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<keyword id="20448705" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Waymo" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Waymo" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Waymo">Waymo</keyword>, the self-driving car whiz kid from Alphabet (aka Google’s big parent company), just made a splash by launching its robotaxis in Los Angeles! This means that anyone with the Waymo One app can now call up a driverless cab across a whopping 129-square-kilometre stretch of the city. It’s like having a robot chauffeur — without the awkward small talk! This isn’t Waymo’s first rodeo with robotaxis. They’ve been rolling around Phoenix since 2020 and then hit up San Francisco last year. In Los Angeles, after a short trial for some lucky early testers, Waymo opened up rides to the public. Now anyone can zip around L.A. traffic in style, with the car’s AI brain in control. Waymo’s journey started as a secret project back in 2009 and has come a long way since then. The company’s <keyword id="19967698" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="self-driving-cars" source="keywords">self-driving cars</keyword> have logged over 20 million miles without any major accidents — a record that certainly leaves human drivers in the dust. Meanwhile, Waymo’s competitor, Cruise (owned by General Motors), ran into some trouble when one of its <keyword id="21485769" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="driverless-cars" source="keywords">driverless cars</keyword> was involved in an accident with a pedestrian, resulting in a license suspension in California. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="107634470" title="A crowd set fire to a Waymo taxi in San Francisco, as tensions about driverless tech grow" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>But Waymo’s big moves in the US raise an interesting question: what would happen if robotaxis rolled out in a place like India? The impact could be massive! India has millions of taxi drivers, and many rely on their daily fares to support their families. Not only is the work gruelling, such “gig workers” often earn shockingly less, and at increasingly shrinking profit margins. One source even noted earning only around Rs 30,000 a month while working as an Ola captain from Bengaluru. Thus, a widespread shift to driverless cars could be a serious blow to their livelihoods, especially in a country struggling with rampant levels of inflation. Therefore, there exists an issue of livelihoods on one hand and technological progress on the other, so if companies like Waymo ever bring robotaxis to India, it could shake things up in a big way. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="102751416" title="Sex in self-driving cars: Passengers are reportedly hooking up in San Francisco&amp;#39;s driverless taxis" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>However, on the other side of the spectrum, there are undoubtedly some benefits to moving towards a fully-automated robotaxi fleet. For instance, road accidents cause over 1,50,000 deaths annually in India. Autonomous vehicles,which are designed to follow traffic rules strictly and reduce human error, could help lower these numbers. Additionally, driverless taxis could make transportation more accessible and affordable, especially in densely populated cities with high demand. Furthermore, such robotaxis would also provide a solution for passengers who experience language barriers or inconsistent service quality, as these vehicles are designed for efficient, standardised rides. There is also the hope that they could reduce traffic congestion and pollution with AI-driven routes that minimise idle time and fuel use. Waymo may be rejoicing in the spotlight at the moment, but there are several other companies in the robotaxi race, including Tesla, which has its “Cybercab” in the works, and Amazon’s Zoox, aiming to hit the streets of Las Vegas next year. Baidu’s Apollo is already making robotaxi runs in some Chinese cities, but each company faces its own unique set of challenges. In India, where roads are a blend of honking scooters, zig-zagging rickshaws, and plenty of cows on the streets, introducing robotaxis would require some serious tech tricks and regulatory green lights. Until then, L.A. can enjoy the driverless rides while the rest of us wait to see how this wild technology shapes the future.

No Driver? No Problem! Waymo’s driverless robotaxis make Los Angeles debut — but what could the tech mean for India?

