Indian-American Antarctic explorer has mountain named after him

In a rare honour, the U.S. has named a mountain in Antarctica after eminent Indian-American scientist Akhouri A. Sinha, whose pioneering biological research expedition provided vital data about animal populations.

The honour was accorded to Mr. Sinha, adjunct professor in the Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development at the University of Minnesota, by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Mr. Sinha was a member of a team that catalogued population of seals, whales and birds in the pack ice of the Bellingshausen and Amundsen Seas using U.S. Coast Guard Cutters Southwind and Glaciers in 1972 and 1974.

Cybercrimes shoot up by over 50% across India

Cybercrimes registered under the IT Act shot up by over 50% across the country between 2012 and 2013, shows the latest data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). The maximum offenders came from the 18-30 age group. Among states, the highest incidents of cybercrime took place in Maharashtra (907) followed by Uttar Pradesh (682) and Andhra Pradesh (651).

The maximum arrests for cybercrimes under the IT Act took place in Maharashtra: 426. Andhra Pradesh was a distant second with 296 arrests. Uttar Pradesh was third at 283 arrests.

In percentage terms, the state that saw the most dramatic increase in cases registered under the IT Act was Uttarakhand at 475% (from 4 cases to 23); Assam a close second with 450% (from 28 cases to 154). Interestingly, the picture postcard union territory, Andaman and Nicobar islands, registered an eye-popping increase of 800% (two cases in 2012 to 18 in 2013) in the same category.

Trends in the report show that the maximum cases of cybercrimes in 2013 were for "hacking with computer systems". Transmission of obscene messages, or "obscene publication/transmission in electronic form" came a distant second in the category. A total 2,516 cases were registered in 2013 for hacking with computer systems with 1,011 arrests. The numbers for "obscene publications/transmission in electronic form", stood at 1,203 cases registered, with 737 arrests. Offences under "hacking of computer systems" are calculated under the two subheads of "loss/damage to computer resources/ utility" and "hacking".

Cyberlawyer Pavan Duggal says that the trends reveal a "maturing of the country's cybercrime economy." "Hacking is no longer done to assert technological superiority, but for monetary gains," says Duggal, pointing to the case of hacker Amit Tiwari from Pune, who was arrested earlier this year for compromising over a 1,000 email accounts both in India and abroad. He was a part of a global network of hackers.

The NCRB data shows that cybercrimes registered under the IT Act rose sharply by 51.5% from 2012 to 2013 and those registered under the Indian Penal Code, by 122.5% for the same time period. If taken together, they would constitute an increase of 63.73 % overall. Delhi Police PRO Rajan Bhagat said that cases where the IT Act and the IPC are used together, are counted within ambit of the IT Act, along with cases exclusively under the IT Act.

Only 23.5%of the cybercrime cases were registered under the IPC last year, while the majority - 76.5% were under the IT Act. Section 81 of the IT Act enshrines what is called the "overriding effect", that is, the IT Act would prevail in case of a conflict between the general law and the IT Act. It reads: "The provisions of this Act shall have effect notwithstanding anything inconsistent therewith contained in any other law for the time being in force."

According to the NCRB report, of the total 2,098 arrests made under the IT Act in 2013, 1,190 were between the ages of 18 and 30. 45 were below the age of 18. Rakshit Tandon, advisor at the cybercrime cell, Gurgaon Police, says that this is largely a result of the younger generation lacking "cyberhygiene and cyberetiquette."

"I have seen in my interactions and workshops with young people that internet and mobile are the first tools they use for harassment through social media or through pornographic websites. Even for crimes like hacking, there is very little guidance for young people who enroll in 'ethical hacking' courses, and then later get involved in crimes instead," says Tandon.

India Becomes the First Country to Ratify the Marrakesh Treaty

 India becomes the first country to ratify the Marrakesh Treaty to facilitate access to published works for persons who are blind, visually impaired, or otherwise print disabled on 30th June, 2014. So far, 79 WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation) member states have signed this Treaty. The Marrakesh treaty will come into force once twenty countries ratify this treaty.

Shri Dilip Sinha, the Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, handed over the the Instrument of Ratification to Mr Francis Gurry, Director General, WIPO at a ceremony organized held during the 28th Session of SCCR (Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights) in WIPO Headquarters.

