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- Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

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Good News

New Initiative by Indian Government Empowers Citizens to Track and Recover Lost Mobile Phones

Residents across India now have a powerful tool at their disposal to track and recover their lost or stolen mobile phones, thanks to the Department of Telecommunications, Government of India's latest initiative called 'Sanchar Saathi'.  The newly revamped portal Sanchar Saathi aims to empower mobile subscribers, strengthen their security, and increase awareness about citizen-centric initiatives of the Government. The CEIR module of the portal helps trace lost or stolen mobile devices and block them on the network of all telecom operators so that they cannot be used in India. If someone tries to use a blocked mobile phone, its traceability is generated, making it easier to recover the device. Meanwhile, the TAFCOP module allows mobile subscribers to check the number of mobile connections taken in their name and report any connections that are not required or not taken by the subscriber. The portal has already been successful in blocking 479,573 lost or stolen mobile phones and tracing 243,355 devices, while 8553 mobile phones have been recovered to date. The expansion of the Sanchar Saathi portal is a significant step in reducing mobile phone theft and empowering citizens. The launch of the newly revamped portal will coincide with World Telecommunication and Information Society Day on May 17, 2023. The theme for World Telecommunication and Information Society Day 2023 is 'Empowering the least developed countries through information and communication technologies.' This theme highlights the importance of ICT in developing countries, particularly in the areas of education, healthcare, and economic development. The Sanchar Saathi portal is a great example of how technology can be used to empower citizens and improve their quality of life. As technology continues to advance, it is important for governments to provide citizens with tools to protect themselves, their information, and their devices. With the Sanchar Saathi portal, Indian residents can now track and recover their lost or stolen mobile phones with ease, providing them with peace of mind and a greater sense of security.

16 May 2023
Good News

Maharashtra is first state to maintain digital biometric record of criminals

The Maharashtra government will soon replace manual registers of criminals with digital biometric record for the efficient working of the police force. It will create a database of criminals by digitizing their biometric information and photographs. The state government has decided to go for the Automated Multimodal Biometric Identification System (AMBIS) to modernise the police force. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said that Maharashtra will be the first state in the country to implement it. The technology used will be most accurate including ultrasonic fingerprint identification, iris recognition, facial imaging and signature samples.  An official from the home department said that the cyber crime cell will hand over this Rs 54 crore project to the Maharashtra police. The conviction rate in the state has improved from 42% to 58% this year. At present, of the CCTV footage is not clear, it is not accepted by the court. The biometric system will help to verify a suspect as well as save the data to maintain records. As the results will be accurate, it will be accepted by the courts too. Modernisation of the system was long due and this digital system will help the police to conduct their work promptly and efficiently. There is also a move to connect this system with CCTVs in all police stations, district headquarters and state headquarters. Officials said the technology is currently being used by the US Army and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to profile convicts and suspects. Apart from speeding up the investigation, the biometric system and the use of other advanced software for all type of records will provide accurate information and better results while matching suspects' fingerprints or other records.

26 Mar 2017
Good News

Star Citizens

Meet the 102-Year-Old Statistician Who Won the Equivalent of the Nobel Prize!

Calyampudi Radhakrishna Rao, a renowned Indian-American mathematician and statistician, has been awarded the 2023 International Prize in Statistics, which is regarded as the Nobel Prize equivalent in the field of statistics. This award recognizes Rao's remarkable contributions to statistics and its application in various areas, including medical research. The 102-year-old scholar will receive a reward of $80,000 in July at the biennial World Statistics Congress of the International Statistical Institute in Ottawa, Canada. Rao's groundbreaking work has had a significant impact on statistical thinking, and his findings continue to influence science across many disciplines. In his seminal 1945 paper published in the Bulletin of the Calcutta Mathematical Society, Rao demonstrated three critical results that laid the foundation for modern statistics. The Cramer-Rao lower bound, the Rao-Blackwell theorem, and information geometry collectively serve as the cornerstone around which much of statistics is constructed. These findings enable scientists to mine data more effectively for insights. Rao's academic achievements are impressive, including a Doctorate from King's College at Cambridge University and a DSc degree from Cambridge. He has held significant positions, including director of the Indian Statistical Institute, Jawaharlal Nehru Professor and National Professor in India, University Professor at the University of Pittsburgh, and Eberly Professor and Chair of Statistics and Director of the Center for Multivariate Analysis at Pennsylvania State University. He is currently a research professor at the University at Buffalo and a professor emeritus at Pennsylvania State University. In recognition of his work, Rao has received numerous awards, including the Padma Bhushan in 1968 and Padma Vibhushan in 2001, both conferred by the Indian government. The International Prize in Statistics Foundation has now honored him for his monumental contribution to the field of statistics.