If you've ever found yourself sheepishly glancing around after cutting a red light or using your phone while driving, only to relax because "no cops in sight," think again! In <keyword id="19895037" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bengaluru" source="keywords">Bengaluru</keyword>, the traffic police have gone tech-savvy, and they're now leveraging AI to keep an eye on you – whether or not there’s an officer standing by. <h2>Bengaluru’s AI revolution in <keyword id="22205047" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="traffic-enforcement" source="keywords">traffic enforcement</keyword></h2>Bengaluru, the tech hub of India, has pioneered the use of AI-based enforcement in its bustling streets. "At present, we use AI-based cameras to enforce seven violations," said MN Anucheth, Joint Commissioner of Police (Bengaluru City Traffic) in an interview with Moneycontrol. These violations include overspeeding, using mobile phones while driving, not wearing seat belts, riding without helmets, triple riding on two-wheelers, red-light jumping, and stop-line violations. But it doesn't stop there! The city is expanding this AI-driven system to detect 13 different <keyword id="19948114" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="traffic-violations" source="keywords">traffic violations</keyword> — up from the existing seven. Among the new additions are wrong-side driving, illegal number plates, overloaded goods vehicles, broken or folded door mirrors, and illegal parking. Bengaluru’s streets are about to get even more monitored, and the number of fines is expected to rise. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113150608" title="Nothing to wear? Bengaluru-based startup promises to deliver clothes in just 60 minutes. Here’s my experience!" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>Already, 97% of traffic violations in Bengaluru in 2023 were caught through this contactless mode. With 330 AI-powered cameras watching over 50 junctions, the city's roads are becoming some of the most tech-supervised in India. "We will soon expand to cover 13 types of violations," Anucheth added, hinting at an even more stringent road regime. <h2>Eyes in the sky</h2>With a road network stretching over 14,000 km, more than 12 million registered vehicles, and around 40,000 traffic intersections, Bengaluru’s streets can get chaotic. To tackle this, Bengaluru’s AI system is leaving nothing to chance. The AI can do more than just catch rule-breakers; it can even detect waterlogged areas, cattle on the road, potholes, and unattended objects, ensuring smoother traffic flow. What’s more, these AI-based systems are equipped with <keyword id="22598445" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Automatic-Number-Plate-Recognition" source="keywords">Automatic Number Plate Recognition</keyword> (ANPR) and can process video feeds from multiple sources, including surveillance cameras, body-worn cameras, and even social media feeds. So, even if you're accidentally caught on a neighbour’s camera violating a traffic rule, you could still be fined. “Instead of procuring additional cameras, we decided to obtain AI-based automatic violation detection licences to utilise our existing infrastructure for traffic enforcement and management," Anucheth explained. That means the city is becoming smarter without splurging on extra gadgets. <h2>Expect more fines</h2>In 2023 alone, <keyword id="21352185" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bengaluru-traffic" source="keywords">Bengaluru Traffic</keyword> Police booked nearly 90 lakh cases and collected a record Rs 185.1 crore in fines. With the expanded AI system, these numbers are expected to soar even higher. Commuters along major arterial roads such as the Electronics City Elevated Expressway, Mysuru Road to Goraguntepalya, and Bellary Road should be particularly mindful. Cameras on these routes have been instrumental in spotting violations like speeding and improper lane usage. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113459399" title="Should you rent or buy a home? Here’s how much rental pricing has gone up compared to ownership cost in major Indian cities" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>The introduction of AI is already having a significant impact on the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway, where 60 cameras caught more than 12,000 violations within just two weeks of installation. And the fines? They’re sent directly to your phone. "No violation can escape the hawk eyes of our powerful cameras," said Karnataka’s Additional Director General of Police, Alok Kumar, after catching a bus driver talking on his phone while driving. <h2>Management, not just enforcement</h2>But Bengaluru’s AI isn’t just catching violators — it’s also helping ease the flow of traffic in a majorly congested city. AI is playing a crucial role in optimising <keyword id="21296378" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="traffic-signals" source="keywords">traffic signals</keyword> to reduce congestion and manage traffic patterns. With its Automatic Traffic Counting and Classification (ATCC) feature, these <keyword id="21635811" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="AI-cameras" source="keywords">AI cameras</keyword> will help monitor the types of vehicles clogging up different junctions, offering better insights for road management. To that end, Bengaluru has also introduced AI-powered traffic signals, which automatically adjust the timing of traffic lights based on real-time traffic conditions. This system, deployed across many important junctions in the city, monitors vehicle flow and helps reduce bottlenecks by adjusting traffic lights dynamically. In an ideal world, this will mean that there would be no more sitting at a red light when the road ahead is empty. With over 9,000 cameras being installed across the city under the Safe City project and access to 4,600 body-worn cameras, Bengaluru’s traffic police are bringing in a new era of high-tech enforcement. Hopefully, this will help with better <keyword id="20413755" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="traffic-management" source="keywords">traffic management</keyword> in the city — a problem that needs to be solved at the earliest.