The main goal of Marrakesh Treaty is to create a set of mandatory limitations and exceptions for the benefit of the blind, visually impaired and otherwise print disabled (VIPs). It addresses the “book famine” by requiring its contracting parties to adopt national law provisions that permit the reproduction, distribution and making available of published works in accessible formats - such as Braille - to VIPs and to permit exchange of these works across borders by organizations that serve those beneficiaries.

Once the Marrakesh Treaty comes into force, it will facilitate access to published works for the millions of blind, visually impaired and otherwise print disabled persons in India. It would go a long way in establishing equal rights and opportunities for education and employment for them.

The Treaty will facilitate import of accessible format copies from the member states by the Indian authorized entities such as educational institutions, libraries and other such institutions working for the benefit of visually impaired persons. This will also facilitate translation of imported accessible format copies and export of accessible format copies in Indian languages. The Indian Copyright (Amendment) Act, 2012 is in harmony with the Marrakesh Treaty.

India to play proactive role to deal with climate change

India today said it will play a proactive role to deal with climate change and strengthen the national action plan to tackle global warming.

Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar, who discussed a gamut of climate change issues with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius also said that he “welcomed” the French announcement of one billion Euros credit line over next three years to India to take initiates in climate control.

France will host the World Climate Conference next year.

“We emphasised that India will play a proactive role because climate change is real and we have decided on our national action plan. We will strengthen it further. But we expect the developed world to walk the talk,” Javadekar told PTI.

The Minister, who had earlier said that the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC was “very important”, said the outcome of the previous conferences should be “discussed and negotiated” much earlier and it should not be a last minute affair.

“We said the draft of outcomes always needs to be discussed and negotiated much earlier than the actual conference. It should not be a last minute affair,” he said.

Welcoming the French government’s announcement to extend credit line over the next three years to India to take initiates in climate control, he said, “After the actual funds arrive…for what they are giving. We will use funds…we can discuss that..whatever riders or conditions…what is the concept of the fund but we welcome”.

Fabius had yesterday said that he wants to prepare for Conferences of the Parties in close cooperation with India.

France will be proposing a credit line of up to 1 billion euros (Rs 8200 crore) over the next 3 years for sustainable infrastructure and urban development in India through Agence Francaise de Development AFD (French development agency), he had said.

Javadekar told the French foreign minister that the 100 billion dollars Green Fund should be utilised to purchasecritical technologies so that they are available free of cost to developing nations.

Javadekar said the developed world must give finances and ensure technology transfer.

“I had already suggested at the Nairobi platform and that was well received that technology transfer can happen if the Green Fund, which is supposed to be given by the developed world, can be used for IPR purchases of critical technologies.

“If those critical technologies are purchased by that fund, the technology will be available free of cost and then every country will have its own plan. That idea is well received by the world and I also emphasised that (during the meeting with France Foreign Minister),” Javadekar said.

In his speech at the Ministerial Plenary of the First UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi recently, Javadekar had said since it has been agreed to establish the Green Climate Fund of USD 100 billion per year by 2020, this amount should be utilised to purchase IPRs of most crucial technologies for public good.

After purchasing IPRs, these technologies should then be freely available to the developing countries to facilitate sustainable development, he said.

Elaborating on today’s meeting with the French foreign minister, Javadekar said he told Fabius about the Indian “ethos” in which “man, community and nature are all part of one shrishti”.

“He also discussed French government’s ideas for success of the Conferences of the Parties. It was a mutually veryimportant dialogue. We had a good meeting,” the Environment minister said.

Javadekar said both the countries also discussed on “mutually cooperating on various ideas and share best practises”.

As the meeting took place in the new Indira Paryavaran Bhavan, a green building, Javadekar told Fabius that they were meeting in a Zero energy building”.

16th Lok Sabha won’t have leader of opposition

The 16th Lok Sabha will have no leader of the opposition. It's learnt that Speaker Sumitra Mahajan will strictly go by the rule book which will make no party eligible for the status in the Lower House.

As per rules, any party needs to bag at least 10% of the total seats for its leader to claim the status of the leader of the opposition. Though having the largest contingents among the opposition, Congress with 44 members falls short of the requirement.

