to build the world’s most sensitive radio telescope, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), which will explore the farthest corners of the universe, returning to an era close to the Big Bang. As a council member of the SKA Organisation, India’s participation was announced in Pune, marking a significant milestone after over a decade of involvement by Indian astronomers. The SKA will be 50 times more sensitive than current instruments and survey the sky 10,000 times faster, comprising 197 dishes in South Africa and 130,000 low-frequency antennas in Western Australia. This mega collaboration puts India ahead in the global scientific forum, according to Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy. With 12 full members, including India, the SKA Organisation is expected to grow, and India’s participation is supported by a Rs 1,250 crore approval from the Union Cabinet until 2031. Indian astronomers and engineers have made significant contributions to the project’s design and development since 2012, including critical software elements. The project is jointly funded by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
- Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum (VITM), a unit of National Council of Science Museums, is hosting a two-day Southern India Science Drama Festival on November 14 and 15 at VITM on Kasturba Road.
- Karnataka is set to roll out e-khatas for all properties in gram panchayats and urban local bodies (ULBs) to prevent fictitious transactions using fake manual khatas. Ministers Krishna Byre Gowda, Priyank Kharge, and Rahim Khan have directed the Urban Development Department to implement e-khatas, following the model of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, to simplify the khata procedure, especially for rural areas. This move aims to address the issue of numerous residential and commercial properties lacking khatas in municipalities and corporations. Obtaining e-khatas will enable property owners to register sales subsequently. As Revenue Minister Gowda emphasized, khatas are legally required for all property types, and court directives have mandated e-khata-based registrations. The Urban Development Department has been instructed to expedite e-khata issuance and integrate MUDA with e-Aasthi for streamlined processing.