Hopping signals or using phones when cops aren’t there? You’re still going to get instant-fined, thanks to Bengaluru’s new AI cameras

As Mumbai, India's financial capital, witnessed vertical growth over the years with highrises dotting its skyline, some 'gaothans' (villages) have held onto their heritage and legacy. Ranwar, in the heart of Bandra, is one such village that has resisted the urge to make way for towering structures. Dwarfed by highrises, the East Indian-majority village has narrow streets lined with old quaint bungalows and crosses outside homes. With jazz music streaming in the air, walking around the area can transport you to a simpler time. While Bandra developed rapidly and became home to Bollywood's elite and a burgeoning street shopping hub, residents of Ranwar maintained their old bungalows. The coexistence, however, has come at a price, causing traffic issues and crowding. And now, plans are afoot to give the 300-year-old village a facelift while preserving the past. Talking to PTI, <keyword id="23283968" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Johan-Dharmai" source="Orion">Johan Dharmai</keyword>, BJP secretary and a member of the East Indian community, said, "Locals want to preserve the heritage. One of the steps in the facelift plan is to close vehicle movement and build a walkway so that tourists can take a stroll and enjoy the architecture." Though many houses in Ranwar are now being redeveloped, Veronica Street has maintained its old-world charm. It has a square erected in 1866. However, honking rents the air on this street, as motorists see it as a shortcut to Bandra Reclamation and other areas. Mehboob Studio is just a stone's throw away, and senior citizens living on Veronica Street recall seeing actors Helen and Zeenat Aman around Ranwar. A beautification, restoration and conservation project is being initiated to improve safety, regulate traffic and create awareness about the centuries-old village. Mumbai BJP president and <keyword id="20238930" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bandra-West" source="keywords">Bandra West</keyword> MLA Ashish Shelar recently met locals to discuss ways to move the project forward. "The beauty of Bandra West is its 'gaothans'. The heritage needs to be protected and showcased. I have asked the government to allocate funds from the District Planning Development Committee (DPDC). <keyword id="23283965" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ranwar-Village" source="keywords">Ranwar village</keyword> will get a facelift. The work has begun on roads, CCTV cameras, street light illumination, parking and traffic plan will be in place with the help of locals and architects," Shelar told PTI. <keyword id="23283967" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Architect-Samir-DMonte" source="keywords">Architect Samir D'Monte</keyword> has been working with the Ranwar Veronica Street Residents' Association since 2009, and they identified a range of problems that the area faced. D'Monte said improvements were made to open spaces and common areas, roads, sewage and drainage systems, street signage, street lighting and traffic and parking management. Apart from this, individual houses were restored, and an innovative fire system was also introduced. Locals say most residents are senior citizens and want to live peacefully without disturbances by motorists. Kaevan Umrigar of Khaki Tours, who works to create awareness about Mumbai's heritage, said Bandra comprised 23 gaothans that housed fisher folk, Kunbis (a farming community) and the agris community who had salt pans. "Ranwar was a farming village, and the area had paddy fields. Later, these paddy fields made way for urban settlements. These little villages are now trapped in the city. Now, only 10 to 15 gaothans in Bandra have survived," he said. But preserving heritage comes at a cost, and if a 'gaothan' comes under heritage guidelines, it becomes difficult to upgrade a home in the area or live a modern life, Umigar said, adding that heritage should be made attractive by tapping the tourism potential of these areas. 'Gaothans' in Mumbai and the larger Mumbai metropolitan region (MMR) are urban villages that house the city's original inhabitants. The Mumbai suburban district collector and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have been roped in for Ranwar's facelift plan. Umigar calls land scarcity a threat to 'gaothans', with only 100 left in the city. "When someone wants to develop gaothans, they want to do it vertically. There is a constant battle between heritage and development. They (villages) survive because the houses are tightly packed and on narrow lanes. So individual houses are not attractive for redevelopment, and parking becomes an issue," he said.