Sources said the Speaker, a seasoned parliamentarian, has decided not to use any discretion to tweak the rulebook and stick to the letters of the law.

With no leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, the situation will be the same as it was for 10 years from August 1979 to December 1989 — the 7th and 8th Lok Sabhas.



Without an leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, the main issues the government will have to deal with is the selection process of Lokpal, chief vigilance commissioner (CVC) and chief information commissioner (CIC). The leader of opposition is part of the selection panel for these posts, in keeping with the spirit of parliamentary democracy.

A government source said if there is no leader of opposition, the selection committee can note that the post is vacant. Another suggestion is there could be provisions to include the leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha in the selection panels. Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad is leader of opposition in the Upper House.

From the first leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, Ram Subhag Singh in 1969, to YB Chavan, Jagjivan Ram, Rajiv Gandhi, L K Advani, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, PV Narasimha Rao, Sonia Gandhi, Advani (again) and Sushma Swaraj, the 10% rule was considered. "This tradition has to be undone, if the Speaker decides on a leader of opposition this time," law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had said while speaking to TOI on the issue.

Earlier, parliamentary affairs minister M Venkaiah Naidu had also hinted at a situation where there will be no leader of opposition in LS. "The Congress will be one of the opposition parties, but the leader of opposition issue is a realm of the Speaker. There was no leader of opposition during Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi or Rajiv Gandhi's time," he had said while replying to questions from media on the issue.

Gujarat to host 2015 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

The 2015 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) will be held at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the return to India from South Africa of the most well-known ‘pravasi’ – Mahatma Gandhi – in 1915.

Indian high commissioner Ranjan Mathai announced on Monday that a large number of participants from Britain were expected to attend the 2015 edition of PBD, which is celebrated every year on 9 January.

He also announced that the Regional PBD will be held in London over two days in October this year. It will be the eighth such convention of Regional PBD (the last was in Sydney), and the first time it will be held in Britain.

Regional PBDs are organised by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs with the collaboration of the host Government, the Indian Mission, prominent overseas Indians and organisations catering to the needs of the Indian diaspora.

The objective is to reach out to those members of the community who have been unable to participate in the annual PBD in India and to provide a platform for the Indian community in the region to contribute to the relationship between countries of the region and India.

PBD conventions held annually in India since 2003 provide a platform to the overseas Indian community to engage with the government and people of the land of their ancestors. Individuals of exceptional merit are honoured with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award to appreciate their role in India’s growth.

Rangarajan panel submits report on poverty to Planning Commission

 Former PMEAC chief C Rangarajan has submitted the report on Tendulkar Committee methodology for estimating poverty to planning minister Rao Inderjit Singh.

"I met minister of state for planning rao Inderjit Singh yesterday in Delhi and submitted the report on poverty," Rangarajan told PTI.

The Planning Commission in May 2012 had constituted the expert group under the then Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council chairman C Rangarajan to review the Tendulkar Committee methodology for estimating poverty, following an uproar over the number of poor in the country.

The report of the expert group is expected to clear the ambiguity over the number of poor in the country.

Asked about the suggestions or recommendations of panel, he replied, "It is not proper for me to tell you. Now government has to take a view on the report."

The expert group was to submit its report in 7-9 months of its creation. But it got several extensions with the last one extended to June 30.

The Planning Commission's estimates had drawn flak in September, 2011 when in an affidavit to the Supreme Court it was stated that households with per capita consumption of more than Rs 32 in urban areas and Rs 26 in rural will not be treated as poor.

Announcing the setting up of Rangarajan panel, the then Planning Minister Ashwani Kumar had stressed on the need for revisiting the methodology.

According to the Commission's estimates based on Tendulkar methodology, released in July last year, the poverty ratio in the country declined to 21.9 per cent in 2011-12 from 37.2 per cent in 2004-05 on account of increase in per capita consumption.

In 2011-12, the national poverty line by using the said methodology was estimated at Rs 816 per capita per month in villages and Rs 1,000 per capita per month in cities.

This meant that those persons whose consumption of goods and services exceed Rs 33.33 in cities and Rs 27.20 per capita per day in villages were not classified as poor.