13 Apr 2023
Star Citizens

Positive Reads

The Mysterious Phenomenon of Déjà Vu: Unlocking the Secrets of Familiarity and Memory

Déjà vu, meaning "already seen" in French, is a phenomenon that is experienced by many people at some point in their lives. It is a feeling of familiarity with a situation or place that one has never encountered before. The scientific explanation of déjà vu is still not completely understood, but there are some theories that provide insight into this intriguing experience. One theory suggests that déjà vu occurs when the brain processes information in an unusual or inefficient manner. The brain is responsible for processing and storing information that we encounter, and sometimes it may make errors in the way it processes the information. This can result in a feeling of familiarity with a new situation, even though it has never been experienced before. Another theory proposes that déjà vu may be caused by a delay in the transfer of information between the sensory input and memory storage areas of the brain. This delay can cause the brain to process the same information twice, resulting in a feeling of having already experienced the situation. Recent research has also linked déjà vu to the functioning of the brain's temporal lobe. This region of the brain is responsible for memory and is often associated with experiences of déjà vu. Some studies have found that individuals who experience déjà vu more frequently have a larger temporal lobe than those who do not. While the science of déjà vu is still not fully understood, it remains a fascinating topic of research for neuroscientists and psychologists alike. Understanding the mechanisms behind this experience can provide valuable insights into the workings of the human brain and how we process and store information.

21 Feb 2023
Positive Reads

Why Do We Not Remember Anything From Our Childhood

Childhood is considered as the foundation of our lives, where we develop our basic habits and attitudes. However, many of us do not remember anything from our childhood, despite being told about our early experiences by our family and friends. The reason for this phenomenon is due to the workings of our brain and how it processes memories.   Memory is a complex process, where our brain encodes, stores, and retrieves information. The formation of memories in childhood is different from adulthood as the brain is still developing and lacks the capacity to store long-term memories. Most childhood memories are stored in the brain's sensory cortex, which is responsible for processing sensory information. However, as we grow older, this information is gradually forgotten and replaced by new experiences.   Moreover, the type of memories that are stored in childhood is often fragmented and lacks detail. Childhood memories are typically formed through experiences, such as playing with friends, having a picnic, or going to the park. These memories are stored in our brain as snapshots, which are not linked to specific dates or events, making it difficult to retrieve them.   In conclusion, the reason why we do not remember anything from our childhood is because of the limitations of our brain and how it processes memories. As we grow older, childhood memories are gradually forgotten and replaced by new experiences. Additionally, childhood memories are often fragmented and lack detail, making it challenging to retrieve them. Nevertheless, childhood memories play an important role in shaping our personality and worldview, which is why it is important to hold onto them.  

3 Feb 2023
Positive Reads

Commemorating World Telecommunication and Information Society Day

In 21st Century, importance of communication is all the more essential in personal, professional , commercial, defence and all the other walks of life. The advent of new horizons in the fields of telecommunications and information technology has taken the mankind into the realms hitherto unknown to him. The need of observing the World Telecommunication  Day  is to help create  awareness about the possibilities that the use communication technologies  could bring to the economies and  societies.   The day 17 May is important as the anniversary of the inking of the first International Telegraph Convention in 1865. It is also to mark the establishment of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). How World Telecommunication Day started: The day is being celebrated annually on 17 May since 1969. This day also commemorates the  establishment of ITU . It was formed in Malaga-Torremolinos by the Plenipotentiary Conference in 1973. Further to this, the World Information Society Day was proposed to be observed by the World Summit on the Information Society, calling upon UN General Assembly in November 2005. It was to highlight the role of  Information and Communication Technology in today’s world. The UNGeneral Assembly  passed a resolution (A/RES/60/252) in this regard in March 2006. It declared that World Information Society Day would be observed  each year on 17 May. How World Telecommunication and Information Society Day started: It was decided to celebrate both above events on 17 May every year as World Telecommunication and Information Society Day in November 2006, in the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference which was held in Antalya, Turkey. Thus, the updated Resolution 68  calls for Member States and Sector Members to observe the day every year  by conducting  befitting programmes at the national  level. World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) 2017 Theme: ‘Big Data for Big Impact’: The current theme for World Telecommunication and Information Society Day 2017 will be, "Big Data for Big Impact."  It highlights the inevitability of Big Data in development. It also focuses on turning unstructured data into useful information in context of the development. This is  aligned with ITU's work focusing on the technological developments which went on to create the emergence of Big Data. The events highlighted by the ITU Membership shall contribute to  build a positive momentum  and  follow the Big Data. In turn it may create  new frontiers in addressing the challenges of sustainable development in the world.

17 May 2017
Positive Reads

Global Inspirations

India's Global Tech Event To Be Attended By Humanoid Sophia

The 22nd edition of World Congress on Information Technology(WCIT) will be hosted by India for the first time on February 19.  The highlight of the show will be Sophia, the robot. This humanoid has been in news for quite some time and will be the first humanoid to get a citizenship as a Saudi national.  At the WCIT, Sophia will make a public appearance with its inventor. Prior to this, Sophia made her first appearance at the TechFest organised by IIT Bombay in last November.

6 Feb 2018
Global Inspirations

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