300-year-old Bandra village to get facelift to conserve its glorious past

Sixty-six percent of <keyword id="23012810" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="road-traffic-deaths" source="keywords">road traffic deaths</keyword> in <keyword id="19952305" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Southeast-Asia" source="keywords">Southeast Asia</keyword> are of <keyword id="20239488" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pedestrians" source="keywords">pedestrians</keyword>, motorized <keyword id="20937113" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="two-wheeler-riders" source="keywords">two-wheeler riders</keyword>, and <keyword id="20007750" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cyclists" source="keywords">cyclists</keyword>, while the highest traffic fatalities in India are among two- and three-wheeler riders, according to the latest <keyword id="20738786" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="WHO-report" source="keywords">WHO report</keyword>. The "WHO South-East Asia Regional Status Report on <keyword id="20187029" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="road-safety" source="keywords">Road Safety</keyword>" was launched during "Safety 2024", the 15th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion, 2024. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), globally, 30% of reported road traffic deaths involved users of powered two- and three-wheelers. Occupants of four-wheeled vehicles make up 25% of the deaths and pedestrians account for 21 %. Cyclists represent 5% of the deaths. The remaining 20% include occupants of large vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, and other or unknown user types. "In the WHO Southeast Asia Region, the share of reported road traffic deaths is 46% for users of powered two- and three-wheelers, 12 for occupants of four-wheeled vehicles, 17% for pedestrians, 3% for cyclists and 22% for others. In all these countries, vulnerable road users (pedestrians, motorised two-wheeler users and bicyclists) constitute 66% of the total reported road traffic deaths," the report said. "Drivers or riders of two and three-wheelers constitute the highest proportion among all road user categories in India (45.1%), Maldives (100 %), Myanmar (47%) and Thailand (51.4%)," it added. The WHO noted that no country in the South Asian region had achieved the target of reducing its estimated road traffic deaths by 50 %. However, considerable reduction in the WHO's estimated road traffic deaths occurred in the Maldives and Thailand, where estimated road traffic deaths decreased by 46.2% and 41.7 %, respectively. On the contrary, reported road traffic deaths in the region increased by 15 % in the 2010-2021 period. At the country level, no member state of the Southeast Asia Region with more than 10 million population has reported a decrease in road traffic deaths during this period. "However, it should be noted that the reported number of road traffic deaths in Thailand reduced by 22.9% between 2016 and 2021. The estimated road traffic deaths too increased in Bangladesh, India and Nepal during the period 2010-2021 by 23 %, 2% and 25%, respectively," the report said. Etienne Krug, director of the WHO's Department for Social Determinants of Health, said road traffic crashes were a major crisis of the 21st century. "...a large proportion of people who die in road crashes are those who cannot afford to buy a car. This is urgent time to take action. The report reveals that the crisis is huge but we need to understand and act with determination that prevention is possible and needs strict enforcement," he said. The three-day conference is being hosted by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi; George Institute for Global Health in collaboration with the All India Institute for Medical Sciences (AIIMS), National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) and co-sponsored by WHO. "To reduce inequities, we must acknowledge that injuries disproportionately impact vulnerable communities -- because we are far behind in addressing real problems with real solutions. Lived experience shows how policy shapes differential exposure, risk, and outcomes, underscoring the urgent need for change," said Jagnoor Jagnoor, head of injury division at George Institute for Global Health. During the conference, the international experts are uniting with a shared goal of "building a safer future for all: Equitable and sustainable strategies for injury and violence prevention". The conference will focus on five key themes -- improving coordination and collaboration among stakeholders, strengthening capacity for research and practice, integrating injury prevention with global health agendas such as sustainability and equity, empowering communities, and promoting informed policymaking.

Pedestrians, cyclists, two-wheeler riders constitute 66% of road fatalities in Southeast Asia, says a WHO report

Multiple users from several parts of India reported problems with Meta-owned <keyword id="6354576" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="facebook" source="Orion">Facebook</keyword> on Thursday, especially facing trouble with its '<keyword id="2741569" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ads-manager" source="Orion">Ads Manager</keyword>'. DownDetector, an online website outage monitoring platform, showed that most of the outage reports were from Mumbai and Delhi. Several users took to the microblogging platform Twitter to report the issue. "In middle of building out a massive campaign &amp; ads manager goes down" a user said in a tweet. "Entered <keyword id="15479314" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="facebook-ads-manager" source="Orion">Facebook Ads Manager</keyword>, but can't access it because of an error, also me: runs to Twitter to check if i'm alone," another user commented. Facebook was yet to comment on what caused this outage. In October this year, Facebook was unavailable to roughly 3.5 billion users in the world for six hours. The outage also moved traffic to other social media applications and websites like Signal and Twitter that saw a surge in users by 140 times and seven times respectively. Video streaming platforms such as YouTube and Jio Play also saw a surge in traffic -- up by 30 times and 20 times respectively. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/article/nykaas-fashion-foray-and-pipeline-style-biz-model-worries-analysts/articleshow/95405203.cms">Nykaa’s fashion foray and pipeline-style biz model worries analysts</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/news/ahead-of-indias-semifinal-heres-how-the-men-in-blue-have-performed-against-england-in-t20/slidelist/95417123.cms">Ahead of India’s semifinal, here’s how Men in Blue have performed against England in T20</a>

Facebook users are reportedly facing problems accessing the Ads Manager

<ul><li>Mumbai is now the most car-congested city in India with 510 cars for every kilometre. </li><li>Car density in Mumbai is five times more than that of New Delhi. </li><li>Pune, Kolkata, Chennai are among the top five most ‘car congested’ cities after Mumbai. </li></ul>Narrow roads and lack of parking regulation have all contributed to turning India’s financial capital Mumbai into the most car-congested city in the country. Mumbai’s car density rose by 18% in the last two years with 510 cars for kilometers of road, Times of India reported. The density is five times higher than that of New Delhi, which is also struggling with longer traffic jams and lower Air Quality Index, <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/mumbais-car-density-5-times-that-of-delhi/articleshow/68553387.cms?from=mdr">reported</a> the Times of India. Other cities struggling with the problem of high car congestion include Pune with 359 cars per kilometre, followed by Kolkata with 319 cars per km and Chennai with 297 cars per km. The primary reason behind car-congestion is insufficient road space. The private car population of Mumbai is less than a third of Delhi but it has only 2,000km of road in comparison to 28,000 km road space in Delhi. The under-construction Mumbai metro network adds to the problem. There were only 430 cars per km in mid-2016, according to Maharashtra transport ministry data, <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/mumbais-car-density-5-times-that-of-delhi/articleshow/68553387.cms?from=mdr">reported the Times</a> of India. However, the government <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/mumbai-metro-work-causes-traffic-bottlenecks/story-yARZ73LiWSpMYFgfiKLTeM.html">expects</a> traffic to ease once the Metro project finishes by 2021. In mid-2016, car density in Mumbai was 430 cars per km, which has now gone up to 510, This has taken the total number of registered private cars to 1 million on city roads, roughly 28% of the total vehicular population in the city, which stands at 3.6 million, said the report citing an official. Nearly half the road space is occupied by private cars of all types including SUVs which is why the average speed on the Western Express highway is limited to 10kmph during peak hours. There is an urgent need to set up a parking authority which will overlook parking problems in the city and free up 50% roadspace in the city, said the reporting citing an official. The transport commissioners in the past have suggested people to using public transportation system but there’s little progress on it. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/gurgaon-is-the-most-polluted-city-in-the-world/articleshow/68267574.cms">India accounts for 7 of the world’s 10 most polluted cities — with Gurugram ranked as the worst: Study</a>

Mumbai is now the most car-congested city in India: Report

The domestic air passenger traffic reached 1232.45 lakhs in 2022, registering an annual growth of 47.05 per cent as compared to 2021, the <keyword id="6354705" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="directorate-general-of-civil-aviation" source="Orion">Directorate General of Civil Aviation</keyword> (<keyword id="6354787" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="dgca" source="Orion">DGCA</keyword>) said on Thursday. "Passengers carried by domestic airlines between January 2022 and December 2022 were 1232.45 lakhs as against 838.14 lakhs during the corresponding period of the previous year thereby registering an annual growth of 47.05 per cent and monthly growth of 13.69 per cent," the aviation regulator said. The passenger load factors of all major airlines - Air India, <keyword id="6358032" type="DOMAIN" weightage="20" keywordseo="spicejet" botkeyword="" source="ET" sourcekeytype="COMPANY" meta.keywordsubtype="EQ" meta.aliasname="spicejet" meta.entityname="Spicejet Ltd." meta.entityid="7876" meta.seoname="spicejet-ltd">SpiceJet</keyword>, <keyword id="12242018" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="gofirst" source="Orion">GoFirst</keyword>, IndiGo, <keyword id="11911527" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="akasa-air" source="Orion">Akasa Air</keyword>, AirAsia India and Vistara witnessed an upward trend in December 2022 compared to November 2022, as per the DGCA data. The passenger load factor measures the seat capacity utilisation of the airline. IndiGo recorded a market share of 56.1 per cent followed by Vistara with a 9.2 per cent share. SpiceJet and Air India had an 8.7 per cent market share, shows the official data. During December 2022, a total of 408 passenger-related complaints were received by the scheduled domestic airlines. The major reasons for complaints are flight problems and refunds. Airlines have received a total of 408 complaints, out of which 401 (approx. 98 per cent) have been addressed, the DGCA data shows. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/shark-tank-s2-indias-first-plug-and-fly-drones-developed-by-undergraduate/articleshow/97132329.cms">The under-grads who built a business of plug-and-fly drones</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/hul-indusind-bank-adani-enterprises-among-stocks-in-focus/articleshow/97115029.cms">Sensex, Nifty50 end lower on weak US consumer data – FMCG, metals, auto lead losses</a>

Domestic air passenger traffic went up by 47% this year compared to 2021: DGCA

Infosys founder <keyword id="51793" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nr-narayana-murthy" source="Orion">NR Narayana Murthy</keyword> on Wednesday called out the need for spending $1 billion annually to train teachers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to foster a better education in India. Murthy stressed the need to create 2,500 institutions to train primary and <keyword id="1851633" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="secondary-school-teachers" source="Orion">secondary school teachers</keyword> by spending $20 billion over the next two decades. For this, he suggested inviting 10,000 retired highly accomplished teachers from over the globe and India. "One possible way of accelerating NEP's outcome is to invite 10,000 retired highly accomplished teachers from the developed worlds and from India in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to create 2,500 'train the teacher' colleges across India", the billionaire businessman said, at the Infosys Prize ceremony, hosted by the Infosys Science Foundation (ISF) in Bengaluru. "We will be able to train 250,000 <keyword id="83234" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="primary-school-teachers" source="Orion">primary school teachers</keyword> and 250,000 secondary school teachers every year by this method. These trained Indian teachers can themselves become trainers over a period of 5 years. "We should pay about $100,000 a year," he said, while also stressing the need for providing better facilities and pay to teachers. Further, Murthy said India is still in stage 1 "in some important areas like design of livable cities, pollution management, traffic management,and providing clean and safe water". India must aspire for stage 4 in innovation and invention, where it becomes an inventor of new processes, products, and services, he noted. Awarding the Infosys Prize 2023 to six individuals for their remarkable contributions to scientific research in India, he said, "Learnability, creativity and innovation are the ways to navigate our fast-changing world. We must be daringly inventive to tackle the daunting and persistent problems of today". The awards were in six categories -- Engineering and Computer Science, Humanities, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Social Sciences. The prize for each category comprises a gold medal, a citation, and a prize purse of $100,000 (or its equivalent in INR).

Spending $1 bn annually can help train STEM teachers in India: Narayana Murthy

<ul><li><keyword id="3361020" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="FCB-Interface">FCB Interface</keyword>'s <keyword id="8693027" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-punishing-signal">The Punishing Signal</keyword> for Mumbai Police, shone bright at <keyword id="177378" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cannes-Lions">Cannes Lions</keyword> this year, bringing home 7 metals.</li><li>We caught up with <keyword id="298927" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Robby-Mathew">Robby Mathew</keyword>, Vice Chairman &amp; CCO, FCB Interface who spoke to us about the work, what went into conceptualizing and then executing the campaign, and the kind of impact it has had since.</li></ul>Last week, Cannes Lions announced winners of campaigns for both 2020 and 2021 for campaigns from across the world, and Indian campaigns did not disappoint. While a <keyword id="18072" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Grand-Prix">Grand Prix</keyword> eluded us this year, FCB Interface’s campaign, The Punishing Signal for The Mumbai Police, created waves. The agency brought home a total of 7 metals, including 1 Gold, 3 Silvers and 3 Bronzes for this campaign alone. Mumbai has been known to be one of the busiest and resultantly, the noisiest cities in the world. We have all faced incessant, unnecessary honking at traffic signals, even when the lights are red. The <keyword id="86426" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mumbai-Traffic-police">Mumbai Traffic Police</keyword> wanted to address this problem and partnered with FCB Interface to find an answer. The agency came up with an innovative solution, The Punishing Signal to tackle the honking menace in the city. As a part of the activation, special decibel meters were connected to traffic signals across the city. Every time impatient people would honk, and the decibel levels would exceed 85dB, the signal timer would simply reset itself, adding another 90 seconds to the wait. Haven't most of us wished this on all those honkers on the streets? The campaign, which most of us could relate to instantly, received 6.6 billion impressions with many international publications picking it up too. We recently caught up with Robby Mathew, Vice Chairman &amp; CCO, FCB Interface who spoke to us about the work, what went into conceptualizing and then executing the campaign, and the kind of impact it has had since. Watch the full conversations here: <div type="Video" msid="83910997" hostid="261" title="Robby Mathew of FCB Interface discusses 'The Punishing Signal'" dataSource="BUSINESSINSIDER" thumbUrl="https://denmark.timesinternet.in/cmslite/api/app/images.jpg?msid=83910997"></div>

Here’s what went behind creating 'The Punishing Signal', one of India’s most awarded campaigns at Cannes Lions 2021

<ul><li>The roads of India's most congested cities lie vacant midst the lockdown saving travellers more than 8 hours of traffic time.</li><li>Pictures show how the roads of Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, and New Delhi are no longer filled with bumper-to-bumper traffic amidst the Coronavirus pandemic in India.</li><li>According to Tom Tom's traffic index, Bengaluru isn't just the most congested city in India, but the world.</li></ul>India's roads are known for being some of the most congested in the world. However, with the nationwide lockdown to combat the spread of coronavirus, these roads are finally seeing some relief. Instead of traffic jams that last hours on end, the roads now lie empty as everyone stays home. This is reflected in the drastic fall of requests for directions on Apple's navigation apps as per data released for up to April 16. <div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype="Image"><cdata><![CDATA[<div class="flourish-embed flourish-chart" data-src="visualisation/1981135" data-url="https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/1981135/embed"></div>]]></cdata></div> The massive traffic on the roads doesn't just take a toll on the environment by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/weather-maps-show-how-indias-coronavirus-lockdown-is-helping-people-breathe-a-little-better/articleshow/74896617.cms">boosting air pollution</a> but has staggering costs for the economy. The cities that bear the worst of it are Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune and New Delhi. Bengaluru is the most congested city in the world — but not during the lockdown According to <a href="https://www.tomtom.com/en_gb/traffic-index/">Tom Tom</a>'s traffic index, <a href="https://www.tomtom.com/en_gb/traffic-index/bengaluru-traffic/">Bengaluru</a> isn't just the most congested city in India — but all over the world. It beat out 415 other cities across 57 countries that are covered to earn that title in 2019. <div type="image" title="11" msid="75243336" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Fall in average traffic during the Coronavirus pandemic in Bengaluru over the last seven days&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>Drivers in India's 'Silicon Valley' spent an extra 58 minutes per an hour's trip during the morning rush and extra 70 minutes in the evening rush. Due to the lockdown, average congestion is down by as much as 90%. <div type="image" title="2" msid="75243453" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Traffic on Bengaluru&amp;#39;s Airport road near Hebbal flyover before and after the lockdown&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Tom Tom estimates that people wasted at least 243 hours — that's 10 days and 3 hours — in rush hours over the year. In that time they could have watched 215 Game of Thrones episodes. <div type="image" title="3" msid="75243474" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Traffic on Bengaluru&amp;#39;s Hosur Main Road before and after the lockdown&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>India's film city used to lead the index Prior to Bengaluru in 2019, the top spot was held by India's financial capital and film city — <a href="https://www.tomtom.com/en_gb/traffic-index/mumbai-traffic/">Mumbai</a>. In 2019, it slipped to the second most congested city in India and the fourth rank on the global index. <div type="image" title="10" msid="75243352" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Fall in average traffic during the Coronavirus pandemic in Mumbai over the last seven days&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Drivers there spent an average of 48 minutes extra per hour, during the morning rush and an extra 62 minutes in the evening. <div type="image" title="6" msid="75243488" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Traffic on Mumbai&amp;#39;s airport road before and after the lockdown&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>All that extra time adds up to 8 days and 17 hours wasted over the entire year. In that time, travellers could have knitted 52 hats and 10 sweaters — not that they would need them in coastal city's sweltering weather. <div type="image" title="7" msid="75243498" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Traffic on Mumbai&amp;#39;s Bandra area before and after the lockdown&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> And, Mumbai's sister city — Pune — is almost just as bad Right after Mumbai, its sister city <a href="https://www.tomtom.com/en_gb/traffic-index/pune-traffic/">Pune</a> is ranked fifth the most congested city globally — and third in India. The worst hour to be on the roads was Friday's from 7 pm to 8 pm, more than doubling the time that it would take to get from point A to point B. <div type="image" title="12" msid="75243366" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Fall in average traffic during the Coronavirus pandemic in Pune over the last seven days&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>The time lost in rush hours in Pune is 8 days and an hour per year. That's the duration required to plant 193 trees — or solve 39 jigsaw puzzles — according to Tom Tom. <div type="image" title="9" msid="75243505" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Traffic on Bengaluru&amp;#39;s raods before and after the lockdown&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The national capital New Delhi is no exception India's capital city, <a href="https://www.tomtom.com/en_gb/traffic-index/new-delhi-traffic/">New Delhi</a>, has worked on many a solution to try and combat the burgeoning traffic problems in the city — including wider roads, elevated roads, alternative routes, underpasses and other things. <div type="image" title="pjote roads (2)" msid="75243402" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Fall in average traffic during the Coronavirus pandemic in New Delhi over the last seven days&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> However, people in the city still spend an extra 7 days and 22 hours in traffic every year. Like in the other cities, it takes nearly double the time to travel during the evening rush hours and an extra 44 minutes per hour in the morning. <div type="image" title="4" msid="75243572" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Traffic on the Delhi-Gurgaon NH8 highway before and after the lockdown&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> According to a study by the Centre for Science and Environment (<a href="https://cdn.cseindia.org/attachments/0.91019300_1522405882_Google-analysis-by-CSE-graphs-and-charts.pdf">CSE</a>), the crisis costs the national capital an extra ₹54,000 crore in 2013. Using data from Google they were able to estimate that it wasn't just the peak hours that were bad for the city. During the 12 hours between 8 am to 8 pm, cars were only able to exceed speeds of 30 kilometres per hour 8% of the time. <div type="image" title="1" msid="75243515" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Pictures of Ghazipur (L) during normal traffic and (R) during nationwide lockdown in Delhi &amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> With the nationwide lockdown in place, traffic in these cities has virtually disappeared. However, this doesn't mean that the problems have been solved. Once this temporary reprieve is over, these cities will still have a high number of cars, bumper-to-bumper traffic congestion and the usual grid gridlock during peak travel times will make its return. How can we keep the congestion from making a return? To keep things from returning to how they were during pre-Coronavirus times, making more roads can't be the only answer. Some studies show that building more roads actually induces even more traffic. Instead, <a href="https://www.cseindia.org/congestion-on-delhi-roads-has-worsened--6994">CSE</a> suggests that the respective governments should focus more on public transport strategies, walking infrastructure and appropriate pricing of car usage to actually curb motorisation. In Brazil's <a href="https://www.wri.org/blog/2015/03/3-ways-sao-paulos-companies-helped-curb-traffic-congestion">Sao Paulo</a> carpools and use of public transport has already proven how these solutions can be beneficial for both, the government and private companies. Beijing and Shanghai were one of the first adopters of transport demand management (<a href="https://www.wri.org/blog/2015/04/4-lessons-beijing-and-shanghai-show-how-china-s-cities-can-curb-car-congestion">TDM</a>) in China. They used measures like license auctioning, parking certificates, and building up their public transport infrastructure. In London, congestion pricing reduced vehicle travel by 17% and, in San Francisco, real-time parking pricing dues the miles travelled by cars by 30%. In most places, TDM measures are driven by the public sector but their tangible results once the private sector <a href="https://www.wri.org/blog/2015/03/strategies-sustainable-cities-demystifying-transport-demand-management">catches up</a>. In India, the government in Bengaluru has started talking to the private sector to discuss things like shifting how employees commute to work. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/before-and-after-pictures-show-the-coronavirus-travel-ban-brought-airlines-to-a-grinding-halt-since-march/articleshow/75074376.cms" style="">Before and after pictures show how the Coronavirus travel ban brought airlines to a grinding halt since March</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/weather-maps-show-how-indias-coronavirus-lockdown-is-helping-people-breathe-a-little-better/articleshow/74896617.cms">Weather maps show how India’s Coronavirus lockdown is helping people breathe a little better</a>